Love Never Forgets by Tristen Rowen

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

Finding love is hard, falling in love is easy, and forgetting the love of your life is unimaginable.

When Scott Prescott makes that midnight trip to Vermont in 1990, he gives up everything and has no regrets.

Ten years earlier, Scott is nothing more than a spoiled brat. The last thing he ever wants to do is spend the entire summer of his eighteenth year in the boonies of Vermont, all because of some silly promise his dad made to his best friend when they were kids.

Stuck out in a country inn, missing his home in Boston, Scott is determined to be miserable until he catches the eye of Terry Lachance, the inn owner's twenty-year-old son. Outgoing, eternally optimistic and tenacious, Terry is driven to break through Scott's walls, and he succeeds in only a day.

Faced with personal and societal challenges of the time, Terry is nevertheless convinced Scott will make the "right decision." there is no telling if their love is strong enough to withstand it all.

Inspired by Tristen Rowen’s personal experiences, Love Never Forgets is the unforgettable love story between two men whose love spans an eternity. Not only is it a love story between two men, it’s a testament to the strength of family in a time of crisis. 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Love Never Forgets is a romance many years in the making. My first time reading Tristen Rowen, I am extremely pleased with this gut wrenching tale of first love, second chances, and heartbreak.

The story starts with a summer spent together at camp. Scott and Terry instantly connect and quickly fall in love. It's all about sneaking around and getting naked. 

But then...they are forced apart by a controlling, homophobia father.  

Many years later, the two easily fall back into a strong connection when they meet up again. And a beautiful love story is continued. 

If you enjoy romances that span the years, following a couple from when they meet until their older years, you will love this book. 

But... 

And it's a big but, you will cry. Bring all the tissues along when you get to the second part of this book. You will need them.

This is a love story, but it's not a romance with a happily ever after. 

This couple is what everyone wants in life. Their love is never in doubt (to the reader) and the strength of their bond is inspirational. 

But they know pain and suffering in a way that is heartbreaking and completely realistic. All of it's written with knowledge and care, fully bringing the emotions of both to life. 

The author's writing style is fabulous, easy to follow, and perfectly captures the important details of the years. Although there are many time jumps, and the story isn't overly long, nothing ever feels like it is missing. 

Love Never Forgets is one of those special stories that will suck you in and leave you fully consumed throughout. I am extremely pleased with this Tristen Rowen book and am thrilled that I was able to discover it. This is one of those memorable stories that will stay in my heart for a long time. 

Key to My Heart by Brittany Cournoyer

Amazon Link   - Available in KU 

Goodreads Link

Music, teaching, family.

For Maverick Wheeler, the only thing more important to him than his family is music. During the day, he’s a professor of Music Theory, and by night, he plays the piano in a jazz band. Between work and his father’s care, that doesn’t leave much time for a personal life. When fate keeps throwing the insufferable Christopher Bishop his way, Chris is the one to lend Maverick a helping hand when he needs one. And even though Maverick is starting to like Christopher the more time they spend together, Maverick knows he’s far too old for him.

Work, school, service.

If Christopher Bishop isn’t busy working at his family’s tow truck business, he’s filling his free time with visiting his grandfather or arguing with Maverick Wheeler. Sparks fly the first time they lay eyes on each other after a misunderstanding, and instead of fizzling out, they burn brighter with every encounter. After a fateful encounter, Christopher begins to realize the stuffy, yet tasty, professor isn’t such a bad guy after all. If only Christopher could convince him to get over their age difference.

Key to my Heart is a medium-heat, low-angst, story featuring an age gap and adult situations. It’s intended for an audience of eighteen years or older.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Key to My Heart is a sweet romance by Brittany Cournoyer. 

I love the way Chris and Maverick don't get along at the start. It adds some fun moments for sure. 

They come to know each other, as Mav's father is roommates with Chris's grandfather at the nursing home. I enjoy the way they grow closer, despite it seeming forced. 

I also enjoy watching Maverick fight his feelings. And, damn, I love the power exchange, as Chris wants to help take control. Let's just say the results are hot!

This is an age gap romance, as one's a college student, the other a college professor. There's no conflict though, as Maverick is not, and never has been, Chris's teacher. I appreciated this aspect a lot. 

The relationship is emotional and definitely an enjoyable one. The age gap is a tough thing for Maverick to overcome, while Chris sees it as no big deal. 

The dementia of Mav's grandfather is a tough part to read. If this is a trigger for you, avoid. It's definitely tear jerking and full of heart breaking moments. 

Overall, Key to My Heart is a delightful age gap read. This Brittany Cournoyer is a whole lot of fluff entwined with plenty of emotion, heat and heart. It's truly a sweet book. 

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - Blue Umbrella Sky by Rick R Reed

Title: Blue Umbrella Sky

Author: Rick R. Reed

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: March 23, 2020

Heat Level: 2 - Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 63200

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, MM romance, grief, Alzheimer’s Disease, alcoholism recovery, over 40, age gap, Southern California, second chances

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Synopsis

Milt Grabaur has left his life, home, and teaching career in Ohio to start anew. The Summer Winds trailer park in Palm Springs, butted up against the San Jacinto mountain range, seems the perfect place to forget the pain of nursing his beloved husband through Alzheimer’s and seeing him off on his final passage.

Billy Blue is a sexy California surfer type who once dreamed of being a singer but now works at Trader Joe’s and lives in his own trailer at Summer Winds. He’s focused on recovery from the alcoholism that put his dreams on hold.

When his new neighbor moves in, Billy falls for the gray-eyed man. His sadness and loneliness awaken something Billy’s never felt before—real love.

When a summer storm and flash flood jeopardize Milt’s home, Billy comes to the rescue, hoping the two men might get better acquainted…and maybe begin a new romance.

But Milt’s devotion to his late husband is strong, and he worries that acting on his attraction will be a betrayal.

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Blue Umbrella Sky is a great romance by Rick R Reed.

Billy and Milt are neighbors who meet during a storm. Both men are dealing with a whole lot of damage from their previous experiences, but the attraction is undeniable. 

Milt's new in town, trying to escape his loss, and is isolating himself in his grief. His background with his husband is so damn dismal, as watching a spouse with Alzheimer's is never easy. It's tough enough that he lost his husband, but it's worse that he nursed him for years, without the advantages that marriage bring. As Milt struggles to move on, he finds that it's okay to love again. Moving on doesn't diminish what he had before. Milt's grief is expertly written, as it's on his face, in his body, and whole demeanor.

Their relationship is an emotional ride, full of longing, acceptance, and taking chances. It's about moving forward from both your low and your grief. The author expertly illustrates the importance of not judging someone from what we see, as we have no idea what they've experienced.

It's a fantastic story supporting the importance of surrendering, and turning your will over. Whether you're a religious person or not, this is something we can all benefit from doing more often.

Billy's alcoholic background is sad and it's very realistic in it's development. It gets into the nitty-gritty, ugly truth of alcoholism. If that's a trigger for you, skip this one. The alcoholism is written with extreme knowledge, care, and understanding. It's tough to read, but very accurate. It definitely brought out all the feels for me. 

I always enjoy a good May to December romance, and this one deals with the age gap in a fun and wonderful manner. 

Blue Umbrella Sky is a beautiful tale of overcoming your grief and allowing yourself to move forward with your life. It's another terrific read by Rick R Reed.

Excerpt

Blue Umbrella Sky

Rick R. Reed © 2020

All Rights Reserved

Milt Grabaur stared out the window of his trailer, wondering how much worse it could get.

The deluge poured down, gray, almost obscuring his neighbors’ homes and the barren desert landscape beyond. The rain hammered on his metal roof, sounding like automatic gunfire. Milt shivered a little, thinking of that old song, “It Never Rains in Southern California.”

He leaned closer to the picture window, pressing his hand against the glass and whispering to himself, “But it pours.”

That window had given him his daily view for the last six months, ever since he’d packed up a life’s worth of belongings and made his way south and west to Palm Springs and the Summer Winds Mobile Home Community. This same picture window, almost every single day, had shown
him only endless blue skies and sunshine. An errant cloud or a jet contrail would occasionally break up the field of electric blue, but other than that, it was azure perfection. Milt reveled in it. He’d begun to think these expanses of blue, lit up by golden illumination, would never cease.

Until today.

At about three o’clock, that blue sky, for the first time, was overcome with gray, a foreboding mass of bruised clouds. Milt wondered, because of his experience in the desert so far, if the clouds would be only that—foreboding. The magical gods of the Coachella Valley would, of course, sweep away those frowning and depressing masses of imminent precipitation with a wave of their enchanted hands.

Surely.

But the sky continued to darken, seemingly unaware of Milt’s fanciful imagining and yearnings. At last the once-blue dome above him became almost like night in midafternoon and the first heavy
drops—fat beads of water—began to fall, first a slow sprinkle, where Milt could count the seconds between drops, then faster and faster, until the raindrops combined into one single and, Milt had to admit, terrifying roar.

And then an unfamiliar sound—the drumroll and cymbal crash of thunder. The sky, moments after, lit up with brilliant white light.

The rain fell in earnest. Torrents of the stuff.

The other trailers, his neighbors, nearly vanished in the relentless gray downpour. The wind howled, sending the rain capriciously sideways every few seconds. The palm trees in his front yard
swayed and bent with the ruthless gusts, testimony to their strength, despite their appearance of being stalklike and weak. The wind tore dry husks of bark from them.

At first Milt was unconcerned, thinking the rain could only do good. It would bless the parched succulents, cacti, and palms that dotted the rocky, sandy landscape of the park, maybe even bring them to colorful life, forcing a brilliant desert flower, here and there, to bloom. His decade-old Honda Civic, parked next to the trailer, would get a wash, the thick layer of sand and dust chased away, almost pressure-cleaned.

For the half a year he’d been here, Milt had been amazed at how clean everything could look when, in actuality, anything outdoors was quickly covered in a veneer of fine sand, almost like gritty dust.
Milt was forever wiping off his patio furniture, cleaning the glass surfaces of his car. But this minor inconvenience was more than outweighed by the stunning and almost surreal appearance of the Coachella Valley and the desert, a wild beauty which far surpassed anything even an optimistic Milt had dreamed of when he had made up his mind, somewhat suddenly, to shed his old life in Ohio and
move out to Southern California.

He stared out at the gusts of wind, the flashes of lightning, and the almost-blinding downpour and realized he had no idea it could be like this. The trailer park was smack up against the San
Jacinto mountain range, and Milt realized with horror that not only would the little park suffer from the copious water falling from the sky, but it would also be the beneficiary, like it or not, of runoff as it came hurtling down the mountain face.

As if to confirm his notion, Milt gasped as he noticed the street in front of his trailer.

It was no longer a street.

Not really.

No, now it was a creek. A creek notable for its rushing rapids. Water was speeding by at an unprecedented pace. Milt sucked in some air as he saw a lawn chair go by, buoyed up by the current. Then a plastic end table. An inflatable pool toy—a swan—that Milt supposed was in the right place at the right time. But the damp throw pillows whizzing by, like soggy oyster crackers in soup, were not.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Real Men. True Love.

Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his husband, Bruce, and their fierce Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix, Kodi.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Soft Place to Fall by B.A. Tortuga

Amazon Link

Goodreads Link

Blurb

Stetson Major and Curtis Traynor are about as opposite as two cowboys can get. Stetson is a rancher, tied to the land he loves in Taos, New Mexico, while Curtis is a rodeo cowboy whose wanderlust never could be tamed. But now Stetson’s momma is dying of Alzheimer’s, and she can't remember that Curtis hasn't been Stetson's boyfriend for a long time. Curtis's absence makes her cry, so Stetson swallows his pride and calls his ex-lover. To Curtis, Stetson is the one who got away, the love of his life. And Momma is his friend, so he’s happy to help out. Yet returning to the ranch stirs up all sorts of feelings that, while buried, never really went away. Still, the rodeo nationals are coming up, and Curtis can’t stay—even if he’s starting to want to, especially to support Stetson when he needs it most. Stetson and Curtis want to find a place where they both fit, to be there to catch each other when they fall. But family, money problems, and the call of the rodeo circuit might end their second-chance romance before it even gets started.

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Soft Place to Fall is a wonderful romance by BA Tortuga. It took me a while to get into this one. The writing style didn't allow me to connect to the men right away. But I am thrilled to have kept reading. At it's heart, it's a beautiful second chance romance.

Stetson's mother's sick and keeps asking to see Stetson's ex boyfriend, Curtis, setting the stage for a reunion and their second chance.

Stetson's family issues are heart-breaking. As anyone who's witnessed the tragedy of Alzheimer's in a family member knows, watching a love one struggle to remember anything, while also dying, is as tough as it gets.

If that wasn't bad enough, then he also has to face money problems, which is just an extra stress he doesn't deserve. The reunion of Stetson and Curtis is wonderful. They're just so damn sweet together. Watching them get another chance is fantastic.

Soft Place to Fall is a wonderful story of finding a way to make a relationship work. BA Tortuga excels with the exploration of realizing a couple changes and they're now ready to make the sacrifices.

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW - Blue Umbrella Sky by Rick R Reed

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link

Length: 60,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Goodreads Link

Blurb

Milt Grabaur has left his life, home, and teaching career in Ohio to start anew. The Summer Winds trailer park in Palm Springs, butted up against the San Jacinto mountain range, seems the perfect place to forget the pain of nursing his beloved husband through Alzheimer’s and seeing him off on his final passage.

Billy Blue is a sexy California surfer type who once dreamed of being a singer but now works at Trader Joe’s and lives in his own trailer at Summer Winds. He’s focused on recovery from the alcoholism that put his dreams on hold.

When his new neighbor moves in, Billy falls for the gray-eyed man. His sadness and loneliness awaken something Billy’s never felt before—real love.

When a summer storm and flash flood jeopardize Milt’s home, Billy comes to the rescue, hoping the two men might get better acquainted… and maybe begin a new romance.

But Milt’s devotion to his late husband is strong, and he worries that acting on his attraction will be a betrayal.

Can they lay down their baggage and find out how redemptive love can be?

Blue Umbrella Sky is my first novel set in my new home of Palm Springs, California. The old song is true—it never rains in southern California, but when it does, it pours. A flash flood plays an unlikely Cupid in bringing our two main characters together, as you’ll see in the excerpt below.

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Blue Umbrella Sky is a great romance by Rick R Reed.

Billy and Milt are neighbors who meet during a storm. Both men are dealing with a whole lot of damage from their previous experiences, but the attraction is undeniable. 

Milt's new in town, trying to escape his loss, and is isolating himself in his grief. His background with his husband is so damn dismal, as watching a spouse with Alzheimer's is never easy. It's tough enough that he lost his husband, but it's worse that he nursed him for years, without the advantages that marriage bring. As Milt struggles to move on, he finds that it's okay to love again. Moving on doesn't diminish what he had before. Milt's grief is expertly written, as it's on his face, in his body, and whole demeanor.

Their relationship is an emotional ride, full of longing, acceptance, and taking chances. It's about moving forward from both your low and your grief. The author expertly illustrates the importance of not judging someone from what we see, as we have no idea what they've experienced.

It's a fantastic story supporting the importance of surrendering, and turning your will over. Whether you're a religious person or not, this is something we can all benefit from doing more often.

Billy's alcoholic background is sad and it's very realistic in it's development. It gets into the nitty-gritty, ugly truth of alcoholism. If that's a trigger for you, skip this one. The alcoholism is written with extreme knowledge, care, and understanding. It's tough to read, but very accurate. It definitely brought out all the feels for me. 

I always enjoy a good May to December romance, and this one deals with the age gap in a fun and wonderful manner. 

Blue Umbrella Sky is a beautiful tale of overcoming your grief and allowing yourself to move forward with your life. It's another terrific read by Rick R Reed.

EXCERPT: Boy Meets Boy

Worst of all, Milt watched the water hover just outside the sliding glass doors, waiting, perhaps, for an invitation to come inside.

Ah, the hell with it, the water seemed to say, why wait for an invitation? This party needs crashing!

And it began to seep in…. A little at first, and then faster and faster, until his entire floor was covered.

Milt involuntarily cried out, voice high-pitched and terrified, nothing like the butch forty-two-year-old he thought himself. “Help! Flood! Somebody, please!” The cry was pure panic. Logically, he knew no one would hear.

What that helper would do, Milt had no idea, but he simply wanted someone to be with him in his predicament. The thought flitted across his consciousness that he’d been here six months, and it wasn’t until today and the advent of a rainstorm of biblical proportions that he realized he didn’t want to be alone. He swore as warm water covered his bare feet at the exact moment his power went out, plunging his little sanctuary into murky dark.

And at this very unnerving moment, Milt realized—gratefully—someone just might have heard his pleas for help. There was a pounding at the back door, rattling the glass jalousie panes. He turned, confused for a moment—he’d cast himself as a sole survivor, a man against nature, alone.

The pounding continued. A voice. “Hey! You okay in there?”

Milt crossed the living room and the small galley kitchen to get to the back door. But when he opened it, there was no one there. The wind pushed at him, mocking, and the rain sent a drenching spray against him. Despite getting soaked, Milt leaned out, gripping the door’s frame with both hands for balance, and looked around.

Even though the covering of storm clouds had made it seem as though a dusky twilight had fallen, he could see that there was no one there.

He wondered if he’d imagined the knocking and the voice. He really didn’t know his neighbors, having kept to himself since he’d moved out here because he just wasn’t ready to connect with others again. He’d given so much to his Corky during those final tortured months…. Sometimes Milt felt he had nothing left to give anyone again ever.

And a dog, cowering and bashful as she might be, had been company enough.

His little reverie was shattered by a second round of knocking, this time at the sliding glass doors in his living room. “Okay, so I’m not hearing things.” Milt turned away from the back door and headed to the sliders.

Outside, a young man stood, drenched from head to toe, in a pair of neon-pink board shorts and, well, nothing else. Maybe there’s flip-flops. Milt couldn’t see the guy’s feet. His jaw dropped as he hurried to open the door. In spite of all that was going on—the storm, the flood, the risk of his home being destroyed—he couldn’t help his thoughts, notions he’d decided long ago died within him.

I am looking at an angel; that’s all there is to it. He’s going to sweep me away in those muscular arms, lifting me right up to heaven and setting me down gently next to my Corky.
Milt shook his head. A short burst of laughter escaped him, almost as if someone else were chuckling in his living room with him.

The guy was handsome, a tanned and buff dreamboat. Corky would have loved him, saying, once upon a time, that looks like this boy’s should be illegal, or at least sinful. Milt smiled.

Even though his hair was plastered to his head, Milt could tell it was thick and luxurious—right now the color of dark wheat, but Milt was certain that in dryer moments, it was as gold as the pure, unfiltered sunshine Milt had grown accustomed to being greeted by every morning. He had a body that made Milt, if only for a moment, forget the storm and the fact that he was a widower, still grieving nearly a year after losing his man. Muscles, smooth bronze skin, and a six-pack had the power of oblivion, of taking precedence over everything else.

Stop, he mentally chastised himself. He flung open the slider, noticing the rain had—at last—slowed to a patter and the winds had died down almost completely. Milt, though, couldn’t seem to put lips and tongue together to form a greeting or ask a question or to even say anything at all. His eyebrows came together like two caterpillars possessed of their own will.

“Hey there, man. I heard you calling out for help.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I live in the unit behind you.” He smiled, revealing electric-white teeth that made Milt’s thoughts go even more blank or even more lascivious, he wasn’t sure which. He shivered.

Real Men. True Love.

Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. He’s the award-winning and bestselling author of more than fifty works of published fiction and is forever at work on yet another book. Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…” You can find him at www.rickrreed.com or www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA with his beloved husband and their fierce Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix.

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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