What do you think?
Rate this book
Words We Never Said #1
Knowing You
"Oh my God, Briar! Where did you get that prosthetic leg?" Things as a parent Lane thought he'd never say for four hundred, Alex. But that’s par for the course in Lane Ashbury’s life considering everything is on the verge of falling apart. He not only has a toddler building her skills as a professional klepto, but he’s also on the verge of divorce, and hoping desperately to save his business before it goes under. Luckily, the owner of the stolen leg might just be an angel in disguise when he offers to be Lane’s new nanny instead of pressing charges. The whole thing would be perfect if Bowen Galanos didn’t make Lane feel things. If he didn’t make Lane question everything he thought he knew about himself every time Bowen's touch lingered just a little too long. And when Bowen offers some no-strings benefits to their friendship to see if maybe Lane’s not as straight as he thought, Lane finds it impossible to say no. I mean, it’s not like he’s going to realize he’s madly in love with his nanny, right? That would be absurd. That would be ridiculous. And knowing him, that would be exactly his luck.Knowing You is the first book in a light-hearted, single-dads romance series. It features a toddler with sticky fingers, a tired dad who just wants to be loved, a former stunt actor who craves to be needed, Henry Cavill man crushes, a hint of sweet, a twist of angst, a steamy bisexual awakening, and the happiest of happily ever afters.
270 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2024
548 people are currently reading
794 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Lindsey
143 books1,375 followersE.M. Lindsey is the author of MM contemporary romance. She presently lives and works in the southeastern United States.
EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.
EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
Read
April 28, 2025Quitting at 30% because I can’t stand one of the MCs. And his kid, either.
I just… can’t. I’m listening to the book and I feel how angry I’m getting. That’s not how romances should make you feel.
I mean… we have Bowen. Bowen lost his leg while working as a stuntman, and moved in with his brother named Adele (why??? Why name him Adele?). Then one fine day, a 3yo (the neighbour’s kid) steals and absconds with his prosthetic leg. Said 3yo has already been there (without her father noticing), stealing all kinds of things, but Bowen always brings her back to the porch without knocking to tell her father about it. Said neighbour is Lane, and after the leg incident, Bowen starts working as a nanny for Lane.
Here’s an example of a thing that made me roll my eyes hard (and that ultimately led to me dnf-ing):
Lane, after hearing that is 3yo shoplifted (again) and threw a tantrum (again):
“I’m probably going to need to get her a psychiatrist or something.” He sat back and covered his face with both hands. “I don’t know how I screwed up so badly.” “You didn’t,” Bowen said.
Yes you did, Lane. Big time. Children at that age don’t just randomly shoplift and steal, and if your wife wasn’t at home for 2 years, that means it’s all on you. Sorry for being so blunt. I know (and had) kids that age. Never in a million years would it be ok to behave like that. It’s not cute. It’s not funny. At that age, it’s the lack of parenting.
On top of that, she spoke like a 2yo toddler. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember 3 1/2 yo talking like that:
“Hey there. Can I help with anything?” she asked.
Briar spun and pointed her finger. “I want titties.”
Bowen almost choked on his own tongue. “Uh…”
The baker’s cheeks darkened with color. “Sorry, sweetie. You want what?”
“Tiddies. I want some tiddies.”
Briar’s voice got louder and louder, and Bowen became very aware that there were people nearby. Staring. Briar leaned forward as far as she could and managed to tap the glass over a row of sugar cookies.
“Dis one. Tiddies.”
“I think she’s saying…cookies?”
I mean… I guess it’s supposed to be cute?
Also, Lane might be a silver fox/restaurant owner, but he’s also a doormat. And I don’t even mean only the way his absentee wife treats him - his daughter, and even his clients seem to walk all over him.
How am I supposed to root for a character like that?
And for those of you saying that I should focus on the romance: the entire plot is built around the kid (Bowen IS her nanny after all), so you don’t get a chapter without her being “cute” and moody and misunderstood and the adults trying to work around her temper tantrums.
No. Just…. No. Maybe I’m too harsh, and too invested, but I’m not spending time (and emotions) on a book that makes me mad.
Dnf at 30%, no rating.
I just… can’t. I’m listening to the book and I feel how angry I’m getting. That’s not how romances should make you feel.
I mean… we have Bowen. Bowen lost his leg while working as a stuntman, and moved in with his brother named Adele (why??? Why name him Adele?). Then one fine day, a 3yo (the neighbour’s kid) steals and absconds with his prosthetic leg. Said 3yo has already been there (without her father noticing), stealing all kinds of things, but Bowen always brings her back to the porch without knocking to tell her father about it. Said neighbour is Lane, and after the leg incident, Bowen starts working as a nanny for Lane.
Here’s an example of a thing that made me roll my eyes hard (and that ultimately led to me dnf-ing):
Lane, after hearing that is 3yo shoplifted (again) and threw a tantrum (again):
“I’m probably going to need to get her a psychiatrist or something.” He sat back and covered his face with both hands. “I don’t know how I screwed up so badly.” “You didn’t,” Bowen said.
Yes you did, Lane. Big time. Children at that age don’t just randomly shoplift and steal, and if your wife wasn’t at home for 2 years, that means it’s all on you. Sorry for being so blunt. I know (and had) kids that age. Never in a million years would it be ok to behave like that. It’s not cute. It’s not funny. At that age, it’s the lack of parenting.
On top of that, she spoke like a 2yo toddler. I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember 3 1/2 yo talking like that:
“Hey there. Can I help with anything?” she asked.
Briar spun and pointed her finger. “I want titties.”
Bowen almost choked on his own tongue. “Uh…”
The baker’s cheeks darkened with color. “Sorry, sweetie. You want what?”
“Tiddies. I want some tiddies.”
Briar’s voice got louder and louder, and Bowen became very aware that there were people nearby. Staring. Briar leaned forward as far as she could and managed to tap the glass over a row of sugar cookies.
“Dis one. Tiddies.”
“I think she’s saying…cookies?”
I mean… I guess it’s supposed to be cute?
Also, Lane might be a silver fox/restaurant owner, but he’s also a doormat. And I don’t even mean only the way his absentee wife treats him - his daughter, and even his clients seem to walk all over him.
How am I supposed to root for a character like that?
And for those of you saying that I should focus on the romance: the entire plot is built around the kid (Bowen IS her nanny after all), so you don’t get a chapter without her being “cute” and moody and misunderstood and the adults trying to work around her temper tantrums.
No. Just…. No. Maybe I’m too harsh, and too invested, but I’m not spending time (and emotions) on a book that makes me mad.
Dnf at 30%, no rating.
July 15, 2024
This was weird... a bad weird 🤔
April 12, 2024
DNF 30%, but this ain't getting better.
OK, can we start with the basic, "who are the characters of this novel?" question? Because, wow, I didn't expect to have to wonder, "why does the main character's brother have the name Adele, and, oh, shit, did this just not get edited because it was gonna be a sister?" Bowen's brother Adele (short for Adelaide) is a firefighter with a kid from a previous marriage. I don't *care* that Adele has a female name, except that it makes it harder to keep up at first (the internet helpfully suggests Adlai as a man's name that's similar, but I don't know that naming a character after a presidential candidate from the '50s helps). But then at the beginning of chapter 7, we start using female pronouns for Adelaide. And I'm just, "what?" I want to be clear that I would be *fine* if Adelaide were bigender, but ... I think this is just badly edited on top of everything else. My friend who was also reading this was thinking Adele might be trans (he apparently can't father children), but "trans" doesn't appear in the book. I dunno.
[EDITED TO ADD: I am helpfully corrected in the comments below: Adelaide and Adele are not the same person; the former is a female chef who works for Lane and the latter is a male firefighter who lives next door. Yeah. That helps, but everything else I hate about this book I still hate, and having two characters, both with female names, one of which is a nickname for the other, where in fact they're different and one is a man, just ... please stop.]
Oh, and in chapter 6: Adele's definitely a cis dude, because somehow his experience being pegged by his ex is something we need to discuss: “Look, I’m not the kind of guy who makes assumptions. I mean, no one assumes I really liked when my ex-wife pegged me.” Uh, ok, so, I'm going to go out on a limb here and note: 1) everyone in this book makes *way* too many assumptions, 2) probably all of your friends do assume you really liked being pegged, because my guess is that you wouldn't stop oversharing about it, 3) really, if some cis straight dude you know told you that he got pegged, *wouldn't you assume that he really liked it?* (I mean, unless he said, "man, my weird ex-wife really liked playing with my butt, and one time, she even put a dildo in there. Ouch! Did not like!", or the like.) Like, your ex's dildo didn't magically go into your butt, and presumably you had alternative ways to enjoy sex with her, so if you worked up to her pegging you, there were tons of off-ramps along the way if it wasn't for you. If you got to the point of getting pegged, you probably liked the pre-pegging activities; liking being pegged isn't too surprising. The thing "no one assumes" is that your ex pegged you. Except, again, I'm gonna guess you told everyone, and now they think, "that Adele, I wonder how he's dealing now that his ex isn't pegging him anymore." Fortunately, you're in a bad romance novel series, so maybe your book is next, and you'll find some nice femme guy who still wants to fuck you with a real dick.
Anyhow, while we're on, "who are the characters?": Adele's son Gage is adopted. Which leads to this internal monologue inside Lane (the other MC besides Bowen): “Lane had never wanted to assume Gage’s race, but it was obvious he was Asian, and it hadn’t come from either of his parents.” So, like, he didn't want to assume, but, well, he assumed. Cool story. My partner and I joked that this moved from "I don't want to be racist" to "don't make me be racist" to "you made me be racist" very quickly.
OK, now that I've got that off my chest: what the hell is up with these pseudo-profound bullshit conversations in this book?! They insta-bond over, like, less than nothing. After first meeting Lane, Bowen thinks, "Lane might make a great friend—probably an amazing boyfriend." But all he knows about Lane at this point is "nice rich dude who's barely able to mind his kid". Much more real would be, "he thought Lane was hot, if a little naïve, and maybe he'd find out that he wasn't a clueless idiot if they got to know each other."
And again, after Bowen tells Lane his leg blew up in a movie stunt accident, Lane, like most humans (and 100% of Canadians!) responds, "I'm so sorry." Except, you know, he does it *right*:
"and he sounded it. His words were genuine, not the horrified pity that most people used when they said those three words. Bowen had no idea what to do with that."
WHAT? THEY ARE THREE WORDS. YOU CAN'T INTERPRET ok, I'll stop shouting. Anyhow, 1) over the entire course of the time since Bowen lost his leg, people have responded in a pile of different ways, ranging from helpful to (presumably much more common) useless or worse. Some have been helpful. Bowen has experienced this. He knows what to do with this. 2) This is literally the most banal three words that can happen. If he lived in Canada, he'd hear people use them in response to problems of his own making. 3) how do you magically interpret three words into the good way of being told them and the bad way?!
I'm imagining five years later: "how did you know Lane was The One?" "Well, he was sincere when he told me he was sorry about my leg getting blown up." "Uh... [backs away slowly]."
So, okay, our characters are into each other, because who doesn't love a hot silver-daddy chef with a weird not-quite-single status (I'm just not even gonna with Lane's marriage) and a kid who's not controllable? And Bowen can get into his hot silver-daddy boss's pants while Lane figures out he's bisexual. Great! Except, uh, the first night Bowen works for Lane is just ... weird? Sure, Super Nanny Saves The Day but [correctly!] puts up a boundary about bath time for the three-year-old. But then, before they figure out what Bowen's job is, how much Lane is going to pay him, and so on, Lane needs to cover the first night: "Then he dug into his pocket and shoved a wad of bills into Bowen’s hand. “If it’s not enough, I’ll pay you more tomorrow.”" Nope. Lane doesn't have "a wad of bills" (how would he? he barely leaves the house! also, can I introduce you to the concept of the wallet?), and he's also A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. Ugh. None of this happened. It's problematic as a boss-employee relationship, and Bowen (who seems to be pretty aware of wanting normalized finance relationships with his incipient boss while also wanting to bang him) would almost surely have counted the money, said, "how about you pay me $30/hr for tonight and I take $120 of this and we figure out how we're going to do this for real tomorrow?" Or even, "this is complicated; can you just Venmo me $120?"
So that didn't happen.
And then we have the bit where Lane starts talking about divorcing his absentee wife, and he, you know, talks to his employees on a Zoom call about this while his excitable kid's in the room. I reread that three times to see, "does the kid leave the room?" Nope, he's on his headphones, but he's both dropping F-bombs and talking about dumping his wife in front of the kid. Totally routine responsible behaviour.
So.
We've got a book full of, "I don't think that happened", an incipient relationship that's going to be complicated, but not for interesting reasons, a side character whose gender changes on the author's whim, and, oh yes, a kleptomaniac kid who steals M&Ms, fights with the nanny over giving them back, and somehow the packages of M&Ms don't tear during the melee.
I think I'm done with this.
OK, can we start with the basic, "who are the characters of this novel?" question? Because, wow, I didn't expect to have to wonder, "why does the main character's brother have the name Adele, and, oh, shit, did this just not get edited because it was gonna be a sister?" Bowen's brother Adele (short for Adelaide) is a firefighter with a kid from a previous marriage. I don't *care* that Adele has a female name, except that it makes it harder to keep up at first (the internet helpfully suggests Adlai as a man's name that's similar, but I don't know that naming a character after a presidential candidate from the '50s helps). But then at the beginning of chapter 7, we start using female pronouns for Adelaide. And I'm just, "what?" I want to be clear that I would be *fine* if Adelaide were bigender, but ... I think this is just badly edited on top of everything else. My friend who was also reading this was thinking Adele might be trans (he apparently can't father children), but "trans" doesn't appear in the book. I dunno.
[EDITED TO ADD: I am helpfully corrected in the comments below: Adelaide and Adele are not the same person; the former is a female chef who works for Lane and the latter is a male firefighter who lives next door. Yeah. That helps, but everything else I hate about this book I still hate, and having two characters, both with female names, one of which is a nickname for the other, where in fact they're different and one is a man, just ... please stop.]
Oh, and in chapter 6: Adele's definitely a cis dude, because somehow his experience being pegged by his ex is something we need to discuss: “Look, I’m not the kind of guy who makes assumptions. I mean, no one assumes I really liked when my ex-wife pegged me.” Uh, ok, so, I'm going to go out on a limb here and note: 1) everyone in this book makes *way* too many assumptions, 2) probably all of your friends do assume you really liked being pegged, because my guess is that you wouldn't stop oversharing about it, 3) really, if some cis straight dude you know told you that he got pegged, *wouldn't you assume that he really liked it?* (I mean, unless he said, "man, my weird ex-wife really liked playing with my butt, and one time, she even put a dildo in there. Ouch! Did not like!", or the like.) Like, your ex's dildo didn't magically go into your butt, and presumably you had alternative ways to enjoy sex with her, so if you worked up to her pegging you, there were tons of off-ramps along the way if it wasn't for you. If you got to the point of getting pegged, you probably liked the pre-pegging activities; liking being pegged isn't too surprising. The thing "no one assumes" is that your ex pegged you. Except, again, I'm gonna guess you told everyone, and now they think, "that Adele, I wonder how he's dealing now that his ex isn't pegging him anymore." Fortunately, you're in a bad romance novel series, so maybe your book is next, and you'll find some nice femme guy who still wants to fuck you with a real dick.
Anyhow, while we're on, "who are the characters?": Adele's son Gage is adopted. Which leads to this internal monologue inside Lane (the other MC besides Bowen): “Lane had never wanted to assume Gage’s race, but it was obvious he was Asian, and it hadn’t come from either of his parents.” So, like, he didn't want to assume, but, well, he assumed. Cool story. My partner and I joked that this moved from "I don't want to be racist" to "don't make me be racist" to "you made me be racist" very quickly.
OK, now that I've got that off my chest: what the hell is up with these pseudo-profound bullshit conversations in this book?! They insta-bond over, like, less than nothing. After first meeting Lane, Bowen thinks, "Lane might make a great friend—probably an amazing boyfriend." But all he knows about Lane at this point is "nice rich dude who's barely able to mind his kid". Much more real would be, "he thought Lane was hot, if a little naïve, and maybe he'd find out that he wasn't a clueless idiot if they got to know each other."
And again, after Bowen tells Lane his leg blew up in a movie stunt accident, Lane, like most humans (and 100% of Canadians!) responds, "I'm so sorry." Except, you know, he does it *right*:
"and he sounded it. His words were genuine, not the horrified pity that most people used when they said those three words. Bowen had no idea what to do with that."
WHAT? THEY ARE THREE WORDS. YOU CAN'T INTERPRET ok, I'll stop shouting. Anyhow, 1) over the entire course of the time since Bowen lost his leg, people have responded in a pile of different ways, ranging from helpful to (presumably much more common) useless or worse. Some have been helpful. Bowen has experienced this. He knows what to do with this. 2) This is literally the most banal three words that can happen. If he lived in Canada, he'd hear people use them in response to problems of his own making. 3) how do you magically interpret three words into the good way of being told them and the bad way?!
I'm imagining five years later: "how did you know Lane was The One?" "Well, he was sincere when he told me he was sorry about my leg getting blown up." "Uh... [backs away slowly]."
So, okay, our characters are into each other, because who doesn't love a hot silver-daddy chef with a weird not-quite-single status (I'm just not even gonna with Lane's marriage) and a kid who's not controllable? And Bowen can get into his hot silver-daddy boss's pants while Lane figures out he's bisexual. Great! Except, uh, the first night Bowen works for Lane is just ... weird? Sure, Super Nanny Saves The Day but [correctly!] puts up a boundary about bath time for the three-year-old. But then, before they figure out what Bowen's job is, how much Lane is going to pay him, and so on, Lane needs to cover the first night: "Then he dug into his pocket and shoved a wad of bills into Bowen’s hand. “If it’s not enough, I’ll pay you more tomorrow.”" Nope. Lane doesn't have "a wad of bills" (how would he? he barely leaves the house! also, can I introduce you to the concept of the wallet?), and he's also A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. Ugh. None of this happened. It's problematic as a boss-employee relationship, and Bowen (who seems to be pretty aware of wanting normalized finance relationships with his incipient boss while also wanting to bang him) would almost surely have counted the money, said, "how about you pay me $30/hr for tonight and I take $120 of this and we figure out how we're going to do this for real tomorrow?" Or even, "this is complicated; can you just Venmo me $120?"
So that didn't happen.
And then we have the bit where Lane starts talking about divorcing his absentee wife, and he, you know, talks to his employees on a Zoom call about this while his excitable kid's in the room. I reread that three times to see, "does the kid leave the room?" Nope, he's on his headphones, but he's both dropping F-bombs and talking about dumping his wife in front of the kid. Totally routine responsible behaviour.
So.
We've got a book full of, "I don't think that happened", an incipient relationship that's going to be complicated, but not for interesting reasons, a side character whose gender changes on the author's whim, and, oh yes, a kleptomaniac kid who steals M&Ms, fights with the nanny over giving them back, and somehow the packages of M&Ms don't tear during the melee.
I think I'm done with this.
April 9, 2024
5 stars
I adored this story, it already became one of my favourite from E.M. Lindsey.
It was romantic, sweet, emotional, with just a little bit of angst that kept my attention and prevented me from putting the book down until I finished it.
Both Bowen and Lane are such a good men, both had toxic partners but while Bowen put his cheating ex boyfriend behind his back, Lane is still dealing with his awful absent wife/soon-to-be-ex. They're neighbours and they met after Briar, Lane's 3 years old daughter, stole Bowen's prosthetic leg (Briar is a little menace but also vey adorable).
What I loved:
Bowen's relationship with Briar: he was hired as a nanny, but he was never only that, he loved that little girl since she started coming to his backyard and they bonded like father/daughter. Bowen was her fierce protector, I loved how affectionate he was.
Bowen and Lane friendship: it was sweet, strong, simple, they could hug and touch each other without being weird about it, they call each other best friends and they really were close.
The sex scenes: they were intimate, emotional, tender. Bowen and Lane never kept their feelings out of the bedroom, it was never an experiment or just a release. It's always been because of love.
Bowen's disability: it was all very realistic, Bowen's insecurities, his pain, Lane's reassurance and even the hilarious parts (where he run outside forgetting to have taken his leg off). Lindsey always had this extraordinary ability to portray disabilities in such a respectful and thrutful way.
The Single Dads Club: I adored how they had each other's backs, I look forward to all their stories.
Two of my bookish pet peeves were present in this book, miscommunication and the meddling female best friend, but the author handled them beautifully: when Lane realises he's in love with Bowen, he's upfront about it and same does Bowen, he doesn't let Lane push him away and he bares his feelings too. They're both very brave, despite being also scared.
About the best friend meddling, Adelaide, she's very cool but she crossed some boundaries by setting Lane up for a date he did not want and I'm very glad he didn't hold back.
Sometimes you need to let people to feel bad for meddling somewhere they weren't invited. (cit. Frey)
I would have loved an epilogue a little far in the future but I believe these MCs will be present in the next books as well so I'll have the chance to meet them again.
Absolutely recommended
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
I adored this story, it already became one of my favourite from E.M. Lindsey.
It was romantic, sweet, emotional, with just a little bit of angst that kept my attention and prevented me from putting the book down until I finished it.
Both Bowen and Lane are such a good men, both had toxic partners but while Bowen put his cheating ex boyfriend behind his back, Lane is still dealing with his awful absent wife/soon-to-be-ex. They're neighbours and they met after Briar, Lane's 3 years old daughter, stole Bowen's prosthetic leg (Briar is a little menace but also vey adorable).
What I loved:
Bowen's relationship with Briar: he was hired as a nanny, but he was never only that, he loved that little girl since she started coming to his backyard and they bonded like father/daughter. Bowen was her fierce protector, I loved how affectionate he was.
Bowen and Lane friendship: it was sweet, strong, simple, they could hug and touch each other without being weird about it, they call each other best friends and they really were close.
The sex scenes: they were intimate, emotional, tender. Bowen and Lane never kept their feelings out of the bedroom, it was never an experiment or just a release. It's always been because of love.
Bowen's disability: it was all very realistic, Bowen's insecurities, his pain, Lane's reassurance and even the hilarious parts (where he run outside forgetting to have taken his leg off). Lindsey always had this extraordinary ability to portray disabilities in such a respectful and thrutful way.
The Single Dads Club: I adored how they had each other's backs, I look forward to all their stories.
Two of my bookish pet peeves were present in this book, miscommunication and the meddling female best friend, but the author handled them beautifully: when Lane realises he's in love with Bowen, he's upfront about it and same does Bowen, he doesn't let Lane push him away and he bares his feelings too. They're both very brave, despite being also scared.
About the best friend meddling, Adelaide, she's very cool but she crossed some boundaries by setting Lane up for a date he did not want and I'm very glad he didn't hold back.
Sometimes you need to let people to feel bad for meddling somewhere they weren't invited. (cit. Frey)
I would have loved an epilogue a little far in the future but I believe these MCs will be present in the next books as well so I'll have the chance to meet them again.
Absolutely recommended
I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.
November 8, 2025
Any review I write for this would merely be a description. A silver fox falls for his manny. That's it. That's the book.
Okay, there's other stuff. The silver fox, Lane, starts out thinking he's straight. Has a wife who's been on 'vacation' for two years - that's right, folks. Two years. Left him with a two year old and went on a never ending spa retreat that HE'S STILL PAYING FOR, for some reason (ahem, doormat).
Doormat is also raising a gifted kleptomaniac toddler. To be fair, I liked that this child isn't the usual precocious, says things wise beyond her years type.
She's out here throwing routine tantrums and stealing any and everything she can get her hands on. Neighbor's garden frog sculptures, supermarket skittles, hot neighbor's prosthetic leg, you name it.
Anyway. When the guy says he's overwhelmed and feels like he's not managing being a married yet single father, you see the child and think....yeah, I see what you mean.
No complaints about the other MC, Bowen.
I liked that he said(to himself) when he was younger, he used to daydream of getting an older sugar daddy who'd take on his bills and keep him as a house husband😂
Dream - Unlocked.
