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Rookie Moves
The Rookie Diaries #1
Jodi Oliver
Amazon
September 24, 2027

COLBY

For almost ten years, the world of hockey has had their eyes on me, watching my every move.
I’m projected to be the first overall pick in the NHL draft this summer, and have been nicknamed a franchise altering talent.
But with high praise comes a lot of pressure I can’t escape, and has resulted in me being a rookie in more ways than one.
The only problem is there’s only one person I feel safe with, and I'm pretty sure there are rules about not crushing on your teammate.

TYLER

Ever since I met Colby, I’ve kept an eye on him. No one should have to put up with the pressure the world has laid on his gorgeous shoulders and the defeated look in his beautiful eyes.
But you shouldn’t notice these things about your teammates.
So when Colby asks me to teach him everything I know in the bedroom because I’m the only one he feels safe with?
I should say no, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Colby McKay.
I should’ve known it wouldn’t be as simple as a friends with benefits arrangement.



Some Graphics from Author's Facebook or newsletters
I absolutely adored Tyler and Colby separately and together. Colby is just this kind of sweet sunshine living in a fishbowl with very few safe places to hide. He’s been a hockey phenom all his life, and he’s enjoying one year of college before going into the NHL draft. But despite the pressure and attention, his teammate Tyler becomes one of those safe people. He also happens to be a guy that the closeted gay Colby has been crushing on.

Tyler’s a senior defenseman who is magnetic, protective, kind, and caring. And when Colby asks him to give him sex lessons, Tyler is okay with Colby being a rookie in all ways and him being a mentor. It’s not supposed to be serious. It’s supposed to just be sex lessons, but the more time they spend together,  the more truly intimate they become.  They become each other’s safe space in their chaotic lives as they plan for their futures. Colby's is based on where he’s going to be chosen in the draft, but he’s also keeping a big secret so that it doesn’t become a media frenzy. And Tyler's life has always been planned out by his father, but Colby's helping him realize that he’s allowed to have his own dreams and plans. But Tyler just has to figure out what he really wants to do and be brave enough to go after it.

This is a friends-and-teammates-to-lovers with first times, sex tutoring, and a secret relationship in a college hockey setting. 

Their fling gets complicated by feelings, and they both have to be vulnerable and figure out what they need to be happy and if there’s any way for them to find a way to be more. I loved these characters and even though we were left in a very good place and a HFN, I am looking forward to the rest of their story.  I really want it now because I can’t get enough of these guys. I’m also excited about Beau’s spin-off story, The Redeemer, co-written with Garrett Leigh. 




Rookie Secrets
book 2
Pre-order Amazon



Website | Instagram | Facebook Group | Facebook | TikTok | Pinterest

Jodi Oliver is a British author who writes MM romance, happily ever after guaranteed. She loves donuts, dogs and ice hockey, and when she hasn’t got her head in a book or hiding in the writing cave, you can find her at an ice hockey game.


She lives in England but dreams of living in the Canadian countryside, with some highland cows and otters.

You can find her on Instagram @JodiOliverAuthor or in her Facebook reader group ‘Jodi Oliver’s Sin Bin’


Connect with Jodi Oliver:

https://www.jodioliver.com/links


 



 

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Axe Backwards
Axford Brothers #3
May Archer
September 15, 2026
eBook | Audio | Model Paperback | Alternate Cover Paperback

A fake engagement to the hot sheriff who escorted me to family camp? Weirdly delightful.
Failing to tell him that my family is a bunch of professional thieves? Small oversight.

I left the Callahan family business years ago. These days I’m a law-abiding citizen. A photographer who takes nothing but pictures. A man who’s learned not to get greedy for anything… or anyone.

But my family hasn’t gotten that memo, so I expect my week at family camp to be filled with guilt-trippy attempts to lure me back into the fold.

Until Holden Axford comes along… and everything goes axe backwards.

Winsome’s gorgeous sheriff was supposed to be nothing more than a one-night-stand. He doesn’t have a clue why I’m dreading this week, but he takes his protection game seriously. So when he thinks I need a rescue, he steps in and declares himself my fiancé… and I’m too busy swooning to argue.

Now Holden’s sharing my bed, stealing kisses like Callahans steal Rembrandts, planning a camp heist (for fun, obvs!), and charming my family of criminals.

Our motto is ‘Callahans don’t get caught’ but nobody warned me about catching feelings.

Unfortunately, secrets don’t stay buried forever. And when someone forces the Callahans toward one last impossible job, protecting the family I love means becoming the man I swore I’d never be again.

But if Holden learns the truth about my past, it’ll be goodbye fake engagement, goodbye sheriff… goodbye heart.

Character Graphics From Author's newsletter

Holden Axford is the Winsome Sheriff. He’s loyal, responsible, a rule follower, witty, and not looking for love in any way, shape, or form. He’s a one-and-done type, and he tries to avoid his matchmaking mama's attempts at all costs.  

It turns out that a one-night half-stand with Merritt Callahan isn't as anonymous as hoped, and things get too close for comfort, as Merritt is friends with one of his brother’s partners. And now he’s remembering the good parts of the night that he does remember clearly and trying to talk himself out of wanting to go back for a second helping. And his brain misfire causes him to volunteer to not only drive Merritt to his family camping vacation but also to stay there and pretend that he is his fake fiancé in front of Merritt's family. He is just protective like that. 

So now they’re definitely too close for comfort, and the initial attraction that started it all is back in full force. Neither of these guys wanted a relationship; that’s problem number one. Problem number two is that they don’t live in the same area and Merritt is a traveling photographer.  And problem number three is that Merritt’s family are (secretly) former thieves, while Holden is a small-town Sheriff. And lying to everyone (sometimes even themselves) is also another problem. Messy, messy, messy.

I loved seeing Sheriff-Stick-Up-His-Butt start to let go and have fun, enjoy life, and have passion outside of work. And Merritt has been running so long and just alone, and I enjoyed seeing him reconnect with his family and also feel safe, protected, and cared for by Holden. Their chemistry is amazing and they balanced each other well. They both see to the heart of each other to what the other needs, unfortunately there is a secret and some obstacles to navigate and they could be a deal breaker. 

This is a small-town, one-night stand that kept going, opposites-attract, 
fake engagement romance with plenty of family shenanigans, secrets, lies, humor, and a pinch of suspense. It brings back the other Axford Brothers and their significant others and their parents, as well as introduces Merritt's quirky family. I have really enjoyed the series, and I’m excited for the last Axe brother, True, to find his true love. I am excited about the match up that was teased.


Kiss My Axe
Axford Brothers #1
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | Model Paperback | Alternative Paperback
Kim's 5 star review

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy/Sarcastic Sunshine
Opposites Attract, Fish Out of Water, Small Town


Living in a treehouse? Unavoidable.

Falling for the grumpy lumberjack hottie next door? Unthinkable.

After a viral PR disaster torpedoes my marketing career, I flee Manhattan. The only place left to land? A fairy-tale treehouse in a pickle-obsessed Vermont town, left to me by an uncle I barely knew.

Yes, I said pickles.

No, I’m not okay.

But I’m only here temporarily. Just long enough to regroup, let the notoriety die down, and figure out my next steps in peace.

Unfortunately, my new neighbor has other ideas.

Beckett “the Axe” Axford–cranky local heartthrob and unapologetic tree-murderer–claims Uncle Jim made him promises about the forest around the treehouse, and he’s none too pleased when I won’t take his word for it.

Unfortunately for him, I’m done playing by other people’s rules. I’m not backing down just because some sexy–I mean grumpy–lumberjack says so, and I can handle whatever he dishes out.

Tree climbing? No problem.

Pickle festival popularity contest? Sign me up.

Kissing my unexpectedly-tender, flannel-clad nemesis in the woods after dark? I can take it, bro. And take it. And t– Ahem. You get the picture.

I’m tired of losing, so I’m not giving up my inheritance or my heart without a fight.

And if Beckett thinks differently, he can kiss my axe.


Hot Axe
Axford Brothers #2
Goodreads

Amazon | Universal | Website
Kim's 5 star review 

Falling in love with my straight best friend? Tragically inevitable.
Telling him? Completely out of the question.

Everyone in Winsome knows Robbie and I are a matched set. A package deal. Ames and Robbie, Robbie and Ames.

He’s the calm to my chaos. The sun shining through my rain cloud. The guy who convinced me to be a firefighter. The man who’s known every single thing about me since we were thirteen…

Except for the teeny, tiny, inconsequential fact that I’ve been in love with him for years.

I planned to take this secret to the grave. Robbie’s straight. He’s engaged. And I’m finally–finally–ready to move on.

But one uncontrollable blaze, one daring rescue, one inconvenient injury, and one heavily-medicated, wildly inappropriate love confession later, my plan’s up in flames.

Suddenly helpful, perfect, shirtless Robbie is bathing me, dressing me, and nursing me back to health. And if being around my gorgeous bestie 24/7 wasn’t torture enough, it seems I’m not the only one having un-platonic thoughts.

But there’s no way I’m letting myself fall into the fantasy again. Because if I let myself believe this is real and it isn’t, it won’t just break my heart… it’ll break us.

And I refuse to risk our friendship, no matter how tempting the man’s hot axe might be.

Smart Axe
Axford Brothers #4

Amazon
Aug 24, 2027


May Archer
Facebook Page | Club May: Facebook Group | Twitter | Instagram | Website | Contact | Newsletter | Amazon Page | Goodreads | BookBub

 

May is an M/M author who lives in Boston. She spends her days raising three incredibly sarcastic children, finding inventive ways to drive her husband crazy, planning beach vacations, avoiding the gym, reading M/M romance, and occasionally writing it. She also writes MF romance as Maisy Archer.





 
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LYNX'S RUIN
by Saxon James
Series: The Wilde Men #3
Release Date: October 29, 2026 Genre: MM Small Town Standalone
Tropes: Protector/prey, forced proximity, Appalachian superstitions, Bob's a handsome kitty, hurt/comfort, Lynx gave him his knife?
Cover Design: Story Styling Cover Designs
Photography: Wander Aguiar Photography
Model: Aaron H.

Add to Goodreads Want to Read Shelf

Sasha
I'm prey. Weak little helpless prey. At least, that's what I let the wild men in Wilde's End think. I haven't trusted them one bit since I've been stranded here, and after Lynx tries to kill me, I know my instincts were correct.

At least until I'm forced to spend more time with the machete-wielding animal. He's got a past he won't talk about, and a protective streak that anyone else would find suffocating.
Anyone but me.

And when he extends that protection to me, it feels better than I expect it to.

I still want out of The End, but maybe I can have a little fun first.

Lynx
I'm a predator. When I was young, I promised myself that no one would ever get past my defenses again. People call me scary and unhinged, but they can think what they like so long as my town is safe.
The influx of outsiders to Wilde's End already had me on edge, and then in stumbles Sasha. A small, weak, walking tragedy. I have no idea how he's survived this long, but something about him calls to me. Everything from his pretty eyes to the way he bites back at me and fights battles he has no chance of winning.

I'd assumed he was prey.

But the more I push, the more I feel like I'm the one being hunted.

CW: Past instance of dubious consent (not between the two MCs), self-harm (non-suicidal), references to a child's death

How do you get yourself into these messes, Sasha?
The second I'm out of Lynx's view, my whole body deflates with that thought. It's not like I do it on purpose--how was I supposed to know that tight bend would result in me crashing my car, finding myself in the company of mountain dwellers, and then being stuck here with no way to escape?
I'm supposed to be in Portland by now. Supposed to be safe. If only fucking up and finding myself in danger was a new thing for me.
I scuff my hand through my hair, frustration leaking into my already whirling brain. I wish I could blame my entire life on absent-mindedness or a series of bad luck, but I think I've passed that point of delusion. I'm working on another theory for why I always feel on the back foot, but I'm not so sure I like the conclusion I've come up with.
In fact, even in my mind it sounds fucking insane.
Before I can follow that train of thought to somewhere that's going to deepen my bad mood further, I remind myself of Portland. All I need to do is survive out here long enough for them to fix my car and then I can go back to my original plan.
Meet up with my friend.
Change my name.
Disappear into the city.
Start a quiet and boring life.
It's supposed to be foolproof because I am, in fact, a fool and I needed to future-proof against my own damn self. Wilde's End is a ... detour.
One that will be over soon enough and it'll be like it never happened.
I reach the crop fields, impressed despite myself. Everything is laid out in neat rows and meticulously labeled, which in hindsight is what got me into this manual labor mess in the first place.
Sure, I stole some food. But I still maintain that I only had to steal it because the people who live here are the furthest thing from approachable that I've ever met. Maybe if they'd tried being a little nicer, I would have asked first.
I find the potatoes and kneel down next to their bed, already dreading the feel of dirt on my hands. My fingers are stinging and even with the spade, it's no help. There's no way I'm getting this done by sunset.
I dig down around the first potato, mind wandering to Lynx's threat. What will he do if I'm not back in time?
Something tells me that Lynx isn't the kind of guy to make empty promises and that ... intrigues me. How far will he go? Sometimes he seems more animal than man and I hate how much I want to see that animal side come out.
I've thought about the first time we met more than I'd admit to anyone. How scared I'd been. How he chased me. Looking up into his vicious eyes and seeing indecision there. Like he needed to kill me, but didn't actually want to. I still have no idea if he would have gone through with it if his pet bobcat didn't save me, and I hate that I don't have the answer.
I need to let it go. Obviously. It's not healthy to fixate on something so messed up ... except the more I dig, the further into the memory I go.
It's just the crack of the storm overhead, hair plastered to my face with rain, shivers racking my body from the cold and fear, and Lynx holding me down, features twisted inhumanly.
A dull thump pulls me back to the late afternoon where the rain is replaced by sweat, and my fear is quickly eaten by irritation.
I glance across to figure out what made the noise and find Lynx standing over me. I didn't hear him approach, which is a worry in itself, but even worse than that is the deep twist in my gut that I get every time I see him.
He's an ... odd looking man. Gaunt cheeks, sharp eyes that remind me of a cat, and that weird hairstyle with his bright red hair shaved on one side and growing wild on the other.
I only realize I'm staring when he drops eye contact and nods to something between us. Following his gaze, I find a pair of gloves sitting in the soil.
"Where are your gloves?" he asks.
I brush my hands off and snatch them up. "I don't have any."
"Then why didn't you ask for some?"
Is he serious? I wait for the gotcha moment that doesn't come. "Sorry, you don't exactly scream helpful and accommodating."
"What does being helpful and accommodating have to do with it? If you need supplies, you need supplies. You can't provide for yourself if you're injured."
"Cute of you to think I can provide for myself when I'm not injured."
Judging by his scowl, he doesn't like my answer. So be it. I am who I am at this point. My parents have long since given up on me and while it hurt at first, I've come to terms with it. We weren't compatible.
They wanted me to go to college and get a real job, I wanted to stay in Wayward and have fun. Too bad that fun disappeared quickly.
Lynx huffs suddenly, looking at something over my head. "Bob, I told you to stay away."
There's an answering mewl behind me and I turn just as the animal reaches my side. He's big for a bobcat, with a sweet face, and so much fur I want to bury myself in it.
"Hello," I coo, offering my hand that Bob sniffs once before head butting it. "Okay, okay," I laugh, giving in to offer him head scritches. He's so damn cute, eyes drifting closed, and purr loud enough that it almost drowns out Lynx's voice.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Petting the little kitty."
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Saxon James unapologetically writes happy endings for LGBT+ characters.
While not writing, SM is a readaholic and Netflix addict who regularly lives on a sustainable diet of chocolate and coffee.
Member of SCBWI.


Connect with Saxon James
Website: https://saxonjamesauthor.com/
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Pretend It's Forever
The Cage Family series #5
Carrie Ann Ryan

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Sophia Cage doesn’t need a protector—she needs a night to pretend her world didn’t splinter. After her world burned, she found herself a single mom, a struggling dance studio owner, and unable to do the one thing that had brought her out of the darkness.

Dance.

When Carson walks into her life, all she can see is the broken person she’d been when they’d first met. She’s stronger than the ghosts of her past, at least that’s what she tells herself. Yet with each accidental encounter with the mysterious and dangerous man who’s inserted himself into the Cage family orbit, she’s finding it harder to walk away.

Carson Woods doesn’t trust people. He’s spent his life protecting his sister from their family and the world all while making sure his businesses are the best in their fields.

Then he meets her.

One wrong move with the shattered yet pieced together Sophia could not only fracture his working relationship with the only friends he has but harm the woman he tells himself he cannot crave.

Pretend it’s Forever is a single mom, who hurt you, opposites attract, contemporary suspense featuring Carson and Sophia in the Cage Family series. Each book can be read as a complete standalone. An HEA is guaranteed!


Sophia Cage has lived in fear, and is on the other side rebuilding her life with her twin daughters. Running her dance studio now that her full time performance days are over, she leans on her family when she needs to, but loves seeing her students build their skills. She isn’t done with her ex though, as the lawyers are still working through custody decisions. She doesn’t want her daughters to have to see their father, but since he never threatened them, she can’t keep them away forever.

Carson Woods works with the Cages and was there the night that Sophia’s world shifted forever. He hates that he reminds her of that night when they meet again, but is in awe of her strength. He isn’t a relationship kind of guy, but finds himself drawn to her and her daughters, even as he tells himself (and her brothers) that he isn’t interested.

I loved the way these two found the way behind the other’s walls. Carson is immediately protective of both her and the girls, having seen what she left behind. He may not want a relationship, but he wants her and he wants her safe. She just wants an escape from her reality for a little bit, and why not with the man who is at least good enough to be friends with her family. Even though she doesn’t trust her own taste in men, she figures he won’t hurt her simply because of the connection to her family.

There were some predictable bits to this story, but also some great twists that had both characters evaluating what was important to them. The Cage family has overcome so much over the course of their series, and while their father’s machinations are no longer keeping them together, the bonds they built while exercising the conditions of his will have formed a unified, cohesive group of adults who love and care for each other and rush surround any sibling that needs help (from either branch of the family).

Author's Website
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Wilder Brothers, Promise Me, and Elements of Five series, which have sold millions of books worldwide. She’s the winner of a RT Book of the Year and a Prism Award in her genres. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over one hundred novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.




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