REVIEW: Down By Contact by Santino Hassell

OUR REVIEW:

Down By Contact is the best mix of enemies to lovers, funny as hell banter, football, and sweet romance. I'm loving this series and wishing for more (I feel like Rocky has a story to tell, right everyone?!) and the chemistry and clash of personalities between Simeon and Adrian had me smiling at their antics and turning pages as quickly as I could. 

I hope Santino  Hassell is having as much fun writing this as I'm having reading it. He builds and breaks the tension with the perfect touch and the way he writes the inner monologues are both insightful and pitch perfect for each character. Hassell seems to know exactly when to push the plot forward and when to let us spend time in the moment just as he has a good feel for how much to insert about the secondary characters (loved seeing some of my favorites from the last book!). 

I know it's not realistic to expect any of Santino Hassell's series ongoing forever but I can't help it. He creates worlds and characters that are interesting to escape to and hard to leave. I am eager to see what he writes next. Until then, I have a few novels on his backlist that I cannot wait to get into.

BUY IT ON AMAZON

SYNOPSIS:

Two rival football players begin a game with higher stakes than the Super Bowl in this steamy romance from the author of Illegal Contact.  
Simeon Boudreaux, the New York Barons’ golden-armed quarterback, is blessed with irresistible New Orleans charm and a face to melt your mama’s heart. He’s universally adored by fans and the media. Coming out as gay in solidarity with his teammate hasn’t harmed his reputation in the least—except for some social media taunting from rival linebacker Adrián Bravo.

Though they were once teammates, Adrián views Simeon as a traitor and the number-one name on the New Jersey Predators’ shit list. When animosity between the two NFL players reaches a boiling point on the field, culminating in a dirty fist fight, they’re both benched for six games and sentenced to joint community service teaching sullen, Brooklyn teens how to play ball.

At first, they can barely stand to be in the same room, but running the camp forces them to shape up. With no choice but to work together, Simeon realizes Adrián is more than his alpha-jerk persona, and Adrián begins to question why he’s always had such strong feelings for the gorgeous QB…

REVIEW + EXCERPT+ GIVEAWAY: Citywide by Santino Hassell

  

Citywide (Five Boroughs #6)

 Publisher: Riptide Publishing

 Release Date (Print & Ebook): November 13, 2017

 Length (Print & Ebook): 100k words/367 pages

 Subgenre: Contemporary

OUR REVIEW:

I'm truly, madly, deeply in awe of Santino Hassell and his writing skills. It doesn't matter what he writes, he always nails it. In Citywide he puts us back into the Five Boroughs world and we get to see many of our favorites and the secondary characters we've longed to know more about. In each of these shorts, the story arc reads like long form. Each character grouping feels fully fleshed out and somehow leaves me completely satisfied and yet starving for more. It never fails that his characters pull me into their lives and have me longing to insert myself into their lives--I'd die to know these people in real life, to have them as my friends, to mess around with them/crack jokes with them/fall in love with them/be a friend to them--they seem like awesome people all thanks to Santino Hassell and his obvious love and care for the characters he creates. 

You guys are going to love this collection of stories and if you're anything like me, you're going to be dying to get your hands on the next thing he releases. Until then, happy reading. 

Order: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/citywide

Book Blurb:

A record-breaking heat wave engulfs the Five Boroughs, and emotions run as hot as the temperatures.

In Rerouted, Chris Mendez is trying to live a drama-free life. That doesn't include another threesome with Jace and Aiden Fairbairn. But then a citywide blackout leaves them trapped together, and Chris is forced to re-examine everything he thought he knew about relationships and his own heart.

In Gridlocked, former Marine Tonya Maldonado is keeping real estate heiress Meredith Stone on permanent ignore. Mere isn't Tonya’s type. Not even close. Who cares if she kisses like a dream and has the filthiest mouth this side of the East River? But then a security detail at a summer party ends with her saving Mere's life and discovering they have more chemistry than she’d ever imagined.

In Derailed, Stephanie Quinones escapes the heat and her complicated love life by going on a company retreat. Trouble is, it's a couples’ retreat, and she lied about having a boyfriend. Unfortunately, the only person willing to play pretend is her on-again/off-again fling, Angel León. They’re currently "off again,” but after a week in the woods, Stephanie realizes she wouldn’t mind them being permanently on.

Excerpt

Without thinking about it, I grabbed her chin and made her meet my eyes. She was gnawing on her lower lip now, squirming in her tight little dress. I stepped closer.

“I go by either. Or you can call me Sergeant if you want to be cute about it.”

“I’m always cute,” she snapped.

I rolled my eyes. “This is why I fucking ignore you. You’re always doing the most and dying for attention. Making a big show of ice grilling me, so everyone in the vicinity is all up in my business, asking what I did to you. You have no chill, and it makes me tired.”

She cringed, shoulders hunching forward. “Fine. Sorry. I’ll never look in your direction again.”

It was the perfect opportunity to say, Cool, glad to hear it, and walk the fuck out, but I didn’t. Her flip-flopping between sassy immaturity, and bashful insecurity was starting to tug at my interest. I wondered how much of her attitude was an act. Or a shield she threw up when she was feeling unsure of herself.

“Why does it matter if I address you?” I asked, lowering my voice so it hopefully sounded less irritated. It was hard. I’d been born with my bastard father’s harsh tones, and I had to work to not sound aggressive. “We fucked once. Almost a year ago.”

She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and said nothing. I took another step forward until there was barely any space between us, and I didn’t miss her sharp inhale. Or the way her eyes briefly closed when I put a hand on her waist.

“Talk.” I dragged my thumb over the sheer part of her dress, feeling her smooth skin beneath. “Last opportunity.”

Mere shivered but wrenched her gaze up to my own. There was no challenge in her eyes this time. Just agonized desire. “I want another chance.”

“To do what?”

“To convince you to not walk away.” She lifted her hands, letting them hover on either side of my shoulders, before she slowly touched me. “To show you that I can ruin you just as badly as you ruined me.”

About Santino Hassell:

Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family but grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into a grumpy introvert and unlikely romance author with an affinity for baseball caps. His novels are heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, and his desire to write relationships fueled by intensity and passion.

He’s been a finalist in both the Bisexual Book Awards and the EPIC Awards, and was nominated for a prestigious RITA award in 2017. His work has been featured in BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Washington Post, RT Magazine, and Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Connect with Santino: Website | Twitter | Instagram | FB Group | FB | GR | Tumblr

Giveaway: win 2 backlist e-copies of any Santino Hassell book:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d45f0336/

REVIEW: Sightlines by Santino Hassell

Title: Sightlines

Series: The Community, third book in a trilogy

Publisher: Riptide

 Release Date (Print & Ebook): October 9^th

 Length (Print & Ebook): 257 pages/68K words

 Subgenre: paranormal, romantic suspense

Book contains: Violence, attempted sexual assault

 Buy it: Amazon

OUR REVIEW:

Sightlines continues to give us the action and intrigue that this series has been know to deliver in the previous books. We get to know more about the relationship between a very surly Chase and his

sweet and strong Elijah. We also get more of the inner workings of The Community and some answers and insight into all that it was supposed to represent and how slid into corruption. 

This final book in the trilogy was a very satisfactory way to end  a fun and gritty paranormal romance. And, if I've said it once, I've said if a bazillion times, Santino Hassell can write the hell out of any and everything—he could write dinoporn and I know I'd buy it, read it, and wonder at how he used his word sorcery to make me enjoy it ...because I know I would. He's that good, y’all. Buy his work, you won't regret it.

Book Blurb:

Chase Payne is a walking contradiction. He's the most powerful psychic in the Community, but the least respected. He's the son of the Community's founder, but with his tattoo sleeves and abrasive attitude, he's nothing like his charismatic family. No one knows what to make of him, which is how he wound up locked in a cell on the Farm yet again. But this time, the only man he's ever loved is there too.

