Tuesday 4 October 2016

Promo, Review & Excerpt ~ Stroked Long (Stroked #2) by Meghan Quinn


We're so excited about the release of STROKED LONG by Meghan Quinn!

STROKED LONG by Meghan Quinn
Release Date: Septeember 20, 2016
Sports Romance


Book Description:

From his dirty-blond hair and breathtaking smile, to the abs from heaven and the irresistible V in his waistline, everything about Bodi Olympic-gold-medalist Banks screams hot piece of @$$.

Yet there’s more.

Dark shadows lurk behind his soulful, serious eyes.

I’m enamored. He’s captured me.

How can running an art foundation with Bodi Banks turns into a slow-burning, epic romance, even though he tries to push me away at every chance? How can I stay away from a broken, routine-driven man whose soul cries to be forgiven for a crime only he believes he committed? Or is that a lie?


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Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***


“It’s time, Bodi. Do our parents justice and make them proud.”


Meghan Quinn is an author that I stumbled across last year and this is the fifth book of hers I have now read and have once again fallen in love with a truly unforgettable story. With a Meghan Quinn book, you are guaranteed to laugh your arse off, that is a no brainer but with Stroked Long she delivered that and something more. Stroked Long was emotional, it plucked every single heart string, I wanted to crawl into this book and give our hero a hug. I wanted to cuddle him and coddle him and for an author to nail a male character like that, one that struggles every single day, one where his past constantly debilitated him was testament to this writer’s incredible talent. I dare anyone not to fall in love with Bodi Banks.

Bodi Banks was an Olympic swimmer who has always been at the top of his game, this man was motivated. His body was a temple, his diet strict and his days were organised to the hour. He was a man of routine, living a monochromatic life, in a monochromatic house, he had no colour, no vibrancy, no life…that was all snuffed out in childhood and left this man an empty guilt ridden vessel, a guilt he didn’t warrant but a guilt he carried none the less. Swimming was his escape from life and routine, in the water it was just him and his strokes, he worked to the point of exhaustion to give his brain a rest. He was extremely protective of the only family he had left, his sister and her safety was his greatest concern. His was withdrawn, his heart on lock down, he had panic attacks, he had OCD he was embarrassed by his behaviour, yet could do nothing to stop it. As far as he was concerned he couldn’t and wouldn’t love, but he didn’t bet on meeting Ruby, a woman whose only propensity was to love.


“Looking at the sparkle in her eyes that hits me straight to my core, I know I’m up against a force too great for me to comprehend, too grand to undertake. It fucking terrifies me.”


Ruby was a quirky artist, in mannerisms, dress sense and speech. Ruby reminded me of Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds, for those have seen this programme you will know just how adorable Ruby is because Garcia is just the same. But I digress, Ruby was a walking rainbow, she dressed in colour, lived in colour and her unfiltered verbal diarrhoea was just as colourful too. She was exuberant and breezed through life infecting everyone with her bubbly personality, you just couldn’t not love her. If anyone could penetrate the impenetrable fortress that Bodi has firmly locked in place then it would be her, but he doesn’t make it easy.


“…and I prepare myself for those three little words. I love you. But they never come. They hang in the air, never falling to my ears. Will I ever hear them? Will he ever love me the way I love him? Is he capable of such an emotion?”


Bodi is a character that has completely and utterly stolen my heart, albeit a now totally broken and damaged one. Bodi’s story was raw, honest and debilitating. Yes, Meghan Quinn may have pieced it back together but the totally captivating and convincing way Bodi’s POV was written totally decimated me. My heart bled for this man. To see someone this broken, this damaged take those first few baby steps towards a little normality was like watching my own child take his first steps. I was a proud mamma. As he grew, my heart grew, it was a tough journey, not without its ups and downs but these two were a fantastic unit.


“I didn’t mean to insult you. What’s going on between us is so fucking foreign to me that I have no clue how to react in certain situations. There are going to be times where I might hurt you, insult you, or make you mad. I just ask that you take a second to breathe before you leave me. Give me a second to make it up to you because I promise I will realize I was being an idiot.”


