Monday, February 18, 2019

Rebound by Andrew Grey (Spotlight, guest post, excerpt, and review) RBTLBP. ADULT title (revised)





Andrew Grey graciously has shared advice for aspiring authors:

 
AG:  I have talked to many people over the years about how to get published.  I get asked questions from people who are writing non-fiction, children’s books, you name it.  And I think the best piece of advice I can give is that if you’ve written a book, go out and find other books like it. Ones in the same genre.  Read them, figure out which ones are really good, learn from them, and then find out who publishes them.   Then you should figure out how to approach them.  


It's surprising the number of people who send children’s books to a romance publisher, or romances to educational presses.  In short, do your homework no matter what.  That’s one of the ways to make your journey to publication a little easier. 
-->



*****************



by
Andrew Grey
ADULT title




Series: Standalone
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/ Sports Romance
Publisher: DreamSpinner Press
Release Date: Feb 13 2019
Edition/Format: 1st Edition/Format ~ eBook & Print




 

Blurb:



Professional basketball player Bri Early needs a physical therapist after an injury, and he’s heard that Obie is the best. Bri takes an immediate liking to the out-and-proud man with the magic touch, and even though Bri isn’t openly gay himself, he’d never let anything stand in the way of something he wants.

Obie can’t deny that the sexy athlete presses all his buttons, but he’s a professional and has no intention of getting involved with a client. While they’re working together, it’s hands off, no matter how great the temptation.

But being a pro athlete isn’t easy. Bri has enemies, and one of them is making his life hell. When his house is set ablaze, Bri can no longer pretend the threatening messages he’s receiving are jokes. He needs a safe place to stay, and Obie can’t turn his back. But the two of them in the same house is a recipe for combustion that could burn them both….





Excerpt:


Just as Obie suspected, they got there only to stand in a line a block long. Worse, it hadn’t moved more than ten feet in the last half hour. At this rate, they would get in next Thursday. In desperation and because he was tired of standing there, he messaged Monty and got a quick response.

“I’m inside. I’ll send Hunter out to get you.”

“The guys are with me,” Obie said.

“I’ll warn him.” The message was followed with a happy face. And sure enough, five minutes later, Hunter, accompanied by one of the bouncers, found them and they were escorted around the rest of the line and into the club, which pulsated with energy.

“Oh my God,” David said, holding on to Obie’s arm as though he might faint. “Would you look at him.” He pointed, and Obie let his gaze follow. “Do you think he’d let me climb him like a tree?”

“No!” Obie said firmly. “Just don’t you dare.” Then he turned at the sound of a familiar voice. There was his newest client, propped up on crutches.

“Hunter,” he heard Bri say as they approached. “This isn’t my thing. I’m happy to support the AIDS Research Council, but it’s getting late. I think I’m just going to head home.”

Obie was definitely surprised to see Bri here, but then, the evening was for a good cause. He liked that Bri cared enough to help out.

He was just about to go over and say something, but his friend beat him to it.

“Hi, I’m David.” He held out his hand to Bri. “You’re Bri Early, aren’t you? I’m sure I’ve seen you on television. You do those luscious commercials for Chanel. I went out and bought some, just because of you.” He leaned closer. “Want to check it out and see?” He pressed his upturned hand forward so Bri could supposedly smell his wrist.

“Knock it off,” Obie said. “Be nice. He doesn’t want to smell you.” He definitely needed to run a little interference.

“Yeah, none of us do,” Chippy added, much to David’s visible consternation. Chippy tugged David in the direction of the bar as Monty joined Hunter, wrapping an arm around him.

“Dang, half of gay Philly is here tonight.” Monty looked up at Hunter, his partner. “I think I need to mark you, just so all the trolling queens will keep their damn distance,” he said, louder than was necessary. The circle of guys inching their way closer seemed to back away a little, but not for long. It seemed they had their sights on Bri as well.

“I know. Thanks, Hunter, for coming to our rescue,” Obie said. “I thought we’d be in that line forever.”

“Speaking of rescues, do you think you could give me a little help?” Bri glanced around, his deep brown eyes a little dazed as the vultures seemed to close in.

“No problem.” Obie walked to his left side, taking Bri’s arm. “Let’s see if we can find a table.” Obie gave the onlookers his best “He’s with me, bitches” look and guided his new client over to a table with a Reserved sign on it. Hunter slid right in with Monty, and Obie made sure Bri got settled before he took a place next to him.

“What can I get you?” a buff server asked, a black T-shirt, at least two sizes too small, straining over his chest and biceps.

“Club soda with lime,” Bri ordered.

“I’ll have the same. I need to make sure I can get my friends home in one piece.” Obie thanked the server as he was leaving.

“They seem a little feral,” Bri said, and Obie chuckled. Damn, he couldn’t help it.

“They’re good guys, believe it or not. Even if they’re a little over the top sometimes.” He turned to see David and Chippy on their way over, each with their hands full.



Book links:





*************************


Author info:





Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.



Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey
Twitter @andrewgreybooks



************************

My review:


4 out of 5 stars

Rebound  by Andrew Grey features Bri Early, a successful basketball player driven to recover quickly from a knee injury, and therapist Obi Kenoble, who is torn between his responsibilities to his patient and his attraction to the man. An escalating danger forces both men to do a bit of soul searching and to decide what is most important in their lives.

This contemporary gay sports and romantic suspense story covers multiple tropes, including the conflict between a semi-closeted man and one who is very much out and proud, homophobia, ethical conflicts, and mysterious attacks. I enjoyed Bri’s prickly personality and chuckled at the name revelations even as I was impressed by Obi’s capabilities (and delicious connections). There are stories that give you chances to cheer the characters on or empathize with their trials and tribulations and this one did just that, particularly given the contrast between Bri’s and his dad’s situations. Although the mysterious attacks provided an element of suspense, some of the revelations felt a bit forced and the main characters seemed to have a bit of a role reversal at times but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the story. I love that both men had multiple facets to their personalities and would be interested in seeing more of them in future stories.


A copy of this title was provided for review




**** Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from RBTL Book Promotions and the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". *****




2 comments:

  1. That sounds fun, the excerpt sure was.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I enjoy this author's stories, and I thought these guys were fun, especially Obi's buddies.

      Delete