Diverse Reader: Promotional Post: Up and Coming by Andrea Dalling #Review #Excerpt #Giveaway

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Promotional Post: Up and Coming by Andrea Dalling #Review #Excerpt #Giveaway

Author: Andrea Dalling
Book: Up and Coming
Series: Coastal College Football #1
Publisher: LoveLight Press
Publication date: October 28, 2016
Length: 242 pages

Reviewed by Meredith

Synopsis

An unexpected love could cost him his dreams.

Emmett Cross doesn't have time to date. A college quarterback on a path to turning pro, he can't afford distractions, especially with the academic challenges he faces. When he's blindsided by a growing attraction to his friend Jake, he fights it—rumors that he's bisexual could wreck his draft prospects. But he can't stop thinking about the cute blond twink with the warm heart and gentle smile.

Biochem major Jake Schott has had a straight-boy crush on Emmett since freshman year. Emmett's cool logic is the perfect complement to Jake’s sensitive nature. He’s sure nothing can come of his longing—until a scorching kiss turns desire into hope. Although the tall, sexy athlete with the trim waist and thick biceps denies that there’s a chance for them, his lustful looks and stolen touches tell a different story. Passion ignites between them, but Emmett insists on hiding the relationship.

When their secret threatens to come out, will Emmett give up Jake to protect his career? Or will he risk everything for love?

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Excerpt

Waseem and the guy he’s been dancing with come back to the booth and squeeze in. “You guys,” Jake complains, “I’m practically sitting on Emmett.”

Emmett goes with it and pulls Jake up into his lap. It’s a gay bar, so what the hell? Only Jake looks at him with this weird expression on his face. Emmett smiles playfully, and Jake relaxes.

It’s odd, though, how good Jake’s body feels against Emmett’s. He’s got his arm around the smaller man, because there’s really nowhere else to put it, and it’s comfortable. Emmett’s not used to that kind of intimacy with a man—honestly, he thought it might be kind of creepy, but it’s not. A warm, happy glow rises in his chest, like nothing he’s felt before.

Jake’s still kind of rigid, so Emmett says in his ear, “It’s okay, I won’t bite.” Jake smiles and settles into him. Emmett tries to listen to the conversation—Adams is talking about some economics project—but all Emmett can think about is how good Jake smells. Some citrusy hair product and clean, male musk. Emmett wants to touch that hair, breathe him in, but he’s not that drunk.

A shiver shoots up his back as he realizes he’s hard. Can Jake feel that? The way he’s sitting, probably not. He’s on Emmett’s thigh, not his crotch, but his leg is draped over Emmett.

And suddenly Emmett is acutely aware of Jake’s weight on his body, and how much he wants to touch him. Jake is beautiful, with his blond hair and shining, pale blue eyes, his kind smile and sun-kissed skin. Emmett puts his other arm around him and says in his ear, “You’re the hottest guy in here, you know that?”

Jake looks at him all wide-eyed, and it’s sexy as hell. Emmett has never thought about a man being sexy before, but Jake is. He fits Emmett’s body perfectly, and the thought does something weird to him. Emmett is hot all over, and he’s got a strange pulling feeling in his gut, like there’s a line between the two of them that’s tightening, drawing them together.

Review

Up and Coming is the first Andrea Dalling book I’ve ever read. College football player Emmett Cross is an all-star. He’s on the fast track to being first or second draft pick. Facing your bisexuality and falling in love at the same time is quite daunting for him.

I understood Emmett in this. I was sympathetic to his stresses. Navigating ones sexuality in the sports world is terrifying. But how he handles it leaves a lot to be desired.

Jake is a genius. He’s so wonderful in every way. He deals with a lot and has his whole life. To suddenly have the man he’s been dreaming of for years fall in love with him, it’s insane. But, with Emmett’s hot and cold attitude, it forces Jake to make some serious choices.

Here’s what I loved about the book: The last half of it was great. There was build up, the HEA triumph, the future being all they ever dreamed. I liked the characters when they were together. And when I say together I mean when they weren’t broken up. Waseem the secondary character is amazing and he deserves his own story without question. Good secondaries.

What I wasn’t crazy about in this book was the slight repetition in dialog and situation. Jake and Emmett literally broke up 4 times, I think, and we read each one, read each make up, and after the second time it was tedious. 20% of the book was the break up talk and the makeup talk and I had an issue with that. At around 40% I was questioning continuing. But like I said the last 50% of the book was what kept it alive for me. Break up and make up books are great but sometimes you need to rein it in and realize you’ve walked this walk too much.

There’s a few conversations in this book about bisexuality and bierasure and I thought the author really explained this really well. When Emmett’s coach says “isn’t bisexuality under the gay umbrella?” (Paraphrasing) and Emmett explaining how that in fact it’s not. Gay is gay bisexual is bisexual. Bisexuals are tired of being labeled gay or lesbian when they aren’t. So I liked how this was addressed in this book. Well done.

All in all this is a sports romance and I say if you love stressful relationship books with hot football players genius twinks and love; then give it a go.

About Andrea Dalling

Andrea Dalling lives in the sexy Southeast U.S., where the summers are hot and the romance hotter. She loves to torture her characters but eventually rewards them with a happily-ever-after.

Married to her college sweetheart, she's an ally and an advocate for LGBT rights. When she's not writing, she enjoys gardening at her Raleigh home and scuba diving in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean.

You can follow her on Facebook (andrea.dalling.romance) or on Twitter (@Andrea_Dalling). For news about upcoming releases, sign up at http://eepurl.com/00WxP or visit her website at http://andreadalling.com.

Want free books? Sign up for her ARC Club and receive advance reader copies to review. http://eepurl.com/2c4DH

Giveaway

Andrea is offering one person a copy of her new

novella Temptation by Design