Book Tour for Love Life & Circumstance by J.T. Cheyanne & V.L. Moon (Review & GIVEAWAY)

As a fan of the m/m genre I'm always on the lookout for emotional reads and found one in Love Life & Circumstance by J.T. Cheyanne and V.L. Moon.  Keep reading to get a glimpse of this book, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about this book by visiting the other blogs hosting this tour.  Make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win a copy of this heartwarming read too!

Born the son of a preacher man, Elijah Deacon always conformed to his father’s strict religious teachings. He worked hard, devoting his time and energy to the family owned construction firm, leaving little time to focus on the deplorable state of his private life. Small town America was no place to be when all a man craved was the touch of another man. Elijah hid his sexuality and tried in vain to convince himself he could be happy with a woman. Urged on by the dream of having the family he craved, Elijah couldn’t know a drunken one night stand would see him pay the ultimate price.
Leaving the bright lights of Atlanta and placing his own life on hold, paralegal, Seth Jacobs, moved to Alabama hopeful that with a baby on the way, his twin sister Bethany would settle down. His older sister by five minutes, she gave him the confidence he needed while growing to come out and be proud of who he was. It was his turn to return the support. On arrival in Headland, Seth endeavored to make her see the dangers her behavior presented to her and her unborn child. But, to no avail.
When destiny deals a cruel blow, and the life of a newborn baby hangs by a thread, Seth and Elijah are flung together to deal with the tragic circumstances. The grief threatens to consume them, while joy and fear work to unite them. Jealousy, love, lies and bitter truths rise to the surface and threaten to tear them apart. Can the powers of love and life bring them together and heal the loneliness that death leaves behind? Or will circumstance prevail and fuel the embers of love that draw them together?

EXCERPT:

Sprawled in the dainty rocking chair, Elijah Deacon overwhelmed the room. Booted feet crossed at the ankle. Blue jean clad legs stretched for miles and hugged lean hips. The light blue cotton tee shirt molded to Elijah's thick chest and broad shoulders. Perched like a tiny angel, Hope lay curled in a miniature ball on that massive chest. One large hand cradled her diapered bottom. 
They both slept, if the matching snores were any indication. Seth eased closer, drawn to them. He desperately wanted to crawl into Elijah's lap and have the man's other arm wrapped around him.  As if drawn by his thoughts, his gaze flicked to where Elijah's hand lay in his lap clutching something white.  Another step and he swallowed hard. Elijah held the picture of the three of them, his thumb resting just below the likeness of Seth. 
Elijah shifted and Seth's gaze snapped upward. The hand on Hope's bottom tightened as if reassuringhimself she still lay there. Behind closed lids, Elijah's eyes moved. Those lush lips parted. 
"Seth." His name tumbled from Elijah's mouth, freezing him where he stood. When several seconds passed, and the large man settled back into sleep, Seth dared moved closer. The urge to touch overcame him. He reached out a trembling finger and traced it down the curve of Hope's back. She snuffled and burrowed closer into her father's chest. Seth smiled. She was so precious. 
His hand and eyes lifted. Elijah's beautiful, darkly tanned face was relaxed as he slept. Seth's fingers itched to caress the high cheekbones. Moving of its own accord, his hand rose higher still. Very lightly, fingertips met warm flesh. Seth's heart raced. If Elijah woke up, he'd be in trouble. He should back away, go back out and knock, let Elijah know he was here. But, Seth couldn't move, except for the hand that continued to stroke Elijah's flushed skin. 
"Are you really here, or am I dreaming?" The deep baritone stalled Seth's timid exploration of Eli's face. 
"You're dreaming." He answered just as low. Elijah's lids blinked open. Piercing blue eyes locked onto Seth. 
"Where's your boyfriend?" The quiet question was loaded with accusation, but it was the uncertainty in Elijah's eyes that got the answer.
"Sitting in a rocking chair, holding my niece."  Wariness and doubt flooded Elijah's gaze. Seth brought his fingers down to stop the words forming on Elijah's lips. "We need to talk, but not here.  Can I hold her?" At the other man's nod, Seth scooped his niece into his hands trying very hard to ignore the hard slabs of muscle she lay upon. With her cradled to his chest, Seth crooned to her while moving to lean against the wall. A long arm shot out to grasp his hip. He didn't resist as he was guided back to Elijah's lap. 
"If you sit here, we can both see her," Eli said gruffly.  Seth wasn't about to complain, and settled into Elijah's lap. The rocking chair protested the added weight with a pained groan.  They sat stiffly for several minutes, neither speaking, eyes locked on the pink bundle.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  ARe  |  BN

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a reader of numerous m/m-themed books, they all start to blur together after awhile.  This book manages to distinguish itself from the pack though through a unique storyline and pleasant blend of steamy interludes and thought-provoking political issues.  From its heartbreaking and soap opera-ish beginning to its heartwarming HEA I found myself completely immersed in the story even as I chuckled at some of the over-the-top melodramatic events meant as roadblocks to the main couple's happiness.

Elijah is the son of a preacher man who's kept the truth of his sexuality hidden.  He spent his youth partying with liquor and women which unexpectedly leads to a dramatic life change years later.  When a car accident takes the life of his father, mutual grief has him bonding unexpectedly with the brother of the woman killed along with his father.  No longer content to keep the truth about himself hidden he goes after the quiet Seth wholeheartedly.  Their relationship evolves quickly as they bond over a life altering event that has them both thinking of a life together away from the small town prejudices that have kept them in hiding.  Elijah is a strong and domineering man both in and out of the bedroom.  He enjoys sex and isn't ashamed to admit it but is also capable of showing a more loving side too.  The moment he knew Seth was the one for him he held nothing back in very loud visual and vocal scenes.

Seth is a far more quiet and methodic man.  For many years it's been just him and his sister until the day drugs and alcohol take her from this Earth leaving behind big ramifications.  His guilt and grief over the event have him bonding with Elijah quickly which unexpectedly leads to more.  He's a bit shy when it comes to sexual interludes and is clearly the sub in his relationship with Elijah.  At first he considers himself unworthy of the powerful man but the feeling of family and security he finds with him has Seth willing to fight to keep Elijah beside him throughout a few unnecessary misunderstandings.

Those misunderstandings came from the secondary characters of Rhett and Kris, friends to the protagonists and not ashamed to create jealousy in the burgeoning relationship through their lies.  These two characters are one-dimensional and annoying in the melodrama surrounding them.  As two similar characters it's not surprising how their stories progress and I was pleased their interference didn't last for too long though I found Rhett's evolution a bit unbelievable considering how obsessive he acted early on.  From start to finish this was an emotionally intense story with a few unexpected twists and turns that I appreciated.  While I enjoy steamy stories I found this one to have almost too many sexual interludes that interfered with their developing relationship.  With these numerous sexual encounters came some thought-provoking political issues involving same-sex marriages and other gay rights that brought a modern-day spin to the story through its relevancy.  These issues didn't feel preachy but were subtly brought to the forefront.  I've read other books by these authors, and though this one went over-the-top from time to time, I still found it an entertaining and unique read.

My rating for this is a C+

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

AUTHOR INFO:

JT:
After a lifetime of reading and at the suggestion of friends, J.T. finally put fingers to keys and started writing her own stories. It’s been a wildly amazing ride full of tears, exhilaration and plain old hard work. Thankfully, her three beautiful children support her craziness and encourage her to continue something she loves. While she does write solo stories, she thrives on the work she does with V.L. Moon, her writing partner and fiance. What a small world it is indeed Mr. Disney when a small town girl from Alabama can find and write with a big city girl from England. What a ride it has been and continues to be!

EMAIL - jtcheyanne@hotmail.com
WEBSITE - www.lazandlachi.com
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/jtcheyannestories?ref=hl
TWITTER - https://twitter.com/JTCheyanne

VL:
V.L. is an avid book reader and a lover of long dark winter nights tucked up with a rather fruity glass of red and her partner in crime J. T. Cheyanne. She aspires to conquer the world with J.T. and their love of vampires, angels and wolves mixed in with some mighty fine Gods and a deluge of hot gay romance.

EMAIL - j-gs69@live.com
WEBSITE –  www.lazandlachi.com
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/VenusMoonstories
TWITTER - https://twitter.com/VenusMoon5

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