Elijah Estrella was used to being the sassy sidekick who fooled around with Chase for fun. But that was before he realized the Community wasn't the haven he'd believed in and Chase was the only person who'd ever truly tried to protect him. Now they're surrounded by people who want to turn them against their friends, and the only way out is to pretend the brainwashing works.

With Chase playing the role of a tyrant's second-in-command, and Elijah acting like Chase's mindless sex toy, they risk everything by plotting a daring escape. In the end, it’s only their psychic abilities, fueled by their growing love for each other, that will allow them to take the Community down once and for all.

What Santino has to say about Sightlines: Anyone can be a hero. Rising up. Fighting back and revolutions. Coming together as a team despite differences.

Quotes from Santino about the book:

“Chase is one of the most vulnerable bad asses I’ve ever written.”

“I haven’t written a hero with a mouth as smart as Chase’s since In the Company of Shadows.”

“Chase is one of those heroes who thinks no one reasonable would ever be in love with him, and anyone who claims to be is probably lying.”

Praise for INSIGHT:

"A fast-paced cavalcade of psychics, intrigue, and a young man's powerful discovery of his own nature." -- Jordan Castillo Price, author of Psycop

"Hooked me on page one! Another winner from one of the most appealing voices in romance." -- Suzanne Brockmann, New York Times bestselling author

Excerpt:

They looked at each other for a long moment before, with no warning whatsoever, Elijah stood on his tiptoes for a kiss. And because Chase gave exactly zero fucks, he kissed back with a low growl.

Elijah drew away with a mischievous grin, turned on his heel, and sauntered toward the bathroom. Chase knew that he was probably about to get stomped by some bikers, but he still couldn’t stop himself from watching Elijah’s ass as he walked away. How was it possible for Chase to be horny, cold, hungry, and getting ready to fight all at the same time? He was a bomb multitasker.

“Hey, you.”

Ah shit. Here it went.

Chase swiveled around on his stool to find the whole biker crew staring him down. One in particular, a big dude with pale-blue eyes and a beard long enough to make him look like red-haired Gandalf, had waltzed over to Chase. He was a total cliché in a leather vest, a grimy grease-stained ribbed shirt beneath, and leather pants tucked into monstrous shitkicker boots. He could probably kill Chase with barely any effort. Which meant he could also hurt Elijah.

Chase’s lip lifted in a snarl, and his hands closed into fists. That was as far as he got before the glass one of bikers was holding shattered in his meaty palm. Everyone exclaimed, drawing attention off Chase, but Gandalf the Red didn’t shift his gaze. He just nodded his head once, quirking his mouth up briefly, and said, “We should talk.”

“’Bout what?”

Gandalf jerked his head back toward his boys and lowered his voice to a gruff rumble. “’Bout that mess you just made.”

Author Bio:

Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family but grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into a grumpy introvert and unlikely romance author with an affinity for baseball caps. His novels are heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, and his desire to write relationships fueled by intensity and passion.

He’s been a finalist in both the Bisexual Book Awards and the EPIC Awards, and was nominated for a prestigious RITA award in 2017. His work has been featured in BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Washington Post, RT Magazine, and Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Connect with Santino: Website | Twitter | Instagram | FB Group | FB | GR | Tumblr

Win 1 of 2 e-copies of any backlist book by Santino Hassell:

Direct giveaway link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d45f0330/?

REVIEW: Illegal Contact by Santino Hassell

I am absolutely in love with every single thing Santino Hassell produces. EVERY.SINGLE.THING. When the book gods smiled down on me and I had a chance to read Illegal Contact I had this urge to rush into reading it because I knew I was in for a great night of reading; I also wanted to put it off for as long as possible because I knew I'd finish it and be incredibly sad that it was over. As expected, the second I dove into Illegal Contact I was hooked. I loved the wonderfully grumpy Gavin and the confident and nerdy Noah and every single tense interaction they had. Their chemistry practically sparked off the page and their snarling, sarcastic, banter made me smirk while the tender, sweeter parts had me swooning and hoping against hope that somehow, someway they could make their relationship work.