Bodi and Ruby were total opposites yet extremely similar. Her quirks were her crazy while Bodi’s issues were his. Ruby treated him with kid gloves, she could see he had his issues, yet she treated him like an equal, she was there when needed and yet knew when he needed space. She brought Bodi out of his shell. The dialogue was incredible, the chemistry was electric, that build and build of their friendship to lovers was palpable, sexual chemistry…off the charts and I have to mention the best first kiss in the history of first kisses…be still my beating heart. Meghan Quinn delivers a book that has everything, the intense and emotional and yet the incredibly uplifting humour that is interspersed throughout to perfectly balance this book. There was nothing I didn’t like. Another fantastic read from Meghan Quinn and she totally deserves her first 5 stars from me.


“I vow I will be the man she deserves for the rest of my life. I will cherish the fuck out of her. I will spoil the fuck out of her. I will worship the fuck out of her. But most importantly, I will love the fuck out of her . . . until my dying day.”


Stroked Long runs in parallel to Stroked. It can be read as a standalone but there is a little crossover between the two. However, Stroked was a hilarious read in itself and I highly recommend reading that book too.


Excerpt:

Usually when I leave Dr. Auburn’s office, I feel a little relief but not today. Instead, I feel more tense than ever. He made me think about my feelings, made me address them, resulting in a realization I wasn’t ready to face.
I fucking like her.
FUCK.
I want to spend more time with her and that terrifies me because more time means more exposure to the true monster I am.
Second-guessing my choice to meet tonight, I contemplate going back to my car and my safe haven when the elevator dings and the doors open, revealing Ruby hunched over, carrying a bag of trash over her shoulder. Out of instinct, I run to her side and snag the bag from her.
“Where does this go?”
A little surprised, she points to a trash chute behind me. “Thank you. I almost got it there.”
“It’s too heavy for you,” I gruff out. “You should have waited for me to take care of this.”
“Now why would I do that? I was trying to avoid making you an accomplice to my murder but due to your chivalry, you are now an accessory to my crime. Look what happens when you try to be a gentleman? It just smacks you in the balls with a life sentence. Hope you can handle prison. My suggestion, bow down to the hierarchy, you’re too pretty to not be someone’s bitch.”
Where the fuck does she get this stuff?
I blink at her, not quite sure how to respond to that. Does she really think I would be someone’s bitch? No, that’s not what I need to focus on right now. But for the record, I can hold my own.
“I’m just kidding.” She nudges my shoulder and waves her arm in the direction of her open door. Just the sight of her unlocked door, open and welcoming any stranger has my heart rate picking up. “Come on, let’s get our paint on.”
“Paint?” I ask, not sure what her plans are for tonight.
“Yes, paint. I want to make sure my idea of stroking on canvas is going to work before we invest in it. And who better to test it out than you? Lord knows if I tried it, there would be little mini doggy paddle strokes in the middle of the canvas and no one wants to hang that on their wall.”
“You’re right about that.”
She pauses on her way to her apartment and turns to me, her eyes lit with glee. “Oh my goodness. Bodi Banks just joked around with me.” She waves her hand in front of her face. “Be still my heart. I can’t believe it.”
“Yeah, and that’s the last time I do that,” I mumble and continue to walk forward, grocery bag in hand.
“What’s in the bag?” she calls from behind me. “Is it for me? Did you buy me lube and Chicken in a Bisket crackers? How did you know I was out?”
The pitter-patter of her bare feet run behind me just as her arm links through mine, sending the beat of my heart into overdrive. She’s warm, soft, welcoming. I want to believe she’s non-judgmental, that she would understand me, but I can’t be sure.
“I’m just kidding; I have plenty of lube.” She winks and escorts me into her apartment. “But Chicken in a Bisket, now you can’t have too much of that.” With a sweep of her arm, she shows off the small studio apartment she lives in. “Welcome to my lovely abode.”


BOOK ONE IN SERIES!


STROKED by Meghan Quinn
Released: July 19, 2016
Cover Designer: Murphy Rae
NA Romantic Comedy

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Book Description:

Reese King: Olympic medalist, underwear model, Greek god.

His body is chiseled from rock, sculpted by the weight room, and refined by water.

On a daily basis his skin is completely bare for everyone to see, tan and defined, only covered up by a minuscule piece of spandex. There is no denying his sex appeal.

I hate to admit it, but I’m head over heels infatuated with him.

There is one HUGE problem though. His achingly gorgeous abs, inked up arm, and cocky swagger belong to my boss, the high-profile, reality star bitch from hell and certified heinous human being, Bellini Chambers.

What I think is going to be an easy job assisting a glorified wench turns into a cluster f*ck of epic proportions.

About the Author:


Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if "It's Raining Men" starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing... enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

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