Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen Release Blast, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Everything Changes

Series: Resilient Love #1

Author: Melanie Hansen

Publisher: Self-Published (formerly Dreamspinner)

Release Date: September 14, 2020

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 65,000

Genre: Romance, Military, disability, amputee, post-traumatic stress, friends to lovers, bisexual

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Synopsis

A childhood in foster care taught Carey Everett to hold tight to what he has. Enlisting in the Marines gave him purpose, but a life-threatening injury ended his career—and took his leg. Now fully recovered, Carey’s happier than he’s ever been. He has a fulfilling job, a chosen family and, best of all, a cherished friendship with Jase DeSantis, the platoon medic who saved his life.

Jase knows how to take care of the people he loves. As the oldest of seven, and then a Navy corpsman, it’s what he was born to do. Still, he’s haunted by his actions overseas. Playing music with his band keeps the demons at bay, but it’s a battle he’s starting to lose.

After a week of sun and fun in San Diego, Jase and Carey’s connection takes an unexpected turn. With change comes a new set of challenges. For Jase, it means letting someone else into his deepest pain. For Carey, it’s realizing love doesn’t always equal loss. In order to make their relationship work, they’ll each have to come to terms with their pasts…

…or risk walking away from each other for good.

Excerpt

With an oath, Carey broke away from Jase, turned, and strode off the dance floor.

Cursing, Jase ran after him.

“Carey, wait!” he called, but Carey didn’t stop as he pushed through the doors leading to the patio. It was almost empty, the chill of the late night air having driven most everyone back inside. Abruptly, Carey whirled and grabbed onto Jase’s T-shirt with both fists.

Bracing for a shove, or a blow, Jase staggered when Carey instead yanked him into the shadows just outside a soft pool of light.

“Damn you,” he hissed, his eyes glittering. “Damn you, Jase.” Despite the harshness of his tone, Carey didn’t let go of him, his fingers twisted in the fabric of Jase’s shirt. His lips were parted, breaths coming in pants, spots of color high on his cheekbones.

His heart thudding painfully in his ears, Jase deliberately took one step closer until their bodies were only inches apart. Carey turned his head away, but still didn’t let go, his grip tightening.

“Damn you,” he said again, but the words were without heat, softer, more like an exhalation. He dropped his head back to the wall, pulse throbbing visibly in the hollow of his throat, eyes drifting shut. “Oh God. I don’t know what’s happening to me.” His voice was barely audible.

Blood racing, body trembling, all Jase could do was wait him out. At last Carey opened his eyes, the normally brilliant blue dark with emotion. His gaze clung to Jase’s, his lips parting as Jase started to close the last few inches of distance between them…

Gasping, Carey shoved him back, then yanked him close again in an abrupt motion that had Jase slamming his palms against the wall to keep from crashing into him. He looked down at Carey’s fists, still twisted in his shirt, then met his eyes once more.

“Let me go,” he said softly. “If you don’t want me to kiss you, push me away.”

For one heart-stopping second, Carey’s grip loosened, then tightened again. Leaning in until their lips were only a whisper apart, Jase breathed, “Let me go. If you don’t want me to kiss you—”

The rest of his words were muffled by Carey’s mouth, crushing his. Hot, slick, eager, Carey’s tongue slid deep, almost devouring him. With a hoarse groan, Jase slanted his head, his own tongue thrusting, parrying. They bit and licked at each other, bodies straining, breaths sawing in and out…

Then Carey ripped his mouth free. “No.”

Struggling to focus, Jase staggered a bit when Carey pushed him away. For the space of several heartbeats they stared at each other, chests heaving, Carey’s body tense, coiled, as if ready to flee.

Seeing it, Jase forced himself to blow out a long, slow breath, and crammed his hands in his pockets as he deliberately took another step back, giving him some room.

“I’m sorry,” Carey whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” With an effort, Jase kept his voice low, calm. “I was a more than willing participant.” He waited until Carey met his eyes. “You think I don’t want this? Want you?”

Carey shook his head wildly. “I can’t risk it. I can’t.”

“Oh, Carey. Risk what?”

His throat worked. “Losing you.”

“Losing me?” Jase took a step forward, but Carey put up a hand to hold him back.

“Three years ago, I did almost lose you. Over this.” He made a sawing motion between them.

“That was different.” Jase still kept his voice low, despite the emotion raging through him that made him want to shout at the top of his lungs. “This is—”

“It’s what?” Carey interrupted. “Unfinished business? Curiosity?”

Pain stabbed Jase down low. “Is that what it feels like to you? Curiosity?”

“I don’t know!” Carey shoved his hands through his hair, then linked his fingers behind his neck, visibly striving for calm. He met Jase’s eyes again. “But whatever it is, it’s not worth risking our friendship over. I can’t—”

He sounded so distressed that Jase dredged deep and summoned a smile. “Then we won’t risk it. We’ll forget this ever happened, okay? Chalk it up to temporary insanity or something.”

The relief that spread across Carey’s face made his heart ache. “Yeah. Okay.” Pushing off the wall, he brushed past him, muttering, “See you at home.”

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Meet the Author

Melanie Hansen doesn’t get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she’s visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

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Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen Cover Reveal!

Everything Changes

by Melanie Hansen

Cover Created by : Natasha Snow

Release Date: September 14, 2020

Available to Pre-Order at Amazon

Add to Goodreads

A childhood in foster care taught Carey Everett to hold tight to what he has. Enlisting in the Marines gave him purpose, but a life-threatening injury ended his career—and took his leg. Now fully recovered, Carey’s happier than he’s ever been. He has a fulfilling job, a chosen family and, best of all, a cherished friendship with Jase DeSantis, the platoon medic who saved his life.

Jase knows how to take care of the people he loves. As the oldest of seven, and then a Navy corpsman, it’s what he was born to do. Still, he’s haunted by his actions overseas. Playing music with his band keeps the demons at bay, but it’s a battle he’s starting to lose.

After a week of sun and fun in San Diego, Jase and Carey’s connection takes an unexpected turn. With change comes a new set of challenges. For Jase, it means letting someone else into his deepest pain. For Carey, it’s realizing love doesn’t always equal loss. In order to make their relationship work, they’ll each have to come to terms with their pasts…

…or risk walking away from each other for good.

Pre-Order Your Copy on Amazon Today!

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Unquiet by Melanie Hansen ~ Audiobook

Title: Unquiet

Series: Resilient Love 03

Author: Melanie Hansen

Narrator: Michael Stellman

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 10 hrs 32 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (13th September 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Loren Smith has been in love with Eliot Devlin almost his entire life. During their turbulent childhood and teen years, Loren didn’t always understand Eliot, and sometimes he could be a challenge, but Eliot was the only one to ever truly ease Loren’s deep loneliness and accept him. When Eliot’s increasingly erratic and self-destructive behavior culminates in a suicide attempt at 17, Loren is devastated.

Upon meeting again by chance nine years later, Loren is enjoying a successful career as a police officer while Eliot’s life has been a constant struggle for stability. In and out of mental hospitals, with a rap sheet a mile long, he continues to be buffeted by the twin storms of mania and depression. Loren’s love and protectiveness for Eliot are deeply ingrained in him, however, and their feelings for each other are quickly rekindled.

Loren has issues of his own that he’s dealing with, and trying to understand and cope with Eliot’s bipolar disorder isn’t easy. They believe they’re meant to be, and Eliot brings a fulfillment to Loren’s life that no one else will ever match. But, as they both come to realize, love by itself can’t cure all.

Product Link: Audible AU | Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Unquiet is the third book in Melanie Hansen’s series Resilient Love and this book certainly lives up to the title. I’ve been one to do trigger warnings in my reviews but I feel that I need to for this as there is one character who suffers from a severe mental illness, to the point of attempting suicide. This book left me raw and I think I cried throughout the entire 10-odd hours that the book went for. Michael Stellman, a new narrator for me, was just perfect, hitting the right tone and emotion.

This is the story of Eliot and Loren.

