Title: Psycho Romeo
Series: Ward Security Series #1
Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott
Publisher: Drake and Elliott Publishing, LLC
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 81K
Genre: Romance, Thriller/Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Gay Literature, Gay fiction, bodyguards
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Synopsis
Geoffrey Ralse is known for being the life of the party. He loves the club scene, hanging with his friends, and flirting with whomever catches his eye. He certainly isn’t going to stop living his life just because some would-be stalker starts sending him threats.
But it all changes when Geoffrey is drugged and wakes up half naked in his own home with a new message from his stalker.
He needs help and there’s only one person he trusts…
Protective Agent Sven Larsen has been fighting Geoffrey’s flirtatious advances for months, even though he’s impossibly drawn to the man. There’s no way he can be around him twenty-four/seven and not finally crack. But one look at Geoffrey’s haunted eyes, and he knows there’s no way he’s letting Geoffrey walk out of Ward Security without him.
Even if it means breaking his own rules, he will keep Geoffrey.
Excerpt
Once again, Geoffrey had surprised him. That jump to his defense had been swift and hard. Sven watched anyone who came near them, but he also watched Geoffrey fume as he walked the wrong direction on Freedom Way. People strolled the sidewalks all around them. In the back of his mind, he stayed aware of the fact that they didn’t know for sure his stalker was a part of his group. It could be anyone.
Over a million followers on one site alone.
He shook his head and stayed close as he took in everything about their surroundings. Skyscrapers of downtown Cincinnati rose up behind them while the Great American Ballpark was on their left. There was the rush of traffic on nearly all sides, but Geoffrey appeared to be heading away from the biggest crowds of people and toward Ohio River rippling in the distance, winding between Ohio and Kentucky.
Sweat gathered on his back, under his arms, and at the back of his neck. Maybe it was time to cut the hair. He’d grown it in a challenge with his brothers—who could stand it the longest. His oldest brother still held out. But Sven could out-stubborn them all.
Mostly because he actually liked it. Low-maintenance hair—just needed a brush or something to keep it off his neck. Digging into his pocket, he found one of the thick hair ties he used and looped his hair into a messy knot at the back of his head. He glanced down to find Geoffrey watching his movements with fascination.
“I don’t know how you stand it. Mine drives me crazy when it gets past my ears.”
He eyed the light blond gelled hair brushed back off Geoffrey’s forehead. “It suits you.”
“Thanks.” Anger returned to his expression, tightening his lips and he stomped off again. He had his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans—probably to keep from throwing them about as he did when his emotions were high. And they were. It was obvious in his quick, hard steps, his tight expression, and the energy radiating from his body. Sven had never met someone with so much liveliness. So much fire. He’d often marveled over it during the classes at Ward, fascinated and drawn to all that brightness and vitality like Geoffrey had hooked him on a short fishing line.
He could hardly ever take his eyes off him.
And now that he’d seen the sexy, trim body under all those clothes, he was having trouble not watching for the flex of muscle underneath the slouchy blue T-shirt Geoffrey wore today. When he shrugged, it slipped off his shoulder and Sven wanted to lift him high, press his back into the nearest wall, and put his mouth on that tantalizing collarbone. Learn the taste and scent of his skin. And he wanted the laughter back. Amusement transformed him, making him all golden sunlight and joy. He’d throw his head back, revealing white teeth and when he let himself go like that, the trace of sadness he seemed to carry at all times disappeared.
Sven had the feeling Geoffrey’s loneliness ran deeper than his own, and he’d felt the ache of it for some time now. He didn’t enjoy bars or nightclubs and although he’d downloaded a hookup app onto his phone, he’d never seen anyone on it worth contacting. But he wasn’t one for anonymous sex, so he mostly went without. Hoping he’d eventually meet someone worth the effort it would take to build a real relationship.
His fierce attraction to Geoffrey made little sense. They couldn’t have been more opposite in personality, size, income bracket…pretty much everything.
Except for the loneliness.
Geoffrey had tons of people around him, yet none of them were true friends. Not any that he’d met today anyway. And every time his gaze had locked with Geoffrey’s, he’d seen something that had ripped the world right from under his feet.
Geoffrey knew. He was completely aware that they used him. For money, for notoriety, for another selfie on their social media accounts.
The absolute…fakeness of it all tightened his chest to the point of pain. Because he could see, in those blue eyes, that Geoffrey Ralse needed so much more.
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*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
This is my first book by these authors. I've wanted to read their previous series but haven't had a chance to yet. I was interested in this book from the first moment they posted on social media about it, and even more excited that it was a standalone, so I could just jump right in. It's probably a standalone, that's what they say, but there are lots of characters and couples that I think are from their other series. This one seems to be a spin-off from that one, and I truly think I'd have enjoyed this one more had I read that one. I think if I had read that series, I would have felt more a connection to Geoffrey and Sven. I would have understood the character of Geoffrey earlier in the book, and not just have found him a creepy grabber who always had his hands on Sven, even though Sven didn't ask for it. And, I don't know if it was mentioned in previous books/storylines, but I was taken aback by the first mention of a stalker.
There was an event, Geoffrey was confused and then Geoffrey was panicked because it was his stalker. And I was like, "Woah, that escalated quickly. What did I miss?" It took me a while to like Geoffrey's character. He seemed to just be a playboy, social media star. He lived for social media and partying with his "friends". But, behind this party boy attitude, was a lonely man who used the more the merrier mindset to cover his loneliness. Geoffrey was desperate for a relationship and would fall into one with whatever guy seemed interested. And though his handsy-ness was a joke and everyone accepted that this was just Geoffrey, it was something that really made me not like him. I mean, what kind of jerk is always copping a feel and I'm expected to like him?
I did like Sven, but really he's the strong, silent type so what's not to like? Sven is a large man and since an incident at a young age, has always been conscientious of his size and careful not to hurt anyone. He has very strong ties to his family, especially his sister. And though he's attracted to Geoffrey, he won't consider a relationship because of his small size. All of that changes when Sven becomes Geoffrey's bodyguard through his work at Ward Security and he's forced into close proximity. Because of Geoffrey's outspokenness, Sven is forced to acknowledge how he feels and the reason he's been unwilling to pursue a relationship with Geoffrey. But, because of Sven, Geoffrey has to acknowledge that the people he knows from social media aren't friends, and maybe he needs to make changes.
Geoffrey did eventually grow on me the more I got to know him and I really liked the relationship between Sven and him. My only regret is that I didn't wait to read this book until I read the other series. The stalker/mystery wasn't overwhelming to the story between Sven and Geoffrey. It was easy to see this as a start of a series with all the potential characters introduced from Ward Security. I'm definitely looking forward to the others, but will wait until I get through the other series first!
Rating: 4 stars
Meet the Authors
Rinda Elliott
Rinda loves unusual stories and credits growing up in a family of curious life-lovers who moved all over the country. Books and movies full of fantasy, science fiction and romance kept them amused, especially in some of the stranger places.
For years, she tried to separate her darker side with her humorous and romantic one. She published short fiction, but things really started happening when she gave in and mixed it up. When not lost in fiction, she loves making wine, collecting music, gaming and spending time with her husband and two children.
She is the author of the Beri O’Dell urban fantasy series, the YA Sister of Fate Trilogy with Harlequin Teen, and the paranormal romance Brothers Bernaux Trilogy. She also writes erotic fiction as Dani Worth.
She can be found at RindaElliott.com and her Dani Worth blog . She’s represented by Miriam Kriss at the Irene Goodman Agency.
Jocelynn Drake
Love comes in many varied forms. There is the love of family, love of country, and love of chocolate. But for Jocelynn Drake, one truly treasured love is the love of a good story. This former Kentucky girl spends the majority of her time lost in the strong embrace of a good book.
When she’s not hammering away at her keyboard, frowning at her monitor, or curled up with a book, she can usually be found cuddling with her cat Demona, walking her dog Max, or flinging curses at the TV while playing a video game. Outside of books, cats, and video games, she is completely enamored of Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, fast cars, and Anthony Bourdain (but only when he’s feeling really cranky).
She is the author of the urban fantasy series: The Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. She also occasionally writes as Joy Douglass when she’s in the mood for a little historical romance. She can be found at JocelynnDrake.com.
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