Blog Tour ~ Finding Shawn by Phil Marcello ~ (Review, Excerpt Trailer + Giveaway)

Blog Tour ~ Finding Shawn by Phil Marcello ~ (Review, Excerpt Trailer + Giveaway)

Title: Finding Shawn

Author: Phil Marcello

Series: Dangerous Lives of High School Athletes, Book One

Genre: Young Adult, Gay Romance, Contemporary

Length: Novel

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

Shawn and Alex have been friends since first grade.
Alex, the rock star quarterback, appears to be basking in the limelight of his success and his new romance with Pam.  But appearances can be deceiving.
Shawn is the key man in the football team’s solid defense. He’s also the senior class’ most eligible bachelor. But Shawn has no time to get involved with a girl—at least, that’s what he tells his friends.
In reality, he does have a love interest… Tony Valito.

Side-by-side, the relationships between the two couples blossom.  One in the open. The other in secret. That is, until Shawn’s world erupts when the rumor that he’s gay gathers momentum.
In trying to find Shawn, perhaps his friends will end up finding themselves. And everyone will discover how dangerous are the lives of high school athletes.

Book Trailer


Except:

Alex makes a fist with his free hand and brings it to his mouth. He blows hard into it. He’s holding back a tidal wave of emotion.

Coach Roberts sits down next to Alex. “Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? You look like hell.”

“I can’t,” Alex mutters.

“Sure you can, Alex. We can take it from here.”

Alex slams his feet firmly on the floor. “Sure you can. I can’t. But you can.”

The coach is confused. “What are you saying, Alex?”

It’s been eating at him for hours. He blurts it out. “My best friend was lying on the floor, bleeding to death, and I couldn’t do anything. Not a damn thing. And I didn’t stop Peter and Dan when I had the chance. And now Shawn is in there and you want me to go home and go to bed. This sucks. I suck.”

Joe goes over and kneels down in front of Alex. “Don’t do this to yourself, Alex. There’s plenty of guilt to go around. Right now we need to be strong. We need to be strong for Shawn. And for Pam. And for Julia. There’ll be plenty of time to point fingers. But not now.”

3 Stars

*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*

There were parts of this story that were really good, and parts that were really bad. I'll be honest, the first 50%, I wasn't sure I was going to finish. The story is told in the third person, and it would be okay, if we just had maybe 2 or 3 POV's, but we had the POV from almost every character in the story. The POV's switch quickly and frequently. By the second half of the book I knew the characters a bit better, so it wasn't as confusing, but the beginning of the book was a train wreck. I was so confused I was ready to close my iPad and move on. The second half of the book flowed a bit better, and was packed with action.

I didn't connect with anyone in this book. I found relationship wise the book focused much more on Pam
and Alex, and as a strictly m/m genre reader, this was disappointing. I would have liked more scenes with Tony and Shawn. The book sort of felt like it was Pam and Alex's story, with the romance between Tony and Shawn as a small secondary story. I know this is a series, but I seriously doubt I'll be reading any further. This book just wasn't for me, but maybe others will feel differently.

If you're looking for a gay romance, like I was, don't look here. That's not what this story was about. It was more like watching tv show about a bunch of HS kids, where two of the characters just happens to be gay.

Buy Links

Don’t miss the March Sale! All Wayward Ink Titles titles are 35% off on the WIP website, 30% off on AllRomance, and 30% off on Amazon
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/finding-shawn-by-phil-marcello/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Shawn-Dangerous-School-Athletes-ebook/dp/B01CFEMTFW/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Shawn-Dangerous-School-Athletes-ebook/dp/B01CFEMTFW/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Finding-Shawn-Dangerous-School-Athletes-ebook/dp/B01CFEMTFW/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Finding-Shawn-Dangerous-School-Athletes-ebook/dp/B01CFEMTFW/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-findingshawn-1992515-149.html

Giveaway

Prize: $4.99 WIP Gift Card

About the author

PHIL MARCELLO started writing as a boy in the sixties. Growing up in the projects wasn’t easy, but reading and writing were a couple of healthy vices he picked up along the way. Life happened, but Phil never entirely lost his interest and over the years, he started, but never finished, over a dozen stories.
Fortunately, he saved them all and now has the time and desire to complete them. Phil knows it will take years, but as he enjoys writing and views it as his art form it’s a labor of love he gladly undertakes.
PHIL MARCELLO can be found at:
Website: http://webwriters.us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bear.Jcbdraco?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcbdraco