Title: Forever with You
Author: Londra Laine
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Art: Aria Tan
Length: 230 pages/77,000 words
Release Date: January 9, 2018
Rating: 18+
Themes: New York City, office romance, contemporary, single-parent, multiracial, sexual trauma
TRIGGER WARNING:
Please be aware that this book contains a flashback of and several references to sexual assault.
Blurb
Kelly Brooks Montes is only nineteen years old and just starting college in New York City when tragedy strikes, and he becomes a single dad to his toddler brother. Four years later, Kelly and his baby brother, Jaylen, are doing well, though Kelly leads a double life to make ends meet. He’s a high-level administrative assistant by day and a racy go-go boy by night. Between raising his brother, dancing, and trying not to run afoul of his new boss, Kelly doesn't have time for a boyfriend. Even if he did want a man in his life, a past trauma makes him question whether he can ever trust a man with his body or his heart. But then Kelly receives an unexpected but steamy birthday kiss from his boss, a man he was sure hated him, and he begins to wish for things he knows he shouldn't.
Andrew Whitman knew from the moment he held Kelly's hand that the man was special, and it both annoyed and terrified him. Kelly makes him feel a little out of control and Drew is a highly controlled man. He has to be to keep his sexuality a secret from his father, a conservative politician. And he is OK with that. He has a perfectly good, mutually beneficial, life plan with his best friend, Lex. A long time ago, he'd made his peace with the fact that he'd never find a man worth turning his life upside down for. Then he ends up with his capable and gorgeous assistant under him on top of his desk, and his life plans change. Drew can't seem to get out of his own way when it comes to the quiet, sexy, and surprising single dad, but he can't stop himself from falling for Kelly and his sweet baby brother. And just when it seems that Kelly has worked through his past hurts enough to let Drew into his body and his heart, manipulative family and words unspoken threaten to tear them apart. But after getting a taste of a life he never thought he could have, Drew won't let anything tear his fledgling family apart.
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Excerpt
Hot, wet, messy, they fed off each other. Kelly tightened his grip around Drew’s neck, hoisting himself up and bringing his legs around Drew’s waist. Drew slid his hands to Kelly’s ass, kneading and clutching him while Kelly started to slowly rock his hips.
“There you go, baby. Fuck, you feel so good. Take what you need.”
Kelly started grinding against Drew aggressively, his low, sexy moans making Drew’s cock ache with the need to be even closer. Skin to skin.
Drew spun them around, and with one hand, shoved a bunch of crap off his desk and onto his chair, laying Kelly out on his desk.
Drew grasped and spread Kelly’s thighs as he settled between the smaller man’s legs, pressing them chest to chest. Drew pulled Kelly’s glasses off his face and gently tossed them in the general direction of his desk chair, hoping they landed safely.
Drew wanted to fully possess Kelly. Absorb him, sink into him, claim him, soak him in. Drew lifted Kelly’s wrists above his head with one of his hands, restraining him while he fondled Kelly’s dick through his pants with the other. He needed unfettered access to him.
Kelly Montes is trying to be the best father he can be to his 7-year-old brother while juggling 2 jobs, however, he's not sure how long he'll be able to continue at his day job as a personal administrative professional since his boss doesn't seem to like him.
Andrew Whitman has been attracted to Kelly since the first time he met him and has been treating him poorly as not to show it to Kelly. After kissing his assistant on his birthday, Drew simply can't stay away from him any longer and the more he gets to know Kelly, and later his brother Jaylen, he falls for them. However, if he wants a future with Kelly and Jay, Drew will need to tread carefully with Kelly, who is trying to work through a traumatic event from his past, and come out to his family.
Kelly was adorable and my heart broke several times for all he had to go through. From the sexual assault he suffered when he was 17, and that was described graphically, to his parents' deaths and having to take care of his brother, who suffers from asthma and trying to make ends meet as best he could, it was a lot for just one person, even if he did have his friends to help him out when he needed them.
It took me a bit to warm up to Drew. He was arrogant and pushy and really didn't handle his attraction to Kelly well at first. I just didn't understand why he treated Kelly so poorly, it made no sense to me. He did get better, eventually, and he was patient and sweet with both Kelly and Jay, and a great support for Kelly. The whole deal with his best friend, Lex and not telling Kelly about her, was a bit over the top and made me want to scream at him not to be so stupid and just tell Kelly. However, he redeemed himself with how he dealt with his odious father, so there's that.
This is Londra Laine's debut novel and as such, it's a great start. It's well-written, interesting, fast-paced and it kept my interest for the most part. It needed a bit of tightening, perhaps shortening some scenes and be a bit more consistent regarding Andrew, but other than that, it was pretty good. The main characters were likable and had a lot of chemistry, the secondary cast was a good addition to the story, providing both Drew and Kelly with the support they needed and while Andrew's father was horrible, he was dealt with in a satisfying manner. I'll certainly be on the lookout for more books by Ms. Laine.
Recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
4 Stars!
Kelly Montes is trying to be the best father he can be to his 7-year-old brother while juggling 2 jobs, however, he's not sure how long he'll be able to continue at his day job as a personal administrative professional since his boss doesn't seem to like him.
Andrew Whitman has been attracted to Kelly since the first time he met him and has been treating him poorly as not to show it to Kelly. After kissing his assistant on his birthday, Drew simply can't stay away from him any longer and the more he gets to know Kelly, and later his brother Jaylen, he falls for them. However, if he wants a future with Kelly and Jay, Drew will need to tread carefully with Kelly, who is trying to work through a traumatic event from his past, and come out to his family.
Kelly was adorable and my heart broke several times for all he had to go through. From the sexual assault he suffered when he was 17, and that was described graphically, to his parents' deaths and having to take care of his brother, who suffers from asthma and trying to make ends meet as best he could, it was a lot for just one person, even if he did have his friends to help him out when he needed them.
It took me a bit to warm up to Drew. He was arrogant and pushy and really didn't handle his attraction to Kelly well at first. I just didn't understand why he treated Kelly so poorly, it made no sense to me. He did get better, eventually, and he was patient and sweet with both Kelly and Jay, and a great support for Kelly. The whole deal with his best friend, Lex and not telling Kelly about her, was a bit over the top and made me want to scream at him not to be so stupid and just tell Kelly. However, he redeemed himself with how he dealt with his odious father, so there's that.
This is Londra Laine's debut novel and as such, it's a great start. It's well-written, interesting, fast-paced and it kept my interest for the most part. It needed a bit of tightening, perhaps shortening some scenes and be a bit more consistent regarding Andrew, but other than that, it was pretty good. The main characters were likable and had a lot of chemistry, the secondary cast was a good addition to the story, providing both Drew and Kelly with the support they needed and while Andrew's father was horrible, he was dealt with in a satisfying manner. I'll certainly be on the lookout for more books by Ms. Laine.
Recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
About the Author
Londra has loved reading since she discovered The Baby-Sitters Club, which remains her favorite book series. As a child, her parents would ground her by taking all the books out of her room for several days. Little did they know that when she couldn't read other peoples' stories, she'd make up her own.
Londra began reading romance in 2008. She fell in love with the M/M romance genre after purchasing a book by accident several years later. After decades of daydreaming, and jotting down storylines in various notebooks, Londra decided to give life to the characters in her head. She writes to give her guys the happy ending she wishes everyone––no matter their race, religion, gender, or orientation––could experience in real life.
To pay the bills, Londra helps IT engineers communicate with the people using their products. She is a recovering journalist and a former political staffer. Londra loves to watch American football, baseball, Seinfeld, The Golden Girls, and almost any show on HGTV. In 2010, she moved from her native California to New York City where she lives with her partner in Harlem. Forever With You is her first book.
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RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE
January 9
Noteworthy Book Reviews REVIEW x2
Blazing Zane Book Blog Review
MainelyStories REVIEW
January 10
MM Midnight Cafe REVIEW
Megan's Media Melange REVIEW
Lelyana's Book Blog REVIEW
My Fiction Nook REVIEW
January 11
Diverse Reader REVIEW
Bayou Book Junkie REVIEW
Smokin' Hot Reads Book Blog REVIEW
January 22
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A new author to check out!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your book release!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Londra, and thanks for the good review, Mari. New author to me too, and yeah, one to check out. - Purple Reader,
ReplyDeleteTheWrote [at] aol [dot] com