Release Blitz: Long Past Dawn by J.K. Jones

Author J.K. Jones and Gay Book Promotions share new forbidden love release, Long Past Dawn! Read more about the gang romance today!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Long Past Dawn

Author and Publisher: J.K. Jones

Release Date: March 23, 2022

Genre: M/M Romance

Tropes: Forbidden love, friends to lovers, Gang Romance, High School Romance

Themes: Coming out, drug addiction, abuse forgiveness

Heat Rating:  4 flames    

Length: 54 858 words/250 pages

It is a standalone story but has a soft cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Blurb

Thug.
Delinquent. Savagery runs hot in his veins. Miguel González doesn’t have any memories that don’t include cruel fists raining down on him. The only light in his life had been his younger sister Valeria, who was slaughtered during a drug run by the Gulf cartels.
Vengeance is the only answer.
War is brewing between the Gulf cartels and Los Zetas. With it, a rising drug lord threatening to destroy everything he’s working towards. Miguel will need to claw his way to the top if he wants justice.
It’s a new school year. There are a bunch of new faces, fresh and eager to learn as they navigate through high school. Most people fear him.
Then there’s him.
Javier Hernández isn’t afraid.
There’s something strange about Javier, something lethal. His gaze is deep, penetrating. Like two blades covered in frost, sinking into his chest.
Javier breaks beautiful things.
But Miguel begs for it.

Warning: Novella, gang wars, deals with alcohol addiction, substance abuse, HFN ending.

Excerpt

St. Augustine, Florida

Miguel storms across the sea of bodies, shoving his way to the bar. He barks his order, choking back something sweet and citrus. Fists pound in the air as raucous party-goers sway to the music.

Where’s Mateo? He was supposed to be here.

The bruise on his eye throbs, blood still trickling down his brow from where his foster father, Felipe, had punched him earlier. He can’t even remember what he did to piss Felipe off. It started with a few jeers here and there, scathing comments about being a freeloader, then it ended with Felipe’s fist raining down on him.

Fucking bastard. Miguel knows he shouldn’t have left Valeria alone with him.

It’s all the same shit. Guilt rakes up and down his body, but he pays at the counter, not bothering to flash his fake ID before he downs his drink.

Shit. No sign of Mateo. Oh, well. He can’t wait forever.

Miguel fights his way through the crowd, desperate to get home soon. It’s late. Valeria will be worried. That’s enough motivation to keep him moving faster. He’s only about halfway across the room when he finally loses his patience and shoves into the next person blocking his path.

The man turns, a deadly glint in his eye as he checks who just pushed him. Miguel glares back defiantly, the stranger looking barely old enough to be allowed in a club at all.

He’s handsome. Devastatingly so. Miguel’s heart jams in his throat as the man smiles, sleek and cool. Deadly. A shiver runs down his spine and he banishes it with the hot flood of disgust that washes through him. This is not the time or place. Valeria, his younger sister, is waiting for him.

The man’s gaze morphs into something softer, steel melted down with fire. A smirk drags across his face and he steps closer. His hair is wild auburn curls, his skin ochre like the setting sun. The stranger’s eyes are a swirling mix of greens, blues, and browns, a smoky hazel. He’s wearing a neon green sheer top, his pierced nipples flickering in the strobe lights, and his black skin-tight jeans make his legs look endless.

“Can you back the fuck off?” Miguel tries to say but his voice gets lost in the heavy, pounding bass. He huffs out a breath and turns to continue elbowing his way through the crowd. He barely manages a step, when a hand encircles his wrist, the strength in that grip forcing him to stop.

He whips his head around to look back at the man who is impeding his escape. The fiery look is still there, as Miguel glowers at him. The man just grins lazily, tugging on his wrist until he trips forward.

The move causes Miguel to press up against the man, both of his hands splaying across his chest and his face nearly buried in the crook of the man’s neck. What the fuck? He tries to wrench himself back, to regain some distance from the man, when the other bends slightly to brush his lips against the shell of Miguel’s ear.

“Leaving so soon?” His voice is hot and wet against his earlobe. Miguel shivers and he feels the other man smile. “Dance with me.”

Fuck no. The way their bodies move is not what Miguel would call dancing. It’s too slow to match the beat of the song. The stranger slots one of his thighs between Miguel’s legs and presses forward, rolling his hips indecently. Miguel sucks in a sharp breath. With half a mind to punch the man in the throat, he leans back slightly only to find his movement being followed as a pair of lips attach themselves to his throat.

About the Author  

Heaven and hell, demons and angels. J.K Jones has always had an affinity for otherworldly things. From her debut novel, it’s easy to see she loves all things crawling in the shadows. As it so happens, J.K Jones is the author of a gritty, fun, action-packed, soul-rending novel. Her characters are so dark and twisted they defy the dimensions of this world. She does not believe in HEA, she does believe in writing a suitable ending for her characters. Never will you read any of her works where the characters ride off into the sunset together. Not going to happen. There is nothing J.K. Jones loves more than a tragic ending. She is an avid reader, poet, and LGBTQ activist. She is a University graduate with a BA in Sociology, also has a TESOL certificate for teaching English as a Second Language.

Author Links

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Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Guest Review: The Perils of Intimacy by Rick R. Reed

Mark believes he’s meeting Jimmy for the first time in the diner where he works, but he’s wrong. Mark has no recollection of their original encounter because the wholesome Jimmy of today couldn’t be more different than he was two years ago. Back then, Jimmy sported multiple piercings and facial hair. He was painfully skinny—and a meth addict. The drug transformed him into a lying, conniving thief.

Mark doesn’t associate the memory of a hookup gone wrong with this fresh-faced twenty-something… but Jimmy knows. Can Mark see Jimmy for the man he is now and not the addict he was? The answers depend on whether true love holds enough light to shine through the darkness of past mistakes.

Reviewer: Annery

Jimmy Kilpatrick is 23, waiting tables at a cheap diner, and two years into recovery. Our Jimmy is a meth addict, is being the operative word. Everyday is a new day to choose not to use though the lure is always just around the corner. On a Monday morning, his past and a possible future come knocking in the form of 39 y.o. Marc Kelly. If you’re expecting some kind of Daddy story think again. This is so much better. It’s real.

This is my first dance with Rick Reed and I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last. If you’re in the mood for a low key, sort-of second chance this little gem hits just the right notes.

Jimmy and Marc’s story, in the space of the book, takes place over the course of a week but they have history, a bit sordid, which Marc at first is slow to pick up on and which Jimmy would love to erase. It turns out that during his time as a tweaker, Jimmy would hook up via dating apps and steal from his tricks. Marc was one of them. (None of this is a spoiler. It’s all in the blurb.) It’s now two years later and the sores-riddled, dirty, scrawny, dread-locked Jimmy has emerged (thanks to recovery) from his chrysalis into an attractive, healthy, and outgoing young man and Marc is smitten. Meanwhile Jimmy is on tenterhooks wondering when/if Marc will remember or when/if he should tell him because Marc, or more accurately the memory or promise of Marc has been living, quiescently, in his soul since that ill-fated date.

This is absolutely a love story, but more importantly and more definitely a story about recovery, the hard earned self-love required to survive in a world that’s not always kind, particularly for those who color outside the box, and the people who make this journey possible, even when they’re not physically present. Jimmy’s day-to-day struggles with his sobriety and the harsh reality of the scorched earth devastation that is meth addiction in the gay community isn’t glossed over with rainbows & unicorns, but the author also imbues this story with hope and even a touch of mysticism, which didn’t read as treacle. Sweet. It’s also nice that Jimmy isn’t the only one with issues. Marc is an almost 40 year old gay man who’s dealing with aging in the gay community, questioning if his life of hook-ups (sometimes dangerous ones) have led him to a future of being old, alone, and lonely. They’re both looking for what we all want: someone we matter to, connection, and acceptance.

The more I think about it the more I love this story. I love that it’s about ordinary people dealing with real issues. No blindingly beautiful super humans, Masters of the Universe billionaires, or superheroes, just two guys trying to find a safe place to land. Also their larger issues aren’t solved by the glory of love or magic D. How refreshing. Whenever you’re in the mood for a quiet but moving romance about recognizable humans this will leave you satisfied.

Audiobook Review: Vespertine by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn

Can a priest and a rock star obey love's call?

Seventeen years ago, Jasper Hendricks and Nicholas Blumfeld's childhood friendship turned into a secret, blissful love affair. They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper's calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never stopped looking back.

Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He's determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.

As Nico Blue, guitarist and songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it all started.

Jasper and Nicky's careers have ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face again, they must choose between the past's lingering ghosts or the promise of a new future.

Narrator: Michael Ferraiuolo
Listening Length: 14 hours and 18 minutes

Reviewer: Annery

Me reviewing a Leta Blake book narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo is like asking a chocoholic to work at Jacques Torres: unfair and a foregone conclusion. I’m doing it anyway. Gladly.

The technical part, the audio, lives up to what we’ve come to expect from Michael Ferraiuolo, which is something close to perfection. As usual he delivers a nuanced performance giving each character a distinct voice imbued with warmth, and emotion. Miracle of miracles, he’s also one of the few male narrators who can do women without making them sound like cartoon characters, bad Drag Queens, or Miss Adelaide from Guys & Dolls. He’s the guy who’ll make you want more after fourteen-hours plus of having your heart in a vice-grip. The only danger will be inappropriate reactions if you’re listening in public, goofy smile or eyes welling up, and that’s down to a beautifully told story.

At 34 y.o., Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Blumfeld aka Nico Blue is the lead guitarist and principal songwriter for Vespertine, a band that’s been coasting on the success of their early material, and whose members, including Nicky, are drowning in drugs of every stripe. In a last ditch effort to get sober, save his life, and his career Nicky heads home to Little Heights, a coastal town in Maine. Waiting for him are memories of happier times, his adoring parents, and the first and only boy he ever loved, Jasper ‘Jazz’ Hendricks. Father Hendricks to the laity. Yup. Nicky was thrown over for God. But it’s more complicated than that. Isn’t it always?

Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn have accomplished something quite remarkable, at least for me. Firstly, I'm not super keen on rock-star stories, they always have that whiff of poor-little-rich-boy which can go either way, and not many authors get the balance right. Secondly, I’d be an atheist if it weren’t too presumptuous to be certain of anything, and the same goes for belief in any God. Either one is too much work. What I’m trying to say is that, on paper, the set-up of this story, rock-star & priest, is a tall order for me but the authors pulled it off without a false note or stridency. In essence, this is a second chance romance between two people who met as children, discovered their sexuality as teenagers, were separated by circumstance, and now getting another opportunity at happiness. It just so happens that their adult selves are on opposite sides of the social spectrum.

The beauty is that Nicky and Jazz are real people outside of their archetypes. Given Nicky’s history, and his chosen lifestyle it’s plausible to see how he ended up an addict and you’re pulling for him every step of the way on his road to sobriety. I really like how the authors don’t make light of the process and respectfully treat it like the disease it is, never going for the mind-over-matter angle or the higher-power cop out, which one would almost expect when the other MCs is a true believer, a priest no less. Of course, the difference here is that the priest in question is Jazz, a man who truly embodies Christian teachings in his every thought and behavior, which extends to providing a safe harbor to LGBTQ at risk youth, even when that means being at odds with the upper hierarchy of the church or his family. The authors don’t play fast and loose with his faith, the choices he makes are the result of thoughtful deliberation.

The religious aspect is another part of the story that the authors get right, the fact that religions are, like the governments of countries (Vatican is literally a Principality), who don’t always represent their constituents. By this I mean that, for the most part, the people on the ground, of which Jazz is one, are sincerely striving to embody the teachings of their particular religion, which all, and in broad strokes, speak of love & charity to your neighbor, while the higher ups are, in most cases, doing the exact opposite. This is a long winded way of saying that Jazz is an upright man of God in the purest sense. He sincerely cares for his fellows, is willing to fight for them, but isn’t pedantic enough to want to impose his worldview on others.

I liked the pace at which Nicky & Jazz’s reconnecting happens. There have hurt feelings, they were seventeen when their lives went in separate directions, and wildly different life experiences, but their bone deep connection hasn’t faltered. And it won’t.

These two were made for each other and it’s palpable on the page. The buildup from Nicky’s resentment, to cautious reacquaintance, to Jazz placing his two loves in the balance is wonderfully done, without titillation or prurience. I was wholly convinced and Michael Ferraiuolo tipped me into the fanatics camp. By the end, I was praying on my impious knees for Nicky & Jazz’s HEA.

If you need an extra push the story is peopled with other great characters like Miriam and Adrian, Nicky’s parents, Ramona, the kids at Blue Oasis, and Dizzy, the best cat ever.

Tag Team Review: Soul to Keep (Rented Heart #2) by Garrett Leigh

Recovering addict Jamie Yorke has returned to England from California. With no home or family to speak of, he sticks a pin in a map and finds a small town in the Derbyshire Peak District. Matlock Bath is a quiet place—he just needs to get there, keep his head down, and stay clean. Simple, right? Until a chance meeting on the flight home alters the course of his so-called life forever.

Ex-Army medic Marc Ramsey is recovering from life-changing combat injuries while pulling nights as a trauma specialist at the local hospital. Keeping busy is a habit he can’t quit, but when Jamie—so wild and beautiful—bursts into his life, working himself into the ground isn’t as compelling as it used to be.

Marc falls hard, but chaos lurks behind Jamie’s fragile facade. He’s winning his battle against addiction, but another old foe is slowly consuming him. Both men have weathered many storms, but the path to the peace they deserve might prove the roughest ride yet.

Adam - 4.5 Hearts

I started this book with some serious bias against Jamie. Given what went down in book 1, I really wasn’t a fan. So I was pleasantly surprised when Jamie began winning me over pretty early on.

Life hasn’t been kind to Jamie, and he’s a bit broken. But he refuses to give up, no matter how often his inner demons tell him that he deserves nothing. Jamie needs someone solid to love him, to make him realize that he really is worth more than his addiction and his past.

Marc is a knight in shining armor - he’s strong and he’s fiercely loyal towards those he loves. But he has his own struggles, given his own past as an Army medic and his leg amputation.

I was swooning from the moment the two men met on their flight back to England. It was a snapshot of what was to come - with Marc’s strong urge to protect Jamie, and Jamie knowing that he was safe with Marc.

Despite their early attraction to each other, the relationship builds slowly. The MCs end up in the same small town, and Marc offers Jamie some work until he can find permanent employment. The work, clearing out the old house Marc inherited from his mother, brings the two into close contact regularly.

Slowly, the two men build a routine, and a friendship. They share meals and conversation at the end of long days, all the while gradually falling for each other.

The connection between them - emotional and physical - is undeniable. Marc is captivated by Jamie, and for the first time in a long time, Jamie finally feels safe and calm around Marc.

When their relationship inevitably moves from friendly to romantic, it just clicks. They’re two very different men, which often means that they’re at loggerheads, but they complete each other.

This isn’t a particularly flashy book, with the focus being on personal growth. Jamie’s addiction is a tangible thing throughout the story. His recovery is a daily battle. Marc, on the other hand, has to learn that he doesn’t always need to be the fixer.

However, all of the ups and downs make their relationship stronger by the end. Their happily ever after was all the more sweeter for it!

‘Soul to Keep’ really hit all the right notes for me. Two complex characters, a sweet romance, some angst, and a hard-earned but brilliant HEA. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!


Lost in a Book - 4 Hearts

Gah!!!! This book was difficult for me to rate. Not much happened beyond the day to day struggles with Jamie and Marc navigating addictions, physical limitations, their relationship, and how to cope with their new realities. Ok, that sounds like a lot. It was, kinda sorta...emotionally speaking and not really in a way that made me bite my nails with anticipation for what would happen next. This was like driving down a slow country road where your biggest distraction is an animal crossing the road. If this was a standalone, I’d probably rate it lower but my heart broke for Jamie in book 1 and the journey to self acceptance in this one gave me lots of feels.

Jamie- an addict that hit rock bottom, went to rehab in California, and wants to relocate back to England. He chooses a place on the map and moves there to start over. He’s terrified of flying and while on the plane sits next to a man that saves him from his crippling fear.

Marc- airplane hero, wounded Veteran with a prosthetic leg, and doctor. He’s miserable, lonely, and just existing.

As mentioned, the men meet on a plane, end up living in the same town, practically neighbors, and develop a friendship as they begin spending more time together. I like the patience they have with each other, the unconditional acceptance, and the sanctuary each provides without anything physically intimate. They offer comfort and a soothing balm to all the physical and emotional wounds that they carry around like armor. Jamie is his own worst critic and Marc provides another voice without judgement. Their relationship follows a natural progression when taking into account where they are starting and how they got there. I enjoyed each step they make towards healing their hearts, managing addiction, and eventually HEA love.

The book starts off slow for me. It seems Marc's character has appeared in another book. Based on what I found, I *think* he was a secondary character in Between Ghosts. I haven’t read that story so Marc’s POV in the beginning chapters left me confused and feeling as if I should know all the people he mentioned without providing context.

Another bit of disappointment was the lack of backstory for Jamie. He hit rock bottom in Rented Heart and then he’s California living with a foot out the door back to England. What happened in between? He was a much more gritty character before and we are only left with the aftermath of him after a year of being clean.

Soul to Keep kept me interested and invested in Marc and Jamie’s transformation. I appreciate the details regarding their struggles and how life doesn’t miraculously become all cotton candy and rainbows when you meet "the one." It can suck and take effort to find the good parts. They learn you have to work for the little bits of happy and that it’s ok to just focus on taking one itty bitty baby step forward when taking a full one isn’t possible. Recommended.

Trigger warnings: past drug use, recovering addict, mention of attempted child abuse, character with OCD and anxiety.

Review: Crocuta Crocuta (Bound Gods, #5) by Adrienne Wilder

For a god, what could be closer to heaven than living in a safe haven like Sanctuary, with an endless supply of ambrosia, delivered by the beautiful bodies of the Doxies in Alton’s harem?

But unlike the majority of the gods in Sanctuary who are less than human, Cerberus isn’t exotic or fantastical. His appearance, his…habits…have become the horror stories whispered on the lips of Doxies.

And while Cerberus might be immortal, his pride is not indestructible. Seeing the love of a Doxie for a monster like the Chimera, shatters it.

A chance encounter with an undocumented Doxie named Owen begins to transform Cerberus’s life. At least until Alton removes Owen from Cerberus’s care, banning the god from training the boy—to protect him from Cerberus’s animal nature.

In reality, Alton's motives are far more frightening. And the truth could kill Cerberus and Owen both.

My envelope may have burst.

You know how people say such and such isn't their kink? Well, beastiality isn't my kink. If it's shifters and there's a partial shift during the boom boom times I can deal, but Cerberus is half hyena, like, all the time.

But before I go there let me say that both Cerberus and Owen are sympathetic characters. Cerberus is a god but his appearance is the stuff of nightmares and both gods and doxies fear him, something he's not immune to. He goes to a brothel to slake his needs and encounters Owen being kicked out for being a heroin addict. Owen is one bad hit/one bad john away from being in a pine box six feet under. I felt for both of them and regardless of my reservations I'm happy they found each other.

It turns out unclaimed doxies have a tendency to become opioid addicts to numb the emptiness and they usually fall into sex work because of their basic makeup. One or the other typically kills them and Alton has been working on a means of eliminating this. The means by which he's attempting to rectify this situation gets very sciencey and my brain started flashing, RED ALERT, RED ALERT!!! Science talk happening! ABORT! Capacity to melt cerebral cortex eminent, STAND DOWN! Obviously this is a "me" problem. Kinda like it was "me" problem when I registered for astronomy in college thinking I'd get to look at the stars and whatnot. SPOILER ALERT: that ain't what astronomy is.

Anyhoozle, I won't spoil what the outcome of Alton's tinkering was, but let's just say he miscalculated.

There were things that were brought up from previous books that loosely tie into this world, but I think this could potentially be read as a standalone. Some things I assumed from prior books would not be possible for anyone other than Leo, things that would kill a lesser god, seem to happen here which gave me pause. However, I know for all intents and purposes, I'm not supposed to think too hard where this series is concerned. Because it's essentially bad wrong porn erotica.

So, let's talk about the sex. There are two ways to get a doxie to produce ambrosia-pain and fear. I am a card carrying member of #TeamPain but Cerberus is #TeamFear, so not a lot of kink happening between them other than one force play scene. I tried to buck up like a trooper and go with the raw, messy, animalistic boom boom scenes. But then there would be some mention along the lines of the sheath covering Cerberus' monster cock looking like a pelt and...

Or his teeth touching around Owen's cock.

Or his cock being at such a sharp angle because of the cartilage...

I kept going though! I kept building that bridge and trying to push it out of my mind, so I feel like that speaks to my level of devotion to this series. I did give handy points to Cerberus' ability to produce his own lube. #SuperHandy Thankfully the other doxies are super sweet and still as horned up as ever. They really are like puppies. How can you not love 'em?

So, even though I wasn't convinced of their emotional connection, I'm still invested in this series and VERY excited about getting to know some of the other gods and new characters that were introduced in Crocuta Crocuta.

Recommend to... bad wrong porn erotica fans?

A review copy was provided.

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Guest Review: The Boy Who Fell to Earth by A. Zukowski

Jay Palmer is two months away from his sixteenth birthday. He doesn’t realise how his life will be changed forever when a gang of thugs leaves a badly injured boy on his doorstep. The biracial boy and his white single mum Maggie nurse the stranger, sixteen-year-old Aleksander Zukowski or Sasha. Sasha ran away from care two and half years ago. He sleeps rough, is addicted to drugs and sells himself on the streets of London to fund his habit. For the first time in his life, he has a reason to change.

Sasha confirms what Jay already knows about himself but it doesn’t make it easy for him to come out to his macho mates in a largely black neighbourhood. Sasha has an uphill struggle to stay clean when his past threatens to throw him back into the abyss. Are the two boys strong enough to stay together against all odds?

