Release Blitz ~ The Charmer (The Vers Podcast #4) by Riley Hart (Reviews + Giveaway)

THE CHARMER

The Vers Podcast Series – Book Four

by Riley Hart

Release Blitz

Release Date: September 6, 2023

Cover Design:

Cate Ashwood Designs

Photo:

Rafa Catala

Model:

Jorge Del Rio Romero

Genre: MM Romance Standalone

Trope: Opposites attract, frenemies to cuddle buddies to lovers, size difference, no-strings-attached cuddling, found family, body positive MC


Synopsis

If you listen to The Vers, a queer podcast I host with my three best friends, you know me as The Charmer. I’m always happy, flirting, and trying to win everyone over. I think most people would be surprised to learn I have a lot more going on beneath the surface.

But ever since all my friends have fallen in love, it’s getting more difficult not to feel left out…

Cue my fascination with Spencer, my neighbor who hates me. There’s something addicting about getting under his skin, and I blame the combination of my confusing emotions and too many drinks for spilling my guts to him about all my insecurities…and about how much I love cuddling.

Turns out, Spencer doesn’t hate me, and my word vomit is the catalyst that makes us decide to be cuddle buddies. When I need affection, I go to him, and he just…holds me. Along the way we become friends, and when I fall for him, it’s surprising that he feels the same. Spencer’s easy to talk to, fun to be around, and did I mention he’s hot? I love how confident he is in his full figure, and there’s nothing like being in his beefy arms.

Spencer has me wanting more for the first time in my life, and he’s determined to help with my disordered eating, but if I want a healthy future with him, I need to work toward being healthy for myself too.

The Charmer is an opposites-attract romance with a body-positive MC and a cuddle fiend learning to love himself.

The Charmer deals with disordered eating, low self-esteem, and negative talk about weight. While the story is uplifting and none of these are heavy-handed, please see content warning for a full list.


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GOODREADS LINK


Purchase Link


Amazon Universal ~

https://geni.us/r9Cvw


~ * ~ Tracys Review ~ * ~

4 Stars 

I love that Riley tackled this subject matter. Weight is something many of us struggle with, myself included. I have struggled with food and dieting nearly all my life. When I was younger, I took it so far, eating so little, that I stopped having a menstrual cycle and was losing my hair. I understood and could definitely empathize with Corbin.

My heart broke for him. He had such a toxic relationship with food and exercise. He had extremely low self-esteem and his promiscuous ways were often used to just make himself feel wanted.

I loved that Spencer was so positive and the fact that he was a bigger guy and that he didn’t let what others thought/said bother him. He truly liked who he was. Because of the way my mind works, I don’t understand it, but I love that he felt good about himself and was so confident.

As for the romance, it was sweet and Corbin and Spencer were smoking hot together. I loved that Spencer was so supportive and that he seemed to know when to push and when to just let things go. I loved that, although Spencer was a bigger guy, Corbin was still wildly attracted to him and didn’t want to change who he was. But at times, the way they talked to one another was a bit cringy. Them calling themselves cuddle buddies/cuddle boyfriends was just, well, as I said, cringy.

Still, this was a well-written and enjoyable story and it was evident that Riley did her research on Corbin’s eating disorder. The Charmer was a lovely way to wrap up this series and, while Declan and Sebastian are my favorite couple, I definitely resonated with Corbin and the subject matter featured throughout this story and I have no issues recommending it!

* Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. *

 

~ * ~ Kathys Review ~ * ~

4 Stars
This story is part four of the Vers Podcast. I feel it helps to read the other three stories so you can understand the depth of the men’s friendship. The Charmer, like the others, includes all the close friends and their significant others from the series. The four men have a popular podcast, and the main character, Corbin, is known as the Charmer.
I really had a hard time deciding on a rating. The other three I read quickly, but I found myself putting this book down and needing a little time from it. I did enjoy the story, but at least at first, the two men together just felt off. I think it was the constant references of cuddle buddies that, well, just plain bothered me.
The book handles some sensitive topics quite well. There could be triggers with eating disorders, bullying, and body shaming. Poor Corbin was raised in a very insensitive family that still harps on what he eats even though his weight is now normal. It was painful to see how much this has affected his self-image.
He meets Spencer, who is the polar opposite in terms of body image. Spencer is a bit overweight and could care less what anyone else thinks about it. The two men have a misunderstanding that clears up, and their friendship includes an unlimited supply of cuddling, which morphs into more.
I like how this was not full of angst, and there was no instalove. It took almost to the end of the book for me to see them as a couple. I do recommend the story, even though I would prefer much less cuddling. Happy reading!

* * Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. **

Giveaway


$25 Amazon Gift Card

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Other Titles Within this Series


About the Author

Riley Hart’s love of all things romance shines brightly in everything she writes. Her primary focus is Male/Male romance but under various pen names, her prose has touched practically every part of the spectrum of love and relationships. The common theme that ties them all together is stories told from the heart.

A hopeless romantic herself, Riley is a lover of character-driven plots, many with flawed and relatable characters. She strives to create stories that readers can not only fall in love with, but also see themselves in. Real characters and real love blended together equal the ultimate Riley Hart experience.

When Riley isn’t creating her next story, you can find her reading, traveling, or dreaming about reading or traveling, and spending time with her two perfectly snarky kids, and one swoon-inducing husband.

Riley Hart is represented by Jane Dystel at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management. She’s a 2019 Lambda Literary Award Finalist for Of Sunlight and Stardust.


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