Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Blog Tour Review and Giveaway: Let Love Live by Melissa Collins





Who would you become if you lost the only person who ever mattered?

For twenty-six year old Dylan Hopkins, the answer is easy. He’s become no one. Memories of the happier times are all he has left as he finds himself meandering numbly through his now dull life. Though he cares about his work and family dearly, he’s yet to let himself find love again. Afraid of letting go of what he once had, Dylan chooses to keep his heart buried, where it belongs, having died a long time ago. 

Conner Michelson is about to change everything Dylan knows. He’s every bit the bad boy persona - tatted up, ex-MMA fighter, but after an injury leaves him unable to fight, he has to rethink his goals. Having just opened his own gym, Conner can cross his first major life accomplishment off his very short list. Next up: find a man he can settle down with and build a family. Seems simple enough - a dream most people have, but when he meets Dylan, his carefree, easy-going life is thrown into a tailspin. 

Determined to keep Dylan in his life, Conner vows to resurrect Dylan's long ago buried heart and let love live once more.

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Read Prologue over at Melissa's Blog (CLICK HERE)



  




 I adore the Love Series!  Like Reid and Maddy and the clan are some of my favorite book friends out there!  So when I heard Ms Collins was writing a M/M series for Dylan.  We met Dylan in Let Love Stay and feel in love with him.  But M/M. I was a little nervous.  I don’t read M/M…. I tried once and its just not for me.  But for Ms Collins, I thought If I can get more Reid, I will try.  Reid is definitely worth it!  OMGAWD!!!!!!!!!!   I am so glad I went out of my comfort zone for this one.  The book is basically broken into two parts.  Dylan and Shane and Dylan and Conner.  The first half of this novel seriously broke my heart.  Had me in a sobbing pile of mush and I just wanted to crawl into a corner with my kindle and blanky! Now if you have read the other books in the series you know why this is so depressing.  I have been directly effective by someone I love dearly committing suicide and the guilt and heartbreak that comes after and this just nailed the emotions that come with the aftermath.  This is told in multiple POV’s and is a complete story.  Also even though this is part of series, it can be read as a standalone.

Shane and Dylan had been lift long friends.  They were best friends far as long as they could remember.  Dylan was comfortable about his sexuality.  He knew girls were not for him.  He secretly crushed on his best friend for years knowing the feelings would never be reciprocated.  Until the day something did happen at baseball camp.  Ashamed for how Shane was feeling he fought his feelings.  Shane knew how his father and Reid felt about Dylan’s sexual orientation and how they strongly disagreed with it.  His Father was very vocal about it, and he could not disappoint his father.  For years he suppressed his feelings and fought what he felt in his heart was right.  Finally he gets the courage to act on his feelings.  Again this first half of the novel is so heartbreaking and tough to read emotionally.  I am getting teary eyed just as I type this review.  Gawh…  I would like to say that Dylan and Shane get their happy ending.  But faced with the disappointment and depression, Shane takes things into his own hands.

At this point let’s just say I’m a blubbering idiot.  Thoughts are not coherent and I don’t know how I can go on reading this book! But I know there is much more to this book so I press on…

Dylan has never fully recovered from the Shane’s death.  The guilt that he bears has made his life lonely.  He doesn’t feel like he deserves love when he feels like he could have done something to stop Shane.  Until one day while him and Reid are checking out a new gym that opened up in the neighborhood.  Enter Conner is all sort of things yummy!  He’s built, sexy has hell, and a MMA fighter.   But he has been working through his own issues and personal drama.   He assumes when he sees Dylan and Reid together that they are in a relationship so he doesn’t approach Dylan.   Weeks go by and finally after some coaxing from Reid (oh how I missed him… sigh…) Dylan approaches Conner. 

Can Dylan finally find the happiness he deserves with Conner or will the guilt over Shane’s death be too much?  You just need to read to find out!  Again… don’t let the M/M stop you reading this.  If I would have not opened up to this kind of story I would have missed this amazing novel! 

 5 huge stars! 





 
Melissa Collins has always been a book worm. Studying Literature in college ensured that her nose was always stuck in a book. She followed her passion for reading to the most logical career choice: English teacher. Her hope was to share her passion for reading and the escapism of books to her students. Having spent more than a decade in front of a classroom, she can easily say that it’s been a dream. 

Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.



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