Reviewer: Lost in a Book


This book.

I’ll start off by saying this is my first rent boy read. I typically stay away from them but this one called to me for some reason. I was hesitant. I knew it would hurt but I was just hoping it would hurt so good.

At first I struggled with the writing style and then the actual story. But the promise of redemption for Sasha kept me reading.

All of the heart breaking elements were present. You know, the ones where you need a bottle of wine to get through reading about them; Drugs, rape, molestation, prostitution, homelessness, cheating and let’s not forget…unnecessary drama.

Jay was a 15(almost 16) year old boy who lived with his single mom(Maggie). Sasha is a drug addicted, homeless rent boy. One night Sasha's raped and brutally beaten body was literally dumped on Jay's front yard. Jay and Maggie get him inside and begin the process of helping Sasha without the notification of police and social services. Jay took an instant liking to Sasha.

"I only knew I wanted him there, I needed to nurse him back to health."

Sasha was intrigued by Jay but really only wanted to "score" his next hit. He ends up leaving after a few days... but not before Jay kissed Sasha and Sasha jerked him off.

This is where I started making excuses in my head based on Jay's age. Maybe being raped and beaten to his 15 year old self didn't make him stop and think that he should wait to pounce. But, I digress…

Sasha headed back to his squat and over the next few weeks Jay seeks him out.

"I came out today, not knowing why I needed to find him, but it was like he had put a spell on me and I’d follow him wherever he went like a child to the pied piper."

They spent time together at the squat and Sasha bathed at Jay's house. This was all dandy until Maggie catches them asleep and wrapped in a naked embrace.

Maggie makes Sasha promise to stay away from Jay. This starts Sasha's downward spiral into getting as much of any drug he could and being even more unsafe with sex just to get money for his next hit; To feel numb.

Sasha hits bottom.

Rockfuckingbottom.

Luckily a bouncer, Big Al is there to catch him along with the Vicar, Eric.

"I took one last look at the mirror to remind myself of the horror of my decline and I unlocked the door and came out."

Redemption follows...

Yay!! That's a wrap. Let's tie a pretty bow on it…

Just kidding, that's only the first 57%

From there, they go through way more drama. There are at least 3 more plot twists that send Sasha into a tail spin of... you guessed it... drinking, drugs and sex. These will leave you raging and wanting to do more damage than a cracked out 70s rock star to your kindle and surrounding objects.

Ok, so let's put the story aside. The writing style for the first half was all about telling instead of showing. The book overall could go through another editing round. If I'm really digging a book, I typically don’t let it bother me. This wasn't a dialect issue, it's a word choice/spelling deal (ex. felt asleep in his arms). There were also time lapses everywhere and without warning. There was so much taking place I felt as if I needed to create a story map.

With alllll that said, I still wanted to give this 3 hearts. There was a story there... I just had to cut the crap to get it. However, all the added unnecessary drama at the end brought it to 2.5.

At least there was redemption… *shrug*

Release Blitz + Giveaway: The Perils Of Intimacy by Rick R. Reed

Rick R. Reed and Signal Boost Promotions are celebrating the release of The Perils of Intimacy! Check out today's excerpt and Bashed eBook giveaway!

Buy Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK



Publisher: Dreamspinner Press



Length: 63,000 words


Cover Design: Reece Dante 


Blurb


Jimmy and Mark make an adorable couple. Jimmy’s kindness (and clean-cut cuteness) radiates out of him like light. Mark, although a bit older, complements Jimmy with his humor and his openness to love.

But between them, a dark secret lurks, one that has the power to destroy.

See, when Mark believes he's meeting Jimmy for the first time in the diner where he works, he's wrong.

Mark has no recollection of their original encounter because the wholesome Jimmy of today couldn’t be more different than he was two years ago. Back then, Jimmy sported multiple piercings, had long bleached dreadlocks, facial hair, and was painfully skinny. And he was a meth addict. The drug transformed him into a different person—a lying, conniving thief who robbed Mark blind during their one-night stand.

Mark doesn’t associate the memory of a hookup gone horribly wrong with this fresh-faced, smiling twenty-something… but Jimmy knows. As they begin a dance of love and attraction, will Jimmy be brave enough to reveal the truth? And if he does, will Mark be able to forgive him? Can he see Jimmy for the man he is now and not the addict he was? The answers will depend on whether true love holds enough light to shine through the darkness of past mistakes.

Excerpt

I watch from the corner of my eye as Cinnamon Roll, as I’ve dubbed him, downs his low-carb breakfast. How someone can eat poached eggs without any toast is beyond me, but it takes all kinds.

“You got a thing for him or what?” Matilda Blake, the other server on duty, whispers to me. She pauses just behind me with three plates balanced on two arms. I smell pancakes, bacon, and the sage aroma of sausage.

I turn a little to grin. “What?”

“Ah, don’t play innocent with me, Mister. I could see the lust in your eyes from fifty paces.”

I shrug. “Guilty. Maybe. A little.”

She laughs, and it’s a sound like a bell tinkling. Matilda doesn’t even reach five feet and probably doesn’t top ninety pounds, but she’s a workhorse like you wouldn’t believe. She has short, spiked blonde hair and numerous tattoos. On the weekends, she plays in an all-girl metal band called Two Spirit. And in my head, I call her Tinker Bell, because that’s who she looks like to me. She takes off to serve her customers, but not without prompting me to “Go over and talk to him.”

I busy myself filling ketchup bottles and the salt and pepper shakers I’ve removed from empty tables, but I keep an eye on Cinnamon Roll. His food is gone and the newspaper’s been abandoned and he’s staring off into space. I shudder because I wonder if he’s recognized me and is thinking about our last encounter, a little over two years ago, at his place on Dexter Avenue.

But no, that couldn’t be possible, could it? I’m a different person now, inside and out. Back then I was twenty, twenty-five pounds lighter than my current one hundred and sixty-five. I had a septum piercing like Ferdinand the Bull. My hair, which is now cut high and tight and is reddish brown, was long back then, bleached blond, dirty, and tangled up in dreadlocks that reached down almost to my waist. My skin had, I’m sure, a pasty and unhealthy pallor.

That person doesn’t even exist anymore, and even though it’s only been two years, I look completely different today. He’s probably just thinking about his day or something.

Right?

I walk over to his table, a little nervous that he’d come to and look at me with an accusing glare. There’d be a scene. And maybe I’d end up getting fired or something. Thinking back to what I did to him, I deserve it.

But when I approach his table, all he does is smile. And that smile melts my heart. It did back then too. Just not enough to keep me from my desperate and dark ways.

“You need anything else?”

He looks down at his paper and back up at me. A blush rises to his cheeks, and I gotta say it—there’s nothing more adorable than this face staring up at me right now.

Author Bio

Rick R. Reed is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love.

He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation and The Blue Moon Cafe). He is also a Rainbow Award Winner for both Caregiver and Raining Men. Lambda Literary Review has called him, "a writer that doesn't disappoint."

Rick lives in Seattle with his husband and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever "at work on another novel."

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/rickrreedbooks
Twitter: www.twitter.com/rickrreed
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RickReedWRITER
Blog: http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/
Website: www.rickrreed.com
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rick-r-reed
Email: rickrreedbooks@gmail.com

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Guest Review: When Adam Fell (Foothills Pride, #4) by Pat Henshaw

When his lover Jason’s drug addiction spiraled out of control, TV celebrity chef and cookbook author Adam de Leon walked away from him. Adam also abandoned his renowned restaurant in San Francisco to start a small bistro in the Sierra Foothills.

Five years later Adam is battling the conservative leaders of Stone Acres, California, to open a new restaurant in historic Old Town when Jason turns up on his doorstep—a recovered Jason, now going by the name David and claiming he's overcome his addictions. What’s more, he begs Adam to take him back and says he’s ready for their happily ever after.

Adam has enough on his plate with problems plaguing the opening of his restaurant. And now he’s having a hard time deciding which to follow—his head or his heart.

Guest Reviewer: Fantasy Living

This romance was about two people who needed to part ways, one for the push into rehabilitation, and one for emotional self-preservation. I know the feeling well. I have no doubt that everyone knows someone, knew someone, or is otherwise touched by drug addiction. It is a really hard topic for me to read about. I have a personal stake in the hope that comes from that future date when the person you love is whole again.

That is why I was very interested in this story. I wanted to read about the other side of things. The rebuilding of trust, and the hope that this isn’t just another line which ultimately ends in self-perceived failure, abandonment, and self-loathing of not being able to just be there through it all. My expectations may have been a little high with the topic, but I don’t think so. It’s one of those pieces, that if written with well roundedness, can be something amazing, and give everyone that light they need to see in the dark.

This story didn’t go as deeply into the rebuilding for me. I felt that the characters lacked that crucial element of emotional reknitting of their hearts. Jason’s reinvention into David - off-page - was well thought out, and explained in a way that gives credence to his current state, but Adam was nowhere near emotionally available to analyse how he was dealing, to heal in a real way. He was in stasis where he hadn’t fully healed from the wounds of his past, and was too busy being busy to really get into that mindspace to move on. I didn’t see the rebuilding of trust in a way that satisfied me.

If you’ve ever been betrayed by someone you love in a way that is ongoing, where you have no control over the outcome, or even really believe the validity of someone’s apology, you know that the trust is the hardest to rebuild. David can spout about how he has been reborn, but it is not believable that Adam would just say “Okay, I’ll accept that” while not being there for the journey, to see the truth in the words. It should have taken a lot more for him to accept the changes for truth, and there wasn’t enough evidence for me as a reader, to believe that this had occurred. His stony attitude may have contributed to that feeling.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the plot of Adam trying to reestablish himself in the town he grew up in. I liked the quirky drama and the way it was resolved. The overall story was promising, and I enjoyed it. I just wanted more from Adam. I needed to get into his heart and really see him.

I believe in unconditional love, I live it. There are still boundaries, but you will never walk away, even when you maybe should, for a while. I accept that Adam and David will always be it for each other. I believe in their relationship. I just don’t believe their healing journey as a couple has finished. I would definitely read a sequel to this story, to see how they are doing a year from now, with Adam getting real about what’s inside him. I don’t need mushy, I would prefer it not be, but I do need to see something more from him, and maybe a little more from David.

Dreamspinners Press
Goodreads
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Review: Shelter by Ashley John

Fresh from his fourth stint in rehab, Elias James doesn’t have much to live for. His relationship with his family has never been so strained and with no real life of his own, he has nothing to live for. His overachieving twin sister and his ruthless mother's political success as Mayor of Havenmoore has left him empty. Getting high started as an act of rebellion but the addiction soon controlled his every waking moment.

Aspiring writer, Caden Walker, thought he had the perfect life until he discovered his boyfriend in bed with his best friend. Leaving everything behind in New York, he returns to Havenmoore to re-evaluate his life from his parent’s guest bedroom. When his mom offers him a job working for the charity she runs, helping people struggling with addiction, he’s not in a position to turn it down.

Caden never expected to find what he did, but when he is assigned to work with Elias, a reluctant attraction quickly blossoms into something deeper. Can Elias find in Caden the one thing he’s always searched for or will his addiction drag him under once again? Is Caden ready to let go of his New York dream to take a chance on something unexpected? Both men are faced with difficult times of change, but can they make it through the storm to find the shelter?

This story was pure Ashley John. This author regularly creates characters that are far from perfect, beautifully flawed one might say, puts them through the mill a little and then rescues them in the nick of time. I like characters that are far from perfect. For me characterisation is a huge part of any book. It matters not how good the storyline is, if I can't love the characters - and I really did love these two.

Elias, so unsure of his own worth, is broken. Not just broken but convinced he is beyond fixing. That he's not worthy of the effort it would take. The first step in recovering from an addiction is admiting there is a problem. The second is wanting to change that. It's the addict who needs to make the change. Who needs to want to change. Who needs to be ready to put in the hard work. Before any of that can happen the addict needs to feel they are worth the effort beating an addiction requires. It's a fucking hard thing to do. Elias really didn't feel he was worth the effort. He broke my heart a little. Bolshy and rebellious and everyone's pain in the arse, I wanted to grab the sad little boy he was inside and love him and mother him and heal him.

Of course, Ashley John had a better idea than that. He introduced Elias to Caden.

Caden was the sunshine to Elias's rain.

He wasn't having an easy time of it, but what he did have, what Elias sorely lacked, was a family who loved him. A sense of self worth, self esteem. It might have wavered for a minute but it was there, a fundamental foundation to build his life on. It shone through in his need to help others; to put others first. I think this is what I love about this book. There isn't an easy fix. It requires effort from Elias - meeting Caden made him want to be better. It didn't make him suddenly better, he still had to put in the effort.

Sure, at times, I wanted it a tad more real. Elias's mum was a tad cartoonishly nasty and Caden's mum a little bit too wonderful. The focus of the main characters was much wider. They were shades of grey and not so black and white. it worked. I rooted so hard for both of these guys. If you're a fan of Ashley John, I promise this book will not disappoint.

A copy of this book was given on exchange for an honest review.
Find out more at Goodreads.