Blog Tour ~ Soaring Hearts by A. L. Boyd ~ (Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Title: Soaring Hearts
Author: A. L. Boyd
Release Date: September 25th 2016
Genre: Contemporary MM Romance
BLURB:
Will hearts soar when pigs fly?
Alex’s job working for his family-owned radio station once took him all over the city reporting on major events—until the accident. His scars, both physical and emotional, cause him to withdraw into a self-imposed, semi-reclusive lifestyle. When his dad requests that he go to the world’s largest hot air balloon festival, he has to find the courage to break his isolation. Now he needs to find the courage to trust and love again.
Jeff had already been planning a move to Albuquerque when he lost his home, parents, and dog to a wildfire in California. To begin his new life, he agrees to help his sister and brother-in-law with their balloon at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Now he’s seen pigs fly and bees kissing, but will he find the love he’s been searching for?
EXCERPT:
The morning glow ended once the skies lightened up, and the pilots prepared for the mass ascension. He moved back to the outer edges of the field to get a better view and to reduce the noise levels on his sound bites. Well that’s what he said when people asked, but really, he needed to get out of the crowds before they started staring again. It was easier in the daylight to deal with people one on one instead of in the big crowds. Invariably, someone’s kid would pipe up and say something about the large scars running down his neck.
He walked through one of the crew parking areas, looking for participants to interview, when a blue Chevy truck with California plates pulled into a parking site. Great time to get an out-of-stater’s perspective on the Fiesta. It would make his family happy that he was willing to talk to strangers again, even though the acid in his stomach rose.
Alex hesitated when the tall, muscular man got out of the truck and walked to the back to pull out some camp chairs. The early morning light bounced off the guy’s sun-bleached brown hair as he set them up along with a small camp table. Alex took in the view of the well-fitting jeans hugging the perfect ass. Mr. California stood over six feet tall and looked like he worked out regularly. Alex could only hope that he wasn’t some homophobic jerk.
A chuckle escaped him when the man’s attention was drawn to his reflection in the tinted truck window. He ran a hand through his short curly hair, then reached into the truck for a ball cap to pull over his head. Then he grabbed a thermos and a travel mug.
Alex struggled to calm the rising panic racing through him as he prepared to approach. He’d dreamed of being a TV news anchor, but after his accident, he’d given up that dream to work for his family’s radio station. He was used to interviewing all sorts of people, famous or not, for the radio station. He loved meeting new people, but this gorgeous man before him was throwing him off his game. At least with the people who came into the radio station, he felt safe and didn’t need to worry about how they would react to his scars.
Alex waited until the man sat down and began to enjoy the show, before approaching from behind. Controlling the situation so that he wouldn’t have to expose his scars was the only way he could handle talking to the stranger. His insides burned and his breakfast threatened to come back up, but he needed this. He needed to get back into the game so he could continue his career as a broadcaster.
3.5 Stars
**copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
After tragically losing his home and parents, Jeff heads to New Mexico where he has agreed to help his sister and brother-in-law at the the hot air balloon festival, The Fiesta Festival. Jeff has taken a position at a local company and plans to stay on in New Mexico after the festival. On the first day of the festival he meets Alex, who is there to cover the festivities for his family's radio station. Both men are scarred, Jeff emotionally, while Alex is scarred both emotionally and physically. Alex doesn't believe anyone can see past the physical scars and love the person he is on the inside.
This was a sweet story. It was just a little too perfect, and instalovey for me, though. Although we get to know the MC's pretty well, I wish the author had spread out the getting to know you portion of the book over a longer and more realistic period of time. I also felt some storylines were left unfinished. Jeff lost his boyfriend to war, and the author mentions it, yet Jeff never shares this with Alex. It just seemed like something he should have shared.
The characters are very likable and the story is pretty well-written. These characters have faced some major heartbreak in their lives. While the story has its depressing moments, it's also filled with hope, friendship and love. Recommendable.
Giveaway: Win a $5 Amazon giftcard and an ebook copy of Soaring Hearts
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About the Author
A cartographer by day, A.L. Boyd spends most of her free time with her horses, gardening, or reading. She never intended to be a writer, but stories like this one sometimes just pop into her head. The writing came about as a way to get the stories out. Her first story for the Goodreads M/M Romance DRitC event Crest Ridge Vacation was expanded to the novella titled Crest Ridge.
Other works include:
Crest Ridge (Novella): Amazon
The Dawn of Darkness (Free Short Story): Amazon
And a short story included in the Anthology Kickass: Amazon
(written and donated to help fellow author Eric Arvin with his medical bills).
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