Guest Review: Regaining Trust by Nell Iris

When workaholic Lawrence Weller walks in on the aftermath of his fiancé Frankie cheating on him, his world shatters. Frankie’s the love of his life, the only person he’s ever trusted, and the betrayal leaves him devastated.

Franklin Ennis makes a huge mistake he regrets deeply before it’s even over. He pleads for a second chance, willing to do whatever it takes to save their relationship.

A love that deep doesn’t just stop, so Lawrence agrees to try. But mistakes don’t happen in a vacuum. Are they both willing to own up to their part? Will their love be enough to repair what was crushed? Can trust once broken be rebuilt?

Reviewer: Annika

The opening of this book was brutal and heartbreaking. The raw emotions lay the reader flat.

Regaining Trust isn't your typical romance, and it's what drew me to it in the first place. In most books cheating is always the be all and end all of any relationship. That once someone cheated the relationship will always end, with all blame on the one who cheated. This book isn't like that.

We have Law and Frankie two men desperately in love. But life happens; Law is pretty much working non-stop and Frankie is getting lonely spending every evening and every weekend alone. In a weak moment he caves when someone gives him some attention – and of course this is when Law walks in.

What follows are Law and Frankie doing a lot of soul-searching, working and talking things through. There is so much hurt in this book, it comes off the pages waves. At the same time it's also clear that Law and Frankie really did love each other. They just got lost on their way.

This is one of those quiet books, on the surface there isn't much going on, a good part of it plays out in their apartment, between the two of them. Talking, crying. Healing. But that’s also what makes it so good, you see them fight for each other, they don’t hide from their problems but want to do what it takes to make it through to the other side – and being stronger for it. The beauty of it lies in its simplicity.

Regaining Trust isn't an easy or lighthearted read, but it’s well worth the dented heart. And even though Law might not agree, love really can conquer all.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Guest Review: The Perils of Intimacy by Rick R. Reed

Mark believes he’s meeting Jimmy for the first time in the diner where he works, but he’s wrong. Mark has no recollection of their original encounter because the wholesome Jimmy of today couldn’t be more different than he was two years ago. Back then, Jimmy sported multiple piercings and facial hair. He was painfully skinny—and a meth addict. The drug transformed him into a lying, conniving thief.

Mark doesn’t associate the memory of a hookup gone wrong with this fresh-faced twenty-something… but Jimmy knows. Can Mark see Jimmy for the man he is now and not the addict he was? The answers depend on whether true love holds enough light to shine through the darkness of past mistakes.

Reviewer: Annery

Jimmy Kilpatrick is 23, waiting tables at a cheap diner, and two years into recovery. Our Jimmy is a meth addict, is being the operative word. Everyday is a new day to choose not to use though the lure is always just around the corner. On a Monday morning, his past and a possible future come knocking in the form of 39 y.o. Marc Kelly. If you’re expecting some kind of Daddy story think again. This is so much better. It’s real.

This is my first dance with Rick Reed and I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last. If you’re in the mood for a low key, sort-of second chance this little gem hits just the right notes.

Jimmy and Marc’s story, in the space of the book, takes place over the course of a week but they have history, a bit sordid, which Marc at first is slow to pick up on and which Jimmy would love to erase. It turns out that during his time as a tweaker, Jimmy would hook up via dating apps and steal from his tricks. Marc was one of them. (None of this is a spoiler. It’s all in the blurb.) It’s now two years later and the sores-riddled, dirty, scrawny, dread-locked Jimmy has emerged (thanks to recovery) from his chrysalis into an attractive, healthy, and outgoing young man and Marc is smitten. Meanwhile Jimmy is on tenterhooks wondering when/if Marc will remember or when/if he should tell him because Marc, or more accurately the memory or promise of Marc has been living, quiescently, in his soul since that ill-fated date.

This is absolutely a love story, but more importantly and more definitely a story about recovery, the hard earned self-love required to survive in a world that’s not always kind, particularly for those who color outside the box, and the people who make this journey possible, even when they’re not physically present. Jimmy’s day-to-day struggles with his sobriety and the harsh reality of the scorched earth devastation that is meth addiction in the gay community isn’t glossed over with rainbows & unicorns, but the author also imbues this story with hope and even a touch of mysticism, which didn’t read as treacle. Sweet. It’s also nice that Jimmy isn’t the only one with issues. Marc is an almost 40 year old gay man who’s dealing with aging in the gay community, questioning if his life of hook-ups (sometimes dangerous ones) have led him to a future of being old, alone, and lonely. They’re both looking for what we all want: someone we matter to, connection, and acceptance.

The more I think about it the more I love this story. I love that it’s about ordinary people dealing with real issues. No blindingly beautiful super humans, Masters of the Universe billionaires, or superheroes, just two guys trying to find a safe place to land. Also their larger issues aren’t solved by the glory of love or magic D. How refreshing. Whenever you’re in the mood for a quiet but moving romance about recognizable humans this will leave you satisfied.

Review: Inside Darkness by Hudson Lin

He’s come in from the field, but the darkness has followed him home.

After a decade as an aid worker, Cameron Donnelly returns home jaded, tired, and with more than just a minor case of PTSD. Plagued by recurring nightmares but refusing to admit he has a problem, Cam quickly spirals into an alcohol-infused depression, and everyone around him is at a loss for how to help.

Journalist Tyler Ang met Cam on a reporting assignment in Kenya, and their first encounters were rife with hostility and sexual tension. Back in New York, their paths continually cross, and each time, Cam’s brokenness reminds Ty more and more of his own difficult childhood. Letting Cam in goes against Ty’s instinct to live life autonomously, but the damaged aid worker manages to sneak past his guard.

Their relationship is all sharp corners and rough edges, and just as they’re figuring out how to fit together, a life-threatening accident puts it all in jeopardy. If they want a future together, both will have to set aside their egos and learn to carry each other’s burdens.

I honestly don't know what came over me here. Nothing about that blurb usually appeals to me. Hurt/Comfort is hit or miss. I'm averse to books that feature mental illness. Pain usually sends me into the blanket fort, but for whatever reason when I first saw this book a couple months ago I was drawn to it. Maybe it's the word 'darkness' in the title, maybe it's the cover or maybe it's some weird woowoo shit. Whatever it was I'm glad for it, because this book was seriously good.

Cam has spent 10 years as a UN aid worker. He's a lifer but that dedication has taken its toll. His PTSD is at the forefront of this story and well portrayed; there are no magic cures. It takes work and his trauma isn't something that disappears when he connects with Ty. He's plagued by nightmares, battles depression, anger outbursts and avoidance behaviors even after he's been in treatment a while. He's been through a lot but I enjoyed the authenticity of there being one standout incident that not only traumatized him but forced him to change. The struggle to downshift out of that mentality isn't an easy thing for him. The distraction of constantly being busy while on assignment kept it at bay to a certain extent, but once he returns home those distractions evaporate. He needs to fill that darkness with something to make it go away and suffice to say, he spins out.

He met Ty while he was on assignment in Kenya and there was a connection, though short-lived, but life seems to keep throwing them together-on the flight home, at a party, wandering in a random neighborhood, they keep running into each other. I'm kind of a sucker for fate and these two seem fated to me.

Ty, too, has his own demons. He is self-reliant to a fault and almost single-mindedly driven toward his goal of becoming a successful journalist. He likes to travel light and has acquired a bit of a reputation, but Cam's vulnerability burrows beneath his armor and Ty seems to be the only person Cam turns to when it gets to be too much.

It felt like too much sacrifice to be apart for anything more than a few seconds. They had navigated through a maze of wrong turns and false starts to find the real versions of each other, and they couldn't afford to lose even one moment.

