Blog Tour: The Right Move by B.L. Dayhoff

Welcome author B.L. Dayhoff as she shares an exclusive look at her new adult romance, The Right Move from JMS Books!

Take it away, B.L.!

Here’s an excerpt from The Right Move. Chase and Trevor are on their way back from a snack run and are low-key flirting with each other:

Ultimate Flirting Fail: Chase. Or perhaps he’d been too successful without even trying. Either way, his cheeks were hotter than his cocoa and he wanted to fall into the earth. What had he been thinking? Well, aside from the fact that Trevor was cute and Chase would like to… It had been a horrible idea, and now Trevor either felt led on or, worse, relieved that Chase had dropped it.

I’m not supposed to be getting distracted by boys. Graduating is top priority, remember?

Honestly, it was hard to remember while walking beside Trevor, some energy cracking between them, although he couldn’t be sure if it was tension or attraction. Maybe both. Maybe neither.

Chase wished Vee was here. Not that he couldn’t pick up guys on his own. But she was so much better at telling when he was barking up the wrong tree. In the wrong park. Hell, was he even in the right state?

“So what kind of games do you like to play?” Trevor asked a little too loudly beside him.

Ah, sweet awkward topic change. “Oh, you know, the classics: Shoots and Ladders, Candyland, Memory…” He side-stepped the elbow Trevor was making no effort to conceal jabbing at him.

“I feel like in college those would all be used as drinking games, somehow.”

“Don’t make a match in Memory and you take a shot?”

Trevor shrugged. “Or if you make a match you take a shot. More of a challenge to win if you keep giving yourself a handicap.”

“True. Though, I won’t be playing if drinking is a requirement.”

“Don’t drink?”

“I did once. Not my thing.” Chase held his breath, wondering what type of reaction Trevor would give. Playful teasing? Aghast astonishment? Bully levels of pressure? Questions about alcoholism, religion, or—

“Gotcha. We don’t usually drink during club activities, so that won’t be a problem.”

Oh. Casual acceptance. That worked too. Chase blinked and nodded, giving himself a moment for his brain to catch up to the conversation. “Uh, what about outside of club activities?”

“Oooh, we’ve been known to get plastered playing Magic: The Gathering—but only with our shit decks, in case we...uh, mess them up.”

Chase wrinkled his nose. “Ew.”

“I didn’t say it was our best idea. We’ve only done it three times.” After barely more than some serious side-eye from Chase, Trevor added, “Finals hit and we make some stupid decisions. And conveniently forget our regret from the year before.”

Chase laughed.

“Oh, come on! Like you’ve never made stupid choices with your friends.”

Still laughing, Chase nodded. “Yeah, see aforementioned decision to never drink again. Oh, the stories they could tell you.”

Trevor grinned. “I want to hear them all.”

To see the boys geeking out about board games, fandom, and TV shows, check out The Right Move, available now at all major retailers!

Buy links: JMS Books - Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Kobo

The Right Move by B.L. Dayhoff!
Length: 56,013 words
Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com
Release date: January 25, 2020

blurb:
Trevor can never leave good enough alone. So when he meets model-gorgeous Chase who has an aversion to being touched, he spots a challenge. After all, no one wants to go through life not being touched by anyone, right? Despite a friend's plea not to, Trevor sets his sight on fixing Chase.

After being forced to transfer his senior year of college, Chase just wants to avoid drama, pass his classes, get his degree, and move on (and back to his friends). He's not looking for new friends, and his attitude gives him a reputation that makes it easy to accomplish. At least until he meets Trevor.

Despite an awkward beginning, common interests -- and Trevor's persistence -- draw Chase and Trevor together. It's almost inevitable that their friendship develops into something else. But when secrets come out, it might end the game early.

About the Author:
BL Dayhoff is working on coming out of her shell. She's always had an interest in writing, but only recently has done it for more than just her own personal amusement. She loves to fill her time with too many things, and her initials really are "BL" but unfortunately do not stand for Boys Love. Although maybe her parents knew something about the future...

You can email her at BLDayhoff@gmail.com or find her online:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BLDayhoff
Tumblr: bldayhoff.tumblr.com
Blogging: bldayhoff.wordpress.com

Review: Growing Strong by B.L. Dayhoff

A chance—and embarrassing—encounter brings Hunter and Chase together, but it’s patience and kindness that keep them there. Through a slow-blossoming friendship and a series of misunderstandings, Hunter finds himself fighting an attraction he thinks isn’t returned. But with the help of his roommate, Tony, he may just be able to make the leap and confess his feelings.

But love isn’t Hunter’s only concern. With his sister’s upcoming nuptials, he also must learn to face a family that hasn’t quite disowned him for his sexuality. With Chase by his side, it’s going to take strength for Hunter to stand up for himself and to hold on to what really matters.

2.75 HEARTS

Growing Strong. Not just a Game of Thrones house motto.

I kid. It's actually an apt name for this book, which at its core, is a very sweet love story.

But to get there, you have to suspend some belief, because this story has one very inconsistent MC, a few plot holes, and some hazy details that should have been defined more. Not to mention an advisory tag of RAPE that's missing. Yeah, cause that happened. More on that in a minute.

It starts from the very moment we meet Hunter, who randomly comes out to his best friend and roommate of 9 years.

It was a jolt for the reader, for sure. In Hunter's narrative, he's a 28 year old (I think), who hasn't had sex in 6 years, and (I'm guessing randomly) decides that tonight's the night he's going out to get laid. He succeeds - He ends up drugged and having alley sex with a random stranger.

Damien hadn't been gentle. Not that Hunter had really explained the Hey, this is my first time having alley/any sex.

Here we come to not only the first inconsistency with the story, but that lack of rape warning I mentioned. Because if you're drugged, you can't consent, and afterward, Hunter was left vomiting on the sidewalk, and didn't really remember what happened. It's a fucked up situation and I was left wondering why Hunter wasn't upset by it. He brushed it under the carpet like it was nothing out of the ordinary. And when his best friend Tony found out about it? "Lightweight" I was hoping for a bit of moral support, but whatever.

At this point our second MC, Chase, finds Hunter in bad shape on the sidewalk and takes him home to care for him. Needless to say, Hunter didn't make the best first impression to Chase, and to make it up to him, returns to Chase's the following day with a peace offering.

Which leads to a date.

That neither of them know they're on.

Because make no mistake, these two date for months without either of them realizing it. How? Because NO ONE EVER TALKS TO EACH OTHER.

Meanwhile, Hunter goes on a blind date with another man (who... was looking for friends through a dating site?) I don't know what happens on it... it was skipped over.

Details get skipped over in this book. Deal with it.

And just when I thought they would never get it together and realize what was in front of them, Tony happened. Oddly enough, it's the best friend who I initially wrote off as insensitive, that is the most mature. He cuts through all the bullshit and get things done. Without him, I doubt Hunter would ever get the courage to say something to Chase about his feelings.

And Hunter and Chase officially begin to date.

Which brought some much needed sweetness to what was becoming a baffling read. I say that because it's not the character inconsistencies, or the missing details... it's that Hunter is an aspiring writer, and he often writes a story about two characters named Eric and Sean, who, incidentally, are more interesting and fleshed out than Hunter and Chase. It might be because I read an ARC of this that I found it confusing due to format, but Hunter just dives into their story, and I was left confused as to what was happening.

I got so far into Hunter's head, that I couldn't differentiate what was real and what was not.


By now, you must be wondering, did I even like this read?

Halfway through, I was wondering that myself.

Hunter puts himself down constantly, has a horrible family that would put Cinderella's to shame, (and when I say that, I mean I despised every moment they were on page) and has mood swings where you never know what Hunter you're going to get. Sometimes, these two acted like teenagers - like when a disagreement occurs because Chase has a cold. Chase retreats for 4 days, Hunter gives him space and has a sudden burst of maturity, and I'm left wondering wtf was Chase doing for 4 days that he couldn't call his boyfriend to apologize?!

I was one moment away from headbanging my desk.

And then something cute would happen between Chase and Hunter, and I'd be all

And the book started growing into something really sweet. Hunter started growing as a person, and I started to see the light.

I mean, Hunter was still inconsistent. At 50% into the book, I had no idea what he looked like, his age, or even where he worked. I think he went to work... I don't even know where this book is set. It felt kinda American, but had Britishisms sprinkled throughout.

And then

It's true. America sometimes feels like the redheaded stepchild of the world." "Well, least we're not Canada."

happened. As a redhead, and a Canadian, my displeasure was growing by the second.

But I forged on, because there's something so likeable about Hunter and Chase, and the awkward love story between them. I kept reading because I wanted more of them, and I liked that Hunter was maturing. He even grew a backbone and stood up to his family - which felt a little out of character, but I was proud of him nonetheless.

Some things in this book just really worked, and other things? Not so much.

It wasn't until Valentine's Day that Chase finally said "I love you." They were lying together in bed, a little sweaty, a little sticky...

There was so much telling in this story, and one of my biggest niggles was this: If you're going to have a story about an inexperienced virgin who's only had one go at it, don't make the sex scenes, significant ones at that, be fade to black.

The reader missed out on all of the important stuff. Which is a shame, because this really is a sweet, kind of adorable read. There's a good love story here, but it's buried beneath everything else.

The thing I liked best about this was the ending. It was romantic and adorable and, although abrupt, just about melted my redheaded, Canadian heart.

So, there it is. It didn't really work for me, but, as you can see, it does have a good core, and I can see a lot of people really enjoying it.

Give it a try and see if it grows on you. (*nudges you* see what I did there?)

Check out on Goodreads!

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Growing Strong by B.L. Dayhoff

IndiGo Promotions and author B.L. Dayhoff dropped by the stable to celebrate Dayhoff's upcoming New Adult release, "Growing Strong" with an excerpt and GIVEAWAY of Dayhoff's cowboy romance, "Sometimes the Cowboy Falls".  Make sure to enter the rafflecopter below and good luck!

Author: BL Dayhoff

Title: Growing Strong

Publisher: Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Release Date: 5/11/16

Heat Level: 2

Pairing: male/male

Length: 47K

Book/Buy Links: (Publisher site, Goodreads, Amazon, etc…):

Genre/Tags: Contemporary, M/M Romance, New Adult

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

A chance—and embarrassing—encounter brings Hunter and Chase together, but it’s patience and kindness that keep them there. Through a slow-blossoming friendship and a series of misunderstandings, Hunter finds himself fighting an attraction he thinks isn’t returned. But with the help of his roommate, Tony, he may just be able to make the leap and confess his feelings.



But love isn’t Hunter’s only concern. With his sister’s upcoming nuptials, he also must learn to face a family that hasn’t quite disowned him for his sexuality. With Chase by his side, it’s going to take strength for Hunter to stand up for himself and to hold on to what really matters.

Excerpt

Hunter tripped over Tony’s briefcase in his rush to get to the door, cursed, and somehow remained upright. He stumbled a few more steps, caught himself on the kitchen counter, and stopped. Huffing once, he continued, with slightly more competence, the final few feet to the front door. When he opened it, Chase was there with a stack of DVDs in hand. “Hey.”

“Hey, c’mon in. You find the place okay?”

“Yeah, it was really easy and—oh, hi.”

“Yo.”

“Chase this is—Tony! Put some pants on!”

Tony grinned from his boxer-clad position on the couch. “You didn’t tell me you were having a guest.”

He most certainly had. “Well I do, so, pants!”

“Careful, I might take that as an order.” Tony winked, then wagged his butt all the way back to his room.

“Sorry about him. I think his mother dropped him a few times as a child.”

Chase chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. We all have a few in our lives.”

“Tell me about it. So what movies did you bring?” He sat on the couch, tucking himself against one armrest, and was pointedly not disappointed when Chase sat on the opposite side—making himself as far away as possible.

“Um, well, La Belle et la Bête, because it’s so standard, The Bitter Sweet Tears of Petra von Kant, The Four Hundred Blows, Run Lola Run, Rashomon—which is dry but classic—and A Love to Hide.”

“Well,” Hunter chuckled. “I think I’ve heard of one or two of them. How about Lola? Unless there’s one you wanted to watch?”

“No, I just brought a variety so if you get bored, we can switch.” He opened the case, popped the DVD out, and handed it to Hunter, who got up and slid it in the DVD player.

He tracked down the remote, and when he turned around he found Tony sitting in his spot.

Glaring at Tony was equivalent to yelling at the rain, so he dimmed the lights, took the spot between them, and hit play. Lacking an armrest, he folded his arms across his chest and glanced at Tony. What did he think he was doing? Why was he crashing in when Tony had been egging him all week about how Hunter had a second date? Was he trying to make sure nothing happened? Or was he forcing Hunter to sit closer?

He shifted his gaze to Chase, who was watching the previews. With a sigh, Hunter sagged into the couch and skipped the disc ahead so he could stare at the opening credits.

But he couldn’t focus. He wished life was full of do-overs like movies. He had the running down. Or maybe just the running without ever getting anywhere. He woke up in the same bed every morning. Went to the same job. Knew the same people.

Leaning forward, he picked up the remote and paused it.

“Everything okay?” Chase asked.

Tony elbowed him in the side and said, “Dude?”

“I just realized we don’t have popcorn. Do you want popcorn? I want popcorn.” He stood and shuffled into the kitchen.

“Sure, I could eat some popcorn.” Chase followed behind. “Plain?”

“Um.” He pulled the box off the shelf. “Movie theater. So extra buttery, I guess. That good?”

“Yeah.” Chase smiled.

Hunter opened a bag, shoved it in the microwave, entered the time, and started it.

“I was worried that you hated the movie already.”

“No! I mean, it’s fine; it just started. I don’t like to judge things immediately.”

“Good. I know it’s a weird one, but sometimes I swear we only get the weird ones.”

“Ah, well,” Hunter said in his worst European accent, “you crazy Americans love that shit.”

Chase chuckled and leaned back on the counter as the smell of hot butter filled the air, joined by the pop-pop-popping of their snack. “It’s true. America sometimes feels like the redheaded stepchild of the world.”

“Well, least we’re not Canada.”

“Hey, my grandparents were Canadian!”

“Oh, uh… I…”

Chase laughed. “I’m kidding. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He tilted his head to the side and flashed a grin. Cute.

Hunter diverted himself by pulling a bowl down and removing the hot popcorn. The comforting aroma rushed out when he opened the bag and poured the popcorn into the bowl.

Chase snuck around him to steal a piece, popping it into his mouth with a satisfied crunch. “First piece is always the best.”

“Right…” He was distracted by the smudge of oil on Chase’s lip and the pink tongue that darted out to clean it up. Averting his eyes to the bowl in his hands, he headed back toward the living room. “So, shall we?”

“Yep!” Chase followed him, plopping down in his previous spot on the now-empty couch.

Hunter hesitated, then sat beside him with just enough room to nestle the bowl between them. He hit play.

Chase glanced down the hall toward the bedrooms. “Should we wait for Tony?”

“No, I don’t think he likes foreign flicks. It’s fine.”

“Okay.”

They settled into the movie, taking turns gobbling up popcorn as the scene unfolded again and again. Hunter couldn’t concentrate. Their hands kept bumping, knuckles grazing and skin brushing, each awkwardly pulling away. Was Chase doing it on purpose? Was it subtle flirting? Hunter couldn’t tell. He knew he wasn’t doing it on purpose—not that he minded—but what if Chase was?

Eventually he just grabbed a large handful and ate from that, leaving Chase what was left. It didn’t matter. Things could just progress naturally. If Chase was interested, he’d say something. He’d have to have seen how incompetent Hunter was. God, he was incompetent. Not that he necessarily wanted to date Chase. Friends first, that was a good idea. So that way they’d have something to base a relationship on. Not that he thought Chase was interested in a relationship. If he was gay—and Hunter was pretty sure he was—it didn’t mean he’d automatically be interested in Hunter.

Hunter was a dork, socially screwy, and God, they’d met when he’d been fucked in an alley, drugged, and was throwing up. Yeah, there was no way in hell Chase was interested in him. He wiped his hand on the leg of his jeans and stared pointedly at the screen. Friends was good. He needed more friends. Tony would argue he needed friends period, but that wasn’t true.

He winced at a loud noise in the movie and sank down into the couch, shifting away inch by inch until he was leaning against the opposite armrest. To distract himself from the man on the other end of the couch, he tried to focus on the movie. When that didn’t work, he pondered if his character Erik would like this kind of movie. He didn’t seem like the type. Too busy with work and school to waste time watching movies when he could be studying or hanging with friends. Half closing his eyes, Hunter composed in his head.

Purchase

Torquere Press

Meet the Author

BL Dayhoff is working on coming out of her shell. She's always had an interest in writing, but only recently has done it for more than just her own personal amusement. She loves to fill her time with too many things, and her initials really are "BL" but unfortunately do not stand for Boys Love. Although maybe her parents knew something about the future...

Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy of “Sometimes the Cowboy Falls” from BL's backlist.

a Rafflecopter giveaway