Book Blitz: Galaxies and Oceans by N.R. Walker (Reviews, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Book Blitz: Galaxies and Oceans by N.R. Walker (Reviews, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Galaxies and Oceans
N.R. Walker
Publication date: June 25th 2018
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Romance

Seizing his one chance to escape, Ethan Hosking leaves his violent ex-boyfriend, leaves his entire life, and walks into the path of a raging bushfire. Desperate to start over, a new man named Aubrey Hobbs walks out of the fire-ravaged forest, alive and alone. With no ID and no money, nothing but his grandfather’s telescope, he goes where the Southern Cross leads him.
Patrick Carney is the resident lighthouse keeper in Hadley Cove, a small town on the remote Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia. After the tragic death of his lover four years ago, he lives a solitary life; just him, a tabby cat, the Indian and Southern Oceans, and a whole lot of loneliness. He’s content with his life until a stranger shows up in town and turns Patrick’s head.
Patrick never expected to be interested in anyone else.
Aubrey never expected to be happy.
Between Aubrey’s love of the stars and Patrick’s love of the ocean, these two fragile hearts must navigate new waters. If they can weather the storm of their pasts, they could very well have a love that eclipses everything.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Patrick


I stopped, looked toward the lonely figure still watching the ocean below, and with a deep breath and nothing to lose, I crossed the street and walked toward him.
“Hi,” I said, still a few metres away so as not to scare him.
He spun regardless, his eyes wide. He had dark eyes, pale skin, and I could see short brown hair poking out from under his hood. He looked three days unshaven, and the bump on the bridge of his nose gave his handsome face a rugged edge. “Oh, hi.”
“Didn’t mean to scare ya.” I nodded toward the tumultuous, tumbling ocean. “She’s upset today.”

He looked back out to the rough seas and gave me a quick smile. “It’s actually kinda pretty.”
I scratched at my beard. “I’ve heard it been called cruel, cold, rugged, hellish. The only people who call it pretty are the ones who end up staying.”

He looked back out to sea and smiled. The wind caught his hood and tousled his hair. His cheeks were pink from the cold as was the tip of his nose. He was handsome, no two ways about it. And possibly fifteen years younger than me.
I made myself look away. “What brings you here?”

“Looking,” he answered without turning to me.

“For?” I stared out across the stormy waves with him. “Work? A new beginning?”
He shot me a look. “Something like that.”

I sipped my coffee. “There’s not much work here. Well, that’s not true. There’s a tonne of work; this whole town is weather-beaten and old. Just not much work that pays.”
His lips twitched.

“But you can try the caravan park.” I didn’t let on that I knew that was where he was staying. “Old Frank Hill who runs the place would never say no to help. Maintenance, that kind of thing.”

He turned back to the water, to the wind. “I’ve asked him already.”
“Frank’s just a grumpy old man who thinks anyone under thirty’s a hooligan. I’ll have a word with him if you like.”

“Why would you do that?”

I smiled and gave pause. Why was I offering to help this guy? I didn’t know him from Adam. Sure, he was good-looking, but there was something in his eyes. Something deep, hidden, and burning. Something horrendously painful. Something I recognised.

I faced the angry sea alongside him. “Because you called this ocean pretty.”

Neither of us spoke for a while. I drank my coffee and he turned his empty cup in his hands.
“Anyway,” I said, realising I couldn’t stand around all day. “My name’s Patrick. I live at the lighthouse.”

That made him look at me. “In the lighthouse?”
“No. Not in it. In the residence.”

“Oh. Cool.”

“Well, it’s almost two hundred years old, made from sandstone, and it’s tiny. But yes, it’s cool.” I smiled as the wind whipped around us. “I should go. I have work to do, but I’ll call around and see Frank after lunch.” I pulled the newspaper out from under my arm, and his eyes darted to the front page.

He stared so long I turned it around so he could read it, but he shot me a look that I couldn’t place, and it was gone so fast I’d wondered if I’d seen it. He stepped back. “Yeah, um, thanks. That’d be great.”

It wasn’t until I got home that I realised what the look on his face was. It was fear. And I realised I didn’t know his name.

4 Stars 

I read the blurb and couldn’t wait to dig into this story. N.R. Walker is one of my favorite authors, and while, for the most part, I enjoyed the story and loved both Aubrey/Ethan and Patrick, I think in the end, I just wanted more excitement.

Ethan’s boyfriend Anton, is an openly gay and powerful political figure, but he’s also an abuser, beating Ethan so badly at times that he has to send him away to his cabin in the woods, with no way of leaving, until he’s healed enough to come out of hiding and make public appearances on Anton’s arm. A raging bush fire, that threatens the cabin, becomes Ethan’s escape and when he emerges from the woods he takes the name of his late grandfather, Aubrey. He travels for a while but eventually ends up on a small island, where he meets Patrick, a light house operator, who is still healing from the disappearance/assumed death of his partner, Scott. The two men are attracted to one another, and while Aubrey thinks he’s ready to move on, Patrick isn’t so sure. 

As I said, I loved both Patrick and Aubrey and my heart broke for the heartbreak, loss and hurt both men had suffered in the past. Patrick, especially, when he talked about Scott and the ache he still felt at the loss, well, I kinda wanted to crawl into a ball and cry. 

This story is a slow-burn, and I really liked the progression Aubrey and Patrick took moving from friends to eventual lovers. It was un-rushed and natural. I loved that Aubrey was willing to give Patrick all the time he needed, and that he not only accepted Patrick’s love for Scott, but he embraced and encouraged it. Patrick and Aubrey had amazing chemistry and when they finally gave into the attraction, they were sweet, hot and passionate together. 

The story was well-written, but the pace felt a big slow at times. I think it needed more angst to move the story along. I would have loved to have seen some of the struggles Aubrey faced between the time of his disappearance and his arrival on the island. As always, Ms. Walker’s writing is stellar and captivating and while not my favorite of her works, still, it was very enjoyable and recommendable!

* Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. *

Author Bio:
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don't let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love.
She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She's been writing ever since...

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway