HOT OFF THE ICE
Meet the men of the Seattle Thunder.
They're hot on and off the ice.
NEW RELEASE
Book Title: Country Boy: Hot Off the Ice #2
Author: A. E. Wasp
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix
Release Date: September 21
Genre/s: Contemporary Romance, gay romance, steamy, sports, hockey
Length: Words: 80K
#2 ~ Robbie & Paul
Blurb
Sometimes the toughest thing to have faith in is yourself.
The first time Paul Dyson met Robbie Rhodes, they ended up naked in Robbie’s bed. The last time they met, on the ice the morning after, Paul punched Robbie in the face and called him something he’d rather not repeat.
Two years later, they’re teammates on the Seattle Thunder hockey team.
Being gay is wrong, unnatural, and there is no room for them in his world. Paul’s heard that his whole life. So when it hits him that he is gay, he does the only thing he can: he shoves himself so deep in the closet he would need a map to find his way out again.
When the chance to fulfill his lifelong dream comes along, Paul can’t say no, even if it forces him to share hotel rooms with the only man he can’t resist. It doesn’t take long for Paul to give into temptation and find himself falling in love with his brilliant, caring teammate.
But as much as he cares for Paul, Robbie is finding it harder and harder to justify hiding who he is. It goes against everything he was taught was right. He feels like he has a duty to come out to the public. He’d be the first out gay pro-hockey player.
If Paul wants to be with Robbie, he will have to turn his back on his family and everything he’s believed in. If Robbie wants to be will Paul, he’ll have to do the same.
It’s going to take them a lot of faith to find their way together in this shiny new world.
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Excerpt
Excerpt
He took a slap shot at the empty net, raising his arms to an imaginary crowd and giving an almost silent cheer. Skating slowly to retrieve the puck, he said. “If we wanna make the show, we’ve got to be the best. We got to push harder and want it more.” He tossed the puck on the ice in front of Robbie. “Do you want it more?”
“More than who?” Robbie stared into his eyes, hands resting on the top of his stick.
“More than anyone else does. More than you want anything else. Do you want it that much?”
Their eyes met, glittering in the harsh shadows of the bare lamp light. Finally, Robbie nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
Paul tilted his head. “Then let’s get to work.”
They skated hard for some indeterminate length of time Paul knew he would never forget. The world had narrowed down to a frozen space of biting cold air, moon shadows, and the sounds of metal blades carving through the ice.
As they sped down the ice, Robbie right on Paul’s tail, an owl broke out of the trees, swooping low over Paul’s head with a swish of feathers and an eerie hooting. “Dang,” Paul said, throwing up his arms and ducking.
“Oh, crap,” Robbie yelped right before he crashed into Paul. Down they went in a tangle of arms and legs.
Robbie landed on top of Paul, knocking the air out of his lungs. Paul’s first thought was that the parka did a great job of insulating him from the cold. The second was that having Robbie laying on top of him felt really good.
Robbie started to push away, and, Paul moved without thought, wrapping his arms around Robbie.
Robbie stopped, raising onto his elbows to stare Paul in the eyes. His eyes were such a warm brown. Paul’s breathing grew heavy, and he felt Robbie’s chest pressing against his with each exhalation.
He licked his dry lips, and Robbie’s eyes dropped to his mouth, then back to his eyes. “Can I kiss you?” Robbie asked quietly.
Paul’s muscles tightened, and his breath caught.
Mistaking his silence for a no, Robbie blushed and tried to pull away. Paul grabbed Robbie’s coat awkwardly, fingers clumsy beneath the thick gloves, and pulled him back down.
Robbie’s lips were cold, but his breath was warm as he kissed Paul gently. He lifted his head to check Paul’s reaction.
Oh, Paul thought. Oh. He raised his head off the ice to reach Robbie’s mouth.
Robbie kissed him again, harder this time, pushing him back down to the ice.
Paul whimpered at the feel of Robbie’s lips on his. When Robbie’s tongue flicked against the seam of his mouth, he opened willingly, letting the heat in. Robbie’s thick gloves thumped to the ground as he pulled them off without breaking the kiss.
Robbie shifted on top of him as he explored Paul’s mouth, aligning their bodies in a way that made Paul’s eyes roll back in his head even as the ice numbed his ass through his jeans.
Skates scratching against the ice, Paul bent his knees, clamping his thighs against Robbie’s sides.
Robbie took what he wanted from Paul, tilting his head to the side with a hand, and encouraging Paul to open up with sharp nips to his lips.
He pushed Paul’s head back with pressure on his chin, his mouth moving down the column of Paul’s neck as best as he could through the protective barrier of outerwear.
Paul panted through his open mouth as Robbie set his teeth on Paul’s skin and sucked, tongue flicking against the pulse in Paul’s neck. “Oh, fuck,” he moaned, hips rising of their own accord as his body fought for some friction.
For most of a decade, he’d imagined what it would feel like to be held down by a man, to feel someone strong and hard pressing against him, matching their strength to his. His imagination had not come close to reality.
Robbie pushed up onto his arms, forcing his body down onto Paul’s rapidly growing erection. The place where his mouth had been was suddenly freezing in the cold air. Paul’s head to toe shudder threatened to throw Robbie off. “Oh, God, oh, God,” Paul groaned. “Don’t stop.”
Robbie leaned down for a long hard kiss that stole the air from Paul’s lungs. He smiled as he looked at Paul. “If we don’t go inside, we’re going to freeze to death, stick to the ice, and Mrs. Pierson is going to find our bodies in the morning.” He jumped up and held a hand out to Robbie.
Paul couldn’t process what was happening as he let himself be pulled up. Was that it? Was it over? Would the kissing stop when they got inside? Please don’t let it stop. He needed it so badly. Needed to shut off his brain, just for tonight. Please.
Robbie skated off the rink and headed towards the door. Paul followed him.
4.5 Stars
Paul, I'm torn with how I feel about him. While I can't say I understand, I can empathize with his struggle. To be told your whole life that you are wrong. That who you love is unnatural, makes you a deviant and you'll go to hell for acting on those feelings of love, well, my heart broke for him, but his actions towards the end of the story, made me want to scream, okay, no, what I really wanted was to throat punch him.
But together, Robbie and Paul were electric. They fit together well and the chemistry between them was off the charts and once they got between the sheets, it was explosive and hot.
This was a really enjoyable read that once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I loved the storyline, and I was really intrigued, especially by Paul's father's backstory. I love the author's writing style. It's easy to read and the stories flow well. This is only my second story by her, but I'll definitely be checking out her backlist.
I have to say: I am loving this series and I really hope this book isn't the end. There are some great secondary characters, some that I think have stories to tell. I adored getting to catch up with Bryce and Dakota. This was a great read that I really enjoyed and I'd definitely recommend, and although it can be read as a standalone, you don't want to miss out on Bryce and Dakota's story, so pick up City Boy, as well.
*copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
City Boy (Hot Off the Ice #1) by A.E. Wasp
#1 Bryce & Dakota
Title: City Boy (Hot Off the Ice #1)
Author: A.E. Wasp
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix
Publication Date: June 29, 2017
Genre/s: Contemporary Romance, gay romance, steamy, sports, hockey
Print Length: 280 pages
Blurb
Follow the money or follow your heart? Either way, you lose.
When a blown tire leads directly to mind-blowing sex with a white knight named Dakota, pro-hockey player Bryce Lowery discovers he is most definitely gay.
Being with Dakota opens up a whole new world. Bryce can’t imagine life without him. But he refuses to be Bryce's dirty little secret. If he wants to keep Dakota, he’s either going to have to come out publicly or retire and walk away from millions of dollars.
Bryce Lowery feels like the answer to all of Dakota’s prayers. But is Dakota willing to leave the only life he’s ever known only to be thrust into the spotlight as the boyfriend of the first out gay hockey player? Would their relationship even survive it? He’ll lose Bryce if doesn’t because Bryce will leave eventually. No one would turn down millions of dollars for a nobody with nothing.
City Boy is a first time gay, fish out of water, May/December love story with a happy ending. It features snarky siblings, a dirty-talking farmer, lots of food, and big choices. (No poultry was harmed in the making of this book.)
Buy links - Available on KU
4 Stars
Bryce is a successful hockey player. He's straight, or at least he assumes he is, until Dakota comes to his rescue when he blows out a tire on the side of the road. The two quickly fall into bed, Bryce discovering he's not so straight after all, but they are shocked the next morning when it turns out that Bryce is Tommy's nephew and the person who could render Dakota homeless.
This was a pleasant read, although I thought the beginning, when they meet at the attorney's office, felt a bit off. It was like they were too familiar with one another and I know why Bryce didn't realize he'd been emailing back and forth with Dakota, but I wasn't sure why Dakota didn't figure out who Bryce was when they first met. There were a few other instances that didn't seem to quite work in the story, nothing that a good beta reader wouldn't catch, perhaps.
Still, I really like both Dakota and Bryce. They were both likable characters and they fit well into one another's lives. I couldn't help but root for them to get a happy ending. The story is well-written and it flowed nicely. Dakota and Bryce had major chemistry and I loved that the progression to actual "sex" was slow. It made the story more realistic since Bryce has never been with a man before.
I loved how well Bryce and Dakota's friends and family melded together. And of course, I adored Dakota and Bryce's interactions with the animals. I really liked Robbie and I'm hoping his story is next. This was really enjoyable, sweet, funny and sexy. Very recommendable!
*copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
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