Snowblind by Eli Easton (Dreamspun Desires) Cat's Release day Review & #giveaway @Dreamspinners

Snow, Steam and Secrets...


The latest snowstorm carries something unexpected to the doorstep of Hutch’s secluded Alaskan cabin: a stranger named Jude, the most beautiful man Hutch has ever seen. Jude says he’s in the area for a ski trip and that he fled a domineering lover, thinking he could make it into town. But Hutch is a suspicious SOB and treats his unwanted guest warily. The problem is Jude isn’t just gorgeous, he’s funny and smart and flirtatious.

Two gay men snowed in for three days—things happen. Really good things. By the time the storm clears, Hutch finds himself a little too attached to Jude Devereaux, San Francisco-based male model. But is Jude what he claims to be? Or is he entangled in the secrets Hutch moved to Alaska to escape?

Buy links: Dreamspinner | Amazon

Cat gives this one 5 Meows with a 4 Purr heat index...

Wow did this book surprise me! The blurb sounded good, so I chose it thinking contemporary romance. It started out good and at about 20 percent in the two men had connected quite well. I found myself wondering what the rest of the book would be? A few more pages and BAM! what a twist! I didn't see this coming at all. 

Hutch is living in Alaska. He works as Ski Patrol and stays to himself. You can tell there is more going on with him as he has sensors on his cabin, all sorts of alarms...Paranoid maybe? NOPE! One cold night or should we say early morning, his sensors come on, and e finds a nearly frozen man on his steps. Jude is sexy and funny. When Hutch looks him up, he finds he is a male model from California. There is a severe storm coming in so they are snowed in together for three days. Hutch was starting to feel something for Jude and wondering if they would keep in touch when Hutch hears sounds in the night. This is when things go to hell in a handbasket. I won't say anymore, so you get the same shock I got. I added it to my favorite list of this year.

I will say plan on finishing in one setting. I could not put it down. The characters were all interesting and the plot even more so. And there is twist after twist all the way to the last page. If you like a good romance with lots of twists, intrigue and very hot man-sex I highly recommend this one.

Excerpt...

DAMN IT, why did the motion sensors have to go off on the coldest night of the year?

Because the animals are cold too, dumbass, and they’re looking for shelter.

Hutch lay in bed and looked up at the ceiling, where there was a patch of light from outside. The motion-activated light and the low beep beep on his security box told him something was out there. And there he was, still lying in bed bitching about it. Fuck, he was getting soft. Then again, it was minus ten degrees out. If there were bad guys running around, they were stupid ones.

He slipped out of bed and tugged on Gore-Tex pants over his thermal long johns. He went to the main room of the cabin and put on his heavy-duty white parka, balaclava, hat, boots, and gloves. He grabbed a rifle from the closet and slipped out the back door of the cabin, away from the sensor light. Hutch regularly cleared away the crunchy snow from around the cabin, so he made no noise as he circled around to the front, inside the line of trees. That damned raccoon was in for a surprise.

Except the intruder wasn’t a raccoon. When Hutch could finally get a good look at the front yard, bracketed by cabin, shed, and carport, he saw a lone human figure in a black ski jacket, hood raised, torso doubled over. The figure took one staggering step closer to the cabin’s porch, shambling like something out of a seventies horror movie.

Or a war.

Adrenaline flooded Hutch’s system. He was instantly on high alert, sleep or no sleep, cold or no cold. He scanned the trees and the dark driveway but couldn’t see much beyond the security light. There was no sound from the darkness. He moved silently into the trees and circled the property, looking for his unwanted guest’s entourage. But there was nothing there, only the lone man’s tracks from the road imprinted in the fresh snow.

Five minutes later, when he was reasonably certain the man was alone, Hutch approached the porch. The man was now lying at the cabin’s front door. He’d probably even knocked.

Hutch stood over the man and aimed his rifle at the man’s face, still hidden in the shadows of his hood. “Who are you?” His voice was loud and deep in the hush of the Alaskan wilderness.

The man made pleading gestures with his hands and sat up stiffly, half-frozen. “Please.” The voice was deep but weak.

Hutch didn’t lower the rifle. “Who are you?” he repeated, louder.

“J-J-Jude. Devereaux. Please don’t shoot me. I was only looking for sh-sh-shelter.”

“Hands up. All the way.”

The man complied as best he could, but he appeared to be rigid with cold. Hutch searched him quickly but thoroughly, patting down thick layers of clothes over a fit, trim frame. The man had no weapons. There was a wallet, however. Hutch opened it and aimed it toward the best patch of sensor light. Jude Devereaux, California.

California. Fucking hell. The dumbass had to be in a world of shock in this temperature. Even Hutch was freezing his balls off. It was colder than a witch’s tit out here.

He lowered the gun. “Get up.”

Jude Devereaux tried to struggle to his feet, but he was in a bad way. Hutch helped him with a firm grip on his elbow, opened the cabin door, pushed Devereaux inside, and followed.

Sweet and steamy romances with lots of humor. Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, an organic farmer and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author. As an avid reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.

• elieaston.com: http://www.elieaston.com

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