Saturday, June 15, 2013

Book Spotlight for Same Page by Lily Velden (Review & GIVEAWAY)

am honored today to bring Lily Velden back to my home to let all of you know about her new m/m release, Same Page, an utterly romantic and hot series starter featuring an actor who discovers what's been missing in his life and the handsome artist whose life has been full of one loss after another.  Keep reading to get my impressions of this book and make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win some AMAZING PRIZES!

He was like the only splash of color in a black-and-white photograph.
The man was beautiful.
At an exhibition opening in Sydney, jaded Hollywood heartthrob Jaxon Moncrieff lays eyes on publicity-shy artist Liam Lassiter for the first time and is immediately captivated. But he doesn’t get far into their first conversation before he realizes what he’s feeling is attraction, which brings him up short. Jaxon has always been a womanizer.
Despite his reservations, Jaxon makes a play for Liam, but Liam has his own issues. Unlucky in love and orphaned at sixteen, he is reluctant to open his heart to anyone, and dismisses Jaxon out of hand. 
Driven by a need he doesn’t understand, Jaxon organizes a return to Sydney to film his next project. If he can’t be with Liam, maybe they can be friends. Of course, that creates a whole new problem. Now Jaxon is falling in love for the first time. How can he move their relationship from friends to lovers without destroying the trust he’s worked so hard for?

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Lily Velden has done it again!  She's dug deeply into her character's souls and beautifully and lyrically made me a part of their lives.  Same Page is a heartwarming yet gut-wrenching read that brought tears to my eyes, along with some smiles, as the rocky journey to love for Jaxon and Liam took place over many months.  The journey wasn't easy as self-doubts and trust issues ate away at them from the moment they met to their immensely satisfying and crowd pleasing HEA.  Throw in numerous playful and steamy sexual encounters that builds the bond between them and by the conclusion I was completely won over.

Jaxon has always thought himself straight but knew his relationships were somehow lacking.  Once his eyes meet those of Liam's he finds what he's been missing.  Liam doesn't give him a warm welcome as he's tired of being wanted only for his looks.  Jaxon can respect that as he's felt the same, so he doesn't push.  For months though his only thoughts are of Liam.  Discovering more about Liam and his past has him wanting to prove he's worthy of him.  Jaxon becomes a better person through his endeavors and it wins over Liam's godfather who acts as a matchmaker to bring them together.  Still not wanting to rush Liam has Jaxon proposing they be just friends which leads to lots of sexual tension that left even me frustrated.  It takes a bit of jealousy and a tragic event to finally bring them together and admit their true feelings.  That's not to say that things continue to go smoothly as the world of acting brings out jealousy issues, but these two are good at talking (among other things) and by the end of this story there's a sense of hopefulness and happiness.

Liam lost his parents when he was a teen so he's always wanted to be a part of a family.  His godfather Garrett is a wonderful father figure but it's the day to day acts of closeness that he desires.  It's led him to choosing relationships with men who only wanted him for his looks (of which he's a very sexy man), which left him shattered and untrusting of men.  Slowly but surely Jaxon wins him over and it's heartwarming to see them together as they go from friends to lovers.  Liam still has fears of Jaxon leaving him but through talking, issues of trust are slowly getting stronger and by the end of the story they are a united front in whatever comes their way.  

Liam is an attentive lover who slowly brings Jaxon into their sexual encounters.  Through little touches and subtle acts it becomes clear how much more meaningful his encounters with Jaxon are from his past.  Jaxon's extremely exuberant and a quick learner and each of their sexual encounters are hot.  There's also a bit of playfulness that's extremely endearing.  These two are also very vocal in expressing their love.  They say the L-word often and at times it almost felt a bit too sentimental, a bit too romantic for some readers.  The characters even worried that their numerous proclamations were becoming too girly! For me though, I found them utterly enchanting and I couldn't keep the cheesy smile off my face that their words brought me.

Ms. Velden has created two strong heroes who have dug deep to work past their demons to come together as a formidable couple.  They have wonderful and supportive friends around them who brought even more smiles to my face.  The sexual encounters are hot and varied and left me a bit breathless in their frequency.  This story has a definite conclusion, an immensely satisfying one, but I'm happy that their story will continue in The Race is On.

My rating for this is an A-

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

BUY LINKS:  Dreamspinner Press  |  Amazon  |  BN

TO BE RELEASED SOON.......

Hollywood heartthrob Jaxon Moncrieff and Liam Lassiter are finally on the same page: committed and in it for the long haul. Now they just have to prepare for the inevitable fallout when they reveal their relationship. Between Jaxon’s career and Liam’s need to prepare for a life in the limelight, they decide to wait until filming of Jaxon’s latest project has wrapped.
Unbeknownst to them, the relentless paparazzi photographer Rafael Cacciatore, aka the Hunter, notices a change in Jaxon and is determined to be the first to break the story of who has captured Jaxon Moncrieff’s heart. In the meantime, Liam and Jaxon have enough on their plate working out the not-so-little issue of how and when Jaxon will come out to his family. The paparazzi aren’t even on their radar. The race to out Jaxon is on, and Liam and Jaxon don’t even know it.

AUTHOR INFO:

Hi, I’m Lily Velden, a quirky artist with a passion for the written word. I write M/M fiction, and thankfully, for me, Dreamspinner Press decided they liked my words enough to publish them!  I admit to be unashamedly idealistic and ridiculously romantic.

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


a Rafflecopter giveaway

31 comments:

  1. The whole blurb really interests me. Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. Hi Marissa, lovely to meet you!

      I must admit, writing the blurb was harder than writing the novel! Thank God for the Dreamspinner staff! They have a lady who specializes in writing them and she is just plain WONDERFUL!

      Good Luck!

      Delete
  2. I've always enjoyed reading stories where one or more of the characters finds themselves genuinely attracted to someone unexpected.

    Kassandra
    sionedkla@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kassandra! Thank you for taking the time to read the review by The Scarf Princess and leaving a comment!

      Meeting Liam certainly threw Jaxon's life into turmoil - lucky he knows how to roll with the punches!

      Best of luck with the giveaways!

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  3. I'm intrigued by the whole blurb. I really like books that emphasis that attraction and love are not necessarily caused by the gender but by the person.

    ilona
    felinewyvern at googlemail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ilona! It's great to meet you and thank you for commenting!

      You did my heart good to mention about loving the person and not the gender - I couldn't agree more.

      Good luck!

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  4. The path that people take to find one another and create a connection is intriguing to me. This sounds like a great book! Thank you for the opportunity to win.
    -Marie

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    Replies
    1. Hi Marie! Thank you for stopping by and commenting!

      The saying; life is stranger than fiction, I think holds much truth. I'm fascinated by the idea of a simple, uncomplicated decision having the power to change the course of a life.

      I wish you all the best with the giveaways!

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  5. Dear Scarf Princess, thanks for taking the time to read and review Same Page - I am beyond thrilled that you enjoyed the boys' romantic journey!
    Good Luck to all your followers with the giveaway!
    Cheers,
    Lily

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    Replies
    1. Thank YOU for visiting and for the generous prizes you've offered my readers! Same Page was a wonderful story full of heart along with the sweat-inducing sexual encounters. I look forward to seeing the boy's relationship progress.

      The Scarf Princess

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  6. I love the tension between the MCs. Liam and Jaxom are both dealing with their own issues, while attempting to forge a new relationship. I also love Lily's humor, which is very similar to my own.

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    Replies
    1. JoAnn!!! Hi - thank you for your continued support - much appreciated!

      I will put my hand up and admit Same Page is very romantic, but I also tried to inject a little realism with the boys being a little flawed, a little quirky.

      I'm so glad you enjoyed the touches of humor within the story - humor is actually quite hard to write, I found!

      Good luck!

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  7. The blurb sounds really good. Thank you for holding this contest. The prizes are really amazing.

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    Replies
    1. Why thank you, Dorome - both for stopping by and for your compliment on the prizes. I wanted to make it worth your while LOL!!!!

      I have to thank the wonderful "blurb lady" at Dreamspinner for the blurb - my offering was like an 5000 word essay!

      Best of luck with the giveaways!

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  8. Their journey interests me with their trust and self doubt issues. The review with the heartwarming and gut wrenching aspects certainly caught my eye.

    strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi Jbst! Thank your for taking the time to read the lovely review The Scarf Princess left me (I love her reviews as they are always so well thought out)

      In Same Page (and The Race is On, its sequel)you can expect to find a little angst, a little humor, a lot of romance and a dash of reality too.

      Good luck with the giveaways!

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  9. The slow progression of Liam and Jaxon's relationship and how they overcome their obstacles is quite intriguing. :)

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    1. Hi mw138! Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it very much.

      You are right - Same Page is a slow burn. No insta love/sex!!!! Though once the boys get their respective acts together they sizzle!

      Best of luck with the giveaways!

      Delete
  10. Loved the blurb! Please count me in. Thanks!!!

    gisu29(at)gmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Hi Gigi! It's lovely to meet you.

      I'm thrilled the blurb has made you curious to read Same Page - the lady at Dreamspinner who crafted it is a magician, I think!

      Trust me, you'll be glad they didn't leave that to me - you'd have gotten half the novel!

      I hope you do well with the giveaways!

      Delete
  11. Thanks for the great review. I'm even more interested then I was at first. Thank you for the chance to win =)

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

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  12. Hi H.B! Isn't it a terrific review? I say that not only because it is my novel, but because of the way The Scarf Princess reviews - eloquent, intelligent, and informative.

    I often pop over to check out a novel I'm thinking of reading to see if she's reviewed it!

    I hope you do well with the giveaways!

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  13. Heehee... I love reading about playboys that fall in love. lol..
    Please count me in! :D

    Judi P
    arella3173_loveless@yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Judi! Lovely to meet you!

    LOL, you'll like Jaxon, then - he was a bit of a tart! More of shenanigans comes out in Book 2!

    I hope you enjoy the boys' story and best of luck with the prizes!

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  15. Thanks for the giveaway! I already brought Same Page so I hope I win the other prize.

    schan26.wisc@gmail.com

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    1. I wish I could describe to you the feeling of both elation and humility I feel when someone tells me they have bought one of my books - thank you very much!
      If you win Same Page again, don't worry I'll organise an alternate prize for you - maybe a copy of The Race is On when it comes out in a month or two???

      Good Luck!

      Delete
    2. Awesome! Thank you so much.
      By the way, the facebook link isn't working for me. And I can't find the "like" button on your facebook page....

      Delete
    3. Hello Sin,

      Everything was working when I set up the giveaway so I apologize it there's a problem. To you, and anyone else having issues with signing up on Lily's FB page, here's the link.....
      https://www.facebook.com/lily.velden Just sign up through this link and then claim your entry on the form.

      The Scarf Princess

      Delete
  16. Hi Sin! Great to meet you - thanks for stopping by to read The Scarf Princess's review and leaving a comment.

    I just tried the link to my FB page and it worked, so maybe its just one of those "internet thingies!" That, or gemlins!

    My FB account is an actual profile not an author page which is why there is no 'like' button.

    Thank you tweeting about the giveaways and for following me on Twitter - I've returned the favour.

    Good luck with the giveaway!

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  17. the characters intrigue me

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Why thank you, BN! Both of them certainly have their quirks! I hope you enjoy finding out more about them.

      Good Luck!

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