Guest Review: Leaning Into Forever (Leaning Into #7) by Lane Hayes

Geordie de la Rosa is a legend among wine lovers in Napa Valley. His ultra-fabulous style paired with a penchant for leading impromptu sing-a-longs has made him a star attraction at Conrad Winery. Co-owning a well-respected winery was never Geordie’s aspiration but he likes the niche he’s made for himself. He won’t deny that his job and his friends have helped ease his heartache and grief after the death of his longtime partner.

Levi Yeager excels at the art of reinventing himself. He’s been a minor league baseball player, a college coach and now a restaurant owner. The problem is he doesn’t know anything about the food business. And when his chef quits unexpectedly, he’s afraid his new venture is doomed. But Levi isn’t a quitter. It may be the only thing he has in common with the beautiful, sassy man from the neighboring winery who agrees to help get his new business up and running. Neither man counts on their fast friendship or the wild attraction they feel for each other. However, they know they won’t stand a chance until they let go of the past and lean into forever.

Reviewer: Shee Reader

Geordie has experienced great loss and is still working through the process of grieving the death of his lover. He is a wonderfully gregarious character who has a terrific network of friends - many of whom we’ve met in the previous books in the series. His business partner, Wes, and his boyfriend Nick were welcome minor characters in this book.

Levi arrives at the winery desperate for some help from his near neighbors, and Wes is quick to volunteer Geordie, who knows all about restaurants and food. Geordie is not blessed by his partner’s generosity and nor is he impressed by the incredibly sexy and certainly straight Levi. Levi is way more than meets the eye, though and the ‘chance meeting’ leads to a flirtatious friendship of sorts and then a relationship. Geordie thinks he’ll never be ready to love again, but Levi does all he can to convince Geordie that they a potential forever together if then can find something in common! Levi is an amazingly patient (thankfully not straight) man.

Having read the other books in the series, I’ve been waiting for Geordie’s HEA. He’s so sure he can’t love again, and when Levi comes across Geordie’s radar, it has to be a special man to heal the heart that’s been so hurt.

This is a lovely tale of new beginnings and being brave enough to try. The writing is as charming as you’d expect with lovely characterisation. One of the reasons I love a series of books, is the chance to check in with previous characters I’ve grown to love, and this is no different.

Highly recommended