Honey Red by Liz Crow blog tour

Honey Red by Liz Crowe

Description:
Two men suffering from visible and invisible wounds meet by chance circumstance.

Nick Traynor and Ian Donovan spend a lot of time and effort keeping it very hot, only physical, and purely superficial. But when their resolve starts to slip, a woman is tossed into their midst.

Hannah Williams wants nothing more than to do her job until something better comes along, but is forced to own up to her visceral reaction to Ian, her new boss, and later to Nick, his sometimes lover.

Lust has a funny way of turning into companionship, and eventually evolving into a deeper connection. Faced with the internal and external complications of their potential three-way relationship, they begin to heal and trust, to consider that it might work. Then life tosses them a hardball, forcing them back into their respective corners, where each must choose what is most important.

Three people determined not to commit, thrown together by fate and undeniable attraction--their nights heat up and emotions run high in spite of a claimed mutual desire to "keep it simple." In the process of honest self-discovery, can they learn that while love is never simple, it is definitely worth fighting for?

 Our 4 star review:

It is no secret that Liz Crowe knows how to write about real life and romance. If there is any author that can write a menage story that is both hot and steamy as well as captivating and with purpose it is definitely Ms. Crowe. I am no stranger to her books and I can honestly say that she brings out many emotions to her readers. This isn't your typical ménage story. This novel deals with the emotional issues of three damaged characters who fight their affections and try to resolve their conflicts regarding each
other.

We are introduced to Ian Donavan. Ian can't seem to commit to a long term relationship. He sabotaged his last one, which had lasted six months, by sleeping with a woman. He tends to look for solutions from the bottom of a bottle and doesn't seem to care, at least on the surface, that his life is not heading in the direction that he or his family would want. Until that one night, when Ian gets a call that changes everything. He now finds himself to be a single father and makes the decision that he needs to make a better life for he and his son. He decides to move back home and in with his brother.

Nick Traynor, is a Marine who returned home due to a wound suffered in the war. While overseas, he lost his partner and a large part of himself. His life has taken such a dramatic turn that he is not sure he has it in him to keep fighting.  He is angry, heartbroken and depressed. He lives with his sister and finds that, for the first time in his life due to a devastating injury, he is having to depend on others.  Each day is a struggle for him.

Nick's sister, Alyssa is dating Ian's brother Gavin, is extremely concerned for Nick. Alyssa and Gavin decide to introduce Ian and Nick in the hopes that maybe Ian can help Nick take his mind off his troubles, even for just one night. Nick and Ian met briefly a few years ago.

The chemistry between these two is instantaneous when they meet again. Their initial encounter quickly turns hot and steamy and neither one can deny the attraction. But given their circumstances they agree that what they have is simply sex.

At this point Hannah comes into their lives. For the past 6 years since her father died and her ex-boyfriend decided he wanted to be with someone else, Hannah has put all her concentration into school and a career. She first meets Ian when she goes on an interview at his brewery, that he owns with his brother. Ian can not deny the sexual attraction he has for Hannah, but does everything in his power not to act on it. But as time goes by the sexual tension between them is evident and they eventually give in to it. Ian once again tells himself that this is only great sex, or so he thinks.

When Ian introduces Hannah to Nick for the first time he had no idea how much that meeting would change his life. He started fantasizing about things happening between Nick and Hannah and he wasn't sure how he felt about these thoughts and emotions.

The three of them have an amazing night together. They continue with their "sex only " relationship. But with a
twist, life takes a turn in a direction that shocks the three of them and things become too complicated. Feelings surface, denials are issued and hearts are broken.

Each person is damaged in their own way. They have let their past histories determine their emotions. They let their fear of getting too close to someone ruin any chance of happiness that they might find. Can these three overcome their fears and admit their feelings for one another?

Ms. Crowe has done an amazing job with this novel. She creates background stories for each character in a way that prompts the reader to feel their emotions and to root for them to find happiness. Ian is adorable with his son and relationship that Hannah and Nick have built with him is a treat to read. Nick's story tugged at my heart and Ms. Crowe has managed to capture his struggle with PTSD in such a pure and genuine way. She has also managed to create strong, imaginative secondary characters such as Alyssa and Gavin,
who play important roles in this story.

Although this story brought tears and some heartache, it also brought laughter and smiles as well. The sex was hot, but that is no surprise coming from this author. The ending was simply amazing, another fine job Ms. Crowe!

Excerpt:
1.  Rated pg

            *****
“I met somebody.”

Ian looked up from his appraisal of the new fermenter’s temp controls at the sound of his brother’s voice. He frowned at the odd look on Gavin’s face. The man’s first marriage had been one of similar tastes, drive and looks. Ian had hated her guts from the start. She was the worst kind of social-climbing fake bitch. And had shown her true colors clearly in the last few years, keeping the twins away as much as possible from their father while demanding more and more in alimony and child support. Ian knew not having his sons around nearly killed Gavin on a daily basis while he was only just beginning to understand how awful that must be. His nephews were around this month however, spending time with their dad while their mother worked on obtaining rich husband number two.

“Cool. Who? Where?” He kept busy wrapping up the brewing day and ignored the small voice reminding him how much he still lacked grown up company of the physical sort. They’d had great response to their call for a marketing director in the last few weeks, and he was working on a group interview, but still wanted to make one more contact over at Eastern Michigan’s Business School. A couple more decent candidates would be ideal before he brought them all in for a group think session so he could see who stood out from the crowd. But he was honestly happy for his brother. “That explains the goofy ass look on your face. I assume you’ve gotten laid?”

“Maybe. It’s Alyssa…um…Alyssa Traynor. Met her on the job actually,” Gavin ran a hand through his thick black hair. The two of them were about as far apart in looks and personality as fraternal twins could be. Gavin had their mother’s black Irish looks with hair as dark as night and bright blue eyes. Ian was green-eyed, with wavy sandy blond hair—that same hair that repeated itself on Jamie’s head and was sore need of cutting. Kid could pass as a girl with his soft features and long hair. His mother nagged him nearly daily about it. Ian stopped musing, processed what his brother had said, then stared at him. Traynor…as in Traynor Wholesale Company…as in our distribution partner…the one I want to fucking fire because they suck?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Wow.” Ian put down the clipboard and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nice one. Hope she’s worth it.”
“Oh, I think she is.” Gavin raised an eyebrow and stuck his hands in his pockets. “And she has invited you over to dinner, this weekend. She has a brother at home with her right now. He’s a Marine vet, from Iraq, and a little messed up, at least physically but she’s determined to take care of him until he can get settled.”
“A brother,” Ian said, slowly finally realizing what was going on. “A wounded warrior brother. No thanks Gavin. I’ll take a pass.”

“I’m not setting you up with the guy, Jesus. For the record I still think you should stick with girls, but since you can’t seem to make up your mind…I just thought, since you haven’t been out or anything in a while and Alyssa said her brother was…your type. Although you should know, he is blind, thanks to a firefight that got him discharged with a Purple Heart and a Navy Cross. He has a service dog that he’s trying to get used to. And a new job as an internet security consultant. The shit they can do with computers now—it’s like his being blind makes no difference at all in that respect. His name is Nick.” Gavin shrugged.
Ian gaped at his brother, his heart racing with something he could only identify as anger. “A blind, gay, pissed off, computer geek, ex-Marine? Thanks Gavin. Sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll invite my son’s drug-addled mother along, you know, to complete the dysfunctional family portrait.” He turned away, aware he was being an ass about a guy he didn’t even know. 
“Sorry,” Gavin said.
“Whatever, I’ll think about it."


About Liz Crowe:

Microbrewery owner, best-selling author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town.  Years of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse, plus making her way in a world of men (i.e. the beer industry), has prepped her for life as erotic romance author. 

When she isn't sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications. 

Her groundbreaking romance subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” has gained thousands of fans and followers who are interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”)

Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high-powered real estate offices.  Don’t ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.

 www.lizcrowe.com
www.brewingpasssion.com
www.a2beerwench.com
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www.twitter.com/beerwencha2
www.facebook.com/groups/romanceforreallife
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