Starter Home

Side by Side #1

by Hannah Henry

Hunter O’Neil has a lonely summer ahead of him. He imagined spending the first few months of home ownership with his co-owner and best friend, Quinn, fixing up their duplex. But Quinn is a ghost of himself, heartbroken and depressed in the wake of a divorce. He’s no help.

Hunter isn’t completely alone, though. Jonathan Griffin, Quinn’s older brother, is just down the street, and the only one of them who knows how to swing a hammer, anyway. Jonathan is an absolute wet dream of a straight boy, but Hunter has long since laid his teenage crush on him to rest.

However, the more time they spend together, the more Hunter begins to think Jonathan isn’t as straight as he assumed.

Starter Home is a 58k, best friend’s brother, bi-awakening MM romance. This is the first book of a closely-related two-couple duet, where everyone gets their HEA.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, LGBT

246 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2024

Reviews

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

He couldn’t pretend Hunter’s magnetism was just because Jonathan was fascinated by him or felt protective of him. Those things weren’t untrue, but they were cased in how badly Jonathan wanted to kiss him.

This book was incredibly sweet and full of intimacy and romance, and I loved it. It’s got an uncomplicated sexual awakening with a man who might be my new favorite book boyfriend. A shy man with a resting bitch face who is actually the most loving, sweet and vulnerable man ever. I think he’s what you’d call swoon-worthy for sure.

It’s sort of high heat, but it fit with the characters and their relationship development, so it never felt unnecessary or like a case of spice just to have spice, if that makes any sense.

Definitely recommend if you’re looking for low angst, tactile MCs, intimate and spicy.

It even had a bit of a Daddy vibe (but no actually Daddy kink), just the ‘I want to take care of you and make you smile and blow your mind in bed while you focus on being the perfect prince you are’ kinda vibe, lol. I’m here for it.

This was what Jonathan loved—having the person he took to bed lie back and relax while he did the heavy lifting. He gained confidence simply from Hunter letting him be in charge.


4.7⭐️ because no epilogue.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Best friend’s brother
Bisexual awakening
Childhood crush
Size difference
First times
Possessiveness
Sweet romance
Intimate and spicy
Swoony

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
SC with depression
Explicit sexual content
Mentions of cheating parent
Child abandonment (off page, past)
Face-fucking
Details of past financial insecurity
Slutshaming (not by MCs)
SC using alcohol to self-medicate
Brief violent episode between MC and brother

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Late twenties/early thirties, no significant age gap
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 223
Happy ending: Yes


All he wanted was to feel small in a man’s arms and to get absolutely taken apart.

Jonathan was a no-nonsense kind of guy, which was a demeanor that was mysterious to Hunter, a plenty-of-nonsense kind of guy.

Jonathan kissed Hunter like he wanted to erase his bad feelings. Like he wanted to protect Hunter from any sadness.



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect short & sweet book, gave me a quick happy romance fix i needed. liked both characters & looking forward to book 2!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Very cutesy but my god Hunter bugged me so much!!! I get wanting to be independent but it's actually a more detrimental personality trait when you get to the stage where you can never let yourself ask for help, even though everyone else asks for help with the same things.

It became very frustrating because he still was clinging to this mindset at the end of the book so it felt like he didn't have very much character development.

Also as soon as I realised who the side character Brady was, I got annoyed again 😂 he was first seen in Empty Netter where he hated Matthew for no reason, and therefore I hated Brady because Matthew is an angel.

I did like Jonathan, he was pretty cool and I like how he just accepted his new found attraction to Hunter.

Quinn also pissed me off massively, so I hope he redeems himself in his book. If that's what his best friend treats him like, no wonder Hunter is so adamant he had to do everything for himself!!!

**This series follows on from the Delay of the Game series

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ - Super cute! Love the MCs!

Hunter had never really had a place he could call home and barely even had a family. Luckily, his best friend Quinn Griffin has a wonderful family that basically adopts Hunter. Their friendship is so tight that after Quinn goes through a divorce and needs a new home, he and Hunter buy a duplex together. Quinn's younger siblings, Brady and Syd, stay with him over on his side of the house and big brother Jonathan lives just down the street.

Hunter is eager to put down roots and to make his part of the duplex a real home for himself, one that reflects his taste and vision, but he needs a bit of help. Quinn and Hunter were supposed to work together, but Quinn is a shell of himself and sunk in depression. Good thing big brother Jonathan starts coming around...a lot. He had already left for college when Hunter was basically adopted into the Griffin clan. So while Hunter is getting to know his way around painter's tools and learning how to do other home project with Jonathan's tutelage, they also start getting to know each other much better...and then better still. Their relationship becomes a natural progression from friendship to lovers to in love.

Both MCs were just adorable...Hunter with his design projects and his rainbow shorts & Jonathan with wanting to help Hunter all the time and lusting after those rainbow shorts! There were so many cute moments in this book and the spice was both sweet & spicy. The best part, though? The feelings between Hunter and Jonathan & their intimacy: in each other, they found everything they needed - I just melted....Also, I very much appreciated how Jonathan just accepted his awakening: "if this was being gay, it was fucking fine with Jonathan." (though Jonathan does not attach a label to himself)

The Griffin family is great - I loved getting to know all the siblings and am excited for Brady's story. I have to say that although Quinn is heartbroken and really depressed, he is not particularly likeable throughout most of this, though he improves by the end.

What to expect:

* best friend's brother
* brother's best friend
* size difference
* white collar/blue collar
* queer awakening
* low angst

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[m · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe that was why they were such a good fit. They both needed each other. 🥹🥹🥹

This book is so CUUUUUUUTE! 😍

Hunter and Quinn buy a duplex together after Quinn’s divorce - but when Quinn all but disappears into his depression it’s older brother Jonathan who helps Hunter fix up his first home.

Falling in love over DIY?! Yes, please! I loved the projects, Hunter’s determination to do things himself, Jonathan’s patience and easy acceptance of his attraction to Hunter, and the romance 🥰🥰🥰 The messiness of other relationships added enough conflict to keep things moving but there’s very little angst. Just pure, easy sweetness and I cannot recommend this enough ❤️

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a delightful read omg

I adored Hunter so much - Jonathan was just perfect as well.

The dynamic worked so well for me because you have Hunter who by nature wants to do everything by himself and is fiercely independent whereas Jonathan likes to fix things for his siblings/friends as a way to be there for those he cares about. Hunter had to sort of realize that having Jonathan help him didn't mean anything more than Jonathan cared about him. Jonathan also had to come to terms with if he was helping, Hunter wanted to be part of it and not just leave Jonathan to do it on his own.

I am totally helpless when it comes to best friends brother/brothers best friend, and size difference trope so this book checked off all my boxes. The spice was everything - Jonathan really said "idc as long as its you" to Hunter and we love him for that. I also loved that at the basis of their relationship was just that they showed up for each other. Jonathan always felt very other in relation to his siblings, and Hunter and Quinn were having trouble in their friendship. Each were sort of in their heads throughout the book but never really about each other. They had a really solid foundation for trusting each other to come through.

Also loved the implication of Brady basically being obsessed with Blake because same. Can't wait to read his short story. And Quinn! Ugh I felt so bad for him while also being like "get it together" so I'm very happy that he will be getting his own happy ending.

Hannah Henry stays being on point with another group of characters for me to fall in love with.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uh, I frickin' LOVED this. I'm going on vibes here, and it's a banger for me. Are You Ready For A Ramble?

This is the best friend's brother/brother's best friend trope, but it's not just that.

Hunter's background is messy, but he always had his best friend Quinn there for him growing up, and became a de facto member of the family (after Quinn's oldest brother Jonathan had moved away). Quinn got married, and they remained best friends, but their relationship has changed a lot and Quinn is now divorced, bitter and clinically depressed. He and Hunter band together to buy a duplex, but despite sharing a wall, Quinn seems further away than ever.

If this book is about Hunter and Jonathan, why am I going on about Quinn so much? Well, he is inadvertently a factor in how and why H and J get together. Hunter buys his half of the house hoping that he can reconnect with his platonic soulmate BFF, but when that doesn't happen, Jonathan starts spending more and more time with Hunter. This book got the 'friends who don't need a reason to hang out, they just default are always in each other's spaces' vibe so well, despite the fact that that all happened before the book even stars. In fact, the specificity and nuance of this book is way more than it had to be.

I've read a lot of books that were trying to be this book, I think. And actually, maybe we needed a hundred plus books that were kind of like this to allow this book to be what it is. I've been reading books where the Ostensibly Straight character has a crisis about feeling feels for a gentleman since I started reading m/m and queer romance back in 2018/2019 . . . I think they were necessary in the past. I've read stuff published in the mid aughts and early 2010s (you know, the annals of history) and we've come a long way. Yes, we needed stories about people struggling to accept their sexuality, or feeling unsafe to come out, and it's still a problem today, but I'm so happy to find a few books where it doesn't have to be that way. I was working out my many muddled thoughts about this book and decided that it's very Schitt's Creek in its attitude of homophobia isn't gonna be the issue, and "I like the wine not the label."

This book even does a thing I usually don't like, but in a way I didn't mind at all. (Thing being calling the Ostensibly Straight MC [Insert Other MC's Name]-sexual.) In this book, Jonathan doesn't call himself Huntersexual, well . . . not until his friend suggests it. But he doesn't adopt it as his identity, he just thinks that he's aware of the almost infinite number of terms to define one's sexual identity and none he's come across yet feel right. He's wonderfully secure in this area of his life, while also being a fully realized character with insecurities and fears.

Later, when Quinn finds out that Hunter and Jonathan have been seeing each other (and fucking each other, that's specifically what he finds out), he gets real pissed. Normally, I hate this sort of aggro possessive shit, but that's not really what this was. He's struggling hard. Admittedly, he's not doing much to stop the struggle, but he's really having a bad time and even though he wasn't being a good friend, he was kinda terrified he was losing his best friend. So, he lashed out at Jonathan, who takes it almost too calmly. But he knows how important Quinn and Hunter's relationship is and he would never try to fuck that up.

I don't know, I really am rambling, but this book hit me just right. Nothing pulled me out or made me skeptical, and all the ways the relationship between Hunter and Jonathan grew and developed just made me all gooey and smiley. I read it on KU, but went ahead and bought it for rereads, because I will be revisiting this one, for sure.

Plus, if for no other reason, I'll be rounding my 4.5 star rating up to 5 stars for the me-coded moment where Hunter says he needs an Emotional Support Baja Blast from Taco Bell, bc Very Same. I have gone through the drive thru line and ONLY gotten a Baja Blast.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read from this author, I believe. It was a good read. It was cute and low angst which I was in the mood for.

I liked both of the characters. Jonathan more than Hunter. Hunter annoyed me a little bit because at first he was a little snappy at Jonathan a few times where I felt it wasn’t warranted.

I did like seeing them go from a new friendship to a relationship though. Their interactions were really cute. I appreciated that even though Jonathan had always been with women he didn’t freak out about his feelings for Hunter. Their communication was really good also. There was never any wondering what was going on which is rare nowadays in books.

The only thing that kind of bugged me was how much Jonathan thought about or referenced his past whenever him and Hunter did something sexual. Like for example: “ I threw Hunter on the bed, this was my best move and I know everyone always liked it” that’s not a direct quote but still like idc who else liked it we aren’t worried about them. Another one was when I felt like Hunter was trying to have a moment with him and he’s like wow I can’t believe that was your first time (being with a man) and Jonathan’s response is “it really wasn’t..I’ve had anal before” like okay dude he wasn’t talking about that and you just ruined the moment. Idk just things he thought about and said when they got intimate really rubbed me the wrong way.

I didn’t like Quinn at all so I’m not sure if I’m going to read his book. I get that the whole reason was for us not to like him and then have a redemption in his book but he was an awful friend to Hunter. He mentioned about a million times how much Hunter got around, called him a slut on multiple occasions. This normally wouldn’t bother Hunter but once he started seeing Jonathan he hated how Quinn kept saying it in front of Jonathan.

I was happy neither Jonathan or Hunter let Quinn’s comments and resentment get between them. Neither of them were like oh should I stop seeing him because Quinn is angry? They were like nah, Quinn you’ll have to deal with it because we love each other. I was glad Hunter didn’t immediately forgive him.

This was very HFN. I would have liked to see an epilogue.

NO CHEATING
NO OP DRAMA (hunter gets flirted with briefly)
NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP
BEST FRIENDS BROTHER
HFN

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary MM
Low Angst & Sweet
Best Friend's Brother
Blue Collar MC
Friends To Lovers
Bi-Awakening
Size Difference
🔥🔥🔥

This was such a pleasant read. Low angst, high heat and super sweet MCs. This was HGTV meets naughty Hallmark.

Jonathan and Hunter are just an adorable couple. Hunter is a teacher home for the summer in his brand new duplex he bought with his BFF Quinn. Jonathan is Quinn's older brother who happens to be good with house projects and willing to help out, because Quinn is out of it (his own issues) and Hunter is pretty much on his own with the new house shenanigans. This is inst-lust on paper, but they've actually been aware of each other for years. Jonathan is just the sweetest! He's the most protective, blue collar guy that just wants to take care of everyone and make people happy. The chemistry between the two is good and the heat is on point.

Just an all around good read. Short, sweet and spicy.

