Release Day Blitz ~ Force of Nature (Coming About #4) by J.K. Hogan (Giveaway)
Title: Force of Nature
Series: Coming About, #4
Author: J.K. Hogan
Publisher: Euphoria Press (self)
Release Date: 7/4/17
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 80,000 words
Genre: Romance, contemporary, adventure
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Synopsis
Everyone knows that bonds formed under extreme circumstances never last. Harbor Patrol officer Neal Hesse has had his life turned upside down by a sudden break-up with his partner of ten years. After sleeping his way through Seattle failed to take his mind off his broken heart, he decides to take a leave of absence from work to find himself again. He hires a professional wilderness guide to take him up into the mountains, so he can get away from everything and live off the grid for a few days.Travis “Rock” McCreary, ex-Army Ranger turned survivalist, hates doing guided excursions, but it’s his primary source of income while he’s working towards getting his own survival show. Working in such a testosterone-fueled profession has forced him so deep into the closet, he feels like he might never see the light of day again, which makes it even harder to put on a friendly face for his happy, normal clients. When Rock is hired by clumsy city-boy Neal to take him up into the North Cascades for a survival adventure, his patience and his resolve are tested at every turn. He has to teach Neal to survive in the wilderness while fighting an attraction he can’t allow himself to act on.
When their trip doesn’t go as planned, Neal’s getaway turns into a true survival situation, and he and Rock are forced to rely on each other to stay alive. If they make it out of the wilderness, can their newfound connection survive in the real world?
Excerpt
Neal
didn’t see how this was supposed to help take his mind off his ex because, as
they trudged up the trail mostly in silence, he had nothing but time to think.
Time to think about how he’d fallen for and spent years with a wolf in sheep’s
clothing. He thought he’d been settled, that Tony was The One, that they had
been on their way to growing old together. How wrong he’d been.
When
the party reached an overlook at the highest point on the trail, they stopped
for a panoramic view of the waterfall. Even Neal had to admit, with the sun
streaming into the gorge and casting rainbows from the mist, it was a beautiful
sight. It was still hard to drag himself out of his head, though. He knew his
friends meant well, and they were right, of course. He needed to get up, get out,
get back on the proverbial horse of life. But he didn’t wanna. He wanted to be
at home on the couch moping, damn it.
He
wished for that even harder when he saw the so-called trail that descended from
the overlook to the foot of the falls where hikers could walk around or swim on
warm-enough days. This trail was also steps, but natural ones of smooth, flat
rock. It was narrow. Very narrow, and the lower part had a thin coat of slime
from the water spray and mud. So it was fucking slippery.
When
he’d almost made it to the flat riverbed, Neal lost his footing on a slick
rock. He barely avoided taking a tumble—probably would’ve cracked his skull
open—but he gained his balance again at the last moment. He breathed a sigh of
relief when he stepped off that part of the trail. The falls dumped into a wide
open part of the gorge, forming a broad pool that was bordered by a large, semicircular
bank of river rock. There, day-hikers and tourists spread out on the rocks,
picnicking, sunning themselves, or generally just taking in the scenery. Neal’s
friends spread out to do their own thing.
Addison
stalked off to the tree line with her cell phone, probably trying to get a
signal so she could call her girlfriend. Bennett led Rory around the edge of
the pond so they could get close to the actual waterfall. He was wearing a
chest harness that held his Go-Pro, the action camera he usually kept on his
boat. Rich and Paddy sat down on some large rocks and got out their trail
snacks. And Nic Valentine, the crazy fucker, was wading in the frigid pool
while Justice looked on, shaking his damn head.
Neal
shivered just thinking about it. It was the tail-end of summer, so it was still
quite warm, but these high lakes and rivers were always brisk, even on the
hottest days. He’d been trained to withstand cold water temperatures for marine
rescues, but that didn’t mean he had to like it, and he certainly didn’t do it
for fun. Turning away from the splashing idiot, Neal looked around at all of
the tourists and vacationers. Everyone had phones out, taking pictures, and he
was sure they were tweeting and Instagramming like mad whenever they could find
a bar or two.
He
shook his head, then smirked and took his own phone out. “When in Rome,” he
muttered. First, he snapped a picture with the reverse camera of himself with
the waterfall in the background. Then he flipped the view so he could get a
shot of the gorge. His frame wasn’t wide enough, so he took a few steps back,
mindful of the rocks that became more slippery the closer he got to the falls.
