Getting Him Back by K.A. Mitchell

Title: Getting Him Back (Ethan & Wyatt #1)

Author: K.A. Mitchell

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: February 15, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

An unexpected fresh start leads to an unlikely-but-absolutely-perfect pairing in this male/male new-adult novel from bestselling gay romance author K.A. Mitchell.

Ethan may have followed his high school sweetheart to college only to get dumped his first day there, but he’s not going to let that stop him from exploring all his new life has to offer. Sex-only hookups, his photography, new friends a campus-wide game of zombies vs humans all help keep his mind off his broken heart and move him toward building a new, better life without his ex.

And then there’s Wyatt. Mysterious, grouchy--hot. And possibly not gay. But Ethan’s not going to let that stand in the way of figuring out what makes Wyatt tick. New college goal? Get Wyatt into bed and into Ethan’s life. 

Step one: arrange a “tutoring” date. Step two: “accidentally” bump into Wyatt as often as possible. Step three: explore the sexy body under that ever-present hoodie. And when their friendship deepens into something neither of them expect, convince Wyatt he’s not just a pity fling or a one-time hookup, but that Ethan is in it for the long haul.

Discovering new romance authors is always fun, especially when it also means reading a great book in the process. Before reading Getting Him Back, I had never heard of or read anything by K.A. Mitchell. But now? I’m definitely going to be reading more of her books.

Ethan thought he knew what the next four years of his life were going to be. He had it all planned out. But when he shows up on campus, the boyfriend he followed to college dumps him on the spot. Ethan is absolutely heartbroken, but his new friends aren’t willing to let him wallow in self-pity. But while trying to find a way to get Blake back, Ethan is always running into Wyatt. And the more he sees Wyatt, the more Ethan wants to find out about him. But if he really wants Wyatt, Ethan is is going to have to prove to him that he’s in this for more than just a hook-up. 

Apparently, I’ve been on an m/m romance kick lately. It’s nothing new for me, I’ve been reading m/m for a while. But in the past week alone, I’ve read three and I’m about to start another one. But as much as I enjoy reading these books, I tend to always go back to the same authors so I’m always a little excited when I come across an author I haven’t read before. So when I saw K.A. Mitchell’s Getting Him Back on NetGalley, I clicked request. I mean, it’s m/m NA romance, which I am apparently all about, so how could I not request it? After having read it, I can say that Getting Him Back was a fun and enjoyable read. Granted, because of the title and the way things seemed to be going in the beginning, I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go. For a while, I actually thought it was going to be about Ethan getting back with the high school boyfriend he followed to college. I mean, the book is called Getting Him Back, so that would fit. But then the description said something else and the more I read the less I wanted Ethan to go back to that guy because he wasn’t exactly the greatest person. Wyatt was a much better choice. But that confusion aside, I really enjoyed this story and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next part of Ethan and Wyatt’s story. 

Ethan was a fun character to read about and it was fun to read this story from his perspectives. He was just so comfortable with who he was, or at least that’s the way he came across. But then the more I read, the more I realized that maybe he wasn’t quite as comfortable as he initially appeared. And that probably had a lot to do with the fact that he always saw himself and his future as it related to Blake, the high school boyfriend he followed to college. So I liked seeing Ethan figure out who he was outside of Blake’s boyfriend. And I liked that person a lot. Especially once he stopped focusing so much on getting back with Blake because Blake wasn’t a very nice person. And I honestly was kind of confused as to why Ethan wanted him back when he could have Wyatt instead. And as much as I liked Wyatt, I feel like there’s still so much about him that I want to know. I feel like I only really got a small glimpse of him in Getting Him Back and I’m excited to get to know more about him in the sequel. 

I definitely enjoyed reading K.A. Mitchell’s Getting Him Back. It was a fun story with the kind of romance that I loved. And it introduced me to characters that I look forward to getting to know better in future books. 

Finding Center by Katherine Locke

Title: Finding Center (District Ballet Company #2)

Author: Katherine Locke

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: August 17, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Zed and ballet are my two greatest loves.

But a tragic accident ripped them from Aly’s life six years ago and it took all her strength to get them back. She’s had a long road to recovery and has returned, dancing full-time for The District Ballet Company and carrying Zed’s child. But Aly is slipping. Each day becomes a fight to keep her career from crumbling under the weight of younger talent, the scrutiny of the public eye, and the limitations of her ever-changing body. A fight she fears she’s losing.

I’m scared Aly is broken to her core.

Zed recognizes signs, but he doesn’t know how to fix her. The accident left him with his own demons, and while he wants nothing more than to take care of Aly, it’s getting harder the further she spirals. When Aly’s life is threatened and Zed’s injuries prevent him from saving her, he’s never felt so useless, so afraid he is no longer capable of being the man Aly and their child needs.

With new life comes new hope. And with their fractured lives already hanging by a thread, Aly and Zed must discover if they have what it takes—both together and apart—to rebuild and carry on.

Earlier this summer I finally read Katherine Locke’s Turning Pointe and Second Position and loved reading about these two flawed ballet dancers. And I wanted more. With Finding Center, I got everything I wanted and loved reading this story. 

Six years ago, everything fell apart for Zed and Aly. Slowly, they’ve been working and finding their way back to themselves. Now they’re together, and though it’s a battle everyday, everything is going well for them. But Aly is pregnant again, and all her old fears are coming back. Zed wants nothing more than to be there for Aly and to be what she needs, but he can only do thatZed has his own demons to fight. Zed and Aly are hanging on, but everything could fall apart again at any moment.

Just over a month ago, I read Second Position and pretty much tore through it. Though it didn’t end up being exactly what I wanted, I fell in love with the story and the characters that Katherine Locke wrote. I got attached to Zed and Aly, I got fully invested in their story. And when I finished reading, I wanted more of them. So Finding Center? Exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed when I read it. Where Second Position was surprisingly dark, Finding Center was somewhat lighter. There were still plenty of moments where the story took a darker turn. I mean, how can it not being a story about an alcoholic and a ballerina who suffers from anorexia and anxiety, amongst other issues. While the first book was about Zed and Aly reconnecting after being away from each other for four years, Finding Center was about them finding their way. It led to many touching moments that warmed my heart, sometimes even bringing me close to tears. I was happy to be able to read this part of their story. And more than anything, I absolutely loved how it all came full circle and ended.

I already loved Zed and Aly after reading Second Position and I love them even more having now read Finding Center. When this part of their story starts, they’ve been together for two years and are slowly finding their way. Reading their story, I can see that it’s not always easy for them, but they do their best, being there for each other and supporting each other.  Even though it’s not perfect, and Aly and Zed both have their flaws, I just love their relationship, the way that they are there for each other and that being together makes them want to be their best self. I’m not going to lie, there were quite a few moments when Zed and Aly totally brought me to tears (the good kind) and that made me love them more. And, like I’ve said already, I loved the way their story came full circle and they more than got their happy ending. And that happy ending made me so happy for Zed and Aly. And there were more tears involved on my part, because that’s apparently how I roll. 

I loved Katherine Locke’s Finding Center even more than I loved Second Position. This story made me smile and it made me cry and it gave me the happy ending I was so hoping for for these characters. And even though they got their happy ending, I wouldn’t be opposed to more stories about Zed and Aly.

Blog Tour - Red Blooded by Caitlin Sinead + Giveaway

Title: Red Blooded

Author: Caitlin Sinead

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: August 3, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

Instead of eating ramen and meeting frat guys like most college freshmen, Peyton Arthur is on the campaign trail. Traveling with her mother, the Democratic pick for vice president, she’s ordering room service, sneaking glances at cute campaign intern Dylan and deflecting interview questions about the tragic loss of her father. But when a reporter questions her paternity, her world goes into a tailspin.

Dylan left Yale and joined the campaign to make a difference, not keep tabs on some girl. But with the paternity scandal blowing up and Peyton asking questions, he’s been taken to watch her every move. As he gets to know the real Peyton, he finds it harder and harder to keep a professional distance.

When the media demands a story, Peyton and Dylan give them one—a fake relationship. As they work together to investigate the rumors about her father and Peyton gets closer to learning the truth, she’s also getting closer to Dylan. And suddenly, it’s not just her past on the line anymore. It’s her heart.

Sometimes, I discover books completely randomly. I’ll be on Goodreads or on NetGalley and randomly come across a book I hadn’t heard about before but sounds like something I would enjoy. That’s how I found Caitlin Sinead’s Red Blooded and I’m more than happy I did.

Peyton Arthur is ready to start college in the fall, but before that happens she has a few obligations to fulfill on the campaign trail. As the daughter Democratic pick for vice president, Peyton gets to answer awkward questions about the loss of her father and try to flirt with Dylan, one of the interns working the campaign. It shouldn’t be too hard, but then a reporter starts questioning whether or not Peyton’s father was really her father. Not knowing what to do, Peyton starts digging for answers, no matter how many times people tell her to leave well enough alone until the campaign is over. As Peyton digs for answers, Dylan is tasked with making sure she doesn’t jeopardize the campaign. And as the two spend more time together, they realize that the election and Peyton’s pas aren’t the only thing at stake any more.

There is nothing I love more than making random book discoveries. As plugged into the publishing world and the book world as I am, I am sad to say that it doesn’t happen nearly as often as I would like it to. But every so often, I still manage to find out about books just by randomly browsing websites like Goodreads or NetGalley. With Caitlin Sinead’s Red Blooded, I hadn’t heard of the book until I randomly came across it on NetGalley. Though I hadn’t heard about it until that point, I knew right away when I read the description that this was a story that I would very likely enjoy. And as it turns out, it totally was even if it ended up being a little different than I thought it would be. I mean, this is an NA story, I totally expected lots of romance. It’s pretty much what the genre is known for. And don’t get me wrong, there absolutely was romance in Red Blooded, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story. At first it threw me, but the more I read, the more I liked the fact that this story was more about Peyton finding herself and finding out where she came from, than it was about her relationship with Dylan. It was a refreshing change from all the romance I had been reading right before picking up Red Blooded. That’s not to say that I didn’t love the romance between Peyton and Dylan, because I totally did. Which probably had a lot to do with the fact that I also really liked Peyton and Dylan themselves.

I liked Peyton. A lot. With everything she had to deal with because of her mother’s political campaign, I felt for her a lot of the time. But then at other times I kinda wanted to ask her why she always insisted on doing exactly what she had been explicitly told not to do. I mean, I get wanting answers and as someone reading her story, I wanted those answers just as much as she did. But as much as I sometimes got exasperated with her, I still admired her determination, how she wanted to find answers no matter how afraid she was of what those answers might end up being. I busted wanted her to a actually trust Dylan as much as she claimed to. Because right from the start, I could tell that Dylan really cared about her, even if he was trying to hide those feelings. He was exactly the kind of person that Peyton needed. He understood the pressure she was under because of her mother’s campaign, and he was ready to do just about anything to help her. And they were adorable together, even before they ever got together romantically. So yeah, even if the romance wasn’t always the main focus of this story, I was totally rooting for Peyton and Dylan.

I might not have found out about Caitlin Sinead’s Red Blooded until quite recently, but I’m happy I did. This story wasn’t what I expected but I loved the mix of romance and slight political intrigue I got instead. If you’ve been curious about Red Blooded, it’s definitely worth the read.

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Second Position by Katherine Locke

Title: Second Position (District Ballet Company #1)

Author: Katherine Locked

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: April 13, 2015

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Four years ago, a car accident ended Zedekiah Harrow’s ballet career and sent Philadelphia Ballet principal dancer Alyona Miller spinning toward the breakdown that suspended her own. What they lost on the side of the road that day can never be replaced, and grief is always harshest under a spotlight…

Now twenty-three, Zed teaches music and theatre at a private school in Washington, D.C. and regularly attends AA meetings to keep the pain at bay. Aly has returned to D.C. to live with her mother while trying to recover from the mental and physical breakdown that forced her to take a leave of absence from the ballet world, and her adoring fans.

When Zed and Aly run into each other in a coffee shop, it’s as if no time has passed at all. But without the buffer and escape of dance—and with so much lust, anger and heartbreak hanging between them—their renewed connection will either allow them to build the together they never had…or destroy the fragile recoveries they’ve only started to make.

Dance movies and TV shows are my absolute guilty pleasure. When I come across one, I can’t help myself, I just have to watch. So a dance book? Totally up my alley. So why it took me this long to read Katherine Locke’s Second Position, I truly don’t know. 

Before, Alyona and Zedekiah were attached at the hip. They told everyone they were just friends, but everyone knew they were so much more than that. But then a horrible car accident took everything away from them, ending Zed’s ballet career and starting Aly down the path that would lead to a mental breakdown jeopardizing her own ballet career. Now four years later, Zed and Aly run into each other after years without the slightest communication. Everything both of them have tried so hard to put behind them come rushing forward. But spending time together reminds Aly and Zed of what they once had and slowly they start building it all back up. But will they be able to avoid heartbreak this time?

Since it came out earlier this year, I had seen plenty of people talking about Katherine Locke’s Second Position and it had been on my radar. But since it came out around the same time as seemingly every other book published this spring, I kind of forgot about it. But while on vacation, I finally read it (and the prequel novella, Turning Pointe). Despite what people had been saying, I didn’t expect this story to be what it was. I knew it was about ballet, and the description clearly indicated that it wasn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. But then I read Turning Pointe and that punched me right in the feels. So I was prepared for what might be coming in Second Position. And it was a good thing. Because there were plenty of times when this story took a dark and emotional turn. Katherine Locke didn’t hold back when it came to showing the different ways that grief and heartbreak can affect people. There were so many times when the emotions leapt off the page. As a reader, it wasn’t difficult to buy in to the pain that these characters were feeling, and their small joys felt that much more rewarding. Because at the end of the day, I got pretty freaking attached to Zed and Aly so when they were happy, I was very happy.

I loved Zed and Aly. They were flawed, they were hurting, they were struggling, and that made me love them even more. I could feel their pain while I was hurting. I could easily see and understand how much they were struggling not to fall back into old patterns with each other and with themselves where their relationship, past and present, was concerned. The relationship between Zed and Aly could have so easily become one that wasn’t healthy for either one of them, and I loved that they both recognized that and they were both afraid that that’s what would happen between them no matter how hard they tried to avoid that particular outcome. At times, though, it felt like this story was almost more about Aly’s recovery and her struggle. Like so much else in Second Position, that struggle felt completely real. Aly was struggling and hurting and Katherine Locke didn’t shy away from depicting that struggle in ways that were sometimes hard to read. My one slight disappointment about Second Position was that I didn’t get to see that much about Zed’s recovery. There are many times that you see Zed struggle with not taking a drink when things get tough, but I wish I could have seen more of him struggling with his addiction, the way I saw Aly struggle with her eating disorder and her relationship to ballet. But from what I can tell from the description of the sequel, Finding Center, I may be getting my wish.

Though it wasn’t entirely what I thought it was going to be, I loved reading Katherine Locke’s Second Position. This was an engrossing story that was at times hard to read for all the right reasons. I can’t wait to see what happens next to Aly and Zed in Finding Center.