Loren is a cop who we met in the previous book as the best friend as one of our heroes (FYI he is Kai Daniels’s best friend), but it’s ok to read this one as a standalone book. Loren knew that he would be a cop when he was a kid, it was family thing for him but it is a job that he loves. There was really only one thing that was left a loose end for him and that was the sudden loss of his best friend, Eliot Devlin when they were in high school. Eliot was always different but until the suicide attempt he had never known that his best friend had had all the signs of bipolar disorder, even as a kid. As kids their relationship was very sweet because they were each other’s everything until one day Eliot tried to kill himself and then Eliot and his family suddenly moved away without Loren ever knowing what happened to Eliot.

Ok, I’m seriously starting to cry just writing about this book. This left such a mark on me, it’s one of those books that just stays with you for days and weeks after you finish. With that said, I’m going to keep the rest of this review short.

Fast forward to the present day and Loren took up an opportunity that could mean a promotion to detective for him. By chance he encounters Eliot after so many years. Loren immediately tracks down his best friend, even after finding out the horrifying and sad truth of his illness. At first Loren understands on the surface but he really needed to experience more of Eliot’s illness to fully comprehend what life would be. Eliot is used to being alone but as soon as Loren comes back into his life it was like a switch was flipped and their old friendship is something of an anchor to him despite his issues. However, Eliot’s issues are not minor and can just be glossed over to a quick HEA and I think that is what I loved about this story. I am glad, too, that Hansen’s didn’t fall into the trap that Eliot would suddenly be better just because he found love with Loren.

Sometimes I wanted to kick Loren because he didn’t see what that sometimes his behavior did negative things to Eliot’s state of mind. But I knew that this was on the bumpy road to Loren understanding Eliot and maybe, just maybe there would be a chance of a future together.

Signs of Life by Melanie Hansen ~ Audiobook

Title: Signs of Life

Series: Resilient Love 02

Author: Melanie Hansen

Narrator: Robert Nieman

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 8 hrs 22 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (21st March 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: Successful lawyer Jeremy Speer has it all – a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a cherished dream that’s about to become reality. He’s learned not to take happiness for granted, meeting the challenges of life and love head-on with unwavering commitment and fierce devotion. A series of tragic events leaves Jeremy shattered, adrift on a sea of unimaginable pain. He’s able to piece his life back together, but instead of embracing it, he merely exists, using isolation and punishing physical exertion to keep the world at bay.

High school teacher Kai Daniels has a heart for at-risk kids – he was one himself, and a teenage brush with the law and some troubled years behind bars left him scarred inside and out. With courage, hard work, and the support of friends, he’s built a fulfilling life that leaves no time for a relationship.

An intense encounter with Kai at a gay club ignites a spark in Jeremy that he thought was extinguished forever, but he’s unwilling to destroy the fragile peace he’s managed to create, and he leaves Kai humiliated and disappointed. Things should have ended there, but a bizarre occurrence brings the two together in a way neither of them expected.

Product Link: Audible USAudible AU | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Signs of Life is book 2 in Melanie Hansen’s Resilient Love series. I hadn’t been sure what to expect. I had read book 1, about 2 years ago, and from reading my review of that I loved it, though I had trouble remembering all of the plot. Regardless, I went into the audio of book 2 with an open mind and hoping that I didn’t need to do a proper re-read of book 2. While I’m sure it would be best to read the books in order, I find that Signs of Life also works perfectly well as a standalone book. However, be warned, it’s probably best to have some tissues handy for this one.

The story follows Jeremy Speer, a lawyer with a tragic past after the death of his family, and passionate school teacher who works with troubled kids, Kai Daniels.

Jeremy has a lot of baggage and emotion to work through before even thinking about a relationship beyond sex. After their first encounter, work brings the two men back together and Kai is not a very happy man about seeing the man he thought as an asshole. For Jeremy, the fact that he barely knows Kai, especially since their first encounter is in a dark, dingy gay club, he has to open himself up before completely fucking up any chance he could have with Kai.

The plot line itself is fairly simple and I’ve tried to keep this review spoiler free, which is the reason why it is so short. For me though, this book was all about the emotion – the loneliness, hurt and grief which has the opportunity to transform into acceptance, love and hope.

I’ve not heard a lot of books narrated by Robert Nieman, and while he is not among my absolute favorite narrators, I nonetheless enjoyed listening to his narration.

Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen

Title: Everything Changes

Series: Resilient Love 01

Author: Melanie Hansen

Genre: Contemporary, Military

Length: Novel (200 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (13 Mar 2015)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: What happens when friendship catches fire? 

Former Marine and lower-leg amputee Carey Everett keeps a gruelling schedule of counselling fellow war veterans and their families. The injury he received in Afghanistan forces him to rely on a reserve of strength he didn’t even know he had. A much deserved vacation will let him reconnect with his best friend, who saved his life and has been there for him through devastating injury and painful recovery. 

Part-time EMT and aspiring singer Jase DeSantis has been in love with Carey for years, but he’s come to accept that his straight friend will never be able to offer more. Jase fills his days with band rehearsals, ambulance shifts, and willing groupies, all while trying to cope with debilitating PTSD.

A week of sun, fun, and music in San Diego changes Jase and Carey’s lives forever when their relationship takes an unexpected turn. Jase has been longing for that change, but it leaves Carey reeling with confusion. As Jase fights to hold things together, Carey deals with doubts, fears, and his own preconceived notions about labels and the true nature of love.

ISBN: 9781632165701

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon UK | Amazon US

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is one emotionally charged read and I loved it! Everything Changes is Melanie Hansen’s debut novel and I have to say for me it hit all the right buttons. I’m a sucker when it comes to the wounded soldier kind of angle and really enjoy the emotional rush that must inevitably follow provided that the author hits on those emotions.

This is about best friends, ex-Naval medic Jase DeSantis who out in the real world works as an EMT and working hard to get his band signed up to a record deal. Carey is an ex-Marine, an explosion in Afghanistan meant that he had lost the lower half of one of his legs and he now works with other ex-service people who have trouble coping with their own injuries. The guys met in service and became friends on board a ship some years earlier and through Carey’s rehab they continued being friends.

I enjoyed the brief flashbacks because, honestly, nothing bores me more than a long flashback telling us how we got to where we are in the middle of a book. These flashbacks helped to serve to explain the friendship and comradely between the guys, they also serve to define Jase and Carey’s individual issues. For example, Jase also has PTSD that Carey helps him to deal with during the course of the book. Okay, one thing that niggled at me, why did it take Carey so long to see Jase’s PTSD? I suppose there are many reasons to potentially explain this one.

So that’s the guys – now the attraction. I loved it, it was slow simmering. Jase is openly bisexual. Carey, I think, is just confused about their attraction and his sexuality, something that I concluded after a couple of flashbacks. That being said there is a bit of the “gay for my best friend” or “gay for you only” vibe, but really it is only a side note and not really what the book is about. Together, Jase and Carey work well and it’s easy to quickly cheer for these guys to get along.

Signs of Life by Melanie Hansen Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

Melanie Hansen - Signs of Life -virtual-tour-updated

Hi guys, we have Melanie Hansen visiting with the tour for her latest release Signs of Life, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Zane’s review for you to enjoy, so check out the post and click that rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

SOL_Cover

Signs of Life

(Resilient Love 02)
by

Melanie Hansen

Successful lawyer Jeremy Speer has it all—a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a cherished dream that’s about to become reality. He’s learned not to take happiness for granted, meeting the challenges of life and love head-on with unwavering commitment and fierce devotion. A series of tragic events leave Jeremy shattered, adrift on a sea of unimaginable pain. He’s able to piece his life back together, but instead of embracing it, he merely exists, using isolation and punishing physical exertion to keep the world at bay.

 High school teacher Kai Daniels has a heart for at-risk kids—he was one himself, and a teenage brush with the law and some troubled years behind bars left him scarred inside and out. With courage, hard work, and the support of friends, he’s built a fulfilling life that leaves no time for a relationship.

An intense encounter with Kai at a gay club ignites a spark in Jeremy that he thought was extinguished forever, but he’s unwilling to destroy the fragile peace he’s managed to create, and he leaves Kai humiliated and disappointed. Things should have ended there, but a bizarre occurrence brings the two together in a way neither of them expected.

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