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A review by kp_hobbitreads
You & Me by Tal Bauer
5.0
You & Me: ★★★★★ | 5 stars
If I made a list of all my favorite things I love in a romance novel, this book would check off most of them. It's got friends-to-lovers, single dads who are just trying to do their best, deep emotional connections between our heroes, and a HEA that will have your swooning.
Luke Hale is drowning. His wife has died leaving him to raise their teenage son Emmet alone. And, Emmet hates him. They've lost their ability to communicate with each other. They are lost in their grief and rage and are two people existing in the same house, orbiting each other without interacting. Desperate to repair his relationship with his son, Luke joins the Booster Association where he strikes up a friendship with the Team Dad Landon who just so happens to be the father of Emmet's best friend. While Luke attempts to reach his son, he finds himself falling for Landon. And, finds that the family of his dreams may not actually be out of reach.
I adored Luke, and being in his head broke my heart sometimes. Especially when he was focusing on/remembering his darker moments. And, as a parent of a teenage, I couldn't help but feel for him. He want's so desperately to have a good relationship with his son again, but has no idea how to get back there there. How do you repair a relationship that has been broken for so long? There are so many hurt feelings in their history, so much resentment that it won't be an easy road to travel. But, I love how committed Luke is to both reconnecting with his son and owning up to his part in how they got to where they are. And, when he talks about how much he loves his son, it brought me to tears.
I also loved the relationship between Luke and Landon. It's definitely a slow burn, but so worth the wait. You get to see these two really learn about each other and develop a true friendship based on understanding and respect before they fall in love. And, there are some truly beautiful and emotional moments between the two of them. I love seeing two older MC's who get to find their forever person even when they thought it would never happen for them.
While this is ultimately a romance between Luke and Landon, this story is as much about the relationship between Luke and Emmet. It's a story about fathers and sons, and learning how to open yourself to hurt because the risk is worth the reward.
Three Thoughts:
1. I wanted to hug Emmet so bad. That poor kid got put through the ringer, and he deserves all the good things.
2. I was so glad with the resolution with Landon's ex. I love when books show healthy co-parenting relationships.
3. “His dad should have told him he didn’t need to prove anything at all and that he was perfect exactly as he was.” <3
This may be my favorite book I've read so far this year. It was beautifully written and full of both heartbreak and hope. And, I adored every minute of reading it.
content warnings: loss of a spouse (recent past), toxic previous relationship, religious homophobia, internalized homophobia, cheating (previous relationship), coming out scene, drug abuse/overdose (off page, the the past), sex (on page)
If I made a list of all my favorite things I love in a romance novel, this book would check off most of them. It's got friends-to-lovers, single dads who are just trying to do their best, deep emotional connections between our heroes, and a HEA that will have your swooning.
Luke Hale is drowning. His wife has died leaving him to raise their teenage son Emmet alone. And, Emmet hates him. They've lost their ability to communicate with each other. They are lost in their grief and rage and are two people existing in the same house, orbiting each other without interacting. Desperate to repair his relationship with his son, Luke joins the Booster Association where he strikes up a friendship with the Team Dad Landon who just so happens to be the father of Emmet's best friend. While Luke attempts to reach his son, he finds himself falling for Landon. And, finds that the family of his dreams may not actually be out of reach.
I adored Luke, and being in his head broke my heart sometimes. Especially when he was focusing on/remembering his darker moments. And, as a parent of a teenage, I couldn't help but feel for him. He want's so desperately to have a good relationship with his son again, but has no idea how to get back there there. How do you repair a relationship that has been broken for so long? There are so many hurt feelings in their history, so much resentment that it won't be an easy road to travel. But, I love how committed Luke is to both reconnecting with his son and owning up to his part in how they got to where they are. And, when he talks about how much he loves his son, it brought me to tears.
I also loved the relationship between Luke and Landon. It's definitely a slow burn, but so worth the wait. You get to see these two really learn about each other and develop a true friendship based on understanding and respect before they fall in love. And, there are some truly beautiful and emotional moments between the two of them. I love seeing two older MC's who get to find their forever person even when they thought it would never happen for them.
While this is ultimately a romance between Luke and Landon, this story is as much about the relationship between Luke and Emmet. It's a story about fathers and sons, and learning how to open yourself to hurt because the risk is worth the reward.
Three Thoughts:
1. I wanted to hug Emmet so bad. That poor kid got put through the ringer, and he deserves all the good things.
2. I was so glad with the resolution with Landon's ex. I love when books show healthy co-parenting relationships.
3. “His dad should have told him he didn’t need to prove anything at all and that he was perfect exactly as he was.” <3
This may be my favorite book I've read so far this year. It was beautifully written and full of both heartbreak and hope. And, I adored every minute of reading it.
content warnings: loss of a spouse (recent past), toxic previous relationship, religious homophobia, internalized homophobia, cheating (previous relationship), coming out scene, drug abuse/overdose (off page, the the past), sex (on page)