Fire & Water by Andrew Grey | Christmas Review & Giveaway

Fire and Water

Andrew Grey

Contemporary Gay Romance

***** 5 Star Review *****

Officer Red Markham knows about the ugly side of life after a car accident left him scarred and his parents dead. His job policing the streets of Carlisle, PA, only adds to the ugliness, and lately, drug overdoses have been on the rise. One afternoon, Red is dispatched to the local Y for a drowning accident involving a child. Arriving on site, he finds the boy rescued by lifeguard Terry Baumgartner. Of course, Red isn’t surprised when gorgeous Terry won’t give him and his ugly mug the time of day.

Overhearing one of the officer’s comment about him being shallow opens Terry’s eyes. Maybe he isn’t as kindhearted as he always thought. His friend Julie suggests he help those less fortunate by delivering food to the elderly. On his route he meets outspoken Margie, a woman who says what’s on her mind. Turns out, she’s Officer Red’s aunt.

Red and Terry’s worlds collide as Red tries to track the source of the drugs and protect Terry from an ex-boyfriend who won’t take no for an answer. Together they might discover a chance for more than they expected—if they can see beyond what’s on the surface.

Grab your copy of Fire and Water from DSP or Amazon today! 

Red Markham lost his parents in a car accident that left him permanently scarred and slightly introverted. The gentle giant has convinced himself that he doesn’t deserve to be loved because of the marks he carries on the outside. But he is about to learn that it’s the quality of his soul that matters.

Terry Baumgartner is out, proud and loud, almost polar opposite to Red in every way. When he first meets the big, brooding cop, Terry is still feeling jaded from a recent break up and says some hurtful things. When Red comes to Terry’s aid after his psychotic ex makes an unexpected appearance, Terry is taken aback, especially after his initial harsh wording aimed at the scary officer.

Thrown together by circumstance and a mutual acquaintance, it takes Terry about five minutes to see Red’s true character and soon their relationship becomes a physical one. Now they just have to work on the friendship and building a stable foundation amidst their own personal demons. Red’s scars aren’t just skin deep, the pain and grief of the accident and the marks it left on him run deep, and it will take a lot of love and encouragement to make him see that he is worth it. There is a thin line between conceited and convinced and when the two blur, a person can forget who they are, this is the internal war that Terry is struggling with. That, and his shady ex boyfriend that refuses to accept Terry doesn’t want to be with him anymore.

This book had just the right mix of action, suspense and sexual prowess. The attraction between Red and Terry is almost instantaneous and primal, balanced with a severe lack of communication when there wasn’t sweat and sheets involved. The character development was amazing and I loved how both men were not what they seemed at the start, the issues they had both as a couple and as individuals that played out over the course of the story are what defined them as people. I thought Grey was very descriptive as well when it came to each mans personalities, traits and faults and how they each brought out the best in each other.

Definitely a sexy, steamy read and definitely a must read. If you are a fan of hard fought happy ever afters, love stories with a struggle and a primal attraction between two men that results in some sexual encounters that are so hot, you’ll be wiping the fog off your kindle for days, then this is a must read! 

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew's hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world's most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Visit Andrew's web site at: www.andrewgreybooks.com           >> Tams, Andrew and Dominic at GRL 2014 >>

Since this is a Christmas post, I thought I'd share a recent guest post Andrew Grey did with me for the release of his Christmas short story, Stardust... 

Guest Post with Author Andrew Grey, Christmas Traditions...

Dominic and I have a number of holiday traditions.  Dominic worked for ten years as a pastry chef, so a lot of what we do revolves around the kitchen.  Even before Thanksgiving Dominic usually begins making his holiday cooking preparations.  He makes a number of cookies including Cherry Brandy Cookies, old fashioned cutout cooking, walnut kipfle, coconut macaroons, and molasses cookies that he does especially for me based on an antique recipe from my family.   In fact as I’m writing this he’s in the kitchen filling the house with scents that have my tummy rumbling. 

It’s my job to decorate the house.  We have three trees this year, one with angels in it in the living room.  The bug tree is covered with pink and white lights with hundreds of birds, and the small tree in the hall had some favorite family ornaments.  We decorate the mantle and dining room as well.  This year I cut back just a little because of time, but the house is always filled with holiday cheer and twinkling lights. 

We do all this work in preparation for our holiday parties.  In early December, we host the Christmas party for my writers’ group.  The ladies were here last Saturday and we had such a good time.  They are always a fun group and I got to open my first gift of the season.   (In case you don’t know I’m all about the presents.)   The second Saturday of December is always our holiday open house where we invite all our friends and coworkers to an evening of fun, food, and conversation.  I build a fire in the parlor fireplace, Dominic designs a signature drink for the evening, and the wine flows.   It’s an amazing evening and the highlight of our season. 

Of course the holidays wouldn’t be complete without holiday movies and this year Dominic and I are seeing a performance of the Nutcracker.  For Christmas Eve, we have dinner plans with special friends and Christmas morning, we’ll get up early to drive to Baltimore to spend the day with my family.    I hope you all have an amazing holiday with your family filled with the traditions that make your holiday season special.  

Merry, Merry Christmas everyone, and thanks for stopping by today. To say thankyou to everyone that follows and supports TTC Books and more and Andrew Grey's books, the author is giving away one e-book copy of Fire and Water to one comment today. So leave a comment below and tell us where you are from and what you are doing this festive season. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS