BOOK BLAST: OCTOBER 2 – 4

Book Title: Sweet Thing

Author: Isobel Starling

Publisher: Self Published

Book Release Date: September 8

Cover Artist: Isobel Starling

Length: Words: 83k words/No. of Pages: 237 pages

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Blurb:

French male model Simeon Duchamp has a lot of explaining to do.
Two years after a breakdown Simeon is off drugs and booze and wants to stay that way.
On his road to reclaiming his life and modeling career, Sim first needs to apologize to the man he hurt the most -his ex-best friend and object of his unrequited affection Pieter Bayer. Pieter now has a long-term partner, artist Emily Raven, with whom he shares a baby son. Sim is amazed when Pieter accepts his apology, and invites him into his family.

Closeness to Pieter sees Simeon’s longing for his friend is rekindled. But then, when Simeon meets an attractive older man, Bastian Roth at an Art Exhibition, he realizes that there is a soul more broken than his, and Simeon feels compelled to help. Simeon’s connection with the troubled Bastian Roth turns his world upside down. He has to decide whether to allow himself to fall for the man who wants him or pine for the man he can never have.

***THIS BOOK CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE***

*Please note: This story contains graphic descriptions of gay sex.

Review:

Sweet Thing (Pretty Boy #2) ARC was graciously provided to me by the author for an honest review.

“L’amour veritable est fort….so folge dein herz..”

An absolutely gripping, soul-crushing, emotional read has left me desperately reaching for its slowly developing rays of hope. The new book, Sweet Thing, by Isobel Starling was an incredible read. It’s a story about two severely damaged and broken men, both struggling to survive, as a result of their own deeply-rooted pain, which has made basic survival close to impossible. As each man learns to lean on the other, they both quickly come to realize that they are the other’s warm, soothing, and, strengthening balm. A balm that is necessary to be able to simply..live. And..love..

As I’ve read other book(s) by this author, having read Silken, and enjoyed it, I knew I was in for a treat when I was given the opportunity to read this new book, Sweet Thing. Needlessly to say, I was taken by surprise by the creativity, development, and, depth of this heart-rending read. Written as a reawakening of sorts, brought about as a result of revealing one’s traumatic past, unearthed through tender moments, thereby enabling an over-abundance of new, and, comfortable feelings finally…to be revealed. I am absolutely stunned as to how this book, Sweet Thing, could be written in such a way that the mind-bending interconnection between the two intrinsically good main characters, could be so beautifully wrapped up within the lyrics of a David Bowie song.

There are so many reasons why I loved about this book. The plot was amazing and also gut-wrenching. I cried a lot, ran out of tissues, and frequently found myself with grabby hands for the characters, and, was also relieved for the healing strength of the two suffering beautiful, kind, loving young men. I loved the equally soothing and loving friendship which had developed as a result of the need of some of the characters. It was beautiful. It was evenly paced, varied, and, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I loooved the use of the French and German languages, the beautifully descriptive writing of the Swiss Alps of Switzerland, the Lavender Fields of Provence, France, as well as the detailed surroundings of Berlin, Germany. And….*quietly squealing*..I also loved the incorporation of other cultural aspects, *cough*.. Ty and Zane.. *cough*..for starters…….

Sweet Thing is part of the series, Pretty Boy, and, even though I didn’t read any of the prior books, and while not necessary to read prior to reading this particular book, I do strongly recommend them to be read for an even better reading experience as a whole. Characters from those books, do make steady cameos within this particular book, and, I really liked them.

While this book was stellar..it wasn’t perfect. For example, even though the main characters do have chemistry, and, it is hot, I do feel though that it ultimately was slightly more than a fade-to-black type of scenario. When I was heavily into their budding intimacy, and then… I almost fell off my chair. It was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey. I may have screamed at my computer. *sigh* I also found that the writing was, at times, unclear and incomplete, and, there seems to still be a need for another run through with the editing process as there are still some typos throughout the book.

There have been times when I was in the middle of reading a book and I had wished I was able to jump right into it. This was once of those times. I wanted to jump right into my computer and hug the daylights out of the main characters. All three of them…*sniff* Because to me…there were three. I wanted to give them one of those types of hugs that cause the air to just temporarily rush out of you as a result of its strength and force. Yeah, it’s that kind of a book. Sweet Thing was an incredibly emotional, moving, beautiful, and, hopeful read that had me on a roller coaster ride of emotions, and, has left me with a growing sense of hope and a wishful sense of peace..:)

*star rating: 4.40 stars*

Buy Links:

Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Goodreads Link

Excerpt: (NSFW)

After three months as a patient at the Phoenix Clinic, the mask Simeon had worn of hedonistic, outrageous model dissolved with the drugs and alcohol that were purged from his system. His camp, party boy façade hid a quieter, more introspective, sensitive young man—a man who felt everything too keenly, loved too deeply and could not cope with the pain of loss and rejection.

Sober for the first time since his late teens, Simeon was as fragile as a fledgling, bewildered by the colors, scents, and sounds of the big wide world. He was unsure who the man that returned his stare in the bathroom mirror was. Who was Simeon Duchamp without his mask, without the crutches of alcohol and drugs to give him the confidence to get through each day?

A gentle knock on the bedroom door startled Simeon from his introspection. He looked away from the window toward the door to see his favorite young male nurse, Karl poke his head in.

“Your last session with Dr. Schroeder is in twenty minutes”, he informed. “One for the road?” Karl’s brows waggled provocatively. Simeon’s lips slid to a salacious smile.

“Lock the door.” he directed, swiftly moving to the bed. Karl stepped into the room and as instructed he locked the door. Simeon began by removing his t-shirt and then unbuttoning and sliding out of his jeans. Karl kicked his soft soled white Croc clogs off, and the thin nurse’s uniform of white trousers and tunic shirt were discarded in seconds. Simeon stood, his eyes appraising the slender, boyish form of the twenty-eight-year-old nurse. Karl had offered a pleasing aside from the trauma of therapy. He was Simeon’s type—blonde, blue-eyed, eager to please, and deliciously well-hung. Karl approached and pulled Simeon into a deep, messy kiss.

At six foot, Simeon was taller than Karl’s five-foot-six, but what Karl lacked in height, he certainly made up for with his cock. Simeon longed to devour all ten inches one last time before he left the clinic. He ran his fingers through short-cropped blonde hair, his hard-on brushing urgently against Karl’s. He then dragged the naked nurse to lie prone on the hospital bed. Karl chuckled throatily. Simeon clambered onto the bed, and long, willowy legs straddled his conquest so they were in the sixty-nine position, the head of his own erection directed at Karl’s willing mouth.

Sim took the man’s thickened, stout, uncut cock in hand and stroked, retracting the sheath of gossamer foreskin over the engorged head, and marveling at why Mother Nature had seen fit to bestow such a monster cock on such a slight man. He smiled to himself and then directed the plump glans between his parted wet lips. As much as Simeon would have loved to make a meal out of it, there was no time to play. Simeon hummed with satisfaction, taking Karl down into his throat, the cock filling him to near gagging point. Sim drew off, relaxed his muscles, and went back for more, working the cock between his lips like a porn star. His self-esteem may have hit rock bottom, but with a dick in his mouth, there was at least one thing Simeon was sure he was still good at!

Karl offered preparatory licks and kisses to Simeon’s shaft before opening his warm, pliant mouth and swallowing him down. The two young men writhed and rocked on the hospital bed, hands caressing desperately.

Simeon was enjoying the suction Karl’s mouth offered; his eyes rolled back in his head with the pleasure of being sucked and sucking in syncopation. Simeon paused and used some of the saliva dribbling from his mouth to moisten his fingers. Slowly, Sim eased a wet finger into Karl’s asshole and hooked up seeking his prostate. The young man beneath him bucked and moaned, thrusting up into Simeon’s mouth, while nearly gagging on Sim’s cock.

When he had regained his faculties, Karl mirrored Sim’s action, giving Simeon the same intimate attention with his probing fingers.

They both pressed into each other’s holes, and their hips matched an undulating rhythm. Fingers massaged deep inside, drawing mutual fevered moans of pleasure. Simeon almost forgot he was still officially a patient in a Rehab Clinic until minutes later, when he and Karl spilled in warm bitter pulses down each other’s throats.

After a moment to catch their breaths, and final sensual kisses of thanks, both men dressed hurriedly.

“I cannot not be absent for too long. I told the head nurse I was going for a bathroom break.” Karl admitted. He made to leave the room, pausing only to blow a kiss to the effette young man with long dark hair sitting on the disheveled bed, licking the last of Karl’s spill from his lips.

Ten minutes later Karl returned. “Dr. Schroeder is ready for you now Mr. Duchamp, and your car has arrived.” He announced formally.

“Thank you, Karl; I’ll be out in a minute,” Simeon replied his soft camp French timbre sounding a little breathless as he rushed around packing the last of his belongings. Karl nodded.

“And thank you for all of your… assistance during my stay Karl”, Sim added with a mischievous flash of his eyes and a grin.

“I wish you all the best with your continued recovery, Mr. Duchamp.” Karl quirked a knowing smile and blew a kiss before closing the door.

©Isobel Starling 2017

About the Author:

Born in Germany, Isobel Starling spent most of her twenty-year professional career making art in Ireland. She relocated to the UK and, faced with the dreaded artist’s creative block, Isobel started to write and found she loved writing more than making art.

Isobel is currently working on her fifteenth book. The Shatterproof Bond series is an Amazon Gay Romance bestseller and is being translated into French with Juno Publications, German with Deadsoft Verlag, and Italian with Quixote Edizioni. The series is also available as audiobooks, narrated by Gary Furlong.

“Sweet Thing” will be translated into French by Rienes-Beaux Publishing, and Italian by Quixote Edizioni.