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The Guy #2
The Only Guy
7 hrs 47 mins
Aaron Weiss knows how to escape. Years ago, he ran from a romantic disappointment and impulsively joined the Army. Now, he's forced to take a medical discharge, and readjusting to life at home proves a challenge.
Jesse Ross knows how to hide. He realizes he's an oddball, and that he's an outsider within his own family. He also knows his secret love since childhood, Aaron, only wants his good-looking, favored older brother. Yet Jesse could never completely abandon his intense feelings for Aaron. Over the years, Jesse was a faithful pen pal to him. Still, he's shocked to his core to find Aaron on his doorstep.
As long-buried secrets and past hurts take center stage, the two are overwhelmingly drawn to each other. But it's their future that may force them to risk everything.
Aaron Weiss knows how to escape. Years ago, he ran from a romantic disappointment and impulsively joined the Army. Now, he's forced to take a medical discharge, and readjusting to life at home proves a challenge.
Jesse Ross knows how to hide. He realizes he's an oddball, and that he's an outsider within his own family. He also knows his secret love since childhood, Aaron, only wants his good-looking, favored older brother. Yet Jesse could never completely abandon his intense feelings for Aaron. Over the years, Jesse was a faithful pen pal to him. Still, he's shocked to his core to find Aaron on his doorstep.
As long-buried secrets and past hurts take center stage, the two are overwhelmingly drawn to each other. But it's their future that may force them to risk everything.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published May 25, 2014
17 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Skylar M. Cates
30 books299 followersSkylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is happy to drink coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Her novels feature strong and passionate men. Skylar loves to craft stories where realistic characters are challenged with emotional situations. Although lately the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar loves to chat with folks from all around the globe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
December 15, 2014
3.75 stars
The Only Guy was light, sweet, and easy. There was little angst here, but a lot of romance and tenderness, and quite a bit of steam.
I have a weakness for Jewish men, especially cute, gay ones. There’s no religion in this book, but Aaron and Jesse both come from well-to-do New York Jewish families, and Aaron’s friends even called him “The Rabbi” while he was in the army (he was the only Jewish guy around, but still).
Growing up together, Aaron and Jesse were like siblings. Aaron was six years older and treated Jesse like a little brother. It was Gregory, Jesse’s older brother, for whom Aaron pined. But for Jesse, Aaron was always the one and only
When Aaron returns home after a 10-year stint in the army due to a heart condition, he can’t wait to see Gregory, but it’s Jesse, a sculptor living on a little farm in the New Jersey mountains, who takes his breath away...eventually. At first, Jesse wants nothing to do with Aaron. Suffering from general anxiety, Jesse is a bit of a hermit and terrified of Aaron breaking his heart.
I was dreading having Aaron see Gregory again, worried that Aaron would be an idiot and go for Gregory instead of seeing what was right in front of him.
There is some family drama surrounding Jesse’s family and their dismissal of him and an incident regarding Aaron’s health that leaves Aaron scared, helpless, and pushing Jesse away, but, even so, this is not an angsty story. The focus is on the two MCs falling in love and starting to build a forever together.
Aaron and Jesse were respectful of each other, and the sex scenes were hot and emotional.
I liked that neither man was perfect, but that they accepted each other, faults and all. They actually talked through issues and were open and honest with one another. That was so refreshing!
Seeing Dean and Anthony's (the MCs from book 1) wedding ceremony was just the icing on the cake!
The Only Guy was light, sweet, and easy. There was little angst here, but a lot of romance and tenderness, and quite a bit of steam.
I have a weakness for Jewish men, especially cute, gay ones. There’s no religion in this book, but Aaron and Jesse both come from well-to-do New York Jewish families, and Aaron’s friends even called him “The Rabbi” while he was in the army (he was the only Jewish guy around, but still).
Growing up together, Aaron and Jesse were like siblings. Aaron was six years older and treated Jesse like a little brother. It was Gregory, Jesse’s older brother, for whom Aaron pined. But for Jesse, Aaron was always the one and only
When Aaron returns home after a 10-year stint in the army due to a heart condition, he can’t wait to see Gregory, but it’s Jesse, a sculptor living on a little farm in the New Jersey mountains, who takes his breath away...eventually. At first, Jesse wants nothing to do with Aaron. Suffering from general anxiety, Jesse is a bit of a hermit and terrified of Aaron breaking his heart.
I was dreading having Aaron see Gregory again, worried that Aaron would be an idiot and go for Gregory instead of seeing what was right in front of him.
There is some family drama surrounding Jesse’s family and their dismissal of him and an incident regarding Aaron’s health that leaves Aaron scared, helpless, and pushing Jesse away, but, even so, this is not an angsty story. The focus is on the two MCs falling in love and starting to build a forever together.
Aaron and Jesse were respectful of each other, and the sex scenes were hot and emotional.
I liked that neither man was perfect, but that they accepted each other, faults and all. They actually talked through issues and were open and honest with one another. That was so refreshing!
Seeing Dean and Anthony's (the MCs from book 1) wedding ceremony was just the icing on the cake!
July 21, 2017
4.5 Stars
I simply loved this.
Aaron and Jesse have known each other since they were kids. Jesse always looked up to Aaron, who was six years his senior, and crushed on him hard for years. But, unfortunately for Jesse, Aaron only had eyes for Jesse's older brother, Gregory. (Spoiler Alert: Gregory is a total prat and we don't like him, no we don't).
In the present, Aaron has just been medically discharged from the military, after suffering an infection that has led to heart problems, and Jesse has become somewhat of a hermit, living and working at an isolated cabin in upstate NY.
When Aaron decides to go visit Jesse after almost a decade away, Aaron is surprised by the man he finds. In his memory, Jesse was a sweet, if somewhat weird little kid, but the man he finds now is gruff, terse and unwelcoming. But when Aaron gets stranded with Jesse after his car dies, he soon starts to see signs of the Jesse he remembers and becomes intrigued by the Jesse he's become - an amazing artist and a caring man; one with an extremely anxious nature, who carries physical and emotional scars that run deep.
I really loved this story. It was simple and uncomplicated, as was Aaron and Jesse's romance. I absolutely adored Jesse. I related to his generalised anxiety - it sucks balls - and adored the simple and unwavering way Jesse loved Aaron, basically his whole life.
This was a friends-to-lovers story, which is always a favourite trope of mine when done right. I loved that the drama at the end was overcome quickly and I even loved that not all aspects of their lives were tied up in a neat little bow at the end, like you often find happening (unrealistically) in romances. Jesse still had his mental health issues and a strained relationship with his horrendous family, and Aaron would always have to deal with his own health problems, but together they were stronger and better off, ready to face the scary world as one.
This was a strong sequel to an already decent first book. I probably should take this as a sign and start reading more of Cates' other stories!
I simply loved this.
Aaron and Jesse have known each other since they were kids. Jesse always looked up to Aaron, who was six years his senior, and crushed on him hard for years. But, unfortunately for Jesse, Aaron only had eyes for Jesse's older brother, Gregory. (Spoiler Alert: Gregory is a total prat and we don't like him, no we don't).
In the present, Aaron has just been medically discharged from the military, after suffering an infection that has led to heart problems, and Jesse has become somewhat of a hermit, living and working at an isolated cabin in upstate NY.
When Aaron decides to go visit Jesse after almost a decade away, Aaron is surprised by the man he finds. In his memory, Jesse was a sweet, if somewhat weird little kid, but the man he finds now is gruff, terse and unwelcoming. But when Aaron gets stranded with Jesse after his car dies, he soon starts to see signs of the Jesse he remembers and becomes intrigued by the Jesse he's become - an amazing artist and a caring man; one with an extremely anxious nature, who carries physical and emotional scars that run deep.
I really loved this story. It was simple and uncomplicated, as was Aaron and Jesse's romance. I absolutely adored Jesse. I related to his generalised anxiety - it sucks balls - and adored the simple and unwavering way Jesse loved Aaron, basically his whole life.
This was a friends-to-lovers story, which is always a favourite trope of mine when done right. I loved that the drama at the end was overcome quickly and I even loved that not all aspects of their lives were tied up in a neat little bow at the end, like you often find happening (unrealistically) in romances. Jesse still had his mental health issues and a strained relationship with his horrendous family, and Aaron would always have to deal with his own health problems, but together they were stronger and better off, ready to face the scary world as one.
This was a strong sequel to an already decent first book. I probably should take this as a sign and start reading more of Cates' other stories!
July 21, 2017
I was kind of enjoying this (even though I was a little bored at times), but what happened at 86% really plummeted my rating to 2 stars.
I tried, but this just wasn’t the book for me.
I tried, but this just wasn’t the book for me.
February 24, 2015
I loved Aaron and Jesse. I absolutely loved them. They were so sweet together, but they also felt very real. They faced things in a realistic way and there was a level of respect between them, so they actually talked about their problems. And that was a refreshing change from a lot of books where silly little things come between the couple and they break up for a while.
The family aspect of this book was really good. Neither of them came from the perfect family, but Jesse's situation was a lot worse than Aarons and the bit close to the end, with his dad, was really sad. Honestly, I was glad when he finally came to the realization he did, because his parents really weren't very good people and the conversation between Jesse and his dad just made me dislike the two of them more than I already did. And the scene after, with Jesse and Aaron, was really nice and it made me love this couple a little bit more.
I was also really glad we got to see Dean and Anthony again. I really loved those guys too and it was great to see the four characters interact, even if it was mostly between Dean and Aaron. They were close friends after all.
The scenes after Aaron's health problems were very well done too. I loved that he was scared and I adored Jesse for standing by him the way he did. A small part of me was angry with Aaron's mother for talking to Jesse the way she did, but she did apologize afterwards and I was sort of able to understand where she was coming from. It was her own fear that drove her too. And Aaron wasn't exactly an angel either.
So overall, I loved this book and I loved the couple even more. I loved that they faced their issues together and those things brought them close together. Skylar M. Cates always has a way of making me fall in love with her characters and I'm seriously excited to read more of her books!
The family aspect of this book was really good. Neither of them came from the perfect family, but Jesse's situation was a lot worse than Aarons and the bit close to the end, with his dad, was really sad. Honestly, I was glad when he finally came to the realization he did, because his parents really weren't very good people and the conversation between Jesse and his dad just made me dislike the two of them more than I already did. And the scene after, with Jesse and Aaron, was really nice and it made me love this couple a little bit more.
I was also really glad we got to see Dean and Anthony again. I really loved those guys too and it was great to see the four characters interact, even if it was mostly between Dean and Aaron. They were close friends after all.
The scenes after Aaron's health problems were very well done too. I loved that he was scared and I adored Jesse for standing by him the way he did. A small part of me was angry with Aaron's mother for talking to Jesse the way she did, but she did apologize afterwards and I was sort of able to understand where she was coming from. It was her own fear that drove her too. And Aaron wasn't exactly an angel either.
So overall, I loved this book and I loved the couple even more. I loved that they faced their issues together and those things brought them close together. Skylar M. Cates always has a way of making me fall in love with her characters and I'm seriously excited to read more of her books!
January 18, 2018
4.5 Stars
Once again, for some reason, I'm surprisingly blown away by the great storytelling, the fabulous writing, and the poignant romance that is deceptively hidden behind the horrible cheesiness that is this book’s cover. Ha!
Aaron has been away from home for about a decade. Though he read the signals right, his amorous advances towards his best friend, Gregory, were horrifyingly spurned, and he escaped the situation and his hurt feelings by joining the army immediately after he graduated from high school. Now, years later when he’s medically discharged due to a heart infection, Aaron finds himself a bit at a loss as to how to proceed with his life. He's stuck in stasis living at home with his mother, and when a chance at relieving his boredom arises, he seizes the opportunity to reconnect with Gregory’s younger brother, Jesse. He never imagines that it would turn out to be the best happenstance of his life.
Jesse has long been an outcast from his snooty, image obsessed family. He’s a gentle soul, an artist, and a self imposed isolationist who once harbored a crush on Aaron when he was a young teen. Though he and Aaron were pen pals for a while, Jesse’s feelings towards Aaron cements into something deeper as he learns more and more about him over the years. Sadly though, they gradually had lost touch, and it’s a shock to suddenly have Aaron at his doorstep, igniting feelings he designated long ago as being futile, especially since he secretly knows Aaron desired his brother way back when.
Fate however, intervenes, and it allows Aaron and Jesse to slowly get to know each other once again, and from there, feelings blossom amidst some tough challenges that both men struggle with - mainly Aaron's medical issues and Jesse’s problems with social anxiety. What ensues though, is some tender, touching, romantic development, peppered with some painful inner turmoil.
Granted, there are infuriating family members being infuriating, and there is the obligatory melodrama that unfolds at about 80%. Thankfully, like in the first book, the frustrating ridiculousness lasts just a nanosecond, and Aaron and Jesse come to their senses, giving us a relatively drama and angst free relationship progression.
Overall, a wonderful love story, where pretty much all the stars go to Jesse, but Aaron is really no slouch either. This seriously was so endearingly sweet and vulnerable and quite the steamy read. I definitely look forward to finishing this series and reading more from this underrated, hidden gem of an author.
Once again, for some reason, I'm surprisingly blown away by the great storytelling, the fabulous writing, and the poignant romance that is deceptively hidden behind the horrible cheesiness that is this book’s cover. Ha!
Aaron has been away from home for about a decade. Though he read the signals right, his amorous advances towards his best friend, Gregory, were horrifyingly spurned, and he escaped the situation and his hurt feelings by joining the army immediately after he graduated from high school. Now, years later when he’s medically discharged due to a heart infection, Aaron finds himself a bit at a loss as to how to proceed with his life. He's stuck in stasis living at home with his mother, and when a chance at relieving his boredom arises, he seizes the opportunity to reconnect with Gregory’s younger brother, Jesse. He never imagines that it would turn out to be the best happenstance of his life.
Jesse has long been an outcast from his snooty, image obsessed family. He’s a gentle soul, an artist, and a self imposed isolationist who once harbored a crush on Aaron when he was a young teen. Though he and Aaron were pen pals for a while, Jesse’s feelings towards Aaron cements into something deeper as he learns more and more about him over the years. Sadly though, they gradually had lost touch, and it’s a shock to suddenly have Aaron at his doorstep, igniting feelings he designated long ago as being futile, especially since he secretly knows Aaron desired his brother way back when.
Fate however, intervenes, and it allows Aaron and Jesse to slowly get to know each other once again, and from there, feelings blossom amidst some tough challenges that both men struggle with - mainly Aaron's medical issues and Jesse’s problems with social anxiety. What ensues though, is some tender, touching, romantic development, peppered with some painful inner turmoil.
Granted, there are infuriating family members being infuriating, and there is the obligatory melodrama that unfolds at about 80%. Thankfully, like in the first book, the frustrating ridiculousness lasts just a nanosecond, and Aaron and Jesse come to their senses, giving us a relatively drama and angst free relationship progression.
Overall, a wonderful love story, where pretty much all the stars go to Jesse, but Aaron is really no slouch either. This seriously was so endearingly sweet and vulnerable and quite the steamy read. I definitely look forward to finishing this series and reading more from this underrated, hidden gem of an author.
June 24, 2014
★★★ 3 ¡Ay-Yi-Yi! Stars ★★★
Whoo boy…
I feel like I just read a book with a split personality. The first 80% was a pleasant slow-burn romance between two old childhood friends. The book was a solid 4-star read for me at this point.
But for the last 20%, I feel like I entered the Twilight Zone where unnecessary drama reigned supreme, and the book became a disappointing 2-star read.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
First 80%:
We meet Jesse and Aaron, who were both perfectly flawed characters that were haunted by their own demons and problems. Their romance was a slow-burn, compassionate, tender-hearted one where they became a soothing balm for each other's wounds.
I just loved Jesse to bits; he was such a sweetheart. All his life, Jesse has been the odd one who preferred the company of plants and animals to people and who just wanted to spend his time in the wilderness and make his art. However, the path Jesse chose for his life completely displeased his frigid parents, and their ridiculous expectations caused Jesse to be pushed further and further into his shell. Throughout the entire book, I just wanted to go completely Freddy Krueger
...and Michael Myers
...and Jason Voorhees on their asses for good measure.
It was excruciating to see Jesse, a man with such a kind and sweet soul, to be constantly put down by his family for choosing to follow his dreams instead of finding a career that better fits a "Ross man." This is Jesse has always felt such a strong pull toward Aaron, his brother's childhood best friend. Aaron was always kind to Jesse and never put him down for being quirky or a little different. When Jesse finally reunited with Aaron and gave into his feelings for his friend that he had been harboring for a long time, it helped him to start to heal from the emotional wounds that his family had inflicted upon him.
The whole business of Aaron having to choose between the two brothers was resolved pretty quickly and actually wasn't as important to the book as the blurb made it seem. Gregory was a small blip in this couple's journey. Aaron recognized pretty quickly that Gregory is, and always had been, a grade-A, selfish jackass who could not offer a lover anything and that he would be miserable with him.
I didn't really mind that the Gregory issue was settled pretty quickly because I had no desire to read a whole book where Aaron is agonizing over his decision of which brother to pick. I liked that he chose early on in the novel. That being said, I did not care for how quickly Jesse and Aaron decided to enter a relationship. This pretty much all happened in one afternoon: Aaron reunited with his childhood crush (Gregory), saw what a total jerk-off he was, decided that he truly wants Jesse, and then they jumped into bed.
I would have liked Jesse and Aaron to at least have a conversation about their feelings and entering a relationship before diving into the nearest bed. *smh* There were also a few other places where would've liked the characters to talk to one another and discuss where they want their relationship to go instead of jumping the gun.
However, I cannot really complain about anything they did in the sheets. I mean, these two boys were HOT!!!
There was also some great smex in the great outdoors.
Holy hotness!
*fans self*
From the 68% to 74% marks, the novel pretty much focused on the characters from the first book: The Guy From Glamour. Because I didn't read it, this was a little too much time spent on the secondary characters for me. I didn't know Dean, Anthony, their family, and friends and basically skimmed this whole part because I found it dull. I didn't care for these characters at all since I wasn't emotionally invested and, therefore, found their extended time on-page a nuisance.
However, I'm pretty sure fans of the first book will be very happy encountering these characters again and seeing them happy.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Last 20%:
I felt like I was bitch-slapped by the soap opera fairy because melodrama entered the house and vehemently refused to leave! Seriously, I felt like I was reading a daytime soap where issues were introduced, quickly resolved in a few pages, and there was no breather before the next problem cropped up. I was getting whiplash from the eye-brow raising melodrama and there was no doubt about it that the ending soured my liking for this book. I was thoroughly enjoying cruising through this gentle and warm-hearted slow-burn romance and rooting for the MCs, and then BAM!, I entered the land of MCs behaving vexingly imbecilic, the mean parents becoming OTT evil, and the ending being rushed to solve all the unnecessary issues added.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I do not regret reading the book because I liked seeing the development of the romance between Aaron and Jesse and witnessing them cement a solid bond as partners, but the last portion of the book was definitely lacking and left me feeling satisfied with the sweet HEA but disgruntled at the same time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
P.S. This book is a standalone.
Whoo boy…
I feel like I just read a book with a split personality. The first 80% was a pleasant slow-burn romance between two old childhood friends. The book was a solid 4-star read for me at this point.
But for the last 20%, I feel like I entered the Twilight Zone where unnecessary drama reigned supreme, and the book became a disappointing 2-star read.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
First 80%:
We meet Jesse and Aaron, who were both perfectly flawed characters that were haunted by their own demons and problems. Their romance was a slow-burn, compassionate, tender-hearted one where they became a soothing balm for each other's wounds.
I just loved Jesse to bits; he was such a sweetheart. All his life, Jesse has been the odd one who preferred the company of plants and animals to people and who just wanted to spend his time in the wilderness and make his art. However, the path Jesse chose for his life completely displeased his frigid parents, and their ridiculous expectations caused Jesse to be pushed further and further into his shell. Throughout the entire book, I just wanted to go completely Freddy Krueger
...and Michael Myers
...and Jason Voorhees on their asses for good measure.
It was excruciating to see Jesse, a man with such a kind and sweet soul, to be constantly put down by his family for choosing to follow his dreams instead of finding a career that better fits a "Ross man." This is Jesse has always felt such a strong pull toward Aaron, his brother's childhood best friend. Aaron was always kind to Jesse and never put him down for being quirky or a little different. When Jesse finally reunited with Aaron and gave into his feelings for his friend that he had been harboring for a long time, it helped him to start to heal from the emotional wounds that his family had inflicted upon him.
All his life, Jesse had assumed he liked people to keep their distance, that he didn't want any more, but with Aaron's every touch, he knew how much he wanted Aaron in his life and in his bed...Aaron comes back to town a damaged war hero who thinks that he is still in love with his childhood best friend, Gregory. He soon realizes, however, that he clung to his infatuation with Gregory because it gave him an excuse to avoid relationships since he is afraid to open up to others. He would rather hide behind jokes, easy smiles, small talk, and one-night stands. When he returns home, Jesse is the first person to see behind Aaron's charming façade and how much he has been hurt from the war. Jesse gets him to open up and finally share what he is really feeling.
The whole business of Aaron having to choose between the two brothers was resolved pretty quickly and actually wasn't as important to the book as the blurb made it seem. Gregory was a small blip in this couple's journey. Aaron recognized pretty quickly that Gregory is, and always had been, a grade-A, selfish jackass who could not offer a lover anything and that he would be miserable with him.
I didn't really mind that the Gregory issue was settled pretty quickly because I had no desire to read a whole book where Aaron is agonizing over his decision of which brother to pick. I liked that he chose early on in the novel. That being said, I did not care for how quickly Jesse and Aaron decided to enter a relationship. This pretty much all happened in one afternoon: Aaron reunited with his childhood crush (Gregory), saw what a total jerk-off he was, decided that he truly wants Jesse, and then they jumped into bed.
I would have liked Jesse and Aaron to at least have a conversation about their feelings and entering a relationship before diving into the nearest bed. *smh* There were also a few other places where would've liked the characters to talk to one another and discuss where they want their relationship to go instead of jumping the gun.
However, I cannot really complain about anything they did in the sheets. I mean, these two boys were HOT!!!
There was also some great smex in the great outdoors.
Holy hotness!
*fans self*
From the 68% to 74% marks, the novel pretty much focused on the characters from the first book: The Guy From Glamour. Because I didn't read it, this was a little too much time spent on the secondary characters for me. I didn't know Dean, Anthony, their family, and friends and basically skimmed this whole part because I found it dull. I didn't care for these characters at all since I wasn't emotionally invested and, therefore, found their extended time on-page a nuisance.
However, I'm pretty sure fans of the first book will be very happy encountering these characters again and seeing them happy.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Last 20%:
I felt like I was bitch-slapped by the soap opera fairy because melodrama entered the house and vehemently refused to leave! Seriously, I felt like I was reading a daytime soap where issues were introduced, quickly resolved in a few pages, and there was no breather before the next problem cropped up. I was getting whiplash from the eye-brow raising melodrama and there was no doubt about it that the ending soured my liking for this book. I was thoroughly enjoying cruising through this gentle and warm-hearted slow-burn romance and rooting for the MCs, and then BAM!, I entered the land of MCs behaving vexingly imbecilic, the mean parents becoming OTT evil, and the ending being rushed to solve all the unnecessary issues added.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Final Thoughts:
Overall, I do not regret reading the book because I liked seeing the development of the romance between Aaron and Jesse and witnessing them cement a solid bond as partners, but the last portion of the book was definitely lacking and left me feeling satisfied with the sweet HEA but disgruntled at the same time.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
P.S. This book is a standalone.
December 17, 2014
Unfortunately I didn’t like this book as much as the first one. The story was intriguing, yes, but I couldn’t really connect to the characters.
There is Aaron’s longing for his asshat friend Gregory... but after finally meeting him, his longing miraculously ceases to exist.
Jesse, Gregory’s younger brother has yearned for Aaron so long but Aaron treats him more like a sibling. At first Aaron doesn’t feel any attraction, he’s even kind of disgusted of Jesse’s beard. I’m not sure why or when his wariness suddenly turns to attraction and then love?
All in all, it was a nice romance with some drama at the end. If you've read the previous book you'll enjoy to catch up with Dean and Anthony…. and you even get a glimpse of Henry and Locke, the MCs of the third book.
October 31, 2023
I'll admit that it has been quite some time since I read the first book in this series (which I loved).
This one didn't work as much for me, but it was sweet and I still enjoyed it.
This one didn't work as much for me, but it was sweet and I still enjoyed it.
November 20, 2014
The second book in Skylar M. Cates’s “The Guy” series takes readers out of Glamour, Arizona, to a secluded wild farm outside of New York City – where Aaron Weiss (Dean’s best friend from The Guy From Glamour) is visiting Jesse Ross, his best friend’s younger brother, to persuade him to attend Jesse’s parents’ anniversary. It is the “falling in love with your best friend’s sibling” trope that I happen to enjoy.
Aaron takes relationships lightly – he is not interested in a long-term relationship. It stems from his not-so-good experience with love: his parents were divorced and his first experience of liking someone ends up in rejection. Meanwhile, Jesse is used to being a cast away from his family, to be a disappointment. Jesse has an anxiety problem and spent the last few years perfecting the art of a reclusive.
I loved book 1 of this series so much that I decided to immediately read this one – and I loved it just as much! Cates has the ability to weave a romance story between two men with different characteristics and combine it with a few subtle layers of other different plots, all resulting in a well-rounded storyline.
Just like in the first book, I loved the dynamic of these two different men. Aaron liked to joke around, to tease people, but with Jesse, he learned that he didn’t have to hide his fear with trying to be funny. He could just admit that he’s scared and he knew that it would be okay, that Jesse would not judge him for it. While Jesse learned that he could fight his fear of being in a crowd when he was with Aaron. That Aaron can calm him and that Aaron is proud of him (and his arts). Jesse can be just who he is, odd duck and all, and not having to worry about rejection.