Con Riley

POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: Death of a long-time partner.
A year after the sudden death of his longtime partner, Ben, Theo Anderson is still grieving. The last thing he's looking for is a new lover. But as Theo soon discovers, sometimes life has other plans.
Losing a longtime partner, someone you've loved with all your heart, can't ever be easy. Even if we've never experienced it, we all understand this at least on an intellectual level, but to be confronted by it emotionally would be so much harder. show more Writing about it credibly, and with compassion, while keeping the readers' interest seems would be a challenge, but this author, Con Riley, has met fully with this book. Just be aware that it will leave you emotionally drained, but satisfied with the way things have turned out for Theo. The story is a slow burn, totally realistic, and illustrates the different stages of grieving and survivor's guilt at every step Theo takes.

Theo has lost more than his partner; he has lost his will to live. He goes through the motions, and he tells himself that this is "coping", but he has clearly completely shut down. His friends try to bring him back into the "land of the living", but Theo just can't deal with it. He tells himself that it's too early, but the truth is a complicated mixture of guilt, not knowing where to start, and a reluctance to even think about much less start another relationship to possibly face another loss. He knows won't survive it.

His and Ben's friends, Peter and Morgan are total opposites and finally confront Theo with some real choices he needs to make. Peter is all about the physical, but even just taking that step back into even touching a man is difficult to even imagine for Theo. Actually, there are not many emotions that he does feel would be easier for him to deal with. But, in the end, the question becomes something has got to work for him, but the question remains if it is going to ever be enough.

Morgan is the one man that Theo really feels attracted to on an intellectual level. They didn't meet until fairly late in the book, so their relationship has time to develop. When they do meet "all hell breaks loose"... in more ways than one. Dealing with his attraction to Morgan forces Theo to confront not just the need to say good-bye to Ben, but also to face some of his own preconceived ideas of what a relationship really should be.

One of the things that was truly amazing was how quickly and deeply the author got me into Theo's head and heart to actually feel those emotions with him. When he is torn between the two potential new love interests, even though he barely even acknowledges them as such initially, I felt torn as well. The gradual dawning of the solution, and the slow awakening of Theo's desire to live again were a real joy to watch. If you like realistic stories about men who deal with loss; if you enjoy the slow burn of a new romance; and if you are able to deal with grief as being a part of life and is a topic you may want to find out more about, you will probably like this novel. Just be aware there are parts that will break you apart. show less

Jude is at sea when “His Horizon” begins. He has been searching for his parents. They were caught in a huge storm while on the trip of a lifetime and were lost at sea. He returns home to the pub his parents established that’s being run by his sister, Lou. But he finds a town he doesn’t even recognize anymore. Jude was once on a path to become a top chef in London, he was competing against his antagonistic colleague, Rob when he found out about his parents. There was a kiss… then show more Jude fled to find his parents without explanation.

When Jude returns to the pub, he finds the pub locked and Rob sleeping in the boathouse. There’s a long story about why Rob is there… but there sure is some drama as the three main characters struggle to figure it all out!

There are a few themes running through the book… it’s much more than a romance! That’s one of the things that I enjoy about Riley’s writing. I love the romance genre, but I love it even more when there’s some real substance to it.

People are missing in this book and that really brings up a lot for the characters. Riley does a great job of exploring how terrifying the thought of “giving up” on someone can be. When is someone missing “long enough”? When there’s no body, how do you even begin to come to terms with the fact that someone may not be returning home?

Jude isn’t open about his sexuality in the small town he comes from. He lives with some heavy emotions that are left over from the past. Riley really hits home with this part of the story… showing that relationships from out past can really leave a mark on us, change how we think, leave us with behaviour that is difficult to change. There are many reasons for not coming out in a small town, not the least of which is how our families may receive us. Sadly, Jude is haunted by his father’s reluctance to engage anyone who was gay. That’s a legacy that has stayed with him.

Speaking of fathers, there is also an unresolved relationship issue between Rob and his father. Rob’s father is very successful and has plans for Rob to take over his restaurants. That’s not what Rob wants, he doesn’t want gifts and money… he wants his father to be proud of him. There’s a lot of hurt feelings and misunderstandings between the two men.

The sexual relationship between Jude and Rob is sweet and very hot. They might be opposites, but the energy they put into disagreeing with one another translates well into a physical relationship.

Rob was definitely my favourite characters. He was lovely and complex… more so than you might think at the very beginning of the novel. His motivations were always quite lovely, even though the decisions and choices he makes throughout the novel weren’t the best at times. He was likeable and from the beginning I was rooting for him.

Riley is also great at world-building. The town of Porthperrin may not be real, but I’m familiar with the type of seaside town that is Jude’s home in this book. The pub atmosphere and the small town are perfectly described… and I could imagine myself being there. I loved it.

“You don’t talk, Jude. You’re quiet, so people fill in your silence. That means when you do speak, people listen.” – Rob “His Horizon”

This is a great book. It’s a good, solid romance with a lot of other things packed into the story. If you’re a fan of Riley’s other books I’m certain you will enjoy this one. show less

"His Compass" is the second book in the His Contemporary MM Romance Series and I was delighted when I found out that this book was about charter skipper, Tom. You know how there are characters that carve out a place in your heart no matter how limited their appearance is in a novel? Tom was one of those characters for me. When he appeared in the first book in this series, "His Horizon", my heart was done for.In "His Compass" the Captain is asked to conduct a test of a new asset the company show more is considering. His heart is broken when he realized that this may mean the retirement of his lovely yacht, the Aphrodite.

When Tom realizes that he's been assigned a new deckhand and that same deckhand that drove him crazy the first time they worked together. Nick might have been gorgeous, but he was forgetful, messy and certainly didn't know as much about sailing as he implied.

Reluctantly, Tom agrees to sail with Nick. He makes certain that Nick knows he must be honest about what he knows and what he doesn't know and that he absolutely refuses to hear about Nick's past. He wants no excuses.

Once the two men are on the sea and working together, Tom realizes that there is more to Nick than he suspected. Nick is sweet, he's spontaneous and he is learning things. Nick sees the things that Tom has always thought were special: the stars, the beauty in people and the subtle changes in the wind.

I'm not even capturing how wonderful the development of Nick's character is. Con Riley has written characters in this book that are convoluted, authentic and genuine. I went into this novel thinking that no one would live up to Tom in my mind…but Nick was perfect. At first, I wondered why he was on the ship… then I wondered why he was so hurt… then I just loved him as much as I loved Tom when I first read about him.

The relationship between these men is lovely. It's perfectly paced, and it has more than a few challenges. There are some tropes that Riley has woven in seamlessly. Tom is older than Nick but apart from some humorous barbs, it's a non-issue. The yacht provides some forced proximity which forces both men to acknowledge their feelings.

The depth to this story comes in the uncovering of the past of both main characters. Nick isn't what he seems, and Riley unwraps his story slowly and sweetly throughout the course of the novel. Tom knows what he wants in his heart…but guilt has. Kept him on the same course for a long time.

It was lovely to get a visit with Jude and Rob who were the focus of the first book. I was curious about them and loved the dynamic of all four men coming together as friends.

If you like the m/m romance genre I would definitely recommend anything written by Con Riley. I will always recommend this series to readers as the character development is some of the best, I have read genre-wise! Such a wonderful story! These books can be read as stand-alones but trust me, you'll want to read the series. I'm already waiting for the next book! show less

Keir Brodie is a lawyer who has been hired to help his friends Nick and Tom manage their money. Most recently, this means trying to work with the two men regarding the care of Tom's brother, Justin, and his caregiver, Mitch.Now that they want to take Justin on longer sailing trips, Tom needs to find a house for his brother that is closer to the yacht. A place for Justin to rest and have the space he needs to settle while giving Mitch a home.

It was lovely to revisit Tom and Nick from “His show more Compass” and Jude and Rob from “His Horizon”. It’s a testament to Con Riley’s writing that none of these characters have left my mind! Tom will always be a favorite of mine since the very first moment he was introduced in book one.

Keir Brodie is an interesting character. He was left at the alter… albeit an alter that was surrounded by business associates rather than friends and family… and he is scarred. He doesn’t want another relationship and doesn’t trust most people. If you can’t trust the man you are supposed to be marrying, how do you trust anyone else after that?

When Keir meets Mitch he is instantly suspicious. He finds it difficult to believe that someone like Mitch could be as dedicated as he is to the care of Tom’s brother. Sure, he can see they have a relationship built on trust but when Nick and Tom are talking about the possibility of buying Mitch a house then he can’t see his way to believing in Mitch’s motives.

For his part, Mitch is obviously attracted to Keir as soon as they meet. He seems very free with his sexuality and playful in a way that knocks Keir off-balance. The attraction is mutual and Keir soon finds himself agreeing to a casual relationship with Mitch.

I’m a big fan of Con Riley’s writing and this book is just as enjoyable as the other two in the series. What’s fabulous about Mitch and Keir’s story is that Mitch’s character and motivation is revealed a lot slower than Keir’s. From the beginning of the novel, the reader is immersed in what is going on in Keir’s mind. He’s set up a variety of defenses to prevent himself from getting involved with anyone. He’s hurt and trying to hide it well. His expensive suits and perfectly put-together appearance, an obsessive commitment to work – it’s all about protecting himself.

Mitch might seem laid back and a little unusual, but boy does he know what Keir needs. As soon as they meet and he begins to get to know Keir, Mitch is exactly the person that may be able to bring Keir out of his fortress. Mitch is romantic, open-minded, candid, and funny. He chips away at the walls Keir has built…and is there to help him when he needs it.

I loved the pacing of this book; it was perfect. Even the times when I really wanted things to progress between Mitch and Keir… the brakes were on and it made so much sense! This is one of those series that I'm always watching because I can't wait for the next book! show less