Embrace
the Fire
Through Hell and Back # 3
Through Hell and Back # 3
By: Felice Stevens
Releasing May 26th, 2015
Loose ID
Blurb
Brandon Gilbert has spent years in hiding,
but finally he’s accomplished his dream of working as a public school teacher.
When offered the chance to help bullied children, there was no way he could say
no. Not to mention that meeting Dr. Tash Weber, the psychiatrist who helps
them, a sad yet sexy older man, ignited a spark inside Brandon he’d never had
before.
Though five years have passed since the
death of his lover, Dr. Sebastian "Tash" Weber has no interest in
relationships or love. But young, enigmatic Brandon awakens his heart and his
desire. Despite Tash’s best efforts to push him away, Brandon unlocks the
passion for life Tash thought he’d lost forever.
Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan for
either Brandon or Tash, but neither family disapproval nor self-doubts can stop
them from embracing the fire that burns between them. And when Brandon returns
home to fight for a future he never imagined possible, he and Tash discover
that the one thing worth fighting for has been with them all along.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/04/embrace-fire-through-hell-and-back-3-by.html
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/142965-through-hell-and-back
4 Star Review by Jen Skewes
Embrace the Fire is the third and final installment in this series. I love this series and all of the characters that Felice Stevens has created. You do not have to read the first two books in order to read this one, but I highly recommend that you do. It will give you a better understanding of who all of the characters are, their relationships and their struggles. This is Brandon's story, one of three foster brothers which this series focuses on. I wanted to see how Brandon survived his child hood and could not wait for him to meet his two brothers for the first time in years.
Brandon is a 25 year old school teacher who has been through so much in his short life. He had a childhood from hell, and just reading the prologue itself you see just how painful and ugly it really was. Brandon managed to escape seven years ago and thanks to a very kind man he was able to get his life on track and fulfill his dream of becoming a teacher. He meets Tash who is a psychiatrist and helps out and the clinic that Drew, Jordan and Mike run (all characters we met in the first two books). From the moment they first met, Brandon feels it, the spark and the connection. But Tash has his own past that he is trying to run from.
Tash was in love once but that love caused him so much hurt and pain that it is hard for him to trust someone and be able to move on from it. Hearing what he went through just broke my heart. I wanted him to find love and I wanted him to find it with Brandon. There was a spark between the two of them that was undeniable, and there was no doubt that they were attracted to each other. But the problem is that they are both letting their past get in the way of what they truly want. Will they both be able to put it all behind them and move on? Will Tash be able to give love another chance?
I really loved this series and loved seeing all of my favorite characters in this one. There is a bit of an age difference between Tash and Brandon and some of their family members make it known how much of an issue it is to them. When they first met Brandon wanted to run because of his past and Tash used the age difference as an excuse. But they both decided to embrace their feelings, they both deserved to be happy and they gave in to their feelings, no matter what anyone said.
I loved Tash and Brandon together but for me personally this one was missing the emotional connections that I hoped for. I just wanted more feeling I guess. As the book went on I wanted to feel it all with these characters. And towards the end Ms. Stevens gave me what I wanted and needed. There came a time where Brandon, Luke and Ash faced their past and at that moment when they did the emotions poured out of me. I wanted to see them get the closure that they needed and see them move on completely. And they did and I loved the direction that the author took with that moment. And let's talk about the epilogue. I loved that we get to see the future and happily ever after for each of these four couples that we have come to love. Ms. Stevens did a wonderful job tieing it all together.
Brandon is a 25 year old school teacher who has been through so much in his short life. He had a childhood from hell, and just reading the prologue itself you see just how painful and ugly it really was. Brandon managed to escape seven years ago and thanks to a very kind man he was able to get his life on track and fulfill his dream of becoming a teacher. He meets Tash who is a psychiatrist and helps out and the clinic that Drew, Jordan and Mike run (all characters we met in the first two books). From the moment they first met, Brandon feels it, the spark and the connection. But Tash has his own past that he is trying to run from.
Tash was in love once but that love caused him so much hurt and pain that it is hard for him to trust someone and be able to move on from it. Hearing what he went through just broke my heart. I wanted him to find love and I wanted him to find it with Brandon. There was a spark between the two of them that was undeniable, and there was no doubt that they were attracted to each other. But the problem is that they are both letting their past get in the way of what they truly want. Will they both be able to put it all behind them and move on? Will Tash be able to give love another chance?
I really loved this series and loved seeing all of my favorite characters in this one. There is a bit of an age difference between Tash and Brandon and some of their family members make it known how much of an issue it is to them. When they first met Brandon wanted to run because of his past and Tash used the age difference as an excuse. But they both decided to embrace their feelings, they both deserved to be happy and they gave in to their feelings, no matter what anyone said.
I loved Tash and Brandon together but for me personally this one was missing the emotional connections that I hoped for. I just wanted more feeling I guess. As the book went on I wanted to feel it all with these characters. And towards the end Ms. Stevens gave me what I wanted and needed. There came a time where Brandon, Luke and Ash faced their past and at that moment when they did the emotions poured out of me. I wanted to see them get the closure that they needed and see them move on completely. And they did and I loved the direction that the author took with that moment. And let's talk about the epilogue. I loved that we get to see the future and happily ever after for each of these four couples that we have come to love. Ms. Stevens did a wonderful job tieing it all together.
Excerpt
A bit apprehensive,
Brandon waited for Gage on the corner of Van Brunt Street in Red Hook. He was
familiar with the area, having been to the Ikea to buy furniture for his
apartment and Fairway to buy food. It had seen a resurgence in the past few
years with young people, driven out of Manhattan and other areas of Brooklyn
like Williamsburg by high rents, coming to live and work in Red Hook. Still,
the overall fog of poverty hung over this corner of the city like a dark
shroud.
The nerves had nothing to do with the area; he’d lived on the streets long enough to remember how to take care of himself in most situations. It was putting himself in a new environment, meeting new people. Exposing himself. The potential for discovery was enormous.
Yet he couldn’t refuse Gage. In the back of Brandon’s mind he wondered if he and his brothers had had a place like this when they were growing up, perhaps his family would be intact today.
He drew his resolve around him like a shield of armor and promised to do for these kids what society had failed to do for him.
Protect and save them.
Darkness spread rapidly, and the streetlights glowed on, beaming out mellow golden pools of light down the block. Brandon idly watched a man exit the deli across the street, hefting a bag. He stood under the streetlight, and like a beacon, it shone on his waving brown hair and glinted off his tortoiseshell glasses. He must be close to forty, Brandon mused, taking in the man’s long legs, pausing at his handsome face. Unaccustomed heat flooded through him.
It had been months since Brandon had thought about sex or had a physical reaction to any man. Even when he’d been with Zach, his emotions remained muted, the gropings and mutual handjobs between them merely a means to an end. The times he’d been with Zach had always left him unsettled, edgy, and a bit depressed, as if some glorious secret, the one everyone became all dreamy-eyed about when they spoke of their lovers, remained tantalizingly out of his reach. Brandon yearned for an intimacy he knew was out there yet had never experienced.
Averting his gaze so the man wouldn’t think he was staring, Brandon nevertheless tracked his progress as he crossed the street and entered the clinic. Perhaps he’d be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him when the meeting was over. He was extremely good-looking.
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
Brandon jumped, knocked out of his reverie by Gage’s arrival. “Oh, shit, yeah. Hi.” Brandon fumbled his words.
“Did I scare you? Sorry about that.” He pointed at the clinic. “That’s where we’re going. Why don’t we head inside? I can introduce you to Dr. Weber and get you settled.”
Brandon shrugged. “Sure. Is anyone else coming from school?” It still disturbed him a bit that Gage had asked him. As if the man had somehow figured out Brandon had a secret and peeled back the layers he hid behind, exposing his core.
“Nope, only you.” Gage patted him on the back. “You’re my first victim.” He laughed, and though Brandon joined him, that uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
They entered the low-rise brick building, and Brandon was immediately struck by the vibrant, almost electric energy inside as Gage greeted the young woman at the front desk. This was a place of action, where things were accomplished, goals were achieved. Brandon came to a standstill, looking at the pictures on the wall behind the front desk of all the doctors who worked there, he presumed.
“That’s Dr. Drew Klein.” Gage pointed to a picture of a dark-haired man in his midthirties with a nice smile and light green eyes. “This clinic was his dream, and he started it and brought his two friends in on it. Dr. Peterson is an orthopedist”—Gage indicated the picture next to Dr. Klein’s of a handsome blond-haired man—“and Dr. Levin is the dentist. The three of them run the medical center.”
Once again, regret pricked Brandon’s heart. If only… But past regrets wouldn’t help present problems. “They sound like amazing people. Not many doctors would willingly come to a poor area and work with people who most want to forget.” He followed Gage down a hallway to the back of the building. They passed examination rooms and offices. Finally they stopped in front of one of the closed doors, marked Conference Room.
“And Dr. Weber, the psychiatrist who is starting this program, is also a great guy.” Gage knocked on the door, then opened it without waiting for an answer. “I have a feeling the two of you will hit it off.”
The nerves had nothing to do with the area; he’d lived on the streets long enough to remember how to take care of himself in most situations. It was putting himself in a new environment, meeting new people. Exposing himself. The potential for discovery was enormous.
Yet he couldn’t refuse Gage. In the back of Brandon’s mind he wondered if he and his brothers had had a place like this when they were growing up, perhaps his family would be intact today.
He drew his resolve around him like a shield of armor and promised to do for these kids what society had failed to do for him.
Protect and save them.
Darkness spread rapidly, and the streetlights glowed on, beaming out mellow golden pools of light down the block. Brandon idly watched a man exit the deli across the street, hefting a bag. He stood under the streetlight, and like a beacon, it shone on his waving brown hair and glinted off his tortoiseshell glasses. He must be close to forty, Brandon mused, taking in the man’s long legs, pausing at his handsome face. Unaccustomed heat flooded through him.
It had been months since Brandon had thought about sex or had a physical reaction to any man. Even when he’d been with Zach, his emotions remained muted, the gropings and mutual handjobs between them merely a means to an end. The times he’d been with Zach had always left him unsettled, edgy, and a bit depressed, as if some glorious secret, the one everyone became all dreamy-eyed about when they spoke of their lovers, remained tantalizingly out of his reach. Brandon yearned for an intimacy he knew was out there yet had never experienced.
Averting his gaze so the man wouldn’t think he was staring, Brandon nevertheless tracked his progress as he crossed the street and entered the clinic. Perhaps he’d be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him when the meeting was over. He was extremely good-looking.
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”
Brandon jumped, knocked out of his reverie by Gage’s arrival. “Oh, shit, yeah. Hi.” Brandon fumbled his words.
“Did I scare you? Sorry about that.” He pointed at the clinic. “That’s where we’re going. Why don’t we head inside? I can introduce you to Dr. Weber and get you settled.”
Brandon shrugged. “Sure. Is anyone else coming from school?” It still disturbed him a bit that Gage had asked him. As if the man had somehow figured out Brandon had a secret and peeled back the layers he hid behind, exposing his core.
“Nope, only you.” Gage patted him on the back. “You’re my first victim.” He laughed, and though Brandon joined him, that uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
They entered the low-rise brick building, and Brandon was immediately struck by the vibrant, almost electric energy inside as Gage greeted the young woman at the front desk. This was a place of action, where things were accomplished, goals were achieved. Brandon came to a standstill, looking at the pictures on the wall behind the front desk of all the doctors who worked there, he presumed.
“That’s Dr. Drew Klein.” Gage pointed to a picture of a dark-haired man in his midthirties with a nice smile and light green eyes. “This clinic was his dream, and he started it and brought his two friends in on it. Dr. Peterson is an orthopedist”—Gage indicated the picture next to Dr. Klein’s of a handsome blond-haired man—“and Dr. Levin is the dentist. The three of them run the medical center.”
Once again, regret pricked Brandon’s heart. If only… But past regrets wouldn’t help present problems. “They sound like amazing people. Not many doctors would willingly come to a poor area and work with people who most want to forget.” He followed Gage down a hallway to the back of the building. They passed examination rooms and offices. Finally they stopped in front of one of the closed doors, marked Conference Room.
“And Dr. Weber, the psychiatrist who is starting this program, is also a great guy.” Gage knocked on the door, then opened it without waiting for an answer. “I have a feeling the two of you will hit it off.”
Author Info
I
have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there
is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional
historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the
way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away
to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.
But
somewhere along the way, my tastes shifted. While I still enjoys a juicy
Historical romance, I began experimenting with newer, more cutting edge genres
and discovered the world of Male/Male romance. Once I picked up her first, I
became so enamored of the authors, the character-driven stories and the
overwhelming emotion of the books, I knew I wanted to write my own.
I
live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat
of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of
red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach
somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is
bound to be angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.
Thank you for hosting EMBRACE THE FIRE!
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