m/m romance

Artist Arik Bosler is terrified he might have lost his creative gift in the accident that left his hand badly burned. When he’s offered the chance to work with renowned artist Ken Brighton, Arik fears his injury will be too much to overcome.

He travels to Pleasanton to meet Ken, where he runs into the intimidating Reg Thompson. Reg, a biker who customizes motorcycles, is a big man with a heart of gold who was rejected by most of his family. Arik is initially afraid of Reg because of his size. However it’s Reg’s heart that warms Arik’s interest and gets him to look past the exterior to let down his guard.

But Arik soon realizes that certain members of Reg’s motorcycle club are into things he can’t have any part of. Reg can’t understand why Arik disappears until he learns Arik’s injury was the result of his father’s drug activity. Though neither Reg nor Arik wants anything to do with drugs, the new leadership of Reg’s club might have other ideas.

Title: Love Comes to Light
Series: Senses Series
Author: Andrew Grey
Release Date: March 18, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 206

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Dreamspinner Press

ARe

Thank you to Andrew for joining us with a Guest Post!

When I was developing this final story for the Senses series, I wanted to return to the world of Ken and Patrick, but I didn’t want to return to them directly. They had already had their happy ending and I didn’t want to revisit that. So Arik was born. He’s an artist who has been injured. Before his accident, he entered a contest and won an internship of sorts with Ken. He hesitantly accepts his prize, believing that his accent has also claimed his talent. Arik of course receives help form Ken, but more importantly, he meets Reg, a garage owner who’s everything Arik fears.

Reg is large, bald, and intimidating and Arik reacts with pure fear the first time he meets him. But Arik is more than just his size and intimidating package. He’s an artist of sorts himself and he has a heart as big as his body. The big man with a heart of gold is a character type I have written before and it’s one I love. With many of us, our exteriors say one thing, but it isn’t until we learn what’s inside that we truly know a person.   This story is very much about two people who must learn to look inside themselves and be willing to look deeply into others in order to find happiness.

Another great book by Andrew Grey. I absolutely adored Arik and Reg. My heart went out to Arik and what he had suffered in his past. His belief that he can’t do what he loves to do because of his injury and the feelings he shows really made me feel for him and connect with him. I thought that Reg was a great counterpart to him. His attitude and personality was so endearing to me. I thought Andrew did a wonderfull job keeping the story moving and entertaining.

4 pieces of eye candy

I have read a lot of Andrew Grey’s books but this was the first of the Senses Series that I have read.

This is the story of injured artist, Arik who is invited to paint with famous artist Ken Brighton. Despite the injury he goes to at least meet the painter. While there studying with Ken to overcome his injury and learn to create with different methods he meets Ken’s friend Reg, the local mechanic and gas station owner.

Arik is a broken man, just recovered from his injury and scared of his own shadow. Over time he becomes comfortable with Reg who is a much larger man than him. Arik and Reg start spending time together when Reg introduces him to his friends from the biker club. Arik, having grown up with junkies as parents instantly knows what some members of the club are doing and breaks it off with Reg. Not willing to lose Arik, Reg cuts ties with the biker club but that presents a whole new set of problems for Reg.

Arik will need to let go of a hurtful past before he can envision a future with Reg. Will Reg sit by and wait for Arik to come to his senses?

I enjoyed this book. Arik was pretty broken and sometime care across as whiny but by the end of the book I was fully invested. The story had good build up, there weren’t any plot holes and it was a great HEA. A solid three star read.

“Arik, I’m glad you made it.” He set his palette aside and walked toward Arik, extending his hand. Arik hesitated, then pulled his right hand out of his pocket. He could tell instantly when Mr. Brighton noticed. He looked into Arik’s eyes, meeting his gaze straight on. That alone was different. So was the gentle, yet firm, way Ken gripped his damaged hand. “It’s good to meet you.”

Arik looked away. “I should explain. I really wanted to meet you, but I thought about calling to cancel because—” He looked down at his hand. “Well, I’m not an artist any longer. I was so thrilled when you called, and I wanted to meet you so badly, but… I probably shouldn’t waste your time.”

“Slow down. And please call me Ken.” He reached over, grabbed a stool, and moved it closer, motioning for him to sit. “Let’s take things one at a time. This is my partner, Patrick,” Ken said, and Arik extended his hand. Patrick nodded and shook it. “He isn’t able to speak because of an accident, but he’s very adept at other forms of communication.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Arik said, and Patrick smiled, his eyes warming even more. Patrick lightly patted Arik’s hand and then released it. Patrick then left the room, closing the studio door. “Like I said, I shouldn’t have come and wasted your time.”

Ken didn’t say anything, just walked to the corner of his studio and returned with a painting that Arik instantly recognized as his contest entry. “All of the entries were sold at a charity auction, and yours was the only one I bought. It spoke to me in a way that went right to my heart. I had to have it.”

“I did that a year ago….” He looked down at his hand and slid it back into his pocket. He hated seeing it.

“Your work is gorgeous and shows great talent,” Ken said.

“Well, it shows what I once had.”

Ken continued looking at the painting.

“That was my grandmother’s home,” Arik said. “The contest guidelines were for us to paint a memory. I chose a time when I was happiest. My grandmother had a house on the lake in Muskegon. There was a swing in the backyard under a tree, and she and I used to sit in it and she read me stories.”

“She must have been a gardener.”

Arik nodded. “She loved flowers and even bred roses. The purple ones and the orange ones in the picture are ones she bred herself. She loved the color, but I think she was after scent more than anything. I remember her always smelling like roses. They were her passion.”

“You didn’t put her in the picture,” Ken remarked.

Arik smiled. “She’s there.” He pointed to the row of color that disappeared along the side of the house. “She’s in those flowers. She told me once that after she was gone, she’d live on as long as someone grew her flowers.”

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

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For Other Works by Andrew Grey

(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)

Love Comes Silently Book 1

Love Comes in Darkness Book 2

Love Comes Home Book 3

Love Comes Around Book 4

Love Comes Unheard Book 5

Love Comes to Light Book 6