Release Day Tag Team Review: Late In The Day (The Vault #2) by Mary Calmes

Terrence Moss. Conrad Harris. Gold Team Leader. Darius Hawthorne. The Vault. Juggling all these names would bother some, but for Darius, it’s business as usual. When he closes a chapter in his life, he leaves a name—and the people associated with it—behind. He’s managed to keep a few colleagues, even fewer friends, and no companionship through his forty-plus years… but that’s now changing.

The newest chapter of his life is bringing serious change: a stable home, a recovered identity, an unlikely family, and now a chance encounter with the one man Darius ever loved: Efrem Lahm. The reasons they parted are still valid, and there’s no way they can trust each other. But Efrem has already decided he won’t let Darius go… and Darius will have to decide if he wants to take a chance with his heart this late in the day.

Greeting Calmes Crack Whores!  Red and I are back for another episode and we can't wait to dish about the amazing man known to us as Mother Fucking Conrad!  <-- this was the title to our latest chat.  So, without any further ado...

Red: Ready to start when you are!

JL: Yay! Let's start tonight!

P.S. I heard one should [NOT SPOIL THE BOOK WITH A SPOILER BEFORE WE EVEN START READING!]

Red: We should? I will if I need to. Wait. Is [THIS A SPOILER???? NOT EVEN!]  Hmmmm... I expect this book to have a shit ton of Cameos!

Red - 5 Hearts

It’s gonna be hard to review this for a number of reasons.

Hard because I can’t get my fangirl words to flow from my fingers.

Hard because there is so much that needs to be read first hand.

Hard because there is not a damn thing you could offer me to spoil this.

Hard because what I want to say isn’t so hard.

I. Loved. This. Book.

For some reason after I finished reading this, I started to think back on all that makes Darius Hawthorne; who he is, his relationship with people he cares about and the man he simply cannot live without and every thought led me to Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Don’t ask, it’s just the way my 6 degrees of randomness works but when I started to recall my favorite moments from the movie, certain moments, certain lines just fit.

So, every quote in this review isn’t from the book, they are from the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  

“They're not the kind of stories you can really tell.”

“Too dirty?”

“Yeah, I suppose they're dirty, too, but only incidentally. Mainly they're angry, sensitive, intensely felt, and that dirtiest of all dirty words – promising.”

Red:  Okay. I am at [SPOILER%] and my mind is already blown. There will be no way to review this and no way we can even put in our chats.

JL:  I'm a little ahead of you. Ok, a lot. I'm at [SPOILER%] and I don't want to spoil it for you but dear God read faster! I HAVE SO MUCH TO DISCUSS!

I think that's a great idea by the way. Our chat will be nothing but SPOILER and OMG, did you see where SPOILER did SPOILER. LOL  well, we did warn you...

Red: You read way fast! I've been reading as much as I can during work. I leave in just under 1.5 hrs and then I have yoga and then I can attempt to read a bit before I pass out.

Red:  Okay. I just got to the mention [SPOILER OF SPOILING SORTS]...  WTAF and FUCK YEAH! I love the layered details we get of the vault and why Conrad was asked to be it and all about his names and how he wants [NOT TO SPOIL ANYONE FOR OR ANYTHING FROM THIS BOOK!]  This woman is amazing. My GAWD she is so smart.

I am waiting for more Cameo's to show up though with all his names.

Knowing we were getting a story of Conrad Harris was exciting. After reading A Day Makes and learning Conrad had numerous aliases all that the Calmes fan had met before was mind blowing but reading how they all came to be was epic. Epic and really quite sad. I am of the persuasion that Darius Hawthorne may be the saddest hero of Mary’s I have yet to read. Sure, Darius is one badass motherfucker but Darius is lonely.  He has not only cut ties with the names he used to hold but the life he led as that name and the people all became collateral damage.

Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you owe them a lot.

Now just because he’s left so many behind it doesn’t mean they don’t play a significant role in Darius’ life because they do. Every choice he’s made entwines with the man’s DNA and allows Conrad Harris to have the reputation as a man you don’t want to cross. The outright level of confidence that bleeds off Conrad is palatable but it’s never on the side of arrogance. The man has done the job that he’s been assigned and paid to do but the return was less than retail could offer.

Ahh... Do I detect a look of disapproval in your eye? Tough beans buddy, 'cause that's the way it's gonna be.

