#WhatToReadWednesday | Books with Cats

June is National Adopt A Cat Month, so I thought we’d do some cats. At first, I drew a blank and could only come up with my own books despite knowing there are cats in so many stories I’ve read. Then more and more titles started to pop up.

Which is your favourite book with a cat?

Hard Tail by J.L. Merrow

The first kitty to come to mind was Wolverine, an awesome cat. I’m not up to date on all my J.L. Merrow books, but of those I’ve read, there are cats in most of them, and they’re definitely worth reading.

Hard Tail“Finding love can be a bumpy ride. “

His job: downsized out of existence. His marriage: on the rocks. It doesn t take a lot of arm twisting for Tim Knight to agree to get out of London and take over his injured brother s mountain bike shop for a while. A few weeks in Southampton is a welcome break from the wreck his life has become, even though he feels like a fish out of water in this brave new world of outdoor sports and unfamiliar technical jargon.

The young man who falls literally through the door of the shop brings everything into sharp, unexpected focus. Tim barely accepts he s even “in” the closet until his attraction to Matt Berridge pulls him close enough to touch the doorknob.

There s only one problem with the loveable klutz: his bullying boyfriend. Tim is convinced Steve is the cause of the bruises that Matt blows off as part of his risky sport. But rising to the defense of the man he s beginning to love means coming to terms with who he is in public in a battle not even his black belt prepared him to fight. Until now.

Warning: Contains an out-and-proud klutz, a closeted, karate-loving accountant and a cat who thinks it s all about him. Watch for a cameo appearance from the “Pricks and Pragmatism” lovers. May inspire yearnings for fresh air, exercise, and a fit, tanned bike mechanic of your very own. “

https://books2read.com/HardTail

Double Blind by Heidi Cullinan

This is not a book I rec often because it makes me a little (read a lot) uncomfortable. I don’t have a poly bone in my body so whenever we’re talking more than two in a bedroom I wince and squirm and not in a good way. But, Ms Cullinan can write, so if BDSM and multiple partners are your thing, give it a go. And there is a kitten.

Double BlindKnow when to show your hand…and when to hedge your bets.

Randy Jansen can’t stand to just sit by and watch as a mysterious man throws money away on the roulette wheel, especially since Randy’s got his own bet going as to the reason this guy is making every play like it’s his last day on earth. The man’s dark desperation hits Randy right in the gut. Half of him warns that getting involved is a sucker’s bet, and the other half scrambles for a reason—any reason—to save the man’s soul.

Ethan Ellison has no idea what he’s going to do with himself once his last dollar is gone—until Randy whirls into his life with a heart-stealing smile and a poker player’s gaze that sees too much. Randy draws Ethan into a series of wagers that leads to a scorching kiss by midnight, but he isn’t the only one with an interest in Ethan’s vulnerability. Soon they’re both taking risks that not only play fast and loose with the law, but with the biggest prize of all: their hearts.

https://books2read.com/DoubleBlind

The Invasion of Tork

I love this book and I’ve recommended it several times. Today it makes the list because of Dickens the cat LOL

The invasion of Tork book coverAdam is cool, intelligent and drop-dead gorgeous – all the guys tell him so! When he is forced to start voluntary work at the local homeless shelter, all he worries about is keeping the clients well away from him and finishing the placement as soon as possible. Until he meets Tork.

Tork is clever and funny. He makes origami models and reads Dickens. Tork has green hair and makes Adam’s heart race with longing. But Tork is homeless and not at all impressed with Adam’s attitude.

Can Adam see past his fear and arrogance? Can Tork give Adam a chance?
Can two such different men turn the world upside down and find out what really matters? Read to find out their story.

Content Warning: the story includes reference to and description of self-harming.

https://books2read.com/TheInvasionofTork

Dead Man and the Restless Spirits by Lou Harper

We need a little paranormal in the mix, so here are some ghosts and of course a cat.

Dead Man and the Resteless SpiritsDying sucks hairy monkey balls, even when you’re not the stiff.

Denton Mills has a secret: he can see dead people. Or rather, how they died. It’s quite a drag in a city like Chicago, teeming with the echoes of the no-longer living. Rather than whine about it, Denton has learned to live with his troublesome talent. His adaptability comes in handy when he meets his enigmatic new neighbor.

Bran Maurell catches Denton’s eye right away, but unfortunately Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious is as standoffish as he is alluring. However, after an unexpected introduction from Bran’s cat brings the two men together, Denton discovers they have a mutual interest in the spirit world. Herbalist by day, Bran moonlights as a witch, performing house cleansings for a fee.

From Bran, Denton learns that his knack for interacting with the dead qualifies him as a necromancer. It makes good business sense for them to team up and rid Chicago of its pesky spirits one grateful client at a time. Amongst ghostly adventures the attraction between the men is impossible to ignore. They seem like perfect partners—unless Bran’s not-so-little secret comes between them.

Warning: men loving men, ghosts with attitudes, and a portly feline with hidden talents.

https://books2read.com/DeadManSpirits

Chalk Butterfly The Complete Trilogy by Audra Red

It’s been a long time since I read this, but I remember liking it, and I think there is a cat? Or at least one of the characters really likes cats.

Chalk ButterflyAlexander Price, a sweet and stunning young librarian, is trying to get his own bite of the Big Apple. The only thing holding Alexander back from the life he dreams of is a devastating secret; he suffers from a rare skin disease that makes the skin on his hands and feet as delicate as the wings of a butterfly.

Beyond shy, gorgeous Alexander has never been kissed, though his body craves the touch of a strong, yet gentle man.

One unusual autumn morning on the subway, Alexander meets the handsome and rugged millionaire Daniel Sommers, who is instantly infatuated by the coy and delicate young man. Daniel longs to be the first and only man to open Alexander’s eyes to love, the joys of sex and a life lived without secrets.

https://books2read.com/ChalkButterfly

The Ghost on My Couch by L.A. Gilbert

Ah, bunny slippers. It’s soo many years since I read this, but I doubt I’ll ever forget the ghost on the couch LOL

The Ghost on My Couch

 

The Cat’s Meow by Stormy Glenn

Since I’ve mentioned this a zillion times lately, I might just as well continue. I love the beginning of this book. It’s not a book I would include on a list of my absolute favourites, but the beginning LOL

The cat's MeowBeing in the wrong place at the wrong time is not always a bad thing…

Noah Anderson is odd and he knows it. He has a strong obsessive compulsive disorder that keeps him organized but distances him from the world around him. He doesn’t have any friends, family, or even a lover. He’s never had a lover.

When he finds himself in the wrong place at the right time, Noah discovers that the dangers posed by having sex for the first time pale in comparison to having sex with the assassin that comes to kill him, even if it means his life.

Gage Tynan is a killer. It’s what he’s always been. And he excelled at his job until he jumped into the car of a passing motorist when his latest mission goes wrong. The man driving is so odd that Gage suspects he might have been sent to harm him. Gage has no idea that the little man that asks him to take his cat will change his life in ways he has no clue of.

Gage is dragged into a world of shifters and exiled kings, one where his strength will be called upon to keep Noah safe from the pride soldiers sent to keep him from taking the throne.

https://books2read.com/TheCatsMeow

Widdershins by Jordan L. Hawk

I had this there-is-a-cat-in-Widdershins-isn’t-there-thought, so I went searching and ended up reading Rescued which is a flash about how Griffin first found Saul. So yes, there is a cat.

WiddershinsA reclusive scholar. A private detective. And a book of spells that could destroy the world.

Love is dangerous. Ever since the tragic death of the friend he adored, Percival Endicott Whyborne has ruthlessly suppressed any desire for another man. Instead, he spends his days studying dead languages at the museum where he works. So when handsome ex-Pinkerton Griffin Flaherty approaches him to translate a mysterious book, Whyborne wants to finish the job and get rid of the detective as quickly as possible.

Griffin left the Pinkertons after the death of his partner. Now in business for himself, he must investigate the murder of a wealthy young man. His only clue: an encrypted book that once belonged to the victim.

As the investigation draws them closer, Griffin’s rakish charm threatens to shatter Whyborne’s iron control. But when they uncover evidence of a powerful cult determined to rule the world, Whyborne must choose: to remain safely alone, or to risk everything for the man he loves.

Widdershins is the first novel in the Whyborne & Griffin series, where magic, mystery, and m/m romance collide with Victorian era America. Buy it today and join the adventure.

https://books2read.com/Widdershins

Ready for the ego wall??

I’ll pick three. I have more than three books with cats, but Booksy in #PictaBook is an adopted cat. Ginger in Hop Hop, Carrot Top was meant to be a foster, but they kept her. And then we have Toffee and Caramel in Pet Delivery. Gabe’s biggest dream is to start a cat sanctuary.

pictabook (small)

Jules Rose leads a quiet life working as a librarian. He’s happy to spend his spare time reading books and talking to his homicidal cat. What more could he wish for? But when his cozy Friday night is shattered by a friend request on his book community app, politeness gives him little choice but to accept. Jules doesn’t want to talk to anyone, but he can’t be rude. Besides, if he had to talk about something, books is the topic he’d pick.

Phoenix Ford is dyslexic and avoids everything that has to do with the written word, but when the colleague he’s trying to impress calls him stupid, he decides to convince the other man, he’s mistaken. All he needs is the right book to make him look smart, a perfect balance between intelligent and short. And who better to ask for help than a guy who loves books so much, he labeled one boner-worthy on a book app?

When Jules finds out Phoenix never has read a book from start to finish, he’s on a mission. He will find the right book, the book that will make Phoenix fall in love — with reading. Phoenix’s plan might have been to listen to the book Jules picked for him to impress his colleague, but that was before he got to know him. Talking about books is a sure way to Jules’ heart, but is it enough for him to agree to go on a date?

https://books2read.com/PictaBook

Hop-Hop-Carrot-Top-(web)

Flynn Thomas is back in Hartley. His plan is to be out of there before anyone notices he’s back. He left twenty years ago and promised himself he’d never have to face his childhood bullies or set foot in his bigoted hometown ever again. But it’s been six months since his mother passed away, and someone has to clear out the house.

Caspian Cook is out on a walk with his three dogs when he sees Flynn Thomas, at least he thinks it’s Flynn Thomas. He never forgot the red-haired boy his brother used to harass, and he never forgot how he used to wonder if there were freckles underneath his clothes as well as on his face.

Flynn mistakes Caspian for his childhood tormenter and flees. Caspian can guess why he’s in such a hurry to get away, but he hasn’t seen Flynn in twenty years, and if he allows him to run off, he fears he’ll never see him again. Will spending time with Flynn be enough for him to forget who Caspian’s brother is?

Flynn needs help. He underestimated how much work it would be to move his mother’s things. Caspian offers to give him a hand, but can he trust someone who looks like his worst nightmare?

https://books2read.com/HopHopCarrotTop

petdelivery

Chris Hart owns the only grocery shop in Nortown, but he isn’t exactly overrun by customers. Some days he wonders why he bothers to open the doors at all. Spending his days smiling at the few people trickling in and his nights alone in bed isn’t the most interesting life a man could lead. But when Chris suddenly gets the excitement he’s been craving, it may be more than he bargained for.

Gabriel Miller loves his life. He’s close to his sister, has a job he adores and is the proud owner of one and a half cats. But all of it is taken away when he witnesses a murder. To keep him safe, the police place him in Nortown, of all possible locations.

Chris can’t believe they’re letting someone live in his gran’s old cabin in the middle of the winter. It’s too cold. When the poor man shows up in his shop looking to buy clothes, Chris’s heart melts, despite the freezing temperature. Gabriel notices the way the shopkeeper looks at him, but it can’t be right. No one looks at a heavyset man with heat in their eyes. Do they?

https://books2read.com/PetDelivery

Guest Post | Between Hurt and Comfort By Alexa Piper

Guest-Post

Today, Alexa Piper is back on the blog. It’s always nice with returning guests, don’t you think? 😊 Welcome, Alexa!

How can you move forward and toward something you want when everything in your life is darkness and pain? That is one of the questions Will, one of my main characters in Witch Wolf, is asking himself.

When I first wrote about Will, I didn’t know much about the character, but I knew he was hiding a lot of pain behind attitude. Figuring out what had made him this way drove me to write Witch Wolf, but I didn’t just want to show all the many ways in which Will had been hurt. From the start, what I wanted was to see Will move away from the pain and toward something he chose for himself: freedom. Becoming a witch. Not being afraid all the time.

That made a book that could have been very dark from beginning to end into something that’s hopeful. There are even moments of laughter and light-heartedness. This was important for me, because a hurt you carry inside you may be something that you carry with you, but that doesn’t mean you can no longer enjoy things in life, can’t find laughter and happiness. Because you can.

And Will does find his happiness. He is not “over it” by the end of the book, and frankly, after what he’s been through, he’ll never be. But he survived his ordeal and finds a way to thrive.

Read Will’s story:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09ZVJKRB8

Elsewhere: https://books2read.com/u/4Ajpwq

#hurtcomfort #shifterromance #Standalone #werewolf #mmromance #gayromance #paranormalromance #urbanfantasy #MM #lgbtqbooks

Blurb:

61062183._sy475_Will is a witch wolf, a werewolf who can do magic, but his life so far has been anything but magical. He was sold by his own pack and for four years, Will suffered as a slave to his captors — who used him any way they wanted. Now, after a leap of courage has brought him to Colin’s doorstep, Will’s past should be just that, his past.

Colin can see the new apprentice he’s supposed to teach magic to has been hurt. Colin wants to comfort the young werewolf who takes to magic much more easily than he takes to human contact. Their attraction seems mutual, but how can Colin be certain Will even knows what he wants?

As slow affection grows between Colin and Will, Will’s magic does as well, and he allows himself a sliver of happiness. Except the dark past Will thought he escaped from is not quite done with him, and now, it’s not just Will’s life on the line, but also Colin’s, the witch Will’s heart is beating for.

WARNING: Witch Wolf contains references to past sexual assault (with none of it happening on the page), which may be triggering for some readers.

 

About Alexa Piper:

Alexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them.

Website: http://www.alexapiper.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gRJq3T

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexaPiperWrites/

Fb group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/255026848996374/?source_id=106711636486332

Twitter: @ProwlingPiper

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piperthewriter/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alexa-piper

Guest Post | A Drop of Moonshine by Holly Day

Guest-Post

Hello, everyone! I’m here as Holly today. A few days ago, A Drop of Moonshine was released. It was supposed to be a quick story I wrote to celebrate National Moonshine Day, which is observed on June 5th. It didn’t turn out that way.
What I ended up with is a 51k long dark, dystopic story.

Sid is a potato farmer who makes moonshine on the side to make ends meet. He does his best to keep his head down and not get noticed, but when the people running the black market start losing customers to Sid, they decide to deal with him.

At first, the plan was to scare him, but it quickly escalates, and Sid has to run for his life.

The reality they live in is one where every person has one government-sanctioned kill. They say it’s to give power to the people, so they can remove anyone who threatens them, but instead, it has everyone scared senseless.

As soon as someone applies to have someone killed, a liquidation agent is sent out to do it. Thorn is a liquidation agent.

He and Sid grew up in the same area, and while they never were close, they recognise each other. Sid turns to Thorn for help and soon they’re on the run together.

This is dark, and at times it’s pretty bloody, so be aware before diving in!

Blurb

a drop of moonshine

In a world where the government controls everything, and every citizen is given one government-approved kill, Sid Barker is doing his best to keep his head down and not get noticed. At some point, he must have failed. Being a potato farmer doesn’t generate enough income, and Sid is making moonshine on the side to keep himself fed, but one day a liquidation agent shows up at his farm, not to kill him, but to blackmail him into giving away his moonshine for free. 

Thorn Hull is a liquidation agent. Every time someone hands in an application to have someone terminated, he or one of the other agents has to perform the kill. It’s a well-paying job, but no money in the world can fill the void in Thorn. He regrets ever becoming an agent, but no one has ever quit the agency and lived to tell the tale. 

One night in a bar, Thorn runs into Sid, who’s far from the dirty little kid he’d been the last time Thorn had seen him. Sid remembers Thorn from his childhood and asks him to help him talk sense into the agent who’s blackmailing him. Things soon escalate, and Sid and Thorn find themselves on the run from the liquidation agency. How will they be able to deal with the blackmailer at the same time as they’re on the run from the government’s trained killers? 

Buy links 

M/M Romance:  51,713 words 

JMS Books :: Amazon :: books2read.com/ADropOfMoonshine 

Excerpt:

Sid Barker tapped the airlock on one of his demijohns hidden in the old barn behind his house. The bubbles had slowed considerably, maybe stopped altogether. He crouched and stroked Cognac’s head. Cognac yawned and rolled over on his side.
“You lazy beast.” Sid pushed at him, but it was almost impossible to move an English Mastiff who didn’t want to be moved.
He stayed there, patting Cognac and watching for bubbles in the airlock until his legs grew numb. “Come on, boy. We need to check the canisters too.”
Cognac growled. At first Sid laughed, then he heard footsteps on the gravel outside. His heart jumped to his throat, and he hurried out of the room. The lock clicked into place, and he pushed a hay bale in front of the door. The canisters were in a second room closer to the door.
“Sid, you in here?”
Sid almost sagged in relief as Jeb’s voice echoed through the barn. “Yeah, I’m here.”
Jeb appeared in the doorway and Cognac, the traitor, trotted over to him. “Sorry to come unannounced.”
Sid raised his eyebrows and watched as Jeb spoke to the dog.
Sighing, he stepped closer. “He’s a lousy guard dog.” He wasn’t. Sid couldn’t imagine his life without the big brute, but when it came to Jeb, Cognac was a lousy guard dog.
“Nah, he’s such a good boy.”
Sid nodded, but his heart didn’t calm down. Jeb coming without notice didn’t happen, Jeb coming after dark without calling ahead made his gut knot. There wasn’t a curfew exactly, but the government advised against going outside after sundown. The likelihood of any agents spotting Jeb out here was small, but he had to go back into the city at some point. If they saw him, they might think there was a need for a questioning—Sid would have to keep him overnight.
“What can I do you for?”
Jeb stood and pushed at Cognac—successfully pushing him away was rare, but this time Jeb managed. “I… It’s business-related.”
“I figured.”
“I don’t want to push you into anything. I know you’re on a dangerous level as it is, but I could use some more… and more often.”
“More? Christ, Jeb, if they catch you, you’re dead.” If they caught Sid, he was dead too. He drummed his fingers against his thigh. His gut turned hollow and his ribcage shrank.
“I know. And if they catch me, you’ll go down too. I have no illusions of being able to withstand torture for any length of time, not even for you.” He winked but most of the color had left his face.
“Goes both ways, babe.” Sid tried to make light of it, but they were both aware of what they were facing, and the Death Squad was nothing compared to it.
Cognac gave a small whine and came to push lightly on Sid’s leg. “It’s all right, bud.” Sid rested a hand on his head—one of the things he liked best with having a huge dog, apart from it keeping people at a healthy distance, was that he didn’t have to bend down to pet him.
“I… erm… I have a new client—it’s best you don’t know who—but they’d heard of the West Oak Moonshine and approached me.”
“They’d heard of it?” The concrete under his feet shook. While it was good his products were liked, he didn’t want the name—which he’d given as a joke—to be known.
“Yeah, I don’t know how. I’ve never written it on the bottles. I draw the oak tree, but it’s not a name I say in mixed company.” Jeb’s dark eyes searched the joists, his black hair curling around his ears, and the stubble on his cheeks darker than most days. Sid remembered what he looked like in the morning, how he looked when he was worried, tired, sick, when he climaxed, when he was enjoying the afterglow. The images left an ache in his heart. What he was seeing now was somewhere between scared, stressed, and exhausted.
“Come on, I need to scrub some potatoes before I can take you to bed.”
Jeb grinned, but it wasn’t the carefree grin Sid was used to. “You’re sweet to offer, lord knows I could use the stress relief, but I can’t stay.”
“It could be an offer of a place to sleep, we don’t have to fuck.” Though Sid’s cock gave a disappointed shrug as he uttered the words.
“Scott would cut my balls off if I didn’t make it back.”
“Ah… Still seeing him then?” Sid wasn’t jealous. He and Jeb had been down that route, and Sid loved him as a friend, but no amount of fucking would ever make Jeb something other than a friend. A friend he cared a great deal about, a friend he’d be willing to go through a lot of trouble for. And while there was plenty of tenderness, there would never be the right spark. They were good in bed or had been back when they went to bed together, but what they did there didn’t deepen their emotions for one another. Sid loved him, but not in the way someone loved a spouse, and the feeling was mutual.
Jeb grimaced. “For a while. I don’t think it’ll last more than a few months.”
Sid wrapped an arm around Jeb’s shoulders and walked them toward the door. “No happily ever after?”
“Is there ever a happily ever after for guys like us, Sid?”
“One day. I’ll buy a farm, a real one—not a hut about to fall on my head, and I’ll sweep you off your feet.”
Jeb chuckled and leaned his head against Sid’s shoulder in a resigned manner. “If I’m alone when that day comes, I might let you.”
Sid guided him to an old, scarred table in the small kitchenette in the corner of the barn. It was nothing more than a bench and a small sink, but it was where he scrubbed all the potatoes and apples for his brews. “Sit here and talk to me while I work. What’s this new deal about?”
Jeb sighed and started talking. Doubling his production would be near impossible. Where he’d get the ingredients without bringing attention to himself, he didn’t know, but could he afford to say no?
The water was cold, and it didn’t take long before his hands ached from it, but he kept on scrubbing. One potato after the other, then he went about shredding them. Jeb sat quietly at the table, his head resting in his hands, and Sid suspected there was more going on than he let on.
“Are they threatening you?”

About Holly 

According to Holly Day, no day should go by uncelebrated and all of them deserve a story. If she’ll have the time to write them remains to be seen. She lives in rural Sweden with a husband, four children, more pets than most, and wouldn’t last a day without coffee.  

Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.  

Connect with Holly on social media: 

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