O’Malley Ramsey, math aficionado, grew up next door
to Garrison Rook, All-American athlete. While O’Malley dreamed of numbers and
kissing Garrison, Garrison’s tastes ran to home runs and hot chicks.
During a family celebration the night before both
young men were heading off for college, O’Malley joyously discovers that
Garrison isn’t quite as straight as the star athlete had been pretending to be.
Vows to return to each other quickly followed a few clumsy kisses in the old
treehouse in the Rook’s backyard.
O’Malley came home to Garrison. Garrison never
returned to O’Malley.
Four years later, the two ex-friends meet up at a
summer camp where O’Malley is serving as a counselor. Garrison is desperate to
make things right with his childhood friend, but can O’Malley, still nursing
the pain and mistrust of Garrison’s betrayal, ever forgive or love Garrison
again?
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Cat gives this one 5 Meows with a 4 Purr heat index...
O'Malley and Garrison were friends since first grade. O'Malley came out in High school but Garrison is straight or at least O'Malley thought until the night before they were both leaving for college. A confession from Garrison along with hot kisses gropes and a promise to talk every day and be back at Christmas leads to lies and distrust.
Four years later at summer camp, they cross paths again Garrison wanting O'Malley to listen to him and another chance to make things right. Will O'Malley get over his hurt and give Garrison that chance?
This is a great story about love, things teenagers say, things happening and second chances. The characters are well developed. I love the love-hate thing between Garrison and O'Malley. I especially loved both O'Malley's dad and the Rooks too. There is a bit of drama and I nearly cried close to the end.
If you like friends to enemies to lovers, second chances, hot baseball players, sexy mathematicians and some hot man-love you will love this book!
Excerpt:
Hand shielding my eyes, I watched as the Silverado stopped in
front of Professor Belshaw’s wildly decorated cabin right beside Lake Amalie.
The professor had gotten all her wind chimes hung that morning. Each one was a
brilliant and some would say garish color. They clattered and clanged with each
touch of a breeze off the lake. She had made them all out of silver soup spoons
and old silver teapots. Then she had painted them to match her whims. Professor
Belshaw had incredibly colorful whims so it seems.
When the passenger door opened, I felt a wide smile break free as I saw Emily Rook
slide to the ground, her long brown hair pulled into a ponytail. I wasn’t
familiar with the Silverado but had to assume that Mr. Rook had gotten a new
ride. Since I hadn’t spent much time at home after graduation due to a
graduation gift of a vacation in Palm Beach from my father, it was quite likely
that he had. That old minivan he had owned had been creeping toward the
junkyard for a couple of years. Emily spun in a circle and then found me
standing in the gravel path. She waved frantically while jumping up and down. I
did the same. Then Garrison Rook exited that massive blue Silverado. My arm
crashed numbly to my side and all happy jumping died.
My first thought was “God above but he looks amazing!” which was quickly
followed by “I think I may puke!” but I managed to hold down my lunch. Emily
pointed in my direction. The sloppy joe from my midday meal rolled over in my
stomach. Garrison’s dark eyes found and held me. He looked incredible. Even
more handsome now that he had lost those final touches of boyhood. Garrison was
all man now. Every single, athletic, heartbreaking, lying inch of him.
“Shit.” I groaned and swallowed. I was sure my sandwich and chips were going to
come back up. Someone appeared beside me. I couldn’t rip my attention from
Garrison as we stared at each other.
“Never eat the fried oysters.” Professor Belshaw barked with glee then drove a
sharp elbow into my side. “Ah, I see the Rooks have arrived!” She waved them
over. I felt like a hare that the hounds had just sighted. “O’Malley, if you
don’t close your mouth one of these damn deer flies is going to zip right in
and land on your tongue,” she said as she waved a hand at a pesky fly buzzing
around our heads.
I forced my jaw to come up. Every step Garrison and Emily took made my pulse
speed up. By the time the two Rook siblings stood in front of me, I felt woozy.
Were my ears ringing or was that tinny noise just one of Belshaw’s wind chimes?
“Hello there.” Professor Belshaw grabbed one of Garrison’s large hands and
pumped it. It took two of hers to cover one of his. He had strong hands. I
clearly recalled how they had felt when he had run them over me that night in
the treehouse. “It’s a real honor to have a Carolina Cutter in the camp!”
I glanced at Emily. She averted her gaze as the camp owner fawned over
Garrison. Emily knew there was tension between her brother and me, but I had
never revealed to her what kind of upset had occurred. Why should I tarnish
Garrison in her eyes? No one but my father knew of how this man had shredded me
into ticker tape and then tossed me into the wind.
“It’s a real pleasure to be here, Professor,” Garrison said. My skin prickled
just hearing his voice. Was it deeper? It sounded it. His brown eyes never left
me as he talked baseball with Professor Belshaw. I worked on keeping up with
the conversation they were having but my mind kept drifting back. To better
days, days when Garrison and I were the best of buddies riding our bikes
through mud puddles, sleeping out in the treehouse during the summer, working
on making a comic book that starred a baseball player who used math as his
super weapon. Those memories assaulted me as I stood there staring at his hand
clasped so tightly by Belshaw.
“Isn’t it exciting, O’Malley?” Hearing my name pulled me out of childhood
remembrances. My gaze flew to her then to Garrison. He now had his hand back,
which was good. Would it look bad if I slugged him in the face and then stormed
off? Probably.
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly
laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York
Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares
her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted
domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys
spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a
cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest, and GoodReads.
Author
Links:
Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/vllocey/
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