✰ 2.75 stars ✰
“Yes, he’d kissed Ethan. Lord, Ethan had kissed him back and to this day, Beau still felt as though he’d been shaken and not stirred.”
I'm usually wary of reading MM books that belong to series that are predominantly MF, but Ethan had such a high rating on GR, I figured there must be something special about it. While it wasn't anything groundbreakingly different, it was what I like to refer to as a good time-pass, or just a chance for me to see if I shouldn't trust too much in GR ratings. Even so, the romance between Ethan Walker and his younger brother's best friend, Beau Bennett was a sweet, albeit predictable one.
“I want to be with you. By your side. I don’t want us to have to hide, but I understand. Doesn’t mean I agree with it, and it doesn’t mean I’ll do it forever, but for now, I’m here. With you. Only you.”
Ethan's had a rough and painful past. At 19, his heart was broken and denied in the cruelest of ways with a mistake that changed his world forever. There is a lot of baggage of a burden that he has been shouldering and shielding his family from and one he's never been able to shake it off; and now at 28 years of age, he's unwilling to ever have a relationship - swearing off all hope for a potential partner. 🥺 He's never been able to be comfortable enough to be who he is, because of the homophobic community he lives in.
But, somehow, Beau is able to break through his barriers - with one kiss, Beau makes him feel special and worth it - and I liked that even though, Beau was struggling with acceptance from his own family, he never hesitated to prove to Ethan that he was worth the time and the effort and the love. I liked the gradual way in which he was able to overcome his fears and doubts and be able to trust in Beau's affections for him. 🤍🤍
“Pack whatever you need because you’ve spent your last night here already. From here on out, you belong in my bed.”
Beau is your general good guy, whose football career was tragically cut short over a fatal mistake - and his family never lets him forget how much of a failure he is. But, one part of his life that has never let him down is his best friend, Zane and the love his family gives him. 😟 And now, under feelings he can't explain, he's drawn to Ethan - a friend that he's now falling deeper and deeper for - even with limited interaction that they've had, he's attached to him.
So, with careful consideration and gradual affection, they gravitate towards one another - despite the many odds stacked against them - despite their reluctance to accept their growing attraction - despite the fear of what others would think - despite the pain still lurking in Ethan's heart. Their chemistry wasn't explosive - the sex wasn't outlandish, but there was enough heat to show how much they still wanted to be with one another - cared to belong with each other - and fight for a chance to be together. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“You don’t want this,” Ethan repeated, his voice containing less anger and more confusion.
Beau placed one hand gently on Ethan’s hip. Tilting his head as he studied him, Beau kept his tone serious when he said, “I want this more than you’ll ever understand.”
There are, of course, plenty of allusions to past characters' relationships, which is to be expected, as it is a part of series; so, this honestly only works as a stand-alone, if you really want to read it. You can truly feel the familial love and camaraderie and brotherly bond amongst all the family members - how much they silently cared for Ethan and how much they loved that for as much as Beau was already such a welcome member of the family - loving Ethan was just a more rewarding blessing for them. 🥹 🥹
It was a nice enough read - one I won't particularly read again. The characters were likeable enough - the chemistry passable - the writing bearable - and the story, nothing too profound or deep, though it did attempt to be one; still, it's nothing I hadn't already read before, so. 🤷 A few moments stood out for me - some interactions wooed me and some feelings enveloped me. But, would I be allured to indulge myself further into the series or this couple's continuity into the future - sadly, probably not. 😞