“He makes me hurt so good.”

 

Hi, readers! I’m happy to be at Love Bytes today with my new release, Come Together—Book 3 and the thrilling conclusion to the IF I FELL Series. Thanks for the warm welcome!

 

By Book 3, Cole Ledger and Timmy Hale have been through some very tough stuff. They’ve faced a vicious stalker, dealt with Timmy’s warped relationship with his family, and tiptoed around Cole’s bitter son. The lovers have also suffered with a long-distance relationship malfunction and the harsh effects of too much drinking. Life has profoundly wounded them. And the readers’ hope is that love can save them.

 

I have long been a fan of the “Tortured Hero” trope in romance.

CONFESSION: When searching for a new book, I strictly look for MM Romance with a seriously tortured main character. Before I discovered MM Romance, I was drawn to characters like Jane Eyre’s Mr. Rochester and Twilight’s Edward. (At ages 49 and 52, my sister and I engaged in a passionate discussion about why we love the Edward character so much—I mean, he actually killed people! We ultimately concluded that the danger was part of his appeal.)

 

What is it about the tortured hero that captivates us?

(I will refer to the tortured hero as male, as they are all male in my books.)

Is it his dark, brooding (yes, sexily so) nature? The secrets he guards so vigilantly? The essence of danger that accompanies him? His scars—both visible to the naked eye and hidden deep in his psyche? The heat of forbidden intimacy with a bad boy?

 

I’ll tell you this much: I wouldn’t build my real life on a man so damaged. But I crave dark romance that centers on a man so wounded by life—so emotionally guarded and dangerous to a potential partner’s heart—that attaining a loving bond with him seems virtually impossible and endlessly challenging.

*I want to unravel his secrets.

*I want to shatter his hard shell and find the sweet vulnerability within.

*I want him to trust me, as he trusts no one else.

*I want my love to save him.

 

And since I’m not a character in the book, the above can only be accomplished through the love of a certain, perfect man—the other MC. The reluctant tortured hero’s love interest.

 

If you enjoy the “Tortured Hero” trope, you’ll likely appreciate most of my MM romance. But since I’m here today with Come Together, Book 3 of the IF I FELL Series, I’ll focus on Timmy and Cole.

 

Timmy is the more profoundly tortured MC, though Cole has his share of baggage that plagues him.

 

In Book 1, Hide Your Love Away, we meet Timmy, who is so damaged by his loveless upbringing he has become a player…in the sexual sense. He refuses to form emotional bonds with his frequent lovers, one of whom ultimately stalks him. Timmy’s attitude toward life is flippant and bitter…until Cole comes along and takes him apart, piece by piece, and then lovingly rebuilds him.

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In Book 2, Blackbird, Cole sends Timmy away from their newly renovated happy home. Cole insists that Timmy accept an internship he thinks will enhance future job prospects. Timmy is devastated by what he sees as a rejection, and upon his arrival in NYC sinks into despair, rarely communicating with anyone and abusing alcohol daily. Only Cole’s love can fix him.

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In Book 3, Come Together, the lovers’ challenges come from outside sources, however, Timmy’s history as a profoundly wounded man allows him to make poor choices that endanger him. And this, of course, send Cole on a rampage.

 

Thanks for reading my blog post and I hope you check out the IF I FELL Series!

 

<3 Mia

 

Come Together
Mia Kerick
(If I Fell, #3)
Publication date: January 24th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

In the dramatic conclusion to award-winning author Mia Kerick’s IF I FELL Series, lovers Timmy Hale and Cole Ledger meet with danger when they attempt to mend broken family bonds.

Timmy and Cole faced brutal obstacles to their union from the moment they fell in love. It nearly drove them apart for good, but they overcame hostility, distance, and the deceptively alluring escape of alcohol. Now they’re ready to settle into the future as a married couple. With their spirited dog, Blackbird, and a close circle of friends, they’ve made a home and a happy life. But they don’t want to step into marriage until they’ve put complicated family problems behind them.

Cole’s son, Robbie, has turned bitter, refusing to accept his father’s engagement to the much younger man. His cold rejection threatens to destroy Cole. Meanwhile, Timmy’s dysfunctional family turns more treacherous than ever after the couple takes in his abandoned teenage niece, Lucy.

Soon, mysterious, threatening messages begin to appear.

When Cole leaves town on a trip to rebuild the severed bond with his son, the threats become real. Timmy’s brother—Lucy’s missing father—reappears. Addicted, violent, and homophobic he’s determined to either coax Lucy away from the shelter of the couple’s home…or destroy it.

Will the two families come together in an explosive collision or in reconciliation? The journey to marriage takes Cole and Timmy on one more wild ride. Through it all, can they hold on tight to their love and its promised happily-ever-after?

IF I FELL Series: age gap, hurt/comfort, contemporary MM romance

Book 1 Hide Your Love Away
Book 2 Blackbird
Book 3 Come Together

For maximum enjoyment, read in order.

Goodreads / Amazon

 

 

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children–all named after saints–and five nonpedigreed cats–all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

My themes I always write about:

Sweetness. Unconventional love, tortured/damaged heroes- only love can save them.

Mia Kerick focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men within the boundaries of blossoming, supportive relationships. She believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. And Mia’s stories are centered around a certain theme: even heroes can be sweet. Sweet, but not completely innocent.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

 

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