His
foot slipped and plopped down into water still cold enough to make him gasp,
and right at the same time, he backed into something hard. Solid. Something
alive. Neal winced when he heard an outraged cry and a splash behind him. Oh,
fuck. Had he just…knocked someone into the water? He knew he needed to make
sure they weren’t hurt or anything, but damn, he was afraid to turn
around…because that had not felt like a small person.
Cautiously,
he turned around and looked down, where he saw a man flailing around in the
shallows of the pool. Once he got control of his feet, the man sprang up in the
perfect kip-up. Neal cringed when he saw that his clothes and trail pack were
completely soaking wet. And when he looked at the man’s face, he froze. His
brain registered three things almost simultaneously: he looked vaguely
familiar, he was very attractive, and he was really fucking mad.
“What
the fuck is wrong with you?” the stranger shouted.
He
stepped forward so aggressively that Neal backed up, and his right hand went
instinctively to his hip, where he would’ve put his hand on the stock of his
service weapon—only there was nothing there because he was off duty.
Not
wanting to seem like an equal aggressor, he covered the move by sticking his
hand in his pocket, hoping to appear non-threatening. This guy was about his
age and shorter by a few inches, but he was ripped. He looked rugged and
whipcord strong and looked ready to kick some ass in a heartbeat. Neal might’ve
been able to take him—he had him on height and weight, but the guy looked like
he might be stronger…and a lot meaner. Neal really didn’t want to fight. That
was a helluva lot of paperwork.
He
held his arms out in front of him, both as a gesture of peace and to stave off
an attack if that were to happen. “Man, I am so sorry. I didn’t realize anyone
was behind me.”
“Clearly,”
he growled, shrugging out of his pack. He unzipped it and started digging
through it.
“Again,
really sorry. If anything in your pack got damaged, I’ll reimburse you.”
He
scowled at me. “This is a waterfall hike. I’m not an idiot. Anything of value
is inside a dry bag.”
Neal
bristled because the guy was basically calling him and everyone with him an
idiot because they hadn’t brought dry bags. They’d just figured they could
avoid, you know, falling in the water. Probably should’ve planned better,
because if Neal hadn’t knocked into this guy, it would’ve been him in the
water. But Neal had been the one to cause the fall, so he tried not to let his
attitude get to him. “If you need a towel, I think one of my friends might’ve
brought one.”
He
sat down on a large, flat rock and pulled off his hiking shoes, probably to let
them dry a little in the sun. His socks looked dry, so Neal assumed his
footwear was waterproof. That also would’ve been a good idea, since Neal’s
right sneaker was soggy as hell from stepping in the water.
The
guy shook his head and didn’t make eye contact. “I’ve got more hiking to do.
I’ll air-dry. Just try not to drown anyone, will ya?”
Neal’s
eyes narrowed, and he fought a valiant battle not to tell the guy to fuck off.
Instead, he fell back on his usual façade of charm and reached out a hand. “I’m
Neal. Wish it had been under better circumstances, but it’s nice to meet you.”
His
mega-watt smile, the one that had gotten him laid all the time when he was with
Tony and before, bounced off this angry stranger like he had some kind of
nice-guy force field. He glared at the proffered hand until Neal got the hint
and put it back in his pocket. Just when he was about to say ‘fuck it’ and walk
away, the guy mumbled, “Travis.”
“Pardon?”
Neal asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Name’s
Travis.”
“Well…Travis.
It’s been a pleasure. I’ll get out of your hair.” About maxed out on
politeness, Neal turned on his heel and started walking, stumbling slightly on
the wet stones.
“Hey,
Neal?”
He
turned and looked at Travis. “Yeah?”
“You
should stick to walking in the park or going to the gym. You don’t belong out
here.”
Rage
burned in Neal’s gut. He’d apologized profusely, and this guy just wouldn’t let
it go. Where the hell did he get off? “The fuck did you say to me? I’ll have
you know, I’m a police officer.”
Bennett
had obviously picked up on the tone because Neal sensed his partner and Paddy
creeping up on his flanks.
Travis’s
eyes flicked back and forth between the three men, then he shook his head with
a scoffing sound. “I’m just trying to give you some advice. It’s guys like you
who come out here and fall down into the ravine because you don’t have the
instincts to pay the fuck attention to where you put your feet.”
Neal
lunged forward, but Bennett stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Nuh-uh.
Walk away, Hesse.”
“But—”
“Nope.”
Paddy started pulling him backward.
Travis
spoke again, and the sound of his voice grated over Neal’s nerves like
sandpaper. “I’m not just trying to be an asshole, although I’d be justified,
considering.” He gestured down at his wet clothes. “But seriously, if you want
to be all outdoorsy and shit? Get yourself some survival training, because you
seem pretty fucking hopeless.”
Neal
growled and lunged again, but was stopped by his two strong friends.
“Aaaand
we’re done here,” Bennett said, as he and Patrick hauled Neal to the other side
of the river where the rest of their group was waiting.
“Come
on, just one swing!” Neal shouted over his shoulder. It was just for show
because his pride was more bruised than he wanted to let on, but the boys kept
a firm grip on him just in case.
Why
the fuck did it matter that some asshole stranger thought he was incompetent?
But Neal knew the answer to that—because his own boyfriend had as well. Tony
had basically unmanned him by suggesting Neal’s career and choices didn’t
matter, and now some random guy was telling him he couldn’t even wipe his own
ass without help.
Neal
seethed quietly all the way back down the trail. He’d never see that crazy
fucknut again, but he’d be damned if he’d let the guy be right. So as soon as
he got back, he booked himself on a survival excursion with a professional
wilderness guide. That’d show that asshole. The one he would never see again.
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Euphoria Press (self) | Amazon
3.5 Stars!
Neal is still trying to figure things out after his ten year relationship ended badly. As a cop and paramedic Neal would never consider himself incapable and unable to take care of himself. When a simple hike leads to a confrontation with a stranger and the stranger insisting Neal would never survive in the wilderness. Neal realizes he needs a break from his life. Deciding to prove the stranger wrong, he books himself on a survival expedition with a professional guide.
Rock is sick of taking entitled executives up in the mountains and having to hold their hands as they attempt to prove they're real men. But until the network he's currently in negotiations with agrees to a project deal and gives him his own show, this is how he makes his money and gets his name out there. Without much confidence in Neal's survival skills he can't let himself get distracted by the fact that he's attracted to the man.
The more time the men spend together the more emotions and tempers come out to play. The tensions, sexual and otherwise are at an all time high and both men begin to find each other in a push and pull they can't escape. But soon Nature decides to have a little fun with them and the men find themselves having to rely on each other in a way they hadn't expected. Especially when Rock's life is on the line.
What I Loved: When Rock and Neal finally get over themselves and knock down some of their walls, they had a great connection. I loved seeing a softer side of Rock and I found myself actually liking him. I hated his need to keep everything locked up tight inside himself and it made me sad to learn about his past. I loved seeing that with the help of someone who he can feel safe with, Rock could be more himself than the rough and gruff jerk he showed the world.
What I Liked: Obviously there was a lot of research put into this story. It's full of details that I knew nothing about as far as being out there and surviving in the wild. I think I read more than I actually ever wanted to know about catching and cooking various creatures. Eating bugs and how to look for shelter. There were so many scenes where everything they were doing was so detailed creating a vivid picture in my mind.
What I Didn't Like: Ok, so there is a scene which I feel skated the knife's edge of dubious consent and while I don't necessarily have a problem with it in fiction, it kind of bothered me. It was a situation in which I found myself saying "WTF?" Neal is a cop, Harbor Patrol officer and his behavior seemed very out of character and a bit self-destructive. I'm not into giving spoilers so I can't go into detail but it truly didn't sit well with me.
As for the sex, I found myself cringing a few times at the lack of lube, roughness and frequency when they had sex. I'm not sure how he was able to comfortably move afterwards. Not to mention the rimming. Ugh, these men are in the wilderness and aren't properly able to clean themselves. So I'm sorry but the rimming was a little gross to me.
Last but certainly not least is the fact that for a cop, Neal is the clumsiest guy ever. He has absolutely no idea how to take in his surroundings at all times. He is constantly putting his feet where he shouldn't, getting too close to mountain ledges and backing up into things. It's annoying and after he'd done it more than once, I couldn't help questioning how he could get through a shift with Harbor Patrol.
Overall, I thought this story was incredibly well-written and readers are given a very thorough idea of what it's like out there. I, unfortunately, am not a huge fan of survivalist shows and living off the land so after a while I found myself skimming through it. I loved the ending though and I'm glad that Rock and Neal get their HEA.
***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.***
Meet the Author
J.K. resides in North Carolina, where she was born and raised. A true southern girl at heart, she lives in the country with her husband and two sons, a cat, and two champion agility dogs. If she isn’t on the agility field, J.K. can often be found chasing waterfalls in the mountains with her husband, or down in front at a blues concert. In addition to writing, she enjoys training and competing in dog sports, spending time with her large southern family, camping, boating and, of course, reading! For more information, please visit www.jkhogan.com.
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