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Hard Act to Follow

(Shooting Stars #3)

K. Vale,

Kimber Vale (Goodreads Author)

3.86 · Rating details · 146 ratings · 61 reviews

Kyrie is an actor with a physical aversion to telling lies, a one-eyed cat, and horrible taste in men. His ex-brother-in-law and best friend, Greg, harbors a secret crush he can’t shake. After denying his feelings for Kyrie for too long, Greg finally gives in to desire one drunken night. Come the morning, the facts get twisted. Kyrie pretends he doesn’t remember a thing—a ...more

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ebook, 249 pages

Published August 18th 2014 by Liquid Silver Books

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Mar 09, 2016 ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ rated it liked it

Shelves: m-m, friends-to-lovers, bisexual-ofy

This was a light, sexy, and sweet read. I adored Kyrie. I liked Greg. I loved Kyrie's family and was grateful Jazz, Kyrie's sister and Greg's ex, wasn't a bitch.

I'm a big fan of the friends-to-lovers trope, and Greg was so damn enthusiastic in his desire for Kyrie. The angst was minimal, and the HEA, although tentative, was nice.

So why only 3 stars?

That's all to do with ME. I have a brother. We're close, like Jazz and Kyrie. And I cannot fathom ever (like EVER) sleeping with someone who's sle ...more

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May 24, 2018 Lyn❤Loves❤Listening #AUDIOBOOKADDICT rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mmr-interracial, friends-to-lovers, emotionally-satisfying, age-difference, size-difference, made-me-laugh, protective-hero, angst, super-steamy, favorite-couple

4.25 stars

After a night of drinking best friends/ ex-brother-in-laws, Kyrie and Greg end up sleeping together. The next day they pretend not to remember what happened between them.

I found myself laughing a lot reading this book. Kyrie is flamboyant and confidant and a handful. I loved him hard! I really liked Greg too. He’s a big attractive guy who doesn’t realize what a prize he is. I loved that Kyrie could make him blush. These guys define “opposites attract”, and are an endearing couple.

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Jul 18, 2014 Kazza rated it really liked it

Shelves: sweet

4.5 Stars

Stop by the blog from July 18th for a chance to win an e-copy of the book and an Amazon gift voucher http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...

REVIEW:

It should only ever be my name on your lips when you let go, Kyr. Just me.

Hard Act to Follow has several things I like

1 x Sassy, flamboyant MC - yep

1 x Sexy, solid-as-a-rock MC who knows but doesn't know his sexual orientation, so OFY - yep

Well drawn interracial gay couple (so darn hard to find) - yep

A little bit of drama (not much) to drive ...more

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Aug 16, 2014 Ro rated it really liked it

Kyrie is a flamboyant, chirpy actor who is best friends with his sister, Jasmin’s, ex-husband, Greg. He comes across as selfish at times (like when he’s relentless in getting Greg to meet him at the bar when Greg is just so sick) and he’s also completely dedicated to getting Greg and his sister back together. Not going to happen and it’s awkward for the two of them, but Kyrie persists.

While Jasmin and Greg parted amicably enough, they just knew what they had wasn’t enough for either of them, Ky Kyrie is a flamboyant, chirpy actor who is best friends with his sister, Jasmin’s, ex-husband, Greg. He comes across as selfish at times (like when he’s relentless in getting Greg to meet him at the bar when Greg is just so sick) and he’s also completely dedicated to getting Greg and his sister back together. Not going to happen and it’s awkward for the two of them, but Kyrie persists.

While Jasmin and Greg parted amicably enough, they just knew what they had wasn’t enough for either of them, Kyrie refuses to acknowledge it and is always trying to get them together and making sure Greg is present when Jasmin is.

Greg is Kyrie’s best friend but he’s also attracted to him. His dream about Kyrie was so sad and made me want to hug him. He knows that being with Kyrie is never going to happen and being around him is making Greg heartsick.

For his part, Kyrie can’t tell a lie to save his own hide, just can’t do it. When his reasoning for pushing Jasmin and Greg back together is admitted, then I wanted to hug him! “This is what he was afraid of.” Oh, Kyrie.

Kyrie has some issues with a professor at school that Greg helps out with and his image of himself as “Shining. Legal. Briefs.” Made me laugh.

The misunderstanding with the “shrine”, well, I could see that happening and of course you don’t discuss it cause, sheesh, embarrassing. But they should have. So the misunderstanding compounds and turns hurtful.

Let’s put it out there that Liv, Kyrie’s awesome friend, is amazing and I want a friend like her. When Kyrie complains she isn’t acting like a friend is supposed to, her rant back at him was epic and perfect. “They tell each other when they’re being ball sacs. And you, my friend, are the king of testicles!” Love, love, love her. (Her mention of her tampon stash was a close second to being favorite quote).

A huge problem with the ex from Kyrie’s past is a catalyst for change. Kyrie once again is an asshat and hurts Greg and again I wanted to smack him. Knock it off! I think Greg is going to have his hands full with that guy but that makes him happy, so we are all good with it.

Funny, romantic, aggravating characters and an ass-kicking best friend in Liv make this so worth reading.

...more

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Jul 10, 2014 Chris, the Dalek King rated it really liked it

Shelves: mc-pairing-mm, pets, where-have-you-been, nerds-and-geeks, holy-shit-im-queer, owned-ebook-or-audio, dancing-and-the-stage, love-bytes, contemporary, white-collar

Though we meet Kyrie and Greg in the second book of this series, I’m pretty sure this can be read as a standalone. Now saying that, I think you should go read Double Takes not only because it is a good book, but it also sets up the dynamic between Kyrie and Greg really well for this story.

These two guys have a rather interesting history together. See Greg was once married to Kyrie’s sister, Jazz, but even after that marriage dissolved the two guys are still really good friends. In fact Kyrie see Though we meet Kyrie and Greg in the second book of this series, I’m pretty sure this can be read as a standalone. Now saying that, I think you should go read Double Takes not only because it is a good book, but it also sets up the dynamic between Kyrie and Greg really well for this story.

These two guys have a rather interesting history together. See Greg was once married to Kyrie’s sister, Jazz, but even after that marriage dissolved the two guys are still really good friends. In fact Kyrie seems to have made it his life’s mission to bring Jazz and Greg back together so that he doesn’t have to risk losing his best friend when Greg inevitable falls for some other woman. Except there is this itty-bitty problem with Kyrie’s grand plan: Greg is in love with Kyrie, not Jazz (or any other woman, man, or martian). Sadly Greg is about as good at showing this as Kyrie is at lying. Which is not at all.

So while Kyrie is running around trying to shove square brick thru a round hole, Greg is trying pretend he doesn’t want to shove his brick in an entirely different hole. (And we’ll leave that metaphor right there, shall we). Then Kyrie kisses Greg, Greg fucks Kyrie, and then Kyrie lies his ass off about it when morning comes a callin’. Which helps exactly no one. Greg doesn’t want to lose the only family he has ever really cared about, and Kyrie doesn’t want to lose Greg, but inactions sometimes have a way of killing us more than actions ever could. So now they have to deal with a faulty friendship, more lies than you could shake a stick at, and a lot of stupid decisions that might just come back to haunt them both.

I’ve only read the last two books in this series, but I have enjoyed both of them quite a bit. This one probably even more than I did Double Takes. In fact when I was reading the second book in this series I really hoped that Greg and Kyrie got their own book, because they had such wonderful chemistry building up between them. And, well, I do love GFY, and Greg is such a good example of it. Though, luckily, we skip past all the ‘holy-shit-I’m-gay’ angst in this book. Not that that is always a bad thing, but I liked how Greg knew himself here, even if it was a newer version of himself that he never realized was hanging around till he felt himself falling for his best friend. Granted, he does his share of angsting over the whole ex-brother-in-law thing.

Though not nearly as much angsting as Kyrie does. Dear lord in heaven, that boy can create nuclear winter out of a papercut. Life would have been so much easier if he, at any point really, had just talked it out with Greg. But for a boy who can tell no lies (at least off stage), Kyrie does seem to try to pull some big ones in this book. And honestly, ‘we totally got drunk off our asses and blacked out what was possibly the best sex in our entire lives and I can still feel you in my ass but that totally didn’t happen so just forget about it’ is a pretty big lie to swallow. Especially when there is still going to be prophylactic evidence hanging around the house. But while I would have loved to smack Kyrie at several points in this book, I still really enjoyed his stupid blundering.

And the sex…omg. The thong and red leather books nearly put me in a very happy coma, but the chemistry these two have even when they are totally not doing it, just made the story fly by. I loved it so much.

This was a great story, and I loved the MCs, loved the Li family, and loved Kyrie’s friend Liv. This was just so very well put together, and while there were moments of tension and downright stupidly-induced angst, I found that I liked that too. I had trouble putting this book down, even when I realized that I was starting to see the sunrise from the wrong end. And now I am even more convinced that I need to pick up the first book in this series. I hope Vale sees fit to give us more in series, because they just keep getting better.

4.5 stars

This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.

...more

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Aug 22, 2014 ❧A Bookish Berkeley Girl❧ rated it really liked it

Adorably, Sweet, Super Sexy Read!

Kyrie... I love him!

And Greg, was fantastic!

And, together, they were fabulous!

Would it be greedy to want more of them?

Cuz, I do ~

3.5 Stars!

Wow~

Are, you (wo)man, enough to read this...or even start at book 3 like me!

I almost was not...man oh man, I didn't want to read it when I read "ex-husband of best friend sister"

Eek!

Well...

It's not my thing.

But, it turned out okay.

*mumbles* still not my thing.

Okay, so this is my first K. Vale, and it won't be my last. It wa ...more

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Jul 03, 2016 Melissa Mendoza rated it really liked it

Shelves: alpha-book-club, romance, 30-days-of-summer, mm

Title: Hard Act To Follow
Author: K. Vale
Series: Shooting Stars Series, Book 3
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Reviewer: Melissa
Release Date: August 18, 2014
Genre(s): M/M Romance
Page Count: 249
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Kyrie is an actor with a physical aversion to telling lies, a one-eyed cat, and horrible taste in men. His ex-brother-in-law and best friend, Greg, harbors a secret crush he can’t shake. After denying his feelings for Kyrie for too long, Greg finally

...more

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Jul 14, 2015 Milica rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars

Highly recommend!

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Jul 03, 2016 Mollien Fote Osterman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense, gay-male-romance, 30-days-of-summer-2016

Title: Hard Act to Follow
Series: Shooting Stars Series Book 3
Author: K. Vale
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Reviewer: Mollien
Release Date: August 18, 2014
Genre(s): Gay Male Contemporary Romance Rock Band
Page Count: 171 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Mistakes from the past, feelings denied, and a career on the rise may doom their relationship before it has a chance. K. Vale pens a wonderful, contemporary romance with humor and heat in Hard Act to Follow, Book 3 of

...more

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Jun 25, 2016 Mollien Fote Osterman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: suspense, gay-male-romance, 30-days-of-summer-2016

Mistakes from the past, feelings denied, and a career on the rise may doom their relationship before it has a chance. K. Vale pens a wonderful, contemporary romance with humor and heat in Hard Act to Follow, Book 3 of

...more

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Jan 11, 2017 caroline wilson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite-m-m

This is another good book I can read again and again and I have:)
This book is the story of Greg and kyrie who were originally brother in laws as Greg was married to kyries sister. Though Greg has divorced kyries sister he still remains a close part of the family and a good thing to as his mum leaves much to be desired about in the family department. Kyrie who is desperate to keep Greg close,though at the start he doesn't admit even to himself its because he loves him more then a brother in law ...more

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Nov 23, 2014 Veronica of V's Reads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, scorching, hot, quick-read, adult, fun-fast-read, male-male

This is the third book in the Shooting Stars series and I have read all of them. They are all set with different characters, however, and the stories barely intersect, so it's not required to read in sequence.

Kyrie is an out gay man. He's just graduating from college as a theater major, and had previously been featured as the *possible* romantic interest of an aging rocker, Gio Savale, making a comeback and a reality TV show in book two of the series, Double Takes. His ex-brother-in-law, Greg wa This is the third book in the Shooting Stars series and I have read all of them. They are all set with different characters, however, and the stories barely intersect, so it's not required to read in sequence.

Kyrie is an out gay man. He's just graduating from college as a theater major, and had previously been featured as the *possible* romantic interest of an aging rocker, Gio Savale, making a comeback and a reality TV show in book two of the series, Double Takes. His ex-brother-in-law, Greg was also a part of the book.

Greg is an attorney who has burned his candle at both ends to make junior partner. It probably cost him his marriage to Kyrie's elder sister, Jasmine. They had an amicable divorce, however, and Greg is still close with their family--he's an extremely close friend of Kyrie's which makes things uber-awkward that he's also frighteningly attracted to Kyrie. Romantically.

See, Greg's not gay. Well, he's never been gay. So this attraction, which has been building a long time, is REALLY confusing. And, he doesn't want to upset Jas and Kyrie's parents--they've been more of a family to him than his own. So he simmers in shame, and begins to stop taking Kyrie's calls, digging himself deeper into work in order to avoid him.

It doesn't work. Good for Kyrie! Because Greg's slick-lawer-speak gets Kyrie out of the clutches of his lecherous, abusive college adviser and into a non-glamorous job as general stage help and in a shiny new locale several hours from Boston: NYC.

Of course, their drunken hook-up muddies things. Or, does it? Greg recognizes his workaholic life is not part of his longterm plan. He hates all the long hours and would gladly give them up for more time with Kyrie--who is pretending he doesn't remember their night together.

Lookit, this is a romance. And things get really romantic. The occasion of their reunion is tragic, but their chemistry--once they get the medical okay--is totally organic. And incendiary.

Kyrie and Greg are a good couple, if they can get past their selflessness. Greg was willing to stay away from Kyrie to not make life weird in Kyrie's family, and Kyrie was willing to shun Greg so he could advance at his law firm--but it turns out neither of these sacrifices were necessary. Yay for us, because this is a super hot, sexy read!

I enjoyed Kyrie's playfulness, and Greg's steadfastness. I was SO glad he woke up and fixed things before Kyrie got into further trouble with his old prof.

This whole series has been well-written. I enjoyed the small cameos of characters who recur in the books, and hadn't noticed any that could make a fourth book, here. So, I guess this is it.... *shoulders slump*

I received a copy of this book via Goodreads' Don't Buy My Love program in exchange for my honest review. ...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Lisa The Novel Approach rated it really liked it

Hard Act to Follow is very good. I am not a huge fan of the new trend in this genre of “sibling sharing”, but I fell in love with Kyrie in the previous book in the series, so I had to give this one a read. I am so glad I did.

At the beginning of the book Kyrie is doing a full court press to get his sister back together with her ex-husband, Greg. It doesn’t seem to matter much to him that neither his sister nor Greg want to get back together either. It takes a while for Kyrie to clue in to the fac Hard Act to Follow is very good. I am not a huge fan of the new trend in this genre of “sibling sharing”, but I fell in love with Kyrie in the previous book in the series, so I had to give this one a read. I am so glad I did.

At the beginning of the book Kyrie is doing a full court press to get his sister back together with her ex-husband, Greg. It doesn’t seem to matter much to him that neither his sister nor Greg want to get back together either. It takes a while for Kyrie to clue in to the fact that he doesn’t want Greg with his sister anymore because, it seems, that Kyrie wants Greg all to himself.

Kyrie then decided it would be a good idea to get Greg drunk and seduce him. Even though this is exactly what both men wanted more than anything else, they manage to royally screw it up. With one misunderstanding after another causing these two men to drift further and further apart, there doesn’t seem to be any hope for them to have a future together.

With Kyrie gone to New York and Greg still at home, it takes a threat to Kyrie’s life to get Greg to realize what he could lose if he doesn’t try his hardest to make it right. When Greg arrives in New York, the two men realize that they have fallen into the trap of not communicating, and they finally talk out their issues. After spending two full days getting things smoothed over, and spending copious amounts of time in bed, you would think they were finally on their way to a HEA. Not so much.

It seems it will take more than a few conversations and some great sex to fix what they have managed to screw up royally. Plus, there is still the daunting task of telling Kyrie’s sister and the rest of his family. Oh, and Greg is going to have to come out to everyone.

As much as I did enjoy this book I had a few niggles that kept me from giving it all five stars. The writing was definitely not one of them, though. I seem to have fallen under Ms. Vale’s spell, and I just adore her work. As I said above, it just squicks me out a bit with the whole bed jumping between siblings thing; that is just icky for me. Also, I felt as if the story was not complete when the book ended. There were a couple issues still bothering Kyrie, and I had hoped to see them tidied up. They weren’t, but overall this was a great read and continuation of the series. I highly recommend this book and the entire series.

...more

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Jul 30, 2014 romanceandcoffee rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, mm, rgr

Reviewed for Rainbow Gold Reviews

Kyrie is a person you want to have in your life. He is considerate, thoughtful and so much fun to be around, in short a really great person. Yes , yes he also has some flaws but who hasn´t? Greg on the other hand is a quiet but ambitious lawyer who has a crush on Kyrie since ages. This situation is an uncomfortable one since Greg is not only Kyrie´s best friend but his ex-brother in law too. I loved those two. They would have done anything for each other , of cou Reviewed for Rainbow Gold Reviews

Kyrie is a person you want to have in your life. He is considerate, thoughtful and so much fun to be around, in short a really great person. Yes , yes he also has some flaws but who hasn´t? Greg on the other hand is a quiet but ambitious lawyer who has a crush on Kyrie since ages. This situation is an uncomfortable one since Greg is not only Kyrie´s best friend but his ex-brother in law too. I loved those two. They would have done anything for each other , of course all under the disguise of a friendship.

It was fun to watch them dance around each other until one drunken night where everything changes. They have sex and good god was that hot, the chemistry is so right between them. Anyway they have a great night together. Something that changes immediately in the morning. To make the situations easier, Kyrie pretends to not knowing what went down and Greg just follows along.That lie weighs heavily on both of them. Their friendship is strained. It needed some attemps on both sides to get their feet under themselves again and their friendship. But could it be more?

This story has it´s up and downs for the main characters in store. You can watch both of them struggle with their feelings for each other. Of course the matter of not talking about important things didnt´make it easier for them, but in this case I could understand why they did what they did. I mean, imagine you´re in love with your ex-brother in law, how would you explain that to the ex-wife/sister or other family members? Extremly awkward I would say.

I loved Kyrie and Greg and wanted for them to have their happily ever after. Also Kyrie´s roommate and other best friend is a force to be reckoned with. She is snarky, has a certain kind of humour but doesn´t shy away from telling Kyrie the truth even if it isn´t something Kyrie wants to hear.

The pacing is good and the story is an easy read. Can this be read as a standalone? I would think so, but you would miss all the fun watching Greg and Kyrie interact with each other and with Gio, which takes place in Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2). Don´t know if there will be more books in this series but I will keep an eye on this author. ...more

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Jul 26, 2014 Susan65 rated it really liked it

Shelves: blogger-girls-blog

The Blogger Girls

I fell in love with Kyrie in Double Takes, and that love was solidified here. He is truly a remarkable character, one you can’t help but adore and wish he were real. Can you imagine having your own Kyrie in your life? How much fun would that be, huh?

Greg took a little longer to love, but only because of his past relationship to Kyrie, and not because of the man himself. I had a little trouble at first accepting Greg and Kyrie as a couple, because I had trouble separating Greg ...more

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Nov 27, 2014 Alisa rated it liked it

Shelves: zz-2014, m-m-read, interracial-couple

*I received this book as a part of the Don't Buy My Love Program in exchange for an honest review*

This is the third book in the Shooting Stars series. We had seen Kyrie in the previous book. In this story we see him and his best friend Greg. Not only is Greg straight but he is also Kyrie's ex brother in law. Ooh...good angsty stuff. I loved the first half of this book. We see the story from both of their points of view. They each realize they are in love with each other but they are afraid of lo ...more

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Jul 05, 2014 Carly rated it it was amazing

I thoroughly enjoyed Hard Act to Follow. It is well written, fast paced and entertaining. Third in the Shooting Stars series, I read it as a stand alone without any trouble.

My favorite element of this story is how vibrant and character driven the writing is. Everyone felt so real that they jumped right off the pages and into my heart.

Kyrie kept me laughing with his outrageous comments, and breathless with his fearless expression of sensuality. I wanted to cheer at his achievements, and hug away ...more

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Aug 18, 2014 Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: part-of-a-series, m-m-romance-own, interracial-romance-own, contemporary-romance, college, dbml

*I received this copy part of the Don't Buy My Love Program in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars

Can I first point out the cover models do no justice for Kyrie and Greg. That bothered me a lot. I was super annoyed with Kyrie in the last book. He did have some redeeming qualities about himself. I truly did like him in this book. I definitely seen the chemistry between Greg and himself. I thought Greg was pretty obvious with his hero worship when it came to Kyrie. I liked them together when t ...more

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Nov 15, 2014 Nile Princess rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m-romance, gay-for-you, kindle-lendable, m-m-interracial, ex-s-sibling-as-love-interest, theater, lawyer, campy-character

What does a 'straight' man do when he finds himself falling for his best friend? What about if that best friend is his ex wife's brother? The blurb had me at hello. I had to read it and I'm glad I did. I loved it. Great writing, good pacing (may be slightly slow and angsty for some) but it worked for me. Loved the humor! Kyrie was borderline 'too campy for me' but, for the most part, I loved him. He and Greg were opposites in so many ways, but they just worked. Loved both characters both individ ...more

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Nov 13, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: dbml, m-m, serials-m-m, 05-mm-read

This book was given to me free by the author for an unbiased review.
I am loving this series of books. Although this book is number 3 in the series ( will there be a book 4), you could read it as a standalone, although the guys are introduced in book 2.
Kyrie and his ex brother in law ( whose straight) share a drunken night of sex and then the next morning they both don't talk about it. For the coming days and weeks they are miserable and Greg ends up having a hard time at work.
Eventually, the guy ...more

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Aug 04, 2014 Brooklyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance-mm

Kyrie is fun! I think there are some issues that didn't get addressed, like Greg's coming out to his mom. But overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's one of those comfort reads. Not too much angst, just feel good romance.

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Dec 23, 2014 Jacq ~ rated it liked it

Good chemistry. Ok storyline. Could have done without the sister and the crack head...just seem unnecessary!

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Aug 17, 2014 ItsAboutTheBook rated it really liked it

Shelves: starbrites

Review can be read at It's About The Book

We first met Kyrie Li and Greg Dwyer in Double Takes – book two of the Shooting Stars series. Kyrie was hired to play the boyfriend of Giovanni Savale on his reality tv show Real Rock. Kyrie and Greg didn’t have a huge part in Double Takes, but book 3 – Hard Act to Follow is all about them.

Greg and Kyrie are best friends and ex brother in laws. Greg was married to Kyrie’s sister, and even though they divorced some time ago, Greg and Kyrie have stayed Review can be read at It's About The Book

We first met Kyrie Li and Greg Dwyer in Double Takes – book two of the Shooting Stars series. Kyrie was hired to play the boyfriend of Giovanni Savale on his reality tv show Real Rock. Kyrie and Greg didn’t have a huge part in Double Takes, but book 3 – Hard Act to Follow is all about them.

Greg and Kyrie are best friends and ex brother in laws. Greg was married to Kyrie’s sister, and even though they divorced some time ago, Greg and Kyrie have stayed close. But Greg has developed feelings for Kyrie, and he knows he can’t act on them. It could ruin everything between them, and Greg could not live without having Kyrie in his life. One night the two of them go out and get drunk and end up sleeping together. The next morning Kyrie sees a picture of himself and his sister in Greg’s drawer which makes him believe that Greg was only thinking of Jasmine while he was with Kyrie. Kyrie chooses to lie and pretend he doesn’t remember anything happening between them the next morning. He thinks it will make things easier, but of course that lie puts a huge strain on their friendship. They don’t talk or hang out, they hardly even text each other anymore. Neither one knows what to do to fix it and talking to each other is out of the question. When Greg gives Kyrie a way too generous graduation gift, things become even worse between the two of them.

Kyrie is about to move to New York and Greg cannot let him leave without fixing things. Greg goes to Kyrie’s and helps with the move and the two men seem to have things back on track. Then Greg gets a distressed call from a friend of Kyrie’s and he drops everything to go protect the man he loves.

This was a good book. A little angst and some non-communication between the two MCs, and If you’ve read the other books in this series you’ll be surprised to know that this book actually was a whole lot calmer than the others. Not so many different plots going on all at once, and if you’re a first time reader to this series you don’t necessarily have to read the first two books to understand who the characters are or what’s going on in the story. I didn’t know that before I got this one but I don’t regret taking the time to read the others. The only thing that disappointed me in Hard Act to Follow was I really wanted more of Kyrie’s POV. It seemed that this book was more about Greg than it was about him. I’ll be looking forward to seeing who the author writes about next. ...more

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Nov 11, 2014 Wax rated it really liked it

Shelves: mm

This book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Hard Act to Follow is the third book in the Shooting Stars series. I actually just happened to have read the first book, Forever is Now, recently, and loved it. So I was excited to reenter K Vale's world in this book. The books can be read as a standalone, though.

Greg Dwyer (Esquire) is a divorced and lonely lawyer. He is still friendly with his ex-wive's family, especially her younger brother Kyrie. Kyrie is basicall This book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Hard Act to Follow is the third book in the Shooting Stars series. I actually just happened to have read the first book, Forever is Now, recently, and loved it. So I was excited to reenter K Vale's world in this book. The books can be read as a standalone, though.

Greg Dwyer (Esquire) is a divorced and lonely lawyer. He is still friendly with his ex-wive's family, especially her younger brother Kyrie. Kyrie is basically Greg's best and only friend as he spends his time either working or gardening. Having no other family he is reluctant to lose his ex's family as he is still welcome to family events. Things are further complicated by the fact that he's been having very un-heterosexual thoughts about his ex brother-in-law and best friend Kyrie. Kyrie has been trying to push Greg and his sister Jasmine back together as he is afraid of Greg pulling away. Then one night when both are drunk they have sex, a fact that threatens to change all the dynamics.

K Vale does the slow burn well. There is UST galore and of course an element of GFY, so it makes sense that the MCs do not just fall into bed or have insta-love. Their relationship began as friends/relatives-by-marriage so it takes time for them to recognize the romantic feelings that are between them. There's also a mild age gap, so they aren't at the same point in their lives; Kyrie is just finishing college and Greg is already looking at making partner at his law firm. I thought that all of these issues were handled well and the pacing was good. I pretty much read it in one sitting. The only gripes I have with the story mostly have to do with the use of slang. There were a couple that made me say, "huh?" and take a quick look at urban dictionary, like "track phone" or "prophylactic." Don't get me wrong, of course I knew what those meant, even if there weren't any contextual clues. I just wanted to see if they were regional slang. :) I did like how the author squeezed in a way to know how to pronounce Kyrie's name. Of course I had it wrong in my head the whole time.

Overall I loved both of the main characters because they felt real to me. All the road blocks they had with developing a relationship also felt true to the story and true to life. Highly recommended. And stop by the author's blog for a cute Halloween short that was recently posted if you feel like you need more Greg and Kyrie love. ...more

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Nov 13, 2014 blub rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kyrie and Greg are best friends and ex-brother-in-laws. We first meet the two in Double Takes (you don't need to read it to understand what's going on and may be read as a standalone. I do recommend going back to read the other books though.) They spend almost all their free time with each other. Greg has been pining after Kyrie and really tries to fight these feelings not because he's supposedly straight but because he doesn't want to lose t I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kyrie and Greg are best friends and ex-brother-in-laws. We first meet the two in Double Takes (you don't need to read it to understand what's going on and may be read as a standalone. I do recommend going back to read the other books though.) They spend almost all their free time with each other. Greg has been pining after Kyrie and really tries to fight these feelings not because he's supposedly straight but because he doesn't want to lose the friendship or betray his adopted family. Kyrie is a quirky person and he so free and fun.hes an easy person to get along with. He's always pulling Greg around and trying to get Greg and his sister jazz together. It's endearing. Then after one drunken night it just so happens they fall into bed together. The morning after is tense and a bit awkward. Kyrie makes up a lie hoping Greg wouldn't be too keen on discussing what happened. From then on their relationship becomes strained and distant. Greg and Kyrie communications is lacking and the strain on their relationship will either break them or make them. All they need to do is air out their troubles.

I found Kyrie a funny guy especially with his one eyed cat Willie. The part when their moving cracked me up ( I’m a horrible person for laughing at such a serious part but the things that came out of Kyrie’s mouth and the way I imaged him saying it just had me laughing). I loved the relationship dynamic between Greg and Kyrie. In fact I loved a lot about this book: that Kyrie managed to do what Jazz couldn’t for Greg. The change and effect of their behavior
towards each other and that Greg helped Kyrie get that recommendation and made it happen when dealing with Kyrie s ex-bf/academic adviser. It was enjoyable seeing the interaction they had with family. I would have liked to have seen more of their backstory. Readers really just got very basic info about them.

The thing with Jeremy was intriguing if I was a cartoon character I think my eyes would have been popping out of my head. It was pretty juicy news and completely unexpected considering his name only shows up twice in the book in reference to Kyrie’s ex. The reconciliation had me ‘awwing’ and laughing. I loved that Greg told Kyrie to stay out of his Kyrie jerk off drawer.
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Nov 02, 2014 Marie rated it really liked it

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

"Hard Act to Follow" by K. Vale is book three in the Shooting Stars series. I haven't read other books in this series yet, and this book stood alone well, with the exception of a few paragraphs of conversation where I got the feeling there was some backstory I'd missed. The main characters are Kyrie and Greg, who are best friends and spend as much spare time together as possible. One of the major challenges they I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

"Hard Act to Follow" by K. Vale is book three in the Shooting Stars series. I haven't read other books in this series yet, and this book stood alone well, with the exception of a few paragraphs of conversation where I got the feeling there was some backstory I'd missed. The main characters are Kyrie and Greg, who are best friends and spend as much spare time together as possible. One of the major challenges they face, however, is that they are starting to fall for each other but believe it will make life difficult. Greg is the ex-husband of Kyrie's sister, after all, and the men don't want to hurt Kyrie's sister or Kyrie's parents by stepping into a relationship. Greg doesn't have many relationships or close friendships outside of Kyrie and his circle of family and friends, and so he is apprehensive of messing up everything he knows outside of work if he confesses his feelings to Kyrie. Kyrie, on the other hand, is an actor preparing to graduate from college and is worried about holding Greg back from success in his career as a lawyer.

Their relationship shifts rapidly after the night they sleep together unexpectedly. Neither Greg nor Kyrie is sure about what the other person wants out of the relationship, so for a while they pretend nothing is different even though they're miserable. The miscommunications and misunderstandings keep them apart for weeks, until finally there's a catalyst to bring them together again and start communicating. I felt that K. Vale did a good job of conveying tone and "voice" for both Greg and Kyrie. They are characters that I'd be interested in reading about again. I also liked the depth that was given to the secondary characters, especially Kyrie's roommate Liv. I was glad to see that the men found each other in the end, and it also seemed like the author left the door open for more books to follow.

I look forward to reading more by K. Vale, both in this series and in her other works. I recommend "Hard Act to Follow." ...more

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Jul 18, 2014 JenCW rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this book. It was sweet, but sexy. Greg is a sweet guy who works a little too hard as a lawyer, trying to make partner in his firm. He's divorced, but is best friends with his ex-wife's brother, Kyrie. How awkward would that be for anyone? Especially when Kyrie keeps trying to get his sister and Greg back together?

Kyrie's immediate family all consider Greg family still, so he ends up at a lot of family dinners and celebrations with his ex-wife. No matter how amicable a divorce, ...more

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Jul 26, 2014 Caroline Brand rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m, 2014, 4-star-read, reviewed-for-prism

REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE

This is another well written and easy to read book in the Shooting Stars series.

We met Kyrie in Double Takes (Book 2) when he was hired to play the boyfriend. He is still as sassy and flamboyant as ever and still can’t tell a lie to save his life. Greg is his best friend and also his ex brother in law. Kyrie has been crushing on him for years but in deference to his sister and his best friend he has kept his feelings to himself.

Greg is the complete opposite of Kyr ...more

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Oct 16, 2014 Crystal Marie rated it it was amazing

I was a bit worried when I first started reading this book because at first, I didn’t realize that it was the 3rd book in the series. So I was pleasantly surprised that it ended up being fine while reading because the other books didn’t seem to have a role in this one. That might not be the case in all honesty, but I personally didn’t feel lost or confused while reading it in the slightest.
I really enjoyed the characters in this story, especially Greg. I am a total anguish person when it comes ...more

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Nov 25, 2014 Mari Cardenas rated it really liked it

*Copy provided by the Author in exchange of an honest review*

*** 4 stars ***

I truly enjoyed this story. It was short and sweet, with some angst and hot sex scenes.

Kyrie was over-the-top, sweet, young and overall, adorable! Greg was my favorite character in the book, so reliable and loveable, so in love with Kyrie and not wanting to mess up their friendship for nothing. Even when he got angry he never even tried to take it against Kyrie (even when it was Kyrie's fault). I just adored that Kyr's ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Liquid Silver Books: Hard Act to Follow, Shooting Stars Book 3 by Kimber Vale	1	2	Sep 24, 2014 02:18PM
Liquid Silver Books: Hard Act To Follow, Shooting Stars Book 3 by K Vale	1	2	Sep 23, 2014 04:12PM
Liquid Silver Books: Hard Act to Follow, Shooting Stars Book 3 by Kimber Vale	1	2	Sep 14, 2014 07:16PM
Liquid Silver Books: Hard Act to Follow, Shooting Stars Book 3 by K. Vale	3	4	Aug 18, 2014 07:01PM
Goodreads Librari...: Help adding book to my Author page?	10	31	Jul 18, 2014 09:47AM

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About K. Vale

K. Vale

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Librarian note: K. Vale is a pseudonym/pen name for Goodreads author Kimber Vale for her M/M genre books.

Kimber Vale is an avid reader, writer and gardener. She worked as an RN once upon a time, but is currently a stay-at-home mom to three busy hobbits. She is fortunate to have an understanding husband who never refuses to help with her “writing research.” He answers questions like, “What do you t ...more