Closing the Loop by Jane Davitt Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi peeps, we have Jane Davitt popping in with the tour for her newest release Closing The Loop, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Zane’s review, so ejnoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

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Closing The Loop

by

Jane Davitt

A “closed loop” voyage occurs when a vessel departs from a port and returns to the same port upon completion of the voyage.

A week on a tropical gay cruise is just what Lee needs after a bad breakup and a Canadian winter. It’s a shame his ex is on board, but Lee is sharing a cabin with Cole, a hot lawyer who—as luck would have it—is actually from Lee’s city. So when Cole unexpectedly awakens Lee’s kinky side, Lee begins to dream that they can actually take their shipboard romance home with them.

But Cole is keeping secrets involving a troubled young man on board the ship. And Lee, after his recent brush with betrayal, finds it difficult to trust Cole when he says Justin isn’t a rival.

Then he learns the truth and is also drawn into the tragic story. His dream vacation is in danger of turning dark, but he’s determined to navigate Cole and himself to a safe harbor before their blisteringly hot romance is lost at sea.

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Excerpt

Lee adjusted his tray of paperclips. It made a change from staring at the door of the travel agency and willing someone to walk in. A change, not an improvement. Even in late January, Fridays were usually busy, but a winter storm had covered Southern Ontario with eight inches of wet snow that lay heavy as fruitcake. The center of Mississauga was never empty of people, but everyone walking by had their heads down against the snow-laden wind, oblivious to the lit window of Globe Travel. Lee’s coworker Katy had called in sick and the manager was at a conference, leaving him bored and lonely.

Come in, he urged the passersby silently. Book a vacation. Get away from this endless fucking winter.

He was doing that soon. The thought cheered him. Two weeks and he’d be flying to Fort Lauderdale and getting onto a cruise ship for a week of partying with Ryan at his side. Or on top of him. Or under him. Any position but overboard.

Gay cruises. Whoever invented them deserved a rainbow-shaped medal.

This would be his first, though he’d sent hundreds of people away on them in his five years at the agency. They weren’t cheap, though, and it’d taken a windfall in the shape of a scratch card win of ten thousand dollars to make it possible. He’d treated himself to the card on an impulse while paying for gas in the fall and walked around in a rosy glow for days afterward.

Found money should be enjoyed, and the Valentine cruise on the Amarillo was the perfect destination for those thousands of dollars. The ship would set sail from Florida and out to a sun-bathed Caribbean, stopping at islands with white sand beaches and vibrant towns, surging through turquoise waters with majestic ease.

The ship was huge, a floating luxury hotel with gorgeous, scantily clad men in abundance if the website was to be trusted. Lee was cynical enough to assume most of the passengers would be like him: average looking, in need of toning up after the excesses of the festive season, and if they were fellow Canucks, sunlight-deprived. He didn’t care. Ryan was the only man he’d be staring at. Ryan, who’d been too broke to contribute to the suite Lee had booked, but who’d promised to save in the six months before they sailed.

“I don’t want to sponge off you,” he’d said, dark-blue eyes sincere. “I’ll pay for the extras. They mount up. Bar bills, wi-fi, meals ashore. They’re on me, all of them.”

“Not all of them,” Lee had protested, “but, yeah, it’d be great if you could chip in a bit. God, should we be doing this? We could put it toward a down payment on a house.”

“It’s nowhere near enough, and you said it yourself: it’s free money. A gift from the gods. Don’t waste it on bills and boring crap. Live a little.” Ryan had pointed at Lee’s laptop. “Look at that room. Private balcony! Don’t tell me you don’t want to bend me over the rail and fuck me while we watch the sun go down. Or me go down if you like that idea better.”

