4 out of 5 stars
Kindle Edition. 2nd edition. 149 pages. Published July 5th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 13th 2013 by Riptide Publishing)
Blurb:
Owen Meade is in need of a hero.
Sheltered, ashamed, and ridiculed by his own mother for his sexuality, his
stutter, and his congenital arm amputation, Owen lives like a hermit, rarely
leaving his apartment. He hardly dares to hope for more… until veterinarian
Nick Reynolds moves in downstairs.
Charming, handsome Nick steals past Owen’s defenses and makes him feel almost
normal. Meeting his fiery, determined little sister, June, who was born with a
similar amputation, helps too. June always seems to get her way—she even
convinces Owen to sign up for piano lessons with her. Suddenly the only thing
standing between Owen and his perfect life is Nick. No matter how much he
flirts, how attracted to Owen he seems to be, or how much time they spend
together, Nick always pulls away.
Caught between his mother’s contempt and Nick’s stubbornness, Owen makes a
decision. It’s time to be the hero of his own story, and that means going after
what he wants: not just Nick, but the full life he deserves
Likes:
- A main character with a physical ‘flaw’.
- Easy to remember characters from past books.
- Owen apologized for pressuring Nick.
- Owen’s journey.
- June.
- How Owen and his dad ended up.
- Owen’s mom got what she deserved.
Dislikes:
- How stubborn Nick was.
- Nick’s secret was easy to guess.
- Nick’s issues with his parents weren’t addressed.
- I wanted to see more of Owen out and about once he had more confidence.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read for me. Even though I usually prefer two points of view in my romance novels, Owen was a great main character. He was interesting enough to carry the story, and his journey from shut-in to being comfortable in his ‘flawed’ body was great to see.
I’m a little uncomfortable calling Owen ‘flawed’, hence the quotes, but since that’s how he sees himself, that’s what I’m doing. His mother really did a number on him, and I was so happy to see that she got what she deserved at the end of the book. I was also happy to see how Owen and his dad ended up.
As for the romance, it was nice. Nick was a side character in Second Hand which gave Owen a way into the group of gay men the Tucker Springs series is about. Best of all, the previous characters were easy to remember; they all had enough flair or memorable quirks. I haven’t read anything in this series for about half a year, and I’m usually not great at remembering what happened from book to book. That didn’t happen this time.
Nick’s secret was easy to figure out. That didn’t stop it from being impactful in the story. I thought Owen’s reaction was, sadly, a normal one. It was Nick’s reaction, his stubbornness and self-imposed punishment that I didn’t really enjoy. Bit it fit within the story, forcing Owen to step up and be the one who kept them together.
I was happy that Owen felt bad for pressuring Nick into a relationship when Nick had repeatedly said no. Owen even apologized after he realized what he’d done. Owen’s growth through the story was hands down the best part of the book. I wish there had been a few more scenes of Owen out and about once he had more confidence. Nick could also have done with a little more growth. He felt guilt towards his parents and that was never really addressed.
Marie Sexton co-wrote a previous book in the Tucker Springs series, and that book also had a character with ‘flaws.’ I’m always happy to see different kinds of people with different conditions in my romance books. There are so many kinds of people in this world, all going through their own trials, and yet it feels like only a portion of them get the representation they deserve. So props to her. I will definitely check out more of her books later on.
Be sure to check out the reviews for the rest of the series – Where Nerves End, Second Hand, Dirty Laundry, Covet Thy Neighbor, and After The Fall.
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