EVER
AFTER
A
GAY FAIRYTALE
RILEY
HART & CHRISTINA LEE
M/M
ROMANCE
RELEASE
DATE: 02.28.18
Blurb:
As next in line for the Evergreen crown, Prince Merrick Davendall’s
future involves ruling, marriage, and producing an heir of his own. But he’s
long been tormented by desires that are far from princely. Especially when the
beautiful Cassius is promoted to be his new valet, and Merrick is struck by a
longing like never before—a longing to know him far beyond royal and servant.
After his father’s passing, Cassius Havendale’s sole duty is to
provide for his family. A promotion to serve a pampered prince is something he
endures only for their sake. Surely Prince Merrick has no understanding of true
suffering of the common people, nor could he possibly understand what it’s like
to desperately desire something he cannot have.
Except the prince is not at all what Cassius imagined. Kind,
humorous, and caring to those in need, he also shares Cassius’ affinity for the
arts. In fact, Merrick understands his deepest vulnerabilities in a most
remarkable way.
As their affection deepens, the underlying tension between them
becomes unbearable and they’re unable to ignore it any longer. But when the
queen prepares a lavish ball with all the eligible ladies in the land in
attendance, Merrick must fulfill his obligations to his country, and Cassius
has the needs of his family to consider. They’ve long known their stolen
moments would have to come to an end, but are they ready to give up one another
and the idea of a happily-ever-after?
Review
I have always had a soft spot for Prince Charming's. The person who has everything in the world and swoops in to save someone less fortunate and inevitably falling in love. I've watched all the movies from The Princess Bride, to all the Cinderella variations. I gravitate toward books that shadow that same feel and swoon-abilty. It's rare we get those books in the LGBT community. So, when Riley Hart and Christina Lee announced they were doing just that I was giddy.
These two authors have collaborated before and give a flawless transition to their writing. Their creativity and writing styles make for amazing reads but this was different. It was a gay fairy tale. I dove in hopeful and ready. What I got was so much more than I anticipated.
My heart fluttered, I was pulled in, I couldn't do anything but read Merrick and Cass and see if they would be able to fall in love and live freely. I turned each page with anticipation and trepidation. I devoured every word and in the end was hungry for so much more. That is what we all wish for when we start a book. We want to be invested both emotionally and mentally. Ever After gives us the fairy tale and it gives us the lesson. It doesn't squash hope it ignites it.
There's too much to love in this story to list it all and I wouldn't dream of spoiling even a second of this book for anyone. I highly recommend this book to anyone who, like me, lives for the breathtaking I love you's and the heart stopping happily ever afters.
EXCERPT
They were
quiet as their feet settled into the freshly fallen snow on the way to the
barn. When they reached the building, which had already been vacated for the
night, Prince Merrick pulled open the heavy barn door, making a sudden shot of
worry dart through Cassius. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I should have gotten the
door for you. I’m…” He did not know how to continue, did not know what he felt,
and even if he understood the thoughts plaguing him, he could not share those
with the prince.
“Please,
don’t apologize. It is quite nice to do things for myself from time to time.”
The corners of his eyes pinched, and his lips creased in a frown as though he
shouldn’t have spoken as he had. The thought made Cassius’s stomach tumble in
an unfamiliar way. He couldn’t imagine having servants do such simple tasks for
him, but he wasn’t a prince. He couldn’t fathom how the other man would feel
the same.
“Shall we
go?” the prince added, and Cassius felt his ears heat at the way he’d stood
there like an idiot. Luckily, his hat covered them, so it wouldn’t be
noticeable. It was strange the way he so often flushed in front of the prince.
Cassius had never been one to blush, even in front of a man he found
attractive, but he did so frequently with Prince Merrick.
“Yes,
sir.” Cassius stepped inside and waited. He noticed the prince move to close
the barn door just before their gazes clashed together. As though he sensed
Cas’s need to fill the role he was supposed to, the prince stepped aside, and
Cas closed the door.
“Do you
enjoy horses?” he asked Cas as they walked toward Ursula, the mare Cas knew
belonged to the prince.
He felt
his forehead wrinkle beneath his knitted hat as he continued his attempt to
figure out what was happening. “Yes, Your Highness. I do. They’re…” Cas let his
words trail off. The prince couldn’t want that much information from him, and
he shouldn’t want to share. Cas found he did, though. Whether it was just to
talk to someone or the prince specifically, he could not decide.
“They’re
what?” Prince Merrick prompted.
“Nothing,
sir. Just that I enjoy them tremendously.”
“Please,”
he replied. “Please tell me what you were going to say. You don’t have to. It
is not a demand, but…but I’d like it if you did.”
They
stopped moving. Ursula neighed in front of them, but Cassius couldn’t make his
feet move. The prince was looking at him…curiously. He had no doubt his eyes
held the prince’s similarly, but obviously for different reasons.
This
time, it was Prince Merrick who flushed, a soft pink tinting his delicate cheekbones.
It is because he’s cold. It has to be because he’s chilled. Still, Cas’s
heart raced like Ursula’s hooves when she galloped.
He needed
to end this fascination, this seeing things that were not there, before he got
himself into trouble. Before he lost his position and shamed his family.
The
prince added, “I’m sorry. It wasn’t fair of me to make such a request,” and it
was those words that fueled Cas further because the truth was, it didn’t matter
if it was fair or not. The prince had the right to request anything he desired;
the whole family did, without apology. Yet the prince had apologized, a soft,
earnest quality to his voice that spoke of his sincerity. He had meant his
apology, and that…that meant something to Cassius.
He
cleared his throat and looked at the horse, petting her neck. “I was going to
say they’re comforting. There is something about horses that soothes whatever
ails you…makes you feel free when you’re anything but. Like you can ride
anywhere and there are no walls to stop you, no places you cannot go. They do
not ask for much, but they give much in return.” His fingers stilled on
Ursula’s neck as his words replayed in his head. Christ, had he truly verbally
assaulted the prince of Evergreen with such foolishness, such frivolous thoughts?
“I apologize. I didn’t… That was…”
“That was
beautiful. You have a way with words, Cassius. It was as if…as if you
experienced what you said.”
Cas’s
eyes snapped to the prince’s, which were firmly pointed to his face with an
unfamiliar intensity Cassius didn’t understand. He turned away before the
prince saw something in his gaze that he did not want him to see. “I worked on
a farm once,” he replied.
Prince
Merrick nodded in response. “Can I tell you a secret?” he asked as he pulled a
carrot from the bag and handed it to Cassius.
“Yes,
Your Highness. You can tell me anything you’d like.” Only Cassius did not
understand why he would want to.
“Sometimes
I wish for exactly what you spoke of…to be able to go wherever I want, whenever
I want.” The prince fed one of the carrots to his horse, who gobbled it up.
“Even if only to explore town undetected. I know how that must sound, to long
for such simple things, but…”
“They are
not simple,” Cassius found himself saying. “They are normal things to desire,
something I must admit I’ve taken for granted.” He’d never considered what
being a prince truly meant. Yes, Merrick would never hunger, would never
require necessities Cassius struggled for, but he was bound by different
hardships Cassius couldn’t understand and had never taken the time to attempt.
“We are both bound, shackled by aspects of our lives that are out of our
control.”
Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a
hopeless romantic, a lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about
all the trouble they can get into together.
She loves reading, flawed characters, and hanging out with her husband
and children, who she adores. She and her family live in Southern California,
soaking up the sunshine while also missing seasons. Not a day goes by that she
isn’t thankful she gets to wake up and do what she loves.
Life is good. Riley also writes young adult and new adult under the
name Nyrae Dawn.
Once
upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent
my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and
drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.
Now
I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I've been a
clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn't until I
wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the
fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.
I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M
Contemporary Romance. I'm addicted to lip
gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so
writing romance novels has become a dream job.
