Title: The Rainbow Clause
Author: Beth Bolden
Genre: M/M Sports Romance
ebook Release Date: April 3, 2017
Narrator: Wyatt Baker
Audiobook Release Date: September 7, 2018
Summary:Don't like the athletes. Don't sleep with the athletes. Don't fall for the athletes. It had never been particularly difficult to follow the rules, but Nick had a feeling he was about to be tested.
Heisman winner. Member of the national championship team. NFL rookie of the year. Quarterback Colin O'Connor knows he's become the ultimate romance novel cliché: all the success he's ever dreamed of but nobody with whom to share it. Too bad it's not as simple as asking out the next girl who intrigues him - because the next girl to intrigue him probably won't be a girl at all.
Unexpectedly, the solution comes in one neat package: Nick Wheeler, lead journalist for a leading sports and pop culture blog. Hired by Colin's team, Nick comes to Miami to shine a spotlight on the NFL's most private quarterback.
The heat in Miami rises when Nick discovers Colin is nothing like the hollow personality he pretends to be in interviews and he's even hotter in person than on his Sports Illustrated cover. Nick knows this is the story of his career, and it also hits close to home. What he needs is to help Colin share his story while keeping their growing relationship from boiling over in the press, but what he wants is to tell the world.
“Wow,” Colin breathed out, the sheet shifting down his torso as he propped himself up with an elbow. “What a view.”
Even though the ocean and sky and sand were hazy with the golden light of the rising sun, Nick still had trouble taking his eyes off the man next to him.
“Yeah,” Nick said, still staring at Colin. “Fucking fabulous view.”
Colin glanced over and flushed. He rolled over and slid out of bed, bare feet padding on the tile floor as he headed towards the bathroom. “When you look at me that way,” he said, his voice carrying back into the bedroom, “it’s easy to believe I really look as good as you say.”
“You should believe it,” Nick said as Colin returned to bed. Nick knew he needed to use the bathroom, too, at least to brush away his surely horrible morning breath so he could kiss this beautiful man next to him.
Just one problem. Nick glanced at the tile floor with dismay. “Is that as cold as it looks?”
Colin shot him a playful smile and gave him a little shove to the edge of the bed. “Your turn to find out,” he said, and Nick gave a half-hearted smile, expecting to freeze his balls off as he tiptoed to the bathroom. Instead, he found the floor to be shockingly warm against his bare feet.
“Teddy, that rich bastard,” Nick exclaimed as he walked to the bathroom. “Heated floors.”
Nick brushed his teeth and took a piss, returning to bed with warm feet and cold hands, which he proceeded to place right on Colin’s ribcage. But Colin didn’t flinch, only tugged Nick closer, until their limbs were tangled together. Nick shifted up a fraction and hesitated, their eyes locked together and their lips only an inch apart.
“You keep talking about me,” Colin murmured dreamily, his hand smoothing down a wayward tuft of Nick’s hair. “But you’re gorgeous. I stare at you all the damn time.”
It was hard not to notice and impossible not to feel smug that Colin O’Connor spent at least half his waking hours staring at his ass.
A large hand slid around his hip and cupped that ass – but not with the sort of tacky possession that sometimes gave Nick a bad taste in his mouth, but with reverence and a playful affection that made his heart ache.
“I know you notice,” Colin continued, the edge of his lips quirking into a smile. “You’re too nice to call me out on it.”
“What, and make you stop?” Nick asked.
Even though the ocean and sky and sand were hazy with the golden light of the rising sun, Nick still had trouble taking his eyes off the man next to him.
“Yeah,” Nick said, still staring at Colin. “Fucking fabulous view.”
Colin glanced over and flushed. He rolled over and slid out of bed, bare feet padding on the tile floor as he headed towards the bathroom. “When you look at me that way,” he said, his voice carrying back into the bedroom, “it’s easy to believe I really look as good as you say.”
Just one problem. Nick glanced at the tile floor with dismay. “Is that as cold as it looks?”
Colin shot him a playful smile and gave him a little shove to the edge of the bed. “Your turn to find out,” he said, and Nick gave a half-hearted smile, expecting to freeze his balls off as he tiptoed to the bathroom. Instead, he found the floor to be shockingly warm against his bare feet.
“Teddy, that rich bastard,” Nick exclaimed as he walked to the bathroom. “Heated floors.”
Nick brushed his teeth and took a piss, returning to bed with warm feet and cold hands, which he proceeded to place right on Colin’s ribcage. But Colin didn’t flinch, only tugged Nick closer, until their limbs were tangled together. Nick shifted up a fraction and hesitated, their eyes locked together and their lips only an inch apart.
“You keep talking about me,” Colin murmured dreamily, his hand smoothing down a wayward tuft of Nick’s hair. “But you’re gorgeous. I stare at you all the damn time.”It was hard not to notice and impossible not to feel smug that Colin O’Connor spent at least half his waking hours staring at his ass.
A large hand slid around his hip and cupped that ass – but not with the sort of tacky possession that sometimes gave Nick a bad taste in his mouth, but with reverence and a playful affection that made his heart ache.
“I know you notice,” Colin continued, the edge of his lips quirking into a smile. “You’re too nice to call me out on it.”
“What, and make you stop?” Nick asked.
What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
I’ve always believed love is love, but had always read (and written) romances with a male and female main character. Then I saw a recommendation for Captive Prince, devoured the whole series in about a day and a half, and immediately went looking for more gay romance.
Certain popular dynamics in popular straight romance had been bothering me for awhile, and I found a refreshing equality in gay romance that I loved. I started writing my own, and never looked back.
When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process (outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
I love the moment about midpoint in writing a book when all the planning, development and careful setup pays off and not only is everything clicking, it’s clicking together. The book not only becomes a heck of a lot easier to write, but it’s a really satisfying feeling.
When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
I really love romance with other subgenres mixed in. I like a book that defies categorization. Is it sweet or sexy or emotional or is it all three? Is there a mystery or a paranormal or is there another external plot besides just the characters coming together? I especially love books that mix subgenres or tropes together in unexpected ways.
If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
I actually am! I love, love, love A.E. Wasp’s books and we’re working on a Christmas story right now! It’s really fun to work with someone so talented.
Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you "later in life"?
I’ve always wanted to write, but for a little while in my college years, I wasn’t sure I could write fiction. Maybe it was all those literary analysis essays? I rediscovered writing fiction in my early twenties after graduation, when I started writing fanfiction. It’s a great development ground for writing, and I absolutely credit those early years for giving me a solid foundation.
I’ve always believed love is love, but had always read (and written) romances with a male and female main character. Then I saw a recommendation for Captive Prince, devoured the whole series in about a day and a half, and immediately went looking for more gay romance.
Certain popular dynamics in popular straight romance had been bothering me for awhile, and I found a refreshing equality in gay romance that I loved. I started writing my own, and never looked back.
When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process (outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
I love the moment about midpoint in writing a book when all the planning, development and careful setup pays off and not only is everything clicking, it’s clicking together. The book not only becomes a heck of a lot easier to write, but it’s a really satisfying feeling.
When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
I really love romance with other subgenres mixed in. I like a book that defies categorization. Is it sweet or sexy or emotional or is it all three? Is there a mystery or a paranormal or is there another external plot besides just the characters coming together? I especially love books that mix subgenres or tropes together in unexpected ways.
If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
I actually am! I love, love, love A.E. Wasp’s books and we’re working on a Christmas story right now! It’s really fun to work with someone so talented.
Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you "later in life"?
I’ve always wanted to write, but for a little while in my college years, I wasn’t sure I could write fiction. Maybe it was all those literary analysis essays? I rediscovered writing fiction in my early twenties after graduation, when I started writing fanfiction. It’s a great development ground for writing, and I absolutely credit those early years for giving me a solid foundation.
Saturday Series Spotlight
Charleston Condors
The Rainbow Clause
Beth Bolden lives in Portland, Oregon with her supportive husband. She wholly believes in Keeping Portland Weird, but wishes she didn’t have to make the yearly pilgrimage up to Seattle to watch her Boston Red Sox play baseball. She’s a fan of fandoms, and spends too much of her free time on tumblr.
Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published eight novels and two novellas, with Catch Me, the next novel in the Kitchen Gods series, releasing in May 2018.
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