A brilliant crush-to-friends-to-lovers story that brings an end to one of my favorite series.

Seth Cohen is a young rabbi who is very devoted to the people in his town. He always puts their needs first, and works relentlessly to help out whenever possible. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave with him with a lot of free time. However, he always makes time for Eli. Eli Block has adored Seth since the day Seth served as the counselor at Eli’s summer camp. Once Eli is an adult and the two reconnect, Eli and Seth easily become best friends. This is a lovely relationship story with well-developed characters who are not only funny and charming, but also sexy and loving.

Every chapter is introduced with a unique wedding invitation. There were so many funny moments in this story with the characters and the outrageous weddings that Seth officiated. Eli was a absolute stitch when he was younger and constantly hitting on Seth. As he matured, he turned into an amazing person who loved music and shared his talent with others. Eli loved Seth with all of his heart and was always there to take care of Seth without ever being asked. I loved that the story takes place over a long period of time. Since Eli was so young when he met Seth, the duration of their friendship made their eventual romance even more realistic. Seth was very hesitant to move his friendship with Eli into any kind of romantic relationship for several reasons; all of which made perfect sense. One reason was that Seth had previously only been involved with women making him question why he was developing feelings for a man. I loved being inside Seth’s mind as he worked through his acceptance of his romantic love for Eli.

Although Seth is a rabbi, this is not a religious story. Although Seth has loved both men and women, this is not a story focused on bisexuality. This is simply a beautiful relationship story about two people who truly love each other to the bottom of their souls.

It’s so hard to see a series you love come to an end. The author writes amazing character-driven stories, keeps with this formula, and delivers another winner. I highly recommend this amazing romance with unique characters that truly come to life.

Originally reviewed for Swept Away By Romance. Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
Book Blurb

Being true to yourself shouldn’t be so hard and put you at risk of losing so much.

Simon “Frizz” Frizzell is a bull rider with a very religious family that doesn’t approve of his riding or his claim to being gay. Jacky Douglas loves the rodeo and the riders, and he’s really attracted to Simon. As these two start to spend more time together and care for each other, they both need to determine if they are ready for a real commitment.

Simon is such a strong risk taker in the rodeo, but outside of that, he’s very afraid to take any chances with his personal life due to the potential consequences. His parents have made it very clear that they are opposed to homosexuality. If he were to come out to them, there’s a good chance he might not see his younger brothers and sisters until they are adults. Jacky has been burned before by somebody unwilling to be openly gay, and he’s not sure he can handle it again, but his heart is willing to try again for Simon.

The story focused around the time they spent at the rodeo and on the farm together. The majority of the angst comes from Simon’s desire to be open with his parents, but his fear in doing so. There were several times in the story where we were told what was happening. Unfortunately, a few of these didn’t move the plot forward at all and almost felt like filler material. I would have liked to have seen those same pages devoted to developing Jacky’s personality more or moving Simon and Jacky’s relationship even further along.

However, I thought the author did a great job with the sex scenes by switching between extensive details and off-page scenes so it didn’t overwhelm the story. I don’t think you have to read the first story in the series to follow this one, but Wild Ride was enjoyable, and it was nice to see Dante and Ryan again.

Sweet and sexy rodeo romance with a focus on the challenges of coming out to a non-supportive family.

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