Review: Regret Me Not by Amy Lane

Pierce Atwater used to think he was a knight in shining armor, but then his life fell to crap. Now he has no job, no wife, no life—and is so full of self-pity he can’t even be decent to the one family member he’s still speaking to. He heads for Florida, where he’s got a month to pull his head out of his ass before he ruins his little sister’s Christmas.

Harold Justice Lombard the Fifth is at his own crossroads—he can keep being Hal, massage therapist in training, flamboyant and irrepressible to the bones, or he can let his parents rule his life. Hal takes one look at Pierce and decides they’re fellow unicorns out to make the world a better place. Pierce can’t reject Hal’s overtures of friendship, in spite of his misgivings about being too old and too pissed off to make a good friend.

As they experience everything from existential Looney Tunes to eternal trips to Target, Pierce becomes more dependent on Hal’s optimism to get him through the day. When Hal starts getting him through the nights too, Pierce must look inside for the knight he used to be—before Christmas becomes a doomsday deadline of heartbreak instead of a celebration of love.

This is quintessential low-angst Amy Lane. Or as low-angst as Amy Lane gets!

Recuperating from a bad car accident, and a failed marriage, Pierce Atwater hopes that a month in his friend’s waterfront Florida condo will help get him back on his feet. There he meets Hal Lombard, a young man torn between what he wants and what his parents expect of him.

It doesn’t take long for the two exiles to become friends, and then something more.

This novella consists almost entirely of Pierce and Hal, with only very short interludes by secondary characters. It makes for “quiet” and easy read.

When readers first meet Pierce, he’s a bit of a grouch. In pain because of his injuries, he’s lousy company. Hal is the exact opposite - he’s bubbly and lives in the moment.

Their first meet-cute sets a pattern for their relationship. Pierce is a bit of an ass, but Hal doesn’t let that stop him from pushing into Pierce’s life.

And Pierce can’t seem to stop himself from wanting Hal to push in.

I thought that the two were very sweet together from the start. Both men struggle with challenges in their personal life, but bring each other some happiness to ease their troubles. I couldn’t help but root for them!

It doesn’t take the two long to give in to the growing attraction between them, and they’re just as cute as a couple. There are a few bumps of their own making, but it’s fairly smooth sailing for Hal and Pierce.

However, I thought that the relationship development wasn’t fully fleshed out. I would have preferred to get a better sense of how and why Pierce and Hal fell for one another, aside from being two lonely queer men feeling the holiday blues in Florida.

That being said, the two click together seamlessly, and their happy ending is worthy of a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘Regret Me Not’. If you’re looking for a sweet, low-angst, and low-drama holiday MM romance, give this novella a try!

A review copy was provided by the publisher.