Blow Me (Dat Brass #1) by Mari Thorne

 

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Brady:

In high school, Aaron and I were the best trumpet players in band and practically inseparable. That was, until he kissed me at my graduation party and I freaked out, ran away, and didn’t come back for three years. Now I’m home, conflicted about my future, and determined to repair our broken friendship, though it seems he’ll never forgive me for hurting him.

Aaron:

Three years ago, I made a huge mistake. I kissed my friend at his graduation party. My very straight friend that I had a huge crush on. Because I couldn’t keep my lips to myself, he ran away and ghosted me. Oh well, his loss, right? Since then, I’ve moved on with my life, or so I thought.

Brady’s back in town, and I don't want anything to do with him. Then, he kisses me, leaving me reeling once again. But that doesn’t mean I plan on forgiving him. I didn’t think I’d find myself in a position to need his help, though. When he steps up to help my brass band out, he’s in my life again whether I want him there or not.

Blow Me is a 55,000 word friends-to-lovers novel about finding your soulmate through music, the unbreakable bond of high school band, forgiveness, and choosing what makes you happy. It features a bisexual awakening, humorous moments, steamy scenes, a small-town brass band, a pug named Petunia, and trumpets.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Blow Me  is an amazing second chance romance. The first book in the Dat Brass series, I am delighted by this Mari Thorne book that explores forgiveness and trust. 

With a kiss years ago, and the fears and doubts that followed, Brady and Aaron have a troubled past. Now Brady's home and his life is in an upheaval. His parents want to find him a girlfriend, he wants to renew his relationship with his former best friend, and he just doesn't know where he's headed in life. 

Oh how I love and appreciate Brady and his struggles. He isn't just afraid to be with Aaron, he's desperately searching to discover who he really is and what he wants. In his own words, "I don't even know who the fuck I am, how can I know who I want to be with?"

But, good god, these two have some serious chemistry. Their friendship is an important foundation for them. I love that they overcame an age difference as a common interest brought them together as friends in high school. 

Written in alternating 1st person pov, every emotion is front and center. I love the writing style, the tone, and the pace. The author drew me in at the start and I was riveted throughout. I need more from this author!

As for the band aspect of the story, it's both unique and well done. The connection to music is truly felt and I enjoy the way it fits into the tale.

Blow Me is a fabulous, compelling GFY novel. Mari Thorne had me devouring this romance quickly. It's a perfect choice the next time you are looking for a sweet NA romance. 

BLOG TOUR, EXCERPT, GIVEAWAY & REVIEW - Ex-Bandmates (Local Beats #1) by Zoe Lee

Ex-Bandmates

Local Beats Series, Book One

Zoe Lee

M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 08.06.20

Cover Design: Emilie DeMun Designs

Cover Photo: Stock Photo

Asher From the second Lucas Carlson shows up in my garage for band practice, I’m drawn in by his eyes, his awkward rambling, and his incredible musical talents. But we share a best friend, and he’s only our temporary drummer while he’s in Chicago for a summer internship. It should be easy to ignore the way he brings something out in me that no one has before.

Lucas Asher Bernthal is a grumpy stockbroker whose band, Signal Fire, is vital to my best friend’s happiness. I don’t want to mess it up for her, so all I have to do is drum and keep my head down. It should be easy not to crush on a man so beyond my grasp, who writes lyrics that pierce straight through me.

Despite all of the reasons to stay away, we’re drawn together and bring something new out in each other. Every song pulls us closer together, but we won’t be bandmates forever.

This is the first book in the Local Beats Series, an 80,000 word MM romance featuring musicians with day jobs, a night club, and lots of songs, with a guaranteed HEA and no cliffhanger.

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My Rating - 4 Stars!

Ex-Bandmates, the first book in the Local Beats series, is an interesting romance by Zoe Lee. And damn, the cover is hot.

This story begins with a summer romance between the older Asher and the younger Lucas. As Lucas is a replacement member in their band for the summer, the two allow themselves to have a summer fling. 

And then comes the breakup. And the end of a friendship.

Meeting up again through their mutual friends, as they share a best friend, they have a second chance together. If they can get past the anger and resentment. If they can learn to communicate better.

Asher and Lucas are two men who struggle to lay everything on the line. Their tale is a great reminder to make sure you both show and tell someone how you feel. They are complex men with well explained reasons for why they act the way they do. But, damn, they struggle to mesh. 

As for sex, these two are sizzling in the bedroom. Ohhh...so hot. Like, seriously explosive together.

Through their time apart, and the hard fought happy ending, there is plenty of character growth. They both learn a lot during their time apart, but still have to fight to be together again. I will warn you that these men are stubborn, aren't the best at communication, but especially bad at listening. They have some unfinished business and need to find a way to be right for one another.

I definitely enjoy the uniqueness of these men, as the band is not a professional, famous band. Rather, these are real people who have everyday jobs and play in a band on the side. 

As well, I enjoy the uniqueness of the men. There are not your cookie cutter characters which helps keeps things moving. Lucas's upbringing and his musical talent is intriguing, and Asher's is intriguing in his background.

Told in alternating 1st person pov, the feelings and emotions come out fully. It did start slow and took me a bit to get fully invested though, but I am thrilled I stuck it out. The author includes some delightful side characters who up the enjoyment factor, although they make things more confusing in the beginning. Later on, once you have everyone sorted you out, you will love them. 

There is a lot going on in this storyline, and one needs to pay close attention to get caught up in all the feelings. 

Ex-Bandmates is a nice read. Be sure to check out this Zoe Lee book the next time you're in the mood for some angst with your second chance romance. This is a romance where nothing is easy and happiness is never a guarantee. There's plenty of heat, sexiness, and sweetness to satisfy.

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ASHER

 

“Hey hey,” Amy said once we were up there, shimmying a bit. “It’s about to get soulful up here!”

 

Dan pushed Lucas so that it was Dan, Lucas, and me ranged just behind and stage right from the girls. “I hope you know how to shake it, Lucas,” he said with a giant, happy beaming smile.

 

Before Lucas could seem to decide if he was going to puke or shake it, the song started.

 

I grinned, immediately putting one hand on my hip and bopping my hip and shoulder, recognizing the opening bars of Aretha Franklin’s ‘Chain of Fools’ right away. 

 

Lucas hissed when the girls started belting it out.

 

I looked over and found him doing the exact same classic soul back-up singers’ moves that Dan and I were executing, while Dan and I also chimed in with our part of the song. Lucas’s mouth shaped the words perfectly, but I knew he wasn’t actually singing because I was too close to miss it if he were. 

 

Leslie moved to dance right up in Lucas’s face, her hips swiveling and her finger crooked, making the audience whistle and cheer, and I heard Tilda yelling loud and clear from our table.

 

Lucas’s chest started rising and falling like it had when we’d shared my shower, but it wasn’t lust… not exactly. When Leslie took a step back towards the mic, it was as though Lucas was hooked to her and had no choice but to take a step forward, even though I could see him gulp, paling. 

 

Leslie kept her eyes on Lucas in challenge and then, with a flourish, invited him up to the mic.

 

Lucas’s eyes closed for a beat and then…

 

He sang.

 

Sang.

 

Oh fuck. I swear my cock turned to fucking steel—titanium—whatever the hardest metal in the known universe was—within one measure of him fucking singing. It was more than hitting all the right notes, the little trills and gentle vibrato of Aretha’s voice, more than the way his voice filled up the space like it was coming from everywhere at once, more than the way he was working his hips from side to side like was in Dreamgirls. It was the way that he utterly understood what he was singing, as if he had written the song himself, experienced this himself and knew every nuance of it, as if it was happening to him at that very moment, without it being melodramatic at all.

 

The audience had to be going wild, but I wasn’t paying attention to anything but the fraction of his face I could see, and Leslie’s full profile, the visible eye full of tears.

 

The song ended and Lucas bolted off the stage, pushing through the people complimenting him, and made for the bar as if his ass were on fire—or under fire.

 

“Oh fuck,” I whimpered. 

 

Amy grabbed my arm and hauled me back to our table and I went along like a zombie, letting her shove me into one of the chairs when we got there. Dan patted my shoulder as if he pitied me. 

 

“Oh fuck,” I whimpered again, slumping until my too-hot forehead settled on the rim of a water glass. “It’s not just the voice, it’s—”

 

“Damn, Asher,” Tilda whispered, “you are so fucked.”

 

“Leslie, you evil witch,” Lucas shouted from behind me, but I didn’t move, and he probably didn’t notice because he was ranting now, his shouts lowering in volume to whisper-yells, “I cannot believe you did that to me, that was a fucking cheap shot, and to drag Amy into your scheme!”

 

“You’re a fucking evil witch,” Amy cried. “How could you hide that voice from us!”

 

“Dude,” Dan said in his heartbroken, guilt-inducing tone. “Not cool. Penalty box.”

 

“No, he can’t sing if he’s in the penalty box,” Amy argued, fucking up Dan’s sports metaphor without noticing. “You’re an amazing drummer, but like… why…”

 

“How about a round of shots?” Leslie interjected as if that would derail things for long.

 

“You’re not off the hook!” Lucas grumbled, but he seemed like he was already losing steam. Leslie clicked off towards the bar to get the shots, and then he asked, “What’s with Asher?”

 

Tilda, Amy, and Dan snickered and I gave them the finger without moving otherwise, not even knowing if Lucas could see it or not since my eyes were still squarely aimed at the table. 

 

Tilda took a little bit of pity on me and said, “Just brooding like usual. Ignore him.”

 

Lucas’s hand appeared in my field of vision, his pinkie tapping a quick beat. “Asher?” he checked in very quietly, as the heat of his body sizzled my arm and neck and ear nearest to him. “Are you okay? You’re just kind of… looking defeated over there.”

 

“Shots!” Leslie exclaimed, saving me from having to come up with a response.

 

They shot the shots, while I didn’t move, staring at Lucas’s hand now. In the grand scheme of things, it was an ordinary looking hand. Maybe the fingers were a little more graceful, the veins a little more prominent, the freckles a little less common, but it was still just a hand. At the same time my brain knew that, other parts of me, less intelligent and more fucking unrealistic, head-in-the-clouds, knew that Lucas’s hand was extraordinary, magical. It was one tool that he used to express himself, to display his talent and his skill, to punctuate his words, and to show desire and care.

 

If I was this obsessed with his hand, then how obsessed was I with the rest of him?

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Zoe writes contemporary romances and believed everyone will get extraordinary love stories since before she ever fell in love. She lives with her family near the mountains in Colorado, where she writes while listening to music, never drinks coffee, reads books in one sitting, and watches too many movies and tv shows. She’s been writing since she was a kid, but luckily she knows how grown-ups work now. Mostly.

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RELEASE BLITZ, EXCERPT & REVIEW - Drifter by Eden Winters

Title: Drifter

Author: Eden Winters

Publisher: Rocky Ridge Books

Release Date: 7/7/20

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 238

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Rocker

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Some legends never die. Killian Desmond met his end in the fiery crash that killed his band, or so the newspapers say. Now a nameless drifter, he plays one pick-up gig after another in a haze of pain and regret, moving on the minute someone says, “You sound like that guy from Trickster.” 

 Getting outed cost Mike Rose his musical family. A bassist without a band, he’ll play any kind of music to earn a paycheck, but Trickster’s music provides light during the darkest moments of his life. 

 A chance meeting brings together two lost souls who spark enough heat to set their guitars on fire. Their chemistry, both onstage and off, feels like something written in the words of a song and gives them courage to face life again. 

But to seize their future, they have to confront their past.

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Drifter is a riveting book by Eden Winters. An angst fill read, this is a beautiful hurt/comfort read. 

The accident scene had me gutted. Mike's family issues had me anger and sickened.

And then they meet. Their journey is interesting and full of healing. They are two broken men who can help one another heal. 

"Dying teaches a man a thing or two..."

This is a tale with major family issues, a whole lot of pain, hurt, and anger, in addition to some impressive character growth. This is a story that includes the lack of privacy that being famous brings, as well as the manipulation that's often involved.  

My first time reading this author, I am happy with the writing style. Everything flows well, the storyline is complex and unique, and the characters are well worth meeting. 

Drifter is highly recommended the next time you're in the mood for an angst filled story. Eden Winters will not disappoint. 

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The throbbing beat blended with screams from the crowd; a crowd hidden by bright lights. Sweat and cologne and beer filled Killian Desmond’s nose. Familiar sounds. Familiar scents.

Home.

Did he love this life or hate it? Who cared, he’d never known another. Back to back with his brother Elliot, he shredded his electric acoustic guitar, improvising for the fans. The strings bent to his callused fingertips, note after note falling from his guitar.

Elliot kept up. Elliot always kept up. Others might get lost in Killy’s musical fantasies, but El gauged Killy’s intentions by the way he moved, held his shoulders, or gestures, like pausing to flip his sweat-dampened hair out of his eyes.

The drummer and keyboardist faded away, letting El set the tone with a deep bass beat.

Killy strutted to the front of the stage. Hot lights illuminated him from behind, shining on sweat-soaked skin. “What you wanna hear?” He didn’t need the words to know they’d be sticking to their prearranged lineup. At their manager’s urging, he’d saved the best for last.

Highway!” roared through the arena.

He grinned and cupped a hand to one ear. “What’s that? I can’t hear you.”

Highway!” roughly six thousand voices cried out in unison, louder this time.

“Aw, c’mon, now,” Killy teased. “We’ll play whatever you want, but you gotta tell us.”

The thunderous chant of  “Highway! Highway! Highway!” threatened to blow the roof off the building.

Strolling over a few paces and throwing an arm around his brother, Killy said, “Well, I reckon we better do as they say.”

“Since when have you ever taken orders?” Elliot shot back.

Faster than most could follow, Killy slung his guitar back into place and launched into their best-known riff.

The screaming nearly deafened him. He tried again. On his sixth attempt the crowd settled enough to begin.

He grinned. Adoration and energy flowed from the crowd, straight into his veins, to gather strength and escape through his fingers and his voice.

His deep growl purred through the arena, pouring out the melody he’d written in a single night in a hotel room God knew where. High on life, cheap vodka, and the rush of their first big show, he’d settled onto the bed in the dark, except for the flickering image of a black and white movie on the TV, sound turned down, and began strumming.

The words flowed out of him unbidden, leaving him raw, shaken, and in possession of a number one hit.

He didn’t sing or play Highway—the melody made him its bitch, possessing him, demanding release into the world.

Who was he to refuse?

“Some were born to sand and wind, on the sea they make their home

Some may live a hermit’s life, on a mountain all alone

Or in a glass and metal cage, high up in the sky

Packed in tight with a thousand souls, all trying to get by

Nine to five may work for some, but that don’t work for me

Saddled to day in day out, no, I need to be free

Living a life all on my own, free of family, lover or friend

On the highway I was born, it’s there I’ll meet my end.”

Alone, just him and the highway, until the chorus.

“On the highway I was born, it’s there I’ll meet my end.”

Elliot’s sweet tenor wrapped around Killy’s pack-a-day growl, blending together seamlessly.

The audience joined in, chanting, “Highway! Highway! Live and die on the highway!”

Rob kept pace on the drums, a musician not really worthy of the band they’d become, and Ace, a friend and one hell of a musician, wound his way through the twists and turns on his keyboards.

“The only home I’ll ever know stretches from sea to sea

No start, no end, no in between, just miles of road and me

Living a life all on my own free of family, lover or friend

On the highway I was born, it’s there I’ll meet my end

Highway! Highway! Live and die on the highway!

Highway! Highway! Live and die on the highway!

Highway! Highway! Live and die on the highway!”

The mass of humanity might have started chanting again for all Killy knew. His world boiled down to this moment, the music, his brother, his friend, and the life laid out for him long ago, the first time his mother brought him and Elliot onstage.

They’d stayed. She’d gone.

Here they still stood, though she didn’t.

Never would again.

Nope, no bad thoughts. Just the music.

Note after note poured from him like rain, blocking thought and feeling.

He crashed to his knees, striking a chord and letting his guitar speak for him. Caught in the spotlight, he leaned back in a signature move his manager made him practice, making his shirt ride up to show some skin, while his hair fell back, glittering like gold in a strategically placed spotlight.

The blue streak, his own addition, voiced his defiance at being a commodity.

He should’ve been exhausted after the show they’d put on, but in that moment, he swore he could go all night.

He jumped to his feet, racing across the stage and running through part of the guitar solo for those seated to the left of the stage, then reversed course to the right, repeating the solo.

Arms reached for him, a thousand voices calling his name.

Rejoining Elliot centerstage, he launched into the chorus and let the others join him.

After extending the song by two more choruses, he finally wound down.

An announcer stepped up on stage, to catcalls, whistles and ear-splitting shouts. “Let’s hear it for Trickster!”

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You will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs! Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit. She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures she has written twenty gay romance novels, has won Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches. When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s a mild-mannered business executive, mother, grandmother, vegetarian, and PFLAG activist. Her natural habitats are airports, coffee shops, and on the backs of motorcycles.

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RELEASE TOUR, GIVEAWAY & REVIEW - Love In Progress (Heartbelt Records #3) by Logan Grey

Release Tour, Giveaway & Excerpt:
Love In Progress by Logan Grey

Amazon Link   *    Universal Link

Goodreads Link

Heartbelt Records, Book 3

After years of hustling their music and uploading vlogs, Jayce and Blaine have finally landed the record deal of a lifetime.

When the label gets a taste of their chemistry on screen, the album vision is changed from a lyrical tale of two friends to one of a budding romance.

And that’s not all.

Even when the cameras stop rolling, Jayce and Blaine are expected to sell their new story.

The thing is, for Jayce, it’s a little too easy to play the role of 'boyfriend' instead of 'best friend', until he realizes it’s not pretend at all.

With a life-long friendship and life-changing careers on the line, they’ll have to put their feelings aside and fake it ‘til they make it, or watch their dreams go up in flames.

*This friends to lovers romance is a standalone in the Heartbelt Records Series, and can be read as such.

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My Rating - 5 Stars!

Love In Progress, the third book in the Heartbelt Records series, is a wonderful slow burn romance. This Logan Grey book is fun, sweet, and enjoyable from the start. 

This is a friends to lovers romance that follows along as two men become famous and face their feelings. 

Blaine and Jason. I love these two as a couple. Their backstory is well developed, with Jason having always loved Blaine. We get to follow along as Blaine is suddenly noticing his friend in a new light. 

I love everything about this book. I found myself sucked into the strong connection Jason and Blaine have as friends, and I love everything about this sexual awakening journey. 

These friends and roommates are such opposites, both in their looks, demeanor, and personalities. They mix well and the author excels in staying true to their characters throughout.

Their work, including their band, their song lyrics, and their vlog, are all well represented. Anyone who follows couples online, or "stan" couples, will love this aspect of the storyline. Reality versus perception is the big issue here, and it's well explored. 

 

This is truly a story of finding out that you and your best friend are meant for each other. It's a story of sexual awakening at it's finest.  

This book includes some hot first times and some delightful sexual exploration. And the feelings. Oh my lord, the feelings. They are many and they just jump off the pages. 

Love In Progress is a wonderful friends to lovers romance. Definitely check out this Logan Grey book when you're in the mood for something special. This gay for you book is sure to satisfy! As for me, I am excited to re-read it soon.

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BLAINE

“So, to celebrate, we’ve decided to read some of the questions you tweeted us. But there’s a catch—”

“For us,” Blaine interjected, and reached down to their feet to pull up a bottle of wine.

Jayce turned both palms face up to showcase the wine and grinned. “We have to drink every time we see #Jaine mentioned.”

“I think we’re going to die,” Blaine groused. After twisting the cap off the bottle, he pulled both of their mugs closer and tried to pour without making a mess. Nerves and excitement were so mixed up inside him, he felt like a bottle of champagne, one shaken and ready to burst with the emotions.

After three years of going at it alone, Blaine had begun to let go of the dream of signing to a record label. And just when he’d begun to accept that no label would offer them what they deserved, Heartbelt Records came into their lives.

There he sat, announcing to their fans that their lives were changing. So yeah, you could say it was a big deal, hence his shaky ass hands.

Chill out, he told himself. If you spill wine on Jayce’s clothes, he will kill you.

“Don’t worry, honey, I’ll hold your hair back when you’re sick later,” Jayce responded to his comment and took the mug from him, avoiding spillage. As he leaned back, his crop top slid up his torso, a tease and a statement all in one.

Blaine ran a hand through his short hair out of reflex. It was buzzed on the sides, just like Jayce’s, but he kept his blond locks pushed back with a side part instead of letting the fringe fall into his face. He was also dressed in nothing more than sweatpants and a tee, whereas Jayce wore a highlighter bright, orange crop top and black skinny jeans ripped at the knees. Because of the camera placement, viewers would only see them head to waist, but Jayce never did an outfit halfway.

Patting his hand around on the couch, he found his phone and tapped the blue icon of the Twitter app.

“Ready?” he asked, and gestured to the wine.

“For alcohol poisoning? Bring it on,” Jayce teased, and sent the camera a flirty look before scooting closer on the couch.

REVIEW - Outshined (Tall Thicket Tales #1) by Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Outshined

Author: Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid

Publisher: Eine Kleine Press

Cover Artist: Thursday Euclid

Release Date: April 16, 2019

Genre/s: 90s (late 20th century) M/M Romance

Trope/s: figuring out he’s gay

Themes: Mental illness, first love

Heat Rating: 3-4 flames

Length: 79 000 words/ 266 pages

Goodreads Link

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Blurb

Fall 1993.

Well, it isn't his Plan A...

At his surgeon father's insistence, premed bad boy Cameron Lord transfers from the massive University of Texas to tiny Tall Thicket State University in small-town East Texas. After the scandal of seducing the dean’s son during their sophomore year in Austin and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Cameron needs a fresh start. Dr. Lord insists Cameron's lucky any school still wants him, but Cameron's more concerned with whether a certain gorgeous blond undergrad is interested.

After spotting Tim Sullivan through the plate glass window of Big Cheeser's Pizza, Cameron can't resist the opportunity to apply for a job there. Angelically handsome, Tim's also frontman for popular local cover band the Angry Goats, proving there's more to him than polo shirts and shy smiles. When Tim reveals he's on Prozac for severe depression, Cameron's convinced they understand each other. But with Tim's evangelical upbringing, the terror of the AIDS epidemic, and the casual homophobia of Tim's bandmate, will virgin Tim be brave enough to acknowledge his growing interest in worldly, reckless Cameron?

Review 

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Outshined is a tough one to review. I loved this Clancy Nacht and Thursday Euclid story, but I didn't love the writing style. I can't pinpoint what I didn't love about it, but it took me a long time to get into it, and I always felt something was off.

That said, the story itself is wonderful. Taking place in 1993, I loved this look back at how we lived back then. It is clearly evident the differences that the internet has made in our lives since then, especially as Tim has no clue about gay sex, as there was no way to learn about it online. In addition, looking back as to how homosexuality was treated then, this is an excellent representation of the need to be discreet. 

The mental illness are well written, but I was expecting more from this theme.

Outshined is worth a read, especially for anyone looking for a romance in that time setting. The authors weaved a great tale of discovery and first love. The sex scenes are fantastic also.

Excerpt

Tall Thicket, Texas. Home to Tall Thicket State and Woodpeckers football, for those who even fucking cared. Texans or not, most Thicketers knew the Woodpeckers sucked. No one with any talent came to East Texas to play ball, and honestly, the student body didn’t care. In 1993, they had other things on their minds.

Cameron Lord definitely did. Transferring junior year from the massive University of Texas hadn’t been his Plan A, but after the way he fucked up sophomore year in Austin, well, he needed a fresh start. His dad insisted he was lucky Tall Thicket wanted him, and Cameron had argued enough with his dad recently.

Besides, TTSU had a great psych department. So that worked out, probably. When Cameron had graduated high school near the top of his class, everyone figured he’d become a surgeon like his dad, but now...

Well. Fuck it. Just, fuck it, right? Psychologist was close enough, and it’d be less pressure, and he kind of knew about the field firsthand now.

What seemed entirely unfair, honestly, was that despite how much money Cameron’s dad was saving by sending him here, he expected Cameron to hold down a part-time job. On one hand, that was great. Cameron liked his independence, and he hated his dad, so not having to ask him for much suited him fine. On the other hand, if these meds didn’t pan out...

Ha.

If these meds didn’t pan out, Cameron would be losing a lot more than a part-time job. Like, oh, his mind?

After two months on them, he felt different. Not better, just different. More detached. Less moved by emotions. That was probably okay, but Cameron couldn’t tell otherwise.

Living off-campus would be nice, at least, right? He’d been in the dorms his two years at UT; at least now he had some space. His therapist, Lynette, had suggested to Dr. Lord that Cameron have somewhere to get away from over-stimulating social situations, so while he still had a roommate, he had his own bedroom with a lock on the door.

Of course, she’d also suggested he walk everywhere because he maybe shouldn’t drive on his current chemical cocktail, but Cameron refused to give up his chopper. He and his dad had built matching ones together when he was sixteen, and it was all he really had left of that part of his life, now he’d blown up their relationship. At least he still had a cool ride.

For all the good it would do him.

His apartment was a stone’s throw from campus, and walking would’ve been easier than driving a bike in the January-molasses kind of traffic moving across the sprawling grounds. By the time he’d done orientation, gotten his books, and settled in, he was convinced he should have bought sensible walking shoes instead of his heavy Doc Martens.

His dad was always telling him to choose substance over style, but what about when style had the most substance? Sometimes form followed function. Wasn’t that better than ugly practicality?

Which seemed to prove Cameron wasn’t cut out for a surgeon’s job. Psychology seemed like a better fit, personal understanding of mental illness aside.

To emphasize the point, Cameron had observed Tall Thicket was home to some improbably good-looking student bodies. The boy who’d been ahead of him at the bookstore had stolen his breath for a good ten seconds and left him light-headed. A girl who sat beside him at orientation had flustered him until he dropped his pencil. Overall, it was a pretty, pretty school—spectacularly landscaped grounds notwithstanding.

Too bad the meds he was on kind of killed his sex drive, along with numbing any other excitement he might feel. Some would argue that was for the best.

With classes starting next week, there was little for Cameron to do with his weekend besides hunker down and settle in, familiarize himself with the town. It wasn’t as dinky as the one-stoplight towns around these parts, but it was a lot smaller than Austin. He’d still been finding cool new spots there when he left. Here, a bike ride down the main drag would take him past just about everything that mattered.

Might as well get out there.

“Going out?” Mike, Cameron’s new roommate, asked as Cameron strode out his bedroom toward the front door.

Cameron grunted in Mike’s direction and shrugged. What did the guy want from him? They had to live together, and if Cameron had his way, that would mean a lot of ships-in-the-night action, not a buddy flick.

“Have fun.” Mike seemed untroubled by Cameron’s attitude and turned his attention back to his grainy recording of Seinfeld.

With two raised fingers, Cameron saluted briefly and headed out. Within moments he was pulling his long hair back into a low ponytail and settling a black helmet on his head. Then he was on his bike and pulling out of the parking lot, turning onto University and then blazing toward the four-lane highway with a roar. Within moments he’d left behind the landscaped campus for the endless rows of mom-and-pop shops intermingled with chain shops.

Clusters of students milled along the sidewalks and waited at corners to cross. Cameron watched them hungrily, the numbness inside growing teeth and gnawing at him. He longed for the belonging of kids hand-in-hand striding over the crosswalk at least as much as he despised it. Easier to dismiss it altogether, though.

Easier never to want what he couldn’t have. Better. Safer.

Lynette talked about comfort zones and stepping outside them, but Cameron wasn’t certain he could survive that much change all at once. Not right now.

Waiting at the stoplight, he caught a glimpse of golden hair through the plate glass window of a pizza place and his chest seized up. Was that bookshop guy?

Oh man, it was.

Bad idea, right? Such a bad idea. Cameron wasn’t hungry, and that guy was probably straight, and this was East Texas.

The NOW HIRING sign beckoned, and Cameron sighed and gave in. He had only so much willpower to get him through a day, and most of that was focused on basic human tasks like not driving into oncoming traffic and keeping his balls clean.

He eased across traffic and parked diagonally right in front. He wiped suddenly sweaty hands on his ripped jeans and plaid shirt and then hung his helmet from the ape-hangers.

So what if he was going to mix work and play a little?

So what if he was purposely attempting to get a job somewhere with a devastatingly attractive co-worker who’d fuck his head right up?

Self-destruction was in vogue. He’d wear it well. More to journal about, right?

Cameron wasn’t dressed for success, but what did it even matter? It wasn’t Wall Street. They probably weren’t picky, even if he could just hear his dad moaning over the situation.

Inside, the place was filled with customers. How had Cameron even spotted the golden boy from the road past all these people? Friday night dinner had to be prime time.

The blond man stood in front of the ovens, behind the counter. He held a metal spatula that he clanged against something metal above him before he shouted. “Bell, large supreme pie.”

He then slid a box on the counter in front of him. A woman, presumably Bell, joined the line at the cash register. The man squinted past the heat lamps into the lobby. Their eyes met and his brows rose briefly before he gave a quick nod and then spun around to retrieve another pizza out of the oven.

The place was slammed. As soon as one phone was answered, another rang. The woman answering the phones looked older than the rest of the staff, as if she was in charge. She handled putting people on hold with brutal efficiency, taking down orders on paper slips she stacked until someone came from the back to snatch them away, apparently to fulfill them.

For a second, Cameron considered backing out. Just turning around and walking out. He’d worked at the video store during high school, and Friday nights had been like this, but... Man, food service seemed like a whole other animal. Way more intense.

Though fewer shouting matches so far, at least.

As much as Cameron wanted to bail, the way the blond guy seemed to recognize him—had he, though, or was Cameron reading in?—galvanized him. He stood his ground, waited until he was at the counter, and then licked his lips, suddenly nervous. If he hadn’t been medicated, it would’ve been too much. As it was, he copped a swagger and grinned at the folks behind the counter.

“Saw y’all are hiring. Need help?”

“Oh, um.” The young lady at the front counter crouched down, shuffling papers. She pulled out a pad of job application forms with the company logo in the corner. Ripping one off, she handed it to him and gave him a wide, toothy smile. Her lashes fluttered over her pinkening cheeks. “Need a pen?”

The woman at the phones slung one on her shoulder as she leaned forward, squinting at Cameron. “Hey, kid, you eighteen?”

“Twenty,” Cameron countered with a smile he didn’t feel and a challenge he did. He took the application from the girl and held out his hand for a pen, although he had the sense the manager was inclined to skip to the part where she stopped being short-handed.

The metal clang rang out again as the blond man shouted another name and order. A box appeared on top of another. He paused, looking between Cameron and the manager, then whirled around to grab another pizza out.

“Can you start now? Wash a dish or fifty?” The woman smiled. There was a gap between her front teeth. Her hair was frizzy, probably with the heat and humidity. “Minimum wage, but all the pizza you can eat.”

The blond man dropped the pizza on the table, then ran a roller slicer through with lightning speed. His lithe muscles flexed under the fitted golf shirt. It was probably just the heat that made his cheeks rosy. Or was it?

“Yeah, sure, I can wash dishes tonight. I need a uniform for that?” Cameron tried his best not to stare at the hot boy, especially not in front of potential colleagues. What was he even doing?

Why was he doing this to himself?

He’d never even washed dishes, except at home. The video store had been more with the Be-Kind-Rewind and less with the suds.

“Nah, but you’ll want an apron. Tim, you got an extra apron back there for our new hire?” She glanced over at the blond guy who gave a quick nod before shouting another name.

He peeked into the back and then back to his boss. “Yeah, there’s one on the dough table. Might also need boxes later if this keeps up.”

“Shoot.” She grimaced but set the phone on the stand and then threw open the door to the right of the counter. “Well, you’re hired, um… What’s your name?”

“Cameron.” He stepped through the counter door and sized up the other employees. At least his dad couldn’t ride his ass about this now. He met the manager’s gaze and shrugged one shoulder. “Thanks, um...?”

“Nina. Cameron, great name. Don’t think you’ll need a hat for dishes, but we’ll get you one of those, and the shirt and apron. Pants are just plain black. Docs are good; anything with support will do for shoes.” She started toward the back, giving the phones a swift glance. “I’ll just show you the back quick.”

She pointed at the blond guy. “That’s Tim. At the counter is Lisa.”

She walked back to behind the ovens where a harried looking young lady was frantically making pizzas. “This is Heather. Heather, Cameron. He’s going to do dishes.”

Heather looked at Cameron briefly, went back to her pizzas and then looked back again, eyes roving more slowly. “Cool.”

There was a man facing the back wall shoving dough into a machine. It came out oblong. He ran it through again and the dough was round.

Nina scooted past him. “That’s John.”

John turned. His eyes were bloodshot like he’d been smoking not too long ago, but he seemed to be working industriously. “Great, someone else to suck up hours.”

Nina rolled her eyes. “He’s real fun.” She showed Cameron the bathroom, then the walk-in fridge, then around to the sink. Beside it stood a pile of pizza pans almost as tall as he was.

There was a clank from the front and Cameron caught a glimpse of Tim dropping another pan in a growing stack. He gave Cameron a brief smile and gestured with the metal spatula at a table against the wall where an apron lay. “There’s a dishwasher apron in the bathroom that’s more heavy duty. Just gets hot. Up to you. It’s clean.”

“Hot enough already. Thanks.” Cameron shot Tim a look, half-searching and half-bitter. He already kind of hated him. Tim. What a fucking wholesome sounding name. He was probably a real nice boy.

If Cameron had learned anything, it was to mistrust nice boys. You thought they were your friend. That you could trust them. Be real.

Then they freaked out on you and threw you to the wolves.

Turning his back on Tim, Cameron beelined for the apron and pulled it on before rolling up his sleeves and remaking his ponytail at the base of his neck to keep the wild, wavy strands under control.

“Great. Ask Tim if you’ve got questions. Soap’s up top. Sprayer powers out most everything. Don’t burn yourself. Gotta get back to the phones.” Nina flashed him a smile as she patted his shoulder. “Get you to fill out the paperwork later so we can get you paid. I’ll show you the time cards too.”

If Tim was offended by the cold shouldering, he was too busy to show it. He turned to the ovens and got back to work. A radio played the college radio station. It wasn’t loud enough to be heard in the lobby; it was barely loud enough for Cameron to hear over the sprayer.

What he could hear was the rhythmic clank of metal on metal when Tim pulled out a pizza, signaled he was calling a name, and the thump of another pan dropping into the pile. He could also hear Tim calling a name pretty clearly, which was surprising, given how loud everything was. Pretty good projection. Probably a jerk.

Jerk with a good voice though. Strong. Clear.

Cameron couldn’t help being a little intrigued, especially when he glanced over at every call to see Tim moving nimbly around his station, his muscles stretching and bunching under his uniform shirt. He looked way better in it than he had any right to.

About the Authors

Clancy Nacht
Clancy Nacht is a bisexual genderqueer person who lives in Austin. Clancy has published several bestselling romances. Many of her books have been honored with Rainbow Awards; Le Jazz Hot won for Best Bisexual/Transgender Romance & Erotic Romance. In 2013, Black Gold: Double Black was a runner-up for a Rainbow Award. In 2015, Gemini won an Honorable Mention for Gay Erotic Romance and in 2016, Strange Times won an Honorable Mention for Science Fiction. Wyatt’s Recipes for Wooing Rock Stars was a finalist in the highly competitive William Neale Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance. The Phisher King won second place in the Rainbow Award for Romantic Suspense, 16th for Gay Book of the Year.

Thursday Euclid
The Thursday Euclid is a strange and elusive creature dwelling in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Frequently mistaken for Bigfoot, Chupacabra, or the monster of the week, he is, in fact, a 30-something black sheep with a penchant for K-pop, geekery, and hot and sour soup. When he’s not playing Dragon Age or SWTOR, he’s probably watching B-movies or talking to his best friend and frequent collaborator Clancy Nacht. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, or email him at thursdayeuclid at gmail dot com.

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