HARD TO LET GO
JACLYN QUINN
M/M ROMANCE
RELEASE DATE: 02.19.18
Cover by Cate Ashwood Designs
Interior Design and Formatting by Flawless Touch Formatting
Buy on AMAZON
BLURB
Owen Richards lives a quiet life in his small hometown of Haven’s Cove. He has a rewarding life consisting of three very supportive—not to mention feisty—women, and a successful bakery that he owns and absolutely loves. Yet, Owen can't seem to shake this emptiness inside or the intense feeling that something is missing. A sudden encounter with a man from his past, one he despises, turns his entire world upside down. When Owen finds himself attracted to that sexy man, he questions everything, including his sanity. After all, only an incredibly disturbed person would find that he can’t stop thinking about his high school bully.
Brody Walker never expected to return to Haven’s Cove. He’s made a life for himself in Boston where he can truly be the person he was always meant to be. But an unexpected call has Brody facing all the demons he’d left behind so long ago. Now, he’s faced with not only a difficult goodbye, but one long overdue apology to a man who is no longer that lanky kid from high school. The challenge is to convince the guy he’s changed—and also prove he’s worth taking a chance on.
When passions ignite, truths are exposed, changing beliefs these men have held on to for years. Faced with the knowledge that things aren’t always what they seem, will they choose to hold on to the incredible thing they’ve found…or is it easier to give in to the fear and let go?
Carra's Review
For a debut book, this author one hundred percent blew me away. From the characters to the writing to the storyline, I loved everything about this story and have this author on my watch list going forward. I’m definitely looking forward to her next book already, because Hard to Let Go was frankly quite impressive and had me falling for the characters—not just the main ones either—from the start.
I was a bit unsure at first when the story opened with Owen and Jonah, but quickly came to understand their situation. When Brody comes onto the scene and the discord comes out right away, it’s hard to see how things could progress given the past and present circumstances. As the details of Brody’s life up to then unfold and Owen comes to know more about him, Owen becomes quite conflicted about his feelings…something that helps contribute to the tension of the story. It soon becomes clear though that there’s something that connects these two men, and even with their pasts the progression of their relationship still feels right, natural, and never rushed. And don’t even get me started on their incredible chemistry!
One of the best things about this story is how well every single character is written. They all have excellent depth, and every single one of them plays an important part in moving the story along. The support of Brody’s best friend Gabe is unwavering, and he—along with Owen’s family (particularly his cousin Leslie)—provide some much needed laughs along with love and friendship. Jonah? I don’t have the words to tell you how simply amazing this man is. Well, maybe I do…unselfish, supportive, kind, understanding, an emotional rock for Owen, and just a remarkable friend.
Be prepared for some heartbreaking emotions (keep some tissues handy), along with genuine love as both Owen and Brody help each other heal from the past. Their story is riveting; I read it in a single sitting as I couldn’t put it down. If this is how Jaclyn Quinn does a debut novel, I can’t wait to see where she goes from here!
5 stars for Hard to Let Go, this is one I highly recommend to every M/M romance fan. I’m excited for more in this series, I’m hoping Gabe’s and Jonah’s stories will be coming quickly! This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
EXCERPT
Brody nodded his head and let his aunt Nora lead him down the hall. Had this hallway always been so damn long? The walls were lined with pictures. There were Brody’s school pictures, holidays, and family photos of the three of them smiling.
It was a hall full of lies.
As he crossed the threshold into the room, it was like breaking through a thick wall. His chest hurt and every muscle in his body tensed. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this. A hospital bed was against the soft blue wall to his right; an IV stand with a bag hanging from a hook at the top blocked his view of his mother’s face. The room had the same beige carpet he remembered, but his father’s desk was replaced with a big reclining chair. There was another chair in the room on the far side of the bed. A small table on wheels sat next to it and on it were tissues, a pair of glasses, and the last thing he expected to see—a framed picture of him from when he was little. Next to that was an oxygen tank with tubing connected to it. The tubing led up to where it hooked around her ears to hold the small prongs in place in her nose. There were no big machines, no sounds of incessant beeping.
Then it really hit him. She wasn’t there to get better; she was there to let go. Brody stepped softly into the room, afraid to disturb her, afraid to breathe too heavily and throw off the serenity of her room.
Brody’s heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest. He felt a light touch from his aunt on his back, as if she was telling him it was going to be okay—even though they both knew it wouldn’t be. He walked to the side of the bed cautiously, praying he didn’t upset her if she didn’t want him there. As he lowered himself into the chair, his breath caught, and he looked into his mom’s eyes for the first time in too long. Oh God, was that panic in her eyes? Pain? He didn’t want to cause her either in her final days.
“Brody? Honey, is it really you?” Her voice was so soft, but there was no mistaking the words as a tear slid down her cheek, and her eyes had a sudden light.
Just like that, Brody released the breath he’d been holding and let the tears fall down his face. “Yeah, Mom. It’s me. I’m here.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I have been an artist from a very young age. From drawing cartoon characters and evolving into portraits, making jewelry, photography, and now writing. I have an amazing support system in my family and friends and couldn’t be more grateful.
I live in central New Jersey, love summers at the Jersey Shore, rock music, wine, sexy men, and laughing a lot with my amazing friends and family. Sunday dinners at my parents’ house are crazy, hysterical and you can count on a movie quote…or ten…being thrown out. Insults between siblings is how we show our love for each other!
When I’m not creating, you can find me reading books from my favorite authors. I’m a hopeless romantic, starving for passionate characters and always craving that happy ending, whether in reading or in writing my own books.
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