Readers drawn to wounded warrior stories will find themselves charmed by this romance of two men trying to overcome scars brought on by their military pasts. Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of Afraid to Fly by L.A. Witt, along with my impressions of it, then learn even more about it by visiting the other sites hosting this tour. In honor of this second installment in the Achor Point series leave a comment letting us know what draws you to reading m/m romances for the chance to win a $10 Riptide Publishing GC and winner's choice of two books from Ms. Witt's backlist too!
Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.
Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.
Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver lining: now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.
It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
The Navy men and women of Anchor Point are back in this angst-ridden romance between two men riddled with pain over their nightmare-inducing pasts. With physical and emotional pains weighing on them both they find solace and acceptance in each other's arms until fear drives them apart. With their HEA on the rocks will the other be brave enough to fight for what he knows is right for both of them or will he leave him adrift?
From the moment readers are introduced to Clint and Travis they see a memorable coupling, a coupling made up of older men left battered and bruised by wartime acts who have rebuilt their lives after deciding they could no longer hide the truth of their orientation. They're left scarred with PTSD, chronic pain, and for one, he's had to overcome addictions. They're also left jaded and disillusioned by the military and fear what will come after their service ends. It's only in each other's arms that they find peace and quiet, as well as love...which catches both of them by surprise. Theirs is a combustible relationship, one that flared very quickly and had them burning up the sheets and our eReader's pages from the very start. Theirs is a relationship that's easily accepted by those around them but it's Travis's fears that are the biggest roadblock to their HEA. Fears over his disability, and the limitations it places on their sex life, have him constantly thinking of the end while Clint's focused on their future. It makes for realistic storytelling but frustration for the reader which ultimately leads to an ending that shows that wisdom comes with maturity.
On a whole this was an intensely emotional m/m romance. It sets itself apart from the crowd with its older protagonists and by not having the stereotypical roadblocks at play in keeping these two men apart. Their sexual interludes were erotic, original in compensating for Travis's chronic back pain, and were nicely balanced with scenes that allowed them to connect on a deeper level. Along with this unique main couple came interactions with the couple from the previous book in this series which gives readers nice follow-up on how their romance has progressed, as well as showing them to be a supportive sounding board. If there's one thing that held me back from loving this book completely it's that it went on way too long and I got a bit bored in the middle section. Despite that I definitely recommend this book for its memorable older couple and creative handling of disability and romance.
From the moment readers are introduced to Clint and Travis they see a memorable coupling, a coupling made up of older men left battered and bruised by wartime acts who have rebuilt their lives after deciding they could no longer hide the truth of their orientation. They're left scarred with PTSD, chronic pain, and for one, he's had to overcome addictions. They're also left jaded and disillusioned by the military and fear what will come after their service ends. It's only in each other's arms that they find peace and quiet, as well as love...which catches both of them by surprise. Theirs is a combustible relationship, one that flared very quickly and had them burning up the sheets and our eReader's pages from the very start. Theirs is a relationship that's easily accepted by those around them but it's Travis's fears that are the biggest roadblock to their HEA. Fears over his disability, and the limitations it places on their sex life, have him constantly thinking of the end while Clint's focused on their future. It makes for realistic storytelling but frustration for the reader which ultimately leads to an ending that shows that wisdom comes with maturity.
On a whole this was an intensely emotional m/m romance. It sets itself apart from the crowd with its older protagonists and by not having the stereotypical roadblocks at play in keeping these two men apart. Their sexual interludes were erotic, original in compensating for Travis's chronic back pain, and were nicely balanced with scenes that allowed them to connect on a deeper level. Along with this unique main couple came interactions with the couple from the previous book in this series which gives readers nice follow-up on how their romance has progressed, as well as showing them to be a supportive sounding board. If there's one thing that held me back from loving this book completely it's that it went on way too long and I got a bit bored in the middle section. Despite that I definitely recommend this book for its memorable older couple and creative handling of disability and romance.
My rating for this is a B-
*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…
**********GIVEAWAY**********
PRIZE IS A $10 RIPTIDE PUBLISHING GC & 2 BOOKS FROM L.A. WITT'S BACKLIST.
-Giveaway OPEN TO ALL.
-To be entered, LEAVE A COMMENT STATING WHY YOU READ M/M ROMANCES (along with your email). NO EMAIL ADDY=NO ENTRY!
-To increase your chances of winning, visit the other stops on this tour.
-Giveaway ENDS AT MIDNIGHT EST ON JANUARY 21ST!
Congrats on the new release Lori.
ReplyDeleteWhy I read M/M romances? I think they have more depth to the romance. As there is still a lot of bigotry and homophobia in this world it is important to write about two guys falling in love. Their relationship is most of the time hard won.
tankie44 at gmail dot com
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the book.
ReplyDeleteThinking about it I'm not really sure why I was first drawn to m/m fiction. I loved yaoi manga and still do. MM stories just make me happy and I don't think I need to go into more details.
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
I find that m/m has less-predictable romance arcs, and a better variety of attractive, multifaceted male characters (not just one-note annoying alphas)!
ReplyDeletevitajex(At)aol(Dot)com
Thank You everyone for your AWESOME COMMENTS! Keep 'em coming and Good Luck in the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe Scarf Princess
Part of the appeal of m/m romance for me is the chance to learn more about a section of society and its challenges. I love being able to see folks overcome the obstacles in their life and get their happy ever after! Thanks for the giveaway and the review.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like an angsty book and I didn't think it was like that. Anyway, I would like to read it. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteserena91291@gmail(dot)com
Congrats and thanks for the giveaway. I appreciate that you write about PTSD. I’m a psychologist and am a little familiar with it, and I think you depict it well. I’m just sorry that so many have had that kind of trauma and have to deal with it. – Purple Reader
ReplyDeleteTheWrote [at] aol [dot] com
Congrats on the release & thanks for your review
ReplyDeletelegacylandlisa(at)gmail(dot)com