Book Tour for The Arrangement by Cat Grant (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Hey, all! A big thanks to Jody for hosting me today, and thanks to all of you for joining me on my mini-blog tour for The Arrangement, Book Four of the Courtland Chronicles. Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed paperback copy!

Jody had a few questions for Eric, my sometimes prickly protagonist. Here’s what he had to say…

TSP:  What was your childhood growing up like and how has your upbringing affected you today?
EC:  Let’s just say my parents didn’t have a happy marriage. I remember huddling in bed listening to them argue and praying they’d get a divorce. It made me gun-shy about relationships for a very long time.
TSP:  What did you REALLY want to be when you grew up?
EC:  When I was young, I wanted to be all the usual things boys dream about – a doctor, a fireman, an astronaut. Later on, when I started contemplating college, teaching sounded like a good fit – except for my damn social anxiety. But Nick helped me get over that.

TSP:  What do you hope to accomplish in your political career and will your sexual orientation be an issue?

EC:  Rolling back DOMA would be a good start. I’m also planning to co-sponsor a GLBT civil rights act. As for my orientation… well, bisexuality is a bit difficult to parse. Many people don’t understand it, or even accept it as a legitimate sexual orientation. I’ve lost count of how many people over the years have told me I’m not bisexual, just confused.

TSP:  In all the relationships you've had, which partners meant the most to you and what would you tell them about your feelings for them?

EC:  Nick was – and is – my first love. We’ve been together for ten years, off and on, through good and bad. If that doesn’t make a partnership, I don’t know what does.

As for Allison… she’s been in my life as long as Nick. I can’t imagine opening my eyes in the morning and not finding her there beside me. She’s my friend, my wife… my rock.

TSP:  It's been reported that you're in a menage relationship. Do you think it's possible to have a successful ménage relationship?

EC:  Nick, Allison and I are together, in every sense of the word. Thus far, we seem to be making a go of it. Have things run smoothly? God, no. But no relationship’s all roses all the time. Yes, we fight. We say things we end up regretting. We apologize and move on. That’s what people who love each other do.

TSP:  How would you describe your HEA and what will you have to do to achieve it?

EC:  Happily ever after is a nice fantasy, but I’m not sure anyone can really achieve it. The three of us are taking things day by day. Some days are better than others, but as long as we hold to our love and commitment to each other, there’s nothing we can’t handle.

Most people are lucky to find one love - Eric Courtland has two. But when Allison, his new wife, discovers his secret affair with Nick, his on-again, off-again lover of over a decade, Eric can’t bring himself to choose between them. Instead, he stuns them with a bold proposition neither can refuse.

Jealousy mars the early days of their relationship, but trust and growing intimacy lead to a deeper and more satisfying arrangement — as long as they keep their non-traditional partnership under wraps for the sake of Eric’s budding political career.

Blackmailing political rivals, the pressures of living in the public eye, and a serious illness all threaten their relationship — and force Eric to decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to keep the only two people he’s ever loved.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE BOOK:

The rocky road of romance, hot sex, and miscommunication to a HEA continues in The Arrangement, the fourth book in the Courtland Chronicles by Cat Grant.  Just when it looks like Eric, Ally, and Nick finally find some moments of happiness the many truths being hidden finally come out in this explosive installment of this melodramatic and scintillating saga.

Eric continues his path of being self-involved and manipulating his lovers to his desires in this frustrating story that makes me wonder yet again why they're drawn to him as he continues to be overbearing, uncommunicative, and self-absorbed.  Everything he does he claims to do because he wants to keep his lovers safe and I believe that, I just wish he'd actually talk things out.  I know that actions speak louder than words but in this case actions create even bigger problems and almost tear their triad apart.  The brief glimpses of sadness and weakness that we see from Eric are what I long to see as this humanizes him and makes me drawn to him too.

By marrying Eric, Ally thought all her problems were over but her loneliness and low self-esteem lead to problems with alcohol that brings anger from the outside to their doorstep.  Just when you think she's conquered her demons her weaknesses return and another roadblock comes between them and their HEA.  She's just as guilty as Eric in jumping to conclusions and keeping life altering events from those she loves.

Nick is the stabilizing force in their triad and is my favorite by far as he's always supportive of the others.  He asks for very little in their triad, just to be acknowledged and not a dirty secret.  He's the one to mediate their issues and is the voice of reason at all times.  Even as a traumatic event befalls his family he's still there for others.  Of all of them he's the one most deserving of a HEA.

When they can shut away the harsh realities of the world the bedroom becomes a steamy and immensely satisfying place where they all ultimately find a way to be equal.  A lot of times though sex is in place of talking which gets frustrating knowing that their lives would be so much better if they JUST TALKED.  Politics also get in the way as Eric uses work to hide out from the issues in their triad.  The political world is portrayed vividly as are the ramifications of being left of center.  It was implausible to think Eric could continue in politics with his real life just bubbling beneath the surface but the issues of blackmail felt out of place and a bit over the top.

On a whole though I still find myself drawn to these characters no matter how infuriating they can be.  This saga continues to be heartwrenching and with the triad's HEA still uncertain I can't help but be invested in their story.  These characters are flawed but through Ms. Grant's talented writing you can't help but be drawn to them foibles and all.  So here's to the continuing soap opera that the ending of The Arrangement promises to bring next.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Cat Grant lives by the ocean in beautiful Monterey, California with one persnickety feline and way too many books and DVDs. When she’s not writing, you’ll probably catch her singing along to whatever’s on her iTunes, or fantasizing about kinky sex with Michael Fassbender.  You can find Cat at......

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****Cat’s latest release, The Arrangement, is now available at: All Romance ebooks, Smashwords and Kindle.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Join me on the rest of my mini-tour, and win more spiffy prizes!  Comment at each stop to increase your chances of winning a signed copy of this book (make sure to include your email addy)!

March 4th - Tara Lain - http://www.taralain.com/
March 5th - Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess - http://wowfromthescarfprincess.blogspot.com/
March 7th - Cup O' Porn - http://cupoporn.net/
March 11th – Mrs. Condit Reads Books - http://www.mrsconditreadsbooks.com/
March 13th - MamaKitty Reviews - http://mamakittyreviews.com/