Email Change and Possibly URL Change

So I've thought long and hard about this.  I've just not been as active on my blog as I used to be.  I'm not shutting it down, but I am going to allow my fictionalcandy.com domain expire.... I think.  I'm going to look into pricing options etc.  I think it expires in the next week or two, at which point it will revert back to my http://fictionalcandy.blogspot.com URL.  Got that?

http://fictionalcandy.blogspot.com

and I am definitely giving up my GoDaddy email, because it is just too expensive to cover all of the storage I would like to keep.  I am slowly going through and transferring what I can, but from now on please feel free to contact me at:

fictionalcandy@yahoo.com

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things by Martina McAtee (Review)

Title: Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things
Series: Dead Things #1
Author: Martina McAtee
Release Date: August 2015
Format: Personal Purchase
Pages: 510 per Goodreads

17 year old Ember Denning has made an art of isolating herself. She prefers the dead. She spends her days skipping school in old cemeteries and her nights hiding from her alcoholic father at the funeral home where she works. When her own father dies, Ember learns her whole life is a lie. Standing in the cemetery that’s been her sanctuary, she’s threatened by the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen and rescued by two people who claim to be her family. They say she’s special, that she has a supernatural gift like them…they just don’t know exactly what it is. 

They take her to a small Florida town, where Ember’s life takes a turn for the weird. She’s living with her reaper cousins, an orphaned werewolf pack, a faery and a human genius. Ember’s powers are growing stronger, morphing into something bigger than anything anybody anticipated. Ember has questions but nobody has answers. Nobody knows what she is. They only know her mysterious magical gift is trying to kill them and that beautiful dangerous boy from the cemetery may be the only thing standing between her and death. 

As Ember’s talents are revealed so are the secrets her father hid and those in power who would seek to destroy her. What’s worse, saving Ember has put her cousins in danger and turned her friend’s lives upside down. Ember must learn to embrace her magic or risk losing the family she’s pieced together.

I got this book on Amazon during some promotion when it was free.  I am so glad that I did, because I absolutely loved it.  Loved it enough that I’ve already purchased and started reading book two.  Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things is a bit over 500 pages, and for this urban fantasy, I think that is perfect.  It gave the book enough space to really explore everything that happens, and not just gloss over it.  This is kind of a YA book, although it doesn’t feel like it.  The main characters are 17, but they definitely aren’t dealing with normal 17 year old issues.

Piece by Piece by Elisabeth Staab (Review)

Title: Piece by Piece
Series: Evergreen Grove #4
Author: Elisabeth Staab
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Pages: 280 per Goodreads
Format: Ebook received for review

ETHAN’S HIT A ROUGH SPOT

So I caught my dad in bed with my ex-girlfriend.

My best friend cancelled our plans to celebrate my birthday. 

Decided to drink away the betrayal.

Made out with a cardboard cutout of a celebrity in front of my new roommates.

Got in a bar fight.

Hooked up with that pretty bartender whose sad smile I’ve secretly been painting pictures of since forever, but she shoved me out the door without a word.

Did I mention the tattoo I don’t exactly remember getting?

And that’s only Saturday.

Now I need to pick up the pieces of my messed-up life.

LEEANNE’S HAD A TOUGH LIFE

What do you do when you’ve lived in the same small town your whole life and you feel as if you’ll always be stuck in the same rut, like a piece of busted wagon wheel? Well, maybe you start by hooking up with the first decent guy who walks into your bar.

Maybe once you do, it’s hard to get him out of your head even though you try. And maybe, just maybe, you find out he makes you laugh even more than he makes you want to shout his name.

If you’re me, you don’t even know what to do with a guy like him. A little piece of happiness…that feels downright dangerous.

If I have said it once, I've said it a thousand times - I love this series.  Book four and I am not bored yet.  Elisabeth Staab is delivering book after book and each time I am anxious to meet more people from Evergreen Grove. This time around it's Ethan and Leeanne.

Extended Leave and now I'm.... back?

So... It looks like I took the summer off.  Really - I had to.  I was suffering a huge case of blogger burnout.  You know how it goes, if you're a blogger.  Sometimes life has to take a front seat, and blogging just had to take the back seat.

Ok, more like I shoved it in the trunk.  June 7.  That's the date of my last post. Now it's almost 4 months later.  Time flies, eh?

I'm sorry.  I know I don't have a huge following, but I do (or did) have some readers out there.  I've been reading all summer, and I have lots of reviews to write up.  I'm hoping I can get back into it.  In fact, right after I post this, I'm going to post a review for Elisabeth Staab's newest Evergreen Grove book (loved it, btw)

I'm not taking on review requests at the moment, unless  I have previously worked with you.  I've been trying to catch up on what I already have to do.

So to make a long story short, I hope you can find your way back to reading what I have to say, and I'll find my way back to saying it.

*Liz

All The Rage by TM Frazier (Review & Giveaway)

Title: All The Rage
Series: Standalone...ish
Author: TM Frazier
Release Date: June 21, 2016
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 322 per Goodreads

They call me Rage.
My real name is like a shadow, always close behind, but never quite able to catch up.
I fly under the radar because no one ever suspects I’m capable of the kind of brutal violence I commit each and every day.
You see, I’m a girl. I’m nineteen.
And I'm a killer.
This life is all I know. It’s all I want to know. It keeps the s**t buried that I need kept buried. It allows me to live without thinking too much.
Without dwelling on the past.
Until him.
It all changes when an ordinary boy becomes my next target.
And my first love.
I have to choose.
The only life I’ve ever known has to die, or he does.
Either way, I’ll be the one pulling the trigger...

Well well well.  Another book into this awesome world built by TM Frazier.  Yes, All The Rage is technically standalone.  But why the hell would you want to do that when there are so many awesome companion books?  This book surprised me in a few aspects, and I loved the story.

Never Tear Us Apart & Never Let You Go by Monica Murphy (double review)

Title: Never Tear Us Apart
Series: Never Tear Us Apart #1
Author: Monica Murphy
Released: January 2016, Bantam
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 416 per goodreads

A long time ago, when I was fifteen and a completely different person, I saved a girl’s life. I spent only a handful of hours with her, but somehow, we connected—and I’ve never been the same. No one understands what we went through. No one knows what it’s like to be us. We survived, yet I don’t feel like I’m really living—until now. Eight years later, I find her. I want to make her mine. I need to make her mine.  But she’ll hate me forever when she finds out who I really am.

 Title: Never Let You Go
Series: Never Tear Us Apart #2
Author: Monica Murphy
Release Date; May 3, 2016 - Random House
Format: EGalley
Pages: 368 per Goodreads

The truth hurts, they say—and my pain cuts deep. While I was falling for Ethan, he was deceiving me the entire time. He held a huge secret, protected by his lies. When I discovered what he was hiding, the truth shook my world, threatening to ruin us forever. Ruin me. But I soon realized that what we share can’t be destroyed.

The connection between us is too strong. It always has been. I can’t deny him any longer. And I can’t deny my truth: I’m in love with Ethan.

I don’t want to let him go.

While we’re trying our best to make this relationship work, other forces are fighting against us. My family, who wants to keep me safe. The media obsessed with my tragic past. The public that feeds off of it. Even Ethan’s father—the man who nearly destroyed me all those years ago. He’s doing his best to finish the job.

Despite my love for Ethan, the doubts creep in, clouding my mind. Is he worth the pain? Will our love survive, or will we have no choice but to end it—end us—once and for all?

Have you ever read a series so good that you didn't pause in between books?  That was the Never Tear Us Apart series for me.  It is also why I am combining the reviews for both of these books into one.  I read them so fast that I don't think I could accurately discern in a review where one book ended and the next began.  Seriously, they were that good.  My kindle was on fire with how quickly I devoured this story of Ethan and Katie.

Taking His Human Bride by Kelly Dawson (Review)

Title: Taking His Human Bride
Series: Standalone
Author: Kelly Dawson
Released: March 2016 Stormy Night Publications
Pages: 92 per Goodreads
Format: Ebook received for review

Less than a day after two gruff military officers detain her and escort her to a government facility, Melissa Malone finds herself leaving the planet on a newly-built spacecraft heading for one of the moons of Jupiter. Unknown to most of the world, an asteroid is hurtling toward Earth and, due to her unrivaled computer skills, Melissa is one of a select group of people chosen to rebuild civilization should humanity prove unable to avert the approaching cataclysm.

Melissa’s situation rapidly goes from bad to much worse when the ship is attacked and the crew is easily overcome by what she can only assume are aliens. Melissa is taken captive along with everyone else, but while the others are to be sold as slaves, she quickly discovers that her captors have special plans for her. She is stripped naked for an intimate, incredibly humiliating medical examination, and when she fails to do as she is told during the shameful procedure she is punished thoroughly, leaving much more than just her bare bottom burning hot and sore. Once she is deemed suitable, Melissa is given as a bride to a powerful officer named Damian.

Though she is horrified by the prospect of being taken as a wife by a man who makes it clear that he will expect her absolute submission and will sternly punish any defiance, Melissa soon learns that Damian has laid claim to her for a reason. He is on a mission, sent by the leaders of his world to infiltrate and bring to justice the band of renegades who took her captive… and he needs her help.

Despite her fury at Damian’s willingness to compel her obedience with a firm hand applied to her bare bottom, she cannot help delighting in the way her body responds to his touch, and his skillful, dominant lovemaking brings her to heights of passion she never imagined possible. But when the time comes for her to put her abilities to the test with the fate of the Earth on the line, can she outwit a rogue computer expert and prove that Damian’s trust in her was well placed?

Well this was a fun book.  Taking His Human Bride reminded me of my all time favorite movie, Flash Gordon.  Just modernize it, add a spanking fetish twist and a few other changes and you are good to go.

Wicked Weapon by Cari Silverwood (Review)

Title: Wicked Weapon
Series: Dark Hearts #2
Author: Cari Silverwood
Release Date: April 2, 201 - Smashwords
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 224 per Goodreads

This book is part of a dark erotic fiction trilogy and may disturb some readers. The full warning is at the bottom. This is not a standalone read.

Zorie is lost, again.

Friends can become enemies and enemies can become friends.
What is a man who declares himself your knight in cracked and bloody armor, when he seems to be leading you to your doom?

Mavros, once known as Mister Black, has vanished.
Zorie and Grimm are in the hands of unscrupulous men. 
She will emerge either dead, enslaved, or with revenge in her heart, and a lethal hairpin in her hand to kill those who have hurt the innocent.

Hairpin or bullet, dead is dead.

WARNING
This Dark Hearts trilogy explores horror and thriller territory. You’ll find some very graphic scenes of violence, torture, death, and sex, oozing from the pages. In the first book you won’t find anything more than hints of romance, as the romance is on drip-feed speed. The main man, the antihero, may not even end up being who most readers expect him to be.

With DARK HEARTS, I wanted to step outside conventional romance. I wanted no cliffhangers, yet endings that make you curious about the next story, and a story ARC similar to some urban fantasy series. Zorie, the heroine will seriously kick some ass, but she won’t always be on top, because being on the bottom can be fun...for readers...and maybe for her. The last book, Wicked Hunt, will be a very, VERY twisted romance. There may be sweetness, but there will also be tragedy and torture, and hopefully some screaming readers.

Wow.  This book.  I had so many things going on in life, it took me a lot longer than expected to read this.  And it killed me, because it was so freaking good.  This trilogy is like nothing I've ever read, and Cari Silverwood has blown my mind.

The Sins That Bind Us by Geneva Lee (Review & Giveaway)

Title: The Sins That Bind Us
Series: Standalone
Author: Geneva Lee
Release Date: March 15, 2016 - Estate Books
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 276 per Amazon

I wasn’t given a choice. Not when I did my first line of cocaine. Not when I became a single mother. But I changed, and every decision I’ve made was to protect myself and my son from my weaknesses—and my past.

Until Jude came along and made me question everything, even my own secrets. 

The sins I carry with me can never be discovered. Life handed me broken bits of people and left me to construct my own world, and it’s too fragile to take a chance on Jude Mercer.

We write our own stories.
We build our own prisons.
We weave our own lies.
We commit the sins that bind us.

One of my favorite tropes in romance is the single mom finding love theme.  I love it.  So when I saw The Sins That Bind Us, I was totally in.  Within these pages I fell in love with Faith and Jude, and definitely fell in love with their story.

Wicked Ways by Cari Silverwood (Review)

Title: Wicked Ways
Series: Dark Hearts #1
Author: Cari Silverwood
Release Date: February 1, 2016
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 206 per Amazon

This book is part of a dark erotic fiction series and may disturb some readers.

What if a man could command you to do anything and you couldn’t make yourself say no?

Some people go through life without encountering evil. Zorie is not one of the lucky ones. As a teenager, she escaped a kidnapper. Now she’s stronger, smarter, and she avoids the wolves.

Until she meets Reuben and her avoidance strategy is chaff in the wind. He’s a collector and a mesmer, with the ability to control certain women at will. Zorie is to be his remote-controlled plaything.
She's been collected.

Power corrupts.
Absolute power? Absolutely terrifying.

Two men are the key to Zorie freeing herself from Reuben.
Grimm Heller’s reasons are hidden in his past and his soul.
Mister Black’s reasons are simpler. He wants her for his own to make her into a weapon.

No matter which way she turns, is she simply choosing a different evil?

Warning: Graphic violence, graphic sex, capture themes, BDSM themes.

Wow.  If you like it really very dark, then Wicked Ways is definitely for you.  This book might be too much for some people, but I loved every page.

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes (Review)

Title: Hidden Bodies
Series: You #2
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Release Date: February 23, 2016 - Atria
Format: EGalley
Pages: 448 per Goodreads

Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.

In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice...

Well finally.  Hidden Bodies.  I waited a long time for this book.  I read it last month, and I honestly loved it - with a few exceptions.

Sinner's Creed by Kim Jones (Review & Excerpt)

Title: Sinner's Creed
Series: Sinner's Creed MC #1
Author: Kim Jones
Release Date: March 1, 2016 - Berkley
Format: Galley
Pages: 336 per Goodreads

“I was the demon-possessed monster and she was the innocent, naïve angel. But none of that matters. She asks, I give and right now, I'll kill anyone who tries to stop me from giving this woman what she wants—me.” 

Dirk lives in the shadows—performing hits, maintaining order, and upholding the no-holds-barred legacy of the Sinner’s Creed Motorcycle Club. A nomad with a restless spirit and a cold heart, the open road is his world. One of the few constants in his life: his desire for the one woman who has consumed his thoughts for years.

Saylor Samson grew up far from the harshness of Dirk’s world. But ever since she was seventeen she’s been drawn to this dark and mysterious man who always seemed to show up just when she needed him. 

After years of fated encounters, he’s back. This time he’s taking her. This time she’s ready for the ride. But just when the darkness in Dirk’s life begins to fade, Saylor reveals a secret that puts them both to the ultimate test. Now, Dirk has to make a decision: submit to his destiny with the MC, or choose his own.

I was warned this book would have the feels, and holy cow, it did.  Sinner's Creed is definitely a story worth reading, especially if you are a fan of motorcycle club romances (like me!)

Soulless by TM Frazier (Review & Giveaway)

Title: Soulless
Series: King #4
Author: TM Frazier
Released: February 23, 2016
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 227 per Goodreads

The finale to Bear and Thia's epic love story.

Well, I know it's hard to tell anything from that blurb.  Seriously.  But this book was amazing.  We met Bear way back in King, book one of the series.  Then we got to know him in Lawless and saw his romance with Thia begin.  It's been intense the entire way, and Soulless was no exception.

