Tag: author Beth Laycock

Review: Rookie Mistakes (A Lights Out Novel) by Beth Laycock

Rating: 4.75🌈

““Anything happens in Grand Prix racing, and it usually does.”—Murray Walker”

— Rookie Mistakes by Beth Laycock

What an excellent read!

I’m not sure what the title and the beginning of the synopsis refers to because it really doesn’t pertain to anything in this story, imo.

In a multi-author series about one F1 racing season, the authors focus has been the F1 racing circuit itself, from the owners to the drivers. As the series says:

Twenty-three races

Twenty drivers

Ten teams

Five Lights

One Winner

Laycock , interestingly enough, takes the lowest team, Maverick Racing, an older, newly returned veteran driver, Robert Andilet, and matches him up with absolutely no one attached to the F1 world. Instead, the author creates a betrayed, damaged, older chef, coming out of an awful relationship.

Mitch Griffiths has lost everything due to his ex, but his father, a F1 fan, decided to gift to his oblivious son something he,the dad, would love to have for himself. A day at Silverstone F1 track.

In this fashion, Laycock manages , by way of a total neophyte like Mitch, to bring the reader more throughly into the racing scene than I could have imagined. We are seeing this world through new eyes, feeling the thunder and roaring of the engines, smelling the oil and gasoline, and get an adrenaline boost along with Mitch as he understands just why , from being there in person, it gets under the skin. Instantly, a fan is born. Maybe not just Mitch.

The interactions between Robert and Mitch are such a joy to read. As Robert fights his way through the crowd to better his pole position, enough to get an extension on his contract and prove himself, there’s Mitch trying to figure out his future and a pathway towards trust and a relationship.

Except for that odd title, Laycock excels at keeps her themes, the dynamic elements of F1 racing and those lovely men firmly in the heart of the story. I was so involved in every aspect of this narrative, of each man’s life and their separate journeys.

My only quibble was that the ending, the epilogue, was a bit rushed. There’s only one year’s difference between them, but so much more has changed in that time. I wish it had been covered in the story instead.

This is really one of two books in this series that , for me, got the racing aspect, the adrenaline rushing, heart pounding experience down pat. And then delivered a grand romance as well.

Love it.

I’m highly recommending it and the series. Each has something different to say about the sport. But this keeps the heart of F1 racing alive and roaring!

Well done! Terrific way to close out the series!

Lights Out:

✓ Team Orders by RJ Scott❤️

✓ Full Throttle by Lisa Henry

✓ Pole Position by Charlie Novak

✓ Scoring Points by HL Day

✓ Black Flagged by Emma Jaye

✓ Rookie Mistakes by Beth Laycock❤️

Buy Link:

Rookie Mistakes

Description:

Can a rookie mistake lead to love?

Mitch Griffiths is an ordinary man just trying to make ends meet. He lost everything thanks to his ex: his restaurant, his partner, his home. So, when his dad gifts him a ticket to the British Grand Prix and a Silverstone Driving Experience, well, a change of scene for the weekend couldn’t hurt, could it? Even if Formula 1 is kind of boring.

Robert Andilet is a veteran F1 driver on his returning season after a six-year absence. He has a lot to learn, not least of which is how to deal with the media attention, a “rivalry” between him and his rookie teammate, as well as his attraction to a man who readily admits he thinks F1 is tedious. It was a rookie mistake to let Mitch walk away after their first meeting, will Robert make the same mistake again?

This M/M romance from Beth Laycock features a famous/ordinary man, older MCs, and is set in the high-octane world of Formula 1 featuring fast cars, spectacular crashes, heated rivalries, and of course, an HEA

Each book in the Lights Out collection is a standalone story, and the books can be read in any order.

Review Tour and Giveaway for Guarding His Heart by Beth Laycock

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 
Length: 38,000 words
 
Blurb
 

He’d risk his life to find his brother. But he never expected to risk his heart as well.


Three months since his brother, Jake, went MIA, Lane Matthews is tired of waiting for answers. With a little help, he arranges a posting to Jeddah for his first overseas deployment—the perfect opportunity to find his brother.


Life in a foreign land isn’t quite like he imagined and neither are his duties. But when he meets his housemate, Tristan, while it may be memorable, it’s not one of Lane’s finest moments.


Tristan threatens to throw him way off course, and falling for the hot straight soldier is definitely not in his plans. But as tensions rise and the truth about Jake is revealed, will Lane’s heart follow orders or will all be lost like grains of sand swept away in a desert?

Beth Laycock’s books are influenced by her time living overseas as well as the gritty, urban landscape of the north of England where she grew up.


She has been reading romance since she was old enough to tell herself that line every book lover does—just one more chapter.


As a teenager she attempted to write her first novel, and many more since then that are still gathering dust on her bookshelf. It wasn’t until she discovered the M/M genre that her muse showed up and refused to quit telling her stories about beautiful men finding love together. She hasn’t stopped scribbling them down since. Beth’s muse usually shows up when she is in the shower, is allergic to cleaning, rarely lets Beth watch TV, and insists she drinks copious amounts of coffee so she can turn caffeine into words.


When not writing or reading Beth can be found procrastinating on social media or being dragged around the English countryside by her dog.


Beth loves to chat about books on social media or you can email her at beth@bethlaycock.com

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An Alisa Review: Mad About the Boy by Beth Laycock

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Something’s waiting for Eli. Somebody’s watching his every move…

Eli is used to looking after himself. Single for longer than he’d care to admit, he doesn’t need a man for more than a hookup, not when he’s got his loyal dog, Zeus, by his side.

But one night changes the course of his life. He meets Dominic, an actual copper and not the stripper he thought his best friend had hired for his birthday. Unfortunately for Eli, after his night out celebrating, a gift awaits him at home—but not a pleasant one.

His birthday may be over, but the threats keep coming. Keep escalating. Keep hurting those close to him. Just how far will the monster behind them go? And how much will Eli lose before he can stop them?

This was a very good and emotional story.  Eli is great person and I loved seeing his dreams come true.  Dominic is absolutely perfect for him because Eli needed someone who wasn’t going to run away when he got scared.

Eli is such I sweetheart and I hated seeing him struggle with someone stalking him and then what happened to the dogs, it was heartbreaking.  Dominic latched onto Eli quickly but it was perfect for the two of them and I loved how Dominic wasn’t going to let Eli go too easily no matter what.

I loved getting to know these characters and the others in the story.  I was glad that even with the issues at the dog rescue they were able to find a way to keep it around and for Eli to live his dream and Dominic will be right by his side while he’s doing it.  Now Eli’s stalker, it was pretty much a surprise though I was starting to suspect near the end based on the stalker’s point of view but man the Eli have a few creepy guys around or those that made you second guess their intentions, I think that was on purpose to make the reader suspect different people but it just made me feel bad for Eli having to deal with it.

The cover art by free to be Creative Co is nice, I love the visual of Eli and Zeus and then the creepy stalker in the background.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 215 pages

Published: July 26, 2019 by Rainbow Romance Press

Edition Language: English

Blog Tour for Mad About the Boy by Beth Laycock

 

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link – Exclusive to Amazon and Available to Borrow with Kindle Unlimited
 
Length: 62,000 words approx.
 
Blurb
 

Something’s waiting for Eli. Somebody’s watching his every move…


Eli is used to looking after himself. Single for longer than he’d care to admit, he doesn’t need a man for more than a hookup, not when he’s got his loyal dog, Zeus, by his side.


But one night changes the course of his life. He meets Dominic, an actual copper and not the stripper he thought his best friend had hired for his birthday. Unfortunately for Eli, after his night out celebrating, a gift awaits him at home—but not a pleasant one.


His birthday may be over, but the threats keep coming. Keep escalating. Keep hurting those close to him. Just how far will the monster behind them go? And how much will Eli lose before he can stop them?

Beth Laycock’s books are influenced by her time living overseas as well as the gritty, urban landscape of the north of England where she grew up.


She has been reading romance since she was old enough to tell herself that line every book lover does—just one more chapter.


As a teenager she attempted to write her first novel, and many more since then that are still gathering dust on her bookshelf. It wasn’t until she discovered the M/M genre that her muse showed up and refused to quit telling her stories about beautiful men finding love together. She hasn’t stopped scribbling them down since. Beth’s muse usually shows up when she is in the shower, is allergic to cleaning, rarely lets Beth watch TV, and insists she drinks copious amounts of coffee so she can turn caffeine into words.


When not writing or reading Beth can be found procrastinating on social media or being dragged around the English countryside by her dog.


Beth loves to chat about books on social media or you can email her at beth@bethlaycock.com

 
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A Caryn Review: Salute to the Stud by Beth Laycock

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Ugh, this is one of those books where the blurb is better written than the actual story. I try to write reviews without significant spoilers, but that is not necessary in this case – the blurb is the entire story.

The story opens with Jasper sitting on the lounger by the hotel pool, expecting a text from his sister, when instead he gets one from an unknown number that says “Would definitely be up for a private yoga session with you ;)” Of course, his dick started twitching and he immediately started fantasizing about a man pushing him into yoga positions, although he’d never been to a yoga session. Yep, second paragraph of the book, and there was the twitching dick. The tone for the entire book was set. Lots of dick twitching, and not much plot. I’ve read it before, but now I really want to ask some of my male friends if their dicks really twitch. Is that a thing?

The backstory was that Jasper is boring, in bed and out of it, and that is why his partner left him and he was on his vacation with his sister. That fact is repeated multiple times, but without any supporting action or explanation. Jasper had never had a one night stand before, never wanted one, but he had no problem jumping right into it with Tamal, the yoga instructor who admitted that he meant to be sexting someone else (the other man was just a friend, and never materialized in the story at all, and I wasn’t sure why Tamal was sexting him anyway). First he daydreamed about having sex with him in graphic detail, then did the deed with the same amount of detail, then daydreamed some more about sex. And though there was no other interaction between them, Jasper “knew I could trust him which really didn’t make sense, but deep down I just knew.” Yep, doesn’t make sense to me either. Even when the sentiment was repeated every time they got together.

Eh, well, you get the idea. The characters were flat, there was insta-love with lust, and no character development, no plot development, no particular story arc. They met on vacation and had a holiday fling, wished that it could last, but of course it could because this is a romance book with a happy ever after. Maybe I should believe that Jasper was boring, because his story pretty much was as well…

Cover by Simply Defined Art was actually quite pretty.

Sales Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NGRFKG9

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NGRFKG9

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 85 pages
Published February 2019 by Rainbow Romance Press
Edition Language English

BLOG TOUR Salute to the Stud by Beth Laycock (Excerpt and giveaway)

 

 

 

Salute to the Stud by Beth Laycock

Publisher: Rainbow Romance Press

Release Date: February 21, 2019

Subgenre: Contemporary Romance

Order here: Amazon only.

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NGRFKG9

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NGRFKG9

The novella will be only $0.99 on ebook during release-week and tour, February 21-27!

Synopsis:

Jasper is licking his wounds in paradise after being dumped, according to his ex, for someone more adventurous. The romantic Hawaiian getaway for two he booked hadn’t featured his sister as his plus one, but sometimes real life sucks.

For the two weeks he’s there his plans include hot dates with a sun lounger and working his way through the local craft beers. Nothing more.

Until he receives a sext from a wrong number. A mystery yoga instructor offering a private session to teach him the plow, and maybe even get plowed. Jasper’s never had a hookup with anyone before, but perhaps it’s time to prove his ex wrong.

One night with Tamal, no matter how hot it is, isn’t enough, yet that doesn’t change the fact this thing between them can’t last. Because time is running out. Jasper has to leave, has to return to London and real life.

Excerpt 

I had talked myself in then out of meeting up a thousand times. Then back in, because I wanted to see Tamal again – more than I probably should. But then the thought of seeing him again – of what we might do – had my breaths coming far too quickly and my skin itched like it had been stretched too thin. I knew nothing about the man I was meeting apart from the yoga and plowing bit if Tamal and the sexter were one and the same person. If they were then I was worrying unnecessarily because Tamal had been… A sigh escaped as the word ‘everything’ flittered through my mind. Stupid, getting carried away, and I

didn’t know what to wear. What if Tamal expected to give me an actual yoga lesson? What if I’d misunderstood the whole conversation?

My sister texted me to let me know she was having a great time at the waterfalls. So I texted her I was going out for a wander down the beach and would see he in the morning. Not a complete lie but not the whole truth. But some things my sister didn’t need to know.     

My bare feet sank into the sand as I strolled along the water’s edge. The waves crept up the beach and lapped at my feet. Goosebumps erupted up my legs, the water cool now the sun had disappeared. The tops of the waves glinted where the moonlight caught them, and a few stars twinkled like they were winking at me and in on my secret. The further I wandered the

quieter the sounds of the hotel became, to be replaced by the quiet rush of the sea and the high-pitched whistle of the frogs calling to each other that I still hadn’t got used to. Once I passed the bar lounge, there was nothing but palm trees and beach until the sand disappeared beneath a stretch of rocks. I climbed over them to find a single wooden shack with a coconut-style thatched roof, and the only thing visible in the secluded cove. If it hadn’t been for the window that glowed brightly against the inky night sky I’d have thought it was abandoned.

I hesitated. In or out? Told myself it was like a gay rite of passage – had to have at least one hookup in my dating life. And I wanted to see Tamal again. Fuck it. I strode up the beach like I owned the goddamned place. Like I would have done before Sam. Fake it till you make it, right?

Author Bio:

Beth Laycock’s books are influenced by her time living overseas as well as the gritty, urban landscape of the north of England where she grew up. She has been reading romance since she was old enough to tell herself that line every book lover does—just one more chapter.

As a teenager, she attempted to write her first novel, and many more since then are still gathering dust on her bookshelf. It wasn’t until she discovered the M/M genre that her muse showed up and refused to quit telling her stories about beautiful men finding love together. She hasn’t stopped scribbling them down since. Beth’s muse usually shows up when she is in the shower, is allergic to cleaning, rarely lets her watch TV, and insists she drinks copious amounts of coffee so she can turn caffeine into words.

When not writing or reading, Beth can be found procrastinating on social media or being dragged around the English countryside by her dog Freddie.

Author links:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bethlaycockwrites

Facebook: www.facebook.com/beth.laycock.writes

https://www.facebook.com/bethlaycockauthor/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2188017221465443

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18580707.Beth_Laycock

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BethLaycock_

Website: https://bethlaycock.com

Newsletter: http://bethlaycock.com/newsletter

Pinterest: www.pinterest.co.uk/BethLaycockAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/beth-laycock

 

Giveaway:

Win a $10 Amazon gift card + an ebook copy of Miracle On Three Kings’ Day by Beth Laycock.

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