Blog Tour ~ Finley by Ella Frank ~ (Reviews, Excerpt, Teasers + Giveaway)
Title: Finley
Author: Ella Frank
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Blurb
It's time to come home, Finn.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
Copyright © 2016 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.
Buy Links
AMAZON US - http://amzn.to/1ScQ6ph
AMAZON Universal - myBook.to/Finley
4.5 Stars
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
There were things I loved about this story, and things I didn't like so much. I love Ella, she's special to me as an author, because Try was my first M/M read. I "tried", and I haven't looked back since. She started me on this journey, and showed me just how hot two men together could be.
I'll be honest, I found the first half of this book to be frustrating. The story is partially told in flashbacks of how Finn and Brantley first met, and other important highlights of their previous relationship. I understand why the author did this, but I found this part of the story really disruptive. We jump from past to present multiple times. Sometimes right in the middle of an ongoing scene. I almost wish the flashbacks would have been written more like a jumping prologue at the beginning of the book. The last half of the story flows much better, because we remain mostly in the present.
I was torn throughout the book as to how I felt about the characters. At times I felt sorry for Brantley for the way Finn was treating him, but in some ways I also felt he kind of got what he deserved. The same can be said for Finn. I thought he was too harsh at times, but then as we come to see how he was treated at the end of their relationship, I can see Brantley really did kind of get what he deserved. My heart broke for the young Finn.
One thing can't be disputed though, and that's the electrical chemistry these two men share. It sparked to life from the minute they were in the same room together. The sexual tension was palpable, and the sex hot. I loved the secondary character of Jordan, but I especially loved Derek. He is funny, free and full of life. I am crossing my fingers and toes he gets his own book!! *gives Ella big puppy dog eyes*
I adored the cameo scene, and am hoping it won't be the last. This was an enjoyable read, and I'm looking forward to much more in the future!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review.***
Finley has been living in Chicago for seven years, studying and working his way to the top of the law firm he works in. The last thing he expected was to get a note from his ex-lover and ex-professor, Brantley Hayes, telling him it was time to come back home. And he will go back, but when he does it will be on his terms, not Brantley's. Brantley Hayes is about to know the new Finn, and he might not be ready for what's coming for him.
Finn was a bit of a jackass at first, but as we learn more about him and his reasons to be like he was that way, I fell for him big time. With Brantley it was a bit of the opposite, I liked him from the start, but when I read what he'd done to Finn, I sided with Finley completely, even if it was kind of heartbreaking to see Brantley being that vulnerable. I loved them together, too. They made sense, and despite the age difference, the passion they felt for one another was very obvious from the start.
I loved Jordan and Derek, especially Derek. They were such wonderful supporting characters and I pray that Ms. Frank will write their story in the future. I would be first in line to read that book! And I loved the cameo scene, wish it'd been longer, but I adored it all the same!
This was an amazing read, as one would expect of Ella Frank. My only complaint would be the flashbacks in the first half of the book as I found them mildly disruptive to the flow of the scenes as we went from present to past and back to the present. All in all, a fantastic book, one that I'd read again for sure, with engaging characters, and a great plotline, definitely a must-read!
Rating: 4.5 Stars!!!
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