Release Blitz: This Will Hurt II by Cara Dee

This Will Hurt II | Cara Dee

This Will Hurt Duet #2

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Release Date: June 2nd, 2023

Cover Photographer: CJC Photography

Model: Phillip Glass

Universal Link: https://readerlinks.com/l/3340336

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/137972940-this-will-hurt-i

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Blurb

Buckle up. Hearts broken and wings clipped, Roe and Jake have mountains to climb, walls to tear down, and countless private moments to bring them even closer in this final part of their journey.

I’d gotten what I’d asked for, right? The ground beneath me had finally settled. I had the wife. I had the kid—my beautiful baby boy. Work was great. I was traveling the globe with my best friend, and together we were Roe Finlay and Jake Denver. Inseparable.

That was the f— That was the problem. We were inseparable. Even though he would never be the man I’d once wished he could be, I couldn’t freaking cope going a day without seeing him. When we were together, all was well in the world. I could breathe easier.

Then I found his damn journal from…therapy. That was right. My best friend, who defined “man of few words,” was in therapy. The ground started shaking again. I got desperate. I swam in denial. I…almost lost him on the job when he saved my life.

Nothing was settled anymore.

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Excerpt

What the fuck did you wear to a country concert?

I grabbed a pair of jeans and boxer briefs from the closet, then walked back into the bedroom and picked up my phone from my nightstand. I sent Jake a message.

I’m fresh out of chaps and cowboy hats. What should I wear, hoss?

While I waited for his response, I removed the towel around my hips and put on the boxers and jeans.

“Dada, I’m-wa no baff!”

I glanced over at the door as my boy ran in, with Sandra hot on his tail.

I grinned faintly and swooped him up. “Look out, we got a runner ova’ hea’.” I peppered his face with smooches, and he giggled up a storm. “You can’t escape bath time, baby boy. But you know what comes after, don’t you? Mommy’s gonna read you a story.”

“Nooo,” he complained.

“Yeees,” I mimicked.

Sandra sighed and smiled ruefully. “Let’s go, sweetie. We’ll get extra bubbles and everything.”

“Hear that? We love those bubbles.” I handed over the clinging monkey to her and pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

“I don’t wannaaa,” he whined.

Sandra carried him out, only to stop in the doorway and turn back to me. “You sure you don’t wanna cancel?”

Positive—and I wasn’t fighting with her about it again.

“I won’t be late,” was all I said.

The teasing glint in her eyes faded, and she walked out.

I released a breath.

My phone dinged on the nightstand, and I walked over and read Jake’s text.

I’ll tell you you’re pretty no matter what you wear, sugar.

I laughed silently and shook my head.

Helpful.

Whatever. I returned to the closet and dug out a long-sleeved tee that made my biceps look good. We were going to an outdoor place up in Griffith Park, so it was bound to get chilly. But I liked that it wasn’t a huge concert. Only some five thousand people. It beat going to the Staples Center.

Jake picked me up downstairs fifteen minutes later, and the most country thing about him continued to be his truck. It made no sense to drive a truck in LA. But he loved it, and I really had no room to argue choices of vehicles. I was still a laughingstock after buying a sports car before Casper was born. Worst deal ever. I’d probably lost twenty grand when I’d traded it in for a family-friendly SUV.

“Hey, pretty.” Jake pulled out from the curb. “I see you found clothes.”

“No thanks to you.” I smiled and buckled my seat belt. “Will I see a lot of chaps tonight?”

“If I drop you off in West Hollywood instead, I’m sure there’s a club for you.”

I laughed. Funny.

“Oh, this is a good one.” He cranked up the volume on the stereo. “He’ll probably play this tonight.”

I side-eyed him, more interested in studying Jake than hearing a song. There was something inherently sexy about how he drove. He made life look easy when he was on the road. One arm along the edge of the window, the sleeves of his open flannel shirt rolled up—some serious forearm porn going on—two fingers gripping the wheel loosely at the bottom. He tapped his foot to the rocky beat, and his lips moved subtly to the singer’s voice.

Ratty USMC ball cap on the dash. Since he always wore it backward, he took it off when a headrest was in the way.

Fitting lyrics, about holding on to things you believed in.

Of course, it being a country rock song, the topic was the singer’s truck.

“It’s the miles that make a man.”

How many miles till I fell out of love with him?

“I’d be nothing without you, so I’m holding on.”

Surprisingly, a line not about the truck.

“I’m not the openin’ act,” he chuckled. “Quit starin’.”

That was the fucking problem, wasn’t it? He was the headliner.

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Start the Duet

This Will Hurt I

This Will Hurt Duet #1

Release Date: May 9th, 2023

Cover Photographer: CJC Photography

Model: Eric Guilmette

Universal Link: https://readerlinks.com/l/3340203

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Blurb

Maybe the heart needs to break before one can put together the pieces correctly. This is Jake and Roe’s story.

I used to think leaving the Marines and moving to LA was the defining moment that changed my life. I was gonna become a documentary filmmaker and see the world through my camera. Then I met Roe Finlay.

Never in a million years could I have imagined…well, everything we went through. I sucked at expressing how I felt—which was emotionally stunted most of the time—but Roe seemed to get me. I became…dependent.

Attached. Not in a sexual way or anything—I wasn’t gay. Far from it. Or bisexual like Roe, for that matter. No, this was different. I just wanted to be close to him. He made me laugh like no other. We were a fantastic team. We lived together. Worked together. He was my best friend.

He was everything. He was my defining moment.

Until he decided to commit to his f—to his girlfriend.

cara
About The Author

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.
Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

Social Media
https://www.caradeewrites.com/cdwlandingpage

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Series Tour: Love At Lake Clyde by Aiden Ainslie

Love At Lake Clyde Series

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King Of The Mountain

Love at Lake Clyde Series #1

Release Date: July 11th, 2021

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Blurb

American cycling sensation and heartthrob Clifford Du Frey is riding the wave of success. Brand Du Frey is a multi-million-dollar business, and during the Tour de France, Clifford is mobbed by fans wherever he goes. The superstar must focus on winning the Tour de France and maintaining his fan base.

But Clifford has a secret. He has fallen hard for Gabe O’Reilly – the dreamy art student from San Francisco whom he met on a summer’s day in Paris.

Can Clifford and Gabe’s budding relationship withstand the media storm and other forces arraigned against them? Can the grit and determination that propelled Clifford to the top of his sport help him break out to find true love and happiness?

You will root for Clifford and Gabe as they take you on a steaming hot ride through France and all the way back to their native California.

Master Of The Wild

Love at Lake Clyde Series #2

Release Date: January 27th, 2022

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Blurb

They have nothing in common. Nothing, but the pain and hurt of past relationships. Conner O’Reilly moves from London to California to lick his wounds and recover after breaking up with an abusive boyfriend. He is determined to find a job and start a new life. The last thing he needs is another romantic entanglement.

But Conner hasn’t bargained on meeting Ewan Driscoll. Wild, tattooed, gorgeous, messed-up Ewan, who has more baggage than a freight train.

Will Conner be sensible and get his life back on track, or will his heart lead him into the wilderness?

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Ruler of the Waves

Love at Lake Clyde Series #3

Release Date: May 11th, 2023

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Blurb

A cute doctor in a small town

Tyler: All I ever wanted was to be a good doctor and serve the community I had grown up in. And I wanted a loving husband to share my dream of a house with a picket fence, two children and a dog. Was that so much to ask of life? Why was it so difficult to find that man?

A moody bad boy with an insatiable wanderlust

Rickie: All I ever wanted was the freedom to sail the oceans, taste salt on my lips and feel sea spray on my face. So when Tyler Matthews offers me the chance of a week’s sailing at Nantucket, I agree to go with him. The only snag – we have to convince his snooty friends that we are boyfriends. How difficult can that be? Tyler is a good friend, I know him. Surely we can pull this off.

The only danger I did not foresee was that all my dreams could be derailed if my heart became entangled with the cute doctor who is rooted to the soil like a giant sequoia.

Can love find a way to bridge the ocean-sized chasm between two men who do not appear to be destined for each other? Read the latest book in the Love at Lake Clyde series. A delicious fake boyfriend romance with many unexpected twists and turns.

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About the Author

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Aiden Ainslie lives in the Diablo foothills, east of San Francisco. He grew up in various small towns and loves to draw on that small-town feel for his romances: the sense of community but also the petty grievances, intrigue and rivalries. “An author has to draw on personal experience to create authentic stories.”

According to Aiden, setting and mood are critical parts of a romantic story, hence he is always taking pictures of romantic settings to be used in future novels.

When Aiden is not writing or listening to audiobooks, he likes to cycle and hike. During those solitary pursuits, he dreams up the characters and plots for his MM Romance novels. He also enjoys zipping around town on his motor scooter, drinking coffee at the local coffee shops, and watching people to get inspiration for his writing.

Social Media

https://aidenainslie.com/

https://www.facebook.com/aiden.ainslie

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Ruler of the Waves, Aiden is giving away a $25 Amazon Voucher

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

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Lemon gets his HEA with a gentle giant former SEAL

Atlas EbookAtlas by Eden Finley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not what I was expecting but still an enjoyable read all the same.

Be aware of the trigger warnings for domestic abuse. It’s not graphically described on page, more a case of seeing the aftermath of assault.

Atlas took a while to warm up to, he was judgemental, condescending and a bit of an arse at first, but Lemon soon shoved the prejudiced blinkers off his eyes and made him look again at his attitude towards not only sex workers but sex in general.

I couldn’t quite tell whether Atlas was supposed to be demi-sexual, but I think he was more along the lines of an aromantic, he didn’t want cheap hook-ups but was looking for something special and permanent.

He wasn’t expecting to find that future in a sassy erotic dancer with a heart of gold and a sideline of rescuing troubled men who found themselves embroiled in sex work or stripping when they didn’t really want to be there.

Although Lemon first appeared in Eden’s Thorned Heart this works as a standalone because there’s not really much overlap with the previous two books in this series, other than the guys from Mike Bravo turn up now and then.

Once Atlas looses his judgemental attitude and actually starts to pay attention, he realises that Lemon, aka Andrew, is actually a pretty wonderful guy, who acts as the mother hen for the rest of the young men working at the club.

Lemon’s got strong opinions and won’t be looked down on because he dances for a living in a strip club and sparks fly between them from the moment Atlas rescues Lemon from an overly handsy customer (played by MB’s boss Travis).

Things finally get steamy the closer to the dramatic ending we get and Atlas and Lemon definitely make it worth the weight as they turn up the heat to scorching hot. I loved them as a pairing, they just work together, each providing a caring support for the other in different ways.

Lemon learns to trust someone will always have his back, while Atlas learns to relax and trust in himself and his need for commitment.

The suspense element here is a bit weaker than the first two, for me anyway but there’s intrigue and misdirection aplenty, the pacing keeps going smoothly and there’s a very definite build-up in tension as it becomes clear there’s more going on than just the club’s profits being scalped.

I liked the twist over who was involved in the thefts from the club and the longer term reveal of the mole – although I wasn’t as happy that we were left dangling without a definite conclusion to that plot thread.

Overall this was a great addition to the Mike Bravo series and I was very happy to see Lemon finally get his own Happy Ending, he deserved it.

#ARC kindly received from the author via Foreward PR, I am voluntarily leaving a review. 

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