Title: Moment of Impact (Book 1 of the Moments In Time Series)
Author: Karen Stivali
Length: 33.000 words / 140 pages (novella)
Genre: New Adult, contemporary romance, gay romance, M/M
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Synopsis
Outside Collin Fitzpatrick’s dorm room is a dangerous place. Beyond his door the students of his small, conservative college think he’s straight, as does his Catholic family who'd disown him if they learned the truth. Inside, he’s safe with his incredibly sexy roommate Tanner D’Amico. Their room makes a perfect place to hide away and fall in love. The moment they cross the line from roommates to lovers, Collin becomes caught between their heavenly passionate encounters and the hellish reality that someone might find out and destroy everything. Tanner's not used to being so confined, and wants to show the world how much he loves Collin. But Collin’s not sure he’s ready for the impact stepping outside will make.EXCERPT
I was still fiddling with the power button when I saw Tanner. Well, I saw his shoes. Before I rounded the corner, I spotted them through the empty row on the bottom bookcase. Navy blue Chucks, no laces, crossed over each other. My heart beat double time as he came into full view. He was half leaning, half sitting on the edge of my table, arms behind him in a way that made every vein and muscle in his forearms stand out. I could barely swallow my mouthful of Sprite.
“Hey,” I whispered, even though there was no one at any of the nearby tables.
“Hey.”
“What’s up?”
He shrugged, shoulders bunching up to his ears, hair falling over one eye. “Had to return a book. Figured you’d be up here.”
“Yeah. I’ve got—” What? What have I got? No reason whatsoever to have spent half the night in the library other than the fact that I was avoiding going home. “—stuff due soon.”
Tanner nodded.
I tried to keep my voice casual. “I thought you and Wendy might have wanted some time alone too.”
One dark brow popped high on his forehead. “Why’d you think that?”
My cheeks heated—I’d blushed more in the past day than in the past six months. “She didn’t come over last night. You know… every Monday… I figured since you skipped a night you might want to, I don’t know, make up for it.”
Tanner raked a hand through his hair, then braced his arm behind himself again. “She left a few minutes after you did.”
“She did?”
“Yep. The only reason she came over was to help me get the room clean for your mom.”
My jaw dropped. “What do you mean?”
“She stopped by the book store and said she’d run into you on the bus and that you looked frazzled. Her word.”
“Wait, you worked today?”
“Yeah, we all switched our shifts around because of midterms last week.”
“Oh.” So he hadn’t left our room to avoid me. I felt like an ass.
“Anyway, she said you’d locked your keys in the room, and I remembered you said your mom was coming. Then I got home, and the place was still trashed, so I called for backup. I threw all the laundry in the wash, and she helped me straighten up.”
“You did my laundry?”
“Just the bed stuff.”
“Wow.” I can’t believe he did all that.
“After the stuff you told me last night, I figured it was probably kind of important to you.”
“It was. It is. Thank you.”
“I owe you at least a load of laundry for all the food you bring me.”
A smile tugged at my lips, but something still nagged at me. “What about Wendy?”
“She said it was worth it for those cookies.”
“No, I mean did she, like, ask anything? Like why….” I was too scared to complete the question.
“Don’t freak out, okay?” Tanner’s eyes scanned mine.
Of course I started freaking out. My heart drummed in my ears again. “What?”
“Wendy kind of knows what happened. With us.”
Every bit of oxygen left my body. If there hadn’t been a bookcase for me to lean on, I probably would’ve fallen over. “Knows….”
Tanner looked at the floor for what felt like a decade, then looked up at me through his dark hair. “She didn’t come over last night because I’d told her I was into someone else.”
He might as well have punched me in the gut. Someone else? So it’s not Wendy I have to worry about, it’s someone else? “You are?”
His eyes met mine, and I forced myself not to look away. “You. I told her I was into you.”
Buy Moment of Impact
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5855
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RO1Z6ZC/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RO1Z6ZC/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00RO1Z6ZC/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-momentofimpact-1700287-340.html Giveaway
About the author
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She's also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. Her lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen's novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex—all the best things in life.
When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don't hesitate to contact/follow/like her at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenstivali
Website: http://karenstivali.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karenstivali
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/KarenStivali
E-mail: karenstivali@gmail.com
REVIEW
Moment of Impact by Karen StivaliMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a sexy little must-read for M/M lovers. Moment of Impact is about two college roommates. Before the start time of the book, they have been roommates for quite some time, a couple of years, I think. Collin is gay but has never acted on it. Tanner is bi. Neither knows the other's not straight, and they have secretly been crushing on each other all this time.
So much of the storyline is them fooling around, but what's great about it, is how truthful the situations seem to be. I'm not a gay man, so of course, I can't give firsthand testimony, but the scenes felt honest to me. This book isn't just word porn. I believe the real point, is the underlining message of self-discovery is good. Collin really has to point his focus inside. He figures out who and what he is by using exploration and introspection as the story goes along.
My favorite quote—My palm grew slick with precome as the sound of stroking filled the room. Was there any sound sexier? I couldn't think of one.
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