Sometimes only the wrong guy can bring the
right happy ever after.
right happy ever after.
(Balls To The Wall Series #6 )
by Tara Lain
ADULT title
ADULT title
Blurb:
Though only twenty-six, single father Theodore Walters lives with his head in the clouds and his feet firmly planted in reality. At the center of his life is Andy, his seven-year-old son, with whom he shares no DNA, though nobody—including his religious-fanatic in-laws—knows that, and Theodore will do anything to keep them from finding out. Theodore works hard to get his PhD and the tenure and salary that might follow to make a better life for Andy—but the head of his department thinks his dissertation on Jane Austen and romance novels is frivolous.
Theodore’s carefully planned life goes off the rails when he walks into a popular Laguna Beach bar and meets the bartender, “Snake” Erasmo, a pierced and tattooed biker who sends Theodore’s imagination—and libido—soaring. Snake has even more secrets than Theodore and couldn’t be a less “appropriate” match, but he might be the only guy with the skills to show Theodore that happily-ever-after is for real.
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Excerpt
“Dad?”
Snake whispered, “Showtime.” He stood.
Teddy looked up and rose.
Andy rubbed his eyes and his nose. “How come you
guys are on the floor?”
Teddy smiled and picked up Andy. “I was just
surprised and unhappy when Snake told me what your grandparents did.”
“Yeah.” He snuffled and snuggled into his dad’s
shoulder.
Teddy sat on the couch and settled Andy on his
lap. Snake started to sit in the chair across from them, but Andy looked up.
“Snake? Will you sit by me?”
“Sure, buddy.” He glanced at Teddy, who looked up
quickly and then away. Snake sat beside Teddy, who held Andy in his arms. Snake
took Andy’s feet.
Teddy started to rock him. “So you know about
babies coming from mommies, right?”
“Sure.”
“Moms might have different possible dads around
before their baby is born, but after the baby is born, the mom might choose a
dad.” He looked at Snake, pleading in his eyes.
Snake picked up the thread. “It could be that the
dad the mom chooses isn’t the same dad that actually caused the baby in the
first place. But that doesn’t matter.”
“Right.” Teddy kissed Andy’s hair. “You mom chose
me, and we got married right away, and I was there the whole time you were in
her tummy, and I saw you get born and loved you when you were barely an idea.”
Snake blinked hard. “That guy who came to talk to
you might have caused the baby, but then he was gone, and he never married your
mom or helped her or saw you born or raised you—or loved you. So guess who your
dad is?”
Andy tightened his grip on Teddy. “Daddy is my
dad.”
“Ding, ding, ding, ding. Give the prize to Andy
Walters!”
Andy was quiet for a minute. “But that guy caused
me?”
Teddy’s chest rose and fell. “He might have,
sweetheart.”
Andy sat back and stared at Teddy with his brows
scrunched over his nose. “You didn’t cause me ’cause you don’t like girls,
right?”
Snake bit the inside of his cheek.
Teddy smiled. “Kind of. I actually loved your mom
a lot. She was my best friend. And when she told me she was going to have a baby,
I said maybe I could be the dad. She loved that idea, and we had such a good
time raising you.”
“Wish I remembered her better.”
Snake had to look away or Andy might see the
tears pushing out of his eyes.
“She loved you so much. Just like I do.” Teddy
hugged him tight.
The Balls to the Wall Series
Volley Balls
Bk #1
Available to purchase at
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iTunes | Dreamspinner Press
Fire Balls
Bk #2
Available to purchase at
Beach Balls
Bk #3
Bk #3
FAST Balls
Bk#4
Available to purchase at
Prefer paperback?
The first and second book are now available in paperback!
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”!
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My Review:
4.75 out of 5 stars
High Balls by Tara Lain is a adult contemporary m/m
romance that is part of the ‘Balls to the Wall’ series set in Laguna Beach,
California. This story centers around Professor Theodore Walters, a young
single dad who is just about to defend his dissertation in order to attain his
PhD and hopefully earn tenure and a better salary. Unfortunately, a combination
of bigotry and disdain for his subject may disrupt all of his plans,
threatening the security and secrecy of his family life. A chance meeting with
an attractive motorcycle-riding bartender adds to the complications, since
nothing about tattooed “Snake” Erasmo is predictable, not even his profession,
yet he holds an inexplicable allure for Theodore, and makes him want to believe
that romance and happy-ever-afters are not just for fiction.
I have long been a fan of this author because her stories
address such painful and realistic subjects in a fashion that reminds us that
there is light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark it seems. I always
finish her books with a satisfied and uplifted attitude, and this story really
was wonderful to read during the dark times we are living in, and my favorite,
in a series that has featured some wonderful and unique men. I adore reminders
that one needs to look beyond the surface before making an intelligent
judgment, and Snake epitomizes that precept. Young Andy is beautifully
presented and serves as a great reminder that children are definitely shaped
(and sometimes scarred) by the adults who should be their role models. And who
can resist Theodore, with his wonderful defense of romance novels and his
unselfish devotion to his young son?
Like all of the books penned by this author, there is a
delicious combination of spice and romance, leavened by humor and warm fuzzy
moments. I enjoyed the cameos from some of the other delicious hunks from
previous books and cheered at the rallying they do to support their friend in
times of need. Of course, I was hungry after reading about some of the trendy
dishes they were consuming (and tempted to go hunt for these places, lol), but
above all, I had a nice glow after finishing the story. This is another fine
story from a prolific and talented author and I can’t wait to meet more of her “beautiful
boys.”
A copy of this wonderful title was provided to me for review
The book series sounds very intriguing, thank you for the reveal!
ReplyDeleteElf dear, thank you so much for reading High Balls! I'm honored by the review! Hugs! : )
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of Tara's work and I love your review, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDelete