AUTHOR: Jessie G
TITLE: Our Reason
SERIES: Sizzling Miami #8 (Red & Bull #3)
COVER ARTIST: Andrew Reyna
PHOTOGRAPHER: Randy RLS Images
COVER MODEL: Alfie Gordillo
CATEGORIES: Gay Romance, Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2017
BLURB
Married life is everything Bull and Red could have hoped for. It’s not something they’d ever take for granted and the need to pay it forward is a trait the husbands happily share. When the new director of the Bennett House asks Red to teach an art class, he isn’t entirely sure how it will help, but he’s more than willing to try. Before Bull, he used his art to purge his demons and sharing that with those in need of an outlet for their own pain was a gift he never considered giving. Each week he is rocked by the artful outpouring of emotion and the gratitude of his students. One by one, they burrow into his heart…but none more so than Dillon Young.
Always holding himself apart from the others, the wisp of a boy keeps his head down and hides behind a mangy, overgrown length of dark hair like a shield. Despite his best attempts not to see himself in all the young men that come through the center, everything about Dillon calls out to Red. Needing to share their encounters, and maybe hoping for a little perspective, he turns to the one man he knows he can always count on. Expecting Bull to be the voice of reason had been a fool’s mission from the start and soon they’re both invested in helping Dillon.
There’s no doubt they have an abundance of love to share and if ever there was someone who needed it, Dillon was the one. Between Bull’s strength and Red’s patience, they’ll help Dillon learn to trust again, and in the process, create a family that none of them intended. Though they never envisioned themselves as parents, Bull and Red will find room in their happily ever after to save the child they didn’t know lived in their hearts.
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2xYW6RI
ABOUT THE CHARITY: The Zebra Coalition® is a network of organizations which provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBT+) ages 13 – 24. The Coalition assists young people facing homelessness, bullying, isolation from their families, and physical, sexual and drug abuse with individualized programs to guide them to recovery and stability. A portion of the royalties from Our Reason will be donated by the author, but you can donate now at
UNIVERSAL LINK: books2read.com/u/b5MjkG
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gXozgm
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2yJAtSE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2lbamkx
KOBO: http://bit.ly/2gx0Xyk
EXCERPT
They stopped at a
light and Bull glanced at him thoughtfully. “Did Dillon show up for Thursday’s
art class?”
There was no denying
that the troubled teen was at least partly responsible for his need to give
more or that Bull knew his interest far exceeded his role in the boy’s life.
“Yeah. He was a few minutes late and he looked rough, but he was there. Even
stayed for the food the center brought in afterward.”
Rail thin and tall
for his age, Dillon Young slumped like life had already beaten him into
submission. He always kept his head down and his dark hair long enough to cover
his eyes, but Red had glimpsed at them once and the familiarity had grabbed him
by the throat. The feeling was so strong that he reached for Dillon, needing to
just hug him as tight as he could, but the boy flinched back and took off.
Dillon disappeared
for a few days after that and Red had been beside himself until director called
to say he’d come around again. After that, Red kept his approach cautious. He
wouldn’t avoid him because he needed to know how to help him, but he never got
too close and made sure there was no physical contact even in passing. Months
later, he thought they were making headway, but then Dillon disappeared again
and Red didn’t know why. Like before, he returned with little fanfare and zero
desire to explain his absence. With his own past acting as a reminder of all
the possible shit Dillon could be dealing with, it was a cycle that Red wasn’t
sure he could continue to live with.
“I know the center
has rules it has to follow, but there’s no reason we can’t find out more
information about his home life, is there?” They had been trying not to go
around the center because he didn’t want to cause them any issues, but the fear
of something happening to Dillon was forcing his hand. Red wasn’t scared and
destitute anymore. He was a grown man with resources and friends who could help
this kid. They had to help because the alternative was unacceptable.
“None at all,” Bull
agreed as he reached for his hand. “I’ll talk to Ric. If it’s a conflict of
interest for him, I’m sure he can point me in the direction of someone who can
help.”
4.5 out of 5 stars
Our Reason is part of the Sizzling Miami series and is the 3rd book featuring Bull and Red's story. I do not recommend reading this as a standalone. The series needs to be read in order for the full impact of the storyline. Plus these books are just so worth the read, you'll get sucked in and want to do a start to finish binge of the series.
This book continues the progression of Bull and Red's story from the original starting the romance, and the second book featuring their wedding. Our Reason finds them wanting to help a young man that Red has met through Bennett House. He sees so much of himself in young Dillon, that Red is almost compelled to try and make his life better. He's also afraid that Dillon is heading down the same path of depression, fear, and helplessness that Red himself faced before he met Bull. Of course he shares all this with his husband, Bull, and he's also on board with trying to help Dillon.
This is a novella but there is no lack of impact, even though it's the continuation of an established couple. The story is complete from start to finish and sucks you in from the first page with Red's earnest need to help Dillon. The author didn't hold back on any of the emotions or feelings even though it's only about a 100 pages long. Adding Dillon into the story line was a great way for Red and Bull to expand their family the way that is best for them. And Dillon fits right into the whole group once he realizes that he's safe and will be protected and cared for as a family member.
I kind of loved the dance of emotions between Red and Dillon. Both so needed the other person in their lives but they were both terrified in their own way of opening those walls they'd built up. Red just knows that he needs to make life better for Dillon but he doesn't want to push him and is upset when he responds to Bull before responding to Red's outreach. All's well in the end and the entire group embraces both Dillon and his grandma as part of their family unit.
There was absolutely nothing missing from this story for me and it was perfect with the way it ended. Of course it leaves open more stories for this author to tell from this series and I look forward to whomever story is next.
AUTHOR BIO
Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I'd begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it's a job. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it's been amazing to have made this dream my reality.
I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics, and happily ever after. I'm a lover of strong secondary characters, and series filled with families—biological or chosen. All are themes you'll find throughout my books.
Contact Links:
Website: http://www.jessiegbooks.com
Email: jessie@jessiegbooks.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bhuja1
Social Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessieGBooks
Google +: google.com/+Jessiegbooksmm
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessiegbooks
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jessiegbooks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jessiegbooks/
Tumblr (NSFW 18+): http://jessiegbooks.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessieGBooks
Author Pages:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jessiegbooks
