Lift. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.Qualifying to compete on a national level is all that’s on power lifter Dagen Rourke’s mind. After an injury sidelined him the previous year, his only goal has been to overcome the physical challenges and mental demons to get back in the game. Falling into bed with the new artist at his brother’s tattoo shop was never part of his training schedule. Now he has to find a … to find a balance between the time he wants to give Ollie and the brutal training for what could be the most important competition of his life.
Run. Tattoo. Doze. Keep going.
Oliver Vos jumps at the chance to work at Vidar Rourke’s award-winning tattoo shop, Open Wounds. Getting out from under a nasty mentor and making it on his own is all Ollie has dreamed of for years. Unbeknownst to him, the room Vidar offers to rent him until he’s back on his feet would have him sharing space with tempting gentle giant, Dagen.
Living together is an adjustment, and when the heat between them morphs into something more will old insecurities and new tests drag them apart? Or will they find a way to carry the weight of their burdens…together?
Carry and Drag is the introductory novella to the contemporary MM romance series Open Wounds. This book contains mature content meant for adult readers.
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Dagan, a professional lifter, is ready to win in the professional strongman competition after an injury sidelined him. He doesn’t want anything to come between him and victory. At least until he meets his new roommate, Ollie, and sparks fly.
Ollie and Dagan were a cute couple. They had instant attraction but it takes a while for Ollie to let Dagan in. This was a quick, steamy read with minor anguish that just hit the spot. I look forward to the next book.
I really enjoyed this book by this new to me author!!! Dagen is recovering from an injury and is finally healed to resume his training as a powerlifter. He lives above his brother’s tattoo shop and was not thrilled to learn that he would be having a new roommate. However that changes when he meets Ollie. Ollie is a very talented tattoo artist who is looking for a fresh start after what has happened to him as of late. He wasn’t anticipating feeling some sort of way about his roommate Dagen. He didn’t bargain on Dagen being such a caring, sweet gentle giant…who was the happiest taking care of Ollie. They both were so good for each other. I was hooked from beginning to end and I can’t wait to read all the Roarke boys’ books!!! I highly recommend this story to everyone…its a great book and I can’t wait to read more from this author. Well done!!!
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Wow I love Deagan and Ollie so much! They would seem like total opposites but I love how it works for them! I love Deagan’s family and love how he stands up and helps Ollie through everything! Great story!
This was not what I was expecting. What I was expecting far underestimated who these two characters were. I truly loved Dagen and everything about him. His determination, intelligence, heart…so much heart, physical description, care of Ollie, his understanding, his genuine openness. There was so much to love about this gentle giant. Ollie grew on me. He was understandably damaged and had a past full of hurt and abandonment that his process and growth took time. I absolutely approved that their attraction began at a slow simmer and then grew warmer and warmer as they got to know one another. While I would have liked a bit more steam on the page, I wasn’t disappointed with what was there. The additions of Dagen’s routine and goals was appropriate in length and detail. It gave us insight into just how difficult Dagen’s goals would be to achieve and how triumphant to feel when some were achieved. And the drama at the end was big and completely unexpected. I was surprised and also not upset at the events. It suited the crazy that Ollie was trying to escape and also gave us a clearer picture of what to expect with Nico’s story. I genuinely enjoyed all the side characters and am eager to read each of their stories.
I’m not normally one to read a sports-based romance, but when I read the description of this one, I knew that I had to read it. It sounded like a wonderful story and one that would make me very happy. I wasn’t wrong.
Dagen is a power lifter and works as a personal trainer at his brother’s gym. Right now he’s rehabbing from an injury and training to switch from power lifting to strong man contests. He wants to be very successful so that he can measure up to his big brothers.
Ollie is a young tattoo artist. He came from Las Vegas to Ohio in a hurry, with everything he owned in 6 boxes in his Jeep, and injured ribs. Vidar, who owns the gym and tattoo shop, told him he could stay in the apartment above the gym. Thing is, that’s where Dagen lives too. Good thing there are two bedrooms, right?
Dagen is very careful with Ollie because he can tell that he’s been traumatized. He’s very attracted to him, but he wants to be Ollie’s friend first. I love that. It’s a credit to him that he’s so careful and is more worried about Ollie’s health, both physical and mental, before anything else. The guys really are sweet together and I loved watching the chemistry and how accepting everyone else was of them. Of course, it seems like the majority of the family is queer of some variety, so that may be why. I’m not going to complain. I’m really looking forward to reading more of the brothers’ stories. I can’t wait to see what the deal is with Rory and Magnus.
Kudos to Ms. Frost for a job well done on Carry and Drag. This is a wonderful MM Novella that captured my attention and emotions from the very start. The book is very well written with characters you can’t help but fall in love with. The storyline is funny, flirty and sexy as heck with all those Rourke Brothers and their friends. Plus, there are moments of aghast that will have you gasping.
Ms. Frost’s flair for words will keep you turning page after page as we meet the Rourke brothers and the situations and people that drive them. Trust me when I says these brothers are a force to be reckoned with and I sure wouldn’t want to be on their bad side. The book features what I call gentle giants; men that are the strong protective macho type yet have a soft side and huge hearts. This is so true with Dagen and Oli.
Vidar (Dagen’s brother) owns a Tattoo Shop and Gym and Dagen lives in the apartment above the the shop. Vidar informs Dagen he is going to have a temporary roommate (something Dagen isn’t really happy about as he like his privacy). But when Oli shows up looking oh so sexy yet broken on the inside, Dagen’s protective nature comes out. But can he break through Oli’s walls and get him to open up to him? Oli lives with deep rooted fears, self loathing and trust issues. While he has never met anyone like the Rourke brothers, especial Dagen, he can’t shake fears from his past. Does he dare let them in? Does he dare tell his secrets? Has he finally found a place he can call home or will his past put him on the run again?
I can’t recommend this book enough. It will have your emotions running the gambit while taking a journey of hate, trust and love. Carry and Drag is a fantastic start to the Open Wounds series and this reader is looking forward to Take Down (Harbor’s story) which is due out next. 2 Thumbs Up and do yourself a favor and grab this one up now, you won’t regret it!
A great start to the series!
Despite having read pretty much everything else by Michelle Frost, somehow, this series escaped me. I’m so glad that I found it because it’s lovely. This is the first book in the series and sets things up well. Despite getting lots of new characters it didn’t fall into the trap lots of first books do where the reader has an avalanche of people thrown at them with no hope of keeping track. I thought the author did well striking the balance between introducing us to the world but also not giving us information overload. The story itself is sweet. Dagen is a gentle giant; he’s sweet and caring and just lovely. Ollie has a lot of stuff in his past that has made him more than a little gun shy. I was a little concerned at first that that would mean lots of angst (which I am not always a fan of) but it didn’t. These two acted like reasonable adults who (shocked gasp) communicated! I really liked this and though it’s a soft HEA, I have a feeling we’ll get to see lots more of these two in the later books (yay!).
I thought Dagen and Ollie were a sweet couple. It was a sweet story with forced proximity, which I love. You just never know how people are going to react to being in someone’s personal space and definitely a small apartment would do that. I liked the start of the Open Wounds series and meeting all the characters to come. I definitely recommend this book.