In Illegal Contact, Santino Hassell not only wrote an opposites attract romance that is so easy to sink into and so hard to put down, he continues to give us diverse characters and explores what it must be like to be bisexual in a career where heteronormtivity seems to be the only way.  Hassell also gives us a character like Noah--a character who has been scapegoated in the past because of his sexuality, in my opinion, and has to come to grips with what happened with his past employer and has a struggle about whether it's a pattern of behavior, or something different when it comes to Gavin. Basically, what I'm discovering as I'm thinking about these characters is that they're more complicated than I initially made them out to be. There are layers to their both of their situations and personalities that makes forging a relationship a little complex, which in turn makes it that much sweeter when they work it all out.

And that, my dears, is one of many reasons why I like reading Santino Hassell novels so much; they can be as light and entertaining or as deep and revealing as you want them to be. His characters come off as authentic and raw and his plots are fresh and entertaining. And every single time I pick up a new novel of his, I can't help feeling compelled to speed to the finish as I'm simultaneously putting the brakes on to slow down and savor every chapter. Everything I read of his solidifies that something I've known since the first novel I read of his and that's this: I will buy, read, and rave about anything he writes, no matter the genre or the topic.

BUY IT: http://amzn.to/2uTzoEp

Synopsis:

The rules of the game don’t apply off the field in this first Barons novel. 

New York Barons tight end Gavin Brawley is suspended from the team and on house arrest after a video of him brawling goes viral. Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field—which doesn’t help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he’s been successful professionally, he’s never been lucky when it comes to love.

Noah Monroe is a recent college grad looking for a job—any job—to pay off his mounting student debt. Working as Gavin’s personal assistant/babysitter seems like easy money. But Noah isn’t prepared for the electrifying tension between him and the football player. He’s not sure if he’d rather argue with Gavin or tackle him to the floor. But both men know the score, and neither is sure what will happen once Gavin's timeout is over…

Find out more on GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34346381-illegal-contact?ac=1&from_search=true

REVIEW: Oversight by Santino Hassell

OVERSIGHT by Santino Hassell

Series: The Community, Book #2

Publisher: Riptide Publishing

Release Date (Print & Ebook): June 26^th, 2017

Length (Print & Ebook): 242 pages

Subgenre: Romantic Suspense, Paranormal

Links: (Amazon, B&N, etc are available on release day)

Publisher: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/oversight

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30364801-oversight

OUR REVIEW:

Shel: Is all PNR like this because if it is then why the hell haven't I been reading more of it more often? I'm such a newb when it comes to PNR but if it's anything like the world Santino Hassell has created with this series than I'm one part pissed at myself for not getting into this scene earlier (with the exception of Anne Rice and her Nola Vampires) and one part excited about a whole new world of books that is opening to me. I love how this series blends the world I know into one I don't inhabit (to my knowledge) and makes me seriously question whether psychics exist. Seriously. Mr. Hassell is so convincing in his characterization and world building that it doesn't seem out of the norm that pys on every part of the spectrum could be walking around me right now *shrugs* either I'm that gullible or Hassell is that good (I'm going with the later, for obvious reasons). Court: Shel! Yes! LOL! This is what I've been saying! Now...there is so much to love about this world and it is a world that sucks you in immediately and it multifaceted in a complex way but still tugs at your heart in all of the right moments. The writing is so good, and the characters are complex (I said that I know, but you have no idea how important this is) and the plot is complex and the setting feels like another character. I felt so many emotions in this and any given page might change how those emotions were processed. But at this point, all I can say is wow! Gimme more! 

Shel: In addition to creating a convincing PNR world, Hassell also convinced me to actually like Holden--somehow turning him from a somewhat douchey charm-meister into a man who I ended up feeling a lot of empathy for. And I think that Six was an important part of this change. Actually, there were a few people who may have nudged him along, but Six was the one that had the most significant impact. His lack of tolerance for Holden's bullshit, his unwavering honesty, and his calm and steady influence all helped spur Holden into action. I enjoyed how Hassell created them for each other and how they were equally responsible for helping break down or through barriers that they each used as protective mechanisms. I also liked the dichotomy I imagined between the two- a hardness and a softness, gruffness and charm, experienced and inexperienced--it really worked for me. Court: It did. I also think there are a lot of observations spurned by Six that Holden experienced in how he used his gift to manipulate people. I think that really affected him in a profound way...if we could know what people are feeling at any given moment...and were able to say and do things based on that...just wow. He pondered if any of his interpersonal relationships were ever real, and definitely knew that most of his sexual ones weren't...it really made him grow as a character and I really enjoyed all of the character development intermixed in with all of the action and suspense. 

Shel: Additionally, I enjoyed the way the suspense built and the tension amped up as the novel raced toward the end. I'm just as anxious as ever to see how things will end up for all of these characters. The ending of Oversight has me hungry for answers about so many things and eager to see which of those things Hassell focuses on in the last book. He's done a really great job of handling PNR and romance and suspense and really keeping the threads of all of those things going in a way that is interesting and satisfying while keeping me on edge as I wait for more. Court: Urban fantasy somewhat fits this too...that we're in a realistic setting really makes it all the more believable for us. I fell in love with some characters that we didn't even get to meet and now all that much, and hated others. I really went through the ringer with my emotions, and I have to say...I cannot wait for the next book! You should read this right away because it is amazing. 

Book Blurb:

Spoiler Alert! The following blurb contains spoilers for Insight, book one of The Community.

Holden Payne has it all . . . or so he thinks. As heir to the founder of the Community—an organization that finds, protects, and manages psychics—he’s rich, powerful, and treated like royalty. But after a series of disappearances and murders rock the Community, he’s branded the fall guy for the scandal and saddled with a babysitter.

Sixtus Rossi is a broad-shouldered, tattooed lumbersexual with a man-bun and a steely gaze. He’s also an Invulnerable—supposedly impervious to both psychic abilities and Holden’s charms. It’s a claim Holden takes as a challenge. Especially if sleeping with Six may help him learn whether the Community had more to do with the disappearances than they claimed.

As Holden uncovers the truth, he also finds himself getting in deep with the man sent to watch him. His plan to seduce Six for information leads to a connection so intense that some of Six’s shields come crashing down. And with that comes a frightening realization: Holden has to either stand by the Community that has given him everything, or abandon his old life to protect the people he loves.

Excerpt 

Six was sitting behind the desk, once again clad in a skintight polo buttoned up all the way but this time paired with cargo pants. As he sat on the edge of the chair with his thighs spread, Holden was waiting for all those muscles to burst the seams.

"Why do you dress like an extra from Jersey Shore?"

"I'd have to pop my collar for that." He only paused in his typing when a surprised laugh fell from Holden’s mouth. Raising an eyebrow at me, Six said, "Was I not supposed to get the reference?"

"Well, you're a cyborg so I didn't think you would."

Six turned in the chair so he was facing Holden. He had on his default neutral face, but a slight twitch of his brow and lip betrayed possible amusement at the comment. Was there some getting through to him after all, or were they destined to stare at each other in mutual blankness to see who could emote the least for the next… however long he'd be here as Holden's handler?

"Not having an empathy chip doesn't make me a cyborg. There are plenty of ways to figure someone out without feeling any of their vibes."

Holden crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall next to the desk. "As someone who was born with an empathy chip with elephantiasis, color me skeptical."

Six mirrored his post, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair with his thighs spread. The view of thick thighs and a good sized bulge were a temptation Holden didn't try to resist. He glanced down twice before managing to hold Six's steady gaze.

Author Bio:

Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family, but he was anything but traditional. He grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, then a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into an unlikely romance author.

Santino writes queer romance that is heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.

Connect with Santino: Website | Twitter | Instagram | FB Group | FB | GR | Tumblr