‘Mask’ by @Teodora_Kostova #LGBT #BlogTour #Review

Title: Mask

Series: West End #2

Author: Teodora Kostova

Release Date: November 6, 2014

Blurb:

Adam Fischer doesn’t believe in second chances. Heartbroken after his lover Charlie leaves him to chase his music career in L.A., Adam is convinced that meaningless one-night-stands are all life has in store for him.

Until fate drops Penn Shields in his lap.

Penn is a young, talented designer fresh out of college who has just landed his dream job as a wardrobe assistant in Queen Victoria theatre, where Adam is performing in a popular musical.

He’s also Charlie’s brother.

The last thing Penn wants is to follow in his brother’s footsteps, especially since they haven’t spoken in years. However, the attraction he feels for Adam grows with each day, and soon resisting it proves to be futile.

As Adam and Penn get to know each other intimately, they both realise that first impressions may be deceiving, and that, sometimes, second chances come in the same packaging.

*explicit sexual content, graphic language and adult themes. Recommended for readers 18+ only*

Excerpt:

The night passed in a blur of music, dancing, laughter, and glasses clicking together. The smile never left Penn’s face, and he looked like he was having the most fun, even though he switched to sparkling water after the second cocktail. Adam loved dancing with him, holding him tight as Penn wiggled that delicious ass against Adam’s hips. He loved the way his skin smelled when it was flushed and sweaty, and couldn’t help but kiss him every chance he got.

By 2:00 AM the club started to wind down. Jared and Fenix were still dancing, holding each other as they swayed to the slow, sexy rhythm of the current song. Penn placed his empty glass on the table and turned to look at Adam over his shoulder. Adam knew that look. That look promised some very naughty things happening to him in the near future.

Turning to fully face Adam, Penn moved to straddle his hips and lock his hands behind his neck. He then dipped his head and gave Adam a teasing, sensual kiss, just lips moving against lips, until Adam groaned and buckled his hips to meet Penn’s.

“Wanna dance?” Penn asked as he separated their mouths. Adam shook his head vigorously and hooking a hand behind his neck, bringing Penn down again. He kissed him urgently, demanding instant access with his tongue. Penn allowed him in, grinding their hips together in the slow rhythm of the song, and moaning obscenely as Adam cupped his ass and squeezed.

Just then, the song changed. Hearing the first notes of Nix’s latest ballad, Penn froze. His mouth was slack against Adam’s and his fingers were surely leaving red marks on Adam’s neck.

Did he always have that reaction when hearing one of his brother’s songs? Or was it just because he was there with Adam?

Adam didn’t care. He didn’t want Penn to feel like that.

“Hey,” he whispered in Penn’s ear, moving his hands from Penn’s ass to circle them around his waist. “I see you.” Penn cast him a surprised, confused look, the hesitation and disbelieve in his grey gaze grabbing on something inside Adam and twisting it until it hurt. “Alright? You,” he said, pointing a finger at Penn’s chest, and placing his palm right over his heart. “You,” he repeated in a whisper, closing his eyes against the moisture that had suddenly appeared there.

Penn touched their foreheads together and Adam felt him nod.

For now, that small gesture of agreement would have to do.

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When I first started Mask, I realized that there were characters from Dance in Mask and I wasn’t sure if I should read Dance first.  So I asked Teodora and she said “yes it can be read as a standalone but you will understand the characters more if you read Dance first.”  And she was very right, yes you could read Mask and understand it without reading Dance first but I must say I understood Adam so much more having gone back to read Dance.  Plus Dance was FANTASTIC and I absolutely fell in love with Jared and Fenix.  So when I finished Dance I dove right into Mask.

I could not wait to see where Teodora would take Adam, and let me tell you it was NOT where I was thinking it would go.  Holy moly that was a pleasant surprise.  While reading it I kept waiting for it to blow up in Adam’s face but she took me in a different direction, and I appreciate when an author can do that for me.  This was my first time to read anything from this author and I am so very glad this is what I tried because I will definitely be reading more from her.  The imagery is so good that I actually feel like I was there in the theater with them, watching the plays that they were a part of.  I felt like I was a part of their lives and the ups and downs that they had to go through.  It is hard to find a “new to me” author that grabs my attention from the start and holds it until the very end.  Teodora did that.  I ended up finishing both Dance and Mask in three days.

Now about Adam and Penn.  Well lets just say that I found a new set of book boyfriends.  I really enjoyed watching how Adam handled his feelings for Penn.  I could feel his pain in book one and I knew that it would be a BIG issue for him to let himself trust in happiness in this book.  I could feel his internal struggle from the very beginning and I was begging that Penn would be able to take that pain away.  He comes off as this big tough brute but deep down all he really wants is to be able to love someone and have them love him in return.

Penn was introduced very briefly in book one and after finishing Dance I was somewhat surprised that he would have a major role in this one.  That is proof that Teodora could shock me and intrigue me all in the course of a few paragraphs.  Penn is adorable and sweet and kind and wants nothing more than to design clothes for the theater as a team player.  He also wants Adam’s heart, yet he is afraid he will never have it.  Oh how I fell for Penn hard, I rooted for him and wanted badly to see him get Adam’s slightly scarred heart.  ‘Cause if anyone could fix Adam, it was gonna be Penn.

And OH MY GOSH the chemistry between Adam and Penn was HOT, like my goodness I needed to put my Kindle down so I could get a glass of ice water.  They fit so well together, like when Adam finds out about a secret that Penn is sure will send him running in the opposite direction, Adam surprises him by having a very similar secret of his own.

There were times when I wanted to smack Adam upside his head and tell him to get his stuff together before he loses Penn because he struggled so much with letting himself want Penn, and he had an even harder time accepting that Penn wanted him as well.  This book is so well written that I could feel Adam’s struggle and Penn’s need to heal him.  I felt I was a part of their journey to find their happy together.  I also enjoyed how she wove Jared and Fenix into this book, I don’t think we could have had this book without revisiting them as well.  All in all, I can say is this book is brilliant and it is one that I highly recommend.  Thanks Teodora for letting me fall in love with these two.

And find out about book one here:

Published: March 31, 2014

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Hi, my name is Teodora and I live in London with my husband and my son. I’ve been writing ever since I can remember, but it became my full time job a few years ago when I decided that everything else I’ve tried bores me to death and I have to do what I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the guts to fully embrace. I’ve been a journalist, an editor, a personal assistant and an interior designer among other things, but as soon as the novelty of the new, exciting job wears off, I always go back to writing. Being twitchy, impatient, loud and hasty are not qualities that help a writer, because I have to sit alone, preferably still, and write for most of the day, but I absolutely love it. It’s the only time that I’m truly at peace and the only thing I can do for more than ten minutes at a time – my son has a bigger attention span than me.
When I’m procrastinating, I like to go to the gym, cook Italian meals (and eat them), read, listen to rock music, watch indie movies and True Blood re-runs. Or, in the worst case scenario, get beaten at every Nintendo Wii game by a kid.

Don’t be shy and get in touch – I love connecting with my readers.

 

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E-mail: t.t.kostova@gmail.com

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