A Fall of Light by LJ Greene | Contemporary M/M Romance | Book Review ~ $25 Gift Card ~ Excerpt | @GoddessFish @authorljgreene
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
A Fall of Light by LJ Greene Published by L.J. Greene on 09/04/2023
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 262
Source: Goddess Fish PromotionsLJ Greene brings to life one of her most compelling characters: the intensely creative bass guitarist, Greg Van de Meer. A Fall of Light weaves together the strands of Greg’s private and public lives—a shattering personal history, a love affair with potentially disastrous consequences, and family bonds that are stretched to their breaking point.
It’s been fifteen years since Greg was outed by his fundamentalist father at age sixteen and sent from home, with devastating consequences for both he and his younger brother, Asher. Now unlaid ghosts from the past are stirring. With his band’s success on the world stage, Greg’s life takes a complicated turn when he develops a friendship with Louis Angel, an ex-Marine with a secret of his own, and finds himself facing familiar threats from an unexpected source.
Strained loyalties, a private affair, and Greg’s own guarded history collide dangerously until a visit from an old foe forces him to confront past wounds and present beliefs. Allegiances are called into question and he must decide whether the secrets he’s fighting to protect are worth the life he’s finally ready to have.
A Fall of Light is a standalone adult contemporary M/M romance.
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Excerpt from A Fall of Light
Greg looked down at his hands and realized they were clenched into fists, his fingernails digging viciously into the flesh of his palms. “No,” he whispered to himself, and opened them, exposing the angry moon-shaped marks. “No.”
He took his phone from his pocket, opened up his texts, and looked at the photo again. He remembered it all; remembered the joy of opening his eyes and seeing Louis standing there, the shock of being pulled against his firm body, and the warm mocha taste of his mouth. He remembered the absolute, utter relief of it. The rightness, now made wrong.
He set the phone down, bracing himself on the counter’s edge, his head hung low. He was just now realizing exactly the magnitude of the gift Louis had given him. He had been the only one in the world who knew Louis’s secret—the only one—and suddenly he felt the weight of that trust heavy and warm in his heart. And then it turned cold.
Rage and sorrow battled for mastery in his gut. This was his fault, he told himself. It was Louis’s association with him that put Louis in this situation; it was his recklessness that had brought the wolves to his door.
But if they thought for a moment that Greg would bow easily to intimidation . . . He realized he was clenching his fists again, and opened them. “You are grossly mistaken,” he said softly, to the rain.
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for A Fall of Light
Amazon – OneLink for every country
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My thoughts on A Fall of Light
“A Fall of Light” by LJ Greene is a poignant and emotionally charged M/M romance that delves deep into the life of Greg Van de Meer, a bass guitarist with a turbulent past. Greene skillfully explores the complexities of Greg’s personal history, his passionate yet risky love affair, and the strained family bonds that have haunted him for years.
The story artfully weaves together themes of redemption and forgiveness as Greg’s success in the music world is intertwined with his unexpected friendship with Louis Angel, an ex-Marine harboring secrets of his own. With the return of an old foe, Greg is forced to confront past traumas and reevaluate the secrets he’s been protecting.
What sets this book apart is its focus on emotions and relationships over explicit content, making it a refreshing read in the M/M romance genre. The author masterfully portrays well-developed characters within the backdrop of a music/rock band setting, making the story come alive with authenticity.
However, readers should be aware of content warnings for religious intervention, conversion therapy, and the challenges homeless teens face in this story. Overall, “A Fall of Light” is a standalone contemporary romance that dives deep into the human experience, offering a compelling narrative of love, redemption, and self-acceptance.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About LJ Greene
LJ Greene is a self-professed obsessive multi-tasker who writes boring stuff by day and lets her inner romantic fly by night.
This California native is married to the most amazing man and has two beautiful children, now old enough to read her books but still not interested because of the ew, gross factor.
She’s an avid reader of all genres with an embarrassingly large ebook collection and a weird penchant for reading the acknowledgments at the novel's end.
She’s also a music lover with no apparent musical talent, a travel enthusiast, and a cheese connoisseur.
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Easy Amazon Info Link
Amazon – OneLink for every country
If the above link does not take you to your country, here are a few more:
Please send me a note if your country isn’t listed and you would like to purchase using my links. Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share.
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Giveaway!
The author will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN GC.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for A Fall of Light
Full Tour Schedule:
September 4: Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
September 4: Country Mamas With Kids
September 11: The Reading Addict
September 11: Gina Rae Mitchell
September 18: Sandra’s Book Club
September 25: Westveil Publishing
September 25: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
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Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour Host
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[…] Gina Rae Mitchell […]
Who influenced you to be a writer!
My favorite romance writers, actually! In fact I wrote a Goodreads blog on this a few years back. I had grown up with the bias that many have against romance – thinking it was not that relevant. And then I started actually reading it! Boy was I wrong! I’ve discovered so many wildly talented authors and beautifully crafted books and eventually I felt I had things I wanted to say – through romance. I’m not a big enthusiast of social media so I suppose this is how I like to insert myself in the conversation. It’s such a beautiful medium. And for me, none of it would be possible without the amazing community of bloggers like Gina Rae and this incredible community of romance readers, who are to me, the best in the world! Here’s the blog I mentioned – 4 Books that Redefined Romance for Me. https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/22066930-4-books-that-redefined-romance-for-me
I love (and appreciate) you responding to the comments on the blog post. Not all authors take the time to do that during tours. It makes this blog so much more fun!
Looks like a good read.
Well, I think so… 🙂
The blurb and excerpt sound really good.
Well, I’m entirely biased but… 🙂
What was your favorite part in the writing of this book?
Greg Van de Meer was a character I’d created back in 2015 and he played a supporting but critical role in my second novel, Sound Effects. I had such a soft spot for him and toyed for years with the idea of writing his story because I didn’t feel like I had left him in a good place. When you read A Fall of Light, you’ll know why. But the idea for his book never went far because I always felt that his happily-ever-after would be with a man, and, candidly, I didn’t see myself as the right teller for that story. My fear was that as much as I might want to elevate his journey from a side story to the main story, there were things about his life that I will never understand, could never understand—that even if I were able to tell it perfectly, I simply may not be the right mouthpiece. Yet it was hard to let go of. So finally I began writing it just for myself—just for the satisfaction of giving this beautiful person the joyful ending his story deserved. We all deserve a great HEA, right?
I recently was gifted Ripple Effects book series for my birthday. I will start it next weekend, as I am off work.
This makes my entire week! Hope you enjoy it! And on behalf of indie authors everywhere, thank you for reading our books! xo
Thank you for the review.
Hi Gina! I’m so very grateful for your kind words and thoughtful review. The message of this book is kindness and inclusiveness and I cannot say how much it means – particularly to indie authors like me – to be given such a wonderful platform to add my voice to the mix. And you’re absolutely right – it was a conscious decision to focus and explore the emotional side of their lives and their relationship, rather than to emphasize the physical side. It felt like it would be more of a distraction in this case for their journey. Plus, I kind of wanted to give Louis a bit of privacy in that aspect of his journey. So much was being taken from him without his consent and it felt right to protect him in that way. Thank you so very much for being a part of my tour! I’m honored. xo LJ Greene
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