Ryan always topped and claimed blowjobs made him nauseous—giving, not getting—but Lee had grinned and gone along with the fantasy. After trading increasingly impossible scenarios, they’d gotten so into it that Lee ended up with his knees rubbed red courtesy of the rug in front of the couch. Rug burns faded. His ass had taken a full three days to recover. Ryan had been in too much of a hurry to find the lube, and if the condom had protected his cock from chafing, it hadn’t helped Lee’s asshole much.

Lost as he was in hazy fantasies, the jingle of the bell over the door startled him. With his cock at half-mast in keeping with the nautical flavor of his daydreams, he stayed seated instead of rising to greet the customer. He compensated by making his welcoming smile as warm as possible.

It wasn’t difficult. The guy was hot. Older than he was by a few years and—judging by the tailored suit under a cashmere overcoat—with more in his piggy bank than air. But a cat could look at a king.

Lee looked his fill. Tall. Wide shoulders and a trim frame, long legs and hands in—oh God, black leather gloves. Total kink of his. Skin over skin and touching his skin . . . Bareheaded and hair cut so close to the skull that, at first glance, Lee had taken him to be bald. Dark skin, smooth over sharp cheekbones, good-looking enough that the tiny mole at the end of his left eyebrow came as a relief from perfection.

He could look, but staring was rude. And verged on disloyal to Ryan.

The man dropped his gaze to the nameplate on Lee’s desk, kept shiny by Lee because he got a kick out of seeing it gleam. “Mr. Jones. Good morning. I’d like to book a cruise through your company.”

Huh. English, not Canadian. Lee had roomed with a Brit at college and gotten used to Simon’s accent. He’d called it cute once, and Simon had snickered.

“Mate, I’m from Dudley. People twenty miles down the road can’t understand a word I say, my accent’s that thick. Don’t tell me: all us Brits sound the same? Take it from me, for a place you could lose in Southern Ontario, we’ve got more accents than Tim Hortons has donuts. And mine isn’t one of the cute ones.”

He’d sounded proud of that.

“A cruise?” Lee caught himself before he added On a ship? and lost all semblance of credibility as a travel agent. “Great idea. Anywhere but here, eh? Take a seat and we’ll start the process.” Mindful of the whirling snow outside and the melting flakes on the man’s head and shoulders, he asked, “Can I get you a coffee?”

“Thanks, but I’m at my limit for the day.” A smile broke up the severity of the man’s features, warming his brown eyes. “Over three cups and I twitch.”

Lee’s capacity to drink coffee was limited by how fast he could swallow, but he smiled back. “That’s my reaction if they take the coffee away. Can I get your name?”

“Cole. Joseph Cole.”

Lee nodded, filing it away. “Did you have a specific cruise or destination in mind, Mr. Cole?”

“Yes, I do. The ship’s the Amarillo and she sails from Florida on—”

“February the tenth.” God, what were the odds? He tried to fit Mr. Cole into one of the online photos of the cruise ship and flinched. No one wore anything but Speedos and a smile in those, and this man seemed born to wear a bespoke suit and nothing else. Stripping him down, even mentally, seemed disrespectful.

That got him raised eyebrows and a tilt of the head in acknowledgment. “Impressive memory for details you have there. You must deal with dozens of cruises.”

Honesty compelled him to confess. “Not really. Well, I guess I do—hundreds, in fact—but I’m sailing on that ship too.” He cleared his throat, heat burning his cheeks. Better get it out there just in case. “It’s a gay cruise. Not only for men, but . . .”

“I’m aware.” Cole raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to pass a test to prove I qualify?”

Lee choked over nothing more than spit swallowed wrong and his active imagination. He pictured Cole gravely completing a questionnaire about his favorite position and views on flavored condoms or heated lube and willed his blush to subside. “Not at all. No. But that cruise is fully booked. Has been for a few weeks now. I can get you on the next one, or suggest alternatives sailing on those dates.”

“It has to be that ship and those dates, I’m afraid.” Cole tapped long fingers against his thigh. “I assume there’s a possibility someone will cancel?”

“Sure, and I can get you on a wait-list, but don’t —”

“Don’t get my hopes up?” Cole shrugged. “I promise I won’t hold you to blame if it sails without me.”

“Yeah, well.” Lee shuffled papers on his desk with no idea of what he was doing, mixing in flyers for Muskoka cottages with memos about new guidelines for airport security. “I’ll see if I can pull some strings.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

The sincerity wrapped around the words stayed with him while he dealt with the details of the provisional booking, and made his efforts to push Cole higher up the list worth the effort. But later, having done what he could, he did his best to forget the man. It didn’t seem right to go home to Ryan with even a residual yearning for someone else. Not that Ryan would notice or care if he did. Lee had tried making him jealous at a Halloween party in the hope of rekindling some of the spark they used to have and had gotten nowhere. Probably because Ryan, dressed as a Roman centurion, had been flirting with a pirate, and didn’t notice the zombie offering to eat more than Lee’s brains. It was good Ryan wasn’t possessive, but Lee would’ve liked it if that sprang from trust not indifference.

In some ways, he hoped Cole didn’t make the passenger list. Seeing him on board would be awkward. Of course, the ship was huge. They could go the whole voyage and not cross paths. And what difference did it make? They’d smile and nod, exchange a few words about small worlds, and walk on. He would be with Ryan, and Cole—well, Cole would be with someone. Self-contained and serious on land didn’t mean a thing on board. A few cocktails in him, surrounded by thousands of men focused on having a good time, and Cole would loosen up. A smiling Cole, relaxed, at ease, would have zero difficulty in finding someone to share his bed.

Lee got home early. Ryan was there, being currently between jobs. He’d tidied and done the laundry, two actions rare enough to leave Lee suspicious rather than grateful. He made all the right noises, though, and settled down to eat. Ryan dished out the defrosted and reheated leftovers of a curry Lee had made the week earlier. It’d been a good curry, spicy without too much heat, and Lee didn’t mind eating it again, even if the rice was soggy.

“I’ve been thinking about the cruise,” Ryan said around a mouthful of naan bread.

“Yeah? Not long now. Funny thing happened at work. This guy came in—”

“We need some ground rules.”

The interruption annoyed Lee, but he hid it with a grin. “No alcohol until the sun’s over the yardarm? A daily limit on buying tacky souvenirs?”

“No.” Ryan studied his plate. “It’ll be wall-to-wall temptation. You know it and I know it. So let’s go in agreeing if we want to have sex with someone, we do it. No deceit, everything above board, and no questions asked.”

Lee froze. The rice he’d swallowed seemed stuck in his throat. “Excuse me?”

“Picture it.” Ryan met his eyes now, excitement sharpening his features. “Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Hot guys and a safe space add up to fantasy time. We can go for that threesome we always wanted to try.”

You wanted.” Breathing had become an effort. In. Out. His lungs knew what to do, but his brain had shut down. “I never did.”

Ryan wasn’t listening. He never did when someone disagreed with him.

“Safe. Totally safe. We use condoms for everything, including BJs. Don’t let me forget to pack a few boxes because they’ll cost a fortune on board.” Ryan stood, stretching his arms above his head. His T-shirt rode up, exposing a flat, muscular stomach. He was in great shape. Lee had approved of the regular trips to the gym without realizing Ryan’s motives. Couldn’t hook the hotties if you were flabby. “See how I’m being responsible and saving money? Aren’t you proud of me?”

Lee found his voice. “Ryan, I’m not okay with this. You’ve been my boyfriend for nearly three years. We live together, for God’s sake.”

Ryan dropped to his knees by Lee’s chair, the movement smooth, graceful. “And that’s why we can do this without worrying. We’re solid. We can take a time-out and when we get off the boat, ship, whatever, it’ll be like it was before, except we’ll have some happy memories.” He flashed Lee a sparkling smile, freshly whitened teeth on display. “If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t dream of suggesting this, believe me, babe.”

“If you didn’t trust me?” Lee shoved his chair back and stood, leaving Ryan on his knees looking ridiculous. “You twisted piece of shit, how dare you make this into a fucking compliment?”

The argument that followed left Lee shaken. Ryan thwarted was vicious, using everything he knew of Lee as a weapon to get his own way. When he failed, he played his trump card.

“Then I guess this is it. It’s over. I’ll pack my things and move out.”

That was Lee’s cue to protest or at least ask where Ryan could go with no money to speak of and no car. He shrugged instead. “Fine by me. Leave your key behind when you do. And your ticket for the cruise. I’ll be able to get a refund.”

“Oh no.” Spite edged every word. “You put it in my name, remember? And the plane ticket. I’m still going. Still sharing that suite with you. And still fucking every ass that comes up to my standards. Don’t bother begging to get in line. I might let you watch, though. You can wipe my dick dry if you ask nicely.”

Lee lunged at him, but Ryan sidestepped, chuckling in a way that made visions of pushing him overboard shine brightly. Windmilling arms, a fading scream, a giant splash, and then maybe some circling sharks to complete the picture. Except Lee didn’t want the poor beasts to get indigestion.

He settled for dumping everything Ryan owned out of the door and watching him scramble to shove it into bin bags and two suitcases. There wasn’t much. Laptop, clothes, and a toothbrush. Ryan traveled light, borrowed heavy.

Ryan kept up a steady stream of curses until their next-door neighbor Sophie came out of her apartment to scold him. Mother of two, she’d never liked Ryan. He’d laughed at her cat, an overweight bruiser she adored beyond reason. Fluffy was jet-black, growled deep in his vast belly as an alternative to purring, and tolerated no one’s touch but Sophie’s. He appeared at the door, eyeing Ryan with studied malevolence. Sophie swung him up into her arms, murmuring endearments, nuzzling into his neck. Anyone else who did that would’ve lost an eye.

“He’s leaving,” Lee said. “Now.”

Sophie drew her hand down Fluffy’s back, the diamanté design on her purple nails twinkling in the hallway light. “Good riddance.”

The slam of her door was emphatic, and Ryan sighed, looking, for a moment, lost and vulnerable. Lee ground his teeth. He wouldn’t repent his decision. Or tell Ryan it was a mistake. He would throw the man he loved into the snow with nowhere to go and no money to speak of.

Oh God, could he do that?

Ryan made it easy. “So you know, it would’ve worked out. I mean, I slept with Callum at Christmas and you can’t say it made a difference. You didn’t even notice.”

“Wait, what? Callum?” Lee gaped at him. “When I had flu and you stayed with him because you didn’t want to catch it? Then? When I was coughing my guts out and felt like death?”

“It was Christmas.” Ryan shrugged. “I was horny. He was there. It meant nothing. God, why do you get so hung up on things that just don’t matter?” With a reproving, disappointed stare, he turned to leave.

Lee knew they had an unseen audience, TVs muted in every apartment while people tried to get an earful of the scandal, but he was past caring. “Is that where you’re running to? Callum’s? Going to fall on his mercy and ask him to fall on your dick again?”

“Now you’re embarrassing yourself.” Ryan adjusted his grip on his suitcase. “See you at the airport, I guess.”

Two steps, three, around the corner, and out of sight. Lee stared after him, bewildered, a vast confusion filling him. He’d split up with Ryan. Treacherous, cheating Ryan. Their relationship over and done with. He wasn’t Ryan’s boyfriend, dating one of the hottest guys in their circle of friends. He was single again, unwanted, lonely.

And his vacation was ruined.

 For more excerpt click here: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/closing-the-loop (just click the excerpt tab)

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About Jane

Jane Davitt is English, and has been living in Canada with her husband, two children, and two cats, since 1997. Writing and reading are her main occupations but if she ever had any spare time she might spend it gardening, walking, or doing cross stitch. She’s recently taken up yoga and loves discovering her ability to bend.

