Thursday, September 19, 2019

The First Step by Shira Anthony


The first step is the hardest. After a scandal, New York political reporter Reed Barfield is lying low at the North Carolina coast, writing a story about the seafood industry. But it’s the harbor pilots on the Cape Fear River who capture his interest—men who jump across ten feet of open ocean to grab a rope ladder and guide huge container ships into port. Men like sexy but prickly Justin Vance.

After surviving an abusive childhood and a tour in the Navy, Justin isn’t fazed by his dangerous job—it’s certainly easier to face than Reed’s annoying questions. Justin isn’t out at work, and he doesn’t need Reed digging into his personal life or his past.

But Reed’s no stranger to using his considerable charm to get what he wants, and as he wears Justin down, they realize they have a lot in common—and that they like spending time together. Moving beyond that, though, will mean Justin confessing his sexuality and learning to trust Reed with his secrets—if Reed even decides to stay. Both men want a future together, but can they find the courage to take the first step?

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Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Dreamspinner Press



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah☆☆☆☆
This is such an exciting romantic read. I loved learning about the harbour pilots, and I found myself completely fascinated with both Reed and Justin’s lives. Add in a hurricane and a fabulous North Carolina setting and I completely devoured this book. For me, this is the perfect mix of romance and action and I really loved the characters in this story.

Most of this story is told from Reed’s perspective and I love that he’s a bit of a hot mess, especially at the start. He’s got great reporter instincts but very little sense of self-preservation. He’s easy to love but he takes a few too many risks. In contrast, Justin works an incredibly dangerous job but everything about his life is carefully controlled. These two balance each other beautifully. I like that they’re both a bit older than the usual romantic leads and I love the slow burn, relatively low heat romance that simmers between them.

As always, Shira Anthony’s research is wonderful. I learned so much about Justin’s job and life in North Carolina. So, while the romance is a gentle slide, there is so much action in this story. I was hooked from the start and I really enjoyed the read.



SHIRA ANTHONY was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. You can hear Shira sing an aria from a live performance of Puccini’s Tosca by clicking here: “Vissid’arte

Shira’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. When she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. Her favorite place to write is at the Carolina coast aboard Land’s Zen, a 35’ catamaran sailboat, with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.

Whether contemporary romance, high fantasy shifters, or time-traveling vampires, Shira writes what she loves and never writes a story without a HEA. Her Mermen of Ea trilogy book Into the Wind was named one of the best books of 2014 by both Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words and Hearts on Fire Reviews, and was a finalist in the 2014 Goodreads M/M Romance Member’s Choice Awards. Her Blue Notes series of classical-music-themed gay romances was named one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ best series of 2012, and the most recent book in the series, Dissonance, was named one of the best books of 2014 by Hearts on Fire Reviews. Her book A Solitary Man, coauthored with Aisling Mancy, won a 2016 Rainbow Award Honorable Mention for Best Gay Mystery/Thriller

Connect with Shira

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads


https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The First Step (Coastal Carolina #1) by Shira Anthony to read and review.

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