When Jesse's apartment burns down, he's at a loss. As a busy college student working his way through school and a dog to care for, he has nowhere to turn. But Tomas, one of the firemen who responded to the scene, offers him a place to stay. Tomas is definitely one of those sexy firemen you might see in a calendar, but Jesse figures that doesn't matter much since Tomas is clearly straight and only making the offer because he's a decent guy. But once Jesse moves in,with Tomas's family literally in their backyard, he finds there might be more to Tomas than he saw at first--and he just might learn some things about himself, too.

This was such a ridiculously cute story, I don't even know where to begin. I know on its face the concept could come across a bit cliche, but it didn't read that way at all to me as I was turning the pages (and honestly I did have a hard time putting this one down). As a Seattle-ite, it was great to see the way Daisy Harris was able to capture the spirit of the city as the backdrop to this story which drew me even further into the world of Tomas and Jesse.

I can't wait to pick up the next installment in this series! ( )

This is a story about an unlikely couple; two men who start out as friends (or at least they tell themselves that’s what’s going on) and gradually discover they mean so much more to each other. Jesse is aware he is gay and is out and proud, but this newfound freedom has cost him a lot. Tomas, on the other hand, is not only deep in denial, he has some real issues around what he thinks it means to be gay. Watching his struggle was as fascinating as it was heartbreaking, and there are several points in the book where I didn’t think he’d be able to free himself form the prejudice and preconceptions he had been taught all his life. The one factor in his favor is his honesty about how attracted he is to Jesse.

Jesse is a real fighter. He has just managed to begin building a new life for himself after his father kicked him out for being gay. The tuition at university may be expensive, but he works hard to maintain his grades and save up enough money for next semester’s tuition. Then disaster strikes and his apartment burns to a crisp, taking away everything he owns in the world. Homeless, having adopted his landlords’ neglected dog and refusing to let the animal go to increase his chances of finding a new place to stay, he sees no choice but to accept Tomas’s offer to share the firefighter’s home. Jesse has no idea what he is in for, but his irrepressible spirit keeps him going.

Tomas is a great guy with his heart in the right place. He knows he is more attracted to men than to women, but his Latino background and very vocally anti-gay older brother are not factors in favor of him finding happiness with Jesse. Tomas knows he wants him, but there are certain things he will not do. Gradually, as Jesse takes up a bigger and bigger place in his heart and life, Tomas has to work through all the emotional barriers between him and coming out so he can live the life he wants – with Jesse at his side.

With a great cast of secondary characters, from Jesse’s quirky friends to the various members of Tomas’s emotional and loud family, this story is an emotional roller coaster that had me enthralled from the very beginning. If you like stories about men who battle their inner naysayer, if you enjoy reading about men who have to fight themselves as well as the people around them if they want to become and remain a couple, and if you’re looking for a hot read that will likely make you laugh as well as cry, then you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Samhain Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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Cover love for Daisy Harris' new novel!



*dreamy sigh*

Cover love for Daisy Harris' new novel!



*dreamy sigh* ( )