Their palpable emotional connection is what impressed me most about this book and Lin's writing style. She brought these two flawed human beings together in such an incremental way that neither of them really noticed they were in love until they had already become part of each other, fitting into the other's blank spaces. I also liked that they decided they were going to be together, despite everything they were going to make it work because the alternative was unbearable.

Their romance is a quiet but compelling one. If you're looking for a romance-y romance this will likely fall flat for you. Their relationship felt honest to me in all its rockiness. They miscommunicate. They ghost each other. Other times they are staggeringly honest with each other. They argue and can be dicks to the other, but they seem to always be drawn back together. I found myself liking both of them and rooting for them. Their journey is fraught with obstacles, some internal and some external, but what resonated was how natural their relationship evolved, how organic their conversations were and how unpretentious their story was. There's something to be said for two thorny dudes finding love.

My only quibble is Cam's "darkness". There was something about the frequency of him referring to it coupled with him referring to it as almost a separate entity that was both heavy-handed at times and somewhat disconcerting. Nevertheless, I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this author in the future.

Recommend to hurt/comfort and quiet romance fans.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley.

Review: An Unexpected Truth by S.A. Meade

A trust destroyed is a trust that is hard to recover…

Brendan Matthews is happy training racehorses for a living. He thinks he’s hit the jackpot when a wealthy orthopedic surgeon, Adam Ahmadi, sends six yearlings his way. Not only are the horses a cut above the rest, their owner isn’t too shabby either.

But not everything is as it seems. Adam has many secrets, most of them dark and deadly. When Adam’s past returns with a vengeance, he disappears, leaving Brendan confused and hurt.

If Adam survives, will his past destroy their future?

Is it possible to have a slow burn romance where the MC’s fall for one another quickly but also take their time with the relationship that’s filled with lies and angst? You bet your sweet ass it is and this book is proof.

“I know I have no sort of claim on you… on us but I think there’s a chance that we could be an us. Am I making sense?”

From reading the blurb I thought I knew what I would be getting with this romance and I was so wrong. Those two words in the title; unexpected and truth, you need to keep those in mind because it’s the soul of this story.

Told from the dual POV’s of our MC’s we meet Brendan our resident horse trainer as he is waiting to meet the owner of the new horses that will be under his care and tutelage. The owner, one Dr. Adam Ahmadi is not at all hard on the eyes and the chemistry between the men is palpable from the get go. Both Adam and Brendan fancy one another and begin a fast friendship but they keep it there for some time to just simply enjoy the company of another man while getting to know each other.

Brendan is this strong, loving and down to earth man who loves his work with the horses. The pride he takes in training proves itself at the races and he’d like nothing more than to live his life with a man he loves at his side. Meeting Adam provides a bit of conflict as he doesn’t mix business with pleasure but the attraction these two have is too strong to deny or let slip away.

Adam, oh boy he was a joy to read. The doctor, the surgeon that is no more due to an accident that destroyed his money maker, aka his hand finds solace, gratitude and love with Brendan in his small house on the ranch. The snowed in days with these two were beautiful to read and through it all, I truly believe Adam wants nothing more than to be with Brendan.

“[…] but it just makes me wonder how many other secrets he’s hiding. There’s a trust issue here. Or maybe I’m just being oversensitive.”

It was lovely to get both POV’s because as I’ve said before, there are unexpected truths that come about in this book. Those truths are something I was not prepared for and kinda came out of left field but then again, they had to and it wouldn’t have worked any other way. I know I am being vague about it and I have to so that when you read it, you get as blindsided as I did when it all is revealed.

There are times with books I like to try and figure out what will happen before it does but the author does a beautiful job of setting and telling this story that I simply sat back and let it unfold the way she intended. Sometimes it works better that way, to let the story play out and enjoy the ride.

The romance was comfortable and yet sexy at the same time. I love watching Brendan and Adam fall for one another even amongst the angst, chaos and even lies that come between them. It’s been said forgiveness is a virtue of the brave and that’s what this romance truly is. It’s brave and it becomes honest and pure as it’s baptized through the fires of the past.

Tag Team Review: Out of the Shadows by K.C. Wells

Can he step out of the shadows and into love’s light?

Eight years ago, Christian Hernandez moved to Jamaica Plain in southern Boston, took refuge in his apartment, and cut himself off from the outside world. And that’s how he’d like it to stay.

Josh Wendell has heard his coworkers gossip about the occupant of apartment #1. No one sees the mystery man, and Josh loves a mystery. So when he is hired to refurbish the apartment’s kitchen and bathrooms, Josh is eager to discover the truth behind the rumors.

When he comes face-to-face with Christian, Josh understands why Christian hides from prying eyes. As the two men bond, Josh sees past his exterior to the man within, and he likes what he sees. But can Christian find the courage to emerge from the darkness of his lonely existence for the man who has claimed his heart?

Averaged!

Sara - 5 Hearts

Wow. This book blew me away and it blew me away because it was such a quiet romance. I know in this line, the books can be predictable but this really wasn’t. It was a super sweet delicious slow burn with the most respectful hurt/comfort romance… just, le sigh. Okay. Le sigh.

I loved how the book opens with Christian’s POV, our self-made recluse who likes watching the handyman/gardener of his apartment complex work in the communal garden. It’s something Christian gives himself when he needs a break and at that moment, after reading that there will be renovations made to his property and someone invading his private space. Christian doesn’t do people, though we don’t know the why immediately but having a nice long look at a handsome man doing physical labor seems to settle him and I was happy to ogle with him.

Josh Wendell is the go to man that the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation has come to adding on the new kitchen and bathroom renovations to his list of duties. Josh is fine with that as he has always loved working with is hands but when a few co-workers suggest he might see the mysterious guy in #197, apartment #1, who is rumored to never leave his place. Josh is more interested in the why of it than the way people talk and decides if he gets to work on that apartment, he’ll have a chance to find out.

Told in the dual POV’s of Christian and Josh, we get to know the men on a day to day basis as Josh does the needed renovations. On his first day, he is greeted by a thoughtful gesture of coffee/tea and a note that if he is needed, he can contact Christian at the provided number. When Josh blows a fuse in the apartment and needs to contact Christian, he gets a sense that the resident in Apartment #1 isn’t out of the house and instead, locked behind closed doors.

The first conversations between the door with Josh and Christian were so sweet. They seemed to click right away and were comfortable with one another. The offerings of food and drink between them was adorable but when Josh shows up early one day and Christian is in need of help, Josh sees the real Christian and the story get deeper. With Josh seeing Christian’s scars, we get to learn what happened to him that has made him live his life alone and hidden for the last 8 years. It was pretty heartbreaking that forgetting one thing could leave a man riddled with scars and shame about his looks. But Josh isn’t what Christian was expecting and Josh sees beyond the scars to the man beneath.

When Christian realizes that Josh, the guy he’s come to chat with on a daily basis while he works in his apartment is the same guy he’s been drooling over as his handyman, Christian lets his attraction unfold though only to himself as he thinks Josh is straight and Josh thinks Christian is straight. Thank goodness a love for Harry Potter and fan fiction lead them to a list of favorite movies so that their sexuality can be straight, or not so straight.

Goodness, but I loved this book. It’s so very much relationship centered on how the men meet, become friends through their daily chats as Josh works and then more. Josh is enamored of Christian from their first chat but when he sees him, his scars and learns how Christian has survived he knows that beauty comes from the inside out. Not that Josh doesn’t think Christian is sexy AF because he does and so want to get lost in Christian’s eyes. But as Josh gets to know Christian, he knows he needs to be patient with him and knows he has to make Christian understand it’s the man, the whole man he wants and sees beyond the scars.

Josh truly is an amazing character. He is so patient, understanding and thoughtful when it comes to Christian. His friends are great side characters as well with how much they want Josh to be happy and they can see how being around Christian is changing him because of how much he likes him. A movie night of Dune allows the men to move forward in oh so many ways.

Christian is such and strong man. I can’t imagine being where he was in life to go through what he did and make the decision to walk away from everyone and everything he knew to live life truly in the shadows. Only through the inclusion of Josh into his life who makes him want more than he thought possible does Christian ache to feel the light on his face, the smile on Josh’s and their hands entwined as they walk down a public street together.

Wow. I am rambling aren’t I? I have learned to take that as a sign that the book was good and this was really good. It was super fluffy but always with an underlying heat between Josh and Christian that aided to the delicious slow burn romance. Both men were stunning in their fondness for one another while being fierce in determination to get what they want.

Out of Shadows is an extremely sweet and fluffy slow burn romance with the best sort of hurt comfort that won over this hopeless romantic. I adored the story of Josh and Christian and can only hope the author is considering giving us the true story of Nate and Dylan because I agree with Christian, there is a little bromance brewing there.

SheReadsALot - 3.5  Hearts

After reading however many Dreamspun Desires, I've found the cracky fluff can fall into certain categories. Some could be action fluff, slightly angsty fluff, very fluffed out fluff and sweet fluff.

Out of the Shadows by K.C. Wells falls into the latter.

It's so sweet I got a cavity after reading the beauty and the beast themed slow burn romance.

Christian Hernandez (32) has been a self imposed recluse for the last eight years due to extensive burn scars he received on the right side of his face and torso. He lives in his Jamaica Plain apartment, working from home as his main source of social interaction. His highlight of the day is when he sees a young, trim handyman working in the communal garden outside his patio doors. A mandatory refurbishment to his apartment via his building association forces Christian to let someone into his home... his hot handyman.

Through many interactions via text and closed doors, the two men develop a friendship. Josh (25), the handyman is so full of life and sweetness, even Christian can't resist his pull. Christian slowly opens up to Josh, shares his self and expects ridicule. Instead, what he gets is something much more valuable: that he is more than just his scars.

Josh is dreamy. He sings, loves Harry Potter, has an awesome support system in his 3 best friends, and can fix things. Plus, he sees that Christian just has scars, that Christian isn't just his scars. He is very persistent and flexible into slowly re-introducing Christian to their town. This I think was my most favorite thing about this novel, time was given to Christian to say yes or no. And Josh never gave up nor did he pressure him.

Plus, the quiet slow burn was fitting for the characters. Everything within their relationship from strangers to friends to something more read natural and not forced. And when they finally enter the HEA and smexy times come into play, it was pretty sexy. (Yes, smutsters this one definitely fills the sex scenes limit of the house line with some hotness)

I'm not a fan of Josh's friends. Not because they weren't nice young gentlemen, because they are. They were very accepting of Christian into their fold. My issue with them is a majority of the time when they were on page, they spoke like middle aged women. I kept getting flashbacks of my older aunt and her friends cackling and gossiping. Not something I mind if I'm forced in their company, but it pulled me from the story. These guys were supposed to be in their mid-twenties and I wasn't buying it.

Also, the story is set in Massachusetts. And there is obvious research of Boston that shows in the novel. Josh sounded like a Bostonian tour guide he showed so much of the city. However, there were moments where a British turn of phrase popped up and threw off the American vibe it was going for.

I'm unsure what K.C. Wells writing style is. So I'd try another book by her again to see if I'm a fan or not.

If you're a reader who likes sweet slow burn in their cracky fluff, then I think Out of the Shadows is worth a try. It reads very quick and low angst, perfect addition to the Dreamspun line!

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Finding Home by Meg Harding

Meg Harding, along with Signal Boost Promotions, visit the clubhouse to promote Harding's newest contemporary release, Finding Home. And there are gifts: an excerpt AND Accepting the Fall eBook giveaway!

Good luck!

See our review of Finding Home HERE!

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 68,000 words

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design

Blurb

Jaden Matthews has never known his father or his father's family, but he's about to get a crash course on having siblings. With the recent passing of his grandmother, he's discovered he has three half-brothers and part ownership of a gym. In Serenity, Florida. His life in New York has hit a rocky road, so maybe this is the vacation he needs to get things back on track.


Chase Michaels lost his future in a car crash almost ten years ago, and he's made a new one for himself in Serenity. One that doesn't include getting emotionally involved with people who are just passing through. But Jaden makes his common sense flee and his gut react. He's got one month with the man who made him believe in taking a chance.

Excerpt

“Is everything all right?” asked a warm, very male voice from behind him. It sent a shiver racing down Jaden’s spine. Huh. That was weird.


He turned.


Standing on the shoulder of the road was a Calvin Klein model. He was taller than Jaden, probably some insanely genetically gifted six foot something, and his legs…. Jaden’s mouth might have watered a little. They were really long and very shapely. His jeans were molded to his thighs. His big, muscular thighs. Jaden swallowed heavily. His plain white shirt clung to an equally wonderful chest, outlining defined pecs and hinting at the type of abdomen Jaden watched porn to see normally. He was tan, with a chiseled jaw and high cheekbones, big, luscious pink lips. His eyes were hidden by his sunglasses, Ray Bans, and his hair was a silky ear length fall of chestnut.


Jaden had to wonder if he’d passed out in his car from the heat and this was all a fantastic hallucination. If the guy took his shirt off, that’d answer the question.


Maybe he should cut back on the porn….


“You okay?”


He blinked. The guy’s shirt was still on. So this god was actually here to be his knight in shining armor. Wow. Too bad he was about to make himself look like a giant dumbass. “My car is out of gas,” he said. “And I don’t know where I am.”


The man smiled. He had dimples. Two of them. One in each cheek.


Jaden’s knees felt weak. Man, the heat was really getting to him. He leaned against his car for stability. Sweat was trickling down his neck, under his collar, and over his spine. When he licked his lips, Jaden tasted salt. So he was lost and grossly sweaty on the side of the road. Definitely the picture one wanted to present to the hottest man he’d ever seen in person.


“You’re on State Road 22, about ten miles outside of Serenity.”


Jaden’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me, right? Ten miles? All this car needed to make it was ten more miles?” If he had a junk car like Mr. Hottie, he’d kick it in frustration, but he drove an Audi so he settled for stomping his foot. Unreal. He was so close to his destination.


“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you’re headed to Serenity, then?” asked the man, and he may have been beyond sexy, but the smirk on his face was starting to irritate Jaden. Jaden’s frustration wasn't amusing, damnit.


“I am,” he said.


This got him a thorough head to toe evaluation from his potential rescuer. He straightened, trying to make his shoulders look broader. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to fix the sweat dampened mess. He felt like he had to be coming up wanting in this man’s judgment. In his ear, the operator asked, “Can I let you go now, or would you like me to keep wasting my time?”


He hung up on her. If he ended up dead, his ghost could haunt her.


“I can give you and your small horse there a lift to the gas station and back,” he offered, holding out his hand to Magneto, who cautiously walked toward him, black and white ears slicked to his skull and nose twitching. He’d never been a fan of strangers. It’d taken him weeks to get used to Drew, simply because Jaden had been the one to pick him up as a puppy from the shelter. Originally, Magneto was an intended birthday gift for Drew. Jaden’s plan backfired, but he couldn't say he was sorry about it. As Jaden watched, Magneto tentatively sniffed the proffered hand and then his large tongue flicked out and left slobber in its wake. The man smiled and laughed, crouching to put himself face to face with Magneto. The next kiss landed on his cheek.


Jaden guessed that answered the question of if he could trust this guy. Obviously his dog did, and that probably meant something. “I’d appreciate it. Thank you,” he said. He shifted awkwardly. Should he offer to pay him for the assistance? Maye once they were at the station. Caution urged him to wait to reveal his wallet.


Just on the off chance Magneto was displaying poor judgment.


“You’re welcome.” He directed his blinding smile at Jaden, scratching behind Magneto’s big, floppy ears all the while. “I’m Chase Michaels. What’s this guy’s name?”


“Magneto.” Chase Michaels…. Why did the name sound vaguely familiar? Jaden couldn't place it. He shook his head. It was probably nothing. “Like the X-Man.” He tacked the line on automatically now, to beat the other person to the inevitable question. Magneto trotted over at his name, abandoning Chase’s attention for Jaden. He rewarded him with an under the chin scratch. “And I’m Jaden. Matthews.”


Chase wiped his slobber coated hands down his jeans as he stood. Jaden winced. “Nice to meet you. Want to get going or do you need to get anything from the car first?”


“Let me grab his leash.” While he picked the leash up, he slipped his wallet into his pocket. He remembered at the last second to take his keys. Locking himself out would be the cherry on top of his day. He didn't like cherries.


The first thing Magneto did when he jumped in the backseat of Chase’s car was drool all over the far window. Jaden stared at the smears in dismay. “I’m sorry,” he said, trying to head off any unpleasant attitude. “I’ll pay for you to get your car cleaned.” Drew had refused to allow Magneto in his car, and he’d always thrown hissy fits when Magneto smudged all the house windows trying to watch the squirrels outside play.


Jaden was a master window cleaner now. Maybe if he couldn't get another accounting job, he’d switch to that. He could run his own company and do the the books for it.


But Chase laughed, not looking at all disgusted by the mess it had taken Magneto all of two seconds to create. “It’s fine,” he said. “I’ll roll them down for him.”


His car smelled like apples, and a discreet glance around found the culprit to be a smoothie sitting in the middle cup holder. It was a not so appetizing oatmeal color. He expected country music to come over the speakers, so he was pleasantly surprised to hear something else. Indie rock maybe? He’d never heard this song before, but the beat was good and the singer had a clear voice.


Should he make small talk and ask who this was?


“What brings you to Serenity?”

Author Bio

Meg Harding is a graduate of UCF, and recently completed a masters program for Publishing in the UK. For as long as she can remember, writing has always been her passion, but she had an inability to ever actually finish anything. She’s immensely happy that her inability has fled and looks forward to where her mind will take her next. She’s a sucker for happy endings, the beach, and superheroes. In her dream life she owns a wildlife conservation and is surrounded by puppies. She’s a film buff, voracious reader, and a massive geek.

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Review: Finding Home by Meg Harding

Jaden Matthews has never known his father or his father's family, but he's about to get a crash course on having siblings. With the recent passing of his grandmother, he's discovered he has three half-brothers and part ownership of a gym. In Serenity, Florida. His life in New York has hit a rocky road, so maybe this is the vacation he needs to get things back on track.

Chase Michaels lost his future in a car crash almost ten years ago, and he's made a new one for himself in Serenity. One that doesn't include getting emotionally involved with people who are just passing through. But Jaden makes his common sense flee and his gut react. He's got one month with the man who made him believe in taking a chance.

This is another winner for me from Meg Harding.

Finding Home is a character driven quiet romance with low angst combined with sweet and extremely sexy moments. It was the perfect read on a Sunday morning during a holiday weekend.

Jaden Matthews and his Great Dane, Magneto, are on his way to a town he’s never been, to meet three half-brothers Jaden never knew existed at all because his late paternal grandmother they share whom he never met left him part of a business and her house. Jaden has nothing to lose after being laid off from his job and left by his soon to be ex-husband after he cheated on him with a med student, so why not drive from New York to Florida to finalize the things he never knew he had to move on with his life.

But visiting and then staying in a town called Serenity for a high strung guy like Jaden is bound to have all sorts of consequences.

Chase Michael’s had the world at his feet as a star college football player on the path to and NFL career when one night of too much partying and a bad decision changed everything. An accident that messed up his shoulder and leg forced Chase to rethink his life and fall back on the business degree he earned. Laying down roots in Serenity, opening a smoothie shop and becoming close friends with Jaden’s family was never his plan, but the town has a way of welcoming you in and never letting you go. It’s a small town thing right along with raccoons that hold you hostage from your front porch and sea turtles laying eggs on the beach.

The meet cute with Jaden and Chase was super cute because rescuing a stranger on the side of the road always turns into more and Chase and Jaden have chemistry immediately. Though both men do not know the other is gay, they form crushes and settle for friendship that moves along beautifully.

The memory of their Grandmother and who she was to her family and the town was bittersweet. Everyone loved her and her office filled with binders, pictures and notes shows how much she loved her family, even her asshat of a son who donated his sperm, but never took responsibility for the children he created. Jaden’s brothers were a complete joy to have in this story as it is one that focuses on family, a theme I am beginning to associate with the author. Jaden had never met his brothers, Phoenix, Zane and Elliot but considering the men arrived in Serenity in much the same way Jaden did, it’s not surprise that they want to get to know him and immediately take ownership of him as their brother. I loved each of the “Bannister boys” for many reasons but I have soft spot for the one with the long blue hair with his love for all animals and being their knight in shining everything but after a slip at the beach when discussing sexuality… I want Phoenix’s story and I kinda want it bad.

But back to the romance of Chase and Jaden. Both men know that Jaden is only there for a short amount of time to settle the new affairs he acquired from his grandmother. They know this and don’t deny their attraction mutual attraction and fall into one another with eyes wide open. Their eyes aren’t the only thing that’s open and with every “Can I try something?” from Jaden, he and Chase open their hearts to one another. Their time spent in bed was smoking hot with a side of small serving of kink from a bossy Jaden that both shocks Jaden for doing it and Chase for liking it. But it’s all what happens out of bed that is the romance and how Jaden, who has been repressed by making everyone else happy, is finally able to let his dork out and just be his true self because Chase lets him. It was adorable watching Jaden let go and let Chase in, even if neither of them are ready to spill their souls to one another.

The moral of the story is that pressure can be a bitch, and it doesn't matter where it comes from. At some point we have to realize we need more than one priority, and those priorities shouldn’t interfere with our well being. Figure out what you want, and do the selfish thing for once.

That quote right there is the moral of this story really. It’s too often that we can get caught up in doing for others that we forget to do things for ourselves. Even when we think we are being selfish, we tend to put others first and that can lead to a miserable existence. Jaden needed to learn this but needed to learn it where we could let go and find his own peace of mind.

I really liked that the story felt realistic down to the last word. As the reader you know where things are going and why you don’t want separating of angst for Chase and Jaden, you know it has to happen. It’s a good thing that end was totally romantic and so damn worth it.

Now I have to add…

The only thing for me that didn’t make this a five star read was terribly picky on my part and totally personal. For Chase to teach yoga, it bugged me that the first class he taught in the book didn’t make much sense. I’m not a professional, but I’ve been practicing daily for over two years and could not figure out what positions he was getting students into without giving any of them a name at all. Then we get that he was in Kapotasana on the beach, which is a very advanced pose in the second series of Ashtanga Yoga, and we were given the Sanskrit name of it out of the blue instead of calling it Pigeon Pose. It was just really odd to go from Chase giving no name to the poses before and then nailing this one. I am not sure why this pose was chosen, but including how it’s a back bend plus a heart opener could have added to Chase needing it at that moment and what deep poses like that can do to emotions. It’s ridiculously picky on my part, but it bugged me to the point I couldn’t see Chase as this yogi who practices authentically as he was supposed to. Even if some of yoga sounds new age-ish or hippy etc. using the language, even the non-traditional names for it give more meaning as it seems to be applied to Chase and not just some class he teaches like step aerobics.

Anyway, gripe aside I really loved this story. I liked the romance, I liked the family dynamics and I liked how the town of Serenity became a character as well with its own charms. I am going to say again, a book about Phoenix exploring more than just a one off would be amazing and I’ll leave it at that.

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