Love Sucks Until it doesn’t: A New Dream by C.J. Baty

Today we have the second  of four books that I will be reviewing as part of this hop, two today and two tomorrow.  Be sure to check out the Bottom Drawer Publishing page to see who and what else is in store on this tour.

In addition – you can enter this Rafflecopter to be entered to win one of several prizes:
2 winners will receive all 4 books featured for this tour, 2 winners will receive 2 of the 4 books featured on the tour, and 5 winners will be chosen to make a choice for one of the books from the collection.   In addition – throughout the length of the tour, you can take an additional 25% off the regular price of the books when you purchase from Bottom Drawer Publications website only and be sure to enter this code at checkout. bdpvdtiaiall01

And now –  for the book

Title:  A New Dream
Author:  C.J. Baty
Bottom Drawer Publications
15K words
eBook
ISBN:  978-0987487025
Buy Now:  Bottom Drawer §  Amazon

Stars:  5

Book Description: A split-second of time and Walt’s dreams of Olympic gold were crushed along with his right leg when he was involved in a serious accident on the ski-fields during the preliminary trials. Now he’s teaching beginners on the ski slopes of Crystal Falls Lodge, run by his family in West Virginia, and wondering if he’ll ever crawl out of the pit that his life has become. Eventually, the look of devastation on his sister’s face at how much he’s let himself go, prompts him to try harder to experience life again. First on the list: a trip to town and a haircut.

Curt Woodridge is used to traveling light. Ever since he was kicked out of home at eighteen, when his family found out he was gay, he’s been moving from one town to the next, performing in small bars and ski lodges to make his living. He is one of the lucky ones; he was saved from having to live on the streets by his agent and is genuinely happy with the way his life is going. After performing a great set at his latest gig, Curt decides to head into town and look around. He has seven days to kill before he’ll be moving on to the next gig.

Neither man is ready for love, and definitely not on the streets of Flat Rock. But when neither of them is looking, quite literally, they fall hard. But how does a man who thought he’d lost everything dare to dream of a life with someone who is leaving town for good in less than a week?

Book Review: 

While the whirlwind steps from attraction to love may not be everyone’s cup of tea or experience, this is love at first sight: and the reactions of both Walt and Curt override simple attraction to show something more.  Curt wanting to step back and let the relationship develop before jumping into bed was a logical and thoughtful step, one not taken often in romance novels, especially not in short form. While Walt lives far too much in the past, what was and what will never be; Curt manages to allay those fears with words and actions, at least until his manager fears for his money flow and interferes in their communication.

From the first sentence, this story developed a certain empathy with a dash of “move on dude” for Walt.  Obviously adored and cared for by several people, he is adored by the children he teaches to ski, and he is more concerned with what won’t happen than what might.  Without the spark of interest provided by Curt, and the subsequent change in his attitude, Walt would have gone from needing an attitude adjustment to pitiful, and not at all fun to read about.  While there is an undeniable attraction between the two, the hesitancy to trust and believe in the heart, rather than the head becomes the overarching concept in the story. The sensual and sexual scenes are written with tenderness and obvious emotion, making them far more than a simple erotic scene between two men.  C.J. Baty has created a believable and surprisingly complex short that shows growth in Walt as a result of a lovely start to a relationship.

I received an eBook copy from the publisher for honest review as part of the Love sucks until it doesn’t blog tour. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility. 

About the Author:

C. J. Baty lives in southwest Ohio with her very patient husband and two encouraging children. Her heart however, lives in the mountains of Tennessee where she hopes to retire some day. The mountains have always provided her with inspiration and a soothing balm to the stresses of everyday life.

The dream of writing her own stories started in high school but was left on the back burner of life until her son introduced her to fan fiction and encouraged her to give it a try. She found that her passion for telling a story was still there and writing them down to share with others was much more thrilling than she had ever expected. 

One thing she has learned from life and she is often heard to say is: “You are never too old to follow your dream even if it takes you fifty years!”