Monday, October 3, 2016

More Than Okay by @Bru_Baker Blog Tour | Tam's Review, Guest Post, Exclusive Excerpt & #giveaway #mmromance @Dreamspinners



Title: More Than Okay
Author: Bru Baker
Release date: Sept. 28, 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Bree Archer
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 50 pages
Tags: Gay; M/M


Something in Jake’s relationship with Connor is changing, and not for the better. The only thing that’s been growing between them recently is silence, and when Connor starts lying about where he’s been and slipping out of bed at night, Jake fears the worst.
Jake gets the surprise of his life when he finds out what Connor has really been doing. It couldn’t be further from what he’d expected. Instead of ending the relationship, Connor has been building up to taking the next step together with a huge romantic surprise for Jake.
The scare shows Jake what’s really important, and the ordeal might make them stronger and bring them closer together than ever before.


Jake and Connor have been together a long time. But lately, Jake is starting to think Connor has something... or someone else on his mind. Working late, sneaking out of bed early and not waking Jake or telling him where he's going is weighing heavy on Jakes mind. When the truth comes to light, will it set Jakes mind at ease? 


This was just a fast, fun read that left a smile on my face. The story was a little scattered here and there, and I would have liked a more thorough explanation of why Connor felt he needed to make the change. But overall it was an enjoyable read, and the last couple of chapters were sweet and sexy. 

If you're looking for something quick and substantial, give this one a go.

Guest post with Author Bru Baker...

I love it when my characters are brave enough to do things I could never do myself. Sometimes it's something big—like sailing in Island House—and sometimes it's something small, but just as important, like singing karaoke in More Than Okay.

Connor and Jake have always enjoyed karaoke. Their lives have gotten busier and their opportunities to go out and have fun together have dwindled, so when Connor actually takes time out of his work schedule to go to a karaoke bar with Jake and their friends, it's a big moment for Jake. When the two of them are up on stage together, Jake can't focus on being happy that they're out together. His worries about their relationship bubble up—thanks in part to the sappy song, the late hour, and a copious amount of alcohol that has made him maudlin.

I'm sharing an excerpt here of them in the karaoke club because it shows how much history they share and how alone Jake feels, even when they're together. It's going to take a lot more than one night out at karaoke to mend the rift that's growing between them (but don't worry, Connor is up to the task!). 

Exclusive excerpt:

The club was much bigger than the one they’d frequented in Texas, but standing there with Connor had the familiar feeling of a pleasant memory. Jake rested a hand against Connor’s back, stroking the thin material of Connor’s shirt slightly with his thumb, both to steady Connor as he swayed drunkenly and to remind him of their bygone college days. It hadn’t been easy to be out and proud in Houston; their physical contact had usually been limited to small touches like that one. Connor looked over and gave Jake a small smile, obviously remembering the same thing. It had been a while since they’d shared a look like that.
As he listened to the song begin, a part of Jake acknowledged that it could have been much, much worse. Still, standing there with Connor, singing a terribly off-key and muddled version of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” as Blaire and Grace catcalled and whistled from the back of the club, was hardly an ideal position to be in.
Even though Connor was singing, the words slurred because he was a total lightweight when it came to drinking, he wasn’t his usual happy-go-lucky drunk self. He was usually affectionate and loose-limbed, but tonight Connor just looked sad.
He was staring right at Jake as they sang, his normally sparkling blue eyes heavy lidded and dark with something Jake couldn’t read. Jake suddenly felt stone-cold sober as he mouthed the words along with Connor, for the first time wondering if maybe the distance between them at the moment was more than just a natural phase in their relationship. He and Connor had been together for seven years, and they’d had their share of ups and downs. Just like in the song, at the end of the night they always went home together and took care of each other. It was one of the reasons Jake hadn’t been overly concerned about their current downswing—he couldn’t imagine life without Connor, and he was certain things would work themselves out like they always did. But what if they didn’t?
They made it through to the end of the song, but unlike following his duet with Gabe, no raucous applause greeted them as the last bars of the song faded. Jake swallowed and looked out into the club, his breath catching as he realized that no one was meeting their eyes, not even Blaire. Jake’s cheeks heated and he tasted the sour tang of embarrassment on his tongue. He’d gotten a little emotional during the song, and it must have shown. The song had hit a little too close to home for him, given the trouble he and Connor had been having.
He and Connor hopped down from the stage, a bit steadier on their feet this time, and made their way back to the table where the others were waiting.
“Truly awful,” Grace said, offering them a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Sorry about that,” Blaire said, busying herself with finding something in her purse.
If you’d known how bad my voice is, you’d never have done it, eh?” Connor joked, and suddenly time seemed to be moving at regular pace again, the discomfort of their not-so-private moment on stage giving way to the usual jokes and jibes as they paid their bar tabs and hustled outside.


Bru Baker got her first taste of life as a writer at the tender age of four when she started publishing a weekly newspaper for her family. What they called nosiness she called a nose for news, and no one was surprised when she ended up with degrees in journalism and political science and started a career in journalism.


Bru spent fifteen years writing for newspapers before making the jump to fiction. She now works in reference and readers' advisory in a Midwestern library, though she still finds it hard to believe someone's willing to pay her to talk about books all day. Most evenings you can find her curled up with a mug of tea, some fuzzy socks, and a book or her laptop. Whether it’s creating her own characters or getting caught up in someone else’s, there’s no denying that Bru is happiest when she’s engrossed in a story. She and her husband have two children, which means a lot of her books get written from the sidelines of various sports practices.

Website: http://www.bru-baker.com

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5 comments:

  1. A great review. I always like to know why characters do things.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  2. great excerpt
    jmarinich33 at aol dot com

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  3. Thanks for the review! I haven't read many books by the auhtor but I really enjoyed Some Assembly Required and I this one sounds good too.
    serena91291@gmail.com

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  4. Thanks for the review and excerpt. I felt really bad for Jake with the karaoke.

    jen(dot)f(at)mac(dot)com

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  5. Thank you for the review and excerpt!
    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete