BROKEN HALOS
Queen City Rogues, Book 1
AIMEE NICOLE WALKER
M/M ROMANCE
RELEASE DATE: 11.07.18
PHOTOGRAPHER: Wander Aguiar
COVER ARTIST: Jay Aheer/Simply Defined Art
MODEL: Bijan
BLURB
Oliver Knight’s past is shrouded by sorrow and tragedy, but instead of hiding from it, Ollie owns his truth and uses his experiences to uplift others. As an out and proud pastor, he provides a safe place for LGBTQ Christians to gather and worship, and as a recovering addict, he counsels those pursuing sobriety. Ollie’s life is fulfilling but also a little lonely. He may not have a hard time meeting men, but he does have a hard time getting them to stick around once they discover his vocation.
Archie White is a former drag queen who hung up his stilettos to start an HIV transition home in the memory of someone he held near and dear to his heart. All work and no play has made Archie a very dull man, but he thinks his luck is about to change when a friend introduces him to a dark-eyed stranger. That is until he learns the man is a pastor. Archie detests anything to do with religion, and for very good reasons.
Archie’s gut tells him to run, and Ollie’s heart tells him to pursue. What can a pastor and a sometimes-queen possibly have in common? A desire to find unconditional love with someone who truly sees them. What happens next is the poignant, sweet, and sexy journey for two resilient hearts. Ollie and Archie’s halos might be battered and a little tarnished, but they’re definitely not broken.
Broken Halos is a charming story with heart, heat, and humor. Warning: these characters and their quirky sidekicks may take up permanent residence in your heart, so proceed with caution. Each book in the Queen City Rogues series can be read as part of the series or as a standalone novel. This book contains sexually explicit material and colorful language intended for adults 18 and older.
EXCERPT
Ollie’s team was easy to spot due to Andy’s enormous height. Their shirts were a silky black button-up with the name Broken Halos embroidered on the back in gold with a crooked halo hanging over the “o”in halo. I had no doubt Ollie came up with the team name and design. I had to admit it was adorable, but not more adorable than the pastor who filled it out so nicely. The silk shirt draped over his shoulders and caressed his pecs. The hem of it ended above the curve of his denim-covered ass. I should’ve turned around and left as soon as my mouth started watering, except Ollie turned just then and spotted me. The smile spreading across his face was equal parts welcoming and wolfish and too f*cking hard to resist.
“Don’t get the wrong idea, Golden Boy,”I said in greeting. “I’m just here to offer Milo cuddles when he makes a fool of himself.”
The remark got a snort out of Ollie, an eye roll from Andy, and knee-slapping laughs out of the Frat Boys, as Milo called them. Milo himself just looked at me with disappointment for a few seconds before he crooked his finger for me to follow him. He only went far enough to get us out of earshot which wasn’t hard to do since there was more noise inside this bowling alley than the last Pride parade I attended in NYC.
“What are you doing here?”Milo asked firmly. “Don’t give me any bullshit about supporting me and my pitiful bowling because I’m most likely the best bowler in this building.”
“Milo, come now,”I said, smiling sweetly at him. “I love your confidence, but there are times it’s misplaced.”
“I guess you’ll watch and see won’t you,” he said cheekily. “Don’t f*ck Ollie over, Archie. He’s missed you like f*cking crazy this past month, but he’d eventually get over his attraction to you.”
Carra's Review
I normally steer clear of books that feature main characters who are in religious positions, have strong religious beliefs, or where religion plays a primary role in the story. But something drew me to Broken Halos after reading the blurb (and okay, yes, maybe the cover also drew me in as well), and since it’s written by an author who I’ve read before and enjoyed I figured I’d give it a go.
I did truly love the main characters. Ollie was the one I was most concerned about liking because, you know, pastor and all. He actually turned out to be my favorite ;-) He made it easy to see the human side of his position, and his concern for others was clearly evident. With Archie, I understood his initial aversion to Ollie once he found out Ollie was a pastor, though I couldn’t understand why he didn’t get over that a lot sooner considering how steadily Ollie continued to pursue him. They did make a great couple once they got together, sizzling chemistry and all.
There is a large cast of supporting characters which included both Ollie’s and Archie’s friends as well as their moms (blood and chosen) and a wonderful lady who volunteers at Archie’s HIV transition home. I’m guessing their friends and possibly some residents at the home will be a source of more stories, something I’m looking forward to for this series.
What I did think was lacking though was a more thorough background for each of them—we were more told than shown about their pasts, which left me feeling a slight lack of depth to their characters. The other thing that bugged me was how the situations with someone from Ollie’s past, then Archie’s ex and what happens at the museum after they leave, and then the epilogue all felt like they were brought up and handled bam-bam-bam one right after the other like the author was trying to fit them all in before the end of the story (yes, I know you might not know what I’m talking about until you read the book, but these bugged me enough to mention here anyway). It made the last quarter or so of the book feel like it was jumping from one thing to another too quickly. The museum thing that happened after they left felt like it could have been left out and put in another book and it wouldn’t have affected this story in the least. And as for the epilogue…okay, it was cute but also just a tad cheesy (and part of it had that tell-not-show feel to it as well).
Overall Broken Halos was a good read and gets 3.5 stars from me. This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and some hot and steamy sexual content (yes, with a pastor!).
About the Author
I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I'm a girly tomboy who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees.
I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever-after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.
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