Someone wants Police Chief Emilio Mendoza dead. And if his unknown assailant doesn’t kill him, pining for Sheriff Abraham Beecham just might.
Abe and Lio’s thirty-year journey has taken them from heated rivals to best friends with countless labels and pit stops along the way. Romance is the only avenue left unexplored but not from lack of love or desire.
Abe pushes people away before they can get too close, and Lio doesn’t engage in situations he can’t control. They’ve reached an impasse, and neither are willing to risk their friendship until fate intervenes, forcing them to reassess their priorities.
But when an unhinged enemy targets Lio, will their gamble be too little too late, or will their love truly conquer all?
Just Say When is a standalone romantic suspense novel within the author’s Savannah universe.
I'm a wife and mother of three teenage kids. I've been married to the same wonderful man for twenty years. I've decided that if I can survive raising three kids then I can survive anything!! I haven't uttered the Mama's curse yet, but it could happen any day now. You know the one..."I hope you have a child just like you someday."
I'm an avid reader and lover of all things romance. I've spent my entire adult life waiting to follow my dreams of becoming a writer. One day this past summer, I decided to just do it. No more wishing and hoping. I haven't quit my day job, but that is my ultimate goal...make a living telling stories of love.
I write contemporary gay fiction. I hope you will love reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.
This rating deeply pains me trust me. I’m a massive fan of anything that Aimee Nicole Walker has ever written. I always await her newest books with bathed breaths and i’m always so excited to put my hands on it. When she announced who this book was about, I was so excited to read it. I absolutely love these characters from their apparences in previous books and I was so excited to read about them. But sadly, this book just didn’t work for me as much as I wish it did.
Brief summary Abe and Lio are both on the police force and they have been in each other’s lives for a very long time. They went from enemies to rivals to friends. And this story is how their friendship turned into love.
I loved the set up of this book. Friends to lovers is my favourite trope to read about, so I was already sold on the premise of this book. But this book starts with Lio and Abe already pretty much dating, so we don’t see them go from being friends to being lovers, as it already kind of happened before the book even started. And I really would have liked to see that progression during the actual book, as thats my favourite part of friends to lovers book. I was just really sad that we didn’t really get to see how Lio and Abe get together as it happened right at the start of the book and the book is just them being a cute couple. I just wanted to see more of how their relationship progressed. And I have read every other book in this universe, so the issue isn’t that the set up was in another book, it just did not exist and that just did not work for me. I read romance books to see how the couples get together and how their relationship starts, so the fact that this book didn’t have any of that just wasn’t for me.
There is no doubts that Abe and Lio are a super lovely couple and I really loved reading about their time as a couple, as they were adorable together.
As always, I really enjoyed following along the mystery plot in this one. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the resolution of it, but reading it as it was happening was very fun.
Overall, this was a super adorable romance and a good mystery, but it was just missing a little something for me.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion
This is the third book that I have read by this author, and it is the third book by her that I have rated 3 stars. Idk what it is, the ending always leaves me unsatisfied and empty. I haven't read her other books to know the full extent of Lio (Emilio) and Abe's (Abraham) relationship. The author mentioned in the blurb that this could be read as a standalone but I guess to get the full experience it is best to read the other books related to this one.
Police Chief Emilio Mendoza and Sheriff Abraham Beecham have been in each other's lives for 30-something years. Rivals, friends, and now romantic partners, these men have been through it all. This book focuses on the romantic aspect of their relationship and how well they fit together. Alex, Lio's son loves Abe like a father. The family adjusts greatly to this new (but longtime coming) relationship. However, various sketchy individuals from Abe and Lio's pasts threaten their union, Aimee Nicole Walker takes us on a journey, and the reader witnesses how these lovers go above and beyond for their love and family.
There is some angst, and mystery in this book but as I have mentioned it felt tame and I didn't get excited reading about either. I did like Abe and Lio's romantic moments together and whenever Alex appeared but this felt like a predictable 3-star read. Cute but nothing to get excited about. However, if you have read the books related to Just Say When, you may enjoy it more than I did.
Thank you GRR for providing the ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
Just Say When is a cute best friends-to-lovers story. Lio and Abe have been friends for over 30 years and finally, after a failed marriage and multiple failed relationships, they are finally at the right point in their lives to start building a future together. This is a medium-angst story where there is an ongoing mystery alongside a great romance.
Overall I enjoyed this story and enjoyed all of the sweet little moments shared between Lio and Abe. They are a great pair who support one another while letting you understand why they are utterly perfect together.
I should probably just refer back to my reviews for Invisible Strings and About Last Night and save myself some time. If I wasn't convinced before that this author's take on contemporary romance doesn't mesh well with me, I am now.
My biggest problem was that Abe and Lio were already in love at the beginning of the book and had told each other months before. They were in a holding pattern because of #issues and Abe was just waiting for Lio to give him the green light and say "when". So much had already happened before the first page that it felt like being dropped into a story already in progress, which made it hard to connect to the characters even though I'd seen them multiple times in other Savannah-verse books. In those books there was this big mystery surrounding the nature of their relationship. Locke was endlessly curious about them, which made me curious and built up some pretty big expectations that I didn't feel were met in this book.
There were also some side stories that seemed like they might have been important to the characters, but were left unresolved. That lack of resolution didn't take anything away from the primary narrative, per se, but I wondered how things worked out after I finished the book and felt as though two of my biggest questions could have been easily answered with a few sentences in the epilogue. Instead I was left questioning why they were included at all.
And then there was some mental health representation that made me feel kind of icky. This is a major spoiler, so do not read unless you don't mind knowing or already know who the bad guy was:
I'm a huge fan of this author's romantic suspense/mystery novels, so I should probably stick to reading those. Royce Locke and Sawyer Key are two of my favorite book boyfriends/husbands, but I love them most when they're solving cases together. While this book did have a mystery element to it, the love story was the primary focus and, unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.
Abe and Lio were worth every bit of the slow burn wait Aimee put me through!
I've been waiting for this story for so long and there's always a sense of trepidation going into something you're desperate to read.
However, as this is Aimee Nicole Walker, I knew I didn't have to worry at all and that she'd deliver a fully emotional and engaging romance between two mature men who have their own fears and hang-ups but who are determined to work through them to finally be together.
This is a love story years in the making, since they both met when they were sporty kids playing for rival schools, in football and baseball, then through basic training and into the military.
They've ranged from friends, to frenemies, enemies back to rivals and then, into a deep and abiding friendship that has always rolled along the boundaries of love.
Now it's their time to explore and there's such delicious tension created throughout the narrative as they talk through what's kept them apart in the past.
There's also all kinds of drama going on for Chief Mendoza as the investigation into the corrupt prosecutor and potentially dodgy detectives in his precinct gets nearer to the truth and threats appear to put both him and Abe on high alert.
Now, while I did guess where the danger was coming from fairly early on, it didn't for one minute reduce either my enjoyment of the book or my worries about what was going to come next!
Aimee draws out the threads and weaves the knots tighter and tighter until they explode with force - both in the bedroom between the two men and in what's going on outside.
My heart was in my throat, my eyes were watering, my pulse was racing and eventually I put this book down with a massive smile on my face because it's just a perfect conclusion to the life these two men have led.
I also very much appreciated the strong relationship not only Lio but Abe as well, has with Lio's ex-wife Alyssa, her second husband Russ and Lio and Alyssa's wonderful son Alex.
There's a lot of solid friendships in this blended family which never felt like they were forced.
Seeing them all working together when danger strikes was such a strong part of this book and I adored everything about it.
4.5 Stars!! 💕Loved this friends-to-lovers story!! ❤️😍 There has been so much build up to this, all through the myriad Savannah series by ANW.. and despite my very high expectations.. this was truly satisfying 🤩 Abe and Lio have been dancing around each other for years, and this was the culmination of all the longing looks and sometimes secret and sometimes not-so-secret pining.. 😍. What I loved about the book was there was no push and pull about the attraction.. there has been attraction for years, but what would Lio do with that? Could Abe be convinced to stay this time instead of fleeing? What would give them the final push to make this 30 year old rivalry/friendship into more?
I squelched every urge and instinct to take control of the situation and ceded my body, heart, and soul to the man I’d either loved to hate, hated to love, or fucking loved since I was twelve. No matter how I analyzed it, I had loved Abe Beecham in one form or another for three decades.
There is a suspense/mystery in the plot too, but it wasn't angsty.. just mildly tense 🫣Overall, the pages flew by, I loved reading Lio's POV after all the previous books from the series where you only got a one dimensional view of Chief Mendoza's personality 😎Abe was lesser known, but I loved how he carried his heart in his hand for Lio💞 ANW also does steamy scenes every well, it is always swoony-love rather than just smut. Another plus, at least for me was that both MCs are mature, in their forties; so their love felt settled and lasting. All in all, this was just a great addition to the countless books from the Savannah series, but it can be read as a standalone too. Highly recommended to all fans of mature BFF-to-Lovers, M/M romance!! 👍👍
It's a book you’ll want to keep reading and finish in one sitting. The plot and characters are engaging, and the flow of the story seamlessly just carries you along. However, given the novel is said in the blurb to be romantic suspense, I felt the plot didn't quite live up to that. There was too little time spent on the suspense aspect of it, and too much on laying out the groundwork and watching Lio and Abe orbit around each other. Both tried really hard to resist the gravitational pull of their attraction. Once the suspense turns to danger, though, the story becomes something so good that you don't want it to end. I wish that that momentum had come along earlier in the story. Like all of Aimee Nicole Walker's books it has so many great things going for it. The highlight is the relationship dynamic between Lio and his ex-wife Alyssa, their son Alex, and Alyssa’s new husband Russ, and Abe. They operate as a family unit, loving and supporting each other. That was a big plus for me in any book...I hate turmoil and miserable characters. I also applaud Walker for showcasing so many women in positions of power and esteem throughout this story. Overall, with Just Say When, this wonderful author delivers a compelling story with characters you’ll want to get to know. While I mentioned the short amount of suspense, it certainly did nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the warm and loving story or to take anything away from its 5 -star rating.
It's here! Mendoza's book is finally here!! From the glimpses we've gotten of Chief Mendoza in the past, I went into this expecting the chief to be one of those strong silent types. Imagine my surprise when almost immediately the man had me laughing and swooning. I adored him and Abe together. Everyone knew these two lifelong best friends were meant to be, including our MCs. They'd each made efforts with other partners in their lives over the years, hence the fact that Lio is the proud father of Alex, his pre-teen son. Of course, we can't overlook the fact that Abe is Alex's godfather and just as close to the boy as his parents. However, none of those relationships went the total distance and I'm positive it's because these two men always knew they belonged together. In the past the timing never seemed to be right, but both Abe and Lio are tired of waiting. It's time for them to put up or shut up so to speak. Abe's ready to jump in with both feet, all Lio has to do is just say when.
I loved seeing the vulnerable sides of both these strong men. Sure they like to tease each other and have a good time, but they also spent a lot of time communicating. It showed their maturity and readiness for a committed relationship. It was also lovely seeing the great relationship between not only Lio and his ex wife Alyssa, but also the rest of the people in Alex's life. Alyssa and her husband Russ thought of Abe like family already and both he and Lio felt the same about them. These four plus Alex were a powerful family unit full of love and it was just a joy to read. I'm so happy we got this book and I look forward to more in the Savannah Universe Miss Walker has created.
Just Say When is the story of Police Chief Emilio Mendoza (Lio) and Sheriff Abraham Beecham (Abe). These are two men in their forties, and the book is supposed to revolve around their long-standing relationship, which evolves from rivals to best friends and eventually lovers over thirty years.
The narrative is a combination of romance and elements of mystery and suspense. This is the first time I have read anything by Aimee Nicole Walker. I think she handled two things very well in this story. The first is the chemistry between the two main characters. Their attraction and love for each other felt genuine and well-handled. Another thing to note is that the steamy scenes are expertly constructed and include all of the necessary components to demonstrate the intense attraction that exists between the two men. But I have some issues with the story and its buildup.
If this book was just an erotic story, the two positive features that I have mentioned above would have prompted me to give it a better rating; nevertheless, it is not. There is more to it than that. The most significant issue with the book is that, right from the beginning, the two men have already fallen in love with one another. This means you won’t see them competing with one another or falling in love with one another. To tell you the truth, I felt more like I was reading book 1.5. As soon as you start reading the book, you realize that everything has already taken place outside the pages! The author’s decision to use this method is something that I do not fully understand.
In addition to that, the pace is just too slow, which is another issue. You will be in more than half of the story, and hardly anything happens. It is possible that you have already lost interest in the story by the time the suspense portion of the story arrives. I think that the author did a good job with the characters and the chemistry between them, but the plot itself is something that will be forgettable.
I went into this book without any prior knowledge, and Rodiney Santiago, who is shown on the cover, was the primary reason I decided to read it, LOL. Unfortunately, this is the second time for me that a story doesn’t match up to its hot Santiago cover!
Just Say When was a story that seemed perfect for me. The synopsis ticked so many of my boxes and I went in ready for a story I could not put down. Unfortunately, this was one of those cases where the book did not work for me. It clearly works well for others, but it did not tick the boxes I thought it would.
I think my biggest issue with this story was the way I seemed to be thrown into a story that was already unfolding. From reading other reviews, I understand that these characters have appeared in other books by the author. Maybe if I had read those books, I would have felt the connection between the characters and understood their relationship better. As it was, I felt like I kept getting told things without feeling the emotion of them. I wanted to experience these things, too, to go through each of the tales that they shared. Instead, it felt a bit like a retrospective with just the recent element when they gave in to their feelings explained. The fact that I did feel some things makes it clear that there was plenty to enjoy about this one, but I could not connect fully without also getting the ride of what previously happened.
As I said, this is one of those cases where something did not work for me but clearly worked for others. I’m putting this down to a preference choice when it comes to characters with history, and this one did not tick my preference choice in the way I had hoped.
It feels like I have been waiting forever for this book. The little hints and suggestions that have peppered throughout Locke & Key’s books these past few years had me frothing at the mouth for more from these two and Aimee did not disappoint! Abe and Lio met as teens and were instant rivals, but that rivalry turned into a beautiful friendship spanning more than 30 years. There’s so much history there, and feelings turned romantic between the two but both go out of their way to ignore them due to baggage on both sides. Abe has decided that he will not ignore them anymore and will not stop until Lio is finally his. It’s a very sweet low angst best friends to lovers. There is some external angst however as danger lurks. Lio’s ex-wife is awesome and I love seeing a supportive ex-partner who is a very happy cheerleader on the sidelines instead of being portrayed as a harpie which is a common trope. I wish this was longer and I definitely enjoyed. It could be read as a standalone but would mean more if you’ve already met them during Locke & Key’s books. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
This book was so so sweet. Lio and Abe never failed to put a huge smile on my face. I just love them so much 😭 The entire family’s dynamic was to die for and I’m absolutely obsessed. This book just held me the entire time.
I've been waiting for this book for what seems like forever, and it was absolutely worth the wait. I loved every bit of Lio and Abe's story.
The story is fast-paced, but not so fast that it loses nuance or that it feels rushed. I love the way they fit together, how the family unity with Alex fits together, and the support they get from the people close to them.
The heat these two generate is palpable, too, and I love that they're both mature men. I'm not ready to say goodbye to them yet, so I hope there's at least one more foray into this world!
DNF at 70% . I was looking forward to this couple’s story ever since I read the Zero Hour Trilogy. This book was a big let down for me.
Maybe light spoilers here:
I didn’t understand the MCs relationship at all. IMO, they went from ‘we need to talk’ to jumping into bed so fast, in addition to the fact that one of the MCs was grieving. 🤷🏻♀️
Oh, also there is a big section of the story that the author has lifted from real life. For folks in the US, you might have seen the baseball video last summer of the 2 kids from opposing teams in little league hugging it out? Yes, that is adapted into the story here. Here’s the story from CNN:
I didn’t finish the book so I didn’t get the purpose of the baseball story.😆
Although many readers might like smut heavy books, I am not one of them. I thought that for the relatively shorter size of the book the smut went on and on. I tend to skim a lot of smut and I felt like I flipped through a ton of pages. 😂
Also, my attention is all over the place and I just can’t seem to focus on books at the moment. That made things exponentially worse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is my second book by Aimee Nicole Walker, and I honestly can’t say with I haven’t read more by her. Such a fantastic writer, she draws you into the story entirely and makes the characters come alive.
Two mature men, best friends, who love each other entirely but who haven’t taken the step to be more than friends.
It’s a bold step, and not without perils. These two Sheriffs have difficult jobs, lots of stress, and poor coping mechanisms. If it’s going to work, they are going to have to put in the work. But they have good people in their lives to help them along the way.
All the while, Lio is having trouble with a detective under investigation, Abe’s grandfather (who was really like a father) passes away, which brings his troublesome family back into his life. Not to mention regular life, like raising a son and trying to explore what could be between Lio and Abe.
Things take a turn when someone takes a shot at Lio.
This is a romance story with a suspenseful storyline. Lio and Abe are amazing, fun, and sweet, and they have a fantastic connection. And with enough twists and turns to keep you engaged, it was a perfect story.
I wish I could get more of these two. I feel like one book wasn’t enough.
Just like Royce, I've been wanting to know more about Abe and Lio and we finally get their book!!! While it can be read as a standalone, I'd recommend reading the other books to enjoy this to the maximum.
Abe and Lio's relationship is a slowburn that spans more than three decades and we get to see them get together in the present time. Personally, I wanted a little more about their past and the evolution of their friendship in the 30 years they've known each other but overall it's good.
I also loved Alex (Lio's son) and the other side characters, Alyssa and Russ. It was great to see the bond between all four of them. It's sweet story with little angst and a bit of mystery. Overall I enjoyed it a lot!
*ARC provided by the author via Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
I’ve loved Royce and Sawyer’s books (A LOT) but I feel like I’ve been waiting for this story foreverrr and man was it worth the wait. Lio and Abe’s backstory and history was well defined and totally satisfied my long-running curiosity. The love between the two jumped off the page from the start and only grew stronger by the end. It was nice to get a little cameo from Locke and Key but unlike other spin-off books I’ve read from series, this book didn’t need the previous primary characters to make it great. Of course, there was a crime/mystery element which only made the pair stronger, absolutely loved this. So worth the wait.
Going to have to DNF this one as I feel I have missed some part of the story. It starts with the characters in a weird point of their relationship and I feel myself getting bored. This one (for me) does not work as a stand alone.
Just Say When isn't your typical romance novel. There is no meet cute on page between Abe and Lio, because they've known one another for over thirty years. They met when they were twelve and have been enemies, best friends, and finally - as the story begins - two men inching very close to lovers. This was both a strength and a weakness in the narrative, as we dive in with them already fully aware of their feelings for one another but not doing anything about it due to their own issues.
In fact, even the first confessions of interest happen prior to the story. It gives the feeling of diving into the story part of the way through, but it works in a strange way. Because it makes the characters seem more real in some ways. We're peeking in at a time of their lives. Thier lives didn't start at the love confession.
Abe and Lio were interesting characters and I loved learning more about them. I loved watching them overcome some of the issues that had stopped them from taking that leap in the months preceding the story. They were also frustrating at times, but in the best of ways. Because I was wanting them to kiss from page one and it took a good fifth of the book before it finally happened - longer before they finally got together.
All in all, I greatly enjoyed this book. I do wish more of the beginning of their story had played out - even in more detailed flashbacks (that were clearly flashbacks... a few of the timeline parts had me confused as I was reading it). But I'd still recommend this book to anyone who wanted a cute friends to lovers romance.
Plus older MCs (in their 40s) is never a bad thing.
**DISCLAIMER: I recieved an ARC of this book from GRR and this is my fair and honest review. **
Rivals,Friends,Enemies, Frenemies, Best friends...Abe and Lio have been this at one point but in Just Say when they're finally moving to lovers territory. After all the glimpses of these guys I couldn't wait to read this story.
Just Say When is a romance story with the usual dash of mystery and suspense which is an Aimee Special. I loved how Just say when was like getting a look behind the curtain with these for Lio and Abe. We knew they would end up together and belonged together but the writing of their story makes it more special . Alex and his mum were an amazing addition to their story and just gave more character to this story.
I loved this book but it still felt like there was alot more that could have been showed. The relationship between the MCs was a bit rushed for a 30 year in waiting love story and the buildup and tension felt more lacking. Still the Savannah Universe is one of my favorites and fingers crossed there will be more.
I have been waiting for these two stubborn—Is there a word beyond stubborn? Because they embody it.—men to finally find their way to each other, and it was so swoony, so perfect, so nngh, so heartwarming, so right. “No one had ever looked at me with such naked love as Abe did right then, and I knew it was the perfect time to say what he longed to hear. ‘When.’” All. The. Feels and all the love for Lio and Abe. From their shared history, which gave me quite the chuckle, to their tight-knit family that makes my heart smile, from their endless trust in one another to their unbreakable bond, Abe and Lio are two magnets that may rub each other wrong occasionally but inevitably belong together. Add in a spice of danger, and I’m sure it will come as no surprise that a large piece of my heart resides in Savannah, Georgia.
Just Say When is Abe and Lio’s story and what a phenomenal love story it was!! Thirty years in the making! I always knew that Mendoza was the strong silent type and had a story to tell and boy was it spectacular! Abe and Lio have been best friends since they were teenagers and have remained that way ever since. But being that both are stubborn, they haven’t crossed that line yet. Abe has commitment issues and Lio would love nothing more that to be Abe’s true partner. When Abe’s beloved grandfather dies and Lio’s life is in danger, things become real to Abe and he’s finally able to take that chance on love. I loved everything about this story. I couldn’t stop reading it, flipping the pages! Overall, a phenomenal read, well written with fantastic pacing!
I remember reading about an interaction Topher witnessed between Abe and Lio in About Last Night…just from that brief description I was anxious to read their story. The evolution of their relationship, which went from enemies to friends to lovers over 30 years made their HEA that much more special. Of course every relationship is not without complications and both MC’s needed to work through some stuff but when they do, it so steamy and sweet.
Abe and Lio's story was worth the wait. It was full of emotion, totally hot and had some mystery and action. I listened to the audiobook and I know it will be one that I'll listen to again and again.