Hi peeps, we have Nic Starr popping in with her newest release Charlie’s Hero, this is a sweet little number that’s sure to please 😉 We have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and my review, so enjoy the post and click that Raffecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

Charlie’s Hero

Nic Starr

Schoolteacher Charlie Matthews returns to his hometown, looking to regain a sense of community, reconnect with friends, and settle down. It looks like his dreams have come true when paramedic Josh Campbell attends an accident at the school. It’s love at first sight, and a romance begins.

But Josh’s reluctance to come out to the brother who raised him, puts pressure on their fledgling relationship. While Charlie understands Josh’s concerns, he can’t help growing impatient. After all, Charlie came out years ago.

It’s not until Charlie confronts his own parents and realizes he hasn’t come to terms with their rejection that he fully understands what Josh has to lose. But Josh is Charlie’s hero, and Josh will do anything to prove to Charlie that to be part of a family, he doesn’t need his parents.

Excerpt

HE WAS in love. Totally, wonderfully, head over heels in love. Love with a capital L, hell, love in full uppercase. All it took was one look, one simple glance, and he was a goner. Of course the object of his admiration was classically handsome—tall and athletic, glowing with good health. Bright eyes, wide smile, waves of shining hair tucked behind perfect ears. He was like all Charlie’s dreams come true, with golden skin hugging strong muscles that strained on long limbs. But even if Charlie hadn’t been attracted to the man’s spectacular good looks, there was no way to overlook his actions.

When Charlie first saw him, he was kneeling on the schoolyard ground, tending to a little girl who was lying prone on the soft-fall rubber surface under the play equipment. She was one of Charlie’s second graders. Her right leg, bent at a strange, unnatural angle, gave a big clue as to her injury. Charlie hoped the leg was the worst she was hurt.

An efficient auburn-haired paramedic was treating her injured leg while the gorgeous guy knelt by her head, hands on either side of her blonde curls, keeping her still. He whispered into her ear, the words obviously having a calming effect—the little girl stared intently up at him, the hitch in her breathing the only evidence of any distress. There was a gentleness to his touch, despite the large hands, and caring in his tone as he concentrated on his patient. How could Charlie not fall in love with this glorious combination of caring, masculine beauty?

“Mr. Matthews. Mr. Matthews.” The urgent high-pitched voice and persistent tugging on his hand drew his attention reluctantly away from the scene unfolding in the playground. Shit, he thought, what the hell am I doing just standing here staring when I should be taking care of the other children, who are no doubt worried and scared? Dropping to one knee and looking Jennifer in the eye, Charlie gave her his full attention. “What is it, Jenny?” he asked, knowing she was going to voice her worry about her small friend on the ground.

“Is Alison going to be all right, Mr. Matthews?” she asked in a low and quavering voice. He replied in a way he hoped would calm her fears, by keeping his voice even and low.

“She’ll be fine, Jenny. Her mummy and daddy will meet her at the hospital, and Miss Bryant is going to go stay with her until they get there. Alison is in very good hands. See those paramedics?” He pointed toward the action under the monkey bars, and she looked across at the small group on the ground and nodded gravely. “Well, they’re very good at their jobs. They’re going to take Alison to the hospital so the doctors can put a cast on her leg. I’m sure she’ll be back at school in no time.”

“But she won’t be able to play,” she whispered, obviously still worried for her friend.

“No, she won’t,” he admitted. “At least she won’t be able to run around for a while, but she will be able to draw and play board games. I know you love to draw, so maybe you can play with Alison to make her feel better. I bet you’ll be able to write your name on the cast too.”

At that, Jenny met his gaze and finally smiled. “Really!” she said with excitement. “That’d be totally cool!”

They looked up as the paramedics wheeled past with the gurney. Little Alison was tightly strapped aboard. She was lying still, no doubt in shock, and holding tightly to the hand of Charlie’s hero. He only glanced their way for a second, obviously reluctant to take his attention away from the little girl who needed him, but that was enough. Their gazes connected, his warm brown eyes seeming to look straight into Charlie’s soul. The surge of emotion that flooded through him took him by surprise. The paramedic blinked and the spell was broken. They moved swiftly past Jenny and Charlie, then loaded the gurney into the back of the ambulance.

Charlie stood frozen to the spot, still holding Jenny’s small hand in his, and watched the ambulance leave. Finally he took a deep breath, turned back to the schoolyard, and started to round up any children still in the playground.

“Come on, everyone,” he called. “It’s time to get back to class.”

As the last stragglers made their way into the single-story building that housed the small group of classrooms, he knew he would be spending the afternoon reassuring the children. He decided that making get-well cards for Alison would be the best way of distracting the group of second graders.

About Nic

Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!

When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family-an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters-and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

You can find Nic on Facebook, Twitter and her blog. She’d love it if you stopped by to say hi.

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Review

Title: Charlie’s Hero

Series: Heroes 01

Author: Nic Starr

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (200pgs)

ISBN: 978-1-63476-095-9

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (17^th June 2015)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Schoolteacher Charlie Matthews returns to his hometown, looking to regain a sense of community, reconnect with friends, and settle down. It looks like his dreams have come true when paramedic Josh Campbell attends an accident at the school. It’s love at first sight, and a romance begins.

But Josh’s reluctance to come out to the brother who raised him, puts pressure on their fledgling relationship. While Charlie understands Josh’s concerns, he can’t help growing impatient. After all, Charlie came out years ago.

It’s not until Charlie confronts his own parents and realizes he hasn’t come to terms with their rejection that he fully understands what Josh has to lose. But Josh is Charlie’s hero, and Josh will do anything to prove to Charlie that to be part of a family, he doesn’t need his parents.

Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6466

Review: Charlie moved back to his hometown because he missed the sense of community and his friends, he’s settled in to his home and job at the elementary school with gusto but his love life is sadly lacking, that is until he spots a sexy paramedic across the playground and is immediately attracted to him. Josh loves his job as a paramedic and has a great group of friends, meeting Charlie has his romantic hopes rising but he dreads his brothers reaction to him being gay. Charlie understands but is getting impatient and it isn’t till he is confronted with his own parent’s rejection that he truly understands Josh’s fear, but Josh will do anything for the man he loves to prove that they can be their own family.

This is a great sweet story where two men open their hearts to each other and seek happiness. Charlie has built a good life for himself in his hometown even knowing that his parents want nothing to do with him, now he just longs to meet someone who he can love and build his own family with. Josh is happy with his life even if he wishes that he had someone to share it with, but he never forgets that while his friends and colleagues know he’s gay his brother has no idea. When these two men meet the sparks fly but Josh’s reluctance to confess to his brother is beginning to tear them apart.

Charlie is a really great character who is very easy going and understanding of Josh’s situation, it does begin to wear on him though and it isn’t until he sees his parents again that he understands just what Josh fears he’ll lose. Josh is an incredible character, he is sweet, slightly shy but oh so willing to embrace all around him. When it comes to his brother though he wishes Andrew would lighten up, but he still acts like the big brother who brought him up after their father died and Josh wishes Andrew would see him as the adult he has become.

Josh and Charlie together are beautiful, their relationship moves at a delicious pace, not to fast but not to slow either. Their connection is instant but they still get to know each other, they share their pasts and their fears and fit together perfectly. Oh and they are completely smexingly hot! The storyline is really good, it keeps pace throughout and offers some interesting nuggets and it also gives us a sneak peek at Andrew’s story 😉  

I recommend this to those who love great friends, a blossoming love, accepting rejection and embracing acceptance and love, hot sexy man love and a very happy ending.  

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