Two Weeks To Life

Fated Soulmates #4

by John Charles

After thirty years on the force, Detective Carl Bellwin thought he’d seen it all. He had developed a protective shield around himself, keeping the rape, murder, drugs, and other crimes compartmentalized and away from his emotions. He didn’t have time to date, didn’t have time to socialize, and didn’t have time for hobbies. The force was his life, but his protective shield was crumbling.

An innocent girl was missing. Her single mother grieved, wondering if she would be planning a funeral. The seedy part of Clarkesburgh had become the hunting ground for a gang that kidnapped teens off the street, forced retailers to launder money and sell their drugs, and victimized anyone who stood in their way. Carl, at whits end, had no leads.

Elijah Quinta traded one high stress job for another. Purchasing a bankrupt Inn and developing it into a five star resort became more than his full time job: The Bliss Inn became his life. Though he tried, anyone he dated accused him of having a mistress. They were right; he was married to the inn.

Carl never thought attending his nephew’s wedding would change his life. For the first time, he realized what he was missing. Everything he thought was important faded into the background. When he met Elijah, Carl’s life took on a new meaning.

Could he turn Two Weeks To Life? Could he let go of the only world he had ever known?

Each book in The Fated Soulmates series is a standalone novel with no cliffhangers and a Happy Ever After (HEA) ending

Genres: BDSM

ebook

Published March 15, 2017

About the author

When asked why he writes under a pseudonym, he explains it this way, "My birth name was John Charles, but shortly after I was brought home, my parents changed it to Larry. I never got the real reason and I still have that original birth certificate." When he decided to write and publish, he chose to use his birth name - John Charles.

As a youngster, he had trouble reading. While in college, he learned that he had a form of dyslexia. When he was taught how to overcome the issues it caused, a new world opened for him. He now reads constantly.

John loves to read M/M mystery romance as well as action / adventure novels. He can be found with his Kindle or iPad in his hands most of the time.

He spent years in the technology industry and found himself immersed in writing marketing brochures, and technical and operations manuals. Writing fiction was not his lifelong dream, but emerged after his youngest went off to college. The writing bug stuck and now he writes every day.

Being single and living at the beach in southern Delaware has its benefits, too. You can frequently find him walking along the water's edge before the rest of the tourists and vacationers have awakened. He says that the secluded beach time is most precious.

The plots in his novels come from real life situations. "I have always believed that real life is more interesting than anything a person could make up. I listen, keep my eyes open, and let the world give me the ideas that make my stories believable and interesting."

"I find myself enjoying writing more than anything I've ever done in my life."

John's website is http://johncharlesbooks.com

To get a free book, sign up for his newsletter at: https://wp.me/P64Wfz-1dZ In his newsletter and blog, John reviews many of the books he reads.

You can stay in touch with John at:

https://twitter.com/johncharlesauth

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http://www.goodreads.com/john_charles

Reviews

[JoAnna G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book four in the Fated Soulmates Series and can be read as a standalone. It’s a quick fast read with a decent pacing and meddlesome friends and family. I loved this book. I liked this one best of the series so far.

Carl Bellwin has been on the force for thirty years and is married to his job. He doesn’t want a relationship until he has retired so then he can give it all his attention. He doesn’t believe it is fair to his lover because right now his job takes priority. He has to go to his nephew's wedding and there he meets someone.

Elijah owns the Bliss Inn where Carl is to stay, and he is very much hands on. He is so much like Carl and married to his job. The Bliss Inn is his baby. When these two meet they totally hit it off. There is a lot of sexual tension in the air. He knows one of the grooms as he helped him purchase his home. So he is now friends and invited to the wedding.

When Carl returns from the wedding they stay in touch. He is then forced to take a two-week vacation. That two-week vacation was eye opening for Carl. When he returns from his vacation, pretty much all hell breaks loose. Before he left he and his partner Fran were investigating a missing girl. He thinks he has seen it all. He starts to question his motives and intentions. He has a crucial choice to make. Does he make the right one?

