THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
Tanith Davenport
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GENRE: Erotic Romance
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BLURB:
Avril Coker, ex-girlfriend of young rockstar Levi Eshton-Gold, is staying at the house of his father, rockstar Ty Eshton-Gold, having been abandoned by her parents due to a pregnancy. However, when Levi arrives home early from his tour with his voice destroyed, he soon makes it clear that he hopes to rekindle their romance.
Avril still feels a spark between them. However she also knows Levi is unaware of the real reason Avril is staying with his family – and the deranged fan who caused Avril’s miscarriage.
Ty, as the band’s manager, has plans to keep the band going, including a reality TV show and a new album which Avril herself will be singing on. As her and Levi’s passion soon reignites, Avril finds herself working to support Levi’s band Astral Shudder and to help Levi regain his voice – but can Avril and Levi see a future together, or will Levi’s career and his cruel fan keep them apart?
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Excerpt
It wasn’t until they were finishing dessert that they heard a knock on the door.
“I’ll get that.” Ty stood and moved towards the doorway. “He must have lost his key.”
Lyra and Elspeth both stood and followed him, Avril trailing behind them uncertainly. This had the potential to be very awkward.
Ty unlocked the door and Levi stepped in, dragging his wheeled suitcase behind him. His eyes immediately locked onto Avril, a look of surprise crossing his face. Avril stared back at him, waiting to see if he would speak first.
She knew she looked different from when he had last seen her. Her blonde hair was now cut short and highlighted; she was wearing contacts instead of glasses, so her green eyes were brighter, more visible. She had had her ears pierced a second time, dangly earrings brushing the Astral Shudder tattoo on her shoulder. And she had stopped getting spray tans, so her skin was back to its natural alabaster shade.
Levi looked thinner than before, but his brown hair was still long, held back by a bandana that made him look like a young Axl Rose. He was wearing eyeliner, something he had rarely done in the past, but it brought out his brown eyes, which were fixed intensely on hers. And he was wearing leather trousers and a leather jacket over a t-shirt—he had always said he wanted a new leather jacket, and here it was.
She had always loved his leather trousers. The way they hugged his perfect ass as he moved on stage, the delicious scent they had given his skin. She could remember the way his hair had swayed as he sang, the way the sweat glistened on his taut muscles.
She remembered everything.
Elspeth stepped forward and pulled Levi into a hug, breaking the tension. Avril felt her shoulders relax. Maybe this would be straightforward after all.
“Darling. We’re so glad you’re finally home. You must be exhausted.”
Levi nodded silently, and Ty moved forward to take the case from him.
“We’ve saved you some dinner. Sit down and you can tell us everything.”
“No,” Levi answered haltingly. “I can’t.”
Something in Avril’s gut twisted painfully.
Levi’s voice, once rich and throaty, was now a rasp.
This is it. This is why they stopped the tour.
Levi’s perfect rock voice had been destroyed.
Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors
Ornery Owl's Review
Rating: Three out of Five Stars
The idea of a musician forced to return home due to a catastrophic, potentially career-ending medical issue is engaging. The drama between said musician and his ex, whom he returns home to discover his parents have invited to move in, is compelling.
Unfortunately, my Editor Brain took over very early in this tale and it became impossible for me to switch back to Reader Mode. This happens when I read stories that don't feel like they've gone through a thorough editing process. Although the manuscript was free of typos, the story feels unpolished and bogged down by minutia. For example:
"The kitchen, like every other room in the Eshton-Golds’ house—or mansion, probably—was huge, luxurious, and filled with every modern device."
Dispense with the filler. Call it a mansion. Also, throw out most of the em-dashes. They are strong contributors to the air of indecisiveness that plagues this work.
Also, Avril's ominous stomach pain turns out to be...
Gallstones.
Really?
Romance readers are not interested in gall bladder removals. Unplanned pregnancies, yes. Something life-threatening where the love interest's support plays a key part in recovery, yes. Not routine surgeries like removal of a faulty gall bladder. The author could squeeze so much more of the kind of drama that romance readers crave out of the story by timing things so Avril is pregnant with Levi's child.
The scenario could play out like my own real-life situation. I was told I couldn't get pregnant. After being nauseous for a month straight, I went to the doctor expecting to hear that I had something like stomach cancer. Imagine my surprise when she told me I was pregnant.
Or, perhaps, Avril is experiencing complications from the miscarriage she suffered. This can happen when something from the miscarriage was not completely expelled from the uterus. This could impact Avril's ability to become pregnant in the future. In such a case, Levi's support would be invaluable to her.
This story has the potential to be engaging, exciting, and unforgettable. In its current form, it reads too much like a work in progress that has been run through a spelling and grammar check but has not undergone a comprehensive editing process.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Tanith Davenport began writing erotica at the age of 27 by way of the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme. Her debut novel "The Hand He Dealt" was released by Totally Bound in June 2011 and was shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon Award for 2012.
Tanith has had short stories published by Totally Bound, Naughty Nights Press, Evernight Publishing and House of Erotica. She loves to travel and dreams of one day taking a driving tour of the United States, preferably in a classic 1950s pink Cadillac Eldorado.
Tanith's idea of heaven is an Indian head massage with a Mojito at her side.
www.facebook.com/TanithDavenport
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Amazon UK: https://tinyurl.com/mr4tuh73
Amazon US: https://tinyurl.com/48xz4r5d
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER
Tanith Davenport will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
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