Review: Where You Lead by Mary Calmes

ATF agent Peter Lomax isn’t a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but he can be possessive, and it caused problems until Carver Fleming. Carver may be part of the art world, but he gets Peter, loves belonging to the man, and Peter treasures the way Carver understands them together.

Carver loves Peter, but he's fully aware that six months doth not a commitment make. Carver wants to make the relationship last forever, but he’ll have to leave their life in Chicago to take care of the family he loves. He wants to do it with Peter by his side, but going from the city of Chicago to tiny Colt, Kentucky is a big change.

Carver has only one Christmas wish: Please, oh please, let Peter fall enough in love with Carver's family to follow Carver home.




Ahh!! The power of Mary Calmes! Christmas style!

Actually this was not a heavy jingle bells-coming-out-your-arse short story which for a reader who does not crave copious amounts of Christmas sugar cubes in her stories, it was great. With this author, I like knowing what types of lead characters I will get. I know I'm going to get a possessive alpha-type, a man who loves him and some hot man loving. This book delivered that. Yes it could be considered insta-love, but the story really starts after the happily ever after.

Peter is thirty-four, has a great job (ATF agent), good friends and never had a chance to settle down until he met Carver Fleming, artist and gallery owner, at a party one night in Chicago. The two hit it off immediately and BOOM! insta-love. Plus hot alley sex! Intense and yummy and always a plus in my book. Cut to these two men six months later and Carver has made some important decisions for both he and Pete without consulting like leaving Chicago and moving to Colt, Kentucky aka "Mayberry" as per Pete (I can't hate on the nickname).

The couple has minor quibbles but they are ironed out. Colt, Kentucky doesn't look as bad as Pete immerses himself in the small town life, meets Carver's parents and learns about the importance of family. Carver has to move home to help take care of his mother. And that is touching but I was not that keen on the way he just dropped it on Pete. Relationships work when communication in not one way. Granted the move was necessary but I understood Pete's reaction.

I must say the way Pete's mother's illness was captured struck a chord with me. It was touching but also was done with respect and dignity. Sometimes authors fail with presenting certain illnesses when it comes to fiction or they play too much on the heartstrings without letting the character shine through. This was not the case in "Where You Lead".

Other than Carver's manipulative ways and not discussing life changing topics with his partner instead of for his partner, I enjoyed this tale. Quibbles were smoothed out into a continued HEA. It was light, funny, sweet and hot. Perfect for a quick in between read.

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