They are both alpha men, although I think Carl is more dominating at times. I like the take charge of both of them. The cast of characters are funny and great supporters in all things. It was an enjoyable read.

[A.M. Leibowitz]

I'm going to put most my review in spoiler tags for a couple of reasons. One, because I absolutely do not want to blast the author but I do want readers to be informed of some of the content. And two, because the content doesn't appear in the blurb or any other reviews. To be honest, I really wonder if I read the same book as the other reviewers.

The writing is okay, and the story has some cute moments. I have no idea what happens after the first third or so because I DNF'd it there. It upset me, and I think it could be triggering for some readers. I'll explain why.

When I got my ARC, this was listed as MM new adult romance. Only the MM part is accurate. It's pretty much erotica, and there are BDSM elements. That might have slightly annoyed me not to have it in the blurb or to be told when it was sent to me, but I can deal with that. It's the rest that bothered me.

I had red flags when Carl says to Elijah "Your words say no but your body says yes." First of all, that's an incredibly awful (and highly triggering) phrase. If the words say no, then NO. There is no further hands-on until some conversation is had. That put me off right there. It's not even remotely sexy.

Then, on their very first "date" (if you can call hooking up a date), they engage in a lot of things people should not be doing without talking about if it's what they both want at the time. Please heed my warning to proceed with caution because I'm giving specifics about dubious consent and rough play.

Elijah shows up at Carl's room looking for a good time. No problem; that was expected. What wasn't expected? Blindfolding him, tying him up, nipple clamps, and using a knife to cut his underwear off. No safe word was discussed until after they'd already started, and at no point did they have a real conversation about if this was what Elijah wanted. It came literally out of nowhere. Carl says he'll respect Elijah's use of the safe word, but why didn't Carl tell Elijah this was what he had planned? It makes no sense.

I seriously doubt anyone reading this is going to think this is loving or consensual (or even sexy) kink. Most people who know anything about it are going to be pretty well put off by it. However, I'm more concerned that someone is going to pick this up thinking it's a sweet and sexy romance and get blindsided like I was. I am concerned that someone who has been through a bad experience might be triggered, especially with having no chance to decline this story based on the blurb.

It troubles me that absolutely no one has so far pointed out that this content is missing from the description. How this read to me was that it was thrown in there far too casually, as though showing up to someone's room and getting tied up and clamped without any discussion is a perfectly ordinary experience. It really, really isn't.

Once again, my aim is not to just shred this book or the author. I just want to make sure people have ample warning that there is some potentially triggering content in here so they can make a much more informed decision than the characters did.

[Natosha Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Fated Soulmates series. I have been reading this series since book one came out and book four is not exception to that rule. And as withthe rest of the books in this series I loved this one also. There was only one thing that I felt was missing from it but I will get to that in a minute.

Carl and Elijah are the two main characters of this book. They are so much alike that it is almost unreal. Both men are married but not in ge conventional way. They are both married to their jobs so that is just the same as Carly being married. The reason I say this is both men spend so much time at their jobs and both find it extremely fulfilling and spend most of their waking hours at work that they may as well be considered married because it is there husbands in the aspect of how important their jobs are.

Lately though both men has been longing for what they see other people finding around them. The are witnessing friends and family finding the one person that they want to spend their life with and share their day with at the end of it. So when Elijah and Carl meet for the first time and the attraction between them was extremely evident the two finally end up getting together for at the very least a one night stand after Carl's nephews wedding.

The night was nothing short of amazing and it made Carl really start doing some soul searching as to what he really and truly wants at this point in his lede. Being a detective has always been what Carl wanted but after thirty years he is starting to wonder if it is time to retire. Having someone in his life like Elijah would make that decision a whole lot easier.

This case that carl is working on is really taking a toll on him and when push comes to shove Carl may just be left out in the Coke where his job is concerned, do it is time to make those hard decisions and hope that hey are he right ones and hope that Elijah will be part of it.

Once again John Charles has written an amazing read. The only negative thing that I will say about this book is I felt like John did not follow through on the case that Carl was working on. I felt like that is a major part of this story as a whole since it affected Carl so much and his decision that he came to in the end. I feel like John could have followed through on the storyline and gave the readers more to go on where the car is concerned then how it was left. Regardless that is the only fault that I could find in this book and it was still an amazing read. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review

[Mandie Foxylutely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two Weeks to Life is the fourth book in the Fated Soulmates Series but can be read as a standalone.

Carl is a dedicated career detective and has been on the police force for over 30 years. Now in his late fifties he has little downtime let alone building a relationship with someone. His current case is a heavy one – seeking out the mystery of missing teenage girls. His one let out from the case is going to his nephew's wedding. Little did he know what change this would bring to his life.

Elijah has had a long career in real estate but is now taking a change in the leisure industry. With his new hotel up and running he is eager to make a success and this wedding party is one he needs to be spot on to get return visits. When he see the sexy man coming the check in, his reaction is instant and with hot lusty attraction.

I liked that this was about an older couple and the sub story added the drama and mystery. I did get a little confused with the constant change of POV and not always being aware which one I was currently reading.

This was a fairly quick read with some content that might be a trigger from some. Personally the things done on a first date were a bit unbelievable, especially in the BDSM world. Overall though it kept me entertained but just needed that something extra to make the storyline more in depth and to flow more. Three stars.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Weeks To Life is book four, but it stands alone just fine.
Carl is 57 and been on the police force 30 years. He is in the middle of a very rough case with missing teenage girls. Carl goes to his nephew's wedding and meets a sexy hotel owner Elijah. He finds Elijah could be one man that could make him want more than a hookup. The trouble is Elijah lives over 300 miles away and is married to is the job as well.

Elijah has burned out from Realestate. He sold his business and bought a hotel that needed lots of work. Elijah spent most of his time remodeling and had little time for a relationship. Meeting Carl makes him want things he hasn't in a long time.

I am going to warn you there could be some triggers in this book. #1 Carl is a police detective and working on a missing girl case. Nothing there is very detailed. However. Carl likes to dominate some, so there is a little BDSM in the book so if that's not your thing...

I really liked this story. I liked that Carl is an older man and Elijah is also older, and both are well established and know what they want. I also like they are tow Alpha men and work on figuring things out. I loved Carls family. The wedding is beautifully descriptive.
If you like older men, police detectives, hotel owners, a good romance and a touch of BDSM you will like this story.

[Amy Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexy and unyielding

It was attraction at first sight for both Elijah and Carl, and then it turned into something more, something life changing. It's a sexy and warm-hearted MM erotica romance. It's short and to the point, and brings together the interesting characters, who definitely have a lot of depth and chemistry. This is the first book of Charles that I read, but it won't be the last. One of those HEA that you look forward to, and then move on to his next book, and that's what I intend to do. Of course, only read this book if you don't blush easily and you find erotic romance, especially MM something you just can't put down.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are my Happily Ever After Novel Thoughts...

I liked this book a lot. I was a bit worried when I started reading it. In the first couple of paragraphs, it hit one of my hard limits, or sensitivity triggers, if you wish. But the way the story was written, it wasn't an issue or main focus. Being Carl, the protagonist, is a detective, some triggers and limits are bound to be toyed with.

This story overall is really sweet and lovingly written. The description of Elijah's home and the Bliss Inn make me wish I could win the lottery and create a place just as spectacular and peaceful.

The book is short and fast paced so you'll only need a couple of hours to read it, but it fulfills everything you expect in a romance novel. It even has great steamy scenes along with well-meaning, yet interfering family and friends.

Two alpha males sound like trouble, but Carl and Elijah are made for each other as equals. A detective and an innkeeper, don't sound like much of a pairing, especially since they are both married to their jobs and more than 300 miles separating them. So, journey with Carl and Elijah as they find their way to a potential Happily Ever After.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Carl is married to his job. Elijah is married to his inn. Both men don't realize they want more until they meet. But with 300 miles separating them will they find a way to make it work?

Both men are commanding forces, alpha males who want things done their way. Finding the middle was certainly interesting.

I enjoyed seeing these two guys come together and find happiness.

This is a very fast paced story. Sometimes a bit too fast. But overall I liked the way it all came together in the end.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

2.5 stars

As a reviewer, we often receive an advanced copy of the novel we are to review and, as such, we can expect there may be a few typos here and there due to the fact that it is not necessarily the final copy you or I would purchase at release time. I tell you this so that you are aware that I forgive those small errors as part of the benefit of getting to see a manuscript in advance. What is not expected nor normal, however, is an abundance of storyline errors that actually affect your reading of the book to the point where it leaves you confused. Having said all that, I can state unequivocally that John Charles desperately needed to submit his latest Fated Soulmates story, Two Weeks To Life, to an editor. Not only were there numerous typos in this book, but also there were misnamed characters, fairly huge plot point changes that directly went against a previously stated idea, and too many rapid scene changes that left me wondering who was speaking and where I was terms of both location and time frame. Let me unpack the novel a bit and then give you some specific plusses and minuses.

Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.

[Jodi Ciorciari-marinich · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story started out good for me. We have Carl an older man, close to 60, who is a dedicated police officer. He is married to his job and all of his prior relationships ended because he wouldn't give up his career. He goes to his nephew's wedding out of town and meets the owner of the resort. Elijah is the owner of the resort. He started out as a successful real-estate agent and used that money to buy a run down hotel and make it a place where people couldn't wait to visit. Elijah has had relationships in the past and as like Carl they leave because he devotes all his time to making the resort great. I was hoping for a romance between 2 strong minded men who want more out of their life but because of their careers they will really have to work harder than most to achieve it. To me it seemed when these 2 men met that both wanted each other immediately and I couldn't wait to see how the author will get them together. Since Elijah is friends with Carl's nephew he is invited to the wedding. Carl's nephew sees the spark between him and Elijah and wants to play matchmaker. They seat them next to each other at the wedding reception. Carl and Elijah hit it off right from the start. They flirt and even almost have an encounter in the bathroom but hold off. After the reception Carl invites Elijah back to his room for a night cap. Here is where the story goes off track for me. All of a sudden Carl is into BDSM and Elijah is his submissive. There was no build up to it and we had no idea that Carl was into BDSM and from what I can tell neither did Elijah. I also had a hard time following who POV we had because it switched so often between them with any notice. Towards the end of the story the author kept mixing up Elijah's name and Erek Who is one of the inn employees. It made that part of the story very confusing. Also when Carl goes back to the in for weekend visit and they switch things up he all of a sudden decides never to dominate Elijah again . I didn't think or more to the fact I found it unbelievable that all of a sudden Carl decides to never bring out that part of him again . Carl and Elijah get their HEA and the case Carl was working on is solved.
I think this could have been a great read based on the premise of the story but it all got too much too fast. I would definitely try another story from this author.
Gave this story 2.5 but rounded to 3 for this review.
*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jodi from Alpha Book Club

[Charlotte Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have not read any of the other books from this series, but I heard this book was very good, so I took a chance and loved it I wasn't disappointed.

It makes you realise there may be a soul mate out there for you. you will know when the person is right for you, like Carl and Elijah knew there was something there for them.

Carl is a 50 year old male, who works as a Detective in Clarksville, he can never hold down a partner as he is married to his job. He never realised what he was missing out in life, until he goes to his nephews Trent's wedding to Matthew.

Elijah is the owner of the Inn, that all the attendees of the wedding coming to stay. He is friends with Trent and Matthew, after selling Trent a house when he took care of his sisters kids. He is married to his job, and never can hold down a partner because he never has time for anyone.

Who knew one weekend could change everything for everyone, two weeks of living a different life to what they are use to could change so much. WTMO