Showing posts with label Housemates Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Housemates Series. Show all posts

Wednesday, 21 February 2018

Pretty in Pink (Housemates #6) by Jay Northcote - Release Blitz




Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design

Length: 58,000 words approx.

Housemates Series

Book #1 - Helping Hand
Book #2 - Like A Lover 

Blurb

Ryan isn't looking for a relationship with a guy--and Johnny isn't looking for a relationship at all.

Ryan's always been attracted to tall, leggy blondes--normally of the female variety. When Johnny catches his eye at a party, Ryan's interest is piqued even though he's never been with a guy before. The attraction is mutual, and the amazing night that follows opens Ryan's eyes to his bisexuality.

Experience has taught Johnny that love hurts. Staying single is safer, and there's no need for complicated relationships when hooking up is easy. When he moves in next door to Ryan, they're both interested in picking up where they left off, and it seems like an ideal arrangement: convenient, mutually satisfying, and with no strings attached.

Despite their best intentions to keep things casual, they develop an emotional connection alongside the physical one. Both begin to want more from the relationship but are afraid to admit it. If they're going to work things out, they need to start being honest--first with themselves, and then with each other.

Although this book is part of the Housemates series, it has new main characters, a satisfying happy ending, and can be read as a standalone.


Excerpt

Ryan was a few drinks down and feeling pretty buzzed when he first caught sight of blond hair through the crowd of partygoers.

He nearly hadn’t bothered coming out tonight. He had his third year project to write up, and should have been working on that, not partying with his next door neighbours. But the rest of Ryan’s housemates had talked him into it and he could do with letting off some steam, so he hadn’t put up much of a fight. One night couldn’t make too much difference, right?

The blonde arrived late and headed straight into the throng of dancers in the living room, bottle in hand. Tall and leggy in black skinny jeans with shit-kicking boots, Ryan’s interest was piqued immediately and a spike of arousal made his cock wake up. Tall and blonde was completely Ryan’s type, but when this blond slid a leather jacket off slender shoulders and tossed it on the back of the sofa, his washboard-flat chest made it clear he was a guy—so not Ryan’s type after all.

Despite the gut punch of disappointment at that revelation, Ryan found his interest persisted. The guy drew Ryan’s attention like a magnet lining up iron filings, and no matter how hard he tried, Ryan couldn’t stop watching him.

Spurred on by alcohol and reckless impulsivity, Ryan made a conscious decision not to question his attraction and just roll with it. He gradually edged his way into the group where the blond was dancing, and when he finally managed to make eye contact, the guy gave him a knowing smile that reflected Ryan’s interest right back at him. It curled around Ryan’s balls like the gentle, insistent squeeze of a hand.

Game on.

University was supposed to be all about new experiences, and Ryan only had a few months left before he graduated. He’d never hooked up with a guy before, and it had always been on his sexual bucket list, but not a high priority. As a young teen he’d sometimes admired androgynous male models on the pages of magazines that his mum used to buy and felt a confusing interest in them… but he’d never seen a guy in real life he’d wanted to fuck enough to actually do something about it.

Until tonight.





Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.







Friday, 28 April 2017

Starting From Scratch (Housemates #5) by Jay Northcote






Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK  

Cover: Garrett Leigh 

Length: 57,000 words

The Housemates Series is a collection of standalone stories set around a student house in Britain. Each book focuses on new characters, with themes of self-discovery and sexual awakening.

Helping Hand (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Like A Lover (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Practice Makes Perfect (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Watching and Wanting (Book #4) Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurb


Starting over isn’t easy, but Ben is ready to live his life as the man he was always meant to be.

Ben is transgender and back at university after hormone treatment and chest surgery. His new housemates have no idea about his history and Ben would prefer to keep it that way. He’s starting from scratch and his life is finally on track, except in the romance department. The idea of dating guys as a guy is exhilarating but terrifying, because if Ben wants a boyfriend he’ll have to disclose his secret.

Sid is drawn to Ben from the moment they meet. He normally gets what he wants—in the short term at least. Ben’s guarded at first, and Sid’s not used to guys rejecting his advances. He eventually charms his way through Ben’s defences and helps Ben on his journey of sexual awakening.

It doesn’t matter to Sid that Ben is trans. He’s attracted to the whole person, and isn’t worried about what is—or isn’t—in Ben’s pants. They’re good together, and both of them are falling hard and fast, but Ben’s insecurities keep getting in the way. If Sid can convince Ben he's committed, will Ben finally be able to put his heart on the line?

Although this book is part of the Housemates series, it has new main characters, a satisfying happy ending, and can be read as a standalone.





April 17 - Hearts on Fire Reviews, Mikku-Chan, Oh My Shelves
April 19 - V's Reads, Dirty Books Obsession, Millsy Loves Books
April 21 - Au Boudior Ecarlate, Lustful Literature, Joyfully Jay, Making It Happen, Urban Smoothie Read, M/M Book Addicts
April 26 - Dog-Eared Daydreams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews
April 28 - Sarandipity, The Way She Reads, Open Skye Book Reviews
May 1 - Wicked Faerie's Tales & Reviews, Kiki's Kinky Picks
May 8 - Bella's Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, PNR Book Lover Reviews, Abbey's 1-Click Book Blog, Wicked Reads, BFD Book Blog

Review


I’m not entirely sure what to say about this book except that I loved it. In many ways it is a perfect fit and a close match to the earlier titles in the Housemates series. As with the previous stories we get to meet and know two endearing young men who give in to their attraction to each other and set the first steps on what promises to be a happy future together.

But this book has probably a bit more depth to it than the previous instalments did. The issue Ben is dealing with is somewhat more complicated and certainly less common than those the young men in the earlier books had to face. That doesn’t mean that those other characters didn’t have the right to feel as they did, or experience the angst they encountered, but Ben’s trans status means he is more ‘other’ than most people in his life.

It was impossible not to feel and fall for Ben. He’s such an endearing combination of angst, perseverance, insecurity, and sheer courage he took my breath away. Being able to see the world through Ben’s eyes meant that for a little while I was almost able to understand what it must be like to feel like yourself for the first time in your life while being anxious about the implications of having reached that stage.

“He wasn’t some blushing virgin. He was twenty-five, for fuck’s sake. But he felt like a virgin in all the way that counted. Everything about this was new.”

His Internalised transphobia broke my heart, and yet it made so much sense. For most of the book I felt like applauding Ben and cheering him on, because all too often, being honest about who we are is often the scariest thing we’ll ever have to do.

Sid was adorable, the sort of person the world needs more off. He likes Ben and couldn’t care less what or who he used to be and how his body is put together. All he knows and is interested in, is that he’s attracted to Ben, that Ben feels the same, and that the more time they spend together, the better they seem to fit. I loved the care Sid took with Ben; that he took the time to learn about trans-men, that he paid attention to Ben’s feelings and reactions and immediately got that what he’d always considered innocent jokes in the past could in fact be unintentionally hurtful for someone who happened to be listening.

And I have to say that in a genre where prejudice, discrimination, and rejection are all too often the main plot devices, it was refreshing to read a story in which acceptance was the norm.

In the end I walked away from this book with two thoughts I couldn’t shake. The first one was how little I know, in this case about anything transgender related (although I’m sure there are a whole host of other subjects I’m equally ignorant about). My second thought hit me harder than the first one. This book made me realise that for all of our differences, we are mostly the same. While I will never know what it is like to be trapped in the wrong body, I’m all too familiar with dysmorphia, I too know the fear of not knowing what people might think if only they knew… And this:

“Thinking about it was so much worse than the reality, which was freeing and felt right.”

The combination of these two thoughts brought me to one conclusion; all it takes to be sympathetic and accepting is the willingness to learn and to concentrate on our similarities rather than our differences.

Thank you Jay. This is something I have of course known all my life, but it never hurts to be reminded every now and again.

And now I’m somewhat afraid that I make this story sound angsty and heavy, which would be doing the book a horrible disservice. The brilliance of this book lies in the fact that it could get those messages I describe above across without ever turning heavy. I was learning without ever feeling as if I was being taught. This story is as charming, occasionally funny and ultimately touching—not to mention sexy—as the four books that preceded it. And that’s some achievement on Jay Northcote’s part. He could easily have turned this book into a personal crusade, and I wouldn’t have blamed him. The fact that he instead delivered a captivating and ultimately uplifting read leaves me in awe of the author.

Finally, I can’t help feeling that the scene has been set for Housemates #6. I could be wrong of course, but I for one wouldn’t be surprised, or disappointed, if we get to read Johnny and Ryan’s story in the not too distant future.


Free Book Alert
Like a Lover (Housemates #2) is free to download at Amazon this weekend (April 28-30). 
Although it is part of the Housemates series, this story can be read as a standalone.
Amazon link: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Related Reviews: Helping Hand | Like a Lover | Practice Makes Perfect | 

Author Bio

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.



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Monday, 23 January 2017

Watching and Wanting by Jay Northcote - Review Tour





Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Global

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh

Length: 52,000 words

Housemates Series - though a series, each book can be read as a standalone.

Helping Hand (Book #1)  Amazon US | Amazon UK
Like A Lover (Book #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK
Practice Makes Perfect (Book #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Blurb


Watching Jude’s cam show stirs desires Shawn’s always denied...

