High Proof: A Moonlight & Moonshine Novel (Bluegrass Dynasty 17) by Deanndra Hall-review & excerpt tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 6, 2023
A wounded warrior. A married man. And the passion that consumes them …
Military veteran Drew Anderson cannot catch a break. Everything in his life is tragic. After a terrible childhood full of grief, and losing a leg in combat, he feels like his life is over. But when he lands a job and a place to live at the town’s new distillery, Drew feels optimistic.
Business owner Kevin Slaughter is everything Drew has ever wanted in a man. He’s strong, charming, and stable. But Kevin’s married—to a woman—and has a devout Baptist upbringing. Neither man can deny his feelings for the other. As they grow closer, it’s clear someone is determined to tear them apart—and destroy their reputations. With danger setting in and Drew’s life on the line, Kevin is torn between his desire and his place in the community. Can the wounded veteran find a way to heal from all the pain of his past and battle his present enemies while building a future with the only man he’s ever really loved?
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REVIEW:HIGH PROOF by Deanndra Hall is a contemporary adult, erotic, LGBTQ, MM, romance story line found in the author’s MOONLIGHT AND MOONSHINE series set in the Bluegrass Dynasty world. This is US military veteran and Master brewer Drew Anderson, and granary owner Kevin Slaughter’s story line. HIGH PROOF can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
NOTE: HIGH PROOF focuses on a same $ex relationship with same $ex scenarios, as well as homophobia and related behaviors.
Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Drew and Kevin) HIGH PROOF follows the building romance and same $ex relationship between US military veteran and Master brewer Drew Anderson, and granary owner Kevin Slaughter. Drew Anderson works as the Master brewer for Carson O’Malley’s moonshine operation but Drew is lonely, and is looking for a connection but every attempt is either rebuffed or quickly fizzled until Drew meets Kevin Slaughter, a married man with deep ties to the Baptist church. As Drew struggles with Kevin’s closeted lifestyle, Drew’s past comes looking for a second chance. Kevin Slaughter has yet to come out having spent his life believing the preachings of his Baptist father. Married with children Kevin battles between head and heart, having fallen in love with Drew Anderson, yet unable to walk away from the only life he has ever known. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Kevin and Drew, and the potential fall-out as Drew refuses to be Kevin’s dirty secret, and the past comes back tearing Kevin and Drew apart.
The relationship between Kevin and Drew is one of immediate attraction, that quickly turns from lust to love but Kevin worries about losing everything when the truth is revealed, and Drew is about to destroy his relationship with Kevin when the past comes back looking for a second chance. Drew is unable to remain committed to the man that he loves, often TSTL (too stupid to live), forcing Kevin to walk away, beginning a new life on his own. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate
The secondary and supporting characters includedDrew’s boss Carson O’Malley (Kindred Spirits), and his wife Marilee, two people who support Drew’s relationship yet worry their friend is about to get hurt. We are introduced to Drew’s ex AshLyn, as well as Kevin’s wife Becky, and his father Bro. Slaughter.
HIGH PROOF is a story of betrayal and greed, deceit and desperation, forgiveness and love. The premise is interesting and intriguing; the romance is provocative ; the characters have questionable behavior, determined and desperate.
Click HERE for Sandy’s review of KINDRED SPIRITS
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
“Drew?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think there’s any hope for me?”
Drew chuckled. “Sometimes I wonder if there’s any hope for me. But I’m still breathing, and you know what they say—where there’s life, there’s hope.”
“Yeah. Hope.” Kevin got quiet, and Drew waited. “I’ve got to find some hope,” he finally said.
“What do you want your hope to look like?” Drew asked, wondering what Kevin would say.
In a voice that was almost a whisper, Kevin said, “Oh, I dunno. Six feet two inches, light brown hair, and pale blue eyes, all in the best-looking package I’ve ever seen. And a heart as big as Texas.”
Something clicked in Drew’s chest, and he turned and took Kevin’s face in his hands, then kissed him. At first, Kevin seemed surprised, but then he moved into Drew and kissed him back.
Drew wanted that kiss to go on forever. It was without a doubt the most passionate kiss anyone had ever given him, and it was delicious and warm and sweet. He could feel his pulse throbbing in his temples and his heartbeat quickening, and all he could think about was Kevin naked in his bed, skin against skin and their arms locked around each other.
Deanndra Hall is a working author living in the far western end of the beautiful Bluegrass State with her husband of over 35 years and small menagerie of weird little dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s editing. When she’s doing neither of those two things, she’s having dinner with friends, spending time with family, kayaking, eating chocolate, drinking beer or moonshine, or looking for something that she put in the wrong place and can’t seem to find (which is pretty much everything she owns).
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