Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: BLACKMOORE by Marcus James





Blackmoore
The Blackmoore Legacy
Volume 1
Marcus James

Genre: Gothic horror/paranormal romance/M/M romance/supernatural

Publisher: Candiano Books
Date of Publication:  06/08/2017
Number of pages: 416
Word Count: 127,046
Cover Artist: Ransom Graphics

Tagline: The Devil shall come for his witches...

Book Description

Welcome to South Hill, a neighborhood of wealth, secrets, gracious Victorians, and austere manor homes overlooking the port of Fairhaven and the dark waters of Bellingham Bay. Seventeen year old Trevor Blackmoore has lived here is entire life, shunned and feared, along with the rest of his clan, by the elitist and superstitious families that surround them and who regard the Blackmoores as the devil's concubines.

As a young clairvoyant dealing not only with the dark secrets of his family but also with his homosexuality-two things which have made him an outsider-he struggles to find normalcy. Trevor's life is made extremely difficult by his tormentors and former childhood friends Cheri Hannifin, Greg Sheer, and Christian Vasquez; the school gods of the prestigious Mariner High School. His only saving grace is Braxton Volaverunt, a captivating young man with secrets of his own.

A diabolical plan sets in motion a chain of events that will fulfill the doomed prophecy of the Blackmoore family. A centuries old curse comes to an end, releasing an ancient and bloodthirsty evil, set on wiping out the family, and Trevor learns that he is at the center of it. Realizing that he is all that stands between this darkness and his family's survival.

"2017 E-Festival of Words award winner for Best Literary Fiction"

The last rays of light pierced through those familiar parted drapes, rich and green, the light like a beam, piercing the air of a particularly dim room, particles of dust visible in the bright intrusion, causing Trevor’s eyes to squint closed, the corners of the lids creased, lines running together. He hated reflecting on the school day, hated having to reflect on the people there—the same people that had played in his backyard all throughout childhood, those same people who now looked down on him and considered him to be nothing more than an infringement on their privileged world.

He closed his eyes, ignoring the gentle brush of vibrating air, hot and somewhat moist, caressing his forehead. It was simply Jonathan, his childhood friend, the only one who continued to stay by his side, the only one to truly know Trevor inside and out. Like all things in one’s secret world, everything breathes the air of your own life.

He drifted back into dreams: dreams made of memories, dreams of a time when Trevor belonged, dreams made strictly for childhood.

“...Three, two, one, ready or not, here I come!” Little Trevor Blackmoore opened his tiny lids, his delicate lashes fluttering like moths’ wings, adjusting to the bright summer light, standing in his back courtyard, the red flagstone reaching from one end to the other, leaving no room for grass. On the flagstone were two black wrought-iron benches and three sets of black wrought-iron tables, with four chairs each, decorated with tiny white candles inside little glass candle-holders, the Fourth of July party preparing to start.

Kathryn was inside of the house, most likely in the sun room chatting with friends, all of them with drinks in hand, laughing and speaking of adult things while their children played hide-and-seek in the back. Four maple trees reached out strategically in the back, no more than twenty feet in height, and strung about with Chinese lanterns; no doubt someone was hiding behind the trees.

Trevor was determined to catch one person in particular: Christian Vasquez, who always made it to home base, which was the carriage house along the road, now his mother’s secret place, a place that was secured with three padlocks, a place that Trevor had only seen once and could only vaguely remember.

It was a place that had smelled wonderfully and sat illuminated with firelight, a place of plaster eyes, and a place that filled him with fear and peace all at the same time. A strange combination that was often confusing, even now, even though he at this point was intimately aware of the mirrored world, the place of trance-words and things named Jonathan—the most familiar place in all the world.

‘I know where they are...’ he said to Trevor in the secret language of the mind, in the voice that only Trevor could hear, touching him with the flesh that only he could feel.

“Where’s Christian?” Trevor was scanning the courtyard, trying not to look conspicuous, wanting to be as nonchalant as possible, well aware of the danger of people knowing too much of him. He felt that vibratory hand graze his shoulder and grasp his arm, directing it to the appointed area just behind the drapery of Virginia creeper along the thin wood fence, slowly rotting away with erosion and the growing weight of the plant.

‘There....’ Trevor nodded casually and made his way between the trees, running lightly along the flagstone, his little tennis shoes tapping on the brick, seeing the others pop out of hiding. Cheri Hannifin brushed past him in her blue jumper and brown pigtails, giggling inanely to herself. Little Greg Sheer was not far behind, wearing a pair of jean shorts and a black t-shirt with the Batman emblem on the chest, his golden hair bright like the sun, and his blue eyes were not unlike his mother’s: steely and cool.

But he could care less about either one of them. Trevor only wanted Christian, and with his specter’s help he was going to get him.

The air smelled of the sea and barbequed meat from the back kitchen, as well as from the fire pits in the surrounding yards. The collective clouds of smoke and the fragrance of charred flesh filled the warm summer air and carried itself on the cool breeze. Trevor crept behind the carriage house.

“I found you, I found you!” he called repeatedly, his little index finger pointing at the little Hispanic boy crouched behind the green and rope-like plant. A little smirk spread across his face, followed by a wink, and then he was off, both boys laughing as Christian made his way to home base, confident in his success and spotless hide-and-seek record.

Trevor watched as the vibratory form of Jonathan moved in front of the little boy and stood his spectral ground, pulling energy from Trevor as well as the earth, making himself as firm as possible, causing Christian to run right into his phantom gut, bringing the little boy to a halt and not allowing him to move.

For a brief moment Trevor just stared, fearing that Jonathan would become visible to the others. Normally he looked like nothing more than the heat that vibrates from metal, looking wavy and somewhat like gas, but in this new solidity Trevor feared discovery. He realized rather quickly that no one could see him, so Trevor ran.

“You’re it!” Trevor declared, placing his hand on Christian’s shoulder, causing the boy to look at him in brief disappointment, but like all things with children, this disappointment was passing. The four children continued to play, as other kids began to arrive.

Trevor’s cousins and fellow classmates from Lowell Elementary arrived, ready to join the existing game or form a new one altogether.

Trevor was wary of Jonathan’s presence, knowing that he wasn’t the only one who knew about spirits. In fact, it was a well-known thing in his family, and his cousins had their own strange secrets much like Trevor, but completely individual in their form.

The soft whisper of his name forced Trevor back into the present.

The light of day was fading fast, and his room was becoming darker by the minute, and Jonathan was growing  desperate, commanding attention. The curtains were pushed open by male hands, visible in the dark; in fact, all of Jonathan was visible in the dark.

Standing at a steady six feet and three inches, dressed in a tweed suit made of shadow, a strong face with prominent cheekbones stared out on the front lawn. Translucent white skin, like well-polished marble, big oval black eyes deep and endless, absorbing all of the light, his dark hair well groomed, styled much like Trevor’s and making this specter, this familiar, look incredibly beautiful, sharing secret desires with Trevor Blackmoore, desires named sinful by any God-fearing human being. Thankfully Trevor had no fear of God; in fact, God was a foreign concept to Trevor.

‘You need to be dressed for dinner....’ His voice always seemed like a whisper, trailing off, and never with question. That was one of the things Trevor adored about Jonathan.

 “I know.” Jonathan nodded and went to Trevor’s closet, pulling it open and removing a crisp white shirt and fine black slacks draped over a wood hanger, laying it before Trevor on his bed. The spirit went to his chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of white briefs and his black dress socks, laying them out atop the shirt and slacks.

Trevor stood and lifted his shirt from off his head, his nipples becoming erect at the moment of Jonathan’s touch, those spectral hands moving along his body, those ghost-lips upon his flesh, slowly moving down his chest, trailing along defined abs and pulling open his jeans. Trevor’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as his exposed body found its way back onto the mattress, indulging in the familiar routine.



Carra's Review

Centered around Trevor Blackmoore, an older teen (about to turn eighteen), Blackmoore delves into the paranormal and the curse handed down through the generations of Trevor’s family.  A family with secrets, powers, and strength, but one weighed down by the actions of not just ancestors but present day family members.

I really liked Trevor’s character, he’s intelligent and accepting of his family’s unusual “gifts”, and just like any other teenager he’s curious to learn more—especially if it will help himself guard against the curse that plagues the family and those that love them.  I found the friction between him and his former childhood friends to be quite realistic to what you’d find among teenagers with their cliques today, and I thought the conflict his former best friend Christian was going through was well written.  I also loved Braxton and the love and support he had for Trevor as Trevor went through what he did with Christian.

The author’s writing style tended to drift to the overly descriptive when it came to places and people to the point that I wanted to skim over these descriptions as they actually became cumbersome and for me didn’t really advance the story.  This style does lend itself toward the gothic, though for me it was just a bit much.  In contrast, the scenes of action and drama weren’t burdened with as much detail, and those sections claimed my attention more fully.

There’s a lot of depth to all of the characters (be prepared—there’s plenty of supporting ones, particularly once you get into Trevor’s relatives), which in turn contributes to the overall depth of the story.  There’s enough tension and suspense to keep you on edge, and plenty to pique your interest to check out the second book in the series.


Since for me at times this was a slower read—mostly due to those descriptive passages—Blackmoore was a 3.5-star read for me.  While it does have older teens as central characters, the adult language and some sexual content would have me advising this story for readers 18+.


About the Author

“Some writers have great ideas, but fail with the delivery. That is not the case for our author. He has clearly developed his craft and whittled it to perfection”-Wesley Thomas, bestselling author of Nightmare Fuel

Marcus James is the author of five novels, including The Blackmoore Legacy series. He has contributed to a dozen anthologies from Alyson Books, has been a featured writer for the Seattle Gay News, is the host of Brews and Books at Ravenna Brewing Co. and is host of Queerly Spoken. When not writing he’s cooking, drinking champagne like water, and watching horror films with his husband and their Staffordshire terrier, Nikita. He is 32 years old and lives in Seattle.




GIVEAWAY!




New Release: 1001 DARK NIGHTS: BUNDLE TWELVE



We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Twelve, brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Introducing Discovery Authors Nazarea Andrews and Megan Erickson, the Bundle contains 6 novellas, including novellas from New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Lorelei James, and Lara Adrian! Grab your copy of this incredible bundle today!




About 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Twelve:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Lorelei James, Lara Adrian, and introducing Nazarea Andrews and Megan Erickson. Six Dark Tales. Six Sensual Stories. Six Page Turners.


KAYDEN: A Bayou Heat Novella by Alexandra Ivy
Kayden is obsessed with revenge after his parents disappeared when he was just a cub. Now the gorgeous Hunter has discovered the man responsible for betraying them – Joshua Ford – and it’s time for payback. Beginning with the kidnapping of Joshua’s daughter, Bianca. But last thing he expects is to be confronted with the horrifying realization that Bianca is his mate. Will he put revenge before his chance for eternal happiness?

SIMON: Bayou Heat Novella by Laura Wright
Sexy male model, Simon refuses to give up his exciting life in New York City to return to the slow heat of the Wildlands. For a decade, many pantera have tried to capture the rogue Diplomat and bring him home, but all have failed. Now it’s Tryst’s turn. The hard, brilliant, and gorgeous, Hunter is the ultimate tracker. But can the admitted beast-girl of the Wildlands capture her prey without losing her heart in the process?

STRUNG UP: A Blacktop Cowboys Novella by Lorelei James
Rancher Creston Grant retreats from the world after he loses the love of his life….Can his former flame, rodeo cowboy Breck Christianson prove he’s a changed man who can give Cres a second chance at love?

MIDNIGHT UNTAMED: A Midnight Breed Novella by Lara Adrian
For Breed warrior Ettore Selvaggio, stealth assassinations are only one of his specialties. The last thing Savage expects to find behind enemy lines is a woman he once adored. It’s been years since Savage last saw Arabella Genova. Years he’s strived to banish to his past, along with the fierce desire he once felt toward Bella and the irresistible calling of her blood that stirs in him even now, despite the fact that she belongs to another male.

DIRTY SEXY SECRET by Nazarea Andrews
Even when you know better….
There are a million reasons why Hazel Campton is off limits: she’s a journalist. I’m a cop. Oh, and she’s my foster sister.
My secret is I didn’t care. I haven’t stopped wanting her since I slept with her the night before she left.
She’s trouble. Always has been.

It’s hard to resist the thing you’ve always wanted…
Growing up with Brandon Archer means I know him. Good. Bad. Everything in between.
It’s just never mattered.
My secret? That night. The one I stole, that’s kept me from Archer and Green County, for four years.
Now I’m home, and nothing has changed. Except me. And not in the way that means a damn thing.
Because I still want him.

Everything can change with a knock at the door…
Secrets. Everyone has them. Archer. Me. This town.
Perfection only runs surface deep in Green County. When there’s a knock at me door, it’s a familiar face all covered in danger, and all those secrets we hide? They’re about to come tumbling out.

BITE THE HAND THAT BLEEDS by Megan Erickson
Roxy heads below the streets of Mission City to a vampire club, determined to give up her blood in exchange for much-needed cash. She has no idea that the handsome, brooding vampire she meets there will awaken desires she didn't know she had, and will change her life forever...

Every Dark Nights tale is breathtakingly sexy and magically romantic.

Experience the 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Twelve Here…


Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Amazon AU









About the 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Twelve Authors-

Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Alexandra: “I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library.
Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.




Laura Wright is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Laura: “Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.”




Lorelei James is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary erotic western romances set in the modern day Wild West and also contemporary erotic romances. Lorelei’s books have been nominated for and won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s choice Award, as well as the CAPA Award. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota with her family…and a whole closet full of cow girl boots.

From Lorelei: “Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I’m a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I’m not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive.”






Lara Adrian is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of the Midnight Breed vampire romance series and seven award-winning, historical romances, previously released under the pen name Tina St. John.

Lara’s Midnight Breed series is available in hardcover, mass market paperback and e-book through Random House, and in limited edition through Doubleday Book Club, Rhapsody Book Club, Book of The Month, and the Science Fiction Book Club. Unabridged audio editions are available through Tantor Media, Random House Audio, Amazon, iTunes, etc. Lara’s new releases regularly appear on all of the key bestseller lists including including the New York TimesUSA TodayPublishers Weekly, Indiebound, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. There are more than 2 million copies of the Midnight Breed novels in print in the United States.




Nazarea Andrews (N to almost everyone) is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. Which means she writes everything from zombies and dystopia to contemporary love stories.

When not writing, she can most often be found driving her kids to practice and burning dinner while she reads, or binge watching TV shows on Netflix. N loves chocolate, wine, and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids.

N is a self-professed geek and enjoys spending her spare time lost in her favorite fandoms and can often be found babbling about them on social media.

She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, spoiled cat and overgrown dog. She is the author of World Without End series, Neverland Found, Edge of the Falls, and The University of Branton Series. Stop by her twitter (@NazareaAndrews) and tell her what fantastic book she should read next.





Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.

For more, visit meganerickson.org







New Release & Giveaway: ALPHA'S PRIZE by Renee Rose & Lee Savino

NEW BOOK RELEASE !!
from USA Today Bestselling Authors
Renee Rose & Lee Savino
Alpha's Prize Tour Graphic
ALPHA'S PRIZE
Renee Rose and Lee Savino
Series: Bad Boy Alphas Series Book 3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Burning Desires Press
Publication Date: October 17, 2017
My Captive. My Mate. My Prize.
I didn't order the capture of the beautiful American she-wolf. I didn't buy her from the traffickers. I didn't even plan to claim her. But no male shifter could have withstood the test of a full moon and a locked room with Sedona, naked and shackled to the bed.
I lost control, not only claiming her, but also marking her, and leaving her pregnant with my wolfpup. I won't keep her prisoner, as much as I'd like to. I allow her to escape to the safety of her brother's pack.
But once marked, no she-wolf is ever really free. I will follow her to the ends of the Earth, if I must.
Sedona belongs to me.

Praise for Alpha's Prize

WOW!!! Let me just start with that. This book is HOT and DIRTY!! And I mean that in a really really good way.
- Jan, Goodreads Reviewer
Two talented authors have spun a tale that is jammed packed with suspense,danger,many twists and turns,paranormal,alpha men and strong women.
- Donna Louise, Goodreads Reviewer
Wow!!! This fast paced story will leave you with all kinds of emotions. my favorite book in this series. I love how the authors pulled me into the story and made me feel like I was right there.
- Rhonda, Goodreads Reviewer

Purchase Link

Available now for $4.99 only. Grab your copy today.
Alpha's Prize Teaser
Alpha's Prize Teaser
Alpha's Prize Teaser

Other Books by Renee Rose and Lee Savino

Love dominant alpha heroes, intricate, suspenseful plots and a major dose of full-moon induced passion with your romance?
Get pulled into a world of fierce wolf shifters who will stop at nothing to claim and protect their mates. The Bad Boy Alpha series by Renee Rose and Lee Savino will keep you up reading into the night with stories so hot, they'll melt your kindle.
Don't miss the first two books in the Bad Boy Alphas Series series:

Alpha's Temptation

Alpha's Danger

Giveaway

WIN $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD !!
Alpha's Prize Giveaway Graphic
Contest runs from October 28 - November 3, 2017.

About Renee Rose and Lee Savino

About Renee Rose
USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE is a naughty wordsmith who writes kinky romance novels. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and Spanking Romance Reviews' Best Historical, Best Erotic, Best Ageplay and favorite author. She's hit #1 on Amazon in the Erotic Paranormal, Western and Sci-fi categories. She also pens BDSM stories under the name Darling Adams. Grab six free ebooks from her at http://www.reneeroseromance.com

About Lee Savino
Lee Savino is a USA today bestselling author, mom and choco-holic.
Warning: Do not read her Berserker series, or you will be addicted to the huge, dominant warriors who will stop at nothing to claim their mates.
Download a free book from http://www.leesavino.com (donít read that, either. Too much hot sexy loviní).

Catch Renee Rose and Lee Savino on Social Media

Renee Rose
Visit Renee's blog at http://www.reneeroseromance.com
Sign up to receive FREE ebooks: http://owned.gr8.com
Follow Renee at https://www.Facebook.com/ReneeRoseRomance - She loves to chat with readers!
Follow her on Twitter at https://www.Twitter.com/ReneeRoseAuthor
Follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/reneeroseromance

Lee Savino
Visit Lee's website http://www.leesavino.com
Follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lee.savino.1

In partnership with
Book Unleashed Logo

Monday, October 30, 2017

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: DEACON'S LAW by RJ Scott



Buy Links: 


Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Length: 50,000 words approx.

Heroes Series

A Reason To Stay (Book #1) - Amazon US | Amazon UK
Last Marine Standing (Book #2) - Amazon US | Amazon UK


Blurb

How can you trust the man who tried to kill you?

Undercover cop Deacon Shepherd lost everything trying to maintain his cover - the man he loved and the future he craved. He walked away and never looked back because it was the only way to keep Rafael alive.

The last thing he needs is to be dragged back in that world, but an attempt on Rafael's life is enough to make him risk his heart again.

Rafael 'Rafe' Ramirez wakes up in the hospital, the victim of a hit and run. He's horrified when the first face he sees is that of the man who betrayed him and left him for dead three years before. Witness protection had stripped Rafe of his family and friends, and now it seems his sacrifice to bring his Uncle to justice was for nothing.

Someone wants Rafe dead, and the only way he can stay alive is to go with the murdering drug dealer who broke his heart. But how can he ever trust Deacon, and how can Deacon protect Rafe without falling in love all over again?


Excerpt

Rafe opened his eyes, attempting to focus on the ceiling above him. He tried to lift his hand, but it felt as if there was lead in his veins, everything heavy and he couldn’t move. They’d told him he was getting better, so what the hell had happened? Had he relapsed? Why was he convinced that they’d taken him somewhere in an ambulance? That he’d leaned against a leather jacket that smelled of sunshine and soap? He blinked until the ceiling finally coalesced into the tiles he was familiar with.

