✱✱Audio Book Review✱✱ Out in the Surf Audio Blitz

Title:  Out in the Surf

Series: Out in College, Book 10

Author: Lane Hayes

Narrator: Michael Dean

Publisher: Lane Hayes

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins

Genre: Romance, Contemporary MM Romance, Sports Romance, Bisexual, College Romance

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

The hockey player, the surfer, and a lesson neither can forget…
Luca-
I love the beach, and I’m a good athlete. Learning how to surf should be a breeze, right?
Wrong.
In a twist, hockey is nothing like surfing. That’s okay—I just need a diversion to round out my new life in So Cal while I figure out what comes next. As long as I keep my head above water, this could be fun.
Bonus…my instructor is hot.
Cal-
Teaching newbies to surf is easy money. Usually. My newest student is a wild card who seems to think his jock status should make him a natural at everything he tries, and I can see why. Luca is…special. He’s dynamic, energetic, and fun. It’s hard not to like him. But I like him a little too much.
This could be trouble.
Out in the Surf is a low-angst MM romance, bisexual-awakening story. When the teacher becomes the student, it may be time to come out in the surf.

Excerpt

I held out my hand, smirking when he stared at it suspiciously.
“Thanks.”
He pressed his palm against mine, shook my hand, and released it. No big deal, right?
Wrong.
My fingers tingled and my heart rate soared to the stratosphere. I played it cool, though. I hooked my thumbs in my belt loops, casually glanced up at the street sign before asking, “So…when do you want to schedule your next lesson?”
Luca barked a laugh. “I’m not doing that again. That was single-handedly the most traumatic thing that’s happened to me since I moved to Cali. A clear sign I should stay closer to shore and away from surfboards.”
“No, no, no. You’ve got that wrong,” I cajoled. “It’s like I tried to tell you…you’ve got to get back on that horse. Or surfboard. Don’t let fear win.”
“I’m not afraid of surfing. It’s more a matter of returning to the scene of the crime.”
“What crime?”
“The kissing crime!” He threw his hands in the air and paced a few feet away.
I pursed my lips to keep my smile in check when he came to a stop in front of me. “Are you going to do it again?”
Luca shrugged. “I didn’t intend to do it the first time around. But what if I accidentally stick my tongue down your throat? Don’t look at me like that. It could happen.”
“I’m willing to take a chance.” I chuckled. “How about Monday?”
He screwed his features into wide-eyed disbelief. “Really?”
“Really.”
“I can’t. School started last week and I can’t be late…yet.”
“Wise choice.” I stepped away from the crosswalk to lean against the building’s façade. “Okay, if you have any open mornings, we’ll make it work. Otherwise, I’ll make time for you on the weekend. Early.”
Luca furrowed his brow. “If I hypothetically agreed, what is ‘early’ to you?”
“Seven a.m.”
“Fuck that.” He snorted with a laugh. “I need my beauty sleep.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to assure him that he didn’t, but that was a strange sentiment coming from another guy. Wasn’t it?
“Early bird gets the worm and all that,” I singsonged.
“Hmph. I’ll think about it…someday.”
“Sounds fair. Gimme your phone number.” I handed over my cell and let him add his contact info. “I’m free tomorrow morning…just sayin’.”
I was teasing. I was more interested in coaxing an incredulous reaction than anything. And Luca didn’t disappoint. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head in mock consternation.
“You’re nuts. Certifiable. I wouldn’t want to hang out with hungover me if I were you.”
“I’ve seen you barf. Does it get worse?”
He opened his mouth and closed it. “Wow, I really was a mess that day.”
“You weren’t that bad,” I chided playfully.
“Liar,” Luca scoffed. “All right. Call me or text me. We’ll have a redo and next time, I promise not to kiss you.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you did,” I replied, unthinking.
We both froze.
I wasn’t sure who was more surprised. My jaw unhinged while he cocked his head and really looked at me for the first time that night, his eyes roaming my face as if searching for clues.
“So kissing might be okay,” he hummed, narrowing his eyes.
I felt his gaze like a physical touch. It had never occurred to me to wonder how another man saw me, but I had to admit, the flash of naked desire in his expression did something for me.
This was a new one. Luca was gay, or maybe bi. Either way, he was plainly interested in me…and I didn’t hate it. In fact, my jeans hugged my crotch a little too tightly, which meant my body appreciated his interest and maybe shared it. And that was pretty…gay.
Was I okay with that?

Purchase at Audible

 

Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's been a bit since I've read or listened to a Lane Hayes book, and starting at book 10 in a series probably wasn't the logical choice, but it is what it is. Thankfully, this one is a standalone, at least, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. For the most part, Out in the Surf is a fun, easy listen. There is a wee bit of angst, but even then, it's an easy-going book. It's also a steamy listen, and Cal and Luca have some good chemistry going on. They're both likable and easy to root for and the story just kind of flows, which makes sense for a surfing romance. The book is about 4 hours long, so it's perfect for a road trip or even listening while you're out running errands. Michael Dean gives voice to the characters, and he does a really good job of capturing the lighthearted friendship and romance between Luca and Cal. I think this is my first time listening to Dean, and now that I've heard him, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up an audiobook with his narration. I enjoyed both the story and narration, and Out in the Surf reminded me of how much I like Lane Hayes's work. 

Meet the Author

 

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, 2018-2019, 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. She loves wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and her fabulous pup, George.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | BookBub

The Professor's Date Audio Blitz

Title:  The Professor's Date

Series: The Script Club #5

Author: Lane Hayes

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Publisher: Lane Hayes

Release Date: July 21, 2022

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 05 Hours 58 Minutes

Genre: Romance, Nerd/Jock, MM Romance, Humor, Hurt and Comfort

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

The professor, the hair stylist, and a wedding date…

Tommy

Help! My sister is getting married and according to her, I need a date. And a makeover. I’m a busy man, though. I don’t have time to meet eligible bachelors, and the tape holding my glasses together works just fine. Until my hair stylist steps on them.

Yes, Noah, my dazzling dreamboat of a hair guru created a mini disaster, but I don’t mind at all. He’s a sweet, funny, kind jock who—

Screech! No jocks. I have nothing in common with sporty people.

Except…Noah is different.

Noah

I don’t date. However, I’m not opposed to offering fashion advice to a sexy professor in need. A haircut, a quick shopping expedition...

Boom! Mission accomplished.

Not so fast. I’ve misjudged the situation and my attraction to the geek with the tragic sense of style. Sure, Thomas is too smart for me by a long shot, but there’s something about him that makes it easy to forget my past. It might be his quietly commanding nature or his movie-star good looks. Or maybe it’s just him.

All I know is that I’m very tempted to be the professor’s date.

The Professor’s Date is an MM geek/jock romance featuring a nerdy professor, a soccer-playing hair stylist, and a quest for the perfect date!

Excerpt

“Would you happen to have any cyanoacrylate?”

I wrinkled my nose. “Cyano…what?”

“Superglue.”

“Oh, I think I have some in my SUV. If not, there’s a drug store on the next corner. Just give me a minute to clean up.”

Thomas held up a finger, squinting through his good lens like a drunk owl. “Thank you, but I don’t require assistance.”

“I’m responsible for this mini disaster. I won’t be able to sleep tonight if I don’t do something to help out.” I shook my head mournfully. “And I’m a mess without my eight hours, so please…”

He gave in with a sigh. “All right.”

I did a mini happy dance, hoping he’d crack a smile. No such luck. However, there was a decent chance he couldn’t see me and yes, I was vain and ridiculous, but it was better than thinking I’d irritated him beyond redemption. He’d liked me five minutes ago, damn it. Maybe even lusted after me. I wasn’t crazy. I noticed those shy, sideways admiring glances, and I preferred them to his current stoically distant expression.

I tidied my area at warp speed, sweeping up the largest clumps of hair before dousing my hands with sanitizer and pulling my man bag from the mini locker in the corner. I slung it over my shoulder, peeked my head around the partition to say a quick au revoir to Easton, then motioned for Thomas to follow me.

“I parked in the lot behind the coffee shop. This way.”

I kept up a steady barrage of inane conversation on the short walk to my ride, ranging from spring weather and the flowers in bloom at the park near my condo to my yearly allergy woes. You know…nonsensical filler designed to entertain the sexy stranger who’d gone ghostly quiet.

His silence made me nervous. I liked it better when we were discussing merman dick. I didn’t know how to restore that mood, but fixing his lenses was probably a good start.

I popped open the hatch of my white Explorer and yanked a giant duffel from under a portable net to reach a small plastic toolbox. In my haste to rearrange the bags, a soccer ball rolled toward me and bounced onto the pavement.

Thomas scooped up the ball before it got away, then held it from his body, his brow furrowed hard enough to leave premature lines on his forehead. “What’s this?”

“My equipment. Just…shove it anywhere,” I instructed, bending to sift through drill bits, wrenches, and tape measures.

“My vision is laughably bad, but this appears to be sports paraphernalia. American soccer, perchance?”

Now, that was kind of cute.

“You are correct, sir.” I plucked the ball from his fingers and wedged it into the open duffel, and returned to my task.

“Is it yours?”

“The ball? Yes, I—oh, I think I found it.” I tossed him a quick smile as I groped around the bottom of the box and pulled out…a dried-up tube of superglue. “Crap. We’ll have to go to the drug store for your cyanide.”

“Cyanoacrylate.”

“That’s it. I promise it won’t take long. In fact, I’ll buy you coffee afterward. We can sip lattes while we wait for the glue to dry.”

“Thank you, but that’s really not necessary.”

“I insist.” I shut the hatch, turning toward him as I locked my SUV with my key fob. He met my gaze, though his pronounced squint indicated he couldn’t see me well.

Thomas pushed his mangled glasses to the bridge of his nose and somehow managed to look fierce as hell. Call me crazy, but the steely professorial armor under his rumpled façade was hot. Very hot. I wouldn’t mind climbing him like a tree, mussing his newly shorn locks, licking his lips, and—

“It was nice to meet you, Noah.”

Screech!

He offered a vague smile and turned away.

Shit.

I watched his retreating form, admiring his broad shoulders while berating myself for being such an idiot. But I let him go. I had to. It was a free world, and he was a big boy. He certainly didn’t have to listen to me. It was just a little worrisome that he’d risk life and limb and walking into walls—

Bam! He collided with the side of the bank building.

Purchase at Amazon

Meet the Author

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, 2018-2019, 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. She loves wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | BookBub

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Better Than Home Audio Blitz

Title:  Better Than Home

Series: Better Than Stories, 6

Author: Lane Hayes

Publisher: Lane Hayes

Narrator: Nick J. Russo

Original Release Date: April 18, 2022

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 35K

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, MM Romance, Bisexual, Established Couple

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

The lawyer, the diva, and a new adventure…

Matt-

Life is good. A few years ago, I met someone special, came out as bi, fell head over heels, and married the love of my life. A man. But not just any man.

Aaron is a confident, unapologetically fabulous diva who isn’t afraid to take chances. I love that about him. New state, new career path…no problem.
Except things don’t always go according to plan. That’s okay. It might be the perfect time to get back to basics and check off a few items on our original list…like buy a house and start a family. Whoa! House first.

However, house hunting isn’t glamorous at all, and with my partnership at the law firm in the balance, it’s kind of stressful. Everything we’ve dreamed of is within reach—if we can just find a place that feels like home, we’ll be better than good.

Better Than Home is a sweet and sexy novella featuring Matt and Aaron from my International Bestselling book, Better Than Good. The lawyer, the diva, and the happy ever after of a lifetime. For readers who know the real love story happens after the first “I love you.”

Excerpt

Chandler went quiet for a moment in what I was sure was a calculated sales technique. When he spoke again, his voice was gentle and sincere.

“Let me show you one more older home next weekend. It’s outside of Bethesda. Great property, lots of land, very private, but in a great neighborhood. It’s not even on the market yet. The listing is supposed to be up by next week. However, I can give you an early pass at it. If you hate it, we’ll go back to the drawing board. Thoughts?”

Aaron shot a quick sideways glance my way. “It’s a date.”

“Not a real date,” I qualified like a real dumbass. “I mean…yes. That sounds good.”

Chandler grinned, then led us through the green-carpeted maze of the house. We said another round of good-byes before heading to our car.

I pulled away from the curb and scowled. “A date?”

“Hmm?” Aaron scrolled the playlist on his cell before fastening his seat belt. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to date Chandler,” I groused.

“A house-hunting date.” He snickered.

I tore my gaze from the road for a second and did a double take. “Are you smiling?”

“Yep. What’s wrong with smiling?”

I slowed at the stop sign on the corner. “Theoretically, nothing. But you look amused.”

“And what’s wrong with being amused?” Aaron countered, more amused and smiley than ever.

“Hmph. I’m getting sick of Chandler. And now…you’re really smiling.”

Aaron pursed his lips as if in an effort to keep his grin from spreading like wildfire across his face. He captured my hand and kissed my knuckles.

“I am. You’re cute when you’re pretend jealous.”

“I’m not pretend jealous or real jealous,” I protested.

“Maybe a smidge?” he teased, biting my thumb.

I yanked my hand away and fixed him with a mock glare that had him howling as I shifted gears and pulled into traffic again. “Okay, fine. Chandler has a crush on you and I don’t like it.”

“No, he doesn’t. But I suppose this is a good time to remind you that you are quite literally the best thing that ever happened to me,” he hummed dreamily.

I stole a peek at him. “Uh…thanks. What does that have to do with our infatuated real estate agent?”

“Chandler is straight. His ex-girlfriend is an editorial assistant at the magazine. And he isn’t the problem anyway. You’re not having fun.”

“No, I’m not. I don’t enjoy spending every Saturday with a hunky agent who drools over my husband like he’s the last brownie at a family picnic.”

Aaron chortled merrily. “I’m saving myself for you. Corner and middle pieces…all yours.”

I chuckled along with him. “So…what are we gonna do about this house dilemma? There’s no way we’re moving into a fixer-upper. We are not those people.”

“But…what if we learned to be those people?” he asked in a careful tone.

“Huh? How? When?” I shot another sideways glance in his direction before turning down an idyllic road with green fields dotted with massive trees, wild flowers, and horses in the distance.

He circled his wrist in that way he did when he was excited about an idea. “Hear me out. I’m just thinking aloud…what if we were the general contractors?”

“If we were the contractors, the house would fall around our ears,” I snarked.

“I’m serious, Matty. Listen, I’ve been thinking a lot about this. I’m not suggesting doing anything crazy ourselves, but we can certainly piece a few minor repairs and updates together to make a tired old house into a fabulous new home.”

“No, we can’t. We work. The last thing we’re going to want to do is sand floors or paint. We’ve done the painting thing before and—”

“And it was great! Our walls are perfection. Every color was chosen with love and applied with care. We can do it again.”

Oh, boy.

Purchase at Audible

Meet the Author

Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, 2018-2019, and 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now on Audio: Restless by Kaylene Winter

 

♦ ♦ ♦ 

RESTLESS (Less Than Zero, Book 0.5) 

Narrated by:  Reginald James & Lynn Barrington

Listen Today: https://getbook.at/RLAB

♦ ♦ ♦

My mistakes nearly cost me everything, including my life.

Carter Pope is a rock superstar on the rise.

His band Limelight catapulted him into a world of fame and excess.

Meeting his soulmate was not in his plan.

Neither was having a son at age 19.

When he succumbs to a crippling addiction?

It’s all gone in an instant.

Now he’ll do anything to redeem himself and reclaim his family.

I got off the merry-go-round to protect my son.

Stunning prima ballerina Lianne Rocks is taking the ballet world by storm.

Coveted, worshiped, she has her pick of suitors.

But she only has eyes for one man.

Guitar superhero, Carter Pope.

Caught up in a merry-go-round of addiction and fame.

She leaves to create a stable life for herself and Zane.

Her son, the musical prodigy who really needs his dad.

When Carter gets clean, Lianne reluctantly lets him back into their lives.

Only so he can reconnect with his son.

Little did she know.

A restless soul can always be tamed by true love.

♦ ♦ ♦

Kaylene Winter wrote her first Rock Star Romance novel at age 15 starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends.

After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online.

Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to  write creatively.

In 2020, she published ENDLESS - Book 1 in the popular Less Than Zero series. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and Siberian Husky. She loves to travel and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

 

   

♦ ♦ ♦

Restless by Kaylene Winter Audio Promotion

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

RESTLESS (Less Than Zero, Book 0.5) 

Narrated by:  Reginald James & Lynn Barrington

Listen Today: https://getbook.at/RLAB

 

♦ ♦ ♦

  

My mistakes nearly cost me everything, including my life.

Carter Pope is a rock superstar on the rise.

His band Limelight catapulted him into a world of fame and excess.

Meeting his soulmate was not in his plan.

Neither was having a son at age 19.

When he succumbs to a crippling addiction?

It’s all gone in an instant.

Now he’ll do anything to redeem himself and reclaim his family.

I got off the merry-go-round to protect my son.

Stunning prima ballerina Lianne Rocks is taking the ballet world by storm.

Coveted, worshiped, she has her pick of suitors.

But she only has eyes for one man.

Guitar superhero, Carter Pope.

Caught up in a merry-go-round of addiction and fame.

She leaves to create a stable life for herself and Zane.

Her son, the musical prodigy who really needs his dad.

When Carter gets clean, Lianne reluctantly lets him back into their lives.

Only so he can reconnect with his son.

Little did she know.

A restless soul can always be tamed by true love.

 

♦ ♦ ♦

  

Kaylene Winter wrote her first Rock Star Romance novel at age 15 starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends.

After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online.

Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to  write creatively.

In 2020, she published ENDLESS - Book 1 in the popular Less Than Zero series. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and Siberian Husky. She loves to travel and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