Shawn is adrift. Recently graduated, he’s stuck in a dead-end job that barely pays the bills. His girlfriend dumped him, his friends have moved on, and he’s still in Plymouth—going nowhere.

Jude is a student living in the same shared house. Out and proud, he’s everything Shawn’s been running from since he hit puberty. When Shawn discovers Jude works as a cam boy, he can’t resist the urge to watch one of his shows. It makes Shawn want things that scare him, yet his fascination forces him to confront his attraction.

Keen to explore his bicurious side, Shawn suggests they do a show together. Jude agrees, and things get complicated—and kinky—fast. But Jude isn’t looking to get involved with someone so deep in the closet. If Shawn’s going to get what he wants, he needs to find the courage to stop hiding from himself and be honest about who he is.




My Review

To start with the blindingly obvious (to anyone who has been following my reviews) I adore Jay Northcote’s books. I love his writing, I always manage to fall for his characters, and without exception his books always leave me with a huge grin on my face. Watching and Wanting was no exception to that rule. Just as the fact that it was light on angst—always a winner with me—and high on sexy times wasn’t a surprise either.

This is the fourth title in the Housemates series but could be read as a standalone. Having said that, if you can read the series in order, I certainly recommend it. If only because it’s so much fun catching up with the couples from the earlier books again.

Jude and Shawn’s coming together is relatively easy and stress free because it starts off as an experiment; an opportunity for Shawn to discover whether or not he really is bisexual despite having denied his attraction to men for years. The situation doesn’t become complicated until feelings are thrown into the mix and poor Shawn has to overcome his insecurities and find the courage to openly admit who and what he is.

It’s funny how it sometimes works. I was fully prepared to, at least initially, dislike Shawn. He’s been a bit of a bastard to his gay and bisexual housemates in earlier books and I expected his redemption to be difficult. Imagine my surprise when despite Shawn doing and saying one or two shitty things along the way, it was Jude how made me sit up and think: ‘hold on mate, now you’re pushing it’. (No, I’m not going to explain, if you want to know why that thought crossed my mind you’ll just have to read the story J). Suffice to say that I wasn’t completely convinced that Jude, who’d been nothing but understanding and patient up until that point in the story, would suddenly put his foot down and say that. As a plot device it worked brilliantly though, so mine is only a minor squabble.

People who’ve read Jay Northcote’s stories before will know he excels at sex scenes, and in this book he takes it one step further by introducing a (light) BDSM angle to the interactions between Shawn and Jude. To say it was hot to watch Shawn give up control and submit to Jude would be a gross understatement. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that the author outdid himself in the sexy stakes in this book.

Watching and Wanting, just like its prequels, comes highly recommended if you enjoy a fun, very sexy, and highly entertaining story.

Earlier Housemates reviews: Helping Hand | Like a Lover | Practice Makes Perfect



Author Bio

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as 
audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her. 


Friday, 2 September 2016

Helping Hand (Housemates #1) by Jay Northcote is FREE this weekend!

Free this weekend (2nd-4th Sept 2016) and highly recommended:



Blurb

Jez Fielding and James MacKenzie—Big Mac to his mates—are in their second year at uni. After partying too hard last year, they make a pact to rein themselves in. While their housemates are out drinking every weekend, Jez and Mac stay in to save cash and focus on their studies.
When Jez suggests watching some porn together, he isn’t expecting Mac to agree to it. One thing leads to another, and soon their arrangement becomes hands-on rather than hands-off. But falling for your ‘straight’ friend can only end badly, unless there’s a chance he might feel the same.
This book is a complete story and can be read as a standalone.
Length: 33,000 words approx
Cover art by Garrett Leigh


Buy Links           


Link to my review



Monday, 4 July 2016

Practice Makes Perfect (Housemates #3) - Jay Northcote - Release Blitz, Review Tour & Giveaway

Practice Makes Perfect (Housemates #3) 





Author: Jay Northcote

Release Date: June 22

Universal Buy Link: http://mybook.to/PMP_JayN

Length: 54,000 words

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Genre: Contemporary Gay Romance

Blurb: 

Getting experience with the guy next door seems like a great idea—until the lines blur.

Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he’s determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he’s starting the summer term with different housemates and a new plan of action.

Ewan lives in the house next door to Dev. He’s young, free and single, and isn’t looking to change that anytime soon. When awkward circumstances throw them together, Ewan offers to help Dev out in the bedroom in return for maths tutoring, and Dev jumps at the chance.

They work their way through Dev’s sex-to- do list, but what starts as a perfect no- strings arrangement gets more complicated as their feelings for each other begin to grow. If they’re going to turn their lessons in lovemaking into something more permanent, they need to work out how they feel about each other—before they get to the end of Dev’s list.

NB: Although this book is part of a series, it is a complete story with different main characters and can be read as a standalone. 



Excerpt

Sitting on his bed, Dev yawned, his full stomach making him sleepy. He stared at his phone as he contemplated calling home but decided he couldn’t face it tonight. He loved his mum, but she did tend to bang on. Once she got him on the line, she’d end up talking for ages and asking him a million questions he was too tired to answer. Instead, he sent his mum a quick text.
All moved in, everything’s good. I’m shattered now so I’m going to have an early night. I’ll call you tomorrow.
She replied within seconds as though she’d been waiting for him to call.
Okay sweetie, glad you’re settled. Sleep well xxx
He picked up his notepad and crossed off phone home. Texting counted. He also crossed off everything else on his list for today. 
That was Saturday done. Dev set his notepad aside, opened his laptop, and pulled up his lists app. He liked his notepad for day-to- day organisation; it gave him a certain satisfaction to cross out the things he’d done and to get to the end of the day with all the tasks completed. But for longer-term planning, he kept his lists on his Mac, synced to his phone.

For the first time in six months, Dev could breathe again. Finally he had a safe place where he could get back on track and look to the future. He began to type.
Things To Do This Term
Make some friends
Learn to cook
Research sex stuff
Join Grindr
Get some experience
Find a boyfriend
He stared at the words on the screen and sighed. That seemed like a lot of things to aim for. But it was good to have goals, right? Jez and Mac seemed really nice, so hopefully Dev was already on his way to achieving the first objective. And that bloke Ewan… Dev’s mind conjured up the image of the flame-haired hunk who lived next door. Ewan had been friendly.
Maybe there was potential there too.



My Review:

I’d been looking forward to this book. After thoroughly enjoying both Helping Hand and Like a Lover I couldn’t wait to see what Jay Northcote would come up with next, and she more than lived up to the promise those first two books in the Housemates series made.

Practice Makes Perfect is a touching, sweet and very sexy tale about two young men making an arrangement and getting far more out of it than they could have foreseen. In fact, neither of them knew they were looking for what they end up finding.

The idea seemed so simple and perfect. Dev will help Ewan with his math issues in return for lessons in intimacy and sex. No strings and certainly no expectations are to be connected to the arrangement. In theory it is the perfect solution to two sets of problems, in practice however, it soon becomes clear that the best laid plans can still be turned on their head when the heart comes into play.

Poor Dev, not only is he completely out of his depth when it comes to any form of intimacy, he also has no idea how to interpret the signals Ewan appears to be sending him and it isn’t long before he finds himself wondering whether or not their mutual tutoring deal has morphed in something more…something which won’t stop once they’ve worked their way through his list. Asking is not an option though; if he’s wrong he might end a friendship that has only just been forged.

And I guess, Ewan isn’t much better off. He may know what he’s doing when it comes to giving and taking physical enjoyment, he has no idea what to make of Dev. Is his neighbour only in it to gain experience before throwing himself into the gay scene, or do his blushes and the way he looks at Ewan mean more than that? And why does Ewan suddenly feel that a relationship might not be a bad thing after all?

From start to finish this story was an utter delight. I loved how Ewan jumped into action when he thought Dev had put himself in danger and adored how shy Dev turned into a bit of a daredevil once passion took over. The conflict in this story is mostly the result of the two men not talking to each other when their feelings about the arrangement change. Usually characters refusing to communicate frustrates me and it was wonderful to read a book in which I actually understood why neither of them opened his mouth for the longest time.

With Ewan being Dev’s first in every respect, this is one very sexy tale. From Dev’s first ever kiss, through mutual exploration of each other’s bodies to penetrative sex, Ewan introduces Dev to all the pleasures his body can give and receive, and it was delightful to read, as well as incredibly hot of course.

Jay Northcote has a knack for writing characters that come alive on the page and worm their way into the reader’s heart. Dev and Ewan were no exception to that rule. Also as always, the writing was smooth and flawless and the story almost impossible to look away from once I’d started reading. In short, this was a perfect read on a very rainy Sunday afternoon.

On a final note, I can’t help wondering if I only imagined a hint at a next book in this series. It seems to me that there’s a certain Ryan whose orientation is in dire need of exploring. And I can’t help feeling there may be more to Shawn too. Just saying J

‘“I was an idiot.”
“We both were.”
Ewan grinned. “That’s why we’re perfect for each other.”’


If you’re curious as to what I thought about the two earlier books in the Housemates series have a look at Helping Hand and Like a Lover.

Author Bio:


Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.

She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story–just to see if she could–and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.

www.jaynorthcote.com       Twitter         Facebook profile      Facebook Author Page

Giveaway: