4.5 stars
Sweet, low angst, high heat, this was a really enjoyable read.
At the start I thought Jessie was a bit of a d**k (amazon won’t let me use this word) but as I kept reading and got to know him I completely changed my mind. Jessie was a slightly broken young man who carried a ton of guilt over his parent’s divorce. He also had to deal with an emotionally manipulative mother and doubt about whether his father loved him. As he started to open his heart and bare himself to Luke I really felt for him.
Luke was like a bouncy puppy, seemingly always happy and upbeat. He’s carried a flame for Jessie for years and has been waiting and hoping that Jessie might feel the same way. I loved how completely open Luke was with his feeling, both showing and telling people how he felt; a completely open book.
As these two young men start to become friends and Jessie stopped playing with Luke through the wall and keeping him at a distance, I was so on board for these two to make a go of things. Watching them work through their issues as well as deal with their parents was both emotional and sweet. Their sexy times were hot and spicy and I loved the way the dynamics changed between them through these experiences.
Although I am not a fan of romance novels (or any book) using covid as part of the plot, Jesse has managed to use it in a way that gives us an emotional glimpse at Jessie’s father’s reason for not being able to see his son, his dad living in America and Jessie living in Australia and what he went through during that time.
I’m looking forward to the next book in this new series.
Thanks to the author for providing me with a digital copy in return for an honest review.
Claire's Reads and Reviews 