Tag: Salute to the Stud by Beth Laycock

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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