The Experiment by Rebecca Raine ➱ Release Tour with Giveaway

Book Title: The Experiment

Author: Rebecca Raine

Cover Artist: Bec Rivers

Release Date: Tuesday, 18 August (AEST)

Genre/s: Contemporary MM Romance

Trope/s: Friends-to-Lovers, Gay for You, First-time Gay

Themes: Friendship, Self-discovery, Self-experimentation

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 85 000 words/ approx. 210 pages

It is a standalone book.

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When a single kiss calls your sexuality into question,

there’s only one sure path to a reliable answer: further research.

Blurb

When a single kiss calls your sexuality into question, there’s only one sure path to a reliable answer: further research.

Patrick

I like to think I know myself outside and in. As a developmental psychologist, I’ve spent years exploring the true foundations of my identity. So, when losing a bet means kissing my best friend, Logan, I already know I’m going to hate every second of it. All the relevant questions regarding my sexuality were asked and answered years ago. The results were conclusive: despite the odd same-sex attraction, I dislike being touched by men.

That is, it seems, until Logan is the man doing the touching. The intense desire aroused by his kiss contradicts all my expectations and I have no idea how to integrate the new information. Thankfully, I know exactly how to uncover the truth about myself—once and for all.

Logan

I’ve put a lot of effort into keeping Patrick out of my fantasies and in the friend-zone. Our recent lip-lock may have unleashed my feelings for him temporarily, but I’ll get them back on their platonic track in no time. Falling for a friend, especially a sexually ambivalent friend, is a one-way ticket to heartache.

But, when the unforeseen impact of our kiss inspires Patrick to conduct an experiment into the extent of his bisexuality, I can’t resist volunteering to help. If any man is going to join Patrick on his journey of self-discovery, it’s sure as hell going to be me.

Excerpt

“You can do your experiment with me.”

My heart pounds, as I wait for him to respond to my offer. The part of me that’s sure he’ll say yes is already weak with relief that he won’t go out looking for anyone else. I don’t want other men touching Patrick. If he’s only ever going to do this experiment with one man, I want that man to be me.

“I thought you wanted to go back to the way things were.” His gaze is wary, and he has yet to move a muscle. “We’re friends, nothing more. That’s what you said.”

“Yes, and it’s still true,” I assure him. “I do want to go back to being friends. But we can do it after the experiment.”

His breath has quickened and, when he speaks again, his voice is rough. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“It’s the best viable solution,” I tell him, as if coating my possessiveness with a thick layer of pragmatism will make it less obvious. “Don’t forget, it was my kiss that breathed life into your queerness.” My body reacts to the idea of doing it again… and again… and again. However many times he needs to be satisfied. I make a show of licking my lips, enjoying the way he watches with rapt attention. “How much do you want to bet I can get more than a boner out of you?”

With a start, his eyes narrow and he points a finger at me. “No more bets.”

Laughing out loud, I nod. “That’s right. How could I forget?”

He runs a hand over the back of his neck as he looks around the bar, before returning his gaze to me. “I’ll admit, when I decided to do this, my first instinct was to come to you.” He gestures at me with an impatient hand. “You’re the only guy I’ve ever enjoyed kissing and it totally blew my mind. Why do you think I’m doing this in the first place?” he growls, his frustration coming through. “It’s not just because of what happened when we kissed. It’s the fact I can’t stop thinking about it.”

He’s not the only one. I’ve rubbed my cock raw in remembrance. The urge to shove him back against the nearby wall washes over me. I want to give him something new to think about. Ignoring the impulse, I swallow hard and speak in a low voice. “When you’re thinking about it, are these analytical thoughts about what it all means? Or are they wanking thoughts?”

He glances away, trying to appear nonchalant. “Both.”

My muscles tighten at the thought of him with his hand wrapped around his throbbing dick, fantasising about kissing me while he pants and moans his way to orgasm. I want to know what he looks like when he comes. What he sounds like. How he feels.

“But,” he says, with emphasis, interrupting the lustfest going on in my head, “I decided against it because I know you don’t—” The words cut off and his eyes close briefly. “I don’t want us to stop being friends.”

“I don’t want that either but, Patrick, you’re playing with fire here and assuming no one will steal the matches. I’m the only one I trust to do this right.”

He’s still reluctant. I can feel the force of his doubts. But he hasn’t said no.

“Patrick, listen to me.” I slide a hand around the back of his neck, urging him to meet my gaze. “You need someone you can trust to stop when you say stop, no matter what’s happening when you say it. Someone who won’t get pissed at you and accuse you of being a tease when you leave them with blue balls.” Releasing him, I grin. “Besides, you tried looking for someone else to kiss. It didn’t work. You chose me and now you’re stuck with me for the duration.”

He huffs out an indignant sound. “I could find someone else to kiss,” he blusters, “if I looked really hard… for about ten years.”

I laugh out loud, knowing I almost have him convinced. “Yeah, but even if you did, it wouldn’t matter.”

“Why is that?” He leans closer, as if he’s looking forward to my response.

In that instant, I realise how badly I want this—him. I want to tug on every thread of his sexuality, freeing each strand for thorough inspection. I want to tie him in knots, before making him unravel for me. And I want him to know, every second along the way, I’m the one who is doing this to him. That I’m the only man to ever make him feel this way.

Licking my lips, I take a step closer and bring my face in next to his. “Because even if you did hit your limit with someone else, you’d always wonder how much further I could have taken you.” I lower my head, so he can feel my breath against his neck as I go in for the kill. “Patrick, my friend, I’m going to drag your arse so far down my end of the spectrum, you’ll have to claw your way straight.”

GAY BOOK PROMOTIONS

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

AUTHOR NAME: Rebecca Raine

Tell us a little about yourself.

• I’m an Australian romance writer who loves to write about the many and varied ways people fall in love. I live in Queensland with my very own hero husband, two quirky kids and a big, black dog. Aside from reading and writing, I enjoy loud music, lazy Sunday afternoons, and spending too much time on the internet.

What would people be most surprised to know about you?

• Unlike many writers, I was not a big reader as a kid. Then, when I was 16 years old, my mum pulled one of her many, many romance novels off the shelf and handed it to me. She thought I might enjoy it. The book was Passion’s Captive by Lori Copeland. I adored it! It was funny and romantic and totally swoon-worthy. I was hooked. From then on, I was never far from a book.

How do you relax?

• With a big glass of wine, some cheese with crackers, and a good book (of course).

How long have you been writing and what made you fall in love with writing?

• My writing journey started in my late-20s with the wonderful world of fan fiction. It was heaps of fun and the community I found myself in was full of wonderful, supportive people. Plus, the instant gratification that comes from having readers comment on ever chapter you post was totally addictive. When I finished a fanfic that hit the 30,000 word mark, I decided to take one of the original characters I’d created and make her the heroine of her very own novel.

What’s your favorite part of writing?

• I love the part where I have a basic draft of a scene written and I get to rewrite it over and over until it shines. Playing with phrases, getting bits of dialogue just right, making myself laugh, cry or sigh with pleasure. For me, those are the magical moments of writing.

Why did you choose to write GLBTQ romance/fiction?

• When I began writing romance it never occurred to me I would ever write anything other than MF novels. At the time, I didn’t even know any other options existed. Fast forward a few years and one of the publishing companies put out a call for short stories for a ménage anthology. It sparked an idea in me, and I started writing. I missed the deadline for the anthology, but the story wouldn’t leave me alone, so I kept writing. That book became Our Little Secret. After that, I continued to follow my muse wherever she led. In the end, I never felt like I chose to write gay and ménage romances, any more than I chose to write straight romances. I’ve just continued to write stories for the characters who show up in my head, whomever they may be.

Do you write any other genre?

• All my books sit happily in the romance genre, but when it comes to sub-genres I have enjoyed quite a bit of variety. I’ve written MF, MMF and MM romances. I’ve also written a paranormal romance where magick abounds and an insane vampire lurks in the shadows.

Give the readers a brief summary of your latest book or WIP.

• Patrick likes to think he knows himself outside and in. What you see is what you get and what you get happens to be straight. So, when losing a bet means kissing his best friend, Logan, he already knows he’ll hate every second of it. Not that he’s immune to the heat generated by a little man-on-man action. But, at the end of the day, he doesn’t like being touched by men. Until it’s Logan doing the touching, that is. The intense desire aroused by the kiss contradicts all Patrick’s expectations and he’s determined to find out why. Thankfully, he knows exactly how to uncover the truth about himself. It’s time to run an experiment.

What genre does it fall in?

• The Experiment is a contemporary MM romance with a solid HEA. It contains friends-to-lovers, gay-for-you, and first-time-gay tropes. There’s plenty of fun, a little angst, and hot sexy times.

Share a few words about your latest book/WIP, other than the usual blurb.

• At its core, The Experiment is a story about self-awareness. It’s the push and pull between what we believe to be true about ourselves, and the subconscious parts of us that lurk deep beneath the surface. What would you do if you uncovered a part of yourself—an intensely vibrant part—that you had no idea was there? Would you want to learn more?

Give us a little insight into your main characters. Who are they?

• Patrick is a developmental psychologist who is completing a PhD in adolescent identity formation. His world revolves around the idea that lasting happiness comes from knowing who you are and not being afraid to show it.

• Logan works at the university library, but also runs a web development business. He’s the kind of guy who’ll do anything for a friend, even if that involves letting one use him for research purposes. Especially if the research gives him an excuse to get his hands on the one man he’s been trying so hard not to want.

Will we be seeing these characters again any time soon? Is this book part of a series?

• This is a standalone novel.

Which actor would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

• Choosing my dream cast for a new book is always so much fun. For The Experiment, I chose Jonathan Groff as Patrick and the uber-sexy Jack Falahee as Logan.

What does your writing process look like?

• I would love to be one of those writers who charges full steam ahead until they hit the end of the first draft, but that is not me at all. I always know where the story is going in terms of the plot, but I can only write about five chapters before the scene details get too hazy. Then I go back over those drafted chapters, building on what’s there, rewriting, digging deeper into the characters, and making everything fit together. Only then can I set out to write the next five chapters or so before repeating the process. By the time I reach the end for the first time, the story already feels very solid to me. I feel like I’ve lived and struggled alongside the characters the whole time.

When/where is your favorite time/place to write?

• I am incredibly lucky to be writing full-time at the moment, so most of my writing is done while my kids are at school. I have a desk in the corner of the lounge room where my computer lives. But I’ll often be found sprawled on the couch with my laptop, or a notebook and pen. Especially now because it’s the middle of winter here and I prefer to spend every moment I can snuggled under blankets.

What genre/s do you enjoy reading in your free time?

• Romance tops the list, naturally. But I also enjoy reading science fiction and some fantasy. I find writing craft books endlessly fascinating. And I have a total weakness for books on productivity and building good work habits.

Have you held any interesting jobs while you worked on your books?

• My background is in psychology, so most of the jobs I’ve had alongside writing have involved research of some kind. The last one involved a lot of research about sleep. I can talk about sleep, sleep stages, sleep deprivation, etc for hours on end. Most people would prefer I didn’t.

About the Author

Rebecca is a long-time lover of all things romance. Whether it’s a book, movie, or real life, she will always have more fun if there’s a love interest thrown into the mix. She lives in Queensland, Australia with her very own hero husband, two quirky kids and one big, black dog. Other than reading and writing books, her favourite things include loud music, enjoying a glass of wine on the patio, organising everything in existence, and spending too much time on the Internet.

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