This book is a sequel to Christie’s book Not Alone, and tells the story of rockstar Wells who has huge commitment issues, and his boyfriend Noah who is a definite relationship kind of guy. They are introduced to each other by Micah, Noah’s best friend and boyfriend of band mate Ash, Wells’ best friend. (Not Alone is Micah and Ash’s story, and both play key roles in this book.)
Noah knew Wells had commitment issues, but he was really into him, so agreed to Wells only hooking up with women on tour, with Noah being Wells’ exclusive male partner. This causes some friction between the two, and Wells doesn’t seem to get why Noah would be upset about it, not realizing how far Noah’s feelings have grown for him. Another big problem is Wells’ refusal to meet Noah’s family. He is afraid they won’t like him, and it is another step toward commitment. As Wells begins to realize he may lose Noah if things don’t change, he starts to take small steps toward increasing his comfort level with a more committed relationship. When a family emergency makes Wells evaluate his relationship with Noah, to see the love, care and support he gets from him, and the crucial place in his life that Noah represents, he must come to terms with elements in his past to get and keep what he truly wants and needs.
All of this plays out over the few weeks between the end of the band’s tour and their appearance at Rocktoberfest in Nevada. Lots of music related background as well as the emotional relationship work that takes place along with hikes, surfing, small town gigs, help and advice from friends, old boyfriends, and lots of PDA. Great characters, realistic problems that would arise with a difference between two diverse lifestyles and levels of commitment, the emotional ups and downs with a family crisis, and the awakening and acceptance of emotions tamped down for too long. An enjoyable read that kept me turning pages late into the night.
I received an ARC from the author and this is my voluntary review. 4.5 stars