Born to a prestigious political family, Avery Adams plays as hard as he works. The gorgeous, charismatic attorney is used to getting what he wants, even the frequent one-night stands that earn him his well-deserved playboy reputation. When some of the most prominent men in politics suggest he run for senate, Avery decides the time has come to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. With a strategy in place and the campaign wheels rolling, Avery is ready to jump on the legislative fast track, full steam ahead. But no amount of planning prepares him for the handsome, uptight restaurateur who might derail his political future.
Easy isn't even in the top thousand words to describe Kane Dalton's life after his father, a devout southern Baptist minister, kicks him out of the family home for questioning his sexual orientation. Despite all the rotten tomatoes life throws his way, Kane makes something of himself. Between owning a thriving upscale Italian restaurant in the heart of downtown Minneapolis and managing his long-term boyfriend, his plate is full. He struggles to get past the teachings of his childhood to fully accept his sexuality and rid himself of the doubts brought on by his religious upbringing. The last thing he needs is the yummy, sophisticated, blond-haired distraction sitting at table thirty-four.
Do not read this book without having tissues handy. I have
received several recommendations lately for Kindle Alexander’s books from the
ladies in my reading group. I have been told that her M/M books are
well-written, that the sex scenes are hot, and they’re just great reads. So I
jumped at the opportunity to read and review Always. No one warned me that I
was going to be crying like a baby just two pages in. But everything I was told
about Kindle’s writing held true.
Always is a beautifully crafted love story about Avery and Kane.
While there is some inclusion of the trials and tribulations they faced as a
homosexual couple in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the book focused primarily on the
good parts of their 40+ year relationship. This was due in part to the manner
in which the story was set up to be told, as Kane reminiscing while he waited
for Avery. But, it was by no means a sappy love story and the sex scenes were
indeed as hot as promised.
This book affected me strongly for two reasons. The first
being that I was raised in the Southern Bible Belt and I grew up around people
who treated homosexuals the way Kane’s family treated him. I’ve had the
distinct displeasure of witnessing the type of vitriol that Kane’s father
spewed and while it bothered me immensely (you’ll understand why in a moment),
I appreciated the authenticity of the scene and the author’s inclusion of it,
as situations such as the ones Kane endured at the hands of his family, sadly,
still occur today.
**********SPOILER ALERT*********
The second reason that I felt a personal connection to the
book is that I spent almost a decade with my soul-mate, who just happened to be
a gay man. It was he who first called us soul-mates and we were. I connected
with Kane’s emotional upheaval as he dealt with Avery’s hospitalization and the
devastating thoughts that race through your mind as you try to imagine your
life without your other half, especially when your other half has a
larger-than-life personality whose absence leaves a huge hole in your heart and
your life. The way with which Kindle dealt with Avery’s death and still managed
to give Kane a happily ever after was quite remarkable … I did not see it
coming.
**********SPOILER OVER*********
I reserve 5 star ratings for books that I enjoy so much that
they make my re-read list or that impact me significantly. Always falls into
this second category. I may never read Always again because it was a personally
emotional read, but that is why it deserves 5 stars. I look forward to reading
more of the author’s books, but next time I will make sure to ask whether or
not I need to have the tissues handy.
Best Selling Author Kindle Alexander is an innovative writer, and a genre-crosser who writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, and erotica in both the male/male and male/female genres. It's always a surprise to see what's coming next!
I live in the suburbs of Dallas where it's true, the only thing bigger than an over active imagination, may be women's hair!
Usually, I try for funny. Humor is a major part of my life - I love to laugh, and it seems to be the thing I do in most situations - regardless of the situation, but jokes are a tricky deal... I don't want to offend anyone and jokes tend to offend. So instead I'm going to tell you about Kindle.
I tragically lost my sixteen year old daughter to a drunk driver. She had just been at home, it was early in the night and I heard the accident happen. I'll never forget that moment. The sirens were immediate and something inside me just knew. I left my house, drove straight to the accident on nothing more than instinct. I got to be there when my little girl died - weirdly, I consider that a true gift from above. She didn't have to be alone.
That time in my life was terrible. It's everything you think it would be times about a billion. I love that kid. I loved being her mother and I loved watching her grow into this incredibly beautiful person, both inside and out. She was such a gift to me. To have it all ripped away so suddenly broke me.
Her name was Kindle. Honest to goodness - it was her name and she died a few weeks before Amazon released their brand new Kindle ereader. She had no idea it was coming out and she would have finally gotten her name on something! Try finding a ruler with the name Kindle on it.. It never happened.
Through the course of that crippling event I was lucky enough to begin to write with a dear friend in the fan fiction world of Facebook. She got me through those dark days with her unwavering support and friendship. There wasn't a time she wasn't there for me. Sometimes together and sometimes by myself, we built a world where Kindle lives and stands for peace, love and harmony. It's its own kind of support group. I know without question I wouldn't be here today without her.
Find out more by visiting www.kindlealexander.com or email me at kindle@kindlealexander.com
**Scavenger Hunt Rules US ONLY PLEASE**
Each day 1 blog will showcase 1 of the above photos somewhere in their blog posts. Your job in order to win 1 or 2 prizes is to successfully find the picture and collect all 13 photos and tell me which blog showcased them. 1 blog per day ONLY will have the photo. You need to successfully have all 13 photos with blogs in order to be entered to winner the prize. There will be 2 winners: 1 winner will receive a gift basket that is all things Italian and the other winner will receive a gift basket that is all things naughty! Happy hunting! Bonus Prize: If you can answer a question about one of the graphic you will win a custom Rubick Cube with everything Kindle Alexander on it.....
Question: What is the reason behind picking the Rubick's Cube as a graphic and bonus
prize in the Scavenger Hunt?
Scavenger Hunt Entry Form (Click Here)
Thank you for your touching review of Always and next time we promise we'll have the tissues handy! :) Thank you for hosting us today and thanks for playing along. Good luck!
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