Jesse
After spending the first part of my life trapped in a small town where it wasn’t okay to be a makeup-wearing boy who liked boys, I swore I’d leave and never be anything but loud, proud, and unapologetically me. I’ve kept that promise. I’m following my dreams, have an apartment with my bestie, and get to dance my nights away at one of the hottest gay bars in Portland.
The only downfall is Dane, the sexy bartender with a perma-scowl always aimed my way. The tension between us is so strong that even the clubgoers notice, and they eat that stuff up. Our boss makes us dance on the bar together every Friday night. I might shake my booty a little more with Dane just because I love getting under his skin. It’s not my fault he doesn’t know how to have any fun…but I kind of want to teach him.
Dane
I got burned bad by my last boyfriend. Thankfully, my sister, Bree, and my niece, Hailey, make my days a whole lot brighter. I’m getting back on my feet, including a decent job as a bartender. But working in a gay club makes it harder to keep to myself. No way do I want to get reeled in by another charming, pretty face and get hurt again, and definitely not by someone like Jesse, whose audacity frustrates me to no end.
So why do I want to shove him against the wall and screw that boldness right out of him?
Only…sometimes he’s pretty sweet, especially with Hailey. As we go from enemies to angry hookups to friends, our feelings are changing and moving into uncharted territory. This can’t go anywhere. Jesse and I are like oil and water; we just don’t mix…right?
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Did you see that cover? And it is my my favorite author collaboration- Christina Lee and Riley Hart. I don’t know what it is but these two write as one. I cannot tell that two authors wrote this book. The voices are seamless.
So, yes, the cover sucked me right in. I am a sucker for men in make up. And I love the juxtaposition of him wearing his hair in a crew cut. Jesse is a complex character who comes off as a flighty go go dancer, but he has so many layers. Above all he is just a charismatic guy who draws people in. Not many can resist Jesse. He is just that guy you can’t help but like.
Dane, at first, only sees that top layer. But Jesse keeps pushing his buttons until he caves. And it still takes him a while to throw away all of his preconceived notions about Jesse.
Add in a cute kid, a shy roommate, parents who try to understand but just can’t and mix it with a healthy dose of guilt- you’ve got a good story.
Dane has a great relationship with his sister and niece. Although they lost their mother years ago, they aren’t defined by that at all.
Jesse’s parents, on the other hand, broke my heart. They still loved Jesse but him being queer really warred with their beliefs. They were pretty isolated, owning a working a farm, so they really had no experience with queer people. But they really wanted to try. That was just so heartwarming.
I can’t WAIT for book 2, which shows you not only how much I enjoyed this book, but how much they could make me care about a secondary character and wanting his happily ever after.
4 Pieces of Eye Candy
