Tuesday, September 11, 2018

GRL 2018 SPOTLIGHT - Wade Kelly - Names Can Never Hurt Me


In my attempt to cover some of the attending authors for this year's GRL,
I am reviewing 

Wade Kelly's 
Names Can Never Hurt Me!







BLURB

2nd Edition

What if sexuality wasn’t a definable thing and labels merely got in the way?

Nick Jones can’t remember a time when he wasn’t part of the in crowd. Everywhere he goes, he stands out as the best looking guy in the room, and women practically fall into bed with him. Then, after kissing Corey on a dare led to much more and on many occasions, Nick’s “screw anything” reputation escalated, but he didn’t care.

When Nick meets RC at the restaurant where he works, it throws his whole life out of whack. RC lives up to his dubbed nickname “Scruffy Dude.” He seems Nick’s complete opposite, but Nick can’t get him out of his head.

Because of peer-pressure and his fears about defining his sexuality, Nick struggles with stepping out of his comfort zone and caring about someone different than himself. If he’s lucky, somewhere between arrogance and ignorance, Nick might find out what it means to be an adult, but if he’s wrong, he could lose everything.



REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!


Names Can Never Hurt Me is an exquisite new adult romance by Wade Kelly.

RC and Nick are so wonderful together. In the beginning, they were two lost souls, each just trying to survive.

Nick is young, and hangs with a superficial crowd who only think about sex. These were the popular kids back when he was in school, and they haven't matured at all. Nick's pretty much slept with all the girls in his group, and even one of the guys, Corey. And, unfortunately, Nick still holds a torch for Corey, even comparing sex with all the girls to sex with Corey.

Then he meets RC, and the course of his life is forever altered. 

Nick struggles with figuring out his sexuality, thinking he's not actually gay. He acts like an ass through it, but he eventually will get there. I adore the slow burn between the men, the fact that they can just be silent together, and a strong friendship is formed before anything sexual happens. 

Once Nick and RJ get together, they still have some things to deal with, the popular crowd and Nick's changing feelings with them, and some things he discovers about that group.

Luckily for Nick, he's made some new friends, some real friends, who have his best interest at heart.

Nick's family adds a lot to the story. They are so darn loving and protective and I just love their presence. 

Some may be annoyed by Nick, as he's immature, selfish and is happy to have finally find a job he can keep. But, to be honest, I have known many young men like Nick. Many. At 23, many men don't have their lives figured out, are still living at home, and just living day to day. Maturity comes slowly for men like Nick. So I actually applaud this side of Nick being so well developed and explored.

And RJ, wow, I can't explain how much my heart hurts for this young man. His background is horrific. It is captivating to watch him find love.

Names Can Never Hurt Me is a romance that explores many different issues. I am thrilled to have discovered it and can't wait to read some more of Wade Kelly's books. I have previously read her Jocks books and love those too.




Wade Kelly


Wade Kelly lives and writes in conservative, small-town America on the east coast where it's not easy to live free and open in one's beliefs. Wade writes passionately about controversial issues and strives to make a difference by making people think. Wade does not have a background in writing or philosophy, but still draws from personal experience to ponder contentious subjects on paper. There is a lot of pain in the world and people need hope. When not writing, she is thinking about writing, and more than likely scribbling ideas on sticky notes in the car while playing "taxi driver" for her three children. She likes snakes, can't spell, and has a tendency to make people cry.

Website: http://www.writerwadekelly.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterWadeKelly.
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_476
E-mail Wade: writerwadekelly@gmail.com
Subscribe to Wade's Blog at: http://writerwadekelly.blogspot.com/







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