Blog Tour ~ Death Dancer by Tara Lain ~ (Review + Giveaway)

Blog Tour ~ Death Dancer (Dangerous Dancers #2) by Tara Lain ~ (Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Death Dancer
(Dangerous Dancers #2)
By Tara Lain

Blurb:

A tattooed dancer and a by-the-book detective dance with death in the ego-fueled halls of ballet.

Bad boy of ballet, Valentin “Val” Aalto stands poised on the verge of huge success -- except for one big obstacle. Influential lead dancer Harry Hardesty hates Val and cheats him out of the lead in Romeo and Juliet. When Hardesty winds up dead, Val looks like a prime suspect – and gets thrown under the detailed and methodical inspection of the handsome NY detective with the stick up his butt, Andrew Preston. At first, Preston believes Hardesty may be the victim of the chilling Dancer Killer who’s struck three victims, but evidence stacks up against Val. Still, Andrew can’t seem to keep his hands off his suspect and when the Dancer Killer starts stalking Val, Andrew is forced to choose between his dedication to a job he loves – and his growing passion for his beautiful dancer. Together Val and Andrew discover that chaos can be beautiful, one should choose desserts wisely, and love can even trump death in the rehearsal halls of ballet.

Available for purchase at

      

Excerpt

Is that light? Val opened an eye and frowned at the sliver of brightness seeping around his closed blinds. What the fuck time is it? Am I late for rehearsal? Jesus, he never slept like this. A lifetime of living with different relatives and in ballet school with all kinds of people had turned him into a light sleeper.

Wait. No weight on his back. No soft breathing. He’d heard breath earlier—hadn’t he? He sat up, the covers falling to his hips.

Across the room, Andrew was pulling on his sport coat as he watched his foot slide on a loafer, sockless.

“Leaving without saying goodbye?”

“Oh, uh, not necessarily, but you were sleeping quite soundly.”

“Yeah, well, I was fucked into another dimension.” He rubbed a hand over his neck.

Andrew’s cheeks turned pink.

So, hello to the bumbling detective.

“Oddly, I slept like the dead. I usually wake up at the sound of a leaf. I can’t imagine what got into me.”

Val grinned. “I can. What time is it?”

“Six.”

“In the morning?”

“Uh yes.”

“Holy shit! Don’t I remember something about a day off for you?”

“No, that was a night off. Night’s over.”

Val raised his legs and hugged his knees, the sheet covering them. “So, apparently, is your liaison with my ass.”

“I have to get to work.”

Val flipped the sheet off his lap to reveal a very upright example of morning erection. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” He bared his teeth in his snarkiest grin.

“An impressive invitation.” That produced a small smile.

“A national characteristic. Us Finns are well endowed. It’s scientific fact.” Val eyed the proper law enforcement officer in front of him. “What’s your excuse?”

Another blush. “Well, my father was known as a horse’s ass. Maybe I got the cock?”

Val fell back against his pillow and laughed. Andrew amazed him. Funny, dry, witty—weird. “So, question.” He flipped on his side.

“Okay.”

“In the throes last night, you on several occasions mentioned ‘the next time’. Is there going to be one?”

“I, uh, hope so.”

“Me too.”

Andrew smiled shyly and walked toward the door.

“Andrew?”

“Yes?”

“Who is that guy who fucked my brains out last night?”

Wrinkles played across his forehead. “I’m not altogether sure.”

The door opened. Gone.

Whew.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Bad boy and second lead of the NY Ballet Theater, Valentin Aalto, is about to get his big break in the company by being Romeo in their upcoming Romeo and Juliet production, however, the ballet's lead dancer Harry Hardesty is not about to let this happen and puts a stop to those plans. When Harry turns up dead, Val is one of the prime suspects, even if he does have an alibi for that night.

No-nonsense, methodical detective Andrew Preston is assigned to the NYPD's newest case involving a serial killer that seems to be targeting male ballet dancers, when his path crosses with Val's he just can't deny the attraction he feels for the gorgeous dancer, who is a witness at first and then a suspect. He knows he shouldn't get involved with him, but he can't stay away from Valentin. Andrew's life is based in order, but it's only until he meets Val that he learns there's beauty in chaos, as well. Now if only he could solve these cases before Valentin ends up dead or in jail.

I loved Val, he was amazing and I could see why Andrew couldn't resist him. I liked Andrew, but he got on my nerves a bit with some of his actions. I have to say, though, that I liked them together and they had very good chemistry, even if some of the sex scenes were a bit awkward/over the top.

Overall, I really liked this book. It wasn't my favorite Tara Lain read, but it was pretty good. There were a few continuity issues that I hope were solved in the final copy, but other than that, it was very entertaining and filled with passion, intrigue and suspense. I had guessed who one of the killers was, and had my suspicions about the identity of the second, but there were some twists that I didn't see coming.

Rating: 4 Stars!!!

3.5 Stars! 

Generally, I am a huge Tara Lain fan, unfortunately, though, I wasn't as satisfied with Death Dancer as I usually am with her books. I felt the dialogue was a bit stiff and awkward. And while the story itself was intriguing and I enjoyed how it unfolded, there was something that just kept me from completely falling in love with it. 

I liked Andrew and Val and I thought they were good together. They had good chemistry and it was obvious they had that connection I like between my characters. I think I loved Andrew from the very beginning of the story. He's very controlled and detail-oriented. I connected to him right away. 

Val was a bit different. I wasn't sure how I felt about him at first. He instantly came across to me as cocky and a tad fake. I'm not sure what it was that rubbed me the wrong way but luckily I changed my mind and saw a different side of him. His flirting and banter with Andrew had me smiling and softening towards him. 

Overall, while I didn't hate the story and would probably still recommend it, I definitely did not love it. I'm still a fan of Tara Lain and will be buying her books for the foreseeable future though.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Dangerous Dancers Series

Golden Dancer 

(Dangerous Dancers Series, #1)

By Tara Lain

Available for purchase at 

      

About the Author

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 32. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.  She lives with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog near the sea in California where she sets a lot of her books.  Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at Lain

               

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