The Official Description: Orphan Jackson Murphy just staked his legacy on a bet.
Holy shit, his impulsive ass is in trouble.
Bring a guy to the fraternity formal? Pfft. Easy. Won’t be him kicked of the house.
So what if his luck with guys on campus has been shitty? Ed Knowles is Jack’s winning ticket.
Tall, handsome, hardworking—and he doesn’t go to Harrison.
With every stolen look, every secret kiss, every clandestine touch Ed becomes more than just an answer to a bet.
These cloak-and-dagger meetings that set Jack on fire? They mask one tiny, enormous obstacle: Ed’s not out. Can’t attend the dance.
What does Jack do now?
Hold on to his legacy… or his heart?
“Better Be Sure” is a sweet, slow burn M/M romance with a heart-pounding HEA. This New Adult, college, opposite sides of the tracks novel can be read as a standalone and in any order.
Series: Harrison Campus #1
Publisher: Andy Gallo & Anyta Sunday (Self Published)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): June 1, 2020
Length (Print & Ebook): Print 242 pages, eBook – 60,000 words
Subgenre: “Better Be Sure” is a sweet, slow-burn M/M romance with a heart-pounding HEA. This New Adult, college, opposite sides of the tracks novel can be read as a standalone and in any order.
Order now: Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XlIxG3
Just the facts: College gay romance, coming out, grief
When Jackson makes a bet that he can take a guy to the upcoming formal, he doesn’t count on meeting a man who takes his breath away and is completely in the closet. – Kinzie Things
My thoughts bit: Jackson Murphy is living at the frat house his father attended and loves it… his roommate is his best friend and sort of brother Marcus and things are going well. Okay, he had a rough spot when he was dating another guy at school who ended up not being so nice. The guy didn’t do much for Jackson’s reputation but he’s okay with it ultimately.
Unfortunately, Jackson has an issue with one guy at their frat house. Harper is a pain in the ass. He’s homophobic and he can’t seem to keep his mouth shut around Jackson. One night, they make a bet after a heated argument. If Jackson can get a guy to go with him to the formal… Harper will move out of the frat house. If Jackson can’t get a guy to go with him, he has to move out.
Not the brightest bet to make, but Jackson is a little impulsive at times even if that seems to make him quite charming. It’s his charm that goes to work when he literally bumps into Ed at a coffee shop. Jackson immediately thinks that Ed is hot… and is “pretty sure” he’s gay.
Jackson and Ed have a lovely friendship that progresses to dating… and then the author brings in the issue: Ed isn’t out to anyone. What I liked was that Jackson immediately knows that it’s a problem for him to date someone who isn’t out. It’s not that he doesn’t’ understand where ed is coming from… he knows that people have different feelings about it and different situations that need to be taken into account. But, in spite of his reservations, Jackson is drawn to Ed and gets in over his head very quickly.
Soon Jackson realizes that he’s in a difficult position. He doesn’t’ want to push Ed towards coming out when he’s not ready. Ed doesn’t want Jackson to take anyone else to the formal. So, Jackson has painted himself into a corner. He can either let down the man he considers a brother or he can let down the man he is pretty sure he loves. It’s a horrible place to be and that author does a great job of conveying the struggle that Jackson is having.
I really liked the pace of the romance between Jackson and Ed. Coming out is a huge issue and is different for everyone. The author wrote Jackson in a way that was really refreshing. He was fully aware of what Ed was going through and tried his best not to push. At the same time, Jackson is also a passionate character and is far more aware of what he wants.
I also thought that the supporting characters were really great. The friendship between Marcus and Jackson was great. Britney was hilarious and a good foil to Jackson! All the supporting characters in the book were really unique and I enjoyed them… even the bad guy!
I appreciate the way that the author wrote about Jackson’s grief regarding the loss of his parents. Grief isn’t something that disappears quickly and (having been through it myself) I really think that losing a parent is something that stays with your permanently. The author relayed Jackson’s grief with great sensitivity.
This was a lovely story and I really enjoyed reading it!
Things You May Want To Know: Please be aware, I’m by no means an expert on what may or may not have the potential to disturb people. I simply list things that I think a reader might want to be aware of. In this book: (SPOILERS) descriptions of panic attacks, death of parents, bullying dating when one person isn’t out.
A note from Andy Gallo and Anyta Sunday:
We want readers to enjoy a good, new adult romance with two MCs who help each other overcome what’s holding them back from finding love,
Excerpt from “Better Be Sure”:
Before the kid could pass, someone bumped him hard enough to knock him off balance. Unprepared for the contact, he watched his much needed caffeine and sugar splatter over the floor.
“Oh fuck, sorry.”
Jack twisted around, a fire in his eye that cooled off instantly. Tall Hot Guy quickly shoved his phone in his pocket, looking totally cute as he gawked wide-eyed at the mess he’d caused. The flush of red to his cheeks had Jack staring. “It’s all right.”
“Oh man, I’m so sorry.” Casting about for a place to put his bag, Tall Hot Guy settled on the counter and started snapping up napkins by the handful. He bent over to spread them on the tiles, and the waistband of his dark blue boxers peeked above his jeans. Jack’s gaze lingered a moment.
About the Authors:
Andy Gallo: Andy Gallo prefers mountains over the beach, coffee over tea, and regardless if you shake it or stir it, he isn’t drinking a martini. He remembers his “good old days” as filled with mullets, disco music, too-short shorts, and too-high socks. Thanks to good shredders and a lack of social media, there is no proof he ever descended into any of those evils.
Andy does not write about personal experiences and no living or deceased ex-boyfriends appear on the pages of his stories. He might subconsciously infuse his characters with some of their less noble qualities, but that is entirely coincidental even if their names are the same. And while Andy leaves the hard sci-fi/fantasy for his alter ego, Andrew, in his mind a touch of the supernatural never derailed a good relationship.
Married and living his own happy every after, Andy helps others find their happy endings in the pages of his stories. He and his husband of more than twenty years spend their days raising their daughter and rubbing elbows with other parents. Embracing his status as the gay dad, Andy sometimes has to remind others that one does want a hint of color even when chasing after their child.
Connect with Andy: Website: www.andygallo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/andygalloauthor
Anyta Sunday: A bit about me: I’m a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love. Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries. I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy. My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Thai.
Connect with Anyta:
Sign up for Anyta’s newsletter and receive a free e-book: http://www.anytasunday.com/newsletter-free-e-book/
Join my Facebook group to chat all things Slow Burn Romance:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SlowBurnSundays/
You can also find me here: www.anytasunday.com
For information about new releases and freebies, follow me on BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anyta-sunday
Giveaway: To celebrate the release of Better Be Sure (Harrison Campus #1), the authors are giving away 3 e-copies of Better Be Sure and 3 e-copies of a winner’s choice of any Anyta Sunday book. Must be 18 to enter and win, open internationally.
I received an ARC of Better Be Sure by Andy Gallo & Anyta Sunday via A Novel Take Promotions in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 