Thursday, September 29, 2016

Release Day Book Blast ~ Caught Inside by Jamie Deacon ~ (Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Release Day Book Blast ~ Caught Inside by Jamie Deacon ~ (Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Author Name: Jamie Deacon
Book Name: Caught Inside
Series: Boys on the Brink
Book: One
Release Date: September 29, 2016


Blurb:

Luke believes he has his life figured out…and then he meets Theo.
It should have been simple—a summer spent with his girlfriend Zara at her family’s holiday cottage in Cornwall. Seventeen-year-old Luke Savage jumps at the chance, envisioning endless hours of sunbathing on the private beach and riding the waves on his beloved surfboard. He isn’t interested in love. Though his rugged good looks and lazy charm mean he can have his pick of girls, he has no intention of falling for anyone.
Nothing prepares Luke for his reaction to Theo, the sensitive Oxford undergraduate who is Zara’s cousin and closest friend. All at once, he is plunged along a path of desire and discovery that has him questioning everything he thought he knew about himself. No one, especially Zara, must find out; what he and Theo have is too new, too fragile. But as the deceit spirals beyond their control, people are bound to get hurt, Luke most of all.
Pages or Words: 83,000
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Young Adult
Excerpt:
I swallow against the dryness in my throat. “We need to talk.”
No response.
Slowly, as though wading through deep sand, I cross the room until I’m standing right behind him. He grips the edge of the worktop.
“Theo?”
Still nothing. Only the convulsive tightening of his fingers shows he even heard me.
“Theo,” my voice cracks, “don’t do this.”
Theo sucks in a breath. When he replies, his tone is even. “Do what?”
“This. Shutting me out.”
“I’m—”

“And don’t say you’re not, because we both know that isn’t true.” I’m aware of my voice rising, and lower it with an effort. “Just…don’t.”
Theo exhales in a long sigh. He turns to me, his expression distant but not unkind. I wish he’d glare at me, shout, whatever. Anything to show he gives a damn.
“Luke, I’m sorry about this morning. It was a mistake. If you got the wrong impression—”
“The wrong impression? You kissed me. What impression was that supposed to give me?”
He casts a nervous glance at the window.
“What’s wrong, Theo? Worried Giles might hear? I don’t blame you. He’d probably make you bathe in disinfectant for a year if he knew you’d kissed scum like me.” Theo starts to protest, but I shake my head. “You know what? Forget it. So sorry I embarrassed you.”
I need to get out of here. Humiliation, hot and clammy, coils like tar through my veins. Still, what did I expect? Theo’s made it perfectly clear how he sees me, that he thinks I’m beneath him. I grab for the nearest glass, intending to pour myself a liver full of whatever’s in that jug, but my hand shakes so much it slips through my fingers. Glass collides with oak in a minor explosion, glittering fragments flying.
“Shit.” I drop to my knees, begin picking up the larger pieces. I fumble, a jagged shard slicing my palm. “Shit.”
“Luke?” Theo crouches beside me.
“I’m fine.” I turn away from the phony concern in his eyes, fist clenched around the cut to hide it from view. Blood trickles through my fingers and onto my jeans. The pain is almost a relief.
“Let me see.” Theo holds out his hand, but I jerk away.
“I said I’m fine.”
He ignores me. With gentle firmness, he takes hold of my wrist, uncurling my fingers to examine the wound. My body stills. I scarcely breathe. Every nerve ending, every particle of my being is aware of him, the pressure of his fingers on my wrist, his warm palm supporting the back of my hand.



Buy the book:




This is one of those books that I find difficult to review. Mainly because I really didn't care for the characters or their actions.  It seemed to get worse the more I tried to just get through it. Now while there are not many positive words I can say for the story itself or the characters, technically speaking the writing is good. Jamie Deacon is a very talented author and I would love to see what else she can create.  Just because this story was not my cup of tea,  it certainly does not mean others will feel the same way. 

 Luke likes his girlfriend Zara. They have fun together hanging out. While Zara comes from a wealthy family and Luke doesn't, he's experiencing a life he never thought he'd have.  When Zara asks him to go with her to her parents' vacation home, Luke can't pass up the chance to surf at such an amazing place.  There's only one hitch, Zara's gay cousin Theo will be joining them and he's just recently broken up with his boyfriend. Luke finds Theo easy to talk to and somewhere down deep Luke starts questioning everything. 

 I felt the chemistry between Luke and Theo and enjoyed how from the beginning they just sort of clicked. While I thought they were cute together, I think I would have enjoyed them more in different circumstances. I'm not a fan of cheating and the way it went down left a bitter taste in my mouth. 

 I also had a hard time with the various side characters, they definitely weren't my favorite. I felt the angst that was thrown at us was too much and a lot of things were unnecessary. There was too much drama for drama's sake.  I personally would have enjoyed a more simple story about Luke, Theo and Zara. 

 3 Stars!

 ***A Copy of this book was provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review***

 Meet the author:
Jamie lives in a tranquil spot close to the River Thames in Berkshire, England, and has always been just a little out of place—the only redhead in a family of brunettes; an introvert far more at ease with dogs than with people; a connoisseur of simple pleasures in a society intent on the quest for wealth and fame. Despite an outward cynicism, Jamie is a romantic at heart, and, when not immersed in a book, can mostly be found writing emotional stories where young men from all walks of life are thrust headlong into the breathless, euphoric, often painful whirlwind called love.
Where to find the author:


Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow




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