A sweet, but angst-filled, romance with three men trying to find their place with each other.

I loved all of the characters, and I really enjoyed the restaurant angle of the story. Tom, Cass, and Jake were all misfits in their own way brought together by Jake. He became the glue they needed to bond together. I didn’t know much about Tourette’s Syndrome before, but I liked how the author kept it as a natural part of the story. It didn’t define Jake, and instead it was just something he lived with.

This was definitely not your standard romance story, and watching Tom and Cass try to work through their poor communication skills was heart-wrenching. Tom seems to be the strongest of the team, and he definitely likes to be in control of everything, but it’s really just a front. He’s desperate for more attention from Cass. He wants to take care of Cass, but he also wants more from Cass than it seems Cass is capable of giving. Cass seems like he just doesn’t love himself mostly due to how he was treated while he was young. He’s also holding onto the past in a way that isn’t letting him grab the future he has with Tom. It was nice to see these three people help each other heal in their own way, and accept that they were deserving of better. I loved that we got all of their points of view by the end of the story. It really helped to understand where they were all coming from.

All of the guys are extremely talented and hard-working. I loved how the author wove their talents so that they worked and played well together. Not really an overt romance, but you knew they really loved and cared about each other because of the things that they did for one another. It’s not that it was high angst, but it also wasn’t a happy feel good kind of story either.

I was trapped in the vortex of their messed up lives, wondering how on earth this would resolve itself in a believable way. Needless to say, I was very happy with how everything worked out.

Originally reviewed for The Romance Reviews. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Awards

BLURB

Restaurant owner Tom Fearnes has loved his partner Cass for as long as he can remember, but their work often keeps them apart. When he meets a striking young man named Jake on the vibrant streets of Camden Town, their heady first encounter takes an unexpected turn.

Jake Thompson can hardly believe his luck when he wakes up in Tom’s bed. Tom is gorgeous, kind, and . . . taken. Tom’s explanation of his open relationship leaves Jake cold, but Tom is too tempting, and when hard times force Jake to accept Tom’s helping hand, he finds himself between two men who’ve lost their way.

Cass Pearson is a troubled soul. He loves Tom with all he has, but some days it feels like he hasn’t much to give. Jake seems like the perfect solution. Cass risks everything to push Jake and Tom together, but Jake resists, wary, until the darkness of Cass’s past comes to call. Then Jake finds himself the last man standing, and it’s time to dig deep and shine a light for the men he’s grown to love.