Wednesday, September 27, 2017

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: FIRST SEASON by RJ Scott & V.L. Locey (Harrisburg Railers #2)




Buy Links: 


Length: 55,700 words approx.
Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Harrisburg Railers Series

Changing Lines (Book #1) - Amazon US | Amazon UK | KOBO | Smashwords | Barnes and Noble | iTunes


Blurb

Layton wants success, Adler wants family, how can love make both these things possible?

Layton Foxx works hard for what he has. The condo, the career, the chance to make his mark, is all down to the sacrifices he has made. With tragedy in his past, he doesn't want or need love. Then he meets Adler Lockhart, the extroverted, sexy winger for the Harrisburg Railers and abruptly he can't avoid love even if he wanted to.

Adler Lockhart has had everything handed to him his whole life. Cars, villas, cash, college tuition at the finest Ivy League schools. The only things he doesn't have are parents who care or the love of a good man. Then Layton walks into his privileged life and shows him what real love can be like.


Excerpt

“Guys,” I said calmly, even though the sight of these big men waiting by my car was enough to have me feeling anxious as memories of old times poked at me. Not to mention that Stan had his thick arms crossed over his chest and looked like he wanted to go to war with me. I recognized two of the others with him—Coach Benning looking grim, Arvy grinning at me—and the other man was the guy from the bathroom.

That was Adler, the one the captain, in my interview with him that morning, had chosen to highlight as “not exactly vocally critical nor entirely supportive.”

I was scarlet and I knew it, and Adler smirked at me. Asshole.

He wasn’t the first person to smirk at me, and he wouldn’t be the last. Adler Lockhart was a good-looking man, but then a lot of the players on this damn team were hot and right on to burning. Take Arvy with his goofy smile and his long wavy hair, or Coach Madsen with his intense blue stare and air of authority.

“Little bit talk,” Stan said, his voice loud and booming in the cavernous underground parking.

I glanced from Stan to the others. I wasn’t sure Adler wanted to talk. He was still smirking, but at the same time he looked like he was trying to edge away. The only thing stopping him was that he was pinned between Stan, Arvy, and my car.

I glanced at my watch, like I had to assess if I had the time to stop and talk. Of course I had time. Lots of time. All that was waiting for me at my place was takeout and a night of reading my notes. Oh, and catching up on the hundred or so Facebook messages from my family.

“I can give you five minutes,” I said, to qualify the importance of my time and reinforce my status. It was vital that I didn’t join in with discussions outside the official meetings; I had to stay outside the hockey circle, so that I could maintain a perspective on how things were playing out. Informal meetings didn’t get things done.

Stan pulled aside his shirt and showed me a tattoo. I had to peer closely, because I wasn’t sure what I was looking at, or even why it was being shown to me. It looked like a cartoon character; a Pokémon or something.

“Hulk,” Stan said, and looked at me expectantly like I was supposed to understand a word. I don’t speak any Russian, though, so I looked at Coach for help.

“What he’s saying,” Coach Benning said, “is that he likes Ten, a lot, and that Ten and he had tattoos the same day, and that if you end up hanging Ten out to dry, then he will have something to say about it and go all Hulk on your ass.” The coach’s tone was easy, but there was a thread of steel in there.

“You got all that from one word?” I asked, and looked up at Stan, who was still scowling.

Coach only smiled. “He’s a man of few words. English ones, anyway.”

Stan clapped a hand on my shoulder, and jeez, he was one strong man. For a split second, fear skittered through me, but I pushed the fear back down where it belonged. No one here was going to hurt me.

I edged out of Stan’s reach and offered up my most reassuring smile. Stan looked at me, and then he smiled as well.

Seemed like we had an agreement going.

“Are we done talking about c*ck now?” Adler said loudly, breaking the accepting vibe in the small group. He underscored the words by grabbing suggestively at his groin. “Unless we’re whipping them out.”

“Jesus Christ, Ads,” Arvy snapped, and elbowed him.

Adler grinned. “All I’m saying is some of us have actual sex to go home to and don’t spend all day jawing about it.”

Then he shoved his way past Arvy, who shoved him back before letting him go.

“Asshole,” Arvy muttered, but it wasn’t said with heat. I exchanged glances with him, and he gave that single-shoulder shrug of “What can you do?”

I mentally added Adler to my list of concerns.


About the Authors

RJ Scott is the bestselling romance author of over 100 romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men and women who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week's break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn't defeat.




V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Dr. Who, Torchwood, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.




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Cover Reveal & Excerpt: NEVER by Tara Lain (The Pennymaker Tales #4)



When your dreams come to life, do you fall in love — or send them back to Neverland?



Never
(The Pennymaker Tales, #4)
By Tara Lain

Blurb:

Wendell “Wen” Darling lives in a world of shoulds and musts. Left to care for his brother and sister by his dull drudge of a father and wacko irresponsible mother, he suppresses his creativity, slaving in an ad agency seventy hours a week, letting his no-talent supervisor take the credit.

Then his bosses blow the campaign for their biggest client and Wen gets a chance to shine—but only if he can find the artist who painted a wild, glorious wall of graffiti in the subway. Hiding behind a pillar at 2:00 a.m., Wen comes face-to-face with the scarlet-haired, elven-faced embodiment of his divergent opposite—Peter Panachek, the flighty, live-for-today painter, singer, and leader of the rock group the Lost Boys. Everything Wen takes seriously, Peter laughs off, but opposites attract, even if their kisses always lead to battles. Peter’s devil-may-care persona hides a world of secrets, self-protection, and hidden fears, until the day a drug dealer, Vadon Hooker, threatens everything Wen holds dear. Guided by the mysterious Mr. Pennymaker, Peter has to choose between facing responsibility or burrowing even deeper into Neverland.




Release Date:
November 3, 2017

Available for Pre-Order at  

Also available in paperback!


Excerpt

He got up off the couch, padded in the dark down the narrow hall to John’s room, opened the door softly, and listened. Just soft snuffling snores. Good. He closed the door again, listened at Michaela’s as he walked past but heard no sounds of anguish or illness.  Maybe just a siren or a truck woke him. Of course, they were all so used to the traffic sounds of Brooklyn that seemed unlikely. Collapsing on the couch again with a sigh, he closed his eyes. Need some sleep.

Wait.

Do I hear someone breathing?

He listened harder. So soft, but still breathing.

What the hell should I do? Someone might be behind the curtains with a gun. No, his curtains wouldn’t hide a three-year-old. God knew, John had tried.

The breath kind of stuttered, like a little laugh. What the hell? It came from behind his head, closer to the front door. Damn, I wish I had a weapon. Without moving his head, he turned his eyes toward the coffee table. A lazy Susan that Michaela used to help serve sat in the middle. It was made of some kind of heavy ceramic. That would have to do.

With a huge sweep of his covers, Wen sat up, sprang to his feet, grabbed the lazy Susan in two hands and leaped forward—
—to see Peter’s eyes widen as he flattened himself against the wall with his hands lifted to fend off his attacker.

Wen stared at his elf face and hissed, “What the hell are you doing here?” No, wait, wrong question. “How the hell did you get in here?”

Peter pointed at the slightly open window.

Uh, wait. Wen walked over and looked out at the four-story drop—and the old rusty fire escape that ran beside the window. What the hell? He stalked back to Peter, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to the couch. “Sit.”

Peter sat.

Wen turned on a small lamp, went into the kitchenette, grabbed their filter pitcher of water and poured two glasses, then carried them back to the couch. He handed one to Peter. “I figure you need it after your adventures. How the hell did you get up that fire escape without falling or ripping the thing off the wall? Fly?”

He grinned. “I’m a good climber.”

Wen wanted to scream, and only biting his tongue kept it at bay. “Why did you do it? I’ve asked you to help me. You’ve said no. We have nothing else to talk about. You put yourself at risk, and you broke into my house where my kids sleep!”

“Kids?” His cat eyes widened. “You have children?”

“Yes, they’re my younger brother and sister. I’m responsible for them. I have to leave them alone sometimes, and now I find out that any criminal can waltz up that fire escape and threaten them.”

“Well, not any criminal.” He gave a half grin.

“It’s not funny.”

“No. I get that. But honestly, most people would rip that thing off the wall. I really am a good climber and it’s very high. I think you and your kids are safe.”

Wen planted a hand on his hip. “From everyone but you.”

“Yeah.” He giggled, which despite being shocked and furious, kind of made Wen want to smile.



