A Southern Thing Series by Sara York

It thrills me to be a part of the “A Southern Thing Series” blog tour! So without further adieu …..I give you A Southern Thing by Sara York.

Star football player, Jack Miller, had it all. The perfect family, looks, girls hanging on his every word, and the respect of most people in his town. But one thing was missing–a man to be his own.

When Andrew Collins showed up in small town, conservative Sweet, Georgia, he looked more scrawny mutt than high school senior. Andrew’s plan was to keep his head down and graduate high school, leaving his family behind to start his real life.

When he meets Andrew, Jack thinks he’s found heaven, but reality holds him in check until one night when his lips gently slide across Andrew’s and fireworks go off.

As lust and something a little deeper brings them together, compelling them to take chances, people start to notice. Then the unthinkable happens, and Jack’s parents find out he likes guys. The battle lines are drawn and they vow to pray the gay away.

Jack Miller has more than he could ask for with Andrew as his boyfriend, but it’s being taken away from him and there isn’t anything he can do. His father knows he’s gay, and his mother wants him to have sex with a girl to make sure he’s not mistaken.

Andrew Collins has found the perfect home in foster care with Cole and Melinda Kemp, but it won’t last. The DA thinks his parents have proven they’ve changed, but Andrew doesn’t believe the change will last.

Just when Jack and Andrew think it can’t get any worse, it does. Jack’s father sends him to New Life Christian Camp, a program that promises to pray the gay away. But Andrew has it worse than Jack as Andrew’s father takes out his anger on him, leaving Andrew near death.

Both Jack and Andrew are lost to each other, their lives in tatters all because their parents wanted to pray the gay away.

Warning: This book contains graphic details, including abuse by physical abuse by adults.

When he was a kid, Jack Miller thought life would be a certain way, then he figured out he liked boys and not girls, changing the course of his future. Jack has spent the last few years learning that life doesn’t always give you what you expect, in both good and bad ways.

Andrew’s gone missing and Jack’s parents have split. He’s made it through high school, but the future is nothing without Andrew. To be complete, Jack knows he needs to find Andrew and bring him home. But Andrew has disappeared.

Lost doesn’t even begin to describe how Andrew Collins feels. Homeless and destitute, he’s ready to end it all. Thinking that Jack is dead, Andrew returns to Sweet to end his life on Jack’s grave. Instead, he finds lies were told that drove him to a path of destruction.

After not seeing each other for almost a year, Jack and Andrew come together, but their problems don’t end there. They must work hard to make it to their big fat Southern gay wedding or risk losing it all.

Warning: This book contains dubious content.

SENDING JACK OFF TO JESUS

He and Andrew hadn’t been able to talk much. They’d exchanged glances between classes and a few words at practice, but they hadn’t touched. His life was so much dimmer without Andrew. He did know that Andrew was still with the Kemps, but that could change when the hearing took place in the middle of the month. Aaron and Nancy were taking all the right steps to get their child back, but Jack doubted they’d change—not really, and never to the point of actually accepting Andrew as a gay man.

On Friday, when the team loaded on the bus, he was excited to see Andrew sitting with the other water boys and trainers. Since he was captain and expected to lead the team, he couldn’t sit with Andrew on the way to the game. He had to focus and make sure his guys focused too. The school had rented them a nice bus for the two-hour drive for the first play-off game. On the ride there, he imagined riding out of Sweet in a bus like this, moving somewhere he and Andrew would be accepted and could show their love.

The energy was high on the field. Every time before the snap, Jack glanced to the sidelines, spying Andrew. That kept his head in the game and his mind on winning for his future. Jack easily connected with his receivers, passing enough yards to earn a record. The team they were up against was good, but not good enough. At the end of the game, he hugged everyone, including Andrew. Having his arms around his boyfriend was amazing. He didn’t care that they were being watched, or that he couldn’t kiss Andrew, just being with him was a relief.

“Save me a seat on the bus. I need to touch you,” Jack said as they clung to each other.

Andrew stepped back because people were pulling at Jack, seeking his attention to congratulate him. Andrew nodded and the corners of his lips turned up in a smile. It would be okay if they could touch. He missed that most of all. If he were lucky, he’d be able to hold Andrew’s hand. The desire to sneak a kiss was strong, but it would probably be too much.

The team celebrated in the locker room with sandwiches and cookies made by the booster club. Over and over again, Jack’s gaze sought out Andrew, taking pleasure in the guy’s smile. He and Mike had called a truce, and though Andrew still looked a little hesitant around him they seemed to be getting along. Ed was his normal boisterous self. It was funny that Ed had become such good friends with Andrew. They looked odd standing next to each other with Ed being so big, and Andrew so skinny. Ed said something and Andrew doubled over laughing. Jack made his way closer and Ed called out to him.

“Come here, Jack. You have to hear this.”

It was his opportunity to sit by Andrew. When he was only a few feet away from Andrew, their gazes connected and a chill swept over him. He shivered and Ed shot him a strange look.

“You cold?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Okay, so I was telling Andrew about my cat and dog. They both hate when my dad brings out his grinder. The other night, he needed to sharpen a few tools so he brought it out. Both the dog and the cat ran to the back bedroom and crawled under the bed. After an hour my dad was finished, but we couldn’t find the dog or the cat. I went looking for them. They’d wound up trapped in the closet, wrapped in a laundry bag that somehow got closed. The dog was crying and the cat was snuggled up underneath him. Anyway, I open the bag to set them free. The dog wouldn’t come out. Apparently, he liked being so close to the damn cat that he wanted to stay. He wasn’t crying, we figured out later that the cat was licking the dog’s underarm and he was laughing or something like that.”

Jack chuckled, but he was too distracted by Andrew to really laugh. He moved to stand behind Andrew, resting his hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. It felt like home. Being connected to Andrew calmed him. This, not anything else, was right. He had no doubt in his mind that him being gay was exactly how he was supposed to be. No scripture or prayer would change the truth.

“Hey, you played a great game tonight.” Andrew’s voice was music to his ears.

Andrew tilted his head back, exposing his neck to Jack. A rush of desire filled him and he felt his dick begin to harden. After showering, he’d slipped on a pair of jeans and tight underwear so he wasn’t in loose shorts, which would have tented, exposing his desire. Jack wasn’t too worried about his wood showing, but one of the guys would notice the way he was staring at Andrew if he wasn’t careful.

“Thanks. Hey, I haven’t talked to you much this last week. I’ll sit by you on the bus ride home, we can catch up.” Jack couldn’t believe that he’d said that in front of the other guys. He’d planned on just wandering back to Andrew, hopefully finding the seat next to him still empty since he’d asked Andrew to save it. Now, he had claimed the space, giving him access to his boyfriend.

The “A Southern Thing Series” in a whole is an amazing love story. We meet Jack and Andrew in high school and follow their story throughout the exploration of their love and their sexuality. I found myself laughing at one moment, full of hope and love. The next moment, I was in hysterics and despair the next. My heart sang for the couple just as it broke into so many pieces that I didn’t even know if it would be to rights again.

I can’t to tell you my favorite book, nor can I tell you my favorite part, because I can’t pick one of either. (Especially not without revealing major spoilers.)

I read all three books in one day. I binge read them like they were my favorite show on Netflix! There are only a few books that I can remember that have been so profound and heartfelt to me than these were. All I will say, is that I fell in love with these two men and that this will be one of those series that I will be reading multiple times. Thank you Sara for writing such a wonderful series that reminds us that love is love and that love is worth fighting for.

A Southern Thing Series is worthy of this reviewers highest rating……5 Hearts!

FACEBOOK /GOODREADS / WEBSITE

Writing is Sara York’s life. The stories fight to get out, often leaving her working on four or five books at once. She can’t help but write. Along with her writing addiction she has a coffee addiction. Some nights, the only reason she stops writing and goes to sleep is for the fresh brewed coffee in the morning. Sara enjoys writing twisted tales of passion, anger, and love with a good healthy dose of lust thrown in for fun.