People fall in love with their best friends all the time. But for me, the circumstances of this unrequited attraction are even more agonizing.
I am gay.
My best friend, Sawyer, is not.
Since we were fifteen, I've harbored this torturous crush. Now, as we both enter our thirties, it seems time to resign myself to the fact that nothing is going to come of it. Ever.
Or so I thought…
One night, a bottle of gin and a little uncharacteristic self-pity were all the inspiration I needed to launch into a ramble about being alone because I’m bad at everything - even kissing. Determined to prove me wrong, Sawyer decided to shut me up with a kiss.
I know he meant for it to be innocent.
Turns out it was anything but.
Sparks flew as we unlocked a side of Sawyer he never knew existed. Now, more than anything, he wants me by his side forever. But this realization comes with its own set of obstacles. Can we learn to lean on each other as we build a future together? Or will the stresses of our day to day lives tear us apart?
My Rating - 4 Stars!
His Heart Knows is a sweet friends to lovers romance by Riley Long.
This one starts slow and took me a while to become fully invested. I found it hard to care about the characters for a little while.
But once I did, I enjoyed their story. It's a bisexual awakening between best friends, with one having long been in love with the other.
Their story is full of hot and sexy first times and plenty of charming moments between the two.
Their story also includes an opposites attract, with a rich versus poor aspect. One's family is high society and controlling, with major expectations. The other came from a poor family that was full of love.
The writing style is nice, but there are some things with the story that threw me off and kept the score lower.
Overall, His Heart Knows is a nice romance with an adorable ending. I'm glad I gave this Riley Long book a chance.
Lucas landed his dream job working public relations for bands in LA, and to kick off his new life, he allows himself a scorching one night stand with a sexy stranger. The only problem? The stranger turns out to be his most famous client. Working this closely together will be hard, but it turns out keeping their hands off of each other is harder. Can Lucas resist his rockstar's charisma and stick to the one night plan? If he can't, can he convince the rockstar of a new plan: love?
Riley Long's The One Night Plan is a fun one night stand romance. The third book in the Crushing series, it is easily read as a standalone.
In this part of the Crushing tour, Lucas has a one night stand with someone who's famous and closeted. And to make it worse, the guy is his new client.
Nicky is a closeted rock star who has no plans to come out. But Lucas changes everything, as he can't resist his new publicist.
This is a book that follows the two men on their fairly straight forward journey of trying to make things work.
The One Night Plan is a cute and simple read. This Riley Long book is a a good bet for anyone looking for a light angst rocker read.
Lucas nodded and stood, ready to follow Nick just about anywhere. The guy was hot, with his husky voice and his muscular arms, and his confidence was magnetic, drawing Lucas in. The way he’d touched Lucas’s thigh made his whole body scream out for more. Lucas didn’t see any red flags or hear any warning bells. He’d had a handful of hookups with varying degrees of satisfaction, though usually not with strangers. Something about this guy felt right. And just like moving to LA, just like taking off to find the bar, when something felt right, Lucas felt compelled to go with it.
Outside of the bar, Nick led the way, guiding Lucas several blocks farther into the city. They soon arrived at a hotel that was … well, not what Lucas had expected. He’d figured Nick would guide him to a cheap, anonymous motel with questionable cleanliness. That’s what usually happened with his one-night stands, right? Instead, they’d arrived at a shiny new building, several stories high, the front modern glass and metal, everything very angular. Lucas raised his eyebrows, mentally reassessing the situation. Who are you, Nick, to take a stranger to such a nice hotel for a hook-up?
Nick didn’t hesitate when they entered the brightly lit lobby. He led Lucas over to the elevator and hit the button firmly. The moment they were inside, Nick was on Lucas, placing his strong hands on either side of Lucas’s face. He pressed their bodies together and then their mouths. He had Lucas pinned against the wall, and Lucas’s heart pounded, his dick getting harder with every passing second. Nick’s hands gripped him firmly, rough fingers stroking his jawline as his hot mouth captured Lucas’s, tasting of gin.
They kissed frantically, Lucas tugging at Nick’s clothes, already desperate for the feel of skin, which he was rewarded with briefly before the elevator dinged softly and the doors slid open. Nick pulled away, cleared his throat, and adjusted his shirt, standing straighter in an effort to look composed. Lucas couldn’t help but grin. Luckily, there was nobody waiting to board.
Nick grabbed Lucas’s hand. “This way.” The hall branched in several directions and Nick put a hand on Lucas’s lower back. The touch sent sparks up Lucas’s spine as Nick guided Lucas to a room a few doors down.
But really, Nick was sexy. As they entered the room, the dimly lit lamp in the corner illuminated Nick’s strong, square jaw and the high cheekbones that made him look like a model. Broad shoulders stretched his t-shirt to its limits. Lucas could hardly wait to be wrapped in Nick’s muscular arms.
To celebrate Riley's new release, we are giving 2 lucky winners the chance to win an e-copy of The One Night Plan and an e-book of their choice from Riley's backlist.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Riley Long is a wife and mother living a quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull. She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.
Blog Tour, Excerpt & Giveaway: Lost in the Florist By Riley Long & Marie Cole
Blooming Hearts, Book 1
A fast-paced, sexy romance in the woods that will make Smokey Bear come running.
Jax fled his small hometown eight years
ago to make it big in LA. His music career took off and he hasn’t been
back to see his childhood best friend Emmett–his first, unrequited
love–since. No man has lived up to that first love, though Jax has
certainly tried.
When he finally gets a vacation, Jax
decides to put his playboy ways behind him, surprise Emmett with a
visit, and finally lay his feelings on the line. But Emmett has a few
surprises up his sleeve, too–including one big secret. Emmett is a
virgin.
Lost in the Florist is a great small town romance by Riley Long and Marie Cole. There is lots to love about this book. Friends to lovers is a delightful trope, and these two friends don't disappoint.
A mix of a famous, closeted singer and small town life, these two best friends are faced with revealing their truths to one another. Jax is back in town after being away for years. He has some things to tell his best friend, Emmett.
Dear lord, the emotions in this one hit me hard. The fear and hesitation is certainly painful. A story of taking chances, revealing secrets and desires, and risking it all, I love it! Every single second of this book had me captivated.
This is a story with miscommunication and misunderstandings, so avoid this book if those are a hard limit for you. It includes an entertaining grandmother, an alcoholic father, and some fantastic friends.
The downfalls of living in a small town are well illustrated, including the lack of a lgbt community. As well, there's some other aspects displayed, which certainly add to the storyline.
Jax's alcoholism is well done and completely realistic. It isn't heavily explored, yet still makes an impact.
Lost in the Florist is a fast read that left me satisfied. Riley Long & Marie Cole definitely delight in this sweet and sexy coming out story. I am excited to see what comes next in this series.
Jax
The second Jax placed his can in the cup holder, his phone started vibrating. His heart leapt a little, but when he flipped the phone over, he saw that it was just his manager, not his best friend Emmett calling to tease him with more mental imagery of the blow job he’d always dreamed of--not that Emmett knew that. Jax had kept that little fantasy very close to his chest throughout high school. Their small town wasn’t exactly the gay man’s safe haven and the jocks had a reputation for being extremely anti-queer. Jax hadn’t thought Emmett was anti-queer, but he was on the football team, and Jax knew if there was even a sniff of male on male activity that it would spread like wildfire through the school. Part of him still regretted not saying “Fuck it” and kissing his best friend when he’d had the chance. He’d come close once.
He swiped the screen to answer the phone and scooped it up. “Hey, Ron.” In his free hand, he picked up the remote for the TV and turned it on, quickly muting the volume and switching it over to the internet browser. He pinned the phone between his ear and his shoulder.
“Jax, hey. Just calling to tell you everything’s all arranged.” “Uh, what’s that now?” Jax was already only half-listening to Ron, attempting to navigate the TV’s browser to pornpornporn.com at the same time.
“The R&R you asked for. The time off. We’ve got it all arranged. You’re going to be staying in a little cabin about a thirty minute drive outside of Camellia. The cabin is already reserved. Do you need me to send someone to stay with you? Sophia maybe?”
The double-meaning was thick in Ron’s tone, catching Jax’s full attention. “Ron, there was only one time that the paparazzi took pictures of me with her. And I told you, we didn’t actually do anything. It was all just coincidental. Uh, circumstantial. Whatever that word is. It just looked compromising. There’s no actual evidence that we hooked up because nothing happened.” He let his gaze travel across the screen, thumbnails of naked guys in all sorts of configurations, waiting for him to choose. “Besides, I’m going there to surprise my best friend, not to get laid.”
“Sure, sure, whatever you say. Listen, it’s none of my business, I’m just trying to keep you happy.” Ron cleared his throat. “The cabin is all yours in a little over a week.”
“This time off is all I need to stay happy. A couple of weeks of rest before the wolves start howling at my door again.” He spotted an image of a muscular man with short brown hair and a beard, frozen in mid-kiss with a guy with a lean, sculpted body, and clicked on it. Immediately, the video took up his full screen and started playing, the two men on a couch, wearing nothing but underwear and making out. His dick twitched and started to grow. “Listen, Ron, I gotta go. Something’s just come up and I need to take care of it. Thanks again. Bye.” He pressed the button to end the call without waiting for a confirmation from his manager and tossed the phone on the bed next to him again.
Enter the Giveaway:
To
celebrate the release of Lost in the Florist, we are giving 2 lucky
winners the chance to win an e-copy of Lost in the Florist and an e-book
of their choice from Riley Long’s published backlist.
Riley Long is a wife and mother living a
quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull.
She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television
(or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo,
GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with
silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped
cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special
place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.
Marie Cole is the author of the
contemporary romance #JustFriends Series. Lost in the Florist is her
very first boy/boy romance and she’s super excited to be stepping into
the m/m arena beside her writer bestie, Riley Long.
She is currently living in Virginia, is
a self-professed Kwave addict, Karaoke Queen, and social binge drinker.
When she’s not writing she’s taking photos of everything from her
fluffy cat Dustpan to birds conversing on her porch. She loves to show
them off on her Instagram account.
Lucas landed his dream job working public relations for bands in LA, and to kick off his new life, he allows himself a scorching one night stand with a sexy stranger. The only problem? The stranger turns out to be his most famous client. Working this closely together will be hard, but it turns out keeping their hands off of each other is harder. Can Lucas resist his rockstar's charisma and stick to the one night plan? If he can't, can he convince the rockstar of a new plan: love?
Lucas took a sip of his drink and let the gin slide past his mouth in a way that made Nicky wonder what else his mouth could do. “I’m happy where I am.” His smile was slow and deliberate.
“So am I.” The liquor warmed Nicky’s throat, and that warmth traveled through his body. He finished his drink and slid the glass towards the bartender.
“Thirsty?” Lucas nodded towards the empty glass.
Nicky laughed and ran a hand through his blond hair. “Not particularly, but you’re a whole drink ahead of me, and that’s just not fair.” He leaned forward, as if he were going to flag down the bartender, but instead put a hand on Lucas’s knee. He dropped his voice to a slow murmur and let a smile tease at the corner of his mouth. “Are you judging me?”
Lucas shook his head, hair falling in his eyes. “I would never.” He polished off his own drink and dropped his hand to Nicky’s. His fingers slid across the back of Nicky’s hand and trailed up his arm a few inches, Nicky’s skin burning.
Nicky curled his fingers, tightening his grip on Lucas’s thigh. Well, shit. It was definitely going to happen. “That’s good.” His throat was thick, voice quiet. “I’m not sure if we could be friends if you were judging me.”
Lucas parted his lips and exhaled, eyes fluttering closed for a second, and Nicky’s dick began to stiffen. “Is that what we’re going to be, Nick? Friends?”
Nicky cracked a grin. “That remains to be seen, doesn’t it?”
To celebrate Riley's new release, we are giving 2 lucky winners the chance to win an e-copy of The One Night Plan and an e-book of their choice from Riley's backlist.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Riley Long is a wife and mother living a quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull. She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.
Lucas landed his dream job working public relations for bands in LA, and to kick off his new life, he allows himself a scorching one night stand with a sexy stranger. The only problem? The stranger turns out to be his most famous client. Working this closely together will be hard, but it turns out keeping their hands off of each other is harder. Can Lucas resist his rockstar's charisma and stick to the one night plan? If he can't, can he convince the rockstar of a new plan: love?
Lucas was showered, dressed, and pulling up to Nicky’s house after a long day at work. Jim had taken it in stride when Lucas had come back from his vacation to let Jim know that he and Nicky had reconciled, especially when Lucas had assured Jim that he did not want to get back on the Boyfriend of the Loveless account. Things were going smoothly, but tonight had him nervous.
He put the car in park and spotted a newer, shiny, pale gold station wagon parked nearby, along with Nicky’s black sedan, and at the sight of the station wagon, butterflies filled his stomach. He rubbed his damp palms on his jeans, the nicest ones he owned, the ones with no rips in them. Lucas hadn’t even worn his usual collection of jewelry, just one silver necklace he tucked under his white button-down shirt.
He took a few deep, calming breaths as he sat in the car, trying to work up the nerve to get out and go inside. Before he got himself to that point, the front door opened and Nicky waved from the doorway.
“You coming in or what?”
Busted. Lucas chuckled at himself, opened the car door and stepped out. He took one more deep breath, which helped steady his erratic heartbeat, as he closed the door and headed to greet his boyfriend, who was waiting on the top step, hands on hips, tapping his foot on the brick, a huge grin on his face.
“Took you long enough,” Nicky murmured he pulled Lucas close. “I missed you.”
Lucas laughed a little, nerves bleeding through in his shaky laugh. “You were working all day. So was I.”
“Yeah, but …” Nicky glanced over his shoulder and dropped his voice to a whisper. “I wanted to suck your dick before they got here, and now it’s too late.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to wait until after.”
Nicky kissed Lucas tenderly, but with a filthy roll of his hips against Lucas’s, the promise of after seemed too far away. Lucas groaned softly.
To celebrate Riley's new release, we are giving 2 lucky winners the chance to win an e-copy of The One Night Plan and an e-book of their choice from Riley's backlist.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
Riley Long is a wife and mother living a quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull. She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television (or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo, GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.
Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway: Lost in the Florist By Riley Long & Marie Cole
Blooming Hearts, Book 1
A fast-paced, sexy romance in the woods that will make Smokey Bear come running.
Jax fled his small hometown eight years
ago to make it big in LA. His music career took off and he hasn’t been
back to see his childhood best friend Emmett–his first, unrequited
love–since. No man has lived up to that first love, though Jax has
certainly tried.
When he finally gets a vacation, Jax
decides to put his playboy ways behind him, surprise Emmett with a
visit, and finally lay his feelings on the line. But Emmett has a few
surprises up his sleeve, too–including one big secret. Emmett is a
virgin.
Lost in the Florist is a great small town romance by Riley Long and Marie Cole. There is lots to love about this book. Friends to lovers is a delightful trope, and these two friends don't disappoint.
A mix of a famous, closeted singer and small town life, these two best friends are faced with revealing their truths to one another. Jax is back in town after being away for years. He has some things to tell his best friend, Emmett.
Dear lord, the emotions in this one hit me hard. The fear and hesitation is certainly painful. A story of taking chances, revealing secrets and desires, and risking it all, I love it! Every single second of this book had me captivated.
This is a story with miscommunication and misunderstandings, so avoid this book if those are a hard limit for you. It includes an entertaining grandmother, an alcoholic father, and some fantastic friends.
The downfalls of living in a small town are well illustrated, including the lack of a lgbt community. As well, there's some other aspects displayed, which certainly add to the storyline.
Jax's alcoholism is well done and completely realistic. It isn't heavily explored, yet still makes an impact.
Lost in the Florist is a fast read that left me satisified. Riley Long & Marie Cole definitely delight in this sweet and sexy coming out story. I am excited to see what comes next in this series.
Emmett
Jax glanced
over his shoulder and so did Emmett. His grandmother was in the kitchen
talking to her friend, whom she must have also invited. Great. So now
not only do they have to have an awkward conversation with Emmett’s
grandmother but they also have to have it in front of Gladys.
Jax
looked back to Emmett. “Grams called me. She said maybe you didn’t have
my number in your new phone. I texted you and told you. Didn’t you get
it?”
He pulled his phone from his pocket and turned it on. He held
it up to show Jax after he’d looked at it himself. “Nope. Nothing.”
“Hmm.
Weird.” Jax looked back to Emmett and shrugged. “Oh, well.” He glanced
behind him once more and then pushed Emmett back into his room. Jax
closed the door behind him. The click of the lock seemed to echo in
Emmett’s ears and his heart began pounding loudly. The sound alone made
his boxers get just a bit more restrictive.
“Jax …” Emmett said. He’d meant for it to be a warning, but to his own ears it sounded more like a plea.
Jax
didn’t reply, instead he grabbed Emmett by the back of the neck and
pulled him forward until Emmett’s lips crashed against his own. Emmett
was slightly more prepared than earlier. He knew it was a bad idea. He
knew it wasn’t going to end well between them.
Emmett allowed
himself one taste. His arm wrapped around Jax’s lower back, pulling
himself in tighter against Jax’s heat and hard body. Emmett was only
slightly shorter than Jax and had to tilt his head ever so slightly back
to open his mouth and allow Jax’s tongue to travel over his. Emmett’s
body shivered and a groan left him. He was barely restraining himself.
Everything in him was screaming, begging him to just give in. To just
let go. He swept his tongue across Jax’s and held on tight as he ground
himself against Jax’s denim. He sucked in a hot breath and tried to pull
away. “Fuck.” But Jax held him tight and found his lips again, coaxing
him, tasting him, teasing him. Emmett’s guard was faltering quickly.
This was a terrible idea.
“Don’t,” Jax whispered, his voice husky
and sexy as hell. His hungry lips found Emmett’s and for a few moments
there was nothing but the two of them, hot and heavy, hands grasping
onto each other as if they would be ripped away at any moment.
“What?”
Emmett gasped as Jax pulled his lips away and kissed across his jaw,
making his way to his neck and Jax’s hand cupped his dick and balls
through his jeans.
“Don’t you—“ A knock sounded at the door and
Jax muttered a curse under his breath and retreated, turning his back to
Emmett and the door.
“Dinner time, you two! Put your penises away and come on out here!”
“Jesus!” Emmett was mortified as he stared at his door. “We don’t have our penises out, Grams!”
Enter the Giveaway:
To
celebrate the release of Lost in the Florist, we are giving 2 lucky
winners the chance to win an e-copy of Lost in the Florist and an e-book
of their choice from Riley Long’s published backlist.
Riley Long is a wife and mother living a
quiet life in Virginia, with her husband, son, and one goofy pit bull.
She passes her evenings writing, reading, and watching bad television
(or not so bad television). For fun, Riley participates in NaNoWriMo,
GISH, and reads with her book club, the BAMFs. She likes things with
silly acronyms. The craziest thing Riley has ever done involves whipped
cream and hugs. Riley writes sweet and sexy romance, with a special
place in her heart for hipsters and musicians.
Marie Cole is the author of the
contemporary romance #JustFriends Series. Lost in the Florist is her
very first boy/boy romance and she’s super excited to be stepping into
the m/m arena beside her writer bestie, Riley Long.
She is currently living in Virginia, is
a self-professed Kwave addict, Karaoke Queen, and social binge drinker.
When she’s not writing she’s taking photos of everything from her
fluffy cat Dustpan to birds conversing on her porch. She loves to show
them off on her Instagram account.
