Book Tour for Change of Address by Jordan S. Brock (Review & GIVEAWAY)

As a reader who enjoys wounded warrior romances I'm excited to introduce you to a tale of a man who returns home from war bruised and uncertain about how to live his life under the glare of his father's political aspirations.  Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of Change of Address by Jordan S. Brock, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about this m/m romance by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  I'll also help you get to know more about Ms. Brock and in celebration of this book make sure to leave a comment below stating what intrigues you about this book for the chance to win a stuffed United States Air Force bear as well as a $15 Riptide Publishing GC!

LET'S GET TO KNOW JORDAN S. BROCK...

TSP:  Knowing what you do now about the publishing business, would you have done anything different career-wise?

JSB:  I would have had the courage to submit manuscripts years ago! Of course, then I look back at some of those early manuscripts and cringe. Every day that I write, I learn something new.

TSP:  What does your writing space look like and do you surround yourself with any particularly inspirational items?

JSB:  I’m lucky to be married to someone who understands the importance of having a writing cave. I turned our dining room into my office, with a standing-height desk and lots of open space so I can play with the dogs between paragraphs.

TSP:  Your books are LGBTQ in nature, what draws you to that genre?

JSB:  Two things: stereotypical gender roles and my own identity.

Roles in most—though not all—het romance are defined by gender. I once had a publisher tell me to swap the genders of a het pairing because readers will tolerate and even adore an obnoxious, sarcastic man but they’ll label an obnoxious, sarcastic woman a bitch. I love writing outside that narrow mold.

As for identity, it took forty-plus years of mislabeling myself to learn who I actually am inside. All those years, I thought “asexual” was only for single-celled organisms, not people. Now that I know better, I want to write stories outside the boxes that I never fit.

TSP:  Beyond its synopsis, what do you want us to know about Change of Address?

JSB:  Kaylee the service dog is a mix between my senior service dog, Darian, and Bucky the service puppy in training. She has Darian’s calm wisdom and Bucky’s playful spirit. Can you guess where Michael got the name “Kaylee"?

Also, I envy Josh’s cooking. I can burn water.

TSP:  When it comes to heroes in romance novels, describe your perfect hero.

JSB:  It’s probably easier for me to describe what I don’t like: alphaholes. I’ve lived too long and had too many bad relationships to tolerate someone telling me what to do or thinking they know what’s good for me. One of these days, I’m going to write a werewolf or shifter romance in which there are no alphas at all. Something like... “Alpha theory?” the werewolf asked, chuckling. “That was based on a flawed scientific study. Our pack actually has a committee of elected officials to assist in making major decisions".

Other than that, I enjoy realism! I know I’m saying this right after pointing out that I really want to write a werewolf book, but even that book will be realistic. Just with extra fur.

TSP:  How has the digital revolution affected your career and how you market yourself?  What kind of eReader do you have?

JSB:  I attribute my career successes almost entirely to writing fanfic and posting it online. I learned more in the six years (longer if you count stories for various video games) I’ve been writing fanfic than in the thirty-plus years before that. Fanfic has given me a built-in audience for my stories and immediate feedback from an encouraging, invested group of readers. We’re connected in a way that I can’t imagine writers and readers connecting even fifteen years ago, and I love that!

As for eReaders, I actually have five Kindles collected over the years: two Kindle Keyboards, two Paperwhites, and one Voyage. I do most of my reading on the Voyage, because it’s gentle on my eyes, but I love the Keyboards for editing.

And by the way, if you’re a writer with an eReader, I have a great trick: edit on the eReader. It changes the visual appearance of your story, whether you write in Scrivener, Google Docs, or Word, and changing the physical layout—font, text color, margins, page size, etc.—will help you spot mistakes that you wouldn’t have otherwise caught.

TSP:  My site's all about favorite things, so what are your favorite things/the things you can't live without?

JSB:  My dogs are at the top of the list, though I couldn’t pick one above the others. Darian is nine and a half and came with me to RT16 in Las Vegas, where he dressed as a steampunk Iron Man (Iron Dog!) for the Cirque du Punk party. Mal (named for Captain Malcolm Reynolds, of course) is my sweet but skittish black lab. And Bucky, my service puppy in training, who’s the star of my Twitter feed because I can’t stop taking pictures of him being all dignified and regal.

Other than that, I couldn’t live without home-roasted French press coffee and my computer. And the cats, of course, but that goes without saying, because cats!

Air Force sergeant Michael Baldwin wanted nothing more than to escape his family’s political ambitions, but his dream of freedom was shattered by an enemy bullet to the head. Two years later, he and his service dog, Kaylee, resist his father’s demand to join him on the campaign trail—where a photogenic “wounded warrior” is always an asset—and instead return to the family’s summer home on Hartsbridge Island.

There Michael and his beautiful German shepherd capture the attention of Josh Goldberg, co-owner of the local bagel shop. Josh has a knack for business and a killer repertoire of his bubbe’s recipes. But lack of education undermines his confidence, and Josh’s father doesn’t share his ambition for the restaurant’s future.

Chicken soup and bacon might be the way to Michael’s heart, but he and Josh need time to learn about everything that comes after—lessons that Governor Baldwin and his relentless ambition will do anything to thwart. Letting someone in is a tall order for two men who can’t trust themselves, but if they have any hope of a future together, that’s exactly what they’ll need to do.

***LEARN MORE ABOUT CHANGE OF ADDRESS HERE***

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

When it comes to heartwrenching romances there are a few elements that really put me through the wringer and pull at all my emotional threads.  With this m/m romance of wounded warrior Michael Baldwin, and the vivid depiction of his daily challenges, I was quickly consumed by the romance between him and Josh Goldberg.  I was quickly immersed in all the ups and downs Michael's disability put on their burgeoning relationship, feeling every set-back while rooting for their HEA in this methodically-paced story of romance, disability, and expectations.

Michael grew up in the spotlight as the son of a Governor, expected to live his life one way but choosing to live it another.  An act of rebellion led to the military and a tragic event that changed his life irrevocably.  Years of therapy and counseling has led to a lot of healing but there's plenty of scars remaining. These changes to himself had him closing himself off from the world, and if it weren't for his therapy dog Kaylee, he would've lost himself completely. Bringing him back into the world even further is bagel owner Josh who gives him unconditional support and acceptance.  Beyond his physical limitations causing disappointment for his father there's also the secret of his being gay. These issues have clearly expanded the lifelong riff between them and leave readers anticipating a confrontation, a confrontation that doesn't quite equal the anticipation as readers are left slightly unfulfilled.  Michael's physical limitations are vividly depicted and had me aching for each black-out and saddened by each word he forgets during times of stress.  At times he's ashamed by his weakness but he doesn't hide what happens to him, answering questions without shame which is a credit to the author's sensitive handling of his heavy issues.  For his strength in dealing with his scars and for his unabashed love for Josh it's clear that Michael continues to be the hero he was in war time and for that I find him completely endearing and had me rooting for his happiness.

Josh is someone who's never gone far from home as he's a loyal son whose interactions with his father are delightful and charming.  He's a caring man who's self-deprecating when it comes to his looks which made him very easy to relate to and immensely endearing.  He gave up a lot for his family after the death of his mother and his father's illness and came home to run the family business without complaint.  He's immediately drawn to Michael the first time their eyes meet and it's the first step in a sweet and tenderly-depicted dance they undertake to HEA.  Though they're not as obvious, Josh has his own issues to deal with related to plans for the future of the business as well as having dyslexia.  His problems with reading are only addressed in brief glimpses and I wish the author had dealt with it in a more satisfying way as Michael's disabilities were handled so well.  On a whole though whenever Josh was on the scene I couldn't help smiling which was just one reason why he and Michael were so memorable together!

Ultimately this was a very satisfying story for its immensely appealing main couple and colorful secondary characters.  Michael and Josh are a formidable couple who get put through the wringer due to misunderstandings that thankfully don't get dragged out.  The reality of the ravages of war on Michael's body had their romance evolving slowly (a bit too slowly actually) leading to unrelenting sexual tension and a bit of frustration that is richly rewarding once they finally give into the inevitable.  Their romance plays out amidst the background of a small town with all its memorable denizens.  From the sweet and not too subtle matchmaking of Josh's father to the wise lesbian couple, this seaside town created a picturesque backdrop that added even more charm to the romance between these two imperfect men.  Adding a final cherry to this entertaining story is the almost human-like Kaylee who's in-tune to Michael's needs and never judges him for any of his perceived weaknesses.  She was sweet and lovable and deserved every piece of bacon she got in reward!  Lovers of romance will find this a charming read and be rooting for these two men who deserve their hard-fought HEA as they travailed their bumpy road to love and acceptance!

My rating for this is a B.

*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Coffee-fueled author Jordan Brock writes engaging contemporary romance with a deliciously pan-romantic sensibility and an emphasis on consent, respect, and, of course, love. Her characters are constantly surprised by the way love’s slow burn sneaks up on them.

Jordan’s children are all four-legged and furry. They love to be oh-so-helpful with her writing. She can usually be found hiding from the sun with her service dog and her puppy-in-training. (She tried the training thing with cats first, since cats are so much smarter, but it was a no-go).

Before she was published, Jordan worked as a tech writer in the semiconductor industry. She’s also created labs and learning materials for auto, diesel , and motorcycle mechanics. The technology was the easy part; the hard part was trying not to slip in pop-culture snark.

Jordan lives in the desert outside Phoenix, Arizona, despite the fact she turns into gray goo and blue hair dye when exposed to heat. For fun, she hunts scorpions in the backyard, with a blowtorch, and a crowbar. She’s chronically unavailable for at least a month after new game releases from Blizzard. She’s an unapologetic fangirl and has been known to write an occasional fanfic to prove Bucky Barnes is not a villain. Oh, and she crochets the cutest amigurumi ever.

WEBSITE  |  TWITTER

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

PRIZE IS A STUFFED UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BEAR & A $15 RIPTIDE PUBLISHING GC!

-GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO ALL!

-To be entered, LEAVE A COMMENT STATING WHAT INTRIGUES YOU ABOUT THIS BOOK (You MUST leave your email addy with your comment. NO EMAIL ADDY=NO ENTRY).

-To increase your chances of winning, leave a comment on the other sites hosting this tour.

-GIVEAWAY ENDS AT MIDNIGHT EST ON 10/29!