His Steady Heart by Nell Iris Release Blitz

Ashley “Buck” Buchanan moved back home to take care of his sick mother when he was 22. That was the first time he met Pippin, the neglected 6-year-old boy next door. Fifteen years later, Buck, a caretaker by nature, offers up his couch for Pippin, who needs a break from his mom and a quiet place to sleep.

Pippin Olander is a ray of sunshine despite his emotionally lacking upbringing and works hard to make a better life for himself. Even though he’s fiercely self-sufficient, he learns to accept help from Buck, his rock and the only steady presence in his life.

Their friendship deepens and grows into something more as they spend time together. But when other people try to throw a wrench in the works, when Pippin’s independence is triggered, can Buck and Pippin trust in the love they’ve found?

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JMS Books

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Quick Disclaimer: I’m trying to write this review while ill, so it’s not going to be up to my usual standards. For that, I apologize to both readers and the author for the (hopefully, not incoherent) ramble that is to follow.

In my opinion, Nell Iris excels at writing novellas. Often capturing a snapshot of her characters’ lives, the stories I’ve read make me feel as though I’ve witnessed a pivotal point in their lives, and they leave me feeling warm, happy, and satisfied with that glimpse into their lives and their happy for now ending. His Steady Heart is probably the most developed Iris story I’ve read to date and my favorite. Buck and Pippin have a history that is more extensive than I’ve encountered in the author’s stories and their story spans more time than I’ve read before. This combination made me feel as though I’d finally gotten the full-length novel I’ve been hoping for because I enjoy Iris’ writing style so much, and yet, it’s still a novella.

I’m a fan of May-December romances and His Steady Heart is no exception. The best age-gap romances make you forget the difference in the couple’s ages and it’s Pippin who bridges much of that gap. Forced to grow up quickly because of a neglectful mother, Pippin seems older than his twenty-one years. And yet, he maintains an air of innocence thanks to Buck’s mom’s intervening into Pippin’s life when he was just a boy and making sure that young Pippin had a safe place to be when his mother’s antics had him fleeing his home – a haven that Buck continued to provide for Pippin after Buck’s mom died. Based on their current day conversations, it’s all too clear that Pippin spent a lot of time at the Buchanan home and that fulfilled Buck’s natural protective instincts – a characteristic few people see in Buck because of his outward appearance, but it’s what makes Pippin feel safe. It’s also that protective instinct that has Buck questioning his sudden interest in Pippin as more than just a friend and neighbor and wondering when he stopped seeing Pippin as the boy next door and as a man instead.

Because of the way the story is written, I felt as though I got to see more character development in His Steady Heart than I usually encounter in the author’s books. I not only got to see Buck grapple with his feelings toward Pippin and his self-doubt, but I also got to see Pippin become more secure in himself as he learned the difference between charity and being cherished. It was sweet watching Buck, this big bear of a man, finally being allowed to be true to himself and share the tender heart he’s been forced to keep hidden with Pippin. Of course, Pippin already knew Buck was a big ol’ teddy bear but discovering that his attraction to Buck was mutual gave Pippin the courage he needed to claim his teddy bear. I will confess, though, that Pippin’s mother’s outburst was unexpected and had me wondering if I missed part of the story; her character was not sympathetic, but there wasn’t anything to suggest she was bat-pfft-crazy. That was really the only blip in the story for me. As always, Iris left me wanting for more because I adored Buck and Pippin and wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye.

NELL IRIS is a romantic at heart who believes everyone deserves a happy ending. She’s a bona fide bookworm (learned to read long before she started school), wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without something to read (not even the ladies’ room), loves music (and singing along but, let’s face it, she’s no Celine Dion), and is a real Star Trek nerd (“Make it so”). She loves words, poetry, wine, and Sudoku, and absolutely adores elephants!

Nell believes passionately in equality for all regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, and wants to make the world a better, less hateful, place.

Nell is a forty-something bisexual Swedish woman, married to the love of her life, and a proud mama of a grown daughter. She left the Scandinavian cold and darkness for warmer and sunnier Malaysia a few years ago, and now spends her days writing, surfing the Internet, enjoying the heat, and eating good food. One day she decided to chase her lifelong dream of being a writer, sat down in front of her laptop, and wrote a story about two men falling in love.

Nell Iris writes gay romance, prefers sweet over angst, and wants to write diverse and different characters.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of His Steady Heart by Nell Iris to read and review for this tour.