4.5 out of 5 stars
E-book. 252 pages. Published May 7th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.
Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been looking for. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.
Likes:
- The story behind the cover art.
- Great characters all around.
- I ended up deeply invested.
- The eventual acceptance of Nate and Dreo’s relationship.
- The drama at the end.
- Good smut.
- Went from slow-burn to hyperdrive.
Dislikes:
- I was confused that Dreo wasn’t the guy Nate was flirting with at the start.
- Meandering story.
- Didn’t have a strong hook.
- The homophobia.
- Nate was too perfect.
- Mel’s freak out didn’t make sense.
I’ve seen this book around for a while, not surprising since it was published in 2012 and I just read it in August 2021. I think it was the English professor/mob muscle dynamic that kept me away. I expected something stereotypical out of the men and their relationship – a wimpy, nerdy professor falling head over heels for the badass alpha male. Which, yes, reflects a lot on me and on the books I’ve read in the past.
Now that I’m really looking at the blurb, I see that it did try to give the men more nuance than I gave it credit for. And the reality of the book was even better.
Nate isn’t some weak little pushover. He might not be the fighter Dreo is, but he’s smart and can stand up for himself. He’s fierce when it comes to looking out for his family, and worked hard to build up good relationships with his colleagues.
In the same way, Dreo isn’t some dumb lackey. He’s got a vision for the kind of future he wants and is working hard to make it a reality. He puts his all into everything he does, without expecting anyone to comfort him when things get tough.
It was Nate’s personality that got me invested in the story. The start of the book didn’t really have much of a hook, and the story felt a little meandering. I was also confused why there was so much focus on Nate setting up a date with someone who wasn’t mentioned in the blurb. Still, I finished the book quickly. Nate had a magnetism to him. He always seemed to know what to do or say in every situation to make it better. He was like an everyday hero, solving problems for his friends, family, and neighbors.
In other words, Nate was perfect. Which did get a little annoying. Even when he got hurt, it wasn’t his fault. Dreo was the same. Physically attractive, caring, monogamous, and the perfect amount of toppy alpha to suit Nate’s tastes. You’d think a guy who was mob muscle would have issues, but nope. Not even nightmares after
Their relationship starts out as a slow burn, with the first half of the book focused on Nate’s life. Then, when Nate finally realizes Dreo likes him, things shift into hyperdrive. The smut is fantastic, they’re super compatible, and the feelings come quick. It definitely wasn’t the slow buildup I prefer, but by the time it happened, I was too invested to care.
The drama at the end, both physical and emotional, was good, if expected. The physical danger had been mentioned in the blurb, so I knew something more was going to happen. The emotional stuff, all centered around who was blatantly homophobic and who accepted their relationship, was a bit of a surprise. Especially with how many people ended up being accepting.
The inspiration for the cover art was a sweet touch to a sweet story. The side characters were all fantastic. There wasn’t much angst, which felt strange for a book where one of the MC’s is part of the mob. Nate had very little hardship, in part because he was so perfect.
Overall, the book was surprisingly fluffy, even if some of the situations felt a little ridiculous. Especially Mel’s freak out about
It didn’t make sense, but it did contribute to the big happy ending, while also giving Nate another chance to save the day.
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