What do you do when the one you least expect to matter…Ends up mattering the most?
Derek Pearson likes to think he’s an easygoing guy. Uncomplicated, upfront, and unapologetic with what he wants. His what you see is what you get attitude is on prominent display for anyone who cares to look, and his foul mouth is right there to back it up should you miss the point.
However, what you see isn’t always what you get, and only a select few have ever glimpsed the real man under the brash exterior.Among them? Professor Jordan Devaney. Complicated, high-maintenance, and vibrant, he’s Derek’s opposite in every way. From the moment they saw each other, a love-hate relationship began.But what happens when one person wants more?
It’s been seven years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle and bustle of Chicago’s city life.Since then, he’s worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm Leighton & Associates, even when it’s caused distance and isolation from his family and friends. But that’s all about to change.On his thirtieth birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope for. Something that was promised to him years earlier—a note. One simple sentence from the man he’s never been able to forget.
Six words will forever change the course of their lives.
Brantley Hayes has it all. Or so he thinks. When he first made the decision to take a job down in Florida, his family thought he was crazy. But, after years of living in the quiet beach town, he finally feels a sense of community. He’s surrounded himself with friends who are like family, has a job he loves, and owns a spectacular beachfront property that is his sanctuary.Yet he still feels unfulfilled, as if a piece of the puzzle is missing, and he knows exactly which piece it is. On an impulse, he follows through with a promise he made years earlier. A promise to call home the one he sent away.
Nothing is as simple as it seems.
After years of separation, the former lovers are reunited, but Brantley wasn’t expecting to encounter the high walls now guarding Daniel’s heart.Daniel may not be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the first step to healing is the note in his hand.
About Ella Frank
Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.authorSome of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.
Sebastian Knight is an
ordinary nineteen year old who struggles to juggle his hated bartending
job and his university studies as well as fitting in time for partying
and family.
The amazing opportunity for him to earn some easy
money is thrown into his lap by one hot George Clooney type at the bar
one night, and he jumps at the chance to become a male escort. But the
very man who set him on this journey is the one who keeps calling him up
and forcing Sebastian to feel for him when all he wants is to enjoy his
newfound freedom and money.
Sebastian and Robert are drawn
together in a way neither have ever experienced, but when the money is
paid, and the clock shows their time is up, they reluctantly continue on
with their lives. Desperate for their happy ever after, and willing to
fight to keep together, Robert and Sebastian stop at nothing to achieve
what they know they both need
REVIEW
*** 5 - I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK STARS ! ***
Sebastian
and his grand age of nineteen, is full of himself. He know he's cute,
handsome and everybody always see him, and he liked it.
But soon as
he met Robert, and after what happened with him (that traumatic moment) ,
he became insecure.Especially after people knows from new that he's a
rent boy that Robert love.
Insecurity doubled after he met the gorgeous Dominque. Not sure about himself again.
Sebastian
is one of my favorite character in books, I grow to love him from the
start, and sad like a mother, cry like a baby after what happened to
him.
I read this book in a novella format and re-reading the bundle again, and still loving it.
Seems like I really enjoying Nicole Colville's writing style.
Dominque,
Sebastian were not my first Nicole's book. But I haven't read tons of
her books, so, I think 2016 I'll try to catch up with Hidden series and
Samuel.
This one was a good read, I planned to revisit Sebastian and Robert in a near future.
Recommended read.
A friendly warning :[ There's a rape scene on page, and that made me real upset.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the last novella...
"“I love you. Whether we’re fucking like rabbits or living like monks, I adore every centimetre of you inside and out.”"
"One day I would wake up and find Robert was a dream.
Someone who I'd made up and enjoyed for a short time only to find my
bubble had burst and I woke to find him gone. It was all too good to be
true sometimes, and there was this gremlin which lived constantly in my
head which told me he couldn't possibly want all this."
"He took everything from my world and left just me and
him. If I woke the next day and found out we were the only people alive,
I would be content with just his company for all of time."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Welcome to the home of bittersweet M/M romances which will leave you craving more
Nicole
Colville was born and currently lives in Leeds, England. She is a wife
to her very understanding hubby and mother of two young girls who
somehow manages to fit in being a full time author of m/m romance and
erotic into her busy home life.
She loves writing complex characters in bittersweet romances which will leave you addicted and craving more from her men.
Although
best known for her popular series, Hidden and Knights to Remember, she
also enjoys writing with friend, and fellow author, E.M Leya. Together
they have published two books in their Sinful Temptation Collection with
more planned.
It’s 1986, and what
should have been the greatest summer of Nate Bradford’s life goes sour
when his parents suddenly divorce. Now, instead of spending his senior
year in his hometown of Austin, Texas, he’s living with his father in
Warren, Wyoming, population 2,833 (and Nate thinks that might be a
generous estimate). There’s no swimming pool, no tennis team, no
mall—not even any MTV. The entire school’s smaller than his graduating
class back home, and in a town where the top teen pastimes are sex and
drugs, Nate just doesn’t fit in.
Then Nate meets Cody Lawrence.
Cody’s dirt-poor, from a broken family, and definitely lives on the
wrong side of the tracks. Nate’s dad says Cody’s bad news. The other
kids say he’s trash. But Nate knows Cody’s a good kid who’s been dealt a
lousy hand. In fact, he’s beginning to think his feelings for Cody go
beyond friendship.
Admitting he might be gay is hard enough, but
between small-town prejudices and the growing AIDS epidemic dominating
the headlines, a town like Warren, Wyoming, is no place for two young
men to fall in love.
REVIEW
I haven't read all of Marie's books so far. But as far as I know, Trailer Trash is going to be one of her best work for me. Honestly, at some scenes, I had to close the book for a while, and thinking, stared at the wall, mostly crying.
This
is a journey through a memory lane, where in 1986, AIDS was still
scary, not much information about how it spread, and why, and people
afraid even near gay people, it was like an influenza virus, don't go
near gay people, you'll get AIDS. Back then, in my country, they're even
called gay people homo. Yeah, glad that day is over now (even in some
country and places around the world, people still afraid of 'homosexual
contagious'. Ridiculous.)
And to make it worst with Cody and
Nate's relationship, Cody is a trailer trash, a very down of a down life
in Wyoming, while Nate didn't know that he was gay. Marie made this story 'real'. It's like she portrayed the gay's life back then, and even they didn't know their own sexuality. Mr.Bradford,
Nate's dad, has a very natural reaction of parents (back then), who's
faced with his son's sexuality. His reaction was real, I hated him for a
while, then I'll make it to him, well, he's okay, anyway. Loved Cody's Mom. Whatever she is, she's the best mother Cody can have. And Logan. Oh God, Marie, why did you make it 'too real'? What happened to Logan (a number one best friend in the world for Cody), broke my heart. And I cried an ugly cry.
But
I have to thank Marie for mending my broken heart by seeing that in the
future, Nate and Cody will eventually get their HEA. The ending leave
me with a huge smile on my face. Really good story, it will break your heart, but trust Marie Sexton to put it back together again. Highly recommended !
* ARC was given by publisher through Netgalley for a fair and unbiased review.*
It’s been seven years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle and bustle of Chicago’s city life.Since
then, he’s worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm
Leighton & Associates, even when it’s caused distance and isolation
from his family and friends. But that’s all about to change.On
his thirtieth birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope
for. Something that was promised to him years earlier—a note. One simple
sentence from the man he’s never been able to forget.
Six words will forever change the course of their lives.Brantley
Hayes has it all. Or so he thinks. When he first made the decision to
take a job down in Florida, his family thought he was crazy. But, after
years of living in the quiet beach town, he finally feels a sense of
community. He’s surrounded himself with friends who are like family, has
a job he loves, and owns a spectacular beachfront property that is his
sanctuary.Yet
he still feels unfulfilled, as if a piece of the puzzle is missing, and
he knows exactly which piece it is. On an impulse, he follows through
with a promise he made years earlier. A promise to call home the one he
sent away.
Nothing is as simple as it seems.After
years of separation, the former lovers are reunited, but Brantley
wasn’t expecting to encounter the high walls now guarding Daniel’s
heart.Daniel may not be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the first step to healing is the note in his hand.
Finley by Ella Frank
Excerpt
BRANTLEY KEPT A discreet eye on the final student to leave for the
morning as Mr. Finley strode down the stairs to the front of the classroom.
They were three weeks into the semester and he was ashamed to admit that, with every day that passed,
his fascination with the young man grew.
At first, he’d tried to convince himself that it was purely academic. The kid
was smart. He’d aced all the weekly quizzes, and Brantley was more than aware
of the way he watched him lecture with keen, intelligent eyes that never
strayed from him.
Oh, he was fascinated, all right, but he made sure
to tell himself at the end of every class that it had nothing to do with the
mischievous grin Daniel would flash at his friends or the easygoing laugh that
would bubble up out of him at any given moment. But he knew he was lying.
Daniel was quite possibly the happiest person he’d ever met, and his joy of
life lit up the room and everyone in it. Including him.
When Daniel stopped in front of him and dropped his paper on the
desk, Brantley acknowledged him with a glance before returning his gaze back to
the notes he was going over.
“Any big plans this weekend, Professor?”
The question had been so unexpected that he didn’t think to catch
himself before he replied, “Nothing too big. Just going out with some
friends. You?”
Daniel smiled at him as he shoved his arms through the loops of his
backpack, and Brantley couldn’t help but look at his shirt as it stretched
across his broad chest.
“I’m going to hit the beach. Such great waves right now.”
“Ahh, you like to surf. That explains it.”
When the side of Daniel’s mouth crooked up, the effect was charming
as hell. The kid was a knockout.
“Explains what?”
Annoyed that he’d made such a stupid slipup, he looked back at the papers
in front of him, hoping Daniel would get the message and leave. No such luck.
“Explains what?” he asked again.
Brantley sighed and rested his arms on the desk as he studied
Daniel’s inviting face. “It explains your hair.”
“My—oh,” he said, touching the ends of it. “Do you like it?”
Stunned by the direct question, he sat back in his chair and fought
the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Do I like your hair?”
“Yeah.”
“Does it matter?” Jesus, fuck. Stop it. Stop flirting with
him.
But it was too late. Daniel put his hands on the desk and leaned
forward, Brantley toed the ground, shoving his chair back.
“It could…”
“No. No, it couldn’t,” he said as he got to his feet, shaking his head.
Daniel straightened and tucked his thumbs into the straps of his
backpack, no doubt to taunt him. His eyes were too knowing for someone his age,
and when they held his longer than was acceptable, Brantley’s heart skipped a
couple of beats.
“Was there something else, Mr. Finley?”
“You said you were going out with friends this weekend…”
Shit, did I? “Yes, that’s right.”
As Daniel ran his thumb down the left strap of his bag, he admonished
himself for noticing every little move he made. He needed to get a fucking hold
of himself.
“Are any of them more than a friend?”
If he hadn’t been watching Daniel quite so closely, he wouldn’t have
believed the words that had just come out of his mouth. But he had been. So he
did.
“I don’t believe that’s any of your business. You better hurry or
you’ll miss your next class.”
Satisfied that he’d firmly dismissed Daniel, he sat down and made a
show of focusing on the books lining his desk and didn’t dare look and see if
he had left this time or not. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he was still
standing there.
He reached up to adjust his tie, which suddenly felt a little
too tight around his neck, and with each passing second that he was consciously
not checking to see if he was alone, he swore that it was getting
tighter.
“Professor Hayes?”
His head snapped up at his name, and when Daniel had his attention, he continued.
“Are you gay?”
Brantley’s eyes widened, and he wondered how his mouth hadn’t fallen
open at the blunt question. Instead, he went with, “Excuse me?”
“I asked if you were—”
“I heard what you said. But I don’t see how that is any business of
yours, either. You should think before you speak, Mr. Finley. I’m your
teacher, and it’s time for you to leave. This conversation is over.” He flipped
open one of the books on his desk and shook his head. He couldn’t believe the
audacity of the kid—or the fact that he was so damn forthright. As he sat there, grinding his teeth in an
effort not to look at his student—who was still standing in front of
his desk—a bead of sweat ran down his collar and he cursed the fact that his
nerves were getting the better of him.
“I only asked because, well, I am too. And I thought it would be nice
to have someone to talk to.”
Well, hell. He couldn’t fault him for that. The only problem was…talking wasn’t
what sprang to mind when he was around Daniel Finley.
He clasped his hands on the desk and stared into the anxious face
peering down at him. Daniel was worrying his lower lip with his teeth, and he
suddenly looked very much the young man he was.
“Are you?” he asked again, and there was no way he could deny that
hesitant curiosity.
“Yes, Daniel. I am.”
As his words drifted between them, Daniel’s mouth slipped into a
smile. “Oh.”
Brantley laughed at that. He wasn’t sure what Daniel was thinking
right then. He’d thought for sure with the way he’d been looking at him earlier
that, if he’d admitted this, he would be fending off—or at least putting up a good
show of fending off—an unwanted pass. But, instead, Daniel appeared
thoughtful.
“Does that bother you?”
Daniel adamantly shook his head. “No.”
“Are you sure?” he pressed, and the look that entered Daniel’s eyes
then was so hot that he thought he may overheat.
“Yes. I'm very sure.”
Oh, fuck. Okay. Where the hell did the nervous guy disappear to? One minute, Daniel was endearingly
awkward, and the next, he was looking at him like he wanted to strip him out of his clothes
and—“Stop right there,” he said, and he wasn’t sure if he was telling himself
that or the contradiction eyeing him with newfound knowledge. “Whatever you're
thinking, stop thinking it.”
“Why?”
Yep, he was fucked. That wasn’t a word he generally used, but in this case, he was well
and truly fucked. He should’ve just stuck to the run-along-now speech.
“Because I'm your teacher.”
“This isn’t high school. I’m an adult.”
He sighed. “That may be true. But I’m your professor and this
conversation is inappropriate.”
“How? I just asked if you were gay and you said yes. I don't see what
the problem is.”
When Daniel aimed a mischievous grin at him, Brantley knew he was very aware of what the
problem was.
“Out,” he said, pointing to the door. “Time to
leave, Mr. Finley.”
This time, he made sure to watch Daniel so he knew he was actually leaving. He
walked to the door, but at the last minute, he turned around to look back at him. Not
willing to back down and show weakness, Brantley kept his eyes on his student
as Daniel ran his tongue along his lower lip.
“You should call me Finn. Everyone else does.”
Christ. The kid was going to drive him to an early grave, but damn
if he didn’t laugh at his audacity.
“Out,” he said again, and this time Daniel pushed out the door and
disappeared into the hall.
Daniel Finley makes a new meaning of a 'new Logan'. Just saying :)
I found that his cockiness and his snobbish and controlling behavior is almost like Logan. No wonder he can't get along with Logan.
I didn't really remembered him from previous book, but then Ella gave us a hint about that asshole attorney back then, and actually, I was back to TRUST, and found out that well, Daniel Finley wasn't himself when he's far away from his actual soulmate, Brantley. His former Professor, his former lover, his unfinished business.
Then when Brantley sent him 'that note', he obeyed.
For revenge, closure, whatsoever on his mind. To meet again with his 'teacher', who sent him away, seven years ago.
But things with Brantley didn't go so well as planned. Two weeks to find closure, to get Brantley out of his head, his life, and back to Chicago. Nope. Didn't go well.
Love is still there. Love, anger, hate, and lust.
I'm telling you, this slow burn and sexual tension between Brantley and Daniel (Finn), OMG, leaving me tens ! How could Ella make it through more than 60% of 'no sex' feels like 'hottest sex' in the book, I have no idea.
The sexual tension, yeah? Ella is one of the best !
And near the ending, there's one surprise appearance that made me a happy girl ! You will be, too !
Ella Frank, makes me craving her stories, and I hope, I will get her other stories. In a near future.
FINLEY is one of Ella's addictive story for me. I bet you'll find out, it's yours, soon. Wink.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !
PS. There's something unfinished about Jordan and Derek, that Ella need to work it out soon ! View all my reviews
About the Author
Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.authorSome of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.
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