Red:  She's killing me. And here I thought the airport reunion with Ian and Miro was hot AF! [MIGHT BE A SPOILER] is burning my eyes it's so sexy and so intense with emotion. *swoons at the romance*

Learning how Darius becomes The Vault was so entertaining. After a few cameos from the author’s other books, we learn exactly how Darius gets the new job. It was funny, it was snarky, and it had some serious emotions as we take a trip down memory lane with Darius and his internal struggles. The whole scenario OF The Vault is so layered and detailed that I am once again amazed by how strong and creative a storyteller Mary Calmes truly is. She is so damn clever with all of this that I am truly in awe.

The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

I think Darius does get a case of the mean reds throughout parts of this book. He has known the way of life that is a contact killer for so long, transitioning to the vault is a lesson he never thought he’d have to learn. It was actually adorable watching the man thaw and his life become complicated. But nothing can complicate your life like love.

How do I look?

Very good. I must say, I'm amazed.

Red: SHE IS KILLING ME WITH THE FEELS!!!!!!

JL: I KNOW!!!!

Prepare to get [NOT SPOILED EVER WITH THIS CHAT BECAUSE SPOILING SPOILS STINK]

Efrem Lahm is nothing short of stellar and stops at nothing to shred my heart into pieces. I think this is one hell of a romantic short of the forever love telling and Efrem and Darius have it all. From their first meeting, to the first kiss, to the first everything and then some. I fell hard for Efrem, I fell hard for the couple he and Darius made and I fell hard for the man Efrem has become in the years he’s been apart from the love of his life.

“You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are? You're chicken, you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, "Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness." You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself."

You might be confused by the last quote but trust me, it fits and nothing fits better than that last line. When the reunion happens between Efrem and Darius there is so much emotion and things left unsaid that it gets heated fast. I honestly think we, or um… the author has maxed out TMCSS (The Mary Calmes Separation Stipulation) at 16 years!  It was so damn painful knowing what both Darius and Efrem went through over those extremely long years they were apart but it also gave me a ridiculous amount of hope.

Red:  And 16 years. Is that the longest time frame for The Mary Calmes Separation Stipulation?

JL: I believe it is.

“I love you.”

“So what.”

“So what? So plenty! I love you, you belong to me!”

Late in the Day is such an amazing and romantic story full of cameos of beloved characters and the final telling of one man’s stellar story. All the elements a Calmes fan could want are in this but there is just so much emotion tacked on that it weighed on my poor hopeless romantic heart. I love where they author took everyone, how she gave them humor, wit, love and family all while still letting each of them be who they are even if that means scary contract killers have tea with… *sigh. I can’t say but it’s one of those things that makes you laugh because it’s such a Calmes thing to have her characters do.

JL - 5 Hearts

Guys.  Guys.  I have been waiting for this book for so long.  So. Long.  You don’t know how bad I’ve wanted to read Conrad’s story.  You. Just. Don’t. Know.  Did it live up to my expectations?

You bet your ass it did!

Whatever you know him as, be it Conrad, Terrence or Gold Team Leader; Darius Hawthorne has been sneaking in and out of Mary’s books for years.  He’s like a ninja, swooping in, showing just enough of himself to pique our interest and then swooping out again.  He’s been an enigma and to finally get his story?  Why, it’s EVERYTHING!

Red: This makes me wanna go back and read all the books with him in it to look at them in a new way. You know? If only I had unlimited time to read.

JL: I know exactly how you feel. I also want to go back and read every book that the cameos are in.

If you’ve read A Day Makes, the first book in this series, then you know that Darius has recently become the Vault.  (What’s the Vault, you say?  Well, I’m not gonna tell you.  You’ll have to read the first book to find out.)  With the new job comes a LOT of new responsibilities, but it also comes with a sense of freedom Darius hasn’t experienced in decades.  He’s finally able to slow down a bit and just breathe.    

JL:  [SPOILERY SPOILER QUOTE THAT I’M NOT GONNA SPOIL.]

Exactly how I would live my life if I could.

Red: Darius just handed [SPOIL NAME] the job of a lifetime and himself the golden ticket! He just needs the love of his life by his side. Ugh. I hope [EPIC ROMANTIC SPOILER OF SPOILS THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE SPOILED!]

JL: I'm sure he will. Mary won't let us down. [QUOTES THAT ARE SPOILERS BUT QUOTES THAT WE THINK YOU WILL HIGHLIGHT TOO!]

He’s hand-picked his team and boy, there are some interesting characters among them!  Some you will recognize from other books but there are a couple that are new.  One in particular that I’m sure everyone will love as much as I do.

JL:  I'm liking this [SHHH SPOILS IN A POT NEVER SPOIL].  He's very sassy.

Red: I haven't got to [SPOILSPORT SPOILER] yet. Just got to [A POSSIBLE SPOILER I WON’T SPOIL.]

JL:  Ha!  I highlighted that [SNARKY SPOILER] too!

This was like the culmination of all of the books Mary has written in this world.  There were so many cameos and references to other stories that my head was spinning and I was constantly squealing in delight. 

Red: Okay. I am stopping at [SPOILERING] Chapter [SPOILER]! LOL I can't stop reading. This is so good. But of course it is, right? But IT IS SO GOOD!

JL: SO GOOD!

I love playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon with Mary.

Red: I know! I honestly thought when [DOUBLE, DOUBLE, SPOIL AND TROUBLE]  instead. I am still waiting to see if they show up.

And the banter in this book!  OMG!  I think this is the snarkiest book Mary has written to date.  I was seriously LOLing throughout a majority of the story.  It showed to me how much Mary has grown in her writing over the years.  

JL: “Just because you’re the vault doesn’t make you good or any more likely not to go to hell.”

“We’re carpooling, I’m aware.”

So snarky! I'm loving all the banter in this one.

 But it’s not all fun and games in this book, no sir.  There were parts that were so heartfelt, so emotional that I couldn’t help but sob into my pillow.  Being alone for most of his life, Darius hasn’t been able to make the connections that are needed to keep one healthy and sane.  He’s lonely but doesn’t really know how to go about fixing his problem.  What makes it even harder to bear is that there was a time in his life that he wasn’t lonely.  He knows what love is, he’s experienced it before, but it was ripped away from him in an instant that, while he doesn’t regret doing what he had to do to protect his love, he wishes would have happened differently. 

JL:  It had gone nothing like I’d thought it would. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that Efrem would [YOU DIDN’T SERIOUSLY THINK I WAS GONNA SPOIL THIS PART, DID YOU?]

Aaaaaand now I'm sad.

Red:  I've highlighted those same parts! Listen to him. Ugh. I just realized while I was in corpse pose, Conrad is possibly the saddest MC MC (Mary Calmes  Main Character) ever. He's so lonely giving up or lost everyone he's ever loved.

JL: I know. He's so lonely. I want to give him a hug.

Throughout his life, there has only been one person that made Darius feel alive.  One person that made him think that being a human being on this planet was worth it.  Efrem.  They had five glorious years together before they were ripped from each other’s arms.  Darius never got over Efrem.  Sixteen years later and a chance encounter leaves Darius with a hope that he’s scared to feel.  Will Efrem feel the same as he did all those long years ago?  Is the love still there?  

When you were moving at the speed of sound, being alone made sense, but as soon as the scenery outside the window became recognizable shapes instead of a steady blur, you longed for home.  Efrem was the only home I had, and the constant ache in my chest was the yearning for him.

JL: Stupid book with stupid Efrem making me cry.

Red: I know! Where are you? I just started chapter [SPOILERING SPOILY STUFF.]

[...]

I'm done. That. Was. Good. And. Romantic AF!

Thank you, Mary.  Thank you for writing this book.  It was everything I ever wished it could be.  And the story’s not done!  There is still a thread that hasn’t been resolved.  I for one cannot wait to read the final book in this trilogy.  It’s going to be EPIC, I just know it.

 

Tag Team Review: You Never Know by Mary Calmes

Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, explore new relationships, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way—until he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.

Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business and encourage it to thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and they have not talked since.

If Hagen’s going to trust him again, Mitch needs to show him how he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go. They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not reviving a relationship with Mitch. Then again, you never know.

We're baaaaaack!  Did you miss us?  In this episode, we chat about second chances, first loves, heartbreak and personal growth.  And treehouses! So, without further ado...

Red:

Would you like to… FINALLY read the Calmes with me this weekend if you haven't done so already??? 

JL:  Yassssss!!!!!!  I haven't read it yet. It's been taunting me though.

Red:  It's been taunting me too but I am ready to get my Calmes on! 

JL:  I'll start in about an hour or so. Gotta go walking first. Greg Tremblay is good for my health. I've extended

Red: How far are you into the book? I'm at 13%...

This is going to hurt a bit isn't it? When they see each other again? I loved the bits we got of them as teens but Mitch better have a good reason for doing what he did to Hagen. And I am getting a kick out if everyone freaking out that Mitch is back in in town. Mary writes such fun side characters. 

JL:  Uh... I haven't started yet? *cringes*

I'm trying to knock out this beta read first. I'm at 95% so I will be done in the next 10 or so minutes.

*fourteen minutes later…*

Ok, I'm done. I'm diving into the Calmes now. Wheeee!

Red:  I'm just starting Ch 3. You'll catch up to me quick.

Red's Review:

It’s no secret I am a Calmes addict. I cannot get enough of the author's work and honestly get ridiculously excited when I see her come out with new books. She is my most read author on Goodreads and there is a reason for that. I adore the romances she writes and I will never tire of them. Ever.

When I saw this book pop up with just a title on Goodreads I wanted it and wondered if it had anything to do with another book from the author, but then the blurb showed up. Nope, it didn’t have anything to do with What A Day Makes, but the blurb hit me square in the feels as second chance romance is my jam! My shelf for second chance romance is a song by Johhny Mathis and Chances Are really does fit this wonderful yet frustratingly beautiful romance of Hagen and Mitch.

Goodness! From the beginning, I wanted to just go run with Hagen as the landscape of Benson, Oregon drew me in and had me feet longing to get dirty on some trails before hitting the pavement and fueling with caffeine. I fell hard for the small town Hagen lives in and grew up in fast and then I started to meet those who live there and was mentally packing my bags wondering why it wasn’t possible to live in the pages of a book.

We meet Hagen on his run, going about his morning ritual when he gets stopped by his friend Gail to ask if he’s okay. That question turns up a lot in the first chapter as everyone who knows and cares about Hagen, as well as those new to town but have heard about his romantic history, know Mitch Thayer moving back to town is a big deal. Regardless of how many times Hagen tries to shrug it off as not being a big deal it so is and I am so happy that we get bits of the boys in high school.

JL:  LOL, look at all the old biddies standing around in the middle of the street gossiping. I love small towns. :) OMG, he lives in a treehouse???? I swear, Mary must have some kind of psychic connection to us. Either that or she secretly works for the CIA and has access to our conversations.

Red:  I was waiting for you to get to the tree house! The Calmes is in our brain I tell ya! 

JL:  I really want a tree house even more now.

Red:  Same. I want the one Hagen built with those windows!!! 

I am off to grocery shop now but I just wanna read. I'm kinda scared to get to the part when they see each other again. Hagen has worked hard to get to where he is and open himself up to living again. But at the same time, I need answers from Mitch. 

Didn't you love the tiny bit we got of them in high school? Gah! They were the romance everyone wanted to succeed. I LOVE that Mary did that.

JL:  Yes, it was so good to get a glimpse of them in high school. 

Hagen Wylie and Mitch Thayer met one day when a 15-year-old Mitch moves to Benson, walks into Hagen’s homeroom, makes eye contact, takes the seat next to Hagen and proclaims them to become good friends. Friends wasn’t the only thing they’d become because these two became the first for one another in every way that two young boys who were openly out with their sexuality could be some 17 years ago. The teen romance was epically known throughout town and Mitch and Hagen had their lives planned, their futures planned exceptionally until it all fell apart. The falling apart completely broke my heart and I had no clue how Mitch was ever going to make up for it.

Now while we know Mitch is back in town, we don’t get him right away and instead we get Hagen and his kinda-relationship with one Ashford Lennox who is an up and coming actor and one who Hagen was oblivious too. But Mary Calmes starts off this introduction to Ash in a way that makes you really like him, I mean like him to the point you almost don’t want Mitch to be on the page with Hagen because Ash seems to be adorable and likable but when true love is on the line, there is no holding back fate when the parties that be are in the same place at the right time.

JL:  Just met Ash. I kinda like him.

I'm kinda scared of meeting Mitch too. Seeing what all Hagen has gone through and how he's overcome everything and created a life for himself I kinda don't want to see that messed up. 

Red:  Oh I like Ash and love how they met and what he gives Hagen without realizing it. 

I am dying to see Hagen's reaction to Mitch's kids... Ugh. Mary's gonna make this hurt so good.

JL:

At the restaurant in Brookings, a greasy dive I loved, he leaned across the table, elbows down, chin resting in his hands, and told me I was driving him crazy.

“Then why deal with the hassle?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“I suspect that you like my dick.”

Red:  Ha! I love Hagen! Wasn't expecting him to be all toppy for some reason though from the beginning. 

Wow. So, the way Hagen and Mitch see one another again for the first time was incredibly dramatic but it works so well for them. The small conversation they have just about did me in with Mitch getting too familiar too quick but we only get Hagen’s POV in this, so I at least know it was doing a number on him as it was doing on me. It’s hard not to fall for and submit to one of Mary’s Alpha men and oh boy does Mitch fit the bill.

And yet, I have a bone or 5,000 to pick with Mitch. The ONLY thing that bugged me about this book was that he didn’t grovel enough for what he did to Hagen when they were young. I know he’s said he’s sorry and that he was young and took Hagen for granted. I get that but I wanted more of the why than a simple glossed over reason and him saying he’s grown up and won’t ever do it again. I do strongly believe in second chances and I am so happy Mitch grew a pair and finally decided to come home and get his boy but I wanted him on his knees so bad which I am SURE the author would have provided had it been necessary, but it wasn’t. Because while this was a romance it was also about Hagen and his healing from heartbreak, from what happened in the military and him finding his safe space, permanently. He’s always loved Mitch but Mitch hurt him, betrayed his trust and left poor Hagen without a sliver of closure so what’s a guy to do?


I adored Hagen and how he has taken care of himself the best he could, given his circumstances. He has dealt with blows that would literally bury some people but he keeps going and does it with an amazing outlook on life. Sure, he hasn’t forgot what Mitch meant to him and how they felt but when you are left how he was, out of sight out of mind is always the best road to take. But reading about he and Mitch as teens simply tore my heart out because they were amazing even that young and who can find love like that in high school? I know it happens, I have friends who started dating at 16 and 25 years later are still together but the passion, the true love that Mitch and Hagen shared is not one that can go away and it should always be given another chance.

JL:

That was the part that nagged at me, the part I kept coming back to, that we both had keys. I was one of many and had thought, as I was sure countless men before me had, that a simple piece of metal meant more than it did.

Poor Hagen, just when he started thinking it could be more than a booty call with Ash too.

The last thing in my life that was broken was finally showing signs of life. When I first came home, hollowed out from war, the very idea that I could be capable of having a relationship even though I was in my own space, my querencia, was beyond all imagining. But now, after many years and now seeing how things were not with Ash, I saw myself open to the possibility of life, of sharing a life with someone. Things were finally starting to change for me and I found myself ready, and even more importantly, willing to try.

Love this character growth here. Good for you, Hagen!

PS: I had to look up the meaning of querencia. Very apt.

Red:  I'm still out but YES!!! I highlighted both those with similar notes about character development and about Ash and what Ash does but what it ends up giving to Hagen. And the querencia… Did she say he was Hispanic? 

JL:  No, I don't think he is.  Maybe he picked it up from someone when he was in the Marines or got it from his boss, who is Hispanic?

You know who Hagen kinda reminds me of?  Weber.

Ash may be a pretentious shit but I still like him. He and Hagen seem to have a lot of chemistry.  It's going to be a hard sell for Mitch at this point. I like seeing Ash with Hagen.

Red:  At 23% where are you?

JL:  I'm at 26%

Red:  Oh and I forgot how it hurt for Hagen to realize he could hurt Ash. Goodness but I really like Hagen. 

Well that's one way for him to see Mitch again... SPOILER. Fuck. Leave it to Mary to make it dramatic and full of fucking feelings. But how amazing was Ash for Hagen then? I don't wanna see him hurt. 

LOL I love Mitch’s kids! 

JL:  Gasp! My heart is in my throat right now!

When I was a kid I saw something like this. I have the hardest time with these scenes. <----SPOILING THE SPOILS OF THE DRAMATIC SCENE BUT JL IS OKAY.

Red:  Oh no! I am so sorry! Are you okay? 

JL:  Yeah, I'm fine. That was heart wrenching but the aftermath was just beautiful. So many feels that it made me cry. Why can't Ash be the one for Hagen??? 

Mary needs to give Ash his own book. I need to see his happily ever after too.

Red:  I know! He's amazing and needs someone amazing just for him because even if I like him, Hagen belongs to Mitch. 

I'm stopping at Ch 5 until bedtime. I'm doing a yoga challenge and have to go to the studio tonight. Why do I do these things to myself? 

 
Now while I was mad at Mitch, I loved his kids! OMG were they amazing and Mitch’s sister as well. I like it when couples know one another’s family and these two are so entwined they can figure out where dishes go in a new house simply because they grew up IN each other’s houses. The business with Gordo was adorable and then once again, Mitch pissed me off. Grrr. They say there is a fine line between love and hate and while I didn’t hate Mitch, I am not sure I loved him. I loved him through Hagen’s eyes for the boy he was and the man/father he now is but…

JL:

“I’m ready for dinner now,” I told him. 

He nodded, smiling at me in complete understanding.

Fuck! Mary's about to knock me on my ass with Mitch now, isn't she? Just when Hagen is ready to take things to the next level with Ash.

Red:  The brief exchange between them hurt and Mitch says a couple things that had me swooning. How am I supposed to concentrate on yoga for an hour when I just want to read???? 

JL:  Tell me about it!  I'm going to go walking when I reach chapter 5 but I wanna keep reading this instead. It's a good thing I'm listening to A Day Makes while I'm walking so at least I still have some Mary with me.

These kids are freaking adorable! 

I nodded, exhaling as I lifted my eyes, fairly certain this would be my one and only time to see him up close because my plan was to never be in another room with him. Please God, never again. I could not have anything to do with him. It would break me a second time.

Gah!

“You’re leaving?”

“Your dad’s here now,” I reminded him. “You be good.”

Brandon opened his mouth, but I pivoted and left, was halfway down the hall before I realized that in my haste to run, I was still holding on to Ryder’s hand. He had gone along without question and now stood smiling up at me, indulgently, waiting for whatever brilliant move was next. 

“Shitballs,”I grumbled under my breath, taking a knee.

 “I think that’s double money in the swear jar, “he informed me, grimacing.

LOL!

Red:

She's killing me with the feels. When Mitch says he misses Hagen's face??? *swoon* 

The kids are hilarious! He's my daddy not yours! LOL 

This really is a romance of one’s self. If you can’t love yourself, if you can’t forgive yourself you’ll be nothing to the person you love. It’s a sticky situation for sure but Hagen’s self-love led to his self-forgiveness of what he couldn’t control which leads him back to Mitch and his safe place. 

JL:  Mary Calmes is an evil, evil woman. STOP MAKING ME FEEL THINGS FOR ASH, MARY!  GOD!

Red:  Oh no!!! Where are you now? I'm getting dinner done and can't read yet

JL:  I'm at 39%

***AND THEY PAUSED FOR STATION IDENTIFICATION***

Red:  I am at 75% and swamped at work when all I want to do is READ! Why does Mary Calmes do this to me? Oh and she is finally my most read author on GR! 

JL:  I'm swamped at work too so I'll have to wait until I get home to read.

Red:  I suck. I took lunch early and finished. Le Sigh

JL:  Don't feel bad. I'm at 64% due to sneak reading.

Red:  We are so cut from the same cloth! 

JL:  I've gotten to that point where I keep putting it down so I can savor it then pick it back up again 5 minutes later because I wanna read it 

Red:  That was me today! I got to 75% or Ch 10 and was like, I don't want it to end BUT I have to know. 

I've been writing bits of my review and keep going back and forth on things but then I realize how brilliant Mary is with her story telling. I still wanna punch Mitch though. Just once really hard. 

Mitch is Hagen’s lobster, they are meant to be together even though their romance took a detour into one NFL player having his head so far up his ass he forgot he was into men. But… that detour gave him his kids so yeah. You know. My husband and I went to school together from middle school through high school. Though our school was small, we ran in different circles even though I had the biggest crush on him and he had no idea I existed. The other day, we were going through old high school yearbooks and doing the “what if” game about how we could have dated in school blah blah blah but had that happened, we wouldn’t have what we do now. We wouldn’t be who we are now and sometimes, love needs to take a detour no matter how bad it hurts to truly find where it belongs. 

JL:  YESSSSS!  He’s so arrogant. I miss Ash. I mean, I can totally see the difference in how Hagen is with Mitch than he is with Ash. There's so much passion between them.  But, I like Ash. I don't want to see him get hurt.

I'm torn about this book and it's making me sad. Mitch just doesn't seem sorry enough, at least so far. I still love it because it's Mary and she's like crack but... It's not the same as my love for A Day Makes or Change of Heart or even the MoT series.  

“The fact of the matter is that you’ve always been afraid that I’ll go off and leave you.”

“Not afraid,” I corrected him, because fear had never been the issue. “But it is the reason I never took us seriously, yes,” I admitted. “But it’s not the leaving, right? You get that. It’s the knowledge that you would.”

Aha! Lightbulb moment here.

Red:  He is arrogant but he is also right on a lot of levels. I keep loving Mitch and hating him for what he did to Hagen and lord you haven't read another part of that yet. I love his alphaness but I want him TO FUCKING BEG Hagen to forgive him. Yes, I know he's finally manned up and moved his life back to Benson to create a life with Hagen and I love his dedication but he broke Hagen. 

And if Mitch never did what he did, he wouldn't have his kids and boy does Hagen love the hell out of them! 

And then I see what this story is for Hagen, this is his own romance of his self, of his safe space on how healing himself comes with Mitch being by his side. It's a shitty way to do it but sometimes you can only be so strong alone but stronger with someone having your back. They were young, Mitch did shitty things but at the same time, Hagen didn't fight either. Kinda reminds me of Jake and Adrien and how Jake was an asshole but Adrien was a doormat too so he was just as guilty for their relationship failings. 

You know what I mean? 

I adore Ash but he pisses me off again though I would love someone to finally own him with a strong hold and not make him so Ash like anymore. LOL 

JL:  True, very true. I'm seeing more and more as I read that Hagen had some growing up to do. He has some serious abandonment issues, between his parents dying and Mitch leaving and he needs stability in his life. He's not going to get that with Ash, I see that now. That relationship would be doomed to fail, kinda like Jory and Aaron were.

Mitch, I think can provide the stability that Hagen needs. Just by being there for Hagen allows him the opportunity to get the rest of the help he needs. He needs an anchor in his life, someone to hold fast and keep him safe while he works out his other issues. Someone to be there as a safety net, to catch him when he falls. Ash can't give that to him. Ash is adventure and fun but Mitch is a stronghold.

Damn. I get it now. Mary is brilliant.

Red:  Isn't she? 

Hagen needs what Mitch provides and that's knowing Hagen like no one else can or ever will. The history they share allows Mitch to call Hagen on his shit and Hagen to own up to it. With Ash, he fucks around with his answers and puts more questions onto Ash. He's not entirely honest with his relationship with Ash until Mitch shows up and then he knows what he wants. 

Hagen has major issues but only with a home and that home being Mitch and the boys does he feel really making himself better to be worth it. He could go on as he is living a half-life but now he has a purpose. 

Yup, we are so on the same page with this. I only realized things after I finished and started writing my review. This isn't superficial at all, the romance has depth that is written between the lines but if you blink, you'll miss it  

JL:  Exactly! Mitch makes Hagen want to better himself.

JL:  Aaahhhh! He SPOILERED him AND MORE SPOILERING!

Red: He's his lobster! I knew when SPOILS FOR YOU WANTING THE SPOILER! He loves his Hagen.

You Never Know truly is a second chance romance with a well-rounded cast of characters that make you want to crawl inside the book and just have a chat with them. I love that Mitch and Hagen figure it all out and how they do it. I love that Mitch goes all in when he wants his boy back and that Hagen in true Calmes fashion submits whole heartedly to his man. I have to say, I want Ash to get a book badly. That boy needs a strong hand by an alpha man who can show him what it means to be treasured and not for his looks or money.  



JL's Review

Ok, so Red sent me her review and it was so good and so detailed that I couldn't think of anything else that needed to be said.  I told Red that I was gonna just say "ditto" to her review.

Well, this is me saying it.

Ditto.

The only thing I can even think to add to this is that I need Ash's book something fierce.  I'm getting down on my knees.  I've got my big puppy dog eyes on.  I've got my hands clasped together in a plea. So, here goes...

MARY CALMES WILL YOU PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE, EXTRA SPECIAL PLEASE WITH SUGAR AND WHIPPED CREAM AND BUTTERSCOTCH AND A CHERRY ON TOP WRITE ASH'S BOOK FOR ME?  PLLLLEEEEEAAAASSSSSSSEEEEE????????? 


Red:  ditto