E. M. Lindsey

Victor has been jilted by a callous money-grabbing fiancé - lucky for him! as he mistakenly gets in the wrong car when he's picked up for an event he carries through with on his planned honeymoon.

The car is driven by Oliver, who is paying for his college by escorting. While Oliver realises the mistake almost immediately, Victor is put off when he learns the situation much later in the day. The truth is he's had such an amazing time, so much better than he would have had with the insincere show more and cool woman who was to be his wife, that he moves through it and seeks out more from the charming Oliver. I loved that Victor is not a self-fixated person - he's able to see a good thing in front of him when he could be locked in misery and low self-esteem. He sees Oliver for who he is ... an "angel" ... a gift of appreciation and affirmation that Victor has rarely experienced.

This is E.M. Lindsey, so the cute, sweet love story is accompanied by Victor's challenges as he lives with cerebral palsy. I found this more interesting than I expected, and the meshing of this into the story is beautifully done and adds meat to the book.

I seem to meet narrator Iggy Toma at every turn lately, but while I think he might be "over-used" in the gay romance genre, he always does a good job. The book is also the perfect length at 7.5 hours. show less

Max falls for Jeremiah, his hookup-turned-neighbor who owns a restaurant next door. Despite Jeremiah's clear stance against relationships, Max decides this connection is worth fighting for.
Jeremiah and Max are a sweet couple....an excellent example of two people who really care for and are trying to take care of each other but are also unpacking their own "baggage", trauma and life.

Jeremiah is in the long process of losing his sight, and he’s struggling to come to grips with this new show more version of his life. Max is dealing with unpacking a life’s worth of having to hide his panic attacks and anxiety because he can’t trust the people around him. They’re both such lovable and absolutely "real" characters. Their lives feel familiar, even though we’ve basically only just met them.

One quote in particular that’s resonated and stayed with me since I finished the book is, “The universe doesn’t care, and it seems to hate us enough to take away the good things. Just like it didn’t care about us enough to stop all the bad from happening.” Everyone at some time has had that fear. who’s This felt like there was a lot of truth in that.

Getting to know the little community that the new "Irons and Works" guys are building in Florida is heartwarming. They all have flaws, but they have each other and they certainly have each other’s backs...absolutely and unconditionally. It gives you that "wrapped in a warm blanket" and "chosen family" feeling.

Overall, it's like the Iron & Works series before it...an excellent story, with real and wonderful people who will always be there when the main characters, and the readers, need them to be. show less

When a car accident changed the trajectory of his life at fifteen, Sam Braga set out to find his own way in the world. It never occurred to him he’d find home in Fairfield, Colorado, working with a childhood friend at a tattoo shop, and the legal guardian of a gorgeous little girl who was abandoned by her mother at birth. Sam has his life organized exactly the way he needs it. Maisy, work, and his found-family. There isn’t room for anything else.
This is Sam's and Niko's story. We first show more met Sam in book #1. He's part owner of Irons and Works and one of Derek's best friends. Derek is in what appears to be a complicated process to adopt Maisy, his cousin's child, who happens to be paralyzed.

Needless to say, it's a complicated book, but it has some great characters, amazing relationships, and it a "slow burn".

The level of detail and easy incorporation of disabilities was well done and presented. I liked how they were written in. The characters were all rally "messed up", but they never whined or complained. They just got on with their lives the best they could while dealing with what had been dealt to them.

The thing I enjoyed the most though was the male friendships. They weren't all jumping into bed after saying hello. Not that I'm opposed to the bedroom scenes, but good heavens at least take time to find out something about one another other that where the bed is located. Sure, it took away time from the main point of the story, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing those bonds develop and deepen between the non-romantic characters. It was startling and actually heartwarming and refreshing.

Sam and Niko were both trying hard to make something of their lives. After the accident, Sam struggled to find where he belonged until he opened the shop at a tattoo studio. He found and created a family there, and then he took in his cousin's little daughter and things began to get complicated. Niko lost his chance at a career in the National Hockey League, but instead of feeling sorry for himself and giving up, he took a chance at making a life as an accountant. He admitted that he never before had felt complete. He had never had close friendships, or close family ties... until he befriended Sage, Sam's coworker. Sam and Niko navigate their feelings, Sam's adoption battle, Niko starting a new career, and how their lives are changing.

You'll laugh, you may shed a tear or two, but you'll be glad that you read this book. The characters from the other books all roam in and out so it does appear that this series needs to be read in order. show less

Possible Trigger: Mental Abuse
As usual this author does a fantastic job of writing about and bringing out the difficulties faced by different members of society without ever making the book specifically or entirely about those differences. Kane experienced the occupational and subsequently the financial issues that follow a felony conviction all the while balancing the quiet internal stigma of being a domestic abuse survivor. At first, Soren makes living with his physical disability look show more easy, until one of the darker moments of the book forces him to focus on his limitations long before he had planned. All this is happening while dealing with the fallout of a divorce and child custody problems, which can be just the same as a M/F marriage even when it was a M/M or F/F marriage. Together, the men must acknowledge the burgeoning feelings between them, even when it feels like the odds are stacked against them. However, when in need, Kane and Soren show up for each other, despite how it might add to their personal difficulties. That is one of the major cornerstones of a real relationship...you just have to heal the best you can. It a well written fantastic story about two men who were broken in completely different ways but find a way to fix each other's broken hearts. show less