Billy Daley hasn’t been home in years, and he likes it that way. He’s just fine on his own—he has a cash-in-hand job at a scrapyard, a half-feral cat to keep him company, and many miles between him, his hometown and all the baggage that comes with it.
Until the job goes sideways. Suddenly he’s back in Rushmere, working for none other than his brother’s best friend—a man whose kiss Billy can’t seem to forget.
Gus Amour’s memories of Billy Daley are all spiky edges, lips crushed against lips and a reckless streak that always ended in trouble. But when Billy needs a place to stay, Gus steps in. He’d do anything for the Daley family, including living, and working, side by side with a man who makes his heart beat too fast and his blood run too hot—two things he’s been running from for years.
It doesn’t take long before their easy banter, lingering touches and heated glances become a temptation too hard to resist. But falling into bed and falling in love are two different things, and love has never come easy to either Billy or Gus. Only when fate threatens to steal away their opportunity for a second chance will they realize they don’t need easy.
They just need each other.
Forgiven
Book 1: Forgiven
Book 2: Unforgotten
Amazon
Carina Press
This is book 2, but can easily be a stand alone. I didn’t read book 1 as it is a traditional MF romance and that isn’t my jam any longer. It was pretty easy to extrapolate the background story that was explicitly told.
So there’s Billy. Left home when he was old enough and lived a bit like a nomad. Six months here, six months there, before moving on. Working odd jobs, sleeping where he can and dealing with the residual pain after and accident and shoulder surgery. His time at his current location is cut short when he gets fired for punching someone who hurt his cat. The cat is ok, don’t worry. I’d punch someone for hurting my cat too! With pretty much no options, he figures he would head back home where his brother lives. But they have a strained relationship at best AND his brother’s girlfriend lives with him. But Gus, Billy’s brother’s best friend. And the brother of Billy’s girlfriend, said he could stay with him.
And so begins forced proximity, grouchy Billy, far too sunshiney Gus and a fabulous cat named Grey.
Billy and Gus had kissed once about five years ago. And they both continue to think about it. But as men are wont to do, no one brings it up. They brood and daydream and fantasize about each other. While working AND living together.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Gus and Billy. They learned to live and work together before they learned how to be together. But of course there were still issues with that- mostly from things unsaid which lead to misunderstandings.
There were a couple of things that I would have wanted- Billy discovering that he was demisexual for one. It was never said, but it was fairly obvious to me. Gus had a breakthrough with Billy about his past, but never with Luke (Billy’s brother) or Mia (Gus’s sister). So I feel like a lot was left unsaid.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this book. The time spent building the relationship between Billy and Gus made for a deeper story.
3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy 