Friday, April 7, 2017

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: THE RAINBOW CLAUSE by Beth Bolden

TRCbanner1


The Rainbow Clause
Author: Beth Bolden
Release Date: April 3rd 2017
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance, Sports


34354197


Blurb

Heisman winner. Member of the National Championship team. NFL Rookie of the Year. Quarterback Colin O’Connor knows he’s become the ultimate romance novel cliché: all the success he’s ever dreamed of but nobody to share it with. Too bad it’s not as simple as asking out the next girl who intrigues him – because the next girl to intrigue him probably won’t be a girl at all.

Unexpectedly, the solution comes in one neat package: Nick Wheeler, lead journalist for a leading sports and pop culture blog. Hired by Colin’s team, Nick comes to Miami to shine a spotlight on the NFL’s most private quarterback.

The heat in Miami rises when Nick discovers that Colin is nothing like the hollow personality he pretends to be in interviews and he’s even hotter in person than on his Sports Illustrated cover. Nick knows this is the story of his career, and after spending his teenage years as a bullied, closeted teen, it hits very close to home. What he needs is to help Colin share his story while keeping their growing relationship from boiling over in the press, but what he wants is to tell the world.

Purchase: 




TRC teaser 1


Excerpt

Nick went through the cupboards one at a time, finding an obscene amount of protein shakes and powder, and a lot of basic staples that proved Colin probably did know how to cook. That hadn’t been an act, though he was beginning to wonder how much of the Colin O’Connor he’d seen wasn’t. Probably almost none of it, and that was terrifying.

He had just poured milk into his Cheerios when Colin jogged up to the patio and into the house, wearing a pair of loose-fitting athletic shorts, a thin layer of sweat, and nothing else.

Nick choked on air. So much for his peaceful breakfast.

“Good morning,” Colin said with that annoying smile. All innocence with just the tiniest edge of something more. Like he knew exactly what he was doing and how effective it was.

“Morning,” Nick mumbled into his cereal.

“I was going to wake you up for my jog, well our jog, but you seemed to be sleeping pretty soundly.”

Nick tried not to think about what that sort of picture that made. Or that Colin had looked into his room and had seen him sleeping.

“Do you jog every morning?” Nick asked, even though he already knew the answer. Anything to abort that line of thinking.

“Usually about ten miles or so. Went fourteen this morning, felt really good.” Colin reached for his forgotten t-shirt hanging over a barstool and shrugged it on. It stuck to his skin in sweaty patches, which shouldn’t have been attractive but apparently, Colin O’Connor defied logic.

“Bullsh*t,” Nick mumbled.

“Tomorrow you want to join?” Colin asked like he hadn’t heard as he grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge.

“Not for a fourteen mile jog,” Nick said.

“Not even for ten?” Colin wheedled.

“Not even for ten. You could probably convince me to do about half that.”


TRC teaser 4


Carra's Review

Imagine there's this star NFL quarterback that you've been following since his college days, that you've had a crush on.  Now imagine you've been chosen to write the most important profile on him, bringing to light his most highly guarded secret...and to do so you get to shadow him by living with him to learn the ins and outs of his life.  Sounds like a dream come true, right?  

Colin likes to keep to himself-he'd rather enjoy a quiet evening at home away from the spotlight than be out clubbing with his teammates.  He's sweet and a bit introverted-not what you'd expect from a star NFL player, and around Nick he lets his vulnerable side show.  Nick reads people quite well, and easily picks up on things about Colin.  He knows everything about Colin's career, and as he learns more about him personally, he falls hard--no matter how hard he tries not to do so.  The closer the two become, the more inevitable them falling for each other.

Colin and Nick's relationship develops at an easy, natural pace and nothing ever feels rushed.  I thought they fit well together, and that Nick was the perfect person to write Colin's coming out story.  I did get a bit frustrated with Nick when he went back home, but otherwise I really loved the two of them together.  Their intimate scenes built slowly over time, going from sweet and tentative all the way to intensely passionate with a slow build of the sexual tension.  The gradual build of Colin and Nick's relationship also mirrors Colin's measured process of coming out as he becomes more comfortable with expressing that side of himself over time.   

I really enjoyed this story, and it was a 4.5-star read for me.  I highly recommend The Rainbow Clause to any M/M romance fan, and if your a sports romance fan even better.  I really liked that Colin and Nick's relationship built slowly, I like when a story is more slow burn since it builds the tension and is more impactful when they finally give in to each other.  This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and explicit M/M sexual content.




GIVEAWAY: WIN $50 Amazon Gift Card!!


About the Author

beth-bolden-profile-picBeth Bolden lives in Portland, Oregon with her supportive husband and their beloved cat. She wholly believes in Keeping Portland Weird, but wishes she didn't have to make the yearly pilgrimage up to Seattle to watch her Boston Red Sox play baseball. She's a fan of fandoms, and spends too much of her free time on tumblr.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn't a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She's published two novels, The Lucky Charm and Getting Lucky, and a short story, Eye of the Storm. Her next novel, Summer Attractions, will be released in August 2016.





embrace-button small

2 comments:

  1. Nothing's better than a slow burn romance & a love that feels just right. ;)

    ReplyDelete