At TCO, we love having author’s stop by and bring our readers excerpts and giveaways. Today DJ Jamison has kindly dropped in to give us an advanced look at Operation Makeover which comes out tomorrow, along with a giveaway. So check it out, leave a comment and let us know what you think!
Cole’s clients at the salon where he works love him dearly. Men? Not so much. He has dated one mistake after the next, and he’s beginning to wonder if a guy exists who can handle his fabulousness. Then Ridley lands in his chair.
Cole agrees to be Ridley’s makeover guru, and they click effortlessly. But when Cole offers to help Ridley with his sexual confidence, passion flares and boundaries blur.
Ridley’s had his heart set on Jace a long time, but when he’s with Cole it feels too real to deny. Now he has a choice to make: the friend he’s always wanted or the man who’s given him a whole new lease on life.
Operation Makeover is part of the Hearts and Health series, but it can be read as a standalone.
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Ridley, dressed in blue jeans and a loose T-shirt, looked terrified when he saw the contents of Cole’s closet. Bright colors, sequins, slinky silks, and even some lacy things crowded the rack, and underneath was a jumble of shoes, everything from Chucks to knee-high boots.
Cole grabbed a pair of maroon jeans off the hanger. Well, they looked like jeans but were made of a stretchy, clingy material that made them a cross between jeans and tights. Holding them up against Ridley’s waist, he eyed him.
Hmm, not bad, but he wasn’t sure if Ridley was ready for maroon. Maybe a dark green …
“Uh, those will never fit me,” Riley said. “Also, they’re very red.”
Cole flicked up his eyes, hands still pressing the pants against Ridley’s waist. “I’m just visualizing, sweetie. We’ll buy you clothes in your own size. And hello? They’re maroon, and I own them, so they’re fabulous!”
“Sorry,” Ridley mumbled, shifting uncomfortably.
Cole drew back. “Take off your shirt.”
To his amusement, Ridley jerked his arms up across his chest like a shy virgin. “Why?”
“I want to see what I’m working with. Pants too, down to your undies.”
“No way,” Ridley said quickly, backing up a step and hitting the bed. He promptly fell onto his butt, bouncing once. “I can’t.”
Cole wasn’t sure if he should be offended by Ridley’s modesty. “Is it me? I know I’m flirty, but this is strictly business.” He drew an X over his heart with one finger. “I solemnly swear not to molest you.”
With my hands. My eyes are another matter.
Ridley chewed his bottom lip. “It’s just, I’m probably not what you usually see. You’re so… you probably date really hot men. And, um, I don’t manscape or anything.”
Aw, he was so precious. Ridley needed a major self-esteem overhaul. In some ways, Cole and Ridley weren’t so different. Anita gave Cole hell for undervaluing his self-worth, too, although in his case it was less about his physical appearance and more about the way he let people treat him.
He should work on himself, but it was a heck of a lot easier to focus on Ridley. He was determined to show Ridley the gem waiting to be polished under those clothes.
“You overestimate my fabulousness,” he said. “And besides, this is a makeover. If you want to wax, we can add it to the list. But between you and me, a hairy man is sexy! A little grooming is nice, yes, but—”
“Okay,” Ridley blurted. “Just don’t talk about it. No comments on my body.”
“Consider me your makeover doctor. I’m here to help, not judge.”
DJ Jamison is the author of more than a dozen m/m romances, including the Ashe Sentinel series and the Hearts and Health series. She writes a variety of queer characters, from gay to bisexual to asexual, with a focus on telling love stories that are more about common ground than lust at first sight.
DJ grew up in the Midwest in a working-class family, and those influences can be found in her writing through characters coping with real-life problems: money troubles, workplace drama, family conflicts and, of course, falling in love.
DJ spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before chasing her first dream to write fiction. She spent a lifetime reading before that, and continues to avidly devour her fellow authors’ books each night. She lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, two fish. one snake, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.
SOCIAL LINKS Newsletter: www.tinyurl.com/DJandCompany Website: ReadingDJ.com Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/
Goodreads:https://www.
Twitter: @dj_jamison_
Leave a comment for DJ and you could win your choice of any of the first six Hearts and Health books.
It sounds like such a sweet story. I love Ridley already.
Aw, thank you! I do love these two guys together.
Thank you for the excerpt, DJ. I’ve read some of the books in this series, and I loved them!
Looking forward to this one!
Love the cover. Thank you for the excerpt!
Aw, thank you! I do love these two guys together.
I’ve just bought my copy. Looking forward to another great read. 😃
Aww this looks like it’ll be a fun read, can’t wait!
Thanks for the chance
Loved the excerpt! Thank you for the chance.
This sounds really good can’t wait. Thanks for chance.m