Perfect Days by Raphael Montes (Review)

Title: Perfect Days
Series: Standalone
Author: Raphael Montes
Release Date: February 16, 1016 - Penguin Press
Format: EGalley
Pages: 272 per Goodreads

Teo Avelar is a loner. He lives with his paraplegic mother and her dog in Rio de Janeiro, he doesn't have many friends, and the only time he feels honest human emotion is in the presence of his medical school cadaver—that is, until he meets Clarice. She's almost his exact opposite: exotic, spontaneous, unafraid to speak her mind. An aspiring screenwriter, she's working on a screenplay called Perfect Days about three friends who go on a road trip across Brazil in search of romance. Teo is obsessed. He begins to stalk her, first following her to her university, then to her home, and when she ultimately rejects him, he kidnaps her and they embark upon their very own twisted odyssey across Brazil, tracing the same route outlined in her screenplay. Through it all, Teo is certain that time is all he needs to prove to Clarice that they are made for each other, that time is all he needs to make her fall in love with him. But as the journey progresses, he digs himself deeper and deeper into a pit that he can't get out of, stopping at nothing to ensure that no one gets in the way of their life together. 

What do I say about this book?  I really wanted to love it.  I mean, it features a psycho kidnapper - what's not to love?  Sadly, while a good read, it fell short of my expectations.

Ink & Lies by SL Jennings (Review & Giveaway)

Title: Ink & Lies
Series; Standalone
Author: SL Jennings
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 249 per Amazon

From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to…

No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.

…two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in…

WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.

…two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it’s all lies!
Lies.
I’m not Hope Hughes. I’m not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I’m not even a woman. 
I’m a liar. 
And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make herbelieve them. Because maybe—just maybe—if she can find the soul within my words, she’ll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart. 
You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.
I just never expected to actually live it.
This is my story. Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.
The one I’m still writing.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  SL Jennings wrote a story that felt different, full of romance, angst, and even humor. Based on this book alone, I would definitely pick up other titles of hers to read.

Unraveled by Jennifer Dawson (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Unraveled

Jennifer Dawson

Valentine’s night. Three women. A hot new club where anything can happen.

After a life changing tragedy Layla Hunter is finally happy. Michael Banks has pulled her back from the dead and given her a love she’d thought was lost to her forever. Now, all she wants is to return the favor and give him the one thing she swore she’d never do again.

Jillian Banks is up for absolutely anything and her smoking hot fiancé, Leo Santoro, is determined to give it to her. After exploring her fantasies in the privacy of her own home, Jillian’s ready for more and Leo is going above and beyond to make her happy. In return, she’ll do anything to make him proud.

Ruby Stiles isn’t sure what she’s doing at a sex party at one of Chicago’s most anticipated new clubs. Currently she’s blaming it on curiosity. All she wants is to disappear into the background, only her emotions have decided to go on a roller coaster ride and the last thing she expects is for Chad Fellows to pick up the pieces.

Sometimes even the best laid plans unravel…

*While Unraveled can be read as a standalone for fun, it is best read after reading CRAVE and SINFUL

Happy Tuesday!!  Today I'm so excited to bring you an excerpt and giveaway for the release of Unraveled!  How beautiful is that cover?  I'm so excited to get into this series, I've heard fabulous things about it.  So tell me what you think!!

Misconduct by Penelope Douglas (Review)

Title: Misconduct
Series: Standalone
Author: Penelope Douglas
Release Date: Dec 1, 2015 - NAL
Pages: 368 per Goodreads
Format: EGalley

Former tennis player Easton Bradbury is trying to be the best teacher she can be, trying to reach her bored students and trying to forget her past. What brought her to this stage in her life isn’t important. She can’t let it be. But now one parent-teacher meeting may be her undoing…

Meeting Tyler Marek for the first time makes it easy for Easton to see why his son is having trouble in school. The man knows how to manage businesses and wealth, not a teenage boy. Or a young teacher, for that matter, though he tries to. And yet…there is something about him that draws Easton in—a hint of vulnerability, a flash of attraction, a spark that might burn.

Wanting him is taboo. Needing him is undeniable. And his long-awaited touch will weaken Easton’s resolve—and reveal what should stay hidden…

Penelope Douglas does it again.  Misconduct was a fabulous mix of so many things that I love.  If you want a story a bit taboo, a bit naughty, and packed with emotion, Douglas delivers.

Dare To Run by Jen McLaughlin (Review & Excerpt)

Title: Dare To Run
Series: The Sons of Steel Row #1
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Release Date: February 2, 2016 - Signet
Format: Print Galley
Pages: 316

She knows what he’s like on Boston’s mean streets. Now she’s going to find out if he’s got some heart.

Lucas Donahue is not ashamed of his criminal past, but after a brief stint in prison, he’s ready to go legit and live a normal life. The problem is, no one leaves the gang without permission—even if he is one of the boss’s top men. Plus someone’s placed a hit on him. And then there’s that feisty little bartender who’s going to cause him even more trouble.

Heidi Greene knows to keep her distance from a ladies’ man like Lucas—even if she can’t keep her eyes off him. When he rescues her from an attack in the alley outside her bar, she’s forced to stay by his side for safety. But the longer she spends time with him, the greater her chances are for getting hurt in more ways than one.

I'd read a bunch of books by Jen McLaughlin under her pen name, Diane Alberts, but this is my first one under this name. Can I just say that I really loved this book?  Lucas and Heidi were an awesome couple, and they helped make every page exciting.

By The Rules by Elisabeth Staab (Excerpt)

By The Rules

Elisabeth Staab

He thinks I want him because of the rumors around town. Because I think he’s easy. I want AJ, because he’s AJ.

No liars. No suits. Absolutely no straight guys…

AJ Fabin’s list of rules keeps him safe. Since getting kicked out of his parents’ home and a vicious attack by a former escorting client, his rules and his life in the tiny town of Evergreen Grove provide a quiet haven. He may be lonely, and he may stick out like a sore thumb, but the folks like him well enough. When he’s not dodging his old pimp, things are peaceful.

Hayden Price is having a quarter-life crisis. Engaged to a woman he can’t connect to and working a job he secretly hates, he comes to Evergreen Grove to help his mother through a health scare. Returning to his childhood home makes Hayden re-evaluate a lot of things, including himself. When he meets AJ and finds he can’t stand the mouthy jerk—almost as much as he can’t stop thinking about him—he has a lot more to change than his career.

To be together, they’ll both have to break all of their rules.

Good morning!! So a couple weeks ago I posted my review of By The Rules, which I absolutely adored.  Well today I have an excerpt for you, so you can get a taste of the wonderfulness that is AJ and Hayden!  Hope you enjoy!

WitchWar by Emma Mills (Interview, Giveaway)

WitchWar

Emma Mills

In the final book of the Witchblood series we find Jess and her friends ten years on, about to battle with enemies on all sides, as the supernatural world crashes into the human domain. 

With everybody’s lives on the line Jess will need to work out who she can trust before a deadly witch hunt threatens to uncover them all. Death and love will once again consume her life, but only one side can win. 

Hey everyone! So today I have the conclusion to the WitchBlood series, which I loved.  I haven't gotten to this book, but I'm sure it's a great ending!  I've also got an interview for you today.  It was provided with the tour, not one written by me, but it's very good!  Also have a giveaway - so good luck on that!

By The Rules by Elisabeth Staab (Review)

Title: By The Rules
Series: Evergreen Grove #3
Author: Elisabeth Staab
Release Date: January 19, 2016
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 257 per Amazon

He thinks I want him because of the rumors around town. Because I think he’s easy. I want AJ, because he’s AJ.

No liars. No suits. Absolutely no straight guys…

AJ Fabin’s list of rules keeps him safe. Since getting kicked out of his parents’ home and a vicious attack by a former escorting client, his rules and his life in the tiny town of Evergreen Grove provide a quiet haven. He may be lonely, and he may stick out like a sore thumb, but the folks like him well enough. When he’s not dodging his old pimp, things are peaceful.

Hayden Price is having a quarter-life crisis. Engaged to a woman he can’t connect to and working a job he secretly hates, he comes to Evergreen Grove to help his mother through a health scare. Returning to his childhood home makes Hayden re-evaluate a lot of things, including himself. When he meets AJ and finds he can’t stand the mouthy jerk—almost as much as he can’t stop thinking about him—he has a lot more to change than his career.

To be together, they’ll both have to break all of their rules. 

I've been waiting since book one (At The Stars) to get AJ's story, and now I finally have!!  AJ has been this enigmatic and charismatic character since the beginning, and he grabbed my attention on every page he graced.  To say I loved his book would  be putting it lightly.  By The Rules is absolutely the best m/m romance I've read!