Release Blitz + Giveaway: Don’t Hold Back (Chasing Gold #2) by Colette Davison

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Don’t Hold Back (Chasing Gold Book 2)

Author and Publisher: Colette Davison

Cover Artist: Colette Davison

Release Date: July 26, 2022

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Rivals to lovers, grumpy and sunshine, slow burn, hurt/comfort

Themes: Winning isn’t everything, learning to love yourself

Heat Rating:  3 flames

Length:  93,000 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Can rivals gain Olympic glory and love?

Blurb

Garret has spent years training in gymnastics, but the pressure has taken its toll. Despite qualifying for the Olympics, failing to medal at the World Championships is all he can think about.

Anger is taking control and strangling his ability to focus on training, when his main rival, Team USA gymnast, Ryder Anderson, arrives at the gym to train alongside him.

Garrett wants to hate Ryder, but he can’t ignore his rival’s sunshine personality and handsome looks. Discovering Ryder is fighting a battle against himself, Garrett’s anger turns to admiration and then love. 

Dating his rival isn’t against the rules, but that doesn’t make it a good idea. Can they make a relationship work despite the pressure of the Olympics, or will they crack under the strain?

Don’t Hold Back is an M/M sports romance with a grumpy gymnast who falls for his sunshiny rival. It has a slow-burn relationship and some hurt/comfort.

Trigger warnings: Don’t Hold Back features a character who has anorexia.

Excerpt

“Ryder.” Lennie waved him across. “Good work. I’ve got two options for you.”

Ryder raised his eyebrows as he waited. From the look on Lennie’s face, he wasn’t sure he’d like either of them.

“You could go to Boulder and train alongside David Marshall.”

David was a two-time Olympian.

“Isn’t he trained by Isaiah Hobbs these days?” Ryder asked, trying hard not to scowl.

“Yes.”

“That’s not really an option, then is it?”

“Hobbs said he’d have you.”

Ryder shook his head and half turned away. “I don’t particularly care.”

“I didn’t think you’d go for it. But Boulder’s closer to home than my next suggestion.”

“There’s not much farther away than that.”

“The other option is to come with me.”

“To England?”

Lennie nodded. “I’ve called in a favour at my old gym in Leeds. They’d be happy to have us. We could train around visiting hours. They’re pretty prescriptive. You’d get more training hours in if you went to Boulder.”

“I’d rather take the week off than train under Isaiah again.” He folded his arms and dipped his chin. “England, huh? I’ve always wanted to see Buckingham Palace.”

Lennie laughed. “Leeds and London aren’t exactly next door.”

“Oh.”

“Seriously, what do you think?”

Ryder drew in a breath. “Travelling’s always harder than being home, but I’d rather train with you in England than with Isaiah. But only if you’re sure.”

“I am. We can stay at my parents’ house. Dad won’t mind if you take over the kitchen. Or if you prefer, we can rent somewhere.”

“Sounds good.” It was easy to say, less easy to feel.

Ryder always felt anxious about travelling, especially when it meant staying somewhere else for any length of time. But travelling was unavoidable at his level of gymnastics, so he dealt with it.

“You’re sure?”

Ryder smiled and nodded. He wouldn’t train under Isaiah again. He couldn’t.

“You won’t be the only Olympian training at the gym we’ll be using,” Lennie said.

“Oh?”

“Two members of the British team train there. Reece Matthews and Garrett Kidd.”

“They’re great gymnasts.”

“Yes.”

Ryder laughed. “Garrett’s the handsome scowling one, right?”

Lennie gave him a stern look.

“What? He is handsome, and he was very scowly at Worlds when I went to congratulate him.”

“You beat him.”

“So?”

Lennie rolled his eyes. “He probably thought you were rubbing your win in his face.”

“Me? Nah. Why would I do that?”

Lennie raised an eyebrow.

“I barely beat him in the all-around final. It was by point four or something.”

“Point two.”

“Oh. Even closer than I thought.” Ryder shrugged. “Either one of us could have won on the day. I was just luckier. See? Now I’m looking forward to a trip to England.”

Lennie shook his head and sighed. “Let’s see your floor routine again.”

Ryder grinned. “On it.”

About the Author

Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairytale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |   Facebook Page   |  Facebook Group: Colette’s Cosy Corner

BookBub   |   Twitter  |   Goodreads  |  Instagram: @colettedavison

Mailing List  |   Newsletter Sign-Up

Giveaway 

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Tag Team Review: The Impossible Boy by Anna Martin

This is not your average love story.

Ben Easton is not your average romantic hero. He’s a tattooed, badass, wannabe rock star, working in a perfectly horrible dive bar in Camden Town. His life is good, and he’s totally unprepared for how one man will turn it upside down.

Stan isn’t your average heroine. As a gender-fluid man, he proudly wears his blond hair long, his heels sky-high, and his makeup perfectly executed. A fashion industry prodigy, Stan is in London after stints working in Italy and New York City, and he quickly falls for Ben’s devil-may-care attitude and the warm, soft heart Ben hides behind it.

Beneath the perfect, elegant exterior, Stan has plenty of scars from teenage battles with anorexia. And it only takes the slightest slip for his demons to rush back in while Ben is away touring with his band. With the band on the brink of a breakthrough, Ben is forced to find a way to balance the opportunity of a lifetime with caring for his beautiful boyfriend.

It's a double Aussie tag team review! Both rated that same...#mindmeld? ;)

Fantasy Living - 4 Hearts

Buddy Read with my fellow Aussie reviewer Chelsea. Thank you Chelsea for reading my email musings as we read through this book.

This story between Stan and Ben was the sweetest love story. Told in two parts, part one focuses on Stan moving to London and meeting Ben, them getting together and falling in love. While this relationship is developing, Ben’s band with his friends is starting to get noticed, and Stan has some secrets he needs to reveal to go to that next level of commitment.

My first thought was this was fluffy and light, and way too easy. The relationship between Stan and Ben was seamless. Stan being genderfluid was expecting some issues with Ben’s level of acceptance, but Ben didn’t seem to bat an eye, no matter how feminine, or masculine Stan dressed or behaved. Ben loved it all, and Stan thrived with being himself.

I felt a little disconnected with their first love scene. I enjoyed the chemistry up to that point, and thought they could have waited longer for their first time together. Ben appeared to want to wait, whereas Stan wasn’t fussed either way. When they did get to that point, I didn’t really feel their connection during the act. It put me off a little bit, but I understand it’s purpose (pay close attention readers). I was beginning to write this off as fluffy goodness, but not really my usual preference of reading, until I got to Part 2.

This is where the story turned from an easy romance, to something more. It is also where people may be most triggered. This is where Stan’s past becomes his present, and there is a real battle for survival. I loved the turn in the plot, making it much more weighty and complex. I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the content of Part 2, and couldn’t put it down. The challenges this couple came up against were difficult, but something relatable and real. I appreciated that there wasn’t a huge amount of angst to carry this story, even with their issues. It was real and raw. It flowed well with what was presented as part of life.

Tone was a really beautiful surprise. He started off being the vulgar friend, who said stuff just to make a spectacle of himself, but he really pulled through as a reliable friend and ally when this couple needed him the most. His story was intriguing and I wanted more from him. He is a special man, and deserves great things.

The writing style was lovely, and a lot of attention was given to ensuring the plot was tight. The medical content while Stan is dealing with his Anorexia may be triggering to some people, but I’m glad it is in there. It is important not to dismiss mental health issues, or pretend that these issues aren’t lifelong and can be triggered back into the present.

While there were a few question marks for me regarding the reality of immigration, visas, and work sponsorship in the UK, the feelings evoked from the narrative distracted me enough not to pay much attention to it. There was also a little bit of a boys club feel to the story, and some problematic dialogue exchanges, but again, not enough for me to be completely distracted or put off my reading, just that back of mind awareness of it.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a low angst romance with relatable characters.

Chelsea - 4 Hearts

“I think I’m falling in love, Stan.”
“I think I am too.”

I was so looking forward to reading this, I adore gender-fluid characters. I find their strength is always so inspiring and….. quite simply... I love men in dresses!

What really made this book was the characters. Both Ben and Stan are such unique and complicated people but I’ll start with Stan.

Stan is only 22 but has lived the life of a 40 year old. He was born in Russia, where being homosexual was ‘not spoken of’, let alone being gender-fluid or transgender. He had a lot of growing up and self discovery to do very fast. He’s also stunningly beautiful and was drawn to the fashion industry.

Stan. Jesus, that man could start wars. Like a modern-day Helen of Troy. It seemed like everything had come together when his DNA was being formed— the angels were singing and created a perfect balance of cheekbones, angled jaw, sparkling grey eyes, and long, long blond hair. Like a fucking mermaid.

Being in the fashion industry doesn’t help when he’s already suffered from anorexia at the young age of 13, which unfortunately is relatively common for gay adolescents. He is confronted with his illness in part two of the book, but despite this the story isn’t heavy on the angst. Stan is an optimist and is always wanting to improve and better his life, and he does that with Ben.

Ben, oh Ben you are my new book boyfriend, although you may need to fight it out with Tone because he is freakin amazing!

“You’re a nice guy. And a mate. And a really hot girl, which is confusing, but I won’t make a pass at you ’cos Ben would knock my teeth out if I tried.”

Ben is such a normal guy, he swears, he's messy, he doesn’t have much ambition in his life and is happy just cruising along. But he’s completely unfazed by Stan and loves him wholeheartedly from the beginning.

“He sees the girl and likes her, and can touch the boy and like him too. He doesn’t try and make me ‘fit’ into any tick-box category. He just lets me be.”

This isn’t insta-love though. This relationship takes a good realistic pace for people who just click well together.

The first half of the book was super sweet and I enjoyed it… but it was just too slow for me. Not much happened, there was no conflict or anything amazingly interesting developing in their relationship. I didn't always feel the emotion coming from Stan and Ben. I felt like I was reading about it at times instead of experiencing it, if that makes sense. The second half was better, with much more emotion evident from both characters.

This story was super sweet. It deals with heavy themes in a very sensitive way without weighing the book down with angst and pain. This was essentially a love story between a normal average guy, and a guy who has worked hard to find his own ‘normal’.

A review copy was provided for an honest opinion


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Review: Ravenous by Alexandra Blunt

Just when Julian Schwarzenberg accepted that discarding his kinkster skin might be for the best, a call from the owner of one of London's BDSM clubs rekindles his need to have someone to call his own; to dominate and nurture to his heart’s content. Julian was hurt in the past, and he’s reluctant to accept a mystery invitation that could very well lead to a massive case of heartache. And to welcome Christopher into his life might just be Julian’s undoing.

Christopher’s life is like a permanent construction site: unstable and filled to the brim with flakes of emotional plaster. His eating disorder is consuming him from within, and his quest for Dominant Mr. Right--the one thing keeping him going--is a mirage akin to finding water on Mars. But fate finally delivers one effective punch--a smokingly hot Dom who is on the hunt for Submissive Mr. Right. Love may be waiting for Julian and Chris, but it will require them to take a leap of faith. They might just be willing, because they're both Ravenous.

2.75 Hearts

This is me... On the fence.

Because this book was a mixed bag for me.

Julian is a successful lawyer who left the BDSM scene 6 months prior, wanting more from the lifestyle than what he could find at his local BDSM club. When he gets a call from his best friend and club owner, he knows she wants something from him, he just couldn't have guessed it was to take on a new sub. Chris is damaged. He's emotionally vulnerable, recently kicked out of his brother's home, and suffering from anorexia. But there's something about the blue eyes and quiet strength of the young man that has Julian agreeing to take the boy in.

Let's just be honest: BDSM isn't even remotely a cure all. It might help a sub become more disciplined and focused, but it's not going to cure a physical or mental issue. It's not meant to. Julian and Chris both know this, and for the most part Julian doesn't try to fix Chris's eating disorder by being all Dommy. He orders Chris to eat regular meals, and while it may force Chris into eating some, generally, he balks and skips the meals when Julian isn't there to supervise. Instead, Chris sees a therapist and doctor to get treatment for his disorder, so YAY! for that.

But remember, I said this was a mixed bag.

The good:

The plot. Both the treating of the eating disorder, and the evolving relationship between Julian and Chris were fantastic. The growth of the relationship between the two was really enjoyable, and frankly, I would have been happy to have that be the sole focus of the book.

The demand from Julian for open and clear communication was absolutely refreshing.

Waiting for Chris to grow into his own person within the boundaries of their relationship before bringing sex into the mix, was a wise decision by Julian, despite what Chris thought.

And the adorable affection between Julian and Chris was as easy as it was smile inducing. I loved seeing these two men grow and open themselves up to each other.

The bad:

The knowing looks from the doctor when Chris was brought in for treatment, like KINK was tattooed across their foreheads, was irritating, at best. But when it comes to the knowing look department, Julian and Chris have it down to a science. These two men can read an entire kaleidoscope of emotions just by looking into each other's eyes. The most I get when I look into someone's eyes? Eye color. Maybe some indications that they need more sleep. But lust, excitement, a tinge of anxiety, and a boatload of need, in one look?

It's not as sexy as you'd imagine.

Chris often relies on being bratty to get his Dom's attention. What was cute at first, soon wears out its welcome, and it was a trope I wish the book hadn't resort to.

There was unnecessary conflict with Chris's brother near the end, where the real focus should have been Chris's eating disorder. I wanted to see growth and healing from Chris with his doctors and his Dom. Instead, we're told about any progress that happens in passing, like an afterthought. It's my biggest sad when it comes to this story, because it looked like it was heading for a serious Miracle Grow kind of moment, but then we get a maniacal villain who steals the spotlight, instead of the healing of a character.

And last, but not least, a very uncomfortable scene that takes place at Mistress Jessamy's house. Listen, I know BDSM tends to be portrayed as a public thing, but having an intimate scene in front of another couple, outside of a club, while they have a scene... It all just seems so skeevy.
But that's on me.


The ugly:

I have a whole new repertoire of dirty talk at my disposal. Are you ready to be seduced?

*ahem*

...Julian alternating between the two rosy love buttons. (hahaha, he means nipples)

...Julian deprived him of his touch, snapping a leather cock ring on his tumescent - and precum-leaking- organ.

Julian kept on with his task, coating Chris's body with the oil until his skin was thoroughly impregnated. (..er...)

...stimulating that hard bundle that was Chris's prostate. And for every jolt of pleasure coming from his overexcited love gland... (stop laughing! I'm trying to seduce you here!)

His prostate singing joyous hymns when those deft fingertips made contact with his gland.

Another digit penetrated Chris's steaming hole... (WTF?! Chris, you need to see a doctor about that.)

...the love tool retreating until it almost slipped out... (no lie, I LOL'd hard at that one)

Before he could step away from their love nest... (I'm so using that as the word for "bed" from now on.)


It keeps going, but I think you get the idea. It's flowery with a side of cheese.

And I know it's protocol to call the sub "boy", but after a whopping 824 times of reading that word, IDGAF, I never want to read that word again. (If you were wondering, "Master" makes an appearance 442 times.)

Dirty talk aside, I found that there was quite a bit of repetitive internal monologuing that could have been edited out. It came across more telling than showing, and it made the story drag in places.

I don't think this was the "right book at the right time" for me. Or maybe, it never was going to be the book for me. While the plot is a fantastic one, the style just hit me all wrong. But that's me, and everyone reads books differently. I can see other people loving this, especially people new to the BDSM genre, who need the extra bit of explanation and conflict in their story.

Recommended for those who like kink, some hurt comfort, and a little sexual healing.

Now take all that newfound dirtytalk I just taught you, and have some fun!

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Goodreads.