Whispers of Home by April Kelley ~ Book Blast, ARC Review, Excerpt, Author Fun Facts, Giveaway
Book Information:
Book Name: Whispers of Home
Book one in the Series
Author Name: April Kelley
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Carmen Waters
Pages or Words: 44,597 words
Buying the book:
Blurb:
All Jaron McAllister wanted to do was get out of the small town where he grew up. After being bullied all his life for being gay, that’s exactly what he does. He loses all contact with everyone in the town of Pickleville, including his emotionally distant mother and the only true friend he ever had.
When his best friend and mother of the child they share, get murdered he knows he must ask for help in the one place he thought he would never go back to. Coming back home isn’t easy and finding himself attracted to the town man-slut spells disaster. Travis Heath isn’t at all what his reputation suggests though.
Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance
Excerpt:
Jaron had been to the grocery store three times this week. Going only once a week would be grand, but very unlikely to happen apparently. He seriously needed to start making lists every week.
“I want the little man cookies.” Bobby was practically bouncing in the cart, pointing at an elf.
“The fudge ones?”
Bobby nodded his head. Jaron grabbed them off the shelf and placed them in the cart.
“Good choice,” someone spoke from behind Jaron. The voice was deep and made him moan in appreciation. He turned to put a face to that wonderful voice.
It was as if Jaron’s thoughts had conjured him up and placed him right next to the Oreo cookies . Travis Heath got hotter since high school. And taller. When did men stop growing? Jaron was probably at the guys shoulder, but it was hard to tell from down the aisle. Travis Heath’s strawberry blonde hair was longer than it had been in high school and could be seen curling around the cowboy hat he wore.
The two women at the end of the aisle clammed up upon seeing him. Jaron didn’t blame them. He wouldn’t want to be caught talking shit either.
“I haven’t seen you guys in town before.” His smile was kind but his brown eyes—oh God help him—held mischief, as if the guy was up to something.
Mari's Review:
Rating: 4.5 Whispering Stars
* ARC provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review. *
Jaron McAllister has been trying to get away from his hometown most of his life. He has been bullied in school for being gay and only has one friend, Brian, who doesn’t really stand up for him. At his house things aren’t much better with his apparently indifferent mother, so there’s nothing really stopping him from leaving when he has a chance to. He ends up leaving a week after graduation, and when he goes to say good bye to Brian, he tells him not to write or call him if he’s just going to leave him behind anyway. So, that’s what Jaron does. He moves to a larger city, doing whatever he can to survive, and there he meets Tracy, who is pregnant and alone. They became friends and she ends up putting Jaron’s name in her son’s birth certificate, and it’s then when Jaron falls in love for the first time, when he holds his son Bobby in his arms.
Tracy is a drug addict and ends up being killed, so Jaron decides to go back home because he and Bobby will need all the help they can get.
Travis Heath was in Jaron’s class in high school, but despite being friends with the guys who bullied him, he was mostly indifferent to him, too busy getting laid and drinking. By the time Jaron comes back home, Travis has turned his life around. His father is dead, and he had to take care of the ranch and his mother, so he stopped drinking and sleeping with everything that moves. He’s bisexual, although he’s never found a man with whom he’d like to explore the other side of his sexuality, until he meets Jaron again.
Both Jaron and Travis are lovely characters. They are sweet and loyal and the attraction they feel for each other is undeniably strong. Travis is so protective of Jaron and Bobby and proves worthy of Jaron’s trust. Jaron is a sweetheart, so devoted to his son and after they get together to Travis, too.
Loved Jaron’s mother, too, and how she tried her best to support Jaron and his decisions and improve her relationship with him. Travis mom was awesome as well! Just as protective of Jaron as her son and amazing all around. And Bobby, he was such a lovely boy, really sweet and I loved his interactions with both Jaron and Travis.
I would have liked to read more of Brian. It didn’t quite make sense to me that, considering Jaron called him for help and they had been such good friends, he only set it all up for Jaron and his mother to meet and didn’t try to contact Jaron afterwards until they meet again almost by chance a month after. Jackson, Travis’ best friend, had much more of a part in the story, and I really hope we get to see more of him in another book in the series. *hint hint nudge nudge*
Other than that, the story was fantastic! I really enjoyed reading it, and despite a few editing issues — using one word for another, like, for example, your instead of you’re, site instead of sight and a few other ones — I was thoroughly entertained and invested in Jaron, Travis and Bobby’s story and their HEA. Never mind the scorching hot chemistry between Jaron and Travis and how they managed to overcome their trust issues and a few other things thrown in their path to said HEA.
This is my first story by April Kelley, but certainly won’t be the last, and I’m really intrigued over what other characters will be getting to know better in her Pickleville Series, since this is just the first book in it.
So, all in all, this was an engaging, interesting story that I truly recommend.
About the Author:
Born and raised in Southwest Michigan, April lives with her husband and two kids. She has been an avid reader for several years. Writing her first story at the age of ten, the characters in her head still won't stop telling their stories. If April isn't reading or writing she can be found outside playing with a farm full of animals or taking a long walk in the woods.
Where to find April around the Web:
Author Fun Facts:
Harry Potter
2 – Three things on your bucket list?
I want to visit Germany, Go on a cruise, and visit every state in the U.S.
3 – Cake or pie?
Pie
4 – Dog or cat?
Cat
5 – What is the best gift you’ve ever received?
Just spending time with my family is the best gift.
6 – Best gift you ever gave?
I gave my son a computer this year.
7 – What’s your favorite cookie?
Chocolate ship
No comments:
Post a Comment