Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Divided Road Review #GayBookPromotions

NEW RELEASE

Book Title:  Divided Road

Author: Anne Barwell 

Publisher: LaceDragon Publishing 

Cover Artist:  Covers by Jo (Jo Clement) 

Release Date: October 29, 2024

Tense/POV: 3rd person/past tense

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, Rock band

Tropes: Small Town Romance

Themes: Fate, Family 

Length: 59 000 words/219 pages

Heat Rating: 3 flames

It’s part of The Road to Rocktoberfest, but all books stand alone and do not end on a cliffhanger.

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Blurb

The chance of a lifetime or their final performance?

Owen Stanton has been a member of the Kiwi band Flightless since high school. So far, he’s managed to walk the fine line between playing fiddle for the band and pursuing his classical violin career. 

An opportunity arises to audition for a prestigious string quartet, and Owen takes his family’s advice to go for it. After all, it’s not like he’s going to make the cut, right? And if he does, the decision won’t have to be made until after the band’s highly anticipated performance at a popular New Zealand music festival. 

Jared Murphy joins Flightless when their keyboard player faces a family crisis and needs to take a break. Soon he and Owen are writing music together and creating something beautiful between them. It’s a shame it won’t last. After all, Jared’s only standing in.

When the once in a lifetime invitation comes for the band to play at Rocktoberfest, decisions need to be made, even if taking the right path may end up in divided roads. 

Divided Road is a book in the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest 2024 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see what trouble our bands get into next? Hot rockstars and the men who love them, what more could you ask for? Kick back, load up your kindle and enjoy the men of Rocktoberfest!

Excerpt 

Caught up in the music, Jared hummed along with the harmony he added underneath, his voice merging with Owen’s, then breaking away. After a few moments, he stopped, realising that everyone else had stopped playing.

He flushed, heat spreading through him. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t intend to do that and barge into your solo. I won’t do it again.”

“Lincoln didn’t say you could sing,” Owen said slowly.

“I don’t, usually.” Jared had a passable voice and could hold a melody, but mainly only sang in the shower. However, something about being with the band had shaken off his inhibitions, and he’d joined in like he and Owen had sung together forever.

Owen and Clay exchanged a look before Clay spoke. “Your voice is great and added to the song. If you want to sing again, you should. We’ll tell you if it’s not working, but I think it will.”

Patterns in the Sand is a love song.” Owen hesitated. “I wrote it, thinking of two guys. Clay’s our lead singer, but not the timbre I heard in my head. Yours is.”

“I don’t want….” Bad enough that Jared was taking Lincoln’s spot. He didn’t want to get too comfortable and encroach on anyone else’s role.

“We’ve all sung on different songs,” Clay reassured him. “I’m happy to step back and support you and Owen in this one. If you want to, of course. Singing in public is way different to doing it here.”

“I’d like to, if that’s okay,” Jared said shyly. He’d never been asked to do anything like this before. “I’ll give it a go at least.”

“Right, that’s sorted then.” Rachel sounded delighted. “I think you’re going to be a great fit, Jared. Welcome to Flightless.”

“Thanks. I won’t let you down.”

Free use image from Pixabay

Ornery Owl's Review

Five out of Five Stars

Readers hoping for a scandalous sex, drugs, and rock and roll sleaze-fest will be disappointed in the measured pace of this book. I found the story realistic and refreshing. Both the band's story and the romance arc seemed like things that could actually happen. At times, I had to remind myself that I wasn't reading a biography.

The story is also refreshingly free of tropes. While I enjoy watching silly Hallmark romances sometimes, my preferred reading material tends to be nonfiction. It's rare to find a fictional story that feels like something I would have picked up just to read rather than to read for a review.

The steamy moments are tastefully written, not over the top. Everything about this story is perfectly balanced. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy their romance thoughtful and measured rather than predictably over-the-top. 

About the Author 

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with kitty siblings Byron and Marigold, who are already running the house and causing havoc. 

Anne works in a library, is an avid reader and watcher of a wide range of genres, and is constantly on the look-out for more hours in her day. She likes to write in series and even so called one shots seem to breed more plot bunnies. Her writing is like her reading - across a range of genres, although her favourites are paranormal, fantasy, SF, and historical. Music often plays a part in her stories and/or her characters are musicians.

She also hosts and reviews for other authors, and writes monthly blog posts for Love Bytes.  She is the co-founder of the New Zealand Rainbow Romance writers, and a member of RWNZ.   Her books have received honourable mentions five times, reached the finals four times—one of which was for best gay book—and been a runner up in the Rainbow Awards.  

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Giveaway 

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one of five ebooks from the author's backlist

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