3.5 out of 5 stars
Kindle Unlimited. 275 pages. Published March 4th 2017
Blurb:
“How do you fall out of love with your
best friend?”
Police Officer Brandon Byrne has carried a torch for his best friend since the
day they first met. He’s mastered the art of keeping his feelings to himself as
Shane, a serial monogamist, falls out of one bad relationship and right into
another, again… and again… and again. But now, after ten long years, it’s
finally time to face reality.
Shane’s getting married, and what Brandon once thought was his destiny is just
never going to happen.
On the cusp of saying yes to his boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Shane Allen is
getting cold feet. He’s always wanted a happily-ever-after… so shouldn’t he be
more excited at the thought that it’s finally about to happen? But when he
takes a compatibility quiz on the popular gay dating app, bLoved, it does more
than just help him answer that question, it opens his eyes to some scary
truths.
Maybe it’s not just cold feet. Maybe it’s time to get out.
Brandon might finally get his chance at the one thing he’s always wanted, but
only if he can protect Shane long enough to take it… because when Shane’s rejection
exposes his ex’s true nature, it starts to look a lot like that of a
psychopath.
Likes:
- Sweet, fluffy, and low angst.
- The epilogue.
- That Shane trusted Brandon unconditionally.
- Shane and Brandon, as characters and a couple.
Dislikes:
- That Peter was the bad guy again.
- Knowing most of what would happen with Peter.
- The pet name.
- There was no suspense because I’d read the other books.
- The same formula of proposing one year later on Valentine’s Day.
- The ridiculousness that was chapter 24.
This was my least favorite book in the series, mostly because the books are so interconnected that I felt like I knew most of what Peter would and wouldn’t do. I knew he wasn’t going to physically hurt Shane or Brandon because then he’d be in jail and unable to go after Kelly and Jace. I knew he would fall off the radar for a while. And knowing this took the tension away.
Still, it was a good read. Long like the others, but the romance was sweet. Brandon and Shane were both nice guys, if not the most interesting characters I’ve ever read about, and their history as best friends made their romance feel very sweet and natural. I was surprised how quickly they got together and confessed their love – complete with the ‘I love you’ scene – which happened around the 53% mark.
Unfortunately, after that the rest of the book kind of felt like filler. I’m not used to the big romantic moment happening halfway through the book. Sure, they were still dealing with Peter’s craziness, but again, because I’d read the previous book, I knew what was ultimately going to happen.
The absolute ridiculousness of chapter 24 felt like the author was desperately trying to interject one last bit of drama into what had become a rather bland story. I rolled my eyes and groaned as previously competent characters acted like idiots. Not to mention all the questions I have about the scene that never get answered. Like
After what was solid writing, chapter 24 just didn’t work for me, to the point that it spoiled my mood about the remaining two chapters. Even the epilogue, which was nice, felt very formulaic. Once again, a Valentine’s Day proposal one year later, just like the previous two books.
I am still planning on reading more from Stella Starling, mostly because all her books are set in the same universe and are all connected. The books are longer than I’d prefer, but the writing is solid and the romance is good.
Be sure to check out the reviews for Be True (At Last, The Beloved Series #1), Be Mine (At Last, The Beloved Series #2), the series review, and All I Want, which has some of the same characters but isn’t technically a prequel.
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