Blog Tour: Stolen Dream by Oliver Takely

 

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Stolen Dream

Author: Oliver Takely

Publisher: MM Romance Press

Cover Artist: Emily’s World of Design

Release Date:  March 5, 2025

Tense/POV: Third person, dual POV

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance

Tropes: Forbidden love, first times, demisexual rep, found family

Themes: Second chance romance

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 60 000 words        

It is book three of the Soho Knights Series. Books four and five are scheduled in 2025.

The book ends on a cliffhanger for the series, but not for the couple.

Goodreads

Available in Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON US  |  AMAZON UK

In a world that tried to change them, love becomes their greatest rebellion.

At just eighteen, Paolo and Max meet at a conversion therapy camp. Abandoned by their families. left to endure literal hell on earth, their love is forbidden. Their secret romance grows and as they make plans to escape, they are brutally torn apart.

They both spend the next twelve years building lives in different worlds. Paolo in the vibrant heart of Soho, London, surrounded by his found family, and Max thriving as a successful criminal lawyer in the bustling streets of New York. Both of them believing they’ve lost the love of their life forever.

Max finds himself in London after defending a mobster, which leads to an offer he literally can’t refuse. Needing thinking time before his fate is sealed, he unexpectedly crosses paths with Paolo again. The spark between them reignites, yet their reunion is fraught with challenges, and even the magical backdrop of the holidays may not be enough for them to get their second chance at love. With Paolo's sister at risk of suffering the same fate they endured, the stakes are even higher.

Stolen Dream is a tale of resilience, forbidden love, and the fight for a future that embraces who they truly are. Will they save Paolo's sister in time, and can they find a way to be together, against all odds? Join them on this emotional journey of hope and redemption, where stolen dreams may just lead to a love worth fighting for.

KC greeted Paolo with a big hug when he arrived. She was such a wonderful woman, who had been through more than all his brothers put together. The bravery it took for her to transition in the nineties had Paolo in awe of her.

            “What are you doing here on a Saturday?”

            “I’m meeting an . . . an old friend.”

            “Old boyfriend?” She smiled.

            Paolo felt his face heating. She leant forward and whispered to him.

            “Well, if it’s the guy who just walked in who looks like he wants to eat you, then I think I’ve got my answer.”

            Paolo spun around and there was Max. He hadn’t gotten a proper look last night with the shock. Max had always had a broad build, but now he was built like a rugby player, with wide shoulders and a tapered waist. His hazel eyes were as captivating as they had been twelve years ago. Max smiled at him, showing those perfect dimples in his pinchable cheeks. He was clean-shaven, unlike Paolo who’d had a short beard for the last five years. His face was too babyish when he was clean-shaven.

            “Can I give you a hug?” asked Max.

            Paolo was too choked up, so he just nodded, and Max wrapped his big, muscular arms around him. They were the same height, but even though Paolo had packed on the muscle over the last few years, Max almost smothered him – albeit in a good way. He was wearing a citrusy aftershave, and he could happily stay like this in Max’s arms forever.

            When the hug was bordering on being far too long for a public setting, they pulled apart and both smiled. Paolo gestured to a nearby table he’d claimed when he arrived. He made eye contact with KC, who gave him a warm smile and touched her heart. Paolo rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

            “Thank you for seeing me,” said Max.

            Was he nervous? This wasn’t how he remembered him. Max had been the strong one when they’d been in the camp. It wasn’t just Paolo who looked up to him; it was everyone. Paolo wasn’t sure what to say. He felt tongue tied, so he grabbed a menu, passing one to Max. He knew the menu by heart, but Max didn’t need to know that.

            “Did you want to get something to eat?” asked Paolo. That was a safe conversation starter.

            “I am always hungry.”

            He smiled, and then a dark shadow appeared in his eyes. It was clear a memory had hit him. One they shared. Paolo needed to get things back on track. Today was not a day to go down memory lane.

            “Everything’s amazing here. KC is the best cook in the world.”

            “That’s a bold claim. I’ll have to let Mason know.”

            “Mason?”

            “He’s a Michelin starred chef in New York.”

            “How do you know him?”

            Max took hold of Paolo’s hand. It felt strange, yet familiar.

            “Mason’s just a friend. I’m not with anyone.”

            “That’s not . . . I didn’t mean . . .” Ugh, why couldn’t he get his words out?

            Perhaps sensing his struggle, Max suggested they order. He let go of Paolo’s hand and Paolo missed the touch instantly. How could this be happening? He’d not had butterflies or any of these feelings for twelve years.

Oliver Takely is a passionate MM romance author who revels in dark, edgy stories featuring complex, flawed characters. With years of writing experience and a creative day job, Oliver Takely is also an avid reader of MM romance, consuming 300 books in both 2023 and 2024. His favourite trope is enemies to lovers, but is also a sucker for a feel-good Christmas romance.

Originally from the north, Oliver now resides in the south of England with his husband and their beloved fur baby, who is treated like a princess, living their own happily-ever-after straight out of a romance novel. When not writing or reading, he enjoys holidays and indulging in lots of good food, because who doesn’t love a delicious combination?

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Release Blitz: In Flight by Noelle Adams

IN FLIGHT

Noelle Adams

Release Date: March 28

Flying from Savannah to Boston every weekend for two months to help my sister with her upcoming wedding would be fine if it weren't for the obnoxious airplane guy. He has a job in Savannah for a few months and flies home to Boston every weekend, so he's always on my flights.

Even that might be tolerable if he didn't always choose the seat right beside me. But he won't move, and neither will I. So now we're stuck. Side by side for flight after flight.

After flight.

So what if he's kind of attractive? And softer than he pretends? His life is in Boston, and mine is not. His career is his priority, and the happy, secure world I've worked hard to build for myself in Savannah is mine.

So he's still the obnoxious airplane guy to me, and no matter how often our paths might cross, that's all he can ever be.

https://books2read.com/u/bpV01z

Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn't stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she reads any book she can get her hands on and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.

Keep up with Noelle and subscribe to her newsletter.

To learn more about Noelle Adams & her books, visit here!

https://www.noelle-adams.com/contact

 

Release Blitz: Specimen by C. Quince

RECENT RELEASE

Book Title:  Specimen 

Author: C. Quince 

Publisher: Ninestar Press 

Cover Artist: HolBat 

Release Date: March 11, 2024

Tense/POV: third person/past tense/alternating POV

Genre:  MM paranormal/alien/sci-fi romance

Themes: Enemies to lovers, mystery, thriller, action adventure, spies, frenemies, forced proximity, colleagues

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length:  105 000 words/ 300 pages 

It is the first book of a series. 

The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger as the mysteries are ongoing, 

but the couple are solidly together.

Goodreads

NineStar Press  |  Universal Link

A former US Marine and a British M16 Intelligence agent find more in common than attraction. 

David Cortez, a decorated US Marine, is now on the run from his own government after escaping a top-secret CIA lab when an experimental medical procedure turned sour.

While lying low in Mexico, an assassin sent from British Intelligence tracks him down. However, Sonny from MI6, a British-Iranian with a cockney accent, offers David a choice: join his team, or be killed.

David chooses to work with Sonny, not only because he wants his life back, but because he feels a kinship with the man.

They’re also both in the unique position of being the only living test subjects with alien DNA in their blood. Could that explain the strong attraction between them?

Sonny opened the brief. Inside, the first page was stamped TOP SECRET in big letters, which always made him want to laugh, along with the usual disclaimers typed out manually from a typewriter. Sonny breezed past all that and looked at the mission itself. What he saw was a collected file on one man: former US Marine, last known employment in private security. The collected photos were from past ID’s like Marine Corps and the DMV, and included some candids and hospital patient logs.

Handsome guy, Sonny thought idly. Tan skin, short brown hair, a strong jawline. Sonny was unsure of the guy’s ethnicity until he clocked the name.

“The file is Sergeant David Luis Cortez,” Shepherd said. “US Marines scout sniper.” She sat down at the opposite end of the table to Guv. “Peak physical health while on duty,” she went on. “Loyal. Follows orders. Impressive stats. Fifty-two confirmed kills, one of which being a one-and-a-half-mile sniper shot from a thirty-storey window.”

Sonny felt equally annoyed and impressed to hear that. He was the trick shot in this division, and he didn’t need another hotshot coming for his wig.

“Served in Afghanistan, Sudan, and South America, as well as several black ops missions. Honourable discharge, moved onto private security and diplomatic detail,” Shepherd went on. “Assigned to US diplomat Philip Sherman, thwarted an assassination attempt, but fell victim to poisoning from thallium sulphate.”

Sonny leafed through the hospital files. These medical records were official, along with a copy of the death certificate.

Sonny guessed what had happened before Shepherd confirmed it: they had another resurrected government experiment on their hands. Sonny should know; he was one himself.

“His condition in civilian hospital deteriorated,” Shepherd explained. “Through an Army connection, Cortez was recommended for special medical trials, codenamed Trial X. His first round of tests proved successful, when not many subjects pass that stage…” She glanced up pointedly. “As we well know.”

Sonny kept quiet and lifted his cup to take a sip. The slurp was noisy in the quiet room.

Guv gave Sonny a warning look. Sonny stopped slurping and smirked. He’d made his point. He was a special case who’d survived testing and was worth his weight in gold. He got away with murder on a daily basis.