Only there were no tiles.

Instead, the ceiling was a smooth white, and there were no strip lights, just a lampshade in a curious shade of blue. He blinked again. This didn’t make sense. 

But when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed. The ceiling was still white, the lampshade blue, and the drapes at the window matched the shade. The drapes. There were drapes at the window. Confusion morphed into panic and he turned his head to the right to get a better feel for where he was and he saw…him.

Sprawled awkwardly in the chair, his head back, long limbs this way and that, clearly too big for the chair, was a specter from a past that wouldn’t leave him alone.

Deacon.

Intense fear sliced into Rafe.

They’d found him, had him strapped to a bed…was it Deacon who’d tracked him down and driven a car at him? He was paralyzed with a fear that made it hard to breathe, and he yanked at his hand, hoping to escape his restraints, only he wasn’t tied down, there was no rope. Instead his hand came up fast and he rolled sideways. Catching himself and coming off the bed, forgetting the fact that his leg was in a cast and toppling sideways, falling with a crash into a cabinet. He flailed but couldn’t stop himself falling, and he knew this was it – this time he was really going to die.

Deacon was up and at his side in an instant, and Rafe wanted to shut his eyes, wanted to block out seeing Deacon’s face again as he died, but he had to watch. He wanted Deacon to see his fear, and maybe that would stop him; maybe he could make Deacon stop and think.

“Shit, Rafe— Craig,” Deacon said, and reached for him, grasping his arms.

Terror became ice inside him, and Rafe stopped fighting; like a deer caught in headlights, he froze.

“What happened?” A second man stood in the doorway, someone Rafe didn’t know – tall, dark and dangerous-looking. Maybe this new arrival could stop Deacon?

“Help me,” Rafe forced out, looking past Deacon, scrambling to stand as the ice melted and he pushed himself to move.

“He woke up, saw me, and fell out of bed,” Deacon said, and the other man came right in. There were two of them, and there was little Rafe could do to get away. There and then, he screwed his eyes shut; nothing was going to save him now.

But there was no pain, no bullet. Instead, the two men helped him to stand, and then he felt the bed at the back of his thighs and they sat him down.

“Are you okay?” Deacon asked. Even with his eyes shut, Rafe recognized his voice. He would never forget the tone of it, or the coldness of the man who’d tried to kill him. He said nothing.

“Open your eyes,” the other man asked.

No.

“Craig? Rafe? My name is Mac. We’re here to help you.”

But fear was choking him and he couldn’t breathe. “No,” he managed between attempts to inhale enough oxygen not to pass out.

“He’s panicking. What the hell did you do, D?”


“Tried to fucking kill him three years ago, remember?”


Carra's Review

RJ Scott certainly does romantic suspense well…Deacon’s Law has action, tension, suspense, one crazy as a loon bad guy, and of course right alongside it all, a burgeoning romance between the main characters.  It’s all done realistically and with enough left unknown for most of the story to keep the tension high—along with Deacon and Rafe’s emotions.

These two guys are both after the same thing—they want to take down Rafe’s uncle and cousins for what they’ve done and continue to do.  They both have different reasons, and both go about things in their own way…but things don’t always work out the way you want them to.  For the reader, this results in a bit of a second chance romance (along with a bit of an age gap) to fit right alongside the action and suspense.  

Rafe wants his uncle and cousins to pay for what they did to his parents, and is willing to put himself in the middle of it all to do so.  Deacon is working undercover long-term to get all the dirt on them as well for a whole lot more; the problem with undercover?  You sometimes have to do things you don’t want to do, things that will change you and how others view you as well—something Deacon needs to make Rafe understand when they meet up again a few years later.


There’s plenty to keep your attention here in this story, and the excitement and heat clinched a solid 4 stars from me.  Deacon’s Law was classic RJ Scott romantic suspense, so if you’re a fan of the genre you’ll find a lot to enjoy here.  This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.


Author Bio

RJ Scott is the bestselling romance author of over 100 romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men and women who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week's break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn't defeat.




GIVEAWAY!




Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions