Release Blitz ~ Chasing Forever (This Time Forever #3) by Kelly Jensen (Reviews + Giveaway)
Old wounds, new directions, and a forever worth chasing.
Chasing Forever by Kelly Jensen
Series: This Time Forever #3
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date (Print & Ebook): 12/10/18
Length:
Ebook: Word Count: 88,163
Print: Page Count: 333
Subgenre: Queer contemporary romance
Reading Warnings: References to child abandonment, neglect and abuse. Depression. Physical disability. All other warnings and tags can be found at:
About Chasing Forever:
Old wounds, new directions, and a forever worth chasing.
Malcolm Montgomery was a history teacher and track coach until an accident left him with two broken legs. He’ll recover, but life has knocked his feet out twice now. He’s not sure if he’s ready to try again, especially when it comes to love—and slick guys like Brian Kenway. Still, he needs help mentoring the school’s LGBTQ society, so he asks Brian to take some responsibility.
Brian has been hiding behind his reputation as a liar and a cheat for so long that he actually believes he’s that guy—until his nephew, Josh, turns up on his couch, tossed out for being gay. Brian has never considered being a father, but he knows all about being rejected by loved ones. Now Brian wants to be more: a partner for Mal and a role model for Josh.
But when Mal’s recovery is set back and the sad truth of Brian’s past is revealed, the forever they’ve been chasing seems even further from their grasps. It’ll take a rescue effort to revive their sense of worth and make Brian, Mal, and Josh into a family of their own.
Kelly Jensen talks Chasing Forever: This story is all about new directions. Brian and Mal will both be confronted with challenges that will encourage them to channel their energy into something worthwhile. For Brian, it’s stepping out from behind his substantial wallet to make a difference. For Mal, it’s about learning to live out loud. For both of them, it’s about forming a family of their own, and chasing a forever neither thought they might find.
I absolutely loved this story so much. I wasn’t sure Brian was going to be a redeemable character after meeting him in Building Forever as Simon’s cheating ex, and truthfully, it was touch and go for a good portion of the story. I couldn’t quite figure out what his angle was in relation to how he felt about Mal. Once his past comes to light, well, wow, it was simply heartbreaking and I wanted to cuddle him and maybe throat punch the members of his family. Now Mal, I loved. He was sweet, caring and nurturing, an amazing teacher and as a mother of twins, I loved his relationship with his twin brother, Donny.
The chemistry between Brian and Mal was off the charts. I loved that as much as Brian claimed to be an asshole, he was always extremely considerate of Mal’s physical limitations, and even with those limitations, they were smoking hot and passionate together in the bedroom.
My heart broke for Brian’s nephew, Josh. When he showed up I wasn’t so sure that Brian would do the right thing at first, but he turned out to be an amazing support system for him.
This was a well-written story that flowed well. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of Simon and Charlie. Ms. Jensen really did do a fabulous job at redeeming Brian and making him a likable character that I could root for. This was a really enjoyable read and while it’s part of a series, it can be comfortably read as a standalone. Definitely recommendable!
*copy provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
You know, it's kind of weird that just a few days ago I was chatting with one of my co-bloggers about loving the antihero and not really caring if the MCs were flawed, but that they were still likable enough to make the reader care about them. That was exactly what happened to me with Brian. He wasn't a good guy in book 1, and while he didn't magically change and become 'perfect', Ms. Jensen made him real for me. Yes, he still had issues, but along with those we got hints of the hurt teenage boy underneath the brash exterior, hints of having gone through to similar things to what Josh, his nephew, was going through, although we didn't really get to see the extent of what Brian had lived until the last portion of the book. And let me tell you, it only made me hate his parents and his sister even more than I already did.
Mal was lovely, caring and shy and supportive and it was lovely to see how he struggled with letting Brian in at first, and then see him pushing to get past Brian's defenses when he realized how much Brian needed it. He was so strong with all his medical issues and I was glad to see him find some solace at last.
I loved Mal's relationship with his twin brother and his sister-in-law, I loved how his family was so concerned with Mal's well-being. I loved seeing Brian warm up to Josh and realize they needed each other. And I hated Ellen, Brian's sister and Josh's mother (if one could even call her that), with the fire of a thousand suns.
While I enjoyed the first book in the series, Building Forever, a lot, I think there was just something about Chasing Forever that resonated within me. I found myself crying while reading, feeling so much for Brian, Mal and Josh and just wanting them to find their way toward their HEA, which was just amazing, btw. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
5 Stars
I absolutely loved this story so much. I wasn’t sure Brian was going to be a redeemable character after meeting him in Building Forever as Simon’s cheating ex, and truthfully, it was touch and go for a good portion of the story. I couldn’t quite figure out what his angle was in relation to how he felt about Mal. Once his past comes to light, well, wow, it was simply heartbreaking and I wanted to cuddle him and maybe throat punch the members of his family. Now Mal, I loved. He was sweet, caring and nurturing, an amazing teacher and as a mother of twins, I loved his relationship with his twin brother, Donny.
The chemistry between Brian and Mal was off the charts. I loved that as much as Brian claimed to be an asshole, he was always extremely considerate of Mal’s physical limitations, and even with those limitations, they were smoking hot and passionate together in the bedroom.
My heart broke for Brian’s nephew, Josh. When he showed up I wasn’t so sure that Brian would do the right thing at first, but he turned out to be an amazing support system for him.
This was a well-written story that flowed well. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of Simon and Charlie. Ms. Jensen really did do a fabulous job at redeeming Brian and making him a likable character that I could root for. This was a really enjoyable read and while it’s part of a series, it can be comfortably read as a standalone. Definitely recommendable!
*copy provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
5 Stars!
You know, it's kind of weird that just a few days ago I was chatting with one of my co-bloggers about loving the antihero and not really caring if the MCs were flawed, but that they were still likable enough to make the reader care about them. That was exactly what happened to me with Brian. He wasn't a good guy in book 1, and while he didn't magically change and become 'perfect', Ms. Jensen made him real for me. Yes, he still had issues, but along with those we got hints of the hurt teenage boy underneath the brash exterior, hints of having gone through to similar things to what Josh, his nephew, was going through, although we didn't really get to see the extent of what Brian had lived until the last portion of the book. And let me tell you, it only made me hate his parents and his sister even more than I already did.
Mal was lovely, caring and shy and supportive and it was lovely to see how he struggled with letting Brian in at first, and then see him pushing to get past Brian's defenses when he realized how much Brian needed it. He was so strong with all his medical issues and I was glad to see him find some solace at last.
I loved Mal's relationship with his twin brother and his sister-in-law, I loved how his family was so concerned with Mal's well-being. I loved seeing Brian warm up to Josh and realize they needed each other. And I hated Ellen, Brian's sister and Josh's mother (if one could even call her that), with the fire of a thousand suns.
While I enjoyed the first book in the series, Building Forever, a lot, I think there was just something about Chasing Forever that resonated within me. I found myself crying while reading, feeling so much for Brian, Mal and Josh and just wanting them to find their way toward their HEA, which was just amazing, btw. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Teaser Quotes from Chasing Forever:
“No one is perfect, Brian. Not me, not Simon, not Charlie, not you. Not even Josh, though the blue hair is probably a step closer than we’ll ever get.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because he’s trying to find his perfect, isn’t he? While we’re sitting here feeling old and mortal and maybe a little bit broken.”
***
Because if it had only been about the sex, then they wouldn’t be sitting here with their fingers tangled together, staring at each other like this meant something. As though this moment had been foretold or some such literary wonderfulness.
***
“We come from very different places, but I feel like we’ve both had to struggle. Not just because we’re gay, but because life is hard. But we’re both still here.”
Excerpt:
Mal checked the time. What the heck—it was New Year’s Eve and he should get kissed.
Brian followed his gaze, clearly checking the time for himself. “Want to wait for midnight?”
“No.” Because . . . “I’m not very good at this.” Okay, that’s enough. Stop talking now.
“You’re doing fine.”
“There’re probably a dozen other guys in this bar who would give their left nut to talk to you. Why are you bothering with me?”
“Why would you ask a question like that?”
“Because you unsettle me.”
“But in a good way.”
Brian smiled, and Mal let his lips curve upward in response—because Brian was right. Heck, yeah, he was uncomfortable and it wasn’t because his legs ached. Or the creeping fatigue from PT. The knowledge that even getting to the bathroom was a journey he had to plan. He wondered, then, if he should grab his crutch, pull it out of the shadow of the bar, and show it to Brian, and quickly realized that if he did, he’d be making another excuse. Besides, he didn’t want to have sex with Brian tonight.
Actually, he did.
But he wasn’t going to have sex with Brian tonight. Brian Kenway obviously enjoyed playing games and much as Mal suspected he’d enjoy a night in Brian’s bed, he knew it would probably be a one-off thing. No one put this much intensity into friendship. Brian saw him as a hookup. Nothing more.
Mal didn’t do hookups. Since his breakup with Noah, he’d preferred loneliness to the sharp disappointment of connection and separation, or the simple fact that people so often weren’t who he thought they were in the light of day.
He glanced at the clock over the bar. “Three minutes.”
Brian showed him another grin, this one not at all lazy. “Need some practice puckering up?”
“Fuck you.” Resisting the urge to stretch his lips, lick them, get all loose and ready for a kiss, Mal laughed. Then licked his lips, damn it.
Brian chuckled softly and raised his glass for another sip. He did it slowly, as though knowing Mal would watch him swallow and wonder what the drink would taste like on his lips. His tongue.
“Want a taste?” Brian asked, offering him the glass.
Mal accepted the glass and took a quick sip. The drink was strong and his head spun lightly. Putting it aside, he licked his lips again, tasting bourbon and something sharper, drier. Vermouth? The bitters touched his tongue last, a tangy aftertaste, and he could imagine how well an orange peel would go with the drink.
He was wondering how Brian managed to smell like oranges when the countdown began.
“Ten, nine, eight . . .”
Brian hadn’t leaned in. Should he do it?
“Seven, six, five . . .”
Should he take his glasses off?
“Four, three . . .”
What if he missed?
“Two . . .”
What if the kiss landed on Brian’s cheek or nose or—
“One!”
Oranges, cardamom, cinnamon, and musk. Warmth whispering across his lips in quick invitation before pressing down, lightly, without demand. Somehow their noses didn’t collide. Somehow, Mal’s lips were parting before a swipe of Brian’s tongue.
Brian didn’t invade, though. He teased. He waited.
Understanding flashing inside his head like a cracked blind at dawn, Mal leaned in and kissed back. Offered up his mouth. Tasted. Hummed at the delicious flavor of whiskey and man. The persistent hint of orange. The prickle of stubble as their mouths moved and realigned. He touched his tongue to Brian’s and opened his mouth. Brian swept inside and the warmth at the back of Mal’s neck now must be Brian’s hand. Oh God, it felt good.
So warm.
So necessary.
Then Brian was shifting back, blinking slowly, and noise crashed into the perfect bubble of their kiss, breaking the moment apart with cheers of “Happy New Year” and the lambent strains of “Auld Lang Syne.”
Mal breathed. Quaked. Ignored the near pain behind the fly of his jeans. Took another breath. “That was . . .”
“Some kiss.” Brian’s grin had that lazy aspect again.
About Kelly Jensen:
If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.
Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, co-written with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.
Connect with Kelly:
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Giveaway information: Any ebook from Kelly Jensen’s back catalog!
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