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meganharnett's review
4.0
Ryan Ward is recovering from an accident that he was involved in as a firefighter. He has lost most of the use of his leg and walks around with a cane. Since he can't be a firefighter anymore he is going back to school to become a doctor. On his first day of school he slips on a stair and is rescued by John Barrett. John is the head landscape designer on campus and is older than Ryan. Over a series of run ins John and Ryan become friends. Ryan is living in an apartment with a college boy that has a trail full of women coming through the apartment at all hours, which is hard for Ryan since he needs quiet for studying. John owns a large house that is empty due to his ex-wife and children moving across the country a few years back. John offers his home to Ryan to be his roommate where the atmosphere will be better for him. Ryan accepts and becomes his roommate at first. Even though both men are straight as their friendship grows and they enjoy each other they learn to get over their fears and be with the person they love.
I really enjoyed this story. It was sweet and slow but it worked out in the end. I liked the characters especially Ryan and John. I only wished the story was a little longer but otherwise it was great. I felt for the struggle the characters went through when they both were trying to figure out if they were gay or not. This is one of the few stories I have read where both characters are straight and they realize they are in love with men. It makes the story have depth too, which always keeps me interested.
I give this story 4 stars.
I really enjoyed this story. It was sweet and slow but it worked out in the end. I liked the characters especially Ryan and John. I only wished the story was a little longer but otherwise it was great. I felt for the struggle the characters went through when they both were trying to figure out if they were gay or not. This is one of the few stories I have read where both characters are straight and they realize they are in love with men. It makes the story have depth too, which always keeps me interested.
I give this story 4 stars.
elle_reads_lots's review against another edition
5.0
Loved a lot about this book. It's a mixed plot of mm romance but also telling the story of murder and other crimes, and the year rebuilding the life of the 2 MC. One is divorced and dealing with children and an ex-wife, the other is an ex-firefighter-turned-med-student who has been through traumatic accident. Lots going on, but the relationship between the MC is tender and touching. Side characters also interesting so I would defo read again. The writing is great such that it's so easy to read and grabs your attention. Oh and the ex-wife and her new husband are horrific characters who you love to hate!
csduong's review against another edition
5.0
Re read 5/22/15
I have read most of Kaje Harper's books and she doesn't disappoint. This was a great story. The characters and developing relationship was very well written. I like the fact that even though neither of the characters had been with men before there was no denial of their feelings towards each other. I hope there will be more of their story in the future.
I have read most of Kaje Harper's books and she doesn't disappoint. This was a great story. The characters and developing relationship was very well written. I like the fact that even though neither of the characters had been with men before there was no denial of their feelings towards each other. I hope there will be more of their story in the future.
nicola949's review against another edition
4.0
Well-paced plot with enough happening to keep the story moving along. Both John and Ryan were engaging. The relationship development was excellent, and I loved how they explained their new found feelings and relationship to the kids.
roryta86reads's review against another edition
5.0
Yes yes yes. This was beautiful. Both Ryan and John are wonderful. And the drama is just right.
The way their relationship progresses made me so happy. I didn’t want to put this book down. There was a certain level of matter of fact from both characters that felt right. Felt real. They were always so honest with each other.
I loved it
The way their relationship progresses made me so happy. I didn’t want to put this book down. There was a certain level of matter of fact from both characters that felt right. Felt real. They were always so honest with each other.
