My review will be forthcoming and found over at Library Journal.

I would read a million Sassy Boyz books! They are so heartbreaking, so sexy, so happy. These men have some horrible past stories, and it is so comforting to see them get their happy ending. I could not wait for Tam's story, and now I can't wait for the next book!

Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with this book or the characters.
I didn't get a good sense of who Tam was, or why his fashion sense was the way it was. Driver didn't really have any redeeming qualities beyond not judging Tam for his looks or past. 
I had not read any other books in the series, but I didn't feel that I was missing anything - the story stood on its own very well.
The writing/editing/proofreading were all very well done, and I'm sure that many readers will enjoy the story, it just didn't work for me. And that's okay.
(Giving a 3-star rating. Writing quality deserves all the stars, but since I didn't finish the book, I don't feel right awarding full stars - or giving it only 1 based on the DNF)

3.5* The tale didn't disappoint, but it wasn't what I'd expected for the inimitable Tam. I wanted and needed a little more.

This book can be read as a standalone, but you'll get more enjoyment out of it if you've read the entire series, as Tam was one of the standout characters for me from the start. 

It's a sweet tale of two opposites who start off under an assumption, and find their individual outlook is being changed by the other, though the drifter type is still running scared, due to events from his past. I have to say that I both did, and didn't, empathise with drifter guy, because he had, seemingly, more than one chance to change his life and, he ended up hurting a couple of people who clearly wanted to be there for him, and was almost too late to make amends. I am all for a wounded guy, but not one who could do with a good talking-to, lol! Sorry! Tam's past that was revealed was devastating, but, it helped me see the guy he'd become, and I believed in him overcoming his past to be able to be with the one guy he wanted something more than just something fleeting with. 

It ends in the start of a HEA that I think I believe in. I am not as sure of this HEA as I am of the ones that have come before, which is a little sad, as Tam deserved one.

ARC courtesy of Carina Press and NetGalley, for my reading pleasure.

I was pleasantly surprised. This was a wonderful getting to know you love story. Both chacaters had some pretty debilitating tea as they had to overcome. They come together through it all to find love was worth it. I will be looking for more from this author.

Brave and Beautiful is the third installment of Elizabeth Varlet’s Sassy Boyz series. It is Tam’s book. You can easily step (dance) your way into this series with any book. They each work as a stand-alone. I loved the first two so of course I just had to read this one as well. I can honestly say I enjoyed it but it is my least favorite of the series. I can also blame that solely on Driver.  
Tam and Driver both bring so much baggage to the table. Tam’s past is horrible. It is something that no one should ever have to suffer especially a child. Tam has come out of it and is doing a great deal to live a normal life. He has a job he enjoys. The Sassy Boyz is looking for another venue to perform at regularly. He’s recently acquired his own apartment. He has amazing friends that offer amazing support to each other. They are a family, his family.
Driver has been living the life of a carefree drifter for far too long for him to give up that lifestyle. He goes from town to town looking for the next adventure until the money runs out. He picks up odd jobs to fill his pockets enough to move on to the next town. In reality he’s running. He doesn’t do commitment for anyone, ever. His friends and family can’t even get him to commit to sit down for a meal with them. In need of a place to crash while he fills his coffers lands Driver in a friend’s apartment to pet sit. 
A chance meeting in the laundry room puts Driver and Tam together for this really sweet romance. Tam is shy and new to dating and discovering he may actually want to experience all that there is with relationships. Driver is charming and charismatic. I absolutely loved his reaction to finding out that Tam is a man. Best response to that ever can be found in this book. Driver has all the perfect words to help draw Tam out of this shell that he has shielded himself with. There’s a but though. Driver is an ass, a childish ass. And it has everything to do with that baggage that I mentioned earlier. 
There’s a lot of baggage between these two. Once it is spilt all over their sweet happy little romance you can see that some hurts are worse than others. I think that was the thing that really got me with Driver. When he has that moment where he pours it all out to Tam I sat back and had this huh moment. I don’t think for their relationship to work that Driver’s damage needed to be as big, hurtful, or damaging as Tam’s but I was left wondering what Driver’s issue was. How could he rationalize the running for all those years over that? Perhaps it was his age when it happened and his mind stayed stuck on how the fourteen year old Driver handled it. 
I didn’t reflect this is my rating but it annoyed that crap out of me. Motorcycles do not have an accelerator. I have never driven my Harley anywhere. Driver not only “drives” his Harley he also “hits the accelerator.” I’ve twisted the throttle, I’ve rolled the hand grip, a riding buddy claims to have cranked the throttle, but none of us have ever hit the accelerator.

This was my favourite book in the series so far, it had the right mix of angst and comfort and wasn't overly dramatic. Both MCs were realistic and felt true to their character and both went through some serious development towards their happy ever after.

The life Tam had led was horrific, but he hadn't ever broken and I could totally understand Driver's need to escape from his past but the two together were beautiful as they overcame all struggles to find each other. The rest of the Sassy Boys add in their usual support to this crew of young men who've each found their family together.

"Brave and Beautiful" is a wonderful addition to the Sassy Boyz series!  Tam has always been my favorite of the boys and his book definitely did not disappoint.  This would be a great read for existing fans or people picking up one of Elizabeth Varlet's books for the first time.  In turns sexy, sassy, and heartwarming, "Brave and Beautiful" hits all the right buttons for people who love love.  5/5 stars.

It's no secret I absolutely adore femme men so this series is totally my thing and I think Tam has just become my new favourite Sassy Boy.


Tam is the groups choreographer and has a quite determination about him-he desperately wants the Sassy Boys to get back on track with regular work.He's sweet and a little bit shy and doesn't seem to realize how stunning he is.Due to a traumatic past he feels no sexual desire but things are about to change when he meets Driver.


Driver comes with his own baggage,never wanting to stay in one place for too long and face up to his past.He's house sitting for a friend in the same apartment block Tam lives in when they meet.When he first sees Tam he's blown away by what he thinks is a beautiful woman and isn't the least bit put off when he discovers Tam is a man.

Their relationship definitely isn't an easy one.Driver doesn't want commitment and starts off just wanting a bit of fun but he gradually begins to learn how vulnerable Tam is.Tam has his own insecurities to deal with due to his past.

I just adored Tam and although Driver annoyed me at times both men brought out the best in each other.
This one probably could be read as a standalone but I strongly advise reading the previous books,especially Fierce & Fabulous,to fully understand the connection the Sassy Boys have.


Highly Recommended...

I have literally just read the last page and have happy tears and a goofy smile on my face.

I said it with Fierce & Fabulous and for Dark & Dazzling but I really do think Brave & Beautiful is the best book of the series.

Both characters were broken, and bruised and a little busted up but I loved that they found something to focus on in each other. That little spark of light which help make their dark days and nights a little lighter. 

An adrenaline fuelled drifter and a fierce dancer coming together to create what in my eyes was one of the most heartwarming as well as heart wrenching m/m books I have read this year. 

The Sassy Boyz channel this fierceness that I think most readers would love to achieve. Make up on point, hair flipped over their shoulder, a perfect pair of heels and they are ready to take on the world, showcasing an air of confidence that if you actually looked beneath the shiny surface you would see the cracks there but have started to mend with the love of a good man. 

I highlighted way too much of standout passages whilst reading so I will just leave you with these two.


“When I look at you I see a heart that’s so big it can’t help but be scarred. And if there is one thing I’ve learned from my life it’s that scars make us stronger, but only if we let the wounds heal first.”

&

“You are you because the light inside is brighter than all the darkness you’ve had to live through. You never lost your light, your sweetness, no matter what terrible shit life threw at you. You’ve no idea how amazing you are, and that just makes you more appealing.”



Love ❤️

First of all, I need to say this is book three in a series, and though I have not read either of the other books, I had no problem reading this as a standalone.  That all being said, I now want to go back and read books one and two, so if anything, this one will pique readers’ interest in the full series. 
This is Tam’s story.  Tam’s the Sassy Boyz dance group’s slender, wiry, beautiful choreographer. Tam’s also quiet, introverted, and scared. So very scared. He’s just gone out on his own after living at the Prism Center rehab where he was sent after this third prostitution arrest. The prostitution was simply to put food in his belly, and once in a while, a roof over his head after escaping to the streets from a sexual abusive home situation.  Tam is also femme—wearing makeup, sexy underwear, and rocking his 5-inch heels—especially the ones with the red soles! 

One night he meets a very good-looking biker in the basement laundry room. Who knew someone else would do laundry late at night—and in his underwear no less? Driver is turtle-sitting for one of his best friends while he works to get enough money for he and his cycle to hit the road again. He might squeeze in a trip to see his grandparents first, but there’s definitely not going to be trip to the cemetery to see his parents’ and little brother’s gravesites.  Too much guilt for their deaths has kept him away for over ten years.  

These are only brief character sketches, but it’s easy to see that these men are ripe for love—both damaged emotionally, both in need of that missing puzzle piece that will make them whole.  It’s a long slow, angst-filled journey to healing—for both of them—but readers who stick with the story will be very pleased they did.  

I liked the character-driven plot, the emotional upheaval of finding someone who clicks, and the back stories—especially Tam’s—which really gave a good picture of their characters and their current motivations.  Driver spends all his time running, whereas Tam spends his time working with his therapist, socializing with his friends (who he appreciates having), and trying to move forward so that someday he can have a full and happy relationship with another man that includes not only emotional love, but physical love as well. 

I’m not a huge fan of angst, especially self-driven inner angst and Driver was loaded with it.  The author also used the tool of internalized pain repetition—the same arguments with the same answers ad infinitum.  Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  Driver was the epitome of this adage.  And though he was good at the doing—running—he was better at the thinking about it, rehashing it, and wallowing in his self-pity.  That took a good chunk of the story, so much so, I wanted to get out the red pen and get rid of about a hundred pages.  

Tam, on the other hand? I wanted to take him home with me.  He was struggling and he had his internal monologues as well, but nothing like the monotonous self-arguments Driver had.  His character was appealing in a multitude of ways—from his recovery from sexual abuse and later prostitution, to his outward appearance and his taste in clothing, to his talent as a dancer and choreographer, and ultimately, to his ability to bounce back and stay positive in the face of what sometimes seemed to be insurmountable hurdles.  

If you enjoy femme men in your MM romances, Tam is a character you will likely love.  This book will also appeal to those who like bikers, angst-driven characters, redemption, forgiveness, and a whole series of men who dance to the beat.

5 bleeding stars

This is Tam's story and the third book in the Sassy Boyz series.
I still can't believe Fierce & Fabulous was Elizabeth Varlet's debut book. I loved Ansel so much and it pained me to wait *not so patiently* for the next books.
I was lucky to receive an ARC for Dark & Dazzling and I adored Azariah's story!
I can't explain in words how much I wanted an ARC for this third book and what a huge joy it brought to me when I received it. I started peeking even if I had to study hard for a big exam. It just didn't seem right to let it rest on my Kindle, untouched.

So I should start by saying: this book was as amazing as ALL the others in this series. I really love this author's writing style!!! I was hooked by the start and I just couldn't turn the pages fast enough to discover the characters' background. Oh and what a background!

Tameron is a choreographer and he is pretty happy with his new life, even if he still must work hard to get what he wants - dance on stage surrounded by his friends. He's very close to his Sassy Boyz partners and he tries to forget his painful past, full of abuse. Tam isn't ready to make new friends, let alone have a new lover. But when Driver - the hot, bearded and full of tattoos biker comes into his life, it's hard to pretend he isn't attracted to him.

But Driver comes with a baggage too. He's not ready to make peace with his past. Tam might be the one he wants and needs, but inevitable he still feels the need to keep running from anything stable. One thing he's good at: running. But this time is different as he seems he found exactly what he never cared for - LOVE.

I really loved this story, even if it broke my heart many times. I wanted to hug Tam and tell him everything will get better. I wanted to kick Driver for his actions, even if I somehow understood his pain.
Oh and I must add: these two were super HOT together. Tam had such a sweet and kind soul, but also a sassy attitude. I really loved their banter. Driver was really good at teasing him.

Can't wait to read more from this author!!!

ARC kindly provided to me by Carina Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

After struggling with this book for the most part, I'm heartbroken that I didn't like it more. I found this to be the weakest book in the series so far, mostly because of Driver's immaturity and overall annoyance his character invoked in me. There were many little details that just didn't work, and all put together they interfered with my enjoyment of this book. All this considered, Brave and Beautiful was still a good book.

Tameron Kis, the talented choreographer of Sassy Boyz, knows life is a bitch and he's not interested in any relationships of any kind. Due to a horrific childhood with a history of sexual abuse, Tam doesn't have the same feelings about sex as the rest of his friends from Sassy Boyz do. For Tam sex is a tool people use to hurt him and he's not interested in the least. I found Tam to be intriguing because of his perceived sexual self for the most part; Tam is a lover of sexy lace underwear, provocative clothing and he can rock a pair of heels like nobody's business. I feel like I got Tam, I really understood where he was coming from, and I loved him!

Driver Ellis is the resident pain in the butt, a coward, less immature than a 17 year old, and the reason I didn't like this book as much as the previous ones. Driver has spent the past 10 years of his life running away from the past, hoping that if he doesn't stop in one spot for too long, it will never catch up to him. Running from life means that driver doesn't have to acknowledge the death of his parents and brother and doesn't have to let go of the guilt that's been his only companion for more than a decade. 

Driver's story is pretty sad, but Driver is an immature dick. Considering he's in his late 20's, I had to consistently remind myself that Driver isn't the teenager he behaves like. His grandparents are the only family he has and the way he treats them is pretty crappy, because how big of a douchbag can a person be to leave his elderly heartbroken grandfather alone to deal with his wife's stroke? His own loving grandmother, the woman who Driver admits did everything she could to help him cope with the death of his parents, suffered a stroke and Driver the coward ran away because....regardless of any ridiculous immature reasons Driver offers, none were good enough for me. 

“They raised me, they loved me. They gave me everything I ever needed. They support everything I do, accept me for who I am, and I can’t tell them how much I love them.”

His pulse raced so fast he felt dizzy.
The walls were closing in around him. Blindly, he trailed his grandfather to a door but he couldn’t cross the threshold.
On the bed, Gram slept. She was hooked up to machines with an oxygen tube in her nose.
So still.
Like a corpse.
His stomach lurched and he turned away. Before he knew it, he was running.
Running so fast his sight blurred.”


Driver, you're an asshole!


Aside from my intense dislike of Driver, there were some instances where I felt the dialogue was staged and didn't necessarily reflect the emotions/private thoughts the characters had. For example the morning after Tam topped Driver (which was pretty hot!) I never got the feeling that things between them were awkward based on dialogue alone, but suddenly we were told so:

He pressed a kiss to Driver’s shoulder. Driver mumbled and turned to pull Tam to his chest. His scent enveloped Tam in musk and faint echoes of body wash from the shower they’d shared before falling asleep. It soothed whatever bits of apprehension still clung to him, so he inhaled again deeply, letting it wash his worry clean. Sounds pretty good, right???
“Morning.” Driver’s voice was rough with the remnants of slumber.
“It’s early,” Driver complained.
“Go back to sleep.”
“Gotta piss.” He flicked off the duvet, sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed. Cupping his balls, he cursed the cold all the way to the bathroom.
As soon as the door closed, Tam took a deep breath. For the first time since they’d gotten together, it was awkward. Like a chasm had opened up between them overnight and Tam had no idea how to put things back to normal. 

So two minutes ago Driver's scent soothed whatever bits of apprehension still clung to Tam, but now things are awkward? Why? Because Driver had to piss? It's confusing....

And this particular paragraph I had to read like 4 times to make sense of it, because what I thought was metaphorical speaking was actually not? Or maybe it was? I'm still confused...

So much goddamn regret, it was all he could see. Like the shining eyes of a great beast coming toward him with jaws wide, ready to bite, ready to devour. Driver’s heart pounded. He hit the accelerator and put his head down.
Faster and faster until he didn’t know if he was fleeing the memories chasing him or running toward the emptiness ahead of him. Either way, the result was the same. He was so lost in his own mind he didn’t realize until the last second that those weren’t eyes.
They were headlights.
He was headed straight for a car.”

Soooo....the regret was like the shining eyes of a great beast coming toward him with jaws wide, ready to bite, ready to devour, right??? That's metaphorically speaking, he didn't really see any eyes, did he? Except he did, but they turned out to be headlights? Ugh! 

And last one (I promise!)...

Driver took Tam’s hand. “I’m not leaving, but even if I were that stupid again, you are much too strong to be destroyed because of me. You are my hero.”
Tam’s hands curled around Driver’s wrists. “You make me want to jump.”
“Don’t give me credit for something that’s been inside you the whole time. You have courage pouring out of your pores. It hypnotized me from the beginning.”

Aside from that cheesy dialogue, Tam's response to Driver's gushing praise makes no sense. 'You make me want to jump' where exactly? Head first into love, out the closest window to escape the cheesy words of praise, bounce on the spot in excitement? Can anyone clarify that?

Despite not holding back on my dislikes, this is still a good book, just not one of my favorites. I'm still looking forward to reading the next one in this series.

Despite the heartbreaking themes of loss and sexual abuse, Brave & Beautiful felt hopeful and redemptive. 

Unlike Ansel and Z, the Sassy Boyz from the first two books, Tam, the group's talented choreographer, doesn't have a mean streak. Tam is quiet and withdrawn. Having survived a horrific childhood, Tam feels no sexual desire; he's not even sure if he's attracted to men or women. He's far stronger than he thinks, but he doesn't trust easily. 

"All the darkness in his life had made it possible for him to know the stars."

Tam meets Driver in the basement laundry room of his apartment building. Tam walks in on Driver wearing nothing but briefs, and his automatic response is to flee. But he just wants to do his laundry, damn it. 

Driver is a shameless flirt. He likes all flavors of sex, although he typically dates women. He initially mistakes Tam for a woman, a very sexy woman, but he's not remotely fazed when he realizes that Tam is all man. Tam wears frilly manties, high heels, and glitter. Every move he makes is a sensual and graceful. 

Driver is a wild card. Following an accident that took the lives of his family, Drivers runs. And runs. Never satisfied, always moving, Driver can't promise Tam a future. 

I'm not going to lie and say Driver is an easy MC to like because he's not. He hurts people, and he's selfish. Tam, on the other hand, is a beautiful soul, and I adored him to pieces. 

Yet despite Driver's inability to be still with his pain, he's so good to Tam. He doesn't push Tam into anything sexual, and Tam's issues aren't magically solved with magic dick. Tam has a sexual awakening when he's with Driver. He feels real desire for the first time. He discovers the joy of touching and kissing. 

"He'd give his whole heart to keep Tam safe. He'd lie down and sacrifice everything to know that Tam was in the world, shining like the star he was."

This book is very much relationship focused, but there is a side plot involving all the Sassy Boyz, who are looking for a new venue where they can perform. After nearly a dozen auditions, they're losing hope. 

We do see all the Boyz again, and I was pleased to get more of Ansel & Fitch's as well as Z and Connelly's HEA, but Brave & Beautiful can be read as a standalone. 

This would have been a perfect 5 star read had it not been for the somewhat abrupt ending. The MCs are together, but the book ends immediately after Driver comes to his senses. A short epilogue would have made all the difference.