Jane has been writing since 2002 and wishes she’d started earlier. She is a huge fan of SF, fantasy, erotica, and mystery novels and has a tendency to get addicted to TV shows that get cancelled all too soon.

She owns over 4,000 books, rarely gives any away, but is happy to loan them, and is of the firm opinion that there is no such thing as “too many books.”

Connect with Jane:

 Website: janedavitt.com
Twitter: @janedavitt
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Giveaway!

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a signed print copy of Lucky Strike.

(Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win! )
Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 30. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.
(Ends 30th May 2015)

Review

Jane Davitt - Closing The Loop _500x750Title: Closing the Loop

Author: Jane Davitt

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (150 pages)

ISBN: 9781626492813

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (25th May 2015)          

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 3 ½ Hearts

Reviewer: Zane

Blurb: A week on a tropical gay cruise is just what Lee needs after a bad breakup and a Canadian winter. It’s a shame his ex is on board, but Lee is sharing a cabin with Cole, a hot lawyer who—as luck would have it—is actually from Lee’s city. So when Cole unexpectedly awakens Lee’s kinky side, Lee begins to dream that they can actually take their shipboard romance home with them.

But Cole is keeping secrets involving a troubled young man on board the ship. And Lee, after his recent brush with betrayal, finds it difficult to trust Cole when he says Justin isn’t a rival.

Then he learns the truth and is also drawn into the tragic story. His dream vacation is in danger of turning dark, but he’s determined to navigate Cole and himself to a safe harbor before their blisteringly hot romance is lost at sea.

Product Link: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/closing-the-loop

Review: What do you do when you have to share a cabin on a gay cruise with your jerk of an ex because you booked it before you were exes? Upgrade to a shared room with a stranger (who you later find you have met once before at which time you thought was hot) and proceed to have kinky sex with said hottie. Next? Build a friendship/budding relationship out of that sexcapade while dealing with each other’s personal issues – also present on said ship. All this in the span of three action packed days. Plausible? No. Did that matter? Not really.

I liked Lee and Cole together. Their hookups were sexy and fun, and they seemed to bring out the best in each other in that way. Forced to deal with each other’s own drama (also on board in the form of said ex for Lee and family issues for Cole) they began to establish trust as well. It was plain to see this was the start of something more.

Though I enjoyed this, there were moments of frustration for me – it seemed like something was always getting in the way of these two just having a good time together. Thankfully, the hot sexiness and humor more than made up for that. Did I mention there was kink? It IS a Jane Davitt read, after all. You KNOW you’re going to get kink, bondage of some sort and the hot sex that comes along with the two. I think Lee and his fetish may have given me a leather curiosity. Maybe. Because what fun!

I liked Lee and Cole together. I liked their honesty, their trust and their kink. Make no mistake about it, these two were hot together, and when all was said and done, they were given their due. Recommended to anyone who likes their sexy kink with some humor and leather and a well deserved HEA.

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Check out the other blogs on the blog tour

May 25, 2015 – 3 Chicks After Dark
May 25, 2015 – MM Good Book Reviews
May 26, 2015 – Cup O’ Porn
May 26, 2015 – Love Bytes Reviews
May 27, 2015 – The Novel Approach
May 27, 2015 – Joyfully Jay
May 28, 2015 – Sinfully Sexy Books
May 28, 2015 – The Jeep Diva
May 29, 2015 – Prism Book Alliance
May 29, 2015 – All I Want and More
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9 thoughts on “Closing the Loop by Jane Davitt Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

  1. This author is new to me also. I plan on changing that. thanks
    debby236 at gmail dot com

  2. Congrats on the new book! Thank you for the excerpt =)

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

  3. I have never read any book by Jane Davitt yet, but I’m really looking forward to it. Thank you for the chance

    susanaperez7140(at)gmail(dot)com

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