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Release Blitz: From The Universe To Me by Scott E. Garrison

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From The Universe To Me | Scott E. Garrison

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Release Date: April 11th, 2023

Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

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Blurb

Eighteen-year-old Tobias Gavin is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. For many years, the what-ifs of coming out have swirled around his head, so he has chosen to live a lie to keep from disrupting the “normal” life he has created with his family and friends.

That is until he meets Gareth David the day he enrolls for his first semester as a college student. He feels an immediate connection with Gareth…a connection that pushes Tobias to question the way he has been living his life. When Gareth coincidentally becomes, Tobias’s History professor, Tobias is forced to confront his feelings and confront the universe.

Tobias must come to terms with his depression, anxiety, heartbreak, and his sexuality before he can even begin to heal his wounds. He believes that everything happens for a reason, but he learns that some experiences are meant to teach even if they cause heartbreak. Once he comes to terms with himself, he might find his knight in shining armor.

Tobias must learn to trust himself and those around him if he wants to find happiness.

From the Universe to Me teaser

Excerpt

He is beautiful.

Wow. Drop-dead gorgeous isn’t even the best phrase to describe the man standing before me. The stylish brown hair rising in waves from the top of his head looks natural and void of any hair products, like he rolls out of bed looking like McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy on a daily basis. His light brown skin and dark brown eyes shimmer, reminding me of silky, smooth milk chocolate. Everything with me always goes back to chocolate, which is why I can’t stop looking at him as he stands next to the receptionist’s desk talking to Anna.

He isn’t ridiculously muscular, but his biceps look statuesque underneath his tight plaid button-down shirt. Dark Levi’s accentuate every muscle and curve his lower body has to offer. My mind immediately drifts to what his legs would look like if he set them free with short shorts or even his underwear. What is wrong with me?

Without even moving, he exudes confidence I only wish I could have. My mediocre body isn’t nearly as memorable as the physique standing before me. Anyone would want to talk to him, to be near his gorgeous face…touch his toned body. This man hit the gene-pool lottery when whatever higher being or the masters of the universe made him.

“Hello… Hey…. Is somebody in there?” he asks, waving his hand near my face.

My eyes adjust to his waving hand, and I realize I have been staring at him with an open mouth, looking like a brainless buffoon.

“Uuhhhh…what?!” I say like a blubbering fool.

“I asked if you are here to meet with me,” he responds with the sweetest expression, ignoring my inability to carry a conversation, which makes my cheeks burn red.

“Hahaha… I wish.” I freeze… What the fuck did I say? Oh my god, I could die. I should run out the door and lay down in the street, praying someone will take pity on me and end my suffering. I’m positive I have turned as red as the couches I’m sitting on.

He chuckles and gives me a bright and warm grin, revealing his perfectly whitened teeth. He towers over me, holding out his hand. “My name is Gareth David. I’m Dr. Richard’s teaching assistant. Who are you?”

Suddenly, an overwhelming urge to jump into his arms and put my hand through his radiantly manicured hair skips jauntily through my mind. That is perfectly acceptable for people to do, right?

I grab his hand, applying enough pressure to give an adequate handshake, so I look less like a dope.

When our hands meet, a rush of warmth spreads throughout my entire body. He glances at our hands and back into my eyes, giving me that perfect grin again. I can’t help but wonder if he observed the same jolt of energy when our hands met. The way he is looking at me makes me feel something I can’t put my finger on, but I don’t want the erotic energy to end.

After gaining my composure, I respond, “My name is Tobias Gavin. I’m here to meet with Dr. Richards about setting up my schedule for the fall semester.”

An Adonis-like smile spreads across his face, and I melt again. “Are you a freshman? I haven’t seen you around or in any of my classes.”

I look at him confused. “Didn’t you say you’re her assistant?”

He chuckles. “Teaching assistant. However, I teach my own classes and cover her classes when she is away. I know it seems weird, but Dr. Richards has taught me well. Besides, I’m almost finished with my graduate degree. I turned in my thesis a few weeks ago.”

His voice exhibits pure kindness that sends warmth through by body, helping me relax.

“May I have my hand back?” He laughs.

Shit.

My body going tense again, I realize I’m still holding his hand. I hesitate for a millisecond—my body wanting our embrace to continue—before letting go of his hand.

“I’m so sorry. I was listening to you talk and forgot to let go.” Kill me. Someone, please hire a ninja assassin to come kill me now.

“No problem. I didn’t mind. Your hand is nice and warm,” he says with a quick wink.

Is he flirting with me? Holy fuck! I think he’s flirting with me. No. There’s no way. He is being nice. Trying to make me feel welcome and less stupid for blubbering and for holding his hand for much too long. There is no way this sophisticated graduate student—soon to be professor—would flirt with me, an undergraduate freshman.

I’m a small nothing in the sea of eligible fish he must have swimming at his feet. I bet he has no issues finding a significant other, unlike me. I have never had a girlfriend or had any romantic adventures—small or big. Not that I have never wanted to be in a relationship. I’ve always told myself my lack of relationship game is because I’m so awkward, but deep down, I know the real reason I haven’t found a girlfriend is because I’m gay.

Besides, I’m positive he is 100 percent straight and being nice to help me feel less awkward for my behavior. Even if he was gay, he would be out of my league.

About The Author

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Scott E. Garrison is a debut author, who wants to share new, queer stories with the world. He currently lives in the Oklahoma City, OK area.

Alongside writing, he has a Masters in Library and Information Studies and works as a Librarian for an Oklahoma-based library system.

He spends his free time reading, baking, watching movies and tv shows with his husband, and cuddling with his dogs, Jarvis and F.R.I.D.A.Y.

Social Media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scott_thelibrarian/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/scott_thenerd

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scottgarrison88

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29670374.Scott_E_Garrison

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Felice delivers another heart-warming & spicy romance

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61898447Where You Are by Felice Stevens

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

What I love about Felice Stevens’ books is that her characters always feel like they could be someone you’d bump into on the street or in the pub or at work.

She embeds them deeply into their culture or their jobs with a deft hand so that when you’re reading, it’s like catching up with a bunch of people you’ve known about for years and now you’re just finding out more.

I also love that her MCs are often Jewish and proud of their heritage, even when they’re not practising or don’t have strong religious feelings, there are still little nuggets of that ethnicity which bring depth to the characters.

Here it’s Isaac (Gabriel from The Fall Guy’s BFF), a former child star and model who turned his back on that life after 9/11 to become a FDNY firefighter in Brooklyn and is now being sent out on an outreach program working with volunteer firefighters in rural areas.

On his first night in the quiet town he’s landed in, he has one of the hottest nights of his life and is disappointed that the guy didn’t leave his number before he left.

No worries though! He bumps into him at the regional firehouse when he goes to explain all about the outreach program.

Unfortunately Levi’s not out and he’s petrified of being discovered so what follows is a rollercoaster of a ride which covers a multitude of emotional dilemmas and which I thought was believable even if it did get a little bit wearying.
Not because I felt Levi should just come out, given the situation that would have been highly unlikely, but because I was impatient for them to get to discussing the feelings that it was pretty clear both had for the other, even if they were hiding them.

However, the way things develop did work very well for me, I liked the catalyst point that Felice used for there to be changes made and conversations had, there wasn’t any overly dramatic scene that felt forced.

I loved Levi’s extended family, his Aunt and Uncle and his brother’s girlfriend, we don’t see his parents because they’re arseholes, and his brother Jacob clearly loved him, even if couldn’t get his head around why Levi didn’t want to date any of the women he tried fixing him up with.

Isaac’s parents are fab though.

The way the happy ending is achieved also worked well for me, the pacing of the narrative was good, there were a few tension drivers that helped stop it being either too much sexy times or being too much Levi’s fretting, and I could really believe in their future together.

We get a very nice Epilogue too which helps to solidify the fact that the connection between Isaac and Levi wasn’t just based on their lustful first encounter but on the bedrock of support Levi found in Isaac and the knowledge Isaac had that Levi wasn’t out for his fame and connections.

I also loved the little guest appearance of Bryce and Matty from Influenced who are friends with Jacob and whose B&B is in the same part of the country.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

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Definitely my favourite in the Boston Rebels so far

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58867968._SY475_Snowed by R.J. Scott & V.L. Locey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well that was a – very good – surprise and nothing like I was expecting from this duo’s ice hockey series’

The Boston Rebels books so far have all been very different in tone and style while sticking to the sports romance genre. This one veres far more into romantic suspense than sport, even though Kyle is the goalie for the Rebels.

It’s a mostly second chance/forced proximity romance but the suspense element really added to the pacing of the book and I found myself quickly enthralled in what could be responsible for Kyle’s night terrors.

I personally thought the plot reveal to be quite plausible, although it then did head off into slightly dramatic, but not unbelievable, territory which amped up the tension big time in the run up to the last few chapters.

The relationship between Christian and Kyle is so beautifully written, each of them is hiding deep seated hurts, and with Kyle’s additional anxieties and fears, it adds up to a wonderfully poignant reunion.

I absolutely LOVED how it was so clear from that start that neither of them had moved on. There hadn’t been any attempts to “get over” Kyle leaving their tiny Manitoba village to head to the NHL or for Kyle to try and move on from his love for Christian.

Overall this is probably my favourite of the stories in this new interconnected series and I am very much enjoying the different takes RJ & Vicki are going with them.

#ARC kindly received from the authors in return for an honest and unbiased review

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