You still have time to catch up on 

The Pennymaker Tales Series



Sinders and Ash
(The Pennymaker Tales Series, #1)
by Tara Lain


Available for order at

Kindle | AudibleNook | Kobo | iTunes | Dreamspinner Press






Driven Snow
(The Pennymaker Tales, #2)
by Tara Lain


Available for purchase at 








Beauty, Inc.
(The Pennymaker Tales #3) 


Available for purchase at 





Want to get these lovelies in paperback? 

Sinders and Ash and Beauty, Inc. (Pennymaker Tales)



Available for purchase at

Amazon | Barnes and Noble


About the Author

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 32. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.  She lives with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog near the sea in California where she sets a lot of her books.  Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at Lain






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Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Tips, Tricks, Do's & Don'ts for First-Time Author Event Attendees!


If you’re a book lover like me, the chance to meet a bunch of your favorite authors all at one big convention like the Love N. Vegas Author Event sounds like an amazing opportunity, right?  You get to mingle with the people who write the stories you love, pick up their latest paperbacks and fun swag, collect autographs, take pictures with your idols…and of course party with them as well!  If you think this sounds like a fantastic time, you’d be right—so today we’re going to take a look at what to expect for those of you who are first time book convention attendees.  Let’s look at some do’s and don’ts, and what you should bring:

DO

  • Do plan ahead!  Many author events have a large number of authors attending—Love N. Vegas has 75 authors (check out the list here), and while it would be amazing to see every author at a convention, it’s not always feasible in the time allotted.  Before you go, make sure you check the author list and break it down into your “must-see”, “would love to see”, “would like to see”, and “if there’s time” categories.  Most events will have a seating chart available for the signing portion or the event; you can use the chart to plan your route through the signing to make the best use of your time, and maximize the time you get to spend at your favorite authors’ tables.
  • Do check author websites and/or Facebook pages to see if they are offering pre-orders.  A lot of authors offer the opportunity to pre-order the books you want before the event.  This benefits the author since it gives them a good idea of how many books they need to bring, and it benefits you since you can usually pre-pay for your order and just pick them up at the author’s table where they normally sign the books right there with you.
  • Do try to attend as many of the scheduled activities at the event as you are able.  Each activity is another chance to not only meet the authors, but also to meet other readers, bloggers, and even publishers.  This is your chance to not only be a fan, but also to connect with other fans and people in the book industry.  Meet & Greet type activities let you have extra time to chat with the authors, the Author Signing is where you can pick up new releases and old favorites and get them signed by your favorite authors, and an After Party is where everyone can have fun together in a relaxed party setting that might include games, food, music, dancing, and more!

DON’T

  • Don't monopolize an author’s time.  Depending on the size of the event you’re attending, there can be anywhere from hundreds to even thousands of attendees—and they all want time with their favorite authors too.  Everyone’s excited to chat and find out what’s coming next in a series, how the authors get their ideas, or just talk about life in general…but remember to be fair to others just like you expect them to be fair to you.  This is where the “do’s” above really help—the more organized you are and doing pre-orders will definitely cut down your wait time and give you more time to talk, and the more activities you attend, the more chances you’ll have as well.
  • Don't be shy.  I know, it can be overwhelming for some of you to attend an event like this—especially when there will be so many people, most of whom you probably have never met before.  When I went to my first event, I was so flustered when I would walk up to an author’s table that I didn’t know what to say and wound up hardly saying anything at all.  It may help you when you’re organizing your lists of who you want to see to make notes with their names of questions you might have, or books you just want to tell them you loved.  Remember, authors are people just like you and love to chat with their fans, especially when you tell them what your favorite books are.
  • Don't forget to take pictures.  Most authors are happy to take a picture with you, and it’s a great souvenir of the event for you!  I try to get pictures with every author I visit (when I’m not so excited that I forget), even if I’ve seen them at previous events.  Always ask if it’s okay to take a picture with them first—some authors don’t take pictures for personal or professional reasons (depending on the genre in which they write), so please respect their wishes if they decline a photo.


Now that you have some of the basics—what should you bring with you to the event?  This will depend on the activities that are scheduled, but here’s a general list:

  • Your own paperbacks to be signed…though check the event’s website first to see if there is a restriction on how many you can bring.  
  • Sticky notes…if you’re bringing books to be signed, put a sticky note or flag on the page of the book you’d like the author to sign, and write your name on it so they know how to spell your name.  Some events will give attendees name tags to wear, but it never hurts to be prepared just in case—particularly if your name has an unusual spelling!
  • Anything else you would like to use to collect author signatures.  I’ve seen readers bring tote bags, t-shirts, picture frames, and even small painting canvasses to get them signed by the authors at an event.  Authors usually have pens or markers at their table to use to sign, but if the item you bring is a special surface, you may want to also bring a suitable writing instrument with you as well (like a medium tip permanent marker for painting canvasses).
  • A sturdy tote bag to carry all the books you’ll be getting at the signing.  Okay, maybe more than one bag.  Some events even let you bring a rolling bag with you—but be sure to check the event’s website before bringing one, depending on the size of the venue they may not be allowed due to space constraints.
  • If you’re a blogger, you may want to bring business cards with you with your blog’s information on them to give to the authors you visit.  Once I finally untied my tongue and started chatting with authors and mentioned I have a blog, I kept getting asked if I had a card so they could check it out after the event.  Author events are not only great for getting your fangirl—or fanboy—on, but they are also a chance to network.

Okay, so you’re at the event and you’re ready to meet everyone—what should you wear?  Some of the activities may have a dress code, for example an after party might be costume-optional, cocktail attire or even formal.  But when it comes to the author signing, be sure to dress in lightweight clothes with very comfortable shoes.  There’s going to be a lot of people in the signing room, and at times you may be queued up shoulder to shoulder which can get quite warm.  I used to bring a light jacket with me just in case, and I have never needed to use it.  In fact, almost every event I’ve attended I’ve broken a sweat being among so many people at once and walking as quickly as I could from author to author so I could make sure I was able to see everyone I wanted.  Also, you’re going to be on your feet, probably for several hours standing in line and walking from table to table.  Wear shoes that are supportive and comfortable—sneakers are usually a good choice.


The most important tip?  HAVE FUN.  You may not be able to fit everything in that you want to do or meet every author you want to meet, but remember there are always author events going on all around the world—even if you can’t do all the things you planned, you can always try again at a future event.  Chances are, you’ll make some new friends—both readers and authors alike—and that makes planning to attend upcoming events even more fun.

Have some tips of your own?  Feel free to add them to the comments below!  And don’t forget to check out the Love N. Vegas site for their event information, tickets and that all-important author list, and the Las Vegas travel deals page for a great resource for flight and hotel packages!




Spotlight-Excerpts & Giveaway: ALTERED & TOUCHED by Amy Stearman


ALTERED & TOUCHED
2 Independent Books
by Amy Stearman

Monday, September 25, 2017

Reviews & Giveaway: RICK'S BEAR and JESSE by M. Tasia (Boys of Brighton 3 & 4)




Rick’s Bear
Boys of Brighton
Book Three
M. Tasia

Genre: M/M romance
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Date of Publication:  3 March 2017
Number of pages: Print – 117
Word Count: 40,060
Cover Artist: Boroughs Publishing Group

Book Description:

Two reclusive gay men—Brighton’s local librarian and its grumpy bear, former motorcycle gang member turned diner owner—find each other and love.

Boroughs  -  Createspace  -  Amazon  -  Smashwords    -  Barnes and Noble  -  Kobo  -  iTunes


Excerpt from Rick’s Bear

Rick just knew he was going to ruin this evening somehow. Heck, he’d already started by causing those three men to notice him. He’d planned to stand behind them, hopefully going unseen, until Bear had called his name and he had to walk through the group. Now his anxiety level was rising like a toxic tide.

“Easy. Look at me. Breathe…” When Rick looked up, everything looked fuzzy, and he noticed they were in Bear’s office instead of at the table. “Breathe in and out. That’s it.”

After several minutes, Bear’s handsome face came into focus, and Rick could finally speak. “S-s-sorry” was all he could manage to say.

“No, that was my fault. I should have never called their attention to you or made you walk through them with your anxiety. I’m the one who’s sorry,” Bear replied with a guilty look on his handsome face. “I won’t ever do that again unless it’s an emergency. I’ll come to you instead, I swear.”

Rick realized a while ago that Bear was aware of Rick’s “little quirks” but had never brought them up so openly before. He felt a bit embarrassed and found himself unable to meet Bear’s eyes. “It’s okay, and it’s not your fault that I’m this way.” That responsibility belonged to someone else entirely, a man so vicious it had taken four officers to take him down.

“This way?” Bear gently cupped both of Rick’s cheeks so he couldn’t look away again. “The way you are is perfect to me, never doubt that.”

He looked so serious that Rick had no other choice but to nod his head in agreement.

“Okay, now are we ready to have dinner and apple pie?” Bear’s smile brought out that one dimple he had on his left cheek.

“Oh yeah,” Rick replied. “Did you know an average nine-inch pie holds roughly six medium apples?” He hung his head so quickly that Rick was surprised he hadn’t given himself whiplash. Damn nervous useless information, he’ll think I’m a freak.

“Yeah, we use around five or six depending on the size of the apple,” Bear answered and carried on toward the front without one word of censure or even a strange look for Rick’s “info drop” as he liked to call his freaky behavior. It wasn’t like he could namedrop, but boy he could spit out useless information like a pro. Maybe for a little while, Rick would be able to act as if his idiosyncrasies didn’t matter and not have to worry about how he appeared to others.

Bear led Rick to their table by keeping a possessive hand on the small of Rick’s back, and Rick had no idea why it felt so good there. How can I be attracted to another giant of a man? Didn’t I learn my lesson the last time? Rick honestly didn’t quite understand why Bear wanted to spend time with him, but Rick wasn’t going to complain. He felt safe when he was with Bear, which was an odd feeling for him to begin with.

Over the next hour, Rick learned more about the man that occupied every dream he’d had over the past year. He knew Bear had been in a motorcycle club back in Chicago but had left it to “find a new life,” as Bear put it, but he wouldn’t elaborate further. What he did know still amazed Rick, who’d never left Brighton. All the places Bear had seen were a world away from Rick’s reality.

“Here you go, sweetie, your apple pie.” Rick looked up and smiled at Sarah. The older woman was an absolute angel to everyone.

“Thank you, Sarah. I absolutely love your apple pie,” Rick stated as his mouth watered for a bite.

“We know, honey,” Sarah responded.

“Hey! What the hell? You told me you didn’t have any more apple pie, you old crone,” yelled one of the three men who’d made Rick feel nervous when he’d come in. “What do I have to do, go in the back and give the boss a blowjob like little Mr. Bookworm here did?”

Rick immediately pulled his messenger bag off the table and placed it safely on the bench seat—Bear’s gift was in that bag after all. He slid across the bench, putting some distance between himself and the irate man. The man’s two friends were desperately clawing at the third man’s jacket, trying to pull him back.

Rick’s anxiety began to rise, and of course, he knew what was coming next. “In a recent survey, it was found that four out of ten people have dated someone from work. But in this case, you are completely mistaken. We’re friends.”

The drunk man stopped and just stared at Rick like he’d grown a second head. “What do I care? Are you some kind of idiot?”

Rick witnessed the change in Bear and sat fascinated as he went from attentive, charming dinner date to a hulking man who, with one look, could make most people shake. But the truly bizarre thing was that, instead of feeling fear, Rick felt excited.

What’s wrong with me?








Carra's Review

Rick's Bear is all about the characters.  Rick is so sweet and I love his quirk of spouting off random, obscure facts.  His aversion to crowds and attention makes being around others a challenge, but that's something with which Bear is more than happy to help him.  Bear is so attentive and caring, putting Rick first and making sure Rick is not uncomfortable.  Together they are one of those couples who complement each other perfectly.

I did think the drama that was introduced was a bit over the top, something I've noticed keeps happening in the books from this series.  Overall though, I liked Rick's Bear quite a bit more than the first two books of the series.

This story gets 4 stars from me, and those readers 18+ who like sweet with extra drama will enjoy this book.




Jesse
Boys of Brighton
Book Four
M. Tasia    

Genre: M/M romance
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Date of Publication: 2 June 2017
Number of pages:  Print - 120
Word Count: 40,810
Cover Artist: Boroughs Publishing Group


Book Description:

A widower and a man who fled his past find love in Brighton, TX, despite the violence of one’s homophobic family.

Boroughs  -  Createspace  -  Amazon  -  Smashwords    -  Barnes and Noble  -  Kobo  -  iTunes


Excerpt from Jesse:

Royce heard the deep rumbling and knew his hopes that they could work this out had disappeared. The roar of Jesse’s bike as it pulled out of the driveway and away from their house felt like a stab to his chest. Was it still “their” house? Was he coming back? Was he safe? Royce didn’t have the answers and a sick feeling began to spread through his body. Jesse had left him. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hard on him. But Jesse was keeping things from him and Royce was frustrated. He’d spent the last few weeks afraid Jesse would be hurt or leave. Well, he left.

The pain was starting to set in. Jesse left. The realization hit home like a sledgehammer. He left me. Royce couldn’t understand why Jesse hadn’t taken his things with him. Maybe he’s coming back? Royce didn’t know what to think. He never thought Jesse would just take off like this because they’d always found it easy to talk things out up until now.

Royce wandered through his empty house room by room…rooms he’d hoped and prayed would be filled with children someday. He’d always dreamt of giving children with special needs a good home and viewed adoption as the option for him. But when Daniel had died, so had that dream, until Jesse came along. Now Royce’s pain was becoming intense, and he knew unless you’d suffered through the loss of the person you love, there was no way of properly describing it. But the closest he could imagine was paralyzing, painful emptiness creeping into his heart and soul.

Should he go look for Jesse or wait here? What would Royce do if Jesse didn’t come back? That one thought alone kept Royce pacing the floors. He stopped by the kitchen and grabbed himself a beer before continuing with his silent vigil. The more he thought about everything that had happened, the more worked up he got. Hell, he’d already lost one man he’d loved. Royce couldn’t help but wonder how he’d pissed off fate so badly that this was happening to him again.

Hours crawled by and Royce sat waiting. At two in the morning he surrendered to the fact that Jesse wasn’t likely to be coming back. He’d been gone over twelve hours. Royce had already called Dante, one of the leaders of the Sentinels, to let him know Jesse had left. That had been hours ago, and Royce wondered if the Sentinels were still out looking for Jesse. Royce would still pay to have Jesse safe even if it was without Royce at his side.

He walked slowly to their bedroom, taking his shirt off and dropping it on the floor in the hallway, not caring where it landed. He continued on, leaving his pants at the bedroom door, boxers at the foot of the bed. By the time he crawled up onto the mattress, he couldn’t hold back his sorrow and loss any longer. The last time he’d cried was at Daniel’s graveside. Royce had thought he’d be impervious to that kind of pain again, but he’d been sorely mistaken.

Royce laid his head down, praying sleep would take him away into blissful nothingness. He hoped against all odds that this had all just been some sort of cruel nightmare and he would wake up at any moment with Jesse in his arms. But all the while knowing full well his reality had changed yet again and his future was uncertain.

Royce awoke hours later. He hadn’t even realized he’d fallen asleep and had no idea what woke him, but something was different. Slowly, he opened his eyes; the room was dark but he could make out the outline of a large figure standing in the doorway. There was just enough light coming down the hallway to confirm that it was indeed Jesse. Royce sat up in bed, conflicting emotions running through his mind and heart. He was overjoyed that Jesse came back but Royce felt betrayed at being left in the first place. Those two emotions kept him on the bed, silent. If Jesse came back for his things, Royce wasn’t about to beg. No matter how much he wanted Jesse to stay, the man had to want to stay first.

Carra's Review

Of the first four books in this series, Jesse is my favorite so far.  Just like with Rick's Bear, Jesse is driven by the main characters, Jesse and Royce, and it was very easy to sympathize with Jesse's family situation.  In fact, I wanted my chance at Jesse's family to personally rip them up for how they treated him.

Royce is quite protective of Jesse, even when he feels like his heart might be broken by him.  I loved the way everyone around them also became Jesse's protectors--the family and community in Brighton are wonderful, if a bit nosy and overbearing at times.  As for Jesse, he helps Royce heal and move on, even if it's a bumpy road to get there.

4 stars for Jesse, and this story can be read as a standalone just like the others in the series...though you'll probably enjoy it more if you read them in order so you have everyone else's backstory.


About the Author

M. Tasia is a paralegal and author who lives in Ontario, Canada. A member of the RWA and its chapter RRW, she is a dedicated people watcher, and a lover of romance, 80’s rock, and happy endings. Mother of two wonderful girls, she is also a servant to two spoiled furry children.







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