Life Out Loud
Salem Nights 1

Professional Reviews

4 STARS: "LIFE OUT LOUD is the first book in the Salem Nights series but it's far from the first of Gabrielle Evan's books I've read. It's more heavily romance than suspense I enjoyed the romance but was left craving more suspense. The characters were endearing, including the solid cast of secondary characters of which I'm hopeful we'll see more in future books of this series. But the lead characters stole the show in with their chemistry. If there is such a thing as a perfect couple, the author created it with Quinn and Zach. Quinn Harper has returned home to Oregon. It's been five years since she left to settle in Virginia, finish school and recover from a broken heart. Now that she's getting her life together, she comes to discover her feelings for her friend Zach are more than she's ever admitted. Entwined in their family, Quinn needs to let go of the past to claim her future. Quinn is strong having dealt with the death her parents, the loss of her first love and the burden of being very wealthy. Her perseverance and strength makes her a great heroine deserving of an HEA. Zach Jenson has returned home to Oregon too. He left his job as an FBI agent to settle down and start a family in the rural town where he grew up. When he learns Quinn is also back, he knows it's time to tell her how he feels. He's charming and handsome but it was the gentle care he showed for Quinn that won me over (and the sex was hot too!). Though a bit possessive at times, he's considerate and thoughtful which makes him a great hero. Not everyone is happy about Zach and Quinn becoming a couple. Little notes and creepy gifts arrive for Quinn, her car is vandalized and her lawn is set on fire. The mystery of Quinn's unwelcome admirer was woven into the storyline well and it was a surprise to find out just who the villain was. The author also keeps a morsel of her signature m/m love in LIFE OUT LOUD and deals with the hatred and prejudice head on. I admire her tenacity in bringing real life issues to the page; and it's great that it could be there without taking away from the romance. The author put a realistic twist into her story that kept readers waiting until the very end to find out the truth." -- Rebecca, The Romance Reviews

4 NYMPHS: "After reading Life Out Loud, I was surprised to find out who is the villain turned out to be. The author had me fooled and it is done in a very deceptive way. This is the first book in the Salem Nights series, and my first read from Ms. Evans, who has done a great job with her creative, intrigue-filled and suspenseful writing. After being friends from childhood, Zach and Quinn, now as adults, learning they both feel the same way; there is a lot of steaming hot sex going on. Zachary turned out to be a little possessive of Quinn, and yet very supportive of her needs and wants. I must say that he really developed into a warm person that I could admire with his love for his family. Quinn is a spitfire who had no one to lean on after the death her parents and from generations of family, she is left very wealthy. She had a problem deciding on a career and she learned a few truths about the people closest to her. I am excited to learn what will be happening in the next story of this series or rather, who it will be about. While reading this book, I kept wondering how the end would turn out and imagine my surprise when I reached it! Ms. Evans sure does know how to spin a realistic tale of what could and could not go wrong. I say read and enjoy." -- Goddess Minx, Literary Nymphs Reviews

Excerpt

STORY EXCERPT

A pretty brunette sidled up to the table and beamed brightly at Zach. “Zachy! I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Zachy? Eww. Quinn twitched her nose in distaste, looking the woman over, sizing her up. Her eyes narrowed, and she almost growled when the little tramp slipped into the booth beside Zach and threw her arms around his neck.

Long, dark hair, baby blue eyes, killer legs, and a body to die for, Quinn couldn’t deny the woman looked amazing. Which only served to make her hate the slut even more.

The hussy kissed Zach’s cheek as she cuddled up next to him in the booth. Apparently, she wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. She chatted away, flipping her hair, rubbing her fake breasts against his arm. Her other hand disappeared beneath the table, and Quinn almost came out of her seat.  

Quinn propped her elbows on the table and bit her lip, fighting to keep her temper leashed. Zach belonged to her!

Whoa! Where the hell had that come from? She had no claim on Zach. For all she knew, he enjoyed the attention Miss Silicone showed him. She pried her eyes away from the ample mounds smashed against his arm and focused on Zach’s face, trying to discern his reaction.

Surprisingly, he looked uncomfortable. He pressed back into the corner of the booth, his cheeks blazing scarlet, a nervous half smile on his lips. He glanced over to meet her gaze, a silent plea in his beautiful cerulean eyes.

Quinn leaned forward and cleared her throat loudly. The trollop glanced at her dismissively and went back to giggling at Zach. “Oh, is this your sister?”

Zach’s eyes rounded, and he started choking, beating his fist against his chest as he coughed. “Uh, this is my Quinn. I mean…I mean this is Quinn. My…my…” His eyebrows drew together, and he cocked his head to the side as if he couldn’t find the word.

Quinn couldn’t suppress her smile. Perhaps Brody knew a thing or two after all. She winked at Zach before wiping the smile from her face and turning back to the woman beside him. “Who are you?” Okay, she probably could have been a little politer, but whatever.

“Lucy Bennett.” She curled her glossy upper lip over her teeth.

“Uh-huh. So, how do you know Zach?” Quinn nodded her head toward him. Poor guy looked like he would rather be in a pool full of piranha.

“We went to college together.” Lucy showed off her impossibly white teeth. “We had a lot of fun together.” Innuendo slipped into her sultry voice, and Quinn wanted to rip her vocal chords out. “Didn’t we, Zachy?” She rubbed against him again, purring like a kitten.

“Oh…uh…well,” Zach stammered.

“Are you sure you’re not Zachary’s sister? I remember her to be very…homely.” Lucy grinned over at Quinn evilly before sniffing and turning her nose up in disdain.

That does it!

Quinn smiled her brightest smile, letting the honey drip off her words as she spoke. “I assure you, I am not his sister, Miss Bennett. Now,” Quinn allowed the steel to creep into her voice, “if you will kindly tuck away your oversized, plastic tits and get your fucking hands off of my man, I’d really appreciate it.”

Lucy huffed, placing her hand over her chest. “Zach, surely you aren’t going to allow her to talk to me like that.”

But, Zach didn’t spare her even a passing glance. His eyes were rounded and dazed, and locked on Quinn.

“Zachy!” Lucy drug the word out into three syllables, her nasally whine hitting octaves only dogs could here.

“Quinn?” Zach spoke just above a whisper.

Now that she’d staked a claim on the man, Quinn figured she had two options. Either she could pretend as though she’d only done it to get rid of Little Miss Look-At-Me, or she could back it up.

The second option scared the hell out of her. Her heart thundered inside her chest, her stomach knotted, and her head spun.

“Oh, you can’t be seeing her.” Lucy sneered the last word, gesturing toward Quinn with a flick of her wrist.

Consequences be damned, Quinn stood, reached across the table, and fisted her hand in the front of Zach’s button-down shirt. She yanked on it roughly, smirking a bit when he came to her readily.

Here goes nothing…or everything.

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but Quinn could think of only three she wanted to convey as she crushed her mouth down on Zach’s. He. Is. Mine.

ADULT EXCERPT

Zach glared at her, his nose crinkling, and his lip pulling up over his teeth. “Why can’t you take anything seriously? This isn’t a fucking game, Quinn!” He grabbed his jacket from the back of the sofa and marched toward the door.

“Where the hell are you going?”

“Out!” he snapped over his shoulder. He stepped through the door and slammed it closed behind him.

Quinn hesitated for a nanosecond before striding across the room and wrenching open the door. “Zachary Jensen, you get your ass back here!”

He didn’t even pause, but continued across the front lawn. Quinn flew down the steps and, before she could think better of it, launched herself at her lover, tackling him to the ground. They rolled in the grass until Quinn gained the upper hand and pinned Zach beneath her.

“You don’t just walk out when things don’t go your way. You are acting like a toddler.”

Zach propped himself on his elbows and looked up at her. His dark hair shimmered in the moonlight, and she could see the lunar orb reflected in his brilliant blue eyes. His breaths came in shallow pants, and she could feel the hard mound between his legs pressing against her ass.

“Zach?”

He sat up suddenly, flipping her beneath him and hovering over her body. “You drive me crazy. Sometimes I can’t decide if I want to strangle you or fuck you into tomorrow.”

Quinn’s libido shifted into overdrive, and she stared at him with wide eyes. Her nipples hardened instantly, perking up and pushing against her thin sweater. A delicious heat spread through her body, slicking her pussy and robbing the moisture from her mouth.

“If you want to say no, now would be a good time.” His voice flowed over her, low, guttural, and full of need.

She shivered in anticipation as desire gripped her body and left her struggling to pull in air to her lungs. His fingers fumbled with the button on her slacks, but he didn’t make much progress. With a growl of frustration, he gripped the waistband and yanked roughly, popping the button off and sliding her zipper down in one jerky movement.

Quinn writhed beneath her lover, pulling the hem of his shirt from his pants and gliding her hands along the corrugated expanse of his rippled stomach. Arching her hips, she helped him slide her pants to her ankles, where he ripped them away and cast them to the side.

Her panties were the next to go, and she hissed when the cold, dew-covered grass pressed against her heated flesh. “Hurry.” She couldn’t wait much longer. The pressure, the heat, the need raged through her body until she felt she would combust with it.

Zach slammed his mouth down on hers, swallowing her moan of pleasure, thrusting his tongue in wildly and laying claim to her. His calloused fingers found her aching entrance, and he pushed in roughly with two fingers, drawing a cry from her swollen lips.

He pumped his fingers in and out of her, using his thumb to rub against her pulsing clit. Quinn couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She dropped back to the ground, whipping her head from side to side and thrusting down against his fingers.

Her orgasm took her by surprise, barreling through her and leaving her dizzy and disoriented. When she finally came back to her senses, Quinn found herself on her hands and knees, the side of her face pressed against the wet grass, and Zach pushing between her legs.

The flared crown of his prick nudged her greedy pussy, glided along her slippery lips and back before he rammed in forcefully, pushing deep inside her clenching cunt.

Quinn’s head started to spin again as she braced herself on one hand and used the other to reach between her spread thighs to massage the swollen ball of flesh there. She bucked and jerked, moaning out Zach’s name as his turgid shaft plunged into her repeatedly.

His hold on her hips was bruising, and he pulled her back against him with each demanding stroke. “Are you going to come for me again, baby?” His voice was so raw, so gravelly, he sounded more animal than man. “Do you want it harder?” He drove into her punishingly as he spoke. “Do you want more? Want me to come? To lose my load inside this hot pussy?”