Raziel Slade and Jack Hastings have been best friends since Raz saved Jack’s life twelve years ago. Jack has spent years searching for the perfect woman with the help of his wingman, Raz, the man he thinks of as his guardian angel. At a company Christmas party, the world Jack thought he knew turns on its axis, and feelings he didn’t know he had punch him right between the eyes. Can Jack learn to see his friend in an entirely different way?
Openly gay, Raz loves his best friend and has given up more than Jack will ever know to be with him, but he’s never dared to tell Jack how he truly feels, or to reveal his true identity. For twelve years, he has waited in the wings.
Now, with Jack’s sudden epiphany, can these two best friends work out if they have a future together?
This was a very sweet friends to lovers Christmas story. The setup was a great theme that I love. Two guys, one gay, one straight, they’ve been friends forever and the straight one has THE epiphany that he actually loves his BFF like he always expected he would love a woman, but the beautiful connection with his bestie is so strong he gives up all his straight and goes for the gay. I know you know what I mean.
Raz and Jack have been friends for 12 years and are roomies. Raz has been in love with Jack forever and Jack never seems to be able to find himself a gal to settle down with. At some point Raz saved Jack’s life. It’s alluded to in the blurb pretty strongly and it was mentioned, but the whole idea wasn’t fully fleshed out. Raz felt that it was his duty to take care of Jack from then on out. I didn’t really get why. I mean, I understand the legend of it all, but it didn’t connect in a relevant way with the story making it feel a little superfluous.
Jack really had no angst at all when it came to the change in his life or any struggles with the physical side of his relationship with Raz. He did have a minor freak out at first which was understandable and I liked how his first thoughts were for Raz’s feelings not his own mind set. I thought that was really refreshing and spoke to the respect and the feelings Raz had for Jack.
To say Jack jumped in cannonball style at that point would be an understatement. Jack had no problem stating all his feelings and it went from showing me how they felt for each other to some serious telling. The words were sweet but it read a bit like instructions then. I liked the HEA even though it came flying through like Santa’s Sleigh traveling at light speed. I didn’t really buy it, but I liked it all the same. It was like the guys were told, “you’ve got 5 minutes, wrap this baby up”. And they did.
For a quick and sweet angst free read that you don’t want to think too hard about, this is a goodie. It’s not going to have the staying power of a Christmas classic, but you will be happy for Jack and Raz.
For more information on Not Every Time, check it out on Goodreads.
** a copy of this story was provided for an honest review **
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