“So,” Shepherd continued, “the CIA faked Cortez’s death, and moved him to one of their black sites for further testing. Cortez was renamed Specimen X.”

Sonny turned the page and saw copies of top secret CIA medical files, including a colour photo of the poor bastard inside a tank filled with bubbly blue liquid. He was naked except for an oxygen mask over his face and various cables attached to his limbs. The photo cut off below the waist. Sonny, being a thirsty bitch, immediately zeroed in on the man’s toned abs and pecs, and biceps to die for.

Was it uncouth to lust over him in that condition? Probably. Did Sonny care? Not really.

In the photo the man’s eyes were closed. His hair had grown longer than the short army cut, and he also had a beard now. He’d be hot shit, if not for the fact he was stuck inside a human-sized test tube.

“Was it Wallace’s team?” Guv asked Shepherd, referencing a top CIA operative.

“We don’t know for sure,” Shepherd replied. “My mole was tight lipped about the department. But we do know they were working with their own version of Sample A-X, which is why I’ve brought this to the front of our queue. It’s amazing we got as much intel as is, considering their operation was all shut down and relocated after his escape.”

Escape? Sonny perked up at that. Excellent! He loved drama. 

He flicked through more of the file, speed-reading reports detailing the subject’s general disorientation after the procedure, then his violent outbursts toward medical staff… But Sonny never trusted a doctor’s word on patients. Who wouldn’t get pissed off after being poked and prodded then shoved in a tank? Sonny could sympathise.

There were some printouts of shots taken from a black-and-white security feed showing the naked (and ripped) subject overpowering several doctors and guards in the lab in order to break down the door and escape.

Sonny felt vicariously proud of the guy. 

He probably shouldn’t have smirked over it, because Guv and Shepherd noticed. “I’m glad you think this is amusing, Sonny,” Shepherd said haughtily, “because you’re the one who’s going to track him down.”

Quince is a MENA-British author who lives in England, enjoys sci-fi and fantasy, history, and Halloween.

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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Pity Play by Whitney Dineen

Pity Play
Whitney Dineen
(Pity Series, #6)
Publication date: March 23rd 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

I’ve loved my brother’s best friend for as long as I can remember. Newsflash, he doesn’t see me that way. But now that Luke Phillips is coming to town and needs a place to stay… could this be my big chance?

It’s not like I’ve sat around for the last twenty-eight years waiting for Luke. Not really. But ever since I moved back to Elk Lake, I can’t help but hope I’ll run into him. Enter my big brother calling and asking if his bestie can bunk with me. My younger self is doing backflips at the possibilities.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Luke is looking for a long-term situation. He’s made it clear he’s got some business to take care of and then he’s on the first train back to Chicago.

But then he kisses me. And everything changes.

At least, I hope it has…

Pity Play is a brother’s best friend, close proximity, small town rom-com that takes place in the resort town of Elk Lake, Wisconsin. This is the sixth book in a series that read as standalones.

Goodreads / Amazon

After climbing the stairs, I open the door to my room, and I’m immediately filled with the comforting familiarity of my early years. I’ve thought about redecorating now that I’m an adult but being that I spend as much time living in my parents’ room—when they’re in Florida—as I do here, I haven’t quite pulled the trigger. Also, I’m twenty-eight, and even though I tell Noah there’s nothing wrong with me still living at home, I have started to wonder how much longer I’ll be here.

Once again, I let my feather duster take flight and when it gets to the posters, I perform a ritual from my teenage years. I swipe it across Mel B’s face and sing, “I tell you what I want, Luke Phillips. I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna go out on a date with you!”

I’m so busy jamming around my room that I jump when the doorbell rings. It can’t even be eight o’clock so I have no idea who it is. I know it’s not Luke because he won’t be here until ten. That leaves old Mrs. Bing from next door.

My bluish-haired neighbor isn’t generally a bother, but ever since her husband went into the nursing home, she regularly stops by when she needs a jar opened or a spider killed. One time she told me that our weeds were growing out of control and kindly offered to send her gardener over. I let her do that once but then she hit me with a bill for a hundred and fifty dollars. Now we all just live with the weeds.

I run down the stairs with the Spice Girls still ringing in my head, and apparently out of my mouth because as I swing open the door, I practically shout, “If you wannabe my lover …” And that’s when I realize Mrs. Bing isn’t my guest.

All six-foot two inches of Luke Phillips is standing in front of me, and man, does he look good. It’s March in Wisconsin so he’s dressed for winter in a bomber jacket and wool scarf. Nicely fitted jeans showcase every gorgeous inch of his long legs.

I know I should say something to him, but my mouth pools with so much saliva that if I don’t swallow it soon, I’m liable to drool on the man. Swallow your spit, girl.

Once I manage that monumental, and embarrassingly audible, task, I blurt out, “Hey … Hello … Hi there!” Oh yeah, I’m a real orator.

“Hi.” Luke’s beanie-covered head tips to the side. His gorgeous brown eyes narrow like he’s inspecting a moldy piece of cheese. “I’m looking for Lorelai Riley.”

This is my chance to tell him she’s not here and that he should come back at ten when he was supposed to arrive, but my synapses aren’t firing. That must be why I throw my arms into the air and practically shout at him, “I’m Lorelai!”

Luke takes a step backward like he’s going to make a run for it. Instead of fleeing, he moves his gaze from the top of my purple bandana all the way to my bare feet. This of course means he’s aware I’m wearing a pink flowered flannel nightgown from Lanz of Salsburg. A favorite with grannies everywhere.

“Hi,” he repeats. Yet he makes no move toward the door. In fact, there’s no movement at all. It’s like he’s turned into a marble statue. He even stays put after I step back and gesture for him to come in.

Well, this is awkward. I start stammering, “I didn’t expect you until ten. I mean, that’s when Noah said you were coming so that’s why I’m not dressed.” He looks borderline terrified, so I hurry to add, “I was cleaning. Getting ready for you.”

He lifts his foot like he’s going to take a step forward, but the action is so slow it’s like he’s trying to push his way through a wall of frozen molasses. “I can find a hotel or something …”

“What? No! Come on in! You’re staying here!” The image of Kathy Bates from that old movie Misery pops into my mind. From the look on Luke’s face, he’s thinking something similar. I want to assure him that I won’t hobble him, chain him to the bed, and keep him as a hostage, but I think that might scare him more.

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

Release Blitz and Review: Finding Lord Landry by Lucy Lennox

Title: Finding Lord Landry

Series: The Billionaire Brotherhood #5

Author: Lucy Lennox

Genre: Contemporary Gay Romance

Tropes: Enemies with Benefits, Boss/Employee

Workplace Romance, Secret Fling, Fake Fiancé

Release Date: March 25, 2025

When a secret enemies-with-benefits situation turns into the world’s most public fake marriage…

The world knows me as Landry Davis, supermodel. A beautiful face and killer abs that have spawned a hundred fantasies.

To my friends, I’m simply Landry, the snarkiest (read: most fun) member of our billionaire brotherhood.

But to Kenji Toma, the gorgeous and oh-so-capable personal assistant I’ve been in love with for years, I’m “effing Landry,” the charming slacker who disappears for weeks only to resurface in trouble. His favorite enemy-with benefits. A man he refuses to fall in love with (though I’ve tried) and also can’t resist managing (a fact I’m not too proud to take advantage of).

What none of them know is that I have another title–in fact, a whole other life. One I was born into. One that comes with sprawling estates, a coronet, and a metric ton of familial and political expectations. A life I’ve kept secret for way too long… and hope to keep secret for just a little while longer.

At least until I learn Kenji is in danger.

When all my money and fame can’t save the man I love, I don’t hesitate to use long-hidden political power to whisk him to safety, even though it means outing myself as Viscount Hawling, the elusive heir to the Davencourt earldom…

And pretending the man who loves to hate me is actually my doting husband.

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I have been anxiously awaiting this book, and it did not disappoint. The little teases we got about Landry and Kenji were only the tip of the iceberg! Their chemistry was off the charts, the build-up and development were great, and the story brought the whole series to a nice end...Although, I do want Foster's book now...and I will be waiting impatiently for it. 

I think Landry and Kenji's story is my favorite in the series. We get glimpses into the others and what is going on with them, but more than that, we finally get to see exactly what has been going on with these two. It is a lot of push and pull, and I wanted to slap them both a time or three. This is one you need for your collection. 5 stars.

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

UNIVERSAL

Free in Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

UNIVERSAL

Free in Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

UNIVERSAL

Free in Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

UNIVERSAL

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Lucy Lennox is a USA Today bestselling author and winner of the A.C. Katt Gay Debut Novel Award.

After enjoying creative writing as a child, Lucy didn’t write her first novel until she was over 40 years old. Her debut novel, Borrowing Blue, was published in the autumn of 2016. Lucy has an English Literature degree from Vanderbilt University, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the years and years of staying up all night reading tantalizing novels on her own. She has three children, plays tennis, and hates folding laundry. While her husband is no shmoopy romance hero, he is very good at math, cooks a mean lasagne, has gorgeous eyes, looks hot in his business clothes, and makes her laugh every single day. She writes gay romance with heart, humor, and heat!

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