Really enjoyable novel. Slow-burning attraction, surprising twists, and a really good feeling about life. I am looking forward to more from this author! ( )

Gotta say the cover makes makes one of the MCs look at least 20 years older than the character's stated age. ( )

This is a four-star review because the first half of this novel annoyed me one too many times. But once the guys got their newly bi-or-gay-or-whatever shit together, and the murder mystery kicks in and the kids complicated things, it got a lot better. I really liked John's kids.

But before the guys connected for real, I disliked with a passion Ryan's thoughts regarding his former womanizing, treating them as objects in his thoughts, butts and boobs and mutual orgasms. Never a name. I get the no relationships part, but that callousness didn't fit well. It was clunky and dumb.

The other problem I had was somewhat resolved by one guy's self-revelation at about the halfway point. Gay-for-you must be quite rare among gay men, already a minority population. Here are two men who find each other and grow that close? But one of them realizes he was always gay, so not so rare. I'm sure it has happened in real life, but not as often as in gay fiction!

IMHO, the first half of this novel could've been shorter, and the whole would be improved. I skimmed the sex scenes, they're mostly pretty typical though a step up from boring. ( )

I must have had a brain fart because I could have sworn I did a review after reading this one. Well it's not fresh in my head but I will try. Slightly less than a 4 star for me. The reason I didn't LOVE this one was that I felt the ending was rushed and left very unfinished. I really liked the chemistry between the two main characters. Enjoyed seeing how they came to be comfortable with what they were feeling and crossed my fingers for them every time it looked like it might not work out. The intimacy was that great blend of hot and sweet that takes your breath away sometimes. Lots of good points to this read and I would still recommend it even with my problem with the ending. ( )

When Ryan Ward's career as a firefighter ended due to an injury, everything in his life changed. But in trying to make the best of it, he enrolled in medical school and moved across the country. And things seem to be getting back on track. John Barrett's life also went through a major change recently--after his wife divorced him and moved to a new town, he left his own career to follow them and take up a job as the groundskeeper of the local college. And then Cynthia moved the kids across the country, leaving John behind. So when Ryan and John meet, both of them are in a place of possibility. Both both men, who have a history of relationships with women, are surprised when that possibility leads them to consider what it might be for the two of them to be together. And if they decide to act on it, there's not only all of the work they need to do themselves but then they have to try to explain it to the world. But maybe it doesn't matter what the world thinks at all...

I went back and forth in terms of how I feel about this one. There are some great moments. But then there are some moments that really drag. And there are some minor issues that take up large portions of the story and complex issues that just sort of get left behind or resolve without much explanation. But it's still an interesting read, complete even with some unexpected action-like scenes near the end of the book. ( )