Meanwhile when he talks to Lane he's all 'I WANT to contribute' 💀like Bowen, Bowen. You already admitted your secret fantasy to the reader. I promise you don't need to sell this 😂
Just let your restaurateur daddy look after you. You know you want to.
Hell, HE wants to. Mad at his absentee wife for bailing and sticking him with the bills but he's now at the exact latitude and longitude to say he's made a good living for himself and can afford to have a partner with a non traditional job.
I get it, though. In one situation he had no say and in the other, it's discussed long before it happens so that makes all the difference.
Sounds like a match made in heaven on both sides.
Plus the kid gets a full time parent and let me tell you, far be it for me to judge a toddler (for existing in a romance novel, sure, but once they're there there's not much to be done about it so I adapt) but if any kid needs full time parenting, it's this one.
Curiously, I'm interested in reading about the manny's brother, who for some reason is called Adele, finding love with his best friend. At least I hope that's what's coming. Because as a man called Adele, the least he deserves is to find love.
And finding it with his best friend seems like a painless way to ensure that he doesn't have to explain to any new people he might meet why his mother named him Adele.
Boo to that man's mother. Because wut?
Why?!
Okay, there's other stuff. The silver fox, Lane, starts out thinking he's straight. Has a wife who's been on 'vacation' for two years - that's right, folks. Two years. Left him with a two year old and went on a never ending spa retreat that HE'S STILL PAYING FOR, for some reason (ahem, doormat).
Doormat is also raising a gifted kleptomaniac toddler. To be fair, I liked that this child isn't the usual precocious, says things wise beyond her years type.
She's out here throwing routine tantrums and stealing any and everything she can get her hands on. Neighbor's garden frog sculptures, supermarket skittles, hot neighbor's prosthetic leg, you name it.
Anyway. When the guy says he's overwhelmed and feels like he's not managing being a married yet single father, you see the child and think....yeah, I see what you mean.
No complaints about the other MC, Bowen.
I liked that he said(to himself) when he was younger, he used to daydream of getting an older sugar daddy who'd take on his bills and keep him as a house husband😂
Dream - Unlocked.
Meanwhile when he talks to Lane he's all 'I WANT to contribute' 💀like Bowen, Bowen. You already admitted your secret fantasy to the reader. I promise you don't need to sell this 😂
Just let your restaurateur daddy look after you. You know you want to.
Hell, HE wants to. Mad at his absentee wife for bailing and sticking him with the bills but he's now at the exact latitude and longitude to say he's made a good living for himself and can afford to have a partner with a non traditional job.
I get it, though. In one situation he had no say and in the other, it's discussed long before it happens so that makes all the difference.
Sounds like a match made in heaven on both sides.
Plus the kid gets a full time parent and let me tell you, far be it for me to judge a toddler (for existing in a romance novel, sure, but once they're there there's not much to be done about it so I adapt) but if any kid needs full time parenting, it's this one.
Curiously, I'm interested in reading about the manny's brother, who for some reason is called Adele, finding love with his best friend. At least I hope that's what's coming. Because as a man called Adele, the least he deserves is to find love.
And finding it with his best friend seems like a painless way to ensure that he doesn't have to explain to any new people he might meet why his mother named him Adele.
Boo to that man's mother. Because wut?
Why?!
April 12, 2024
I’m not sure the author has met many 3-almost-4-year-olds. The 2.5yo i nanny could talk circles around Briar and is somehow more logical and well behaved—and she’s TWO. Granted briar hasn’t had the most stable upbringing, but every scene she was in grated on me because that’s not how 4yos usually talk unless they’re speech delayed—and if that was so that should be at least mentioned if not addressed on page. Honestly that’s the main reason for the 3 stars, i mostly liked the main characters and may or may not keep reading based on what i know about the side characters. EM is usually a total win for me, and parts of this were amazing like their other books, but overall it left me kind of grumpy.
April 18, 2024
* 4 stars *
Second chance romance between a former stuntman and a restaurant owner.
The story spans over a few months which was just perfect for the plot.
Lane is in a toxic marriage with an abusive woman and they have a daughter, Briar, that he raises alone. He's at a point where he begins to accept that he's basically a single parent in a bad marriage and finding the will to do something about it.
Bowen is going through some big changes in his life. His relationship has ended, his career is on pause and he has to learn how to live with only one leg. He's staying with his brother and nephew as a transitional phase until he finds something more permanent.
As it happens, Bowen's brother is Lane's neighbor, they meet under some unusual circumstances and start talking. Bowen ends up becoming Briar's nanny and developing a friendship with Lane.
I liked that they didn't rush into anything. They behaved rationally and thought through what they were doing. They thought of the consequences of their actions and kept in mind those around them. That's not to say that they made decisions to please others, just that they were conscious of their surroundings.
I liked this story and I hope some of the side characters will also find their HEAs.
~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~
Second chance romance between a former stuntman and a restaurant owner.
The story spans over a few months which was just perfect for the plot.
Lane is in a toxic marriage with an abusive woman and they have a daughter, Briar, that he raises alone. He's at a point where he begins to accept that he's basically a single parent in a bad marriage and finding the will to do something about it.
Bowen is going through some big changes in his life. His relationship has ended, his career is on pause and he has to learn how to live with only one leg. He's staying with his brother and nephew as a transitional phase until he finds something more permanent.
As it happens, Bowen's brother is Lane's neighbor, they meet under some unusual circumstances and start talking. Bowen ends up becoming Briar's nanny and developing a friendship with Lane.
I liked that they didn't rush into anything. They behaved rationally and thought through what they were doing. They thought of the consequences of their actions and kept in mind those around them. That's not to say that they made decisions to please others, just that they were conscious of their surroundings.
I liked this story and I hope some of the side characters will also find their HEAs.
~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~
September 16, 2024
Another wonderful book by E. M. Lindsey. I love the way they write. Sometimes I love the way an author writes because the story just flows for me. Sometimes I’m not crazy about the writing,but the story is so wonderful I don’t care. With E. M. Lindsey I love both.
This book had so many of my favorite things. I love a single dad. Even with the crazy ex wife Lane was a wonderful character. Actually, the supporting characters really sparked my interest so I think I’ll have to read Frey’s story right away.
This book had so many of my favorite things. I love a single dad. Even with the crazy ex wife Lane was a wonderful character. Actually, the supporting characters really sparked my interest so I think I’ll have to read Frey’s story right away.
Read
April 18, 2024DNF @ 41%.
There's slow burn and there's these guys. I also couldn't get over how much of a doormat Lane was, how he let his ex-wife walk all over him - not to mention attempt to bleed him dry financially for over 2 years. Instead of nipping it in the bud early on, he let it go. Then there's his parenting... you can't take your eyes of a 3-year-old for a minute, much less long enough to sneak out like Briar did not once but over and over. Hell, she did it lots of times without Lane even being aware of it until Bowen told him. I think Bowen said it was 6 times?
Briar's stealing wasn't cute or funny. It was a serious issue that should've been dealt with when it started, and it never should've been allowed to go unchecked for as long as it did. I get the kid was 3, but she knew what she was doing was wrong. Correction - she should've been disciplined in some way so she would know what she was doing was wrong. The author tried to play it off as being cute, funny. It wasn't. I raised 3 sons. I know what 3-year-olds are like. I would've been absolutely mortified if one of my boys did what Briar did.
How old were Lane and Bowen? If it was mentioned, I didn't see it. Lane was described as an older silver fox, so I'm guessing there's an age gap between him and Bowen. If I'm remembering correctly, I've read others by this author that didn't mention ages. I want to know how old the guys are, especially if there's an age gap.
I may come back to it. I may not.
There's slow burn and there's these guys. I also couldn't get over how much of a doormat Lane was, how he let his ex-wife walk all over him - not to mention attempt to bleed him dry financially for over 2 years. Instead of nipping it in the bud early on, he let it go. Then there's his parenting... you can't take your eyes of a 3-year-old for a minute, much less long enough to sneak out like Briar did not once but over and over. Hell, she did it lots of times without Lane even being aware of it until Bowen told him. I think Bowen said it was 6 times?
Briar's stealing wasn't cute or funny. It was a serious issue that should've been dealt with when it started, and it never should've been allowed to go unchecked for as long as it did. I get the kid was 3, but she knew what she was doing was wrong. Correction - she should've been disciplined in some way so she would know what she was doing was wrong. The author tried to play it off as being cute, funny. It wasn't. I raised 3 sons. I know what 3-year-olds are like. I would've been absolutely mortified if one of my boys did what Briar did.
How old were Lane and Bowen? If it was mentioned, I didn't see it. Lane was described as an older silver fox, so I'm guessing there's an age gap between him and Bowen. If I'm remembering correctly, I've read others by this author that didn't mention ages. I want to know how old the guys are, especially if there's an age gap.
I may come back to it. I may not.
April 10, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Knowing You is the first book in E.M. Lindsey’s new Words We Never Said series, focusing on single dads finding love. Things are off to a great start here and this book is sweet and warm and tender. Bowen and Lane are both lovely men who are in the aftermath of bad relationships with people who treated them horribly.
I don’t tend to gravitate to books that feature young kids prominently, but since I would follow E.M. Lindsey pretty much anywhere, I gave this a shot. I found myself charmed by Briar, as well as enjoying the scenes she shares with both Lane and Bowen.
I am really enjoying this cast of characters and looking forward to seeing what is to come. This story is a great start and a lot of fun. Lane and Bowen have a lot to work through, but the bond they have with one another just shines through.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Knowing You is the first book in E.M. Lindsey’s new Words We Never Said series, focusing on single dads finding love. Things are off to a great start here and this book is sweet and warm and tender. Bowen and Lane are both lovely men who are in the aftermath of bad relationships with people who treated them horribly.
I don’t tend to gravitate to books that feature young kids prominently, but since I would follow E.M. Lindsey pretty much anywhere, I gave this a shot. I found myself charmed by Briar, as well as enjoying the scenes she shares with both Lane and Bowen.
I am really enjoying this cast of characters and looking forward to seeing what is to come. This story is a great start and a lot of fun. Lane and Bowen have a lot to work through, but the bond they have with one another just shines through.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
April 14, 2024
I usually really enjoy E.M. Lindsey’s works, but this was not my favorite. Lane needs to bring not just himself but Briar to therapy, like, yesterday. I’m not an expert on children by any means, but her behavioral issues need to be addressed, and are very likely a result of her circumstances. Even if she wouldn’t recognize her own mother, I can’t imagine her never asking where her other parent is, especially since Lane never gives her an (age appropriate) explanation. Plus, even subconsciously, I feel like she’d pick up on Lane’s poor mental health. I’m also not sure whether her speech patterns reflect what the author thinks a kid her age should sound like, or if it’s meant to be some type of developmental delay. Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with the latter, but it seems like something Lindsey would acknowledge if that was the case, so it makes me feel like it’s the former and that it’s maybe not the most realistic representation.
3/5 stars.
3/5 stars.
dnf
April 15, 2024DNF. I didn't like Briar or the MCs. It felt weird. After so many books this author is still hit and miss for me. Hopefully I will like their next one better.
September 4, 2024
4⭐
3🌶️
.Friends to lovers
.Single dad
.Nanny
.Bi-awakening
.Disability rep
.No miscommunication
.No third-act break up
I just finished this book, and it was a really fun read. If you like friends to lovers stories as much as I do, this one hits the spot with a sweet and heartwarming romance. The connection between Lane and Bowen felt real, and the slow build-up made their relationship even more satisfying.
One thing that stood out was the kid in the story. She could be a bit of a tyrant, but she added a lot of humour and kept things light. Her antics were entertaining and helped balance out the more serious moments.
This was my first time reading something by this author, and it won't be my last. I'm hooked on this series now and can't wait to read more. I'm especially excited for Adele's story. I have a feeling it’s going to be just as good.
Overall, this book was a fun, sweet, and easy read. If you're in the mood for a light-hearted romance with a touch of humour, I definitely recommend it.
3🌶️
.Friends to lovers
.Single dad
.Nanny
.Bi-awakening
.Disability rep
.No miscommunication
.No third-act break up
I just finished this book, and it was a really fun read. If you like friends to lovers stories as much as I do, this one hits the spot with a sweet and heartwarming romance. The connection between Lane and Bowen felt real, and the slow build-up made their relationship even more satisfying.
One thing that stood out was the kid in the story. She could be a bit of a tyrant, but she added a lot of humour and kept things light. Her antics were entertaining and helped balance out the more serious moments.
This was my first time reading something by this author, and it won't be my last. I'm hooked on this series now and can't wait to read more. I'm especially excited for Adele's story. I have a feeling it’s going to be just as good.
Overall, this book was a fun, sweet, and easy read. If you're in the mood for a light-hearted romance with a touch of humour, I definitely recommend it.
April 17, 2024
Un M/M avec le trope single + manny, c'était trop tentant pour que je passe à côté !
Seulement, pour que ça marche bien avec moi, il faut qu'il y ait de jolis moments de complicité avec l'enfant, et là, Briar n'est montrée qu'à travers ses multiples bêtises ou crises et franchement, j'avais l'impression d'être au boulot. Entre ses moments klepto (coucou K., je n'oublie pas ta manie de faire semblant d'aller aux toilettes pour pouvoir faire des raids dans les cartables des copains ...), les problèmes de prononciation (un bilan chez l'orthophoniste ne serait pas du luxe), sa manie de se barrer (coucou M., oui tu as des petites jambes, mais tu cours vite, et je commence à en avoir marre de te courser aux 4 coins de la classe et de l'école 😵) et pire que tout : sa surconsommation d'écran ! Au secours ! Comment vous dire que ça m'a flingué une partie de ma lecture de voir tous ces comportements problématiques avec zéro réaction parentale en face ... Déformation professionnelle quand tu nous tiens ! 😅😬
Bon sinon, la romance est mignonne, on est sur du BFY, avec un mec qui ose enfin explorer librement son attirance pour les hommes. Et j'en profite pour faire un tout petit aparté : je DÉTESTE ces M/M qui mettent en avant des persos féminins ultra toxiques, et là, c'est vraiment gratiné ... Ce cliché de l'ex maléfique, méchante et manipulatrice est vraiment un des trucs que je déteste le plus dans les clichés du M/M.
Sinon, sur une note plus positive, j'ai aimé que Lane et Bowen prennent le temps de se découvrir et d'aller mieux chacun de leur côté avant de donner une autre tournure à leur relation.
Vu la flopée de persos secondaires, je pense que l'autrice peut développer tout un tas de tomes, pas sûr que je les lirai tous, mais j'apprécie qu'elle présente des personnages différents et offre une représentation réaliste (enfin je pense) du handicap.
Seulement, pour que ça marche bien avec moi, il faut qu'il y ait de jolis moments de complicité avec l'enfant, et là, Briar n'est montrée qu'à travers ses multiples bêtises ou crises et franchement, j'avais l'impression d'être au boulot. Entre ses moments klepto (coucou K., je n'oublie pas ta manie de faire semblant d'aller aux toilettes pour pouvoir faire des raids dans les cartables des copains ...), les problèmes de prononciation (un bilan chez l'orthophoniste ne serait pas du luxe), sa manie de se barrer (coucou M., oui tu as des petites jambes, mais tu cours vite, et je commence à en avoir marre de te courser aux 4 coins de la classe et de l'école 😵) et pire que tout : sa surconsommation d'écran ! Au secours ! Comment vous dire que ça m'a flingué une partie de ma lecture de voir tous ces comportements problématiques avec zéro réaction parentale en face ... Déformation professionnelle quand tu nous tiens ! 😅😬
Bon sinon, la romance est mignonne, on est sur du BFY, avec un mec qui ose enfin explorer librement son attirance pour les hommes. Et j'en profite pour faire un tout petit aparté : je DÉTESTE ces M/M qui mettent en avant des persos féminins ultra toxiques, et là, c'est vraiment gratiné ... Ce cliché de l'ex maléfique, méchante et manipulatrice est vraiment un des trucs que je déteste le plus dans les clichés du M/M.
Sinon, sur une note plus positive, j'ai aimé que Lane et Bowen prennent le temps de se découvrir et d'aller mieux chacun de leur côté avant de donner une autre tournure à leur relation.
Vu la flopée de persos secondaires, je pense que l'autrice peut développer tout un tas de tomes, pas sûr que je les lirai tous, mais j'apprécie qu'elle présente des personnages différents et offre une représentation réaliste (enfin je pense) du handicap.
April 10, 2024
Really sweet!
Bowen and Lane were just the absolute sweetest couple and I dearly loved little miss Briar!! When you as the reader can connect with a story, it means so much and I saw so truth here. I loved the fierce way Bowen loved Lane and Briar. Really amazing story!
Bowen and Lane were just the absolute sweetest couple and I dearly loved little miss Briar!! When you as the reader can connect with a story, it means so much and I saw so truth here. I loved the fierce way Bowen loved Lane and Briar. Really amazing story!
June 9, 2024
It was ok.
August 31, 2024
that's it? I was looking forward to seeing how they dealt with her.
November 24, 2025
4.5 stars for the narration, 3.5 for the story.
Knowing You is the first book in E.M. Lindsey’s Words We Never Said series, and it’s a single dad falls for his nanny (manny) story featuring a kleptomanic toddler with Houdini-like escape skills.
The romance between Bowen, a former stuntman who lost a leg in an on-set accident and was subsequently dumped by his boyfriend, and Lane, a hassled single parent, is cute and the bi-awakening element of the story is nicely done, but I couldn’t get past the fact that Lane, supposedly an intelligent man and business owner, doesn’t realise that his wife, who has been absent for TWO YEARS is not coming back! And that is after she already 'took a break' a few months after giving birth to their daughter because she needed a rest. Yes, she’s manipulative and emotionally abusive and has obviously conditioned Lane into doing whatever she wants, but – two years… it was hard to accept and made him seem like a total doormat.
Also hard to accept is that Briar (the daughter – whose age seems to vary between three and four years but whose speech makes her sound younger) has been randomly stealing stuff for most of that time, and Lane has done nothing about it, not disciplined her in any way to help her to realise what she was doing was wrong (although it becomes clear later that she’s aware of that) or taken her to a therapist, because that is not normal behaviour.
I did like Lane and Bowen as a couple – Lane has been starved of affection and touch for so long, and Bowen, who is struggling with insecurities thanks to his ex, is so kind and big-hearted with plenty of love to give – and I liked how they start off as friends (well, Bowen starts crushing on Lane pretty quickly) and move slowly to being more, as Lane finally grows a spine and files for divorce as well as coming to terms with his attraction to Bowen and his bisexuality (his huge crush on Henry Cavill should surely have given him a clue!).
Kirt Graves is in the narrator’s chair for this series, and he’s someone I always enjoy listening to. His performance is well-characterised and clearly differentiated, and his portrayal of the two leads fits them really well. Bowen’s dialogue is delivered at a slightly higher pitch than Lane’s, and his generally upbeat, good-hearted manner comes through strongly; the lower pitch and slightly slower tempo used for Lane helps to convey his exhaustion and that he’s reached the end of his rope. The secondary characters are easily identifiable, and Mr. Graves does a good job with Briar, making her sound age-appropriate without resorting to falsetto or a ‘baby-voice’.
I enjoyed the listen and plan to continue with the series (if only to find out what would possess someone to name their son ‘Adele’!) I struggled to warm up to Lane to start with because he’s just so passive, and I didn’t find Briar’s antics at all cute - I felt that Lane was neglectful in not seeking help for her - but I loved Bowen and wanted him to get his guy, Lane does eventually man up, their romance is sexy and cute, and Kirt Graves’ excellent narration wraps it all up nicely.
Knowing You is the first book in E.M. Lindsey’s Words We Never Said series, and it’s a single dad falls for his nanny (manny) story featuring a kleptomanic toddler with Houdini-like escape skills.
The romance between Bowen, a former stuntman who lost a leg in an on-set accident and was subsequently dumped by his boyfriend, and Lane, a hassled single parent, is cute and the bi-awakening element of the story is nicely done, but I couldn’t get past the fact that Lane, supposedly an intelligent man and business owner, doesn’t realise that his wife, who has been absent for TWO YEARS is not coming back! And that is after she already 'took a break' a few months after giving birth to their daughter because she needed a rest. Yes, she’s manipulative and emotionally abusive and has obviously conditioned Lane into doing whatever she wants, but – two years… it was hard to accept and made him seem like a total doormat.
Also hard to accept is that Briar (the daughter – whose age seems to vary between three and four years but whose speech makes her sound younger) has been randomly stealing stuff for most of that time, and Lane has done nothing about it, not disciplined her in any way to help her to realise what she was doing was wrong (although it becomes clear later that she’s aware of that) or taken her to a therapist, because that is not normal behaviour.
I did like Lane and Bowen as a couple – Lane has been starved of affection and touch for so long, and Bowen, who is struggling with insecurities thanks to his ex, is so kind and big-hearted with plenty of love to give – and I liked how they start off as friends (well, Bowen starts crushing on Lane pretty quickly) and move slowly to being more, as Lane finally grows a spine and files for divorce as well as coming to terms with his attraction to Bowen and his bisexuality (his huge crush on Henry Cavill should surely have given him a clue!).
Kirt Graves is in the narrator’s chair for this series, and he’s someone I always enjoy listening to. His performance is well-characterised and clearly differentiated, and his portrayal of the two leads fits them really well. Bowen’s dialogue is delivered at a slightly higher pitch than Lane’s, and his generally upbeat, good-hearted manner comes through strongly; the lower pitch and slightly slower tempo used for Lane helps to convey his exhaustion and that he’s reached the end of his rope. The secondary characters are easily identifiable, and Mr. Graves does a good job with Briar, making her sound age-appropriate without resorting to falsetto or a ‘baby-voice’.
I enjoyed the listen and plan to continue with the series (if only to find out what would possess someone to name their son ‘Adele’!) I struggled to warm up to Lane to start with because he’s just so passive, and I didn’t find Briar’s antics at all cute - I felt that Lane was neglectful in not seeking help for her - but I loved Bowen and wanted him to get his guy, Lane does eventually man up, their romance is sexy and cute, and Kirt Graves’ excellent narration wraps it all up nicely.
July 28, 2025
Reread as I had dnf'd the first time. Idk what my problem was I must have been in a slump because this was cute af.
Bowen and Lane were super cute together, I loved how easily Bowen was able to fit into Lane and Briar's life, and how much he truly cared about them. I thought both Lane and Bowen were pretty decent at communicating with each other as well, both were struggling through past break ups or in Lane's case a nasty divorce, and they both wanted a different kind of relationship moving forward. I think on both ends, being with each other helped them heal from their past and gave them the courage to have a better more fulfilling life.
I've been reading this series sort of out of order, so it was funny to see all the other characters not have their happy ending yet, but knowing it's going to happen for them soon :)
Bowen and Lane were super cute together, I loved how easily Bowen was able to fit into Lane and Briar's life, and how much he truly cared about them. I thought both Lane and Bowen were pretty decent at communicating with each other as well, both were struggling through past break ups or in Lane's case a nasty divorce, and they both wanted a different kind of relationship moving forward. I think on both ends, being with each other helped them heal from their past and gave them the courage to have a better more fulfilling life.
I've been reading this series sort of out of order, so it was funny to see all the other characters not have their happy ending yet, but knowing it's going to happen for them soon :)
April 23, 2024
A perfect story for my reading slump. This has a lot of tropes that I love but most of all it has great characters that I cared about. I really felt the emotions of the story. No one is perfect and that's okay. I loved that Briar wasn't the typical sweet and cute kid. She is a hellion, lol, as so many three-year-olds are. She doesn't mean to be but she sees something and oops, it's hers now! It's not stealing, it's a present! I love stories about insecure MCs finding love and acceptance and damn, they both fit this. They both deserved to find love after the abusive ex's they had.
did-not-finish
December 12, 2025DNF at 63%.
I'm annoyed with this one. It has so much potential but we're now getting to the point where they're having sex and it's just casual. It irritates me cause they're both in love with each other and won't have a simple conversation about having a relationship.
It's especially heinous because there's a kid involved and if it WERE casual, it would put her in a terrible situation since this is her dad and her nanny. She needs her nanny. Ugh.
Also, I hate how this author includes multiple conversations between the main characters and their friends/family that's all about encouraging the main characters to have casual sex. It's a weird convo in the first place and too used in romance books.
The book also uses time skips to advance the story and leaves out key points.
Ugh. I'll read more in this series but this one irritates me too much.
I'm annoyed with this one. It has so much potential but we're now getting to the point where they're having sex and it's just casual. It irritates me cause they're both in love with each other and won't have a simple conversation about having a relationship.
It's especially heinous because there's a kid involved and if it WERE casual, it would put her in a terrible situation since this is her dad and her nanny. She needs her nanny. Ugh.
Also, I hate how this author includes multiple conversations between the main characters and their friends/family that's all about encouraging the main characters to have casual sex. It's a weird convo in the first place and too used in romance books.
The book also uses time skips to advance the story and leaves out key points.
Ugh. I'll read more in this series but this one irritates me too much.
January 3, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Absolutely loved this one! Lane & Bowen have a fantastic slow burn romance. They have a great connection from the start and help each other heal in so many ways. The disability rep is also top notch 🙌🏻.
Absolutely loved this one! Lane & Bowen have a fantastic slow burn romance. They have a great connection from the start and help each other heal in so many ways. The disability rep is also top notch 🙌🏻.
April 13, 2024
3.5/5 stars
May 9, 2024
CWs and CNs at the end.
EM Lindsey has a brand new series and I can already tell I am going to love this single dad series if Lane and Bowen’s precious love story is any indication.
Meet Lane, overwhelmed and exhausted single dad to the world’s most precocious and troublemaking three year old, and Bowen, former stunt worker and trained nanny recovering from an accident and a terrible ex at his older brother’s house who happens to be the neighbour of a certain hot (at least Bowen thinks so) silver fox single dad. These two meet and connect out of need, but I so loved how they went from being friends to crushing on each other so hard, to a brief FWB situation and then fell so deeply for each other. Theirs was a cautious start, both characters wary from past relationships that left them bruised and hurting and watching them tip-toe into their eventual HEA was a true delight.
I couldn’t help but feel for Lane who was just so starved for affection and words and touch that was kind, something that Bowen had no shortage of to give. To watch these characters heal each other with care and kindness, and by just showing up for each other with no strings attached filled all the fuzzy parts of me and it is, yet again, one of my favourite parts of an EM Lindsey novel. Of course, the angst was also there in spades and my heart squeezed at the vulnerability they displayed and in all the big, anxious feelings that these two characters bravely faced in order to commit themselves to the other.
I can’t wait for some of the other characters’ stories and this series promises to deliver on the heart, the big feels and all the found family goodness! 5 big stars!
CWs: Past emotional abuse; past narcissistic relationships; divorce (not between MCs); past injury resulting in limb loss.
CNs: This is an MM contemporary romance featuring a single dad and a character with a leg amputation. This is a mid-to-high heat novel and features several on-page sex scenes. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC and this is my voluntary review.
EM Lindsey has a brand new series and I can already tell I am going to love this single dad series if Lane and Bowen’s precious love story is any indication.
Meet Lane, overwhelmed and exhausted single dad to the world’s most precocious and troublemaking three year old, and Bowen, former stunt worker and trained nanny recovering from an accident and a terrible ex at his older brother’s house who happens to be the neighbour of a certain hot (at least Bowen thinks so) silver fox single dad. These two meet and connect out of need, but I so loved how they went from being friends to crushing on each other so hard, to a brief FWB situation and then fell so deeply for each other. Theirs was a cautious start, both characters wary from past relationships that left them bruised and hurting and watching them tip-toe into their eventual HEA was a true delight.
I couldn’t help but feel for Lane who was just so starved for affection and words and touch that was kind, something that Bowen had no shortage of to give. To watch these characters heal each other with care and kindness, and by just showing up for each other with no strings attached filled all the fuzzy parts of me and it is, yet again, one of my favourite parts of an EM Lindsey novel. Of course, the angst was also there in spades and my heart squeezed at the vulnerability they displayed and in all the big, anxious feelings that these two characters bravely faced in order to commit themselves to the other.
I can’t wait for some of the other characters’ stories and this series promises to deliver on the heart, the big feels and all the found family goodness! 5 big stars!
CWs: Past emotional abuse; past narcissistic relationships; divorce (not between MCs); past injury resulting in limb loss.
CNs: This is an MM contemporary romance featuring a single dad and a character with a leg amputation. This is a mid-to-high heat novel and features several on-page sex scenes. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC and this is my voluntary review.
April 10, 2024
A surprisingly low angst read from EM Lindsey. Lane & Bowen are both coming from messy break-ups, along with Bowen losing his leg in a stunt job gone wrong.
When a little girl "borrows" his leg, he doesn't expect to find the man who will change it all. Lane is coming to terms with the fact that his marriage is over and that he needs to file for a divorce to move on. What he doesn't expect is to hire the man his daughter stole the leg to be his new nanny. These two men click immediately as best friends and a place to lean on when life gets to be too much. When feelings deepen, Lane has to take that scary step into the unkown cause Bowen has been burned as well and can not be the one to pursue more.
These two learn to open up to each other more and more to just be the right person to a happier life. Their found family are a great bunch of people that i hope will also be getting future stories. Love to see when a town supports their own.
When a little girl "borrows" his leg, he doesn't expect to find the man who will change it all. Lane is coming to terms with the fact that his marriage is over and that he needs to file for a divorce to move on. What he doesn't expect is to hire the man his daughter stole the leg to be his new nanny. These two men click immediately as best friends and a place to lean on when life gets to be too much. When feelings deepen, Lane has to take that scary step into the unkown cause Bowen has been burned as well and can not be the one to pursue more.
These two learn to open up to each other more and more to just be the right person to a happier life. Their found family are a great bunch of people that i hope will also be getting future stories. Love to see when a town supports their own.
April 10, 2024
It was just ok for me. Lane and Bowen are the Mcs. Lane, well he came across as someone with no backbone at all. Bowen, I liked a lot and wished we could have actually met his POS ex. Lane's daughter Briar was a handful and she really needs some therapy. As for Lane's ex Sana, she really needed to be punched in the face but we get absolutely no satisfaction whatsoever there. Don't understand why the author left out what happens to Sana. I wanted her to go down and lose everything including her fiance. It would have been nice if there was an epilogue but there wasn't. So it's only 3 stars for me.
June 8, 2024
Knowing You is the first book in E.M. Lindsey's new series, Words We Never Said. It's a MM light-hearted romance told from a third person dual point of view with a guaranteed happily ever after. You can expect a bisexual awakening, amputee and chronic pain representation, a single dad, sweet with just a hint of angst, and a toddler with sticky fingers (in more ways than one).
This book slightly missed the mark for me. I really enjoyed the meet-cute and it was so unique (seriously never thought I'd be reading about a toddler stealing a man's prosthetic limb) that I know I won't forget it. But I didn't really feel the connection between Lane and Bowen throughout the duration of the story. I had a hard time getting into it for that reason. Luckily it was on the shorter side and moved along so I didn't mind continuing to read it, but other than the meet-cute it's not a story that will stick with me. It definitely had trademark E.M. Lindsey elements and I like that they've chosen to branch into some lighter writing really displaying their breadth of talent. The spice between these two was great, and I really thought Lane's bisexual awakening (the poor guy's man crush on Henry Cavill was too funny) was portrayed realistically. Overall, I just don't think this book worked for me, personally but this won't ever deter me from Lindsey's work in the future!
“Am I being weird?” Bowen asked in the silence.
Lane scoffed. “No. That would be me and my little klepto child, who apparently robs amputees of their limbs.”
This book slightly missed the mark for me. I really enjoyed the meet-cute and it was so unique (seriously never thought I'd be reading about a toddler stealing a man's prosthetic limb) that I know I won't forget it. But I didn't really feel the connection between Lane and Bowen throughout the duration of the story. I had a hard time getting into it for that reason. Luckily it was on the shorter side and moved along so I didn't mind continuing to read it, but other than the meet-cute it's not a story that will stick with me. It definitely had trademark E.M. Lindsey elements and I like that they've chosen to branch into some lighter writing really displaying their breadth of talent. The spice between these two was great, and I really thought Lane's bisexual awakening (the poor guy's man crush on Henry Cavill was too funny) was portrayed realistically. Overall, I just don't think this book worked for me, personally but this won't ever deter me from Lindsey's work in the future!