[Lily Loves 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was a cute story and I liked it. I do wish there was more build up to Hunter and Jonathan getting together. I felt like they jumped into a physical relationship and skipped over the friendship part. Especially since Jonathan has never been attracted to a man before.

I liked the family aspect and how Hunter found a place with the Griffin family. The conflict with his best friend Quinn was understandable but until Quinn gets his story it’s hard to feel sorry for him. He was not a very developed character so he just seemed to be one dimensional.

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
This was a very lovely reading.
I loved both MCs, their dynamic, how they went from just acquantainces to friends to lovers, how they slowly fit into each other's lives, how Hunter felt finally safe in leaning on someone and how Jonathan didn't just want to fix things for him, but also saw him as a partner and enjoyed doing projects with him.
Jonathan's sexual awakening was well handled by the author, I liked very much that he was always honest with Hunter and that the physical side of their relationship was not rushed at all.
The sex scenes were all very romantic, I loved them.
The only thing I wasn't very fond of was Hunter's indulgent and almost passive tendency towards Quinn: he let him be very hurtful and he didn't stand up for himself until all came out dramatically.
However I appreciated that, after their confrontation, Hunter made Quinn work for his forgiveness.

I'm going to read the following books of the series, next will be about Brady and I hope we'll have one about Quinn soon too.

I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i’ve read all of hannah’s books and this is by far my favorite/her best. it was just sweet. it also wasn’t just a love story, it was a story about how important all relationships are—romantic, familial, and friendships. hannah really put her all into this and i love that for her

there was so much domesticity which i loved and it was so fun getting to see all of hunter & jonathan’s diy projects

i also loved the griffin siblings dynamic; it was fun getting to see brady again too<3

thank you hannah for the arc!!

[Crisana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up. Cute, low angst and no third act breakup. Loved how Jonathan acknowledged his attraction to Hunter quite fluidly and without the usual 'bi-awakening' hang-ups. But the pace was a bit off and I wanted to see more of their friendship before they have sex. Also, I would have loved an epilogue as the ending, even though satisfyingly, felt a bit abrupt.

[amber. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly love Hannah Henry’s writing so much. It always feels like being wrapped in a nice warm blanket. Starter Home was no different.
Even though this was so different than the Delay of Game series, it was so good in its own way. 🥹

Hunter is so relatable and it made me laugh and cry how much he reminded me of myself.
Jonathan is so…god. The way he didn’t even question his feelings or attraction for Hunter. He just let them be. I love how Hannah wrote this. How his feelings for a guy didn’t have to be some life altering moment.

“Jonathan kissed him again, and when he pulled back, he looked at Hunter like he was made of gold. No one had ever looked at Hunter like that”
😭🩷🥹

I found myself getting frustrated with Quinn at times, so I am actually very curious to read his book and have him get his HEA.

Anyways, I received this arc in exchange for an honest review

[kir ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

soft, sweet & a quick read! i was in the mood for romance without much drama, and this was exactly that.

✦ bestfriends older brother
✦ no angst and no third act break-up
✦ working on a house together
✦ bi-awakening

jonathan was the greenest flag ever. and him being capable actually did A LOT for me. we love a man who can actually get things done. hunter was very sweet too, especially how he was dealing with quinn.

my only complaint about this book is that there just really wasn't much happening. which was fine, but halfway through i got kind of bored. i feel like there wasn't really a lot of plot and this was just purely vibes. but i enjoyed it.

[JP · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a sweet enough read. Exactly what I wanted between big, plot-heavy books - something cute and mindless.

However, it just lacked… everything. I didn’t feel any warmth or affection for the characters. While I very much like the person Jonathan is described to be, his character felt barely formed. This felt like an idea for a book before all the nitty-gritty character details were filled in.

I’ve read much shorter books that have absolutely swept me off my feet, so it wasn’t the relatively short length. It just felt… rudimentary.

[Siân PJsAndBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔨 Thoughts 🔨

Thank you, Hannah Henry, for this eARC. Below are my honest thoughts.

Starter Home is the first book in the Side by Side series and I'm already excited to read more. Observant readers will notice that the youngest sibling Brady is from Empty Netter.

I loved that Jonathan's queer awakening wasn't a big drama. He liked Hunter, so he was with Hunter 💖. The gentle domesticity that their relationship was built on was so sweet but also spicy.

I struggled with Quinns reaction, but I'm sure we, the readers, we learn more when his book is released.

Things I Loved
🔨 Dual POV
🔨 HEA
🔨 Queer Awakening
🔨 Self Improvement through Home Improvement
🔨 Nosey Siblings
🔨 Rainbow Cupcakes

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute book with low angst and a HEA. Excited to read book 2 and the novella. 💚

[Zoe H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Adaline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this (bisexual awakening? Yes please. Best friends brother? Also yes). But I was so bored.

The relationship development was so off to me. Zero proper build up and goes physical so fast?

I wasn’t a fan how the MC’s brother’s depression is handled either.

All in all not the book for me. Was a new author which is always a gamble. This time not a lucky one

[Capreacula · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,4 stars
Unsure about it - I really liked the two MCs Hunter and Jonathan, but I didn't get sucked into the story.

This "review" will likely not be very coherent, I'll just note down what comes into my mind:

The writing style was a bit too brittle for my liking, with often short sentences, focusing on the daily minutiae (usually my soft spot), but I guess it reflected the MCs personality quite well: both keep and kept their distance from the people around them.
Although I remember having a similar "problem" with HH's other books. Not with Draft Bust though, maybe because the hockey pro MC is so shut off it's perfectly fitting to tell the story via a brittle style.

The story is not meant to be a stand-alone-book athough they get their HFN, but it's obviously the first book in a small series about the Griffin siblings. Which didn't bother me because that much I knew before pre-ordering from HH's newsletter.
Still, any series book should ideally stand alone and Quinn, Hunter's best friend, occupied a lot of space in the book - I'd have loved to get more time with Jonathan instead because he seems to be far more interesting to me, the silent mysterious one.

So, back story: We get a fairly good info on Hunter and why he is the way he is - his need to be independent when it comes to home ownership and improvement projects aroudn his new home.
don't get much info on Jonathan. Although by improvement I'd have guessed this included more than changing the light fixtures and painting of the walls and building shelves. That's something I've done myself recently and that doesn'tncessarily call for that much help by a handy guy like Jonny. Although it helps. Building a new kitchen though... Tearing down the separationg wall between the houses for which you need special equipment - yes!

I never got a good idea of the floor plan of this duplex. If it has two storeys or if it only has the groundfloor and basement. I alway pictured Quinn, the best friend of Hunter's living next door to be holed up in his upstairs study. But that's maybe because I'm used to how row-houses and duplex houses look like in my country? We don't have the bedroom on the groundfloor, so I was flustered. Usually, we also have an entrance area losed off from the living area so not to let in too much cold air when someone comes in. I never got a feeling about where I am in Hunters house. Strange.

Similarly, I really missed important info on Jonathan: we don't get a backstory on him, only glimpses.
Why did Jonathan keep away from his family and siblings for so long, why did he drop out of college, why does he have problems to express himself? I get it, if you're the introvert guy and the others just take you for granted and seemingly don't care for your opinion, you keep on being silent.
But is there a reason??
Also, his inclinations: he was hugely compatible with Hunter, also between the sheets. What was his love life like before Starter Home?
Why he doesn't he have ambitions workwise and spends his evenings playing online games? Doesn't he have interests beyond that and if not, why? He used to play hockey, he is comptetitive, there's a loud noise of stuff we didn't get. Yet?

We get far more info on Hunter because it's his stary, but still.

Small nibbles: For me it wasn't always clear who was talking/whose pov it was within a chapter. Since it's told in the 3rd person, this needs to be clear, with alternatingly told chapters, that's no problem.

Jonathan's room mate's boyfriend is called Brad. Jonathan's hockey player of a brother is called Brady. That's mightily confusing if two distincly different persons who both don't have a lot of page-time are alled such similar names. It happen's in real life, in fiction it would help to avoid it.

I will still read the upcoming next book - Brady's story of his - very likely - bi-awakening. Only a novella.
Not so keen on Quinn's story. Hunter's best friend, being depressed and going through a grieving process because of his divorce, is not very likeable in this book. Isn't meant to be, but he really needs a redeeming arc of his own. And so far, there's not much of a hook for me as a reader to want to read about him other that he's really beautiful and an artist when he's not miserable and drunk (the latter a HUGE turn off for me).

[10111111111 · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received an ARC for an honest review.]
Rating: 4.25 stars (8.5/10)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes: brother's best friend/best friend's older brother, home renovation, size difference, calm x sunshine, so sweet and tender, sexual awakening
Review:
Starter Home is the first in a new series which is loosely connected to the Delay of Game series. Hunter and his best friend Quinn have gone halves on the mortgage for a duplex which neither would be able to afford by themselves - Hunter has been looking for a stable home to call his won for so long, and Quinn lost the house and a lot of other things in a nasty divorce. Hunter is determined to turn this home into the safe space he never got as a kid, and he planned to do a lot of it with Quinn, but he is spiraling after the divorce, and Hunter feels like he is loosing his best friend. Enter Jonathan, Quinn's older brother who is very handy with anything home and garden related, and he keeps stepping up to help Hunter learn how to renovate his place, as well as try to spend time with his three siblings, the other two of which are crashing at Quinn's.

One of the things I loved about this story was how naturally the relationship between Hunter and Jonathan developed. Jonathan is definitely a simple, homey, salt of the earth kind of guy who has felt the distance between his three younger siblings, and he finds that his life is kind of lonely and unchanging, and Hunter's determination to be independent, his willingness to learn and do things, along with his perky little ass 👀 and joyful disposition endear him to Jonathan, who has always felt something he couldn't ever name towards Hinter.

Hunter on the other hand is trying not to let himself become obsessed with Jonathan, but Jonathan keeps breaking down any and all walls between them with his simple and kind determination to make Hunter feel happy and cared for and the most important person to someone. Their love story is so achingly beautiful and sweet, and whilst there is external angst, these two just fit together so well. I love how Hunter lights up Jonathan's life, and especially Jonny's reaction to having his room painted 😭 and Jonathan keeps showing day after day how much Hunter means to him, and how amazing and beautiful of a person Hunter is.

I found the dynamic between Hunter and Quinn interesting, because we can quickly tell that while they are platonic soulmates from what they have said about their pasts, it seems their relationship has become strained in ways they probably weren't aware off, in part because of the wedge Lee drove between them, and also because of how Quinn has pushed away and hurt Hunter almost as collateral from the divorce. We don't really get a proper resolution, though steps have been taken, and I'm looking forward to Quinn's story to see him heal those hurts, and for him and Hunter to restore their friendship. We haven't seen the healthy part of their relationship yet, and I would love to be able to see that by the end of Quinn's book.

I also loved the other siblings, Brady and Sydney. Brady plays in the NHL with Blake, who is the MC from the fourth book in the Delay of Game series, Empty Netter. Brady is having confusing feelings for Blake, and he comes back from Blake's wedding different, and we don't exactly know what happened, except we have a short novella for that coming at some point, which I'm really excited for. Syd is also aiming for a professional hockey career, though the NHL doesn't have solid women's teams and she is not sure what kind of career she will get out of professional hockey. They are both a bit chaotic, but in the best way, and I loved seeing them interact with Hunter and Quinn and Jonathan. Also, Hunter's mother has had a really rough life, but she has no excuse for the cycle she has trapped herself in, and I'm glad we got to see not only Hunter stepping up to her, but also Jonathan supporting Hunter firmly by his side through the tough times there as well.

[ange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunter is excited to get settled in the brand new duplex that he co-owns with his bestie Quinn–his bestie who is currently a ghost of himself after going through a rough divorce. No worries though, being a homeowner is Hunter’s dream, and he has plenty of projects to keep him occupied while his friend wallows… just maybe not the skills necessary to pull them off. In walks Jonathan, his bestie’s brother. He has heaps of home renovation knowledge to help Hunter out, even though Hunter wants to do everything by himself. As they work together, they form a bond that is maybe a bit more than platonic. And as Jonathan begins to realize that he is not as straight as he’d always thought he was, he is also surprised that he is not at all weirded out by fact that Hunter could be his soulmate. They just fit perfectly together. But will it all fall apart when Quinn comes out of his haze of depression and finds out his best friend and his brother have fallen in love?

Starter Home is another fun little read from writer Hannah Henry. And rest assured that there are plenty of hockey references in this little gem, if you’re feeling like you miss her ”Delay of Game” hockey romance series. It’s really fun to watch as Hunter’s home-reno skills slowly grow, although sometimes his insistence on doing things himself can be a little frustrating (but only because I want more of that fun Hunter and Jonathan banter).

Jonathan has some sweet but resigned golden retriever energy. His character is somewhat refreshing when he begins to realize that he wants something more with Hunter, and he doesn’t immediately resort to internalized homophobia. I also really appreciated the way he just casually comes out to the people in his life without worrying about it too much. He’s not quick to put a label on it, but he knows he’s not straight, and it doesn’t bother him at all.

Quinn is the only character who didn’t really appeal to me. It was difficult to empathize with his character while he’s so deep in his depression. He’s in his own world, and he doesn’t realize that he’s really hurting Hunter with his words and his actions. His reaction when he finds out his best friend and his brother have bonded while he’s been ignoring them for the whole summer is a bit over the top, in my opinion.

The only thing I thought this book was missing was an epilogue, which is surprising because I'm usually 50/50 on epilogues. I won’t go into spoilers, but I was waiting for something that didn’t happen in this book. The only thing I can think of is that if this book is closely tied in with the second book in the series (which it seems like it might be) then maybe all my questions will be answered in the next book. In which case, I will be anxiously waiting for its release!

I received an advanced reader copy from the author, and this is my honest review.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have a new series from Hannah Henry, and it's shaping up to be a good one!

We're back in Minnesota with Hunter, who is extremely excited to have finally purchased a home of his own--half of a duplex with the other side purchased with his best friend Quinn. He's excited to have the summer to work on making his new house his home, replete with DIY projects, thrift store furniture shopping, and LOTs of online idea searching.

While initially excited to be sharing this adventure with his best friend, Quinn has been a shell of himself post-divorce and is uninterested in doing much of anything, leaving Hunter largely on his own. Until Quinn's older, hot and ~straight~ brother Jonathan shows up and immediately volunteers to help Hunter.

I absolutely adored Hunter and Jonathan. I loved how stubborn Hunter was and how Jonathan was always so supportive and patient with him. They had great banter and chemistry, and were easy to root for throughout the whole story.

I also felt for Jonathan not knowing how to connect with his siblings after having spent time away from them all, and Hunter also feeling alone with his best friend disappearing in his depression. I'm also always here for a mostly angst-free bi awakening, and I love how Jonathan was just enamored with Hunter and spent very little time stressing about anything other than getting his mouth on him.

One thing I did not love about this book (and to be fair I am pretty sure I'm not supposed to love it) was Quinn. I understood he was hurting and have my own experience with depression, but he was also treating Hunter really badly outside of all of that with all of the comments on Hunter's history with other men. I trust that there will be a redemption, but he definitely isn't all the way there yet in my book.

The only other thing with this book was that I felt a little lost for a while in the book with all the characters. It took a bit longer than I'd have liked for me to really get a sense of who anyone was in the story, including our two main characters.

I can't wait for the story of Brady's adventures at the wedding, and for whatever Hannah has cooked up for Quinn!

CW: sexual content, depression (not main character), slut shaming

[Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute But Way Too Simplified

I’m not gonna try to claim I didn’t enjoy this book because in general I did. It was short and easy, low angst, an uncomplicated sexual awakening and kinda spicy. What’s not to like, right?

My biggest issue with this is the writing. It really needed a few more edits to keep track of flow and continuity. The characters and plot were interesting but so many things were glazed over. Hunter would have some big moment with his new house or his new relationship and when more dialogue or inner processing should have happened, nothing. There were too many moments when it felt like a few paragraphs of dialogue or inner monologue were missing.

What also bothered me was that the main characters felt inconsistent, especially Hunter. The odd thing is I really enjoyed how he was described from Jonathan’s pov. His habits, the way he dressed, how he spoke and acted, and his independence, etc. But the chapters in Hunters pov, I didn’t really enjoy his character as much. He felt different than the one described to us. I think the disconnect I felt with the writing itself and Hunters character is what made me struggle sometimes to really enjoy the book as much as I wanted to.

I did enjoy the book enough that I want to read the next one. But I’m really hoping things feel more consistent and like they flow better in the next book.

Tropes: Best Friend’s Brother, Dual POV, Found Family, Forced Proximity, Sexual Awakening, Secret Relationship
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
Spice: 🌶️ 1/5
Relationship: MM

[Bethany (Bee_TheBibliophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starter Home is full of low angst sweetness that makes you feel like you��re spending time with Hunter and Jonathan over the summer in the duplex.

Hunter O’Neil is a high school teacher who has been working to save up enough to buy a place of his own for years. Together with his best friend, he purchases a duplex with his side in desperate need of renovations. However, with his best friend dealing with a broken heart and struggling with depression, he finds himself lonely and overwhelmed by all of the renovations that need done. That’s where Jonathan Griffin comes in - he’s Hunter’s best friend’s older brother who just so happens to be pretty handy when it comes to home projects. He’s lonely himself and looking for a connection with his siblings and he finds himself volunteering to help Hunter out and spend time with him more and more as the summer goes on.

These two were super sweet. What started as an awkward friendship quickly turned into an easy friendship and attraction, then so much more. While Hunter annoyed me a bit at the beginning with his insistence on doing everything on his own, he started to grow on me the more he let Jonathan into his life. Their chemistry was immediate, whether they chose to recognize it or not, and they quickly became each other’s people throughout the summer as they worked on Hunter’s house and generally spent time together. Their love story was an easy read, even when things got difficult with Quinn, Hunter’s best friend and Jonathan’s brother. The two of them never wavered in their interest and love for each other.

I’m really curious to see how the next full length story in this series goes - Quinn had it rough in this book but also has a lot of work to do on himself before he finds his HEA, so I’m looking forward to it.

[Shelba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say that the “best friend’s brother” or “brother’s best friend” (whichever way you wanna look at it) trope is a favourite of mine, but this was highly rated by two reading buddies I (mostly) trust.

It was so nice to read such a drama free relationship. These guys were smooth sailing all the way. There was no sexual identity crisis to go with the sexual awakening, there was no 80% break up, no miscommunication. Just two people who found comfort, support and love with each other. And some really nice sex scenes, and some humour that had me chuckling a few time, too.

Not that this was drama free. There was brief parental drama (which thankfully was just a blip on the radar), and some friend drama (I think I may need to cool my heels before trying Quinn’s book).

There was very little description of either MCs. I know Hunter is short (ish?), and Jonathan is big (ish?). But, personally, as far as appearances, that’s all I really need to know. I was irked that their ages are never made apparent. I know Jonathan is 3 years old, and I assume based on math and guess work, Hunter & Quinn are 27 at the youngest. But considering I have read a book where I didn’t even know a main character’s name the entire book, I found not knowing these guys’ ages even more annoying.

I’m going to shortly jump into Brady’s novella and then see if I have enough forgiveness in my heart for Quinn.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunter and Quinn are besties and Hunter is in desperate need after a childhood with uncertain lodging and moving a lot as an adult of being in one place. He and Quinn buy a duplex and will live side by side and down the street from Quinn's older brother Jonathan. Hunter is a teacher who usually teaches summer school but this year he is taking time off to work on his house. He expects lots of time spent with Quinn as they work on their respective connected abodes but Quinn is dealing with a broken heart and depression so he winds up dropping to ball when it comes to their home improvement plans. Jonathan, the handy older brother, steps up and as Hunter and Jonathan get to know each other while they get work done on the houses they become friends and then more. This is so sweet as Hunter has noticed Jonathan and thought he was hot but did not expect that they would grow into a couple. In the end Hunter not only got the home he was longing for but he also got someone to come home to. Quinn's family, the Griffins, are such interesting secondary characters and I am looking forward to more stories about them and visits from this happy couple. Please!
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[S.B. Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starter Home follows Hunter, a teacher who recently bought a duplex with his best friend Quinn, and Quinn's older brother Jonathan, who happens to be a whiz at home repairs.

What worked for me:
-Very charmed by how into Hunter Jonathan is, especially how out and proud he is. It's very cute.
-The background of Quinn's breakdown gives the story enough meat to be engaging and interesting without any drama between the main couple, which I enjoy
-The DIY projects all sound amazing (and are finished easily and with no issue, which I wish would happen in real life
-Interesting family dynamics

What worked less for me:
-I would have liked to know more about Jonathan. At the start it seems like he's somewhat established as a craftsman but it turns out he just mows lawns for a living and at the tail end he debates going back to school. He never tells Hunter this, and he never tells Hunter he originally wanted to buy Hunter's house with Quinn. Since his whole part of the relationship is opening up and letting Hunter in this seems like a missed opportunity, but maybe it will come up in the sequel about Quinn?
-Fictional teacher who is as stressed by it as he should be but is not depicted teaching :(

I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very easy story to read. It’s full of all the feels and lots of cute moments. Hunter is a little lost after his move into his own duplex home shared with his best friend. Quinn, the best friend is having a hard time and has shut himself off from his family and best friend so Hunter finds he has a lot of time on his own. In steps Jonathan, Quinn’s older brother, he’s a huge help and finds himself in an unlikely friendship with Hunter. Practically they are the opposite to each other, Hunter is fiercely independent and wants to learn and do everything himself whereas Jonathan is a helper and likes to naturally take charge. They find an easy balance though and as they spend more time with each other the attraction grows. It’s really sweet how much they understand one another, they could do with a little better communication at times but they both were unsure of how the other felt. I loved that Jonathan was all in really from the start, he didn’t really struggle too much with his attraction to Hunter and he embraced all parts of that. The chemistry was nice and spicy. There’s a little drama as expected but it’s low level and doesn’t impact too much on the couple themselves.

It a good story and I look forward to more in the series.