Sweet Hart (Hart Consulting Book) M/M Romance (Action/Adventure) by Rae Marks ➱ Release Tour with Giveaway

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Book Title: Sweet Hart

Author: Rae Marks

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Cover Artist: Erin Dameron-Hill

Release Date: May 11, 2021

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance (Action/Adventure)

Trope/s: Fake boyfriend

Themes: Finding belonging, Moving on from the past

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 79 900 words/ approx. 300 pages

This is the first book in The Hart Consulting Series, but can stand alone.

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Buy Links

First for Romance | Barnes & Noble

Amazon US | Amazon UK

In order to stay alive, Bray and Sam must appear to be lovers.

What happens when pretending becomes too real?

Blurb

When Brayden stumbles into a covert operation, Sam has to keep him alive. Together they navigate their unexpected attraction and the world of the Ukrainian mafia.

Brayden Hart needs to find his older brother Mason and time is running out. Mason disappeared after being discharged from the military two years before. While on leave from the army, Bray follows a lead his friend has been able to find. When he knocks on the door of a dingy apartment outside Miami, the last person he expects to meet is the gorgeous but grumpy Sam Wheeler.

Sam denies knowing Bray's brother and turns him away. But Sam is Bray's only lead. Luckily, Bray's childhood friend is one of the best hackers in the country and helps Bray follow Sam to Ukraine.

In Kiev, Bray falls blindly into the fray of a covert operation and Sam steps in to keep him alive. While navigating the choppy waters of the Ukrainian mafia, Bray and Sam fall into the bedroom. But what happens when the mission ends?

Excerpt

“I’ll let you relax,” Sam said as he stood.

“Don’t go. You said I couldn’t sleep. I want to relax, but if you keep me talking, I won’t fall asleep.”

With a nod, Sam backed away and sat on the closed toilet. From there, he could only see Bray from the shoulders up. Much less of a temptation.

“This feels amazing. The warmth is seeping into my bones. Today definitely didn’t turn out how I thought it would.”

Sam snorted. “Ditto. I thought I was in for a fairly mundane business trip.”

Bray reached for the little soap provided by the hotel but flinched. Sam jumped up to get it for him. He tried not to look at Bray’s lower half, but his eyes caught on the bruises.

“Are they getting worse?” Sam asked.

“I’d only worry if it hurt to breathe. You’re quite the mother hen, Sam Wheeler.”

Sam looked up at the sound of his alias. The last name sounded so wrong coming from Bray’s mouth, but the kid was smiling like he was proud of himself. Sam found himself smiling back until his gaze fell once again to the black-and-blue marks on Bray’s abs.

“I feel responsible,” he murmured as he returned to sit on the toilet lid.

“You couldn’t have stopped me. I did my best to hide the fact I was following you.”

“Next time I’ll remember to have one of my men sit on you.”

Bray’s eyes went wide.

“Not like that. Don’t get all offended. I meant trail you, make sure you don’t leave the States.”

“I want to apologize,” Bray said. “I’ve caused you a lot of trouble today with your...associates and I didn’t mean to. You don’t know how relieved I was to see you walk into that room. I knew you’d come for me.”

Sam wasn’t sure how true that last sentence was, but he was sure the rest was true. The look in Bray’s eyes made Sam uncomfortable.

“Don’t look at me like I’m some hero, Bray.”

“You’re a good man, Sam Wheeler. I knew it right away, and today, you proved it.”

“I didn’t prove anything. My business is about as dark as you can get. I’m not a good man.”

“You are to me. I might be naïve, but I think that counts for something.”

“Don’t see pixie dust where there is none. It wouldn’t behoove me to have left you there at their mercy. I had selfish reasons for getting you out of there.”

“I’m sure you did.” Bray smiled.

Maybe he was getting too into his role, but that smile was one of both indulgent patience and dirty little nymph. It was a smile one boyfriend would give another and Sam hated how much he loved looking at it.

Our Thoughts

This was a light angst, heavy action, steamy romance with great characters and a solid storyline that was easy to follow

Bray is searching for his brother Mase and all roads lead him to Sam who denies any knowledge

But Bray is stubborn and he knows that if he follows Sam he will find Mase

What he didn't foresee was the potential minefield he would be walking into

I'm sure we will each respond to Sam's behaviors differently but I think I spent more time wanting to "stuff" some sense into him than not!

Stop spewing tales for just a moment and open your eyes, Sam!

Everyone else can see it - heck even your subconscious knows the truth.

Let go of the past and grab on to your future

As for Bray I can't help but wonder how his tenacious rear quarters survived his tour of duty?

I think I would have bubble-wrapped him to protect him.

Yes I liked his character that much - He was so honest and IDK

Okay so maybe Sam's opinions rubbed off a little on me.

Bray did seem to always just barely survive half the time though Ax had a point though about "what ifs"

I am looking forward to Ax and Nickle as well as Sin's story.

Author Interview

The prized possession you value above all others…

My family. Not really a possession, but it’s my number one priority.

The unqualified regret you wish you could amend…

Words spoken in anger to loved ones. Hurting someone on purpose is so much worse than hurting someone by accident.

The priority activity if you were invisible for a day…

Being privy to private conversations. I think human nature and human interaction are so interesting.

The film you can watch time and time again…

It’s hard to narrow it down to one. I love books and movies and music. I lean toward classics. I love movies from the 1940s and 1950s, but here are my top three:

Princess Bride (I’ve been known to throw quotes out) My husband hadn’t ever watched it before meeting me — it’s a tad before our time — but it’s now one of his favorites as well. Which works because now he gets my quotes.

Love Actually. I know it’s sort of a Christmas movie, but I can be found watching it at any time of year.

Desk Set. Most of your readers probably have never even heard of this movie as it came out in the 1950s and stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. It’s a movie about a computer nerd who falls in love with a book nerd. I laugh every time I watch it.

The poem that touches your soul…

When I want to smile, I read Shel Silverstein. When I want poetry that touches my soul, I read Maya Angelou. Her words have so much power and I wish she were still here to write more. My favorites are Phenomenal Woman and Still I Rise.

The event that altered the course of your life…

Becoming a mother. It changes everything.

The song that means the most to you…

Since becoming a mother, it’s all about lullabies. Billy Joel’s Goodnight My Angel, Baby Mine from Dumbo, I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack

Your early recollections of writing fiction…

My teacher used to make us journal in class. She’d give us prompts. That’s when I started writing short stories. Instead of writing about my life, I’d make things up.

The pet hate that makes your hackles rise…

Mispronounced words; ‘libary’ (library), ‘punkin’ (pumpkin), ‘nucular’ (nuclear), ‘nitch’ (niche), ‘exscape’ (escape), ‘expecially’ (especially), etc.

My husband will call me ‘punkin’ sometimes just to be contrary.

The figure from history you would most like to buy a pie and a pint…

Abraham Lincoln. The man was tenacious and his decisions changed our country. I want to ask him if he realized the impact those decisions would have and how kept himself motivated despite so many failures.

The piece of wisdom you would pass onto a child…

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s the only way you learn.

The philosophy that underpins your life…

Assume positive intent and be careful to communicate your expectations of others. Hurt feelings most often come from unmet expectations.

The character you enjoyed writing the most…

This changes with each story. Currently, it’s Mason Hart. The love in his heart is so strong and unwavering.

And the promo…

This is Bray and Sam’s story but it’s also about Bray’s family, especially his two brothers. They need to come together and find a way to be a family again. Each has their own hurts they need to heal from.

All three brothers have a very precarious relationship with their father. He’s caused his family a lot of pain, but he thinks he’s ready to own up to it.

That’s what has Bray looking for his brother once again at the beginning of the book. Bray has tasked himself with pulling his family back together. He’s tenacious and kind and sweet. He also lands in a heap of trouble that only Sam can help him out of. That’s where this story begins.

About the Author

Rae has been secretly penning romances since high school. It started with short stories that grew into full-length novels. When she received her first Kindle and had thousands of books at her fingertips, she became a little distracted from writing. Then one day she read a book that she would have written a different way. She began writing again and hasn't stopped since.

When she's not writing, Rae can usually be found reading, walking along the beaches of Half Moon Bay, or taking her geriatric dog to the vet, yet again.

Author Links

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