I loved it
bibliophile24's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best I've read! I loved these two guys!
brokenrecord's review against another edition
2.0
I mostly liked the romance but found the rest of this to be a mess. First off, it felt kind of casually sexist. John's ex-wife is just SUCH a horrible person, and evil exes are never fun, but especially not when they were married for YEARS and have CHILDREN together. It's just so hard to see how John could've ever ended up with someone like her. I suppose her new husband sucks as well, so it's not completely gendered (although her choice in a new partner does also reflect on her character, so there's that). But in addition to that, there's the fact that she and her new husband are so awful that he runs away (ACROSS STATE LINES) to go live with John, and his daughter wants to live with him as well, but John ends up being like, "Hm, we think it's best to placate your mom by letting her keep ONE of you, so you get to be the sacrificial lamb because I love my son more. Also, you're a girl! You need your mom! I wouldn't want to have to deal with gross things like periods!" Okay, it's THAT bad, but that certainly felt like the subtext of the scene. And he DOES say that a girl should be with her mom or whatever, which… no!!! I hate this gender essentialist bullshit. Having a loving and supportive parent of any gender is ALWAYS going to be preferable to a shitty parent of the same gender, jfc.
I also didn't love that the son's initial reaction to finding out his father was dating a man was to use a bunch of gay slurs repeatedly. And they kind of wave it off, like, "Oh, he's not actually homophobic/doesn't mean it, he's just upset!" and he does end up coming around, but… idk, it just made the book feel dated in a weird way? It's only 8 years old, which isn't THAT long ago, and it's not like I think gay slurs aren't used today of course, but… idk. I just feel like there are other ways of showing the son struggling to accept his father dating a man for the first time that don't involve using gay slurs. In general, I just didn't care much for the family stuff, beyond what I've already mentioned. It felt like it was intruding on the romance too much. I mean, literally, as soon as they decide to explore their feelings and attraction, the son shows up, and they have to put a pause on everything for a bit. I would've liked more of just them navigating their new relationship and feelings rather than all the external drama.
My final major complaint was that the suspense/mystery element felt completely out of place in this story. I was aware it was an element going in, but there are just a few hints about something going on with a couple students acting weird and then dying, and then nothing really until the climax, and even knowing something had to be coming, it felt like it came out of nowhere. And there was never really enough weight given to that element of the plot for me to feel like there was any point in it being included. If this had just been a nice, quiet romance about two men finding one another and slowing falling in love and realizing their feelings and figuring out a new life together, then I think I would've really enjoyed this, but instead there was so much external drama with John's family and the suspense plot and none of it worked for me. This was just a weird book. However, I liked elements of it enough to finish in one day, and the actual romance between John and Ryan was pretty enjoyable.
I also didn't love that the son's initial reaction to finding out his father was dating a man was to use a bunch of gay slurs repeatedly. And they kind of wave it off, like, "Oh, he's not actually homophobic/doesn't mean it, he's just upset!" and he does end up coming around, but… idk, it just made the book feel dated in a weird way? It's only 8 years old, which isn't THAT long ago, and it's not like I think gay slurs aren't used today of course, but… idk. I just feel like there are other ways of showing the son struggling to accept his father dating a man for the first time that don't involve using gay slurs. In general, I just didn't care much for the family stuff, beyond what I've already mentioned. It felt like it was intruding on the romance too much. I mean, literally, as soon as they decide to explore their feelings and attraction, the son shows up, and they have to put a pause on everything for a bit. I would've liked more of just them navigating their new relationship and feelings rather than all the external drama.
My final major complaint was that the suspense/mystery element felt completely out of place in this story. I was aware it was an element going in, but there are just a few hints about something going on with a couple students acting weird and then dying, and then nothing really until the climax, and even knowing something had to be coming, it felt like it came out of nowhere. And there was never really enough weight given to that element of the plot for me to feel like there was any point in it being included. If this had just been a nice, quiet romance about two men finding one another and slowing falling in love and realizing their feelings and figuring out a new life together, then I think I would've really enjoyed this, but instead there was so much external drama with John's family and the suspense plot and none of it worked for me. This was just a weird book. However, I liked elements of it enough to finish in one day, and the actual romance between John and Ryan was pretty enjoyable.
devalabra's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
nasaje's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This wasn't a whirlwind romance but I like stories like that, because they seem a little more believable. The story had a healthy dose of drama, but not juvenile misunderstandings-drama. Loved the added storyline of bringing in John's kids.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury