Ethan

Salish Sea Society #2

by Leigh Jarrett

If he feels the same as me, he knows where to find me

Ethan

Lucky in love, I've had three blissful relationships over the past twenty years. Although none lasted, I maintained friendships with all my former partners.

But why can't I find my forever guy? Someone who can share in my passion for friends and family. And be there for me when the inky darkness envelops my sunshine.

There was one—our age gap never mattered to me. And I was so sure, he and I felt a connection, but then, without a goodbye, he was gone.

I can't shake him from my mind. My heart aches for him. I could track him down, but I already asked him to visit me when I bumped into him six months ago. I've left the decision up to him.

It feels like he might be my forever love, but I'm going to have to trust the universe on this one.

Ethan is an honest hurt/comfort romance about a member of the Salish Sea Society, a group of four best friends. This novel takes place on the rugged coast of Pacific Canada and is a story about how age is simply a number and how trust forms the base of enduring love between two men at very different stages in their lives.

Genres: M M Romance

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 16, 2024

About the author

Leigh Jarrett (she/he) is a queer, bigender author based in Victoria, British Columbia. They write MM+ contemporary romance, blending heartwarming happily-ever-afters with emotionally intense stories that explore trauma, identity, and healing.

Leigh's work often features underrepresented characters, including autistic and older protagonists, and focuses on themes of found family, resilience, and authentic queer love.

Their popular Salish Sea Society series is set on Canada's rugged west coast and showcases inclusive, deeply human connections.

With over a decade of indie publishing experience and more than two dozen titles to their name, Leigh is committed to telling meaningful, diverse stories that reflect the richness of the LGBTQ2IA+ experience.

Outside of writing, Leigh enjoys exploring Vancouver Island with their wife and building direct connections with readers through Bluesky.

Reviews

[Sharanya Hariharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

**ARC** I’ll start by saying that I adore all the MCs from the Salish sea society, and I can’t wait to be a part of all their stories. Ethan is a warm and loving MC who owns a cafe, he meets Daniel, a more mature MC and feels a certain kind of connection. Daniel is divorced, with 2 older children and is just about beginning to consider coming out. Daniel and Ethan meet on and off and finally decide to explore the possibility of a relationship. They encounter a few hurdles along the way - the age gap being one of them, Daniel more than Ethan but work around a bunch of them to find their HEA.

I loved how Ethan was so generous with his affection and how open and warm he always was, it drew me to him and just made me love him that much more! I loved the way Daniel came through and helped Ethan with his mental health which was something he struggled with. For me to like a book, I need to feel connected with the characters and I was able to feel that with both of them separately. It’s exactly what happened with Noah, it was beautiful and real.

Now, a few things that I struggled with while reading
- The daddy kink - it all seemed a bit disconnected. I like to see a build up towards particular kink and I didn’t get a sense of that while reading the book.
- The fact that Daniel said he was okay with having an open relationship with Ethan. This to me, came out of nowhere. It didn’t fit right in the relationship/story. I was so happy to see Ethan shooting that idea down, but it seemed to be a bit of an unnecessary addition. Maybe the message that the author was trying to convey was a sense of selflessness that Daniel demonstrated, a way of overcoming the age factor without giving Ethan up completely and maybe I couldn’t allow myself to see that.

I still loved it - GIVE ME LIAM!!! *Grabby hands*

[fortheloveofmmromancebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review

Ethan has had three serious relationships and all failed, what he craves is his forever man, to love and be loved.

Daniel has been divorced for seven years and has two grown up children. He is fifteen years older than Ethan, but after their brief meeting, he cannot stop thinking about him. It takes him a few months to pluck up the courage to re visit Ethans coffee shop.

Daniel wants Ethan and visa versa but they both worry about the age gap, and what other people in their lives think. Daniel has always been bi-sexual but being happily married at the time, he has never explored that side of himself. Once he and Ethan start something they must overcome heartache and outside influences to achieve their goal.

This is the second book in Leigh Jarrett’s Salish Sea Society series. I simply adored this story. The charm and uncertainty between the main characters is endearing and incredibly hot and steamy.
I read Noah (first in the series) and loved that, but always hoped the other friends would get to tell their stories. If you love an age gap, pining and plenty of steam, then pick this up today.
I am looking forward to both Liam and Owen’s stories.

“Babe, I missed you so much,” I whispered against his skin, damp beneath my lips.
He hummed against the skin by my ear. “My heart has been in agony”.

[CreativeFreake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Salish Sea Society series.

Daniel is the older of the two characters, by roughly 20 years. I didn't mind the age difference, Daniel seemed younger in my mind for some reason.. maybe because he was kinky! (Not that older people can't be kinky!)

I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship.. a bit slow but not too slow...once Daniel got over himself and came to see Ethan after a long 6 month wait! Once the relationship started solidifying the back and forth about their age difference made me want to climb in the pages and take each of them by the ear. Communication is key and it took almost the whole book before they properly communicated. For me that was the frustrating thing, which was not all that bad... romance needs angst after all :) In the end, Daniel and Ethan were able to work their way through their separation and their age difference to make a nice HEA. Their relationship was squishy and supportive when it was good and I enjoyed being a part of their world for a short time. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

You do not have to read the first in the series to understand this storyline (but you should, it's really good). I like that the side characters so much and can't wait to read their stories as well!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[hopelesslymmromantic · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

Absolutely loving this series and getting to know each member of the Salish Sea Society, a close-knit group of men who have been friends since they were teens. This book centers on Ethan. Ethan is sunshine personified. He is fun, energetic, upbeat with a caring and compassionate heart. Ethan has had multiple long-term relationships but has never found “the one.” He wants to be loved and cherished and hopes to find someone that will love all of him and stick by him when his depression overtakes his sunshine.

Ethan owns a coffee shop where he meets, and quickly becomes smitten with, Daniel. Daniel is an older man that visits the café as it is close to his work. Due to his work location moving, Daniel stops coming into the café. Ethan feels a strong connection to Daniel but is unsure if the feeling is reciprocated. Ethan casually bumps into Daniel at a local store and encourages him to come visit him at the café. It takes Daniel six months to build up the courage to visit Ethan’s coffeeshop.

Daniel is in his 50s and divorced from a woman he was married to for over 20 years. He has always been bisexual but has never explored his attraction to men. He is a father and grandfather that loves and adores his family. He quickly becomes smitten with Ethan but because of his insecurities does not believe and is uncertain that Ethan likes him.

When Ethan and Daniel finally get together it is not all sunshine and rainbows. They each have their own insecurities and uncertainties to work through in addition to the beliefs of others around them. The age gap and Daniel’s “new” bisexuality are challenges they work through individually and together.

Ethan’s upbeat and cheeky personality mixed well with Daniel’s more calm and grounding nature. Their chemistry was spicy and fun, especially with Ethan’s lacy undergarments. Their love and adoration for one another was palpable.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Salish Sea Society series, Ethan’s story. I absolutely loved the first book, with Noah and Brody, so I was really excited about this next one. However, some things about this one didn’t work well for me.
This is an age-gap, second-chance romance between Ethan, the bakery owner, and Daniel, an older man who had been married to a woman and has two children, nearly Ethan’s age. He and his ex-wife get along really well, having just grown apart and realizing they weren’t in love any more. As stated in the blurb, Ethan and Daniel had met previously and Daniel ghosted. Six months ago, they ran into each other at the grocery store, and Ethan invited Daniel to visit the bakery. Every weekend for six months Daniel gets ready to visit Ethan and every weekend he chickens out. When Daniel finally gets up the courage, they reconnect at the bakery.
Once Daniel and Ethan start getting to know each other it comes out that Daniel is a virgin when it comes to men. He’s never been with one. Neither Daniel’s ex-wife, nor his children, or his friends for that matter, know that he is bisexual. This aspect got me a little, because Daniel absolutely does not seem like he’s new to being with a man. At all. Just a heads up, there is also a Daddy kink, I guess I should have seen it coming with the age-gap but I didn’t.
Both of them
I couldn’t figure it out, did they end before on a bad note? I admit I was getting frustrated about how they actually met, as each is seriously pining for the other. The back story to that had me questioning it.
Daniel’s son, Derek, is gay and married to a man. His “coming out” is exactly how everything should be in a perfect world. “He brought his first boyfriend home to meet us when he was fourteen. Didn’t even give us a head-up that he was queer. Just...Mom. Dad. This is Justin, My boyfriend.” How I wish that everyone got that.
Ethan suffers from depression and it cost him at least one relationship (Marcus) so he is leery about telling Daniel about it. Normally, Owen, another of the Sea Society foursome and Ethan’s best friend, cares for him during these times. When Daniel is faced with an episode of Ethan’s depression, he is there for Ethan and I loved that. “I didn’t deserve anything that good. I’d been naïve and stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” Depression tells you so many things that aren’t true.
There is a lot of back and forth for both of them about the age gap, even as they both were okay with it and accepted each other as is until someone mentioned it. Then it was a problem. There is also a scene towards the end where Daniel is taking all the blame for something yet I felt like Ethan started it, so WTH?
One small quibble – “heroin” is misspelled as “heroine”. I even checked to see if it was spelled differently in Canada, but it is spelled heroin. This comes into play at the homeless shelter, where Ethan brings leftover bakery. Lucas, the addict Ethan sees, is so real of a character and unfortunately his backstory can happen all too quickly, to anyone.
It was lovely to see the Salish Society men again, especially Noah and Brody, who are now planning their wedding. I adore Brody so much. But I was shocked at this tight-knit, always supportive group and how they reacted to Ethan and Daniel. I was downright pissed about it. “You love him” Liam said, but you might want to rethink this relationship.” Like, what??? Especially coming from Noah, who has a boyfriend with a disability and had nothing but support about it. “What are his last ten years going to look like? Will you become his caregiver? …Do you want to tie yourself down like that?” Yes, Daniel is in his 50s, and Ethan is 15 years younger, but you’d think he was 93 and Ethan 23, the way people were acting. From the Salish Sea Society (who honestly should have been better) to Daniel’s ex-wife, to Daniel’s major bitch of a daughter, the reactions were not good. I actually rolled my eyes when Liam has a problem, and Ethan tells him, “No, one will judge…no matter what you did.” Because I felt like they were judging and judging hard. . I felt like Ethan forgave his friends for their judgy, horrible reactions way too quickly. That was absolutely not the Salish Sea Society I met in the first book.
Daniel had a very traumatic childhood, and his mother is now suffering from dementia. There are some aspects of that relationship that I also questioned. The dementia aspect was spot on. It’s so devastating how much a loved one's personality changes with dementia.
So I liked parts of this and other parts not so much. I am looking forward to the next book, which I am thinking will be Liam’s.

[Babara-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER BUT TRUST IS A TWO WAY STREET!💕🩷💜💙

The second book of the series gives us the free spirited coffee shop owner- Ethan and his Zaddy- Daniel…

“Once he finally admits our strong connection, he knows where to find me”

Ethan 36 has never felt such a deep connection with a man like he does with one of his patrons, an older handsome gentleman by the name of Daniel 56 but it seems he needs a little push…

A baby Bi awakens after twenty two years of marriage to a woman and nearly seven celibate years of divorce- Daniel Gregory attempts to date a younger man for the first time- the gorgeous kind and warm hearted, sassy coffee shop owner Daniel…

This is their poignant, sweet emotional journey to finding that forever love that first encumbers their lives with difficulties and insecurities such as trusting in each other with open communication and not listening to outside influences regarding their age differences with a supporting found family of the Salish Sea Society and Ethan’s family!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
ARC


Age gap
Dirty talking bottom
Daddy kink
Bi-awakening



Book 2 of Salish Sea Society was a good read! I love Ethan and Daniel. More so Ethan. I didn’t particularly like how Ethan would speak in detail about his sex life to his friends, and then when he mentioned the nude photos to his assistant. I just think that was a bit much. It was giving TMI. I understand they’re a tight-knit friend group, but they are grown men. Just talking about their sex lives in details made me envision them as teenagers, in those times.

Daniel is the older one of the two by fifteen years. He’s divorced with grown children. It took a bit for me to start liking Daniel. I’m not exactly sure why. The “daddy” kink did become relatively cringy. Things weren’t easygoing between them. There was the age gap. Both have insecurities. They ended up working through those.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

[Reading Rommance · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5. This was a fun addition to the Salish Sea Society books. Ethan is a cutie. He is fun, kind, outgoing, and he has no filter, however, he also suffers from depression. Daniel is kind, thoughtful, and sweet, however, he has a past, too. And a present, actually, when thinking about his mom. The age gap was fun and I appreciate how it was handled. It wasn't an issue for these two, but it was for others, which led to strain in the relationship. I thought they had fun together and felt similarly aged for the most part. I love seeing the rest of the Society, too. And Daniel helping Ethan through his depression was wonderful.

Notes: 2/5 spice levels, age gap, baker mc, depression, mental health rep, family trauma, daddy, divorced mc, single dad, lingerie

[Bookworm_acre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet and slow-blooming romance between two men that shows that while age can be a reason, it can't stop you from falling in love. Ethan is a young man who owns a cafe where he meets Daniel, a man in his 50s who is divorced from a woman and is the father of two children who are almost Ethan's age.

When they get together, they have to overcome many difficulties, their own insecurities, and the fact that not everyone supports their relationship.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a nice age difference, a shared awakening, and a slow-blooming romance. Ethan, Book 2 of Salish Sea Society, can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the series so you get to know the group of four best friends from the start.

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Salish Sea Society series, and while it can easily be read on its own, I loved catching small glimpses of the friend group from Noah. It gives the series such a warm, interconnected feel, like these men are all part of something bigger than just their individual love stories. I really appreciated how the story handled the age gap and Daniel’s late-in-life exploration of his bisexuality. It wasn’t just about attraction but about vulnerability, acceptance, and learning to let love in despite fears and expectations. The Pacific Northwest setting adds a lovely, peaceful backdrop to their emotional journey.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[RN · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really sweet romance between the youthful, exuberant, apparently no boundaries Ethan, and the older Daniel, previously married to a woman, and with children almost as old as Ethan. They get along amazingly, but the age gap is significant - about 20 years - and the two men are forced to acknowledge the realities that come with such a large age gap. They respond to the dilemma of the large age gap from different perspectives due to being in different stages of their life. But when the person is right for you, they’re right for you, age gap or no, so can they work this out?
I really enjoyed this book.

[Rhonda Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan and Daniel's story will immediately hook you with their journey of: Age Gap, Daddy Kink,
Acceptance from family, Bi-Awakening and of course the awesome friends of the Salish Sea to help along the way. I fell in love with Ethan's character immediately..he charmed his way into my heart..Daniel took while to win me over...but he did and I see how he complimented Ethan so well. Story well written, tugs at your heart, but oh what a great read about family struggles dealing with life issues. Highly recommended!!

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion.

[Arllau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great continuation of the lives of the four friends of the Salish Sea Society. This book is just as sweet with a little more angst than the first. Ethan and Daniel are perfect for each other and prove an age gap has no bearing on love. I enjoy the natural and realistic emotions of all the characters and how one must deal with them. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt for Ethan who has had a good run but not quite found the one until he thought he did. And then the real wait begins as they work on finding their rhythm with one another. Both are good guys at slightly different phases in their development but good guys who have a bit of work to do to get to their HEA.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amanda Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan is the second book in the Salish Sea Society series, it is a standalone but the first book was also great so I recommend it. This is a slow burn, age gap, hurt/comfort book about older man Daniel and coffee shop owner Ethan, who have to work hard together to get their HEA. I am loving this group of friends and can't wait for the next one.

[Lyn Solomon-Linville · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I love how these men tell each other everything, and in doing so are telling us as well. And Brody, I wish I had an honest friend like this. I especially, being a rider myself loved the equestrian part of this book, since there is a lack of male riders in literature. Ethan and Daniel. So complicated.

[Sandy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Age doesn't mean anything it's just a number for Ethan and Daniel. They find what they need in each other. They are so sweet and gooey for each other. I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two of the Salish sea society series and is another wonderful read, this is Ethan and Daniel’s story and we get an age gap story that has plenty of sweetness and some angst and I get wait to read Liam”s story next.

[Cristy Elizondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and romantic read with a lot of sexy times. I love these guys. They melted my heart. Can't wait for the other two to find their forever loves.

[SC · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

[camms.bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethan

This was a great read! Once I started it I couldn’t put it down. The MC’s both very lovable. A great installment in the society.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the story and the characters. But again, the writing needs polishing and editing for overloaded content. Jarrett’s good heart shows through.

[Yvonne M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Leigh brings us into this world. I can’t wait to see what happens to these men next.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ethan story was sweet and warm, although his romance with Daniel didn't grip me inn as did Noah's.

[Amanda Grange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Ethan! He needs all the hugs! This book was just so beautiful! My heart hurts a little for him, but Daniel was exactly what he needed.

[Lena Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

NR