“Can you tell me your name?” he asked again.
“Good boy?” he whispered. That was him, wasn’t it? Hadn’t he been Bowen’s good boy this whole time?
Bowen’s face lit up, and he squeezed Lane’s chin, giving him a proper kiss. “That’s right. My good boy. My perfect boy. Mine,” he added.
August 27, 2024
I just went through an entire book where the primary trope was friends-to-lovers with a whole lot of pining and so on, and I didn’t cry a single time. Also, I have no idea what the characters look like?
April 12, 2024
some wonderful ideas and lovely characters but some issues
Rating: 3.5🌈
Knowing You is the first in a new series. Words We Never Said, by E.M. Lindsey. It’s a contemporary romance that has multiple core characters with the main characters here each having their own distinct struggles and personal challenges. This includes single dads or guardians as a core group and they have additional layered in issues that arise from their current situation.
Lindsey has developed a story and series that, just from the description, should be immediately relevant and easy to connect with. There’s single parenting, and children of a range of ages. They too have some depth of character, even though they don’t have as much storylines.
I came thinking I was going to have a quick, engaging experience with this book and characters. Instead, I kept questioning why I wasn’t completely convinced by certain characters or aspects of those character’s personality or even engaged by their storylines.
I was consistently made distant from the characters rather than fully invested by aspects of the story that just felt bulky . So many important elements were piled up on so few characters that it ultimately felt like a fabricated issue mountain rather than people who were just trying to make it with real life stuff.
That’s unfortunate because if you strip away some of the struggle floss, these characters work separately and together.
Let’s start with the manny/nanny (it’s an issue), it’s filled by next-door neighbor, Bowen Gallons. Bowen is the meet cute, sort of, when Lane’s 3year old daughter steals his prosthetic leg and brings it home. No spoilers, that’s in the description. He’s former stuntman who had a stunt go horribly wrong. Then got dumped on top of the loss of his leg and career.
Bowen has a lot to bring to the narrative. In this case, his own traumatic backstory as a recent amputee and being dumped by a ex boyfriend. There’s an adjustment to his body image and more. He’s a relatable character. I really like Bowen. His background with child development/education works too because of the personality he’s been given.
It’s Lane and Briar that had me questioning. Not just the father/daughter dynamic but also the label given to Lane for his behavior (four years or more) . DA is a serious topic. But we meet Lane just as he’s in the middle of a screaming match with an absent parent/spouse, Sana. Sana who has been absent for 2 years now on a “forever vacation” with no interest in coming home and had been mostly a visitor when she was younger in the relationship.
For me, she’s the missing link. What we see of her as either in “as told to” by friends or in the tiny scenes of one dimensional caricature of a scheming narcissist. But nothing of any substance or of their own dynamic to support the current situation’s labeling. Had the author given us more of them together, let us see their differences, their dynamics, and let Sana have layers. This would have made the thread a better fit and a little more accurate portrayal of what I believe the author was trying to convey.
But instead we don’t know enough of him and his story. We just see him as he is now. He’s a mess, his daughter is suffering from her own abandonment issues (there’s never any mention of getting her therapy here, although a kid who is stealing to get presents has issues), and he’s not dealing with anything in his real life. A absent spouse and mother. A daughter in trouble as well as a business who needs his attention.
There’s a lot going on here. He’s been a mess for years. So what happens? He “snaps” out of it immediately. From years of being a ‘spineless idiot’ (his words) to a man of action in a day. After years of ignoring advice/input from friends and alienating people and family.
That just doesn’t ring true for me. Then it’s followed up with a bisexual awakening, a new sexual , albeit hidden,relationship with Bowen while both are questioning their commitment to each other. Briar’s emotional issues are only intermittently mentioned here. She has been relegated to a lesser role until dramatically required for a scene. I have a quibble with that too.
Other characters that will obviously have their own stories are flowing in and out of the narrative and this couple’s relationship. Some to act as a Greek chorus, others to throw in a stumbling block or two on their path to romance.
The climax is one strange dramatic moment that drains directly into a birthday party celebration and a weird off page event that satisfies no one.
Knowing You (Words We Never Said Book 1) by E. M. Lindsey has some wonderful ideas and lovely characters. The potential for a great story is there. I just don’t think it succeeds as a whole.
Words We Never Said:
- [x] Knowing You #1
- [ ] Resisting You #2 - Nov 30,2024
Rating: 3.5🌈
Knowing You is the first in a new series. Words We Never Said, by E.M. Lindsey. It’s a contemporary romance that has multiple core characters with the main characters here each having their own distinct struggles and personal challenges. This includes single dads or guardians as a core group and they have additional layered in issues that arise from their current situation.
Lindsey has developed a story and series that, just from the description, should be immediately relevant and easy to connect with. There’s single parenting, and children of a range of ages. They too have some depth of character, even though they don’t have as much storylines.
I came thinking I was going to have a quick, engaging experience with this book and characters. Instead, I kept questioning why I wasn’t completely convinced by certain characters or aspects of those character’s personality or even engaged by their storylines.
I was consistently made distant from the characters rather than fully invested by aspects of the story that just felt bulky . So many important elements were piled up on so few characters that it ultimately felt like a fabricated issue mountain rather than people who were just trying to make it with real life stuff.
That’s unfortunate because if you strip away some of the struggle floss, these characters work separately and together.
Let’s start with the manny/nanny (it’s an issue), it’s filled by next-door neighbor, Bowen Gallons. Bowen is the meet cute, sort of, when Lane’s 3year old daughter steals his prosthetic leg and brings it home. No spoilers, that’s in the description. He’s former stuntman who had a stunt go horribly wrong. Then got dumped on top of the loss of his leg and career.
Bowen has a lot to bring to the narrative. In this case, his own traumatic backstory as a recent amputee and being dumped by a ex boyfriend. There’s an adjustment to his body image and more. He’s a relatable character. I really like Bowen. His background with child development/education works too because of the personality he’s been given.
It’s Lane and Briar that had me questioning. Not just the father/daughter dynamic but also the label given to Lane for his behavior (four years or more) . DA is a serious topic. But we meet Lane just as he’s in the middle of a screaming match with an absent parent/spouse, Sana. Sana who has been absent for 2 years now on a “forever vacation” with no interest in coming home and had been mostly a visitor when she was younger in the relationship.
For me, she’s the missing link. What we see of her as either in “as told to” by friends or in the tiny scenes of one dimensional caricature of a scheming narcissist. But nothing of any substance or of their own dynamic to support the current situation’s labeling. Had the author given us more of them together, let us see their differences, their dynamics, and let Sana have layers. This would have made the thread a better fit and a little more accurate portrayal of what I believe the author was trying to convey.
But instead we don’t know enough of him and his story. We just see him as he is now. He’s a mess, his daughter is suffering from her own abandonment issues (there’s never any mention of getting her therapy here, although a kid who is stealing to get presents has issues), and he’s not dealing with anything in his real life. A absent spouse and mother. A daughter in trouble as well as a business who needs his attention.
There’s a lot going on here. He’s been a mess for years. So what happens? He “snaps” out of it immediately. From years of being a ‘spineless idiot’ (his words) to a man of action in a day. After years of ignoring advice/input from friends and alienating people and family.
That just doesn’t ring true for me. Then it’s followed up with a bisexual awakening, a new sexual , albeit hidden,relationship with Bowen while both are questioning their commitment to each other. Briar’s emotional issues are only intermittently mentioned here. She has been relegated to a lesser role until dramatically required for a scene. I have a quibble with that too.
Other characters that will obviously have their own stories are flowing in and out of the narrative and this couple’s relationship. Some to act as a Greek chorus, others to throw in a stumbling block or two on their path to romance.
The climax is one strange dramatic moment that drains directly into a birthday party celebration and a weird off page event that satisfies no one.
Knowing You (Words We Never Said Book 1) by E. M. Lindsey has some wonderful ideas and lovely characters. The potential for a great story is there. I just don’t think it succeeds as a whole.
Words We Never Said:
- [x] Knowing You #1
- [ ] Resisting You #2 - Nov 30,2024
Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews