Blade (Boston Rebels 5)

GLBTQ, MM, Trope: Hurt Comfort, Autism, PTSD, Hockey, Family/Friends

Released: 26 August 2022

KU: 7 September

Publisher: Love Lane Books

Series: Boston Rebels

Length: 56,000 words

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Buy it Here

https://rjscott.co.uk/read-royal
Available – Wide Release, all platforms – moving to KU 7 September

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61059321-blade

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/blade-boston-rebels-book-5-by-rj-scott-and-v-l-locey

Love doesn’t have a formula. It’s messy, unpredictable, and impossible to control for the autistic billionaire inventor and the hockey player who believes he’s lost everything.

Moral “Dunny” Dunkirk has a passion for life. A robust outdoorsman, lover of life, and one of the Boston Rebels fan favorites, Dunny has always embraced excitement and the drive to try new things. During his inaugural flight behind the controls of a small plane, the fates decide to test his mettle in a way he’s never envisioned. When everything crashes down around him, he’s lost in depression and alone in his cabin, facing an existence that is nothing like the one he previously led. Desperate to find some hope, Dunny reaches out to The Harvey Foundation, who might be able to help, and he soon finds himself being lifted out of the pit of darkness he’d fallen into, one shy uplifting smile at a time.

Accidental billionaire and inventor Cooper Harvey is happy in the seclusion of his lab, determined to make the world a better place one invention at a time. His autism gifts him with unique vision, but the media label him as quirky, reclusive, or a genius, depending on the day of the week, and it’s only in the most splendid isolation his vast wealth can buy that he feels safe. He goes out of his way to avoid sex with all its complicated and messy emotions, but a chance meeting with a test subject for his latest invention shakes his carefully controlled world. Interest in the hockey player who thinks he’s lost everything shows Cooper that life can’t be measured in chemical reactions, and attraction is unpredictable and messy. Terrified of facing something new, he doesn’t know where to turn, but maybe, if he’s brave and with a partner who sees beneath the surface, he can finally find a love that makes sense.

https://rjscott.co.uk/read-blade

Excerpt

“I could make you go in with me if I wanted to.”

I caught my bodyguard’s unwavering gaze in the mirror. As my personal security, Tony Avery, with his dubious past, was paid to be by my side whenever I left the CAHTech building. As his boss, he should do what I say, right? At least that was how I imagined it worked, but clearly, said dubious past made Tony unaware of official protocol.

“And again, I’m not coming in with you.” Tony stared at me, and of course, it was me who backed down first.

“I could fire you,” I mumbled to myself, forgetting my bodyguard had the hearing of a bat, the slyness of a fox, and the brawn of a huge fuck-off bear.

“You can’t fire me when you didn’t hire me.”

I sat back in the seat with my arms crossed, daring anyone to make me get out of the car. I was safe in here and out there… well out there were people, and chaos, and me having to try my hardest to appear as if I wanted to be there.

“You need to get out of the car, sir.” Tony added the sir with a forceful tone, and I winced.

“I like it in here,” I defended. Hell, why anyone would want to leave this wonderfully safe, tricked out Escalade with its bomb-proof this, and its assassin-proof that, not to mention it’s awesome refrigerator that held my Dr. Pepper and a cubby for my spare glasses and the softest buttery-leather seats was beyond me. It was safe inside here for a person who found the world too intimidating. In here, the only person I had to deal with was Tony, who understood me well enough to leave me alone and not expect me to be anything other than who I was. Outside the door was the rest of the world, and I didn’t have much time for that. Besides, I’m one of the richest men in America, apparently, although I’d never counted all the money that seemed to pour into my company every time someone used Coopersil technology. So, being rich and all, I shouldn’t have to get out of my car if I didn’t want to. Right?

“I’m counting down from five, sir.”

Jesus. “I’m not a child.”

“Five.”

“Tony, this is ridiculous—”

“Four.”

“It’s not like Uncle Jeremiah and Brianna will miss me if I don’t go in—”

“Three.”

“Why do I even have to do this? I visited last week—”

“It was a month ago. Also, two.”

I curled my fingers around the handle and frowned at Tony’s reflection. “I’m seriously going to get you fired.”

“No. You’re not. Also, one,” Tony finished, and I heard the click of his locks and knew it would only be a matter of time before he opened the door and came to drag me out. I know I’m being overly dramatic, but I’d been dragged out of places before, and it was the worst thing ever for people to get so close and yank at me as if I didn’t have a brain of my own.

“I don’t want to do this,” I said a little desperately as panic tightened my chest, and for a moment I thought Tony might give me an out; but no, he was exiting the car. “Okay! Okay, I’m going: I can get myself out!”

He raised a single eyebrow in answer. I cursed him under my breath, and then with one final inhale of the peaceful air back here, I opened my door and clambered out to stand under the awning attached to the side of Brianna’s place. It wasn’t safe for me to be dropped on the sidewalk. Apparently, death threats and money went hand in hand, so Brianna had deliberately built this space for me to go into the house. Also, I know that Tony would have done his due diligence, and I was safe, but this was the outside, and I felt vulnerable.

I didn’t like the outside. Or people. Or actually anything messing with the flow of constant ideas fermenting in my brain. I didn’t like the way people wanted to touch me or talk to me or ask me stupid questions about how I was or how I was feeling because I never knew the answers to any of that.

**~ * ~ Jo‘s Review ~ * ~**

5 Stars

RJ Scott and her writing partner VL Locey have now written three Hockey based series and this is book 5 in the Boston Rebels series. The worlds are linked so that’s an awful lot of brilliant books you’ve missed out on if you haven’t read them. However, this book actually stands well on its own, as the action takes place away from the hockey team. In fact, the team are minor characters, the action focusing on Dunny (Moral) and Cooper. This is because Dunny has been involved in an accident that has meant he has lost his leg and can no longer play.

The story focuses on his rehabilitation and the opportunity he is offered to be the centre of a trial for a new prosthetic. Cooper is a brilliant scientist and also autistic. He runs a multimillion-dollar company but his interest is in science, not business. He keeps himself separate and is protected by very loyal family and staff. His lack of social awareness and what is appropriate is highlighted at their first meeting with a joke. However, rather than take offence, Dunny laughs, as, for once he is being treated normally.

This is a sweet, often funny love story about two guys who just work. On paper they ought not to; the larger-than-life jock and the nerd who doesn’t get the way the world works. Yet, they are absolutely perfect for each other. The honesty that comes from the lack of social queues is what Dunny needs; Cooper is never trying to hurt him and never lies. With Dunny, Cooper feels safe. There is an absolute connection between them and the chemistry shouts off the page. When they do come together is sweet as Dunny lets Cooper go at his own pace, funny at times as Cooper does explore but very hot. I really loved how the story focuses on their growing relationship, rather than the team and hockey. The desire to have Hockey back in his life drives Dunny but he knows he will never play again. Cooper’s desire is to give that to Dunny. I also liked how Cooper is portrayed, he may be autistic but he absolutely knows his own mind.

These authors do Hockey at its best. Their stories are always full of heart and emotion but always fun with light-hearted moments that lift your spirit. Such a great HEA; this is a must-read for me. An absolute 1-click; I don’t even have to read the blurb.

If you haven’t read all the related series, you must. They are simply the best. I’m almost jealous that you get to experience them for the first time.

***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.***

SERIES OVERVIEW

Books should probably be read in order to get the best out of the series

1. Top Shelf (Boston Rebels 1) – https://rjscott.co.uk/read-topshelf
2. Back Check (Boston Rebels 2) – https://rjscott.co.uk/read-backcheck
3. Snowed (Boston Rebels 3) – https://rjscott.co.uk/read-snowed
4. Royal Lines (Boston Rebels 4) – https://rjscott.co.uk/read-royal
5. Blade (Boston Rebels 5) – https://rjscott.co.uk/read-blade

The Authors

RJ SCOTT

RJ Scott, author of M/M romance. Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards

USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred and fifty romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.

She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing.

The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.

RJ’s Social Media

VL LOCEY

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee.

(Not necessarily in that order.)

She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

VL’s Social Media