Denise’s Review:
There are several things you can count on with a Felice Stevens novel. First, that there will be an HEA. No matter what, she will make sure that the men you have learned to love on her pages will learn to love each other, and find their way to their happy ending (and yes, I mean that in both senses of the word! 🙂 ) Second, there will be emotion, lots of it. Whether that is you, as the reader, dealing with the angst right along with the characters, or just reading how the characters react to the situations they find themselves in. Third, there will be animals. And I truly love this about Felice’s books. She adds in a mix of animals, because she believes, as I do, that animals enhance our lives, and bring us so much joy. And fourth, you will love these sexy, strong men. Although they may not see themselves as strong in the beginning these men, no matter how crippling their issues, find their strength, in each other, and in themselves. This book hits all of these notes, without question, and I was happy to be along for the ride.
Rafe, Lucky’s veterinarian from Memories of the Heart, is a shy, lonely man who has never been in love, and is very inexperienced. His life has been about his vet practice and keeping himself as invisible as possible, with a stutter that he has allowed to oversee much of his life and personality. Meanwhile Alex is vivacious, outgoing, always the life of the party, and quick to throw a joke, especially if it throws people off track from delving further into the depths of his private life. Even his best friend Micah has no idea the secret that he has held close to his heart for 15 years.
These two men begin their relationship as friends, moving to friends with benefits, and into lovers. Their relationship naturally evolves, as they support each other through some very difficult times. As Rafe deals with the passing of a mother that clearly has never felt love for him, Alex is there to help him find a way to deal with all the emotions that come with that. As Alex finds himself soon dealing with his own family situation, Rafe, as he has become more confident, is right by Alex’s side to support him through those challenges. One of the things that I appreciated about this book was their unwavering support. Even when these men thought they didn’t need or want the others support, they got it, and realized how much they really DID need it.
This is another Felice Stevens story with lots of heart, passion, and some angst thrown in the mix. As always, Felice brings you two men who need each other more than they each realize. It was sweet, sexy, and such a great example of true friends to lovers. These men needed a true friend just as much as they needed a special man in their life. It showed the men the impact of true friends, and allowed them to move forward in their outside relationships as well.
What a joy this book was to read, as all of her books are. Felice can pack a lot of emotion into one book, and has hit a winner with One Step Further. (And how about that gorgeous cover! Another Reese Dante winner!) 4.5 pieces of eye candy for me!
Morgan’s Review:
I’ll start by saying I adore Felice. She always writes such wonderful stories. This book comes after Memories of the Heart and deals with Rafe and Alex. These two are such complex characters. They both have issues they are struggling to overcome. Alex is so confident, outgoing and full of life, yet on the inside he’s a broken man with secrets no one knows. Rafe is shy, lonely and tends to stutter. He’s more comfortable around animals than people. These two very different men come to realize they are more alike than they thought, and maybe they could be happy if they open themselves up fully to each other.
I was so excited for the release of this book and I was not disappointed. Be ready for the different turns this read takes and make sure you have the tissues ready. Definitely 5 pieces of eye candy from me.
“All my life I’ve been told I was different and that kids wouldn’t like me because of my stutter. When I realized I was gay, I knew my struggle only increased ten-fold. It made me retreat even more.”
Alex traced the lip of his beer bottle with his finger. “Yeah. I can understand that to an extent.”
“That’s what you always do, don’t you. Instead of talking about things, you make a joke or run away. It’s easier to run away.”
As Rafe spoke, Alex’s face grew dark with anger. Now that he’d started talking, Rafe couldn’t stop; the words spilled like water rushing from a dam.
“I know what it’s like. My reason is obvious. I spent almost my whole life hiding behind a wall of silence. But what reason do you have to play the class clown all the time? People would like you no matter what.”
For a moment Alex stared at him, then smiled a real smile, the first all night. It kindled a glow in his deep blue eyes.
“Do you realize something?” He leaned forward and Rafe swore he could feel the warmth radiating from Alex’s body across the table.
Caught up in the moment, Rafe couldn’t look away. The sounds of the pub faded in the background, including the music, which unfortunately had gone from ’80s retro to modern day rap. “Wha-what?” His mouth tasted dry even with the beer he’d drunk.
“You barely stuttered, not at all until now.”
Alex’s large warm palm slid over his own hand and gave it a squeeze. “That’s great isn’t it? You must be getting more comfortable with me.” A wide grin broke across his face. “Guess that tongue down the throat action worked for something.”
I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.
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