Diverse Reader: Promotional & Release Day Post: Psycho by JM Dabney #Review #Excerpt #Giveaway

Author: J.M. Dabney
Book: Psycho
Series: Brawlers #2
Publisher: Hostile Whispers Press
Publication date: April 18, 2017
Length: 129 pages

Reviewed by Meredith

Synopsis

Welcome to Brawlers Bar…

Life wasn’t easy when you were certifiable, Gerald “Psycho” Clemons lived on the fringes of society. Five years he hadn’t thought twice about riding with a group who saw most laws as flexible. When the leader of the group turned crazier than Psycho, he stepped in and made the man pay. He’d never been rewarded for his temper before, yet that’s what happened when he earned a permanent place and a job as a bouncer. Everyone walked a wide circle around him, and he liked it that way. One look from his cold black eyes and he had people backing up. Then he met a man who had to be crazier than him.

Decadence Bakery was Ben Morin’s dream come true, and he loved it, but he grew tired of his lonely existence. Six months earlier he’d turned on the open sign and hopefully changed his life for the better. Ben loved his small cottage in the middle of nowhere even with the 3 a.m. rumbling of motorcycles and loud music at the farm next door. Although one thing he didn’t love, was his new hobby of watching one of the terrifying men next door. What could a little harmless peek now and then hurt?

Sweet and older wasn’t his type, but Psycho couldn’t deny the need to possess the beautiful baker. It was stronger than even the insanity he barely kept at bay, could he have a man who looked passed it or would Ben run like all the rest?

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Review

It's no secret I'm a fan of JM Dabney's work. I fell in love with her books with Twirled World Ink... Where it all started. During our time with that series we got glimpses of the Brawlers. You may remember Psycho from the book Scary. He's Elijah's bodyguard. The introduction to Psycho in that book was not likely one you'd ever forget. And though all these books are standalones, you really should read all the Twirled World Ink books.

Psycho wants a love like Scary and Tank have with Elijah. He doesn't know at all how to get a man like Elijah or Twitch. The poor man is so beyond clueless he had my sides hurting from laughing so hard.

Ben owns a bakery, Decadence Bakery, he's older than Psycho by a bit and he's a simple man. He's quiet, hes quite vanilla, and he's been burned by his former partner and boyfriend. Meeting Psycho is, well, like a door to the face .... literally!

My heart melted when it came to these two. As tough as Psycho is he's super soft inside. He's possessive of Ben but not in a horrible way. In a way that Ben never knew he wanted. Psycho opens his eyes to so much and in return Ben gives him the one thing Psycho craved more than anything... love.

This is an awesome book and with each Twirled Crew or Brawler that gets their happy ending it makes me happier and happier. Psycho will make you laugh and it will touch you, especially when you hear about Psycho's past. But it only makes you that much more happier that he has Ben in his life.
Great read!

Excerpt

Psycho scrubbed his hands over his head, then his face and a rumble worked up from his chest. He stood in the corner with his back to the wall as he focused and let his gaze scan the room. Unlike any other night, the crowd seemed to be behaving, more interested in the fuck they’d leave with than in fighting. He wanted a fight. He needed to work off hours’ worth of frustration.

The pretty man wasn’t interested in him. Shit, he didn’t want to think about it. No one could ever learn about what happened. He’d been gentle. He’d said nice things. Psycho had even been sweet. What the hell had he done wrong?

He flexed his fists. Why couldn’t he just be himself? He would’ve made sure Ben got off and let the man curl his soft body up next to his afterward. Psycho never cuddled before, but he had thought about trying.

He dropped his arms to his sides and stepped away from the wall to make his way to the bar. Psycho took his usual post with his back to the wall.

“Something to drink, Psycho,” Hunter asked as he placed his hands flat on the bar and leaned forward.

“Coffee.”

“You’re looking ready to kill.”

“Naw, I’m cool.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

Hunter smiled and rolled his eyes as he set Psycho up with coffee. The other man wandered off to take care of the customers sitting at the bar.

Psycho wrapped one of his hands around the mug and lifted it to his mouth. Hunter was the newbie on the crew, and no one knew much about him. They weren’t close enough for Psycho to ask him for advice. He thought he’d had enough from Twitch and Elijah, maybe—no, he wasn’t going to Scary.

Scary did get himself Elijah and Tank, they were a strong triad. The devotion between the three clear to anyone who had seen them together or heard them talk about each other.

Ben Morin, the sexy little baker, was cute.

The man probably wouldn’t appreciate being called cute. Did anyone like to be called that? Older, sweet men weren’t exactly his usual hookup type, but he didn’t want to hook up, right? He wanted someone of his own. Ben had made it clear he wasn’t interested in Psycho.

He’d been told he was attractive, sexy even. He made sure his partners were satisfied. Why hadn’t the man wanted to go home with him? Psycho growled, set his mug down a little too hard and sloshed hot liquid over his hand. He didn’t even pay attention to the sting.

He was going to have to date. Yeah, he’d taken Bernie on dates, but they’d just went to the shooting range or the bar, then came home and fucked. It was never romance and flowers, did men like flowers?

Psycho was so fucking clueless. His next move was going to be one made of desperation. He stood with his coffee in hand and strode quickly toward Scary’s office. Tank had the door covered, and Elijah wasn’t there, so he knew the man was alone. Interrupting the man in the middle of fucking his man or men was a death sentence.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

“Enter,” Scary’s muffled voice barked from the other side.

Psycho took a deep breath and opened the door, he stepped inside.

“Psycho, problem?”

Scary stared at him with his usual scowl in place.

“Twitch and Elijah made me screw things up.”

“Is this about the dating advice?”

The other man had the nerve to laugh. He almost turned around and left the damn office. Psycho didn’t need to be made fun of, and no one ever dared to do it. Why the fuck had he thought he wanted to work here?

“You don’t have to sound so fucking amused.”

“I am, so, what did my man and Twitch tell you?”

“They said to be sweet and nice.”

Scary’s heavy brow rose. “And where’s the problem with that?”

“I fucked it up.”

“How did you do that? What’s so damn hard about asking someone on a date?”

Psycho lowered his head and rolled his eyes.

“Don’t tell me you asked some stranger to go home with you and fuck?”

“Why lie? We’re going to fuck why not get it out of the way?”

“Psycho, sit.”

“I don’t need more advice,” he grumped as he sprawled onto one of the chairs in front of Scary’s desk.

“I think you do.” Scary pushed the paperwork away and rested his forearms on the desk.

“Rule number one: Don’t ask a man to fuck unless you’re in a bar or club.”

“I don’t do well with rules.”

“You listen to Elijah just fine,” Scary continued, “Rule two: Ask a man on a date.”

“How?”

“Are you that fucking…never mind. You open your mouth, and you say, would you like to have dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“Yeah, Psycho, dinner, you know generally dates consist of people having dinner, maybe just coffee or drinks, and talking.”

“About what?”

“You’re frustrating as fuck, man, yourselves. You ask him about himself, likes, interests, you learn more than what he sounds like when you fuck him.”

“Okay, talking, I can do that.”

“Then you start with a kiss.”

“Already done.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I met someone, he’s cute as fuck.”

“Cute?”

“Yeah, he got this sexy gray hair and a bit of a belly, laugh lines, that means he’s happy a lot, right?”

Scary closed his eyes and groaned as he scrubbed his hands over his face. The man opened his eyes and looked at him. “Where did you meet the cute man?”

“Bakery, Elijah suggested I get out more. So, I went to Nightingale’s, and there’s a new bakery next to it. I went in. The girl working the counter pushed open the door to the kitchen, and I heard a yell. She hit him in the face with the door. I was helpful.”

“Helpful?”

“Yeah, I asked her for a tampon for his nose, and I washed his face. I was all gentle and shit. I took care of him.”

“Did it seem to be going well?”

“Yeah, until,” Psycho grimaced.

“You asked him to fuck.”

“I told him I was going to take him home.”

“No, Psycho, no, you should have asked him on a date at that point.”

“It doesn’t matter he said he wasn’t interested in me.”

“Or was he just not interested in being a fuck toy for the big, cranky, scowling bastard named Psycho?”

“Oh,” Psycho let his head drop back as he stared up at the ceiling.

“Yeah, oh, why not try again? This time ask him to go out. If he says yes, pick a restaurant. I suggest Vincent’s. All the partners like the place.”

“Do men like flowers?”

“I’m sure some do. Elijah and Tank don’t care for them. I know Trouble takes them to Brody on anniversaries and stuff. Zerk makes Landon his favorite dinner. Priest, well, Lucky gets Priest presents all the time, but I don’t think flowers. You might have to learn more about, what’s his name?”

“Ben.”

“You’ll have to learn more about Ben. Everyone’s different.”

“Okay, so date him, don’t ask to fuck, and be nice. You’re all like a broken fucking record.”

“Then quit being such a moron about this. It’s all pretty self-explanatory. Now, get the fuck out of my office. I got payroll to do, then Tank and I have to get home to our man. We’ve got a meeting in the morning with Juvie’s guidance counselor. Last time it was about her protest against the school board’s objection to her plans to organize a GSA, fuck only knows what our daughter did this fucking time.”

“Elijah shut their asses down at the last meeting.”

A smile full of pride stretched Scary’s mouth wide.

“No one fucks with our kid that’s for sure.”

Psycho nodded and pushed up from the chair. The whole relationship thing was still confusing as fuck. He organized his thoughts into a plan as he walked from the office and got back to work.

About JM Dabney

By day, J.M. is an introverted cook hiding out in her kitchen in the middle of nowhere Ohio; by night and any free time she may have, she is a writer of mainly LGBTQ Fiction and Erotica. Although. she's equal opportunity when it comes to telling a story, she'll even write a bit of straight erotic romance when the mood strikes.

She has been writing for years in old notebooks. At the age of eight, she wrote the worst poem in the history of poetry, but it sparked her love for writing. She reads too much and loves to get lost in other worlds. Her favorite stories must include laughter and having the reader doing at least one double take. Thirty-something, forever restless she uses her stories to ground herself, and find her place of peace.

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