Blog Tour ~ (Un)Masked by Anyta Sunday & Andy Gallo (Review + Excerpt +Giveaway)

Blog Tour ~ (Un)Masked by Anyta Sunday & Andy Gallo (Review + Excerpt +Giveaway)

“What made the book for me? One word: Gristle.

Gristle, the straight boy, Jay's best friend, his "bro," is one of the best characters I've had the joy to read this year. His devotion to Jay is breathtaking, his snark so very snappy [...]. Read this book if nothing for the character of Gristle. [...] Spectacular.”

--T.J. Klune, Author of For Real, Bear, Otter, and the Kid, and Lightning-Struck Heart

Title: (Un)Masked

Publisher: Anyta Sunday & Andy Gallo (Self-Published)

Release Date (Print & Ebook): October 30, 2017

Subgenre: MM gay paranormal romance, magical realism, new adult

Book blurb:

Jay Walker has two wishes: to perform the play of his dreams alongside his best friend at Wellington’s Tory Street Theatre, and to meet that special someone. Someone he’d go to the ends of the earth for. Someone who might only exist in fairy tales.

When Jay meets accordion busker Lethe Cross, it’s like living a dream come true. Lethe’s music captivates Jay, and he resolves to meet the man who plays so beautifully. But then he discovers Lethe’s life is more like a nightmare. The phrase “down on his luck” can’t begin to cover it. Determined to help, Jay does some snooping for answers—and winds up on the wrong end of a centuries-old curse. The good news is there’s a way to break it. The bad news is it might cost Jay his life.

This book was previously published by Dreamspinner Press. This updated 2nd edition has some rewritten parts and has been line edited again.

Buy Links: http://www.anytasunday.com/#unmasked

Excerpt

His music sailed over me, beautiful, seductive; the call of a siren—and I went willingly.

He stood on a concrete wall dividing the beach and pavement, cutting notes into a thousand beautiful fragments that the air caught and whipped around me.

His hips twisted and his fingers slid over the accordion keyboard as he commanded the bellows.  Like magic, the disappointment that had clung to me all morning dulled, and I sank against a pylon across and watched him. Watched, and wished the lip of the hoodie he wore would lift so I could see his face.

He swayed with the music, and I glimpsed blond hair and a scar splitting one brow.

Nearer and nearer, I inched, until I stood before him.

His song ended abruptly, and he stared down at me with haunted, tired eyes.

I opened my mouth to ask him to play again, to tell him he was truly talented, but he jumped onto the beach and fled.

My soul prickled, and I knew I would never be the same again.

One never was, when death lurked nearby.

4 Stars

I liked Jay and Lethe and I felt really bad for all Lethe had to go through because of his family's curse. They were sweet and cute and I really liked them together. But then, I was blindsided by something that happened around the 64% mark that completely gutted me and unfortunately, it marred my enjoyment of the rest of the story. 


This is a hard book for me to review, for one part, I adore Anyta Sunday's writing and her collaboration on (Un)Masked with Andy Gallo was seamless. This is not the slow burn romance that Anyta Sunday has us used to, it all happens very fast between Lethe and Jay. The writing is nearly poetic in some parts, and the story is engaging and angsty. However, as I mentioned before, there's something that happened to Jay's best friend that broke my heart and it was upsetting enough for me that if I hadn't been reviewing the book for the blog I might have DNF'd it. It all ends well for the main characters, and while I'll recommend the book, I'll just say that you should proceed with caution while reading it.

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

Author Bios:

Heart-stopping slow burn.

Anyta Sunday is a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. She loves to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.

Some of her favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.

Anyta writes a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy. Her books have been translated into German, Italian and French.

Member of Romance Writers of America.

Connect with Anyta: Website | Twitter | Facebook | To receive a free e-book, sign up for Anyta’s newsletter here!

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Andy Gallo’s stories capture how he wished he’d spent his formative years, instead of how it really happened. Unfortunately for his characters, they find themselves infused with some of Andy’s less noble qualities.

A hopeless romantic, Andy writes seated next to a hundred year old Smith Brothers typewriter he inherited from his grandfather. He also dreams of superheroes and wizards and sees no reason why two men with superpowers can’t fall in love just like everyone else. Although not all of his stories have a paranormal bent, a touch of the supernatural never derailed a good read in his mind.

Married and living his happy ever after, Andy helps others find their happy endings in the pages of his stories. He and his husband of more than twenty years spend their days rubbing elbows with other parents as they raise their daughter. Embracing his status as the gay dad, Andy sometimes has to remind others that one does want a hint of color even when chasing after their child.

Connect with Andy:  Website | Facebook

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Giveaway: 3 e-copies of any backlist book by either Anyta Sunday or Andy Gallo:

Direct link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/88d45f0332/

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