Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Length: 54,500 words approx.
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Arizona Raptors Series
Book #2 - Across The Pond - Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link
Blurb
Is it easier to fall into the shadows than hold onto the light?
Injured in a horrific car accident by a man who made him feel like nothing, Henry was left with life threatening injuries, crippling self doubt, and his career as a hockey player destroyed. He’s struggling to see, and as much as people tell him to have hope because he’s young and fit, his vision is compromised and he’s spiraling into despair. Estranged from his family, and his money all gone, there seems to be no hope. Hockey gave him freedom, and now it’s all been taken away.
Adler insists on letting Henry stay in a vast Lockhart-owned mansion in Tuscon, but it's a big and lonely place. When Apollo arrives at the house with his sunny smile and infectious optimism, along with his no-nonsense rules, he slowly becomes an integral part of Henry’s life. But one day, when Henry is better, Apollo will leave, and what happens then? Has Henry really fallen for the dark eyed man, or is it all just smoke and mirrors?
If there is one thing that Apollo Vasquez knows all about it’s helping others and living with quirky athletes. After all, he’s spent most of his adult life tending to one of the richest hockey playing heirs in America. His days have been filled with friendship, laughter, and the knowledge that he’s needed. Or he used to be. Over the past year Apollo’s best friend, Adler Lockhart, has been slipping away, his time spent with his boyfriend, on the ice, or traveling the world with the man he loves. This leaves Apollo feeling like a clunky third wheel or all alone in a luxurious apartment with no one to fuss over.
Knowing that his life is at a crossroads, his loving nature leads him far away from his childhood friend to the dry desert town of Tucson where he signs on to care for Henry Greenaway as the young Raptor recovers both mentally and physically from a near fatal car crash. Henry is also facing a new life, one that might lead him from the sport he has loved for so long. Cooking, cleaning, and providing moral support is just what the doctor ordered for Apollo, and he soon finds himself not only rediscovering himself and a new life he adores, but falling for the sweet, lost, injured man who’s slowly capturing his heart one timid smile at a time.
Karen's review:
‘Shadow and Light’ is a story that I’ve been waiting for…it’s Henry’s story and Apollo. We met Apollo for the first time briefly in the ‘Harrisburg Railers’ series. He’s Adler Lockhart’s best friend and personal assistant. But now that Adler’s got his Foxy man, Apollo’s life has become a lot less demanding and he’s finding he has to much time on his hands to think and a lot of that thinking seems to focus on the last man who broke his heart. So, when Adler proposes that he go to Arizona and take care of Henry, Apollo decides that maybe this is just what he needs someone who needs his help in a place that’s filled with warmth and sunshine.
Henry’s struggling…life’s just not cutting him any breaks. It may have been a car accident that broke his body but it was the man driving the car who broke his heart and shattered him emotionally and his family took care of whatever self esteem he had left along with his money leaving Henry with nothing and no one to offer him support as he struggles to find his way back to the world in general and the sport that he loves.
Together Apollo and Henry can help each other to find a way back from their pain if they can just learn to trust each other and share what’s in their hearts.
I was more than a little anxious for this story since we’ve been following the events of what’s happened to Henry throughout the previous books and for the most part I enjoyed this one but I also found myself wanting the relationship development between Henry and Apollo to come from Henry’s point of view just a tiny bit more than it did, but while I wanted a bit more of Henry’s perspective during this part of the story, I also didn’t feel like his POV was entirely missing either so that may be more a me thing than a story thing.
As a couple I really like Henry and Apollo. Certainly, after all that he’s been through if anyone every deserved someone who is a ray of sunshine…it’s Henry. But Apollo is equally deserving of someone who will love and appreciate the awesomeness that is Apollo.
My other little niggle was in regard to the ending. For the most part it worked but there were a couple of moments when things felt like they were becoming just a bit to over the top however, they never quite reached the point of spoiling the story for me so all in all just a little niggle I shook it off and carried on enjoying the story.
Last of all from a very personal perspective I really, really want a resolution that brings harsher consequences for Aarni Lankinen and solid vindication Henry, Tennant and Bryan, the people he has hurt the most…and then he just needs to go away, but maybe that’s just a me thing.
As with previous stories in this series and the ‘Harrisburg Railers’ series we were once again treated to glimpses of characters from previous books Ryker and Jacob, Alex and Seb, we even had some time with Adler and his Foxy man.
Even though I didn’t connect with this story quite the way I had thought I would. I still very much enjoyed it and wouldn’t have missed out on it for anything. Henry and Apollo were fun, sexy and well worth the read…but…
I have to admit I was hoping that the next book would be about Colorado the hot and sexy Raptor’s goaltender…or at least that’s what I was hoping until I read the blurb at the end of this book for book #4 Sugar and Ice…it’s Tate and Vlad’s story and it sounds like it’s going to be scorching hot…hot enough to melt the ice. I am so on board for this one.
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An ARC of ‘Shadow and Light’ was graciously provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
About the authors:
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott writes stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, a happily ever after.RJ Scott is the author of over one hundred romance books, writing emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.
The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.
She’s always thrilled to hear from readers, bloggers and other writers. Please contact via the links below:
USA Today Bestselling Author V.L. Locey – Penning LGBT hockey romance that skates into sinful pleasures.V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, Torchwood and Dr. Who, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a pair of geese, far too many chickens, and two steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in one hand and a steamy romance novel in the other.
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Giveaway:
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