Life is full of surprises and, with luck, second chances.
After his father’s death, Lowell leaves the big city to help his sick mother in the conservative small town where he grew up. He’s shocked to find himself living next to none other than his childhood friend Jase. Lowell always had a crush on Jase, and the man has only gotten more attractive with age. Unfortunately Jase is straight, now divorced, and raising his six-year-old daughter. It’s nice to reconnect, but Lowell doesn’t see a chance for anything beyond friendship.
Until a night out together changes everything.
Jase can’t fight his growing feelings for Lowell, and he doesn’t want to give up the happy future they could have. But his ex-wife issues an ultimatum: he must keep his homosexuality secret or she’ll revoke his custody of their daughter, Layla. Now Jase faces an impossible choice: Lowell and the love he’s always wanted, or his daughter.
First Edition published by Loose Id LLC, 2011.
Title: The Boy Next Door
Author: Kate McMurray
Release Date: July 22, 2016
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 200
This is only the second book I’ve read by Kate McMurray. I was really hoping to enjoy this one as much as I did Put in the Field, I wasn’t disappointed. This is a great story.
Lowell return to town after the death of his abusive father so he can help take care of his aging mother. He buys a house right next door to his elementary school friend Jase.
Jase is recently divorced, raising his daughter on his own because his ex-wife is a flake. Their marriage ended because Jase couldn’t hide the fact he was gay any longer. Now he’s drowning in guilt over a failed marriage wondering if he even deserves happiness.
As soon as Jase and Lowell reconnect the sparks fly. The two embark on something they haven’t defined, whether it’s friends with benefits or a full fledged relationship.
Jase’s ex-wife puts serious pressure on him to stop seeing Lowell stating she doesn’t want it to corrupt her impressionable daughter. Jase is torn between doing what his ex wants and doing what he wants.
As a last ditch effort to hurt Jase, his ex kidnaps their daughter. Emotions are running high and Jase gets into an argument with Lowell and says some things he doesn’t mean.
Jase needs to get his daughter back and fix his relationship with Lowell, only then will he be truly happy.
The storyline was great! It loved at a fast pace and I couldn’t put it down. Once Jase’s daughter was kidnapped nothing else matter, we ordered take out. I couldn’t put the kindle down long enough to cook dinner.
I love that Kate didn’t gloss over the glamorous life of a single parent. The scheduling conflicts, last minute sitters, and stolen moments between Lowell and Jase were true to form.
There were a lot of great characters in this book. I hope this is the start of a new series because I need to see what is going on with Neal and Russ. Also, a story about Detective Brown and his firefighter would be interesting.
4 pieces of eye candy
Randall Morgan, youngest son of one of Seattle’s wealthiest families, rejected his family’s money to live free of their control and pursue his career as a photographer. To make ends meet, Randall does erotic photography and massage—a secret he keeps from his family so he can remain a part of his young niece’s life. But the price of that relationship is high, and Randall is slipping under his family’s thumb.
Brandon Witt’s outlook on life is greatly impacted by his first eighteen years of growing up gay in a small town in the Ozarks, as well as fifteen years as a counselor and special education teacher for students with severe emotional disabilities. Add to that his obsession with corgis and mermaids, then factor in an unhealthy love affair with cheeseburgers, and you realize that with all those issues, he’s got plenty to write about….
