Blog Tour: Forsaken by JR Gray #Excerpt #Review #Giveaway

BLOG TOUR:

Forsaken by J.R. Gray

 

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Titus has lived and breathed religion his entire life, tucked away from the rest of the world in a compound in northern Wyoming. He’s destined to be the next leader of the church, deemed so by the Prophet. God spoke and with His word He created. But God made a mistake. Titus isn’t worthy. He was born sick and it’s solidified when he rescues the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. Torn between fidelity to his faith or his soul, Titus must reconcile the two parts of himself before he’s discovered hiding among the chosen.

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Author site: https://jrgraybooks.com/coming-soon/

TEASER EXCERPT:

“Is this okay?” Angel asked. “Is what okay?” Titus had a hard time getting words out. He had a hard time making his brain function with Angel’s hands on him. Angel laughed and scooted his body closer so their legs were pressed together. “Me touching you.” “Yes,” his voice was unsteady. “What about this?” Angel put his other hand on the side of Titus’ neck. “Sure.” Titus swallowed past the lump in his throat, and was happy for the way he was sitting, because he was as hard as he’d ever been in his entire life. Harder maybe. “What about this,” Angel whispered over his lips and then brought them together. This wasn’t like back at his workshop. Angel parted his lips, and used his tongue. Titus was left trying to keep up. As soon as he got the hang of something Angel would change it. He’d done a little necking with girls, but this was completely different. He hadn’t been turned on while kissing those girls. It was more like something to do just to try it, but this was heat and his entire body reacted. There wasn’t a part of him that wasn’t flushed and on fire. Angel’s fingers slid around to the back of his neck and tightened, keeping Titus close. He grabbed Angel’s bicep, needing something to hold on to so he didn’t spin out of control. Angel seemed to like it, groaning into his mouth. It spurred Titus on. He wrapped his other arm around Angel’s back, desperate to feel more of him. There was a fire demon inside him demanding more and he wanted nothing but to listen.

Review

I have to admit that I’ve been hesitant in the past to dive into a book that delves into religion too much. I am so glad that I didn’t let that stop me this time because Forsaken is a beautiful book. 

Titus has lived his entire 20 years on a religious compound in Northern Wyoming. He has been taught what words are bad, but not taught why. He has believed his whole life that he his broken and doesn’t know why. He tries to fit in and finds a way to be of great use to his community. Titus is struggling, but he has made the best of his place in life...until he stumbles upon an Angel.

Angel is lost when Titus comes along and “saves” him. He is leery of the big, handsome young man because he worries Titus might be a danger to him. Titus offers Angel help and in their time together, we find that Angel might just be the one doing the saving.

It’s hard to give you more than that because you really want to take this journey with Titus and Angel. I will tell you that this book had me crying so often and has left me with a bit of a book hangover. The idea that the Titus’s of the world are out there, struggling in silence, saddens me. I hope that they all find their Angel, whomever that person may be. These two characters have lived such different lives and come from such different places. J.R. Gray does an amazing job highlighting those differences while showing us all the beautiful ways these men are the same. Such a truly touching book, I’m a big fan! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it's half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn't writing…well, that's not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.





  Connect with J.R. Gray: Website | Twitter - Personal | Twitter - Books | Facebook | Facebook Group | Tumblr | Mailing List | Amazon Author Page

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Win 1 of 2 e-copies of FORSAKEN by J.R. Gray! Open Internationally.

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Cover Reveal: Forsaken b JR Gray #Excerpt

Forsaken by J.R. Gray

Release Date (Print & Ebook): February 26, 2018

Length (Print & Ebook): 72,000 words

Subgenre: Contemporary m/m romance 

Book blurb:

Titus has lived and breathed religion his entire life, tucked away from the rest of the world in a compound in northern Wyoming. He’s destined to be the next leader of the church, deemed so by the Prophet. 

God spoke and with His word He created. But God made a mistake. Titus isn’t worthy. He was born sick and it’s solidified when he rescues the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. 

Torn between fidelity to his faith or his soul, Titus must reconcile the two parts of himself before he’s discovered hiding among the chosen.

Links:

JR Gray Website

Goodreads

Teaser:

He looked from Titus to the road and took a few steps back. “What are you doing out here if we’re in the middle of nowhere like you say?” He narrowed his eyes like Titus was about to lie to him.

He almost laughed, and probably would have it if wasn’t for the reason he was out here. He felt a pang in his chest and he pushed his hand into his sternum. “Penance.”

“What was that?” Both the man’s brows shot up and he did an odd movement with his fingers. Sassy almost. If fingers could be sassy. “You’re doing penance?” Before Titus could answer realization washed over the man’s features. “Penance for what?” 

Titus closed his eyes closed and took a breath. To be ashamed of what he was, was against God’s law. He shouldn’t be ashamed. He should be quick to defend his faith. Lots of shoulds, and he still fumbled over the words as he said them. “Sins.” After the day he’d had, he didn’t have it in him to defend any of it and he’d have to confess later for this as well. He could add it to the list of the ways he was a disappointment.

About J.R. Gray:

 

When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it's half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it's been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn't writing…well, that's not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.

Connect with J.R. Gray: Website | Twitter - Personal | Twitter - Books | Facebook | Facebook Group | Tumblr | Mailing List | Amazon Author Page

Book of the Week: Forsaken by Sloane Kennedy #Review

Author: Sloane Kennedy

Book: Forsaken

Series: The Protectors #4

Self-published

Publication date: August 16, 2016

Length: 267 pages

Buy on Amazon

Synopsis

Abandoned. Abused. Betrayed.
Ex-cop Maverick “Mav” James needs only three things. His Harley, an open road and his work in an underground organization that delivers justice when the law can’t.

Family? They left him long before he left them.

Friends? A liability.

A place to call home? Doesn’t exist.

Mav’s motto is simple: Get done and get out. Work, sex, doesn’t matter. No emotional connections. Simple.

Until he meets him.

Alone. Hiding. Broken.
At fifteen years old, Eli Galvez had nothing. No family, no friends and only his body as a means to make enough money to survive. But a chance meeting changed all that and eight years later, he’s well on his way to having the life he could once only dream of. He’s been accepted into medical school and he’s finally returned home to Seattle to be closer to the men and women who don’t share his blood, but are the only family he’s ever really known.

Only things aren’t what they seem and the secrets Eli has been hiding are about to come to the surface with dangerous consequences.

One final chance at a real future.
Guys like Eli just aren’t Mav’s type, period. Yet he can’t deny his intense attraction to the younger man who only looks at him with fear in his eyes. Until the day there’s something else in those eyes too. Something that draws Mav in and refuses to let go. Something that makes him want to forget his rules. But Mav’s learned the hard way what happens when you get too close to something. And while he vows to protect Eli after a violent attack leaves the younger man shaken, protection is all he’ll offer.

Because anything else would just cost too much.

Review

Sloane is one of those authors that you can tell by reading her books that she loves the broken, flawed, and damaged guys! And for that her guys and their love have become crack to me because I am drawn so much to that kind of character and stories; the kind that you have a deep connection and love for the men wanting to see them through this journey.

Mav has been let down in his life way too many times to not learn the lesson of not getting attached. So he doesn’t stick around and when he needs to escape that’s what his Harley and job are for. Just jump on and head off to the next job. But Eli changed all that for him. Oh he still doesn’t want to get attached but he can’t help it he’ll just keep in mind that this young man will leave him like everyone else, just give him time.

“What ashes were you rising from?”...

“The kind that burn you over and over again.”

Eli is the 15 year old boy we met in Logan’s Need that was rescued by Dom. It’s now years later and he now has a family. His mom is in-love and married to a man with two sons of his own. He is going to college for pre-med and he is finally back in town to be by Dom and the whole Barretti family. It should be the perfect life right? But something is going on that makes that perfect seem so false. What is Eli hiding from or who? Eli is whole because something broke him long before he found Mav but Mav sets off a fire in him, makes him want what he never thought he would after what he has been through, makes him realize he is strong and can stand up for himself.

“Tell me you want this,”... “I don’t have the words to explain how much I want this,”

There is so much plot wise in this story that drives these two very stubborn men but I don’t want to give too much away since that is the best part. There were some surprises that I liked in this story although they were tough to take. I love how strong Eli became as the story progressed and how he wouldn’t let Mav back away from him without a fight no matter how much Mav tried to hurt him. I know some of the things that Mav did to push Eli away will bother some people but just keep in mind Mav is not an easy guy, he is one tough nut to break and the breaking has to happen slowly or Eli could lose him forever. Eli has to become the guy Mav can count on, prove to Mav that he will never leave him. It is a struggle we see plain as day. Mav the tough guy always protecting others needs someone that he can lean on and that can show him he is wanted.

“It was all about me. For the first time I my whole goddamn life, I was being put first.”

The sexy in this book is off the charts!! As per usual in Sloane’s books but damn these two are hot together. But there was also this deep connection that came out a lot in their sex scenes which, for me, was the best part. Yes there were some that were just HOT but the ones with that emotion playing a huge role were the ones I loved the most.

“You make me a little less broken.”

Oh and one last thing...Baby! I was so happy to see Baby again after Logan’s Need! And that is one awesome Rottweiler who is both cuddly and super protector for Eli! So if you haven’t read this book DO IT! Although this is a standalone I would recommend you read Logan’s Need first to get a better understanding of Eli’s background and story.