How much trouble can one mistaken text get you in? James is about to find out!

James Sheridan will graduate with his Ph.D. if he passes the final candidacy exam. The only problem is that he has nothing appropriate to wear. While trying on some new clothes and flirting with the salesman, he accidentally sends a picture of himself to his old professor. Professor Carson, his former Dom/lover, is more than excited to get the text and is hoping this is a sign that they can pick up their relationship again.

The entire story takes place in the clothing store, and more specifically the changing room, where James alternately flirts with the sexy young salesman, Satish, and exchanges very interesting texts with Professor Carson. James left the relationship with Carson because he was afraid he was losing himself to this domineering and extremely kinky man. The texts are pretty steamy and give the reader a good idea of a lot of things that happened during their relationship. There is one really sexy scene between James and Satish, but everything else is just flashbacks. Since everything is told from James’ POV, we got to know him pretty well for a short story. I loved the author’s writing style which kept me hooked throughout.

Unfortunately, the story has a very ambiguous ending. Based on some blog comments on the authors’ websites, it appears this is the first chapter in a serial story. If there had been a solid ending, this would have easily been a 5 star read for me. As it is, without reading the rest of the “chapters”, and not even getting a HFN in this one, my rating has dropped significantly.

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

Is spending the rest of your life with your true love worth changing everything you thought you knew about yourself?

Ben Forman has been told his entire life that being gay is wrong. Ben’s parents refused to accept that their other son, Noah, was gay and behaved horribly toward him. After meeting Micah Trains, Ben is starting to seriously consider admitting that he is gay in order to be with Micah. Ben must work through this life-altering event while developing a romantic partnership with Micah, rebuilding his relationship with his brother, and trying to prevent the destruction of his relationship with his parents.

The entire story is told from Ben’s point of view as a narrative of his life. This worked really well in this story since Ben is not only an extremely interesting person, but also has a lot of emotional issues. He actually knows he has these issues and makes a point of telling the reader, adding a touch of humor to the story. Micah was a brilliant lawyer, handsome, mature, and also very loving.

The romance between Ben and Micah was very sweet, extremely steamy, and believable. There were quite a few excellent conversations between not only Ben and Micah, but also with Ben and his brother and brother’s friends. It was hard on Micah watching Ben struggle to come out, but he was extremely understanding, especially when Ben groveled appropriately. I loved the extended epilogue that takes us almost 2 years out into their relationship.

The narrative of this story was wonderfully engaging, providing the reader with the sense that they are living the story. I loved this book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy character-driven romances.

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