Blog Tour, Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway:
Adverse Conditions by Elle Keaton
Reclaimed Hearts, Book 1
Xavier swore he’d never move back to the flyspeck of a town he’d grown up in and he kept that promise for over twenty years. Now he’s back for good.
Vincent never left. After earning his teaching certificate, he stayed in town to be close to his elderly parents. These days he’s the single dad of a fifteen-year-old daughter and working two jobs to make ends meet. He’s perfectly happy with his life.
Xavier’s mission is to save Cooper Springs. But his efforts are being hindered by his stodgy, straight-laced, rule-following neighbor, Vincent Barone. Dark-eyed, broad-shouldered, and muscly Vincent, who Xav stealthily ogles when he toils in his yard sans shirt. For a high school shop teacher, Vincent is too sexy. And he has a kid. And he infuriates Xavier. And anyway, love is for suckers.
Vincent doesn’t have time to date. And he certainly wouldn’t date his flashy, arrogant, neighbor who he absolutely did not have a crush on in high school. Who did Xavier think he was, moving back to town and throwing his weight around, causing butterflies in Vincent’s stomach, and making his stupid heart beat faster every time he saw him?
Cooper Springs has changed since they were kids, and maybe two guys can move from hate to love. But are they ready? Will Vincent bend a few of his rules? Will Xavier reign in his chaotic tendencies? Is love in the air?
Then there’s the matter of the grisly discovery in the woods, murder is bad for business.
Welcome to Cooper Springs, home to UFO chasers, Sasquatch believers, conspiracy theorists, chainsaw artists, and regular folk just trying to make a living. And, quite possibly, a killer.
Adverse Conditions is the first in the Reclaimed Hearts series, set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, it is an opposites-attract, older lovers. enemies to lovers, small-town romance, with a little murder.
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Xavier drove home on autopilot. A herd of Sasquatch could have jaywalked in front of him and he wouldn’t have noticed them. An hour ago, he’d been concerned about remains found outside of town, that they might possibly turn out to be the missing teen from Aberdeen. He was still very concerned about the missing seventeen-year-old, but now he’d added freaking out about his inappropriate reaction to his hot, rule-following neighbor.
Who he hated.
Right?
Because somehow single-dad-shop-teacher was his new kink. Xavier screwed his eyes shut and groaned. This was not happening.
As soon as he got inside the house, his landline rang. Glancing at the screen, he recognized his brother’s number.
Fuck. He did not want to talk to Max. He picked it up anyway. There was no point in trying to ignore him.
“Hey,” he said as he continued into his kitchen. He needed another glass of wine. Then he’d turn on the TV and finish the last season of Stranger Things. A nice gay night at home.
“What’s going on?” Max demanded. “You sound weird.”
Oh, just fantasizing about my neighbor, that’s all.
“What do you mean, what’s going on? I don’t sound weird.”
Did he?
“Yeah, that answer never worked for either of us in the past. It’s not working for you today.”
Double fuck. He dragged his hand through his hair, trying to quickly come up with something to distract Max. Something not about wanting to burn the sheets with Vincent Barone.
“Spit it out.”
He’d been too slow. Dammit.
“Fine.”
“Before I die of old age.”
“I should have offed you in the womb.”
“Never would have happened. I was several ounces heavier than you. Quit stalling.”
Being a twin was both comforting and irritating. He’d read that not all twins had the “connection,” but he and Max did. Usually at the very worst times.
“I have the hots for my neighbor I don’t even like.” He definitely did not like Vincent. “He’s bossy, interfering, and always has to be right.”
Except Vincent had updated the appraisal, so he didn’t always need to be right, did he?
“Oooh.” His evil twin drew out the single word, laughing like the demon he was. “We’re talking about Vincent Barone, aren’t we?”
Shutting his eyes, Xavier gently banged his forehead against the door jam. “Maybe.”
Max’s laughter was extremely irritating. Especially because it sounded exactly like his own. Max was going to pay for this when he started having feelings for someone. Not that Xavier had feelings. He did. Just not for Vincent. Did he?
“You’re both adults. He’s single, isn’t he? Maybe, you know, have a conversation, see what happens.”
“We just had a conversation,” Xavier growled.
“Mm-hmm. Did you run away like you always do? I remember Vincent from high school. He was a nice guy back then. And I imagine he’s still better than the last jerk you dated.”
No one had liked Arsen except Arsen.
“He has a kid! He’s not gay!”
“You’ve asked? And, brother, having a kid does not make you straight.”
Xavier knew that. But after hating Vincent for months, Xavier was trying hard not to want to jump the guy the next time he saw him. And not being gay was quickly becoming the only reason stopping him.
“No, I haven’t fucking asked. ‘Hey, Vincent, even though I mostly hate your guts, are you bi? Because I can’t stop thinking about you naked.’ Does that sound about right?”
“For such a savvy guy, you sure can be an idiot.” Max laughed again. This had Xavier clenching his jaw again. No matter what Max claimed, Xavier was pretty sure he could have taken him in the womb. “I’ve decided there’s nothing to worry about. You two will sort this out.”
There was a knock on the front door. Ignoring his brother, Xavier tossed back another gulp of chardonnay. It was too expensive to swill like a peasant, yet here he was.
“Talk to you later!” Max said, with far too much cheer.
Sighing, Xavier peeked out the front window, even though he knew in advance who he’d see on the porch.
Vincent Fucking Barone.
About the Author:
Elle Keaton writes MM romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest with some contemporary romance thrown in. She’s passionate about writing inclusive romances with complex characters and a unique sense of place. Her characters start out broken, and maybe they’re still banged up by the end, but they find the other half of their hearts and ALWAYS get their happily ever after. In 2017 Elle hit the publish button for the first time and hasn’t looked back. Being an author is the best job Elle has ever had and now she has over thirty books available for you to read or listen to! She loves cats and dogs, Star Wars and Star Trek, pineapple on pizza, and has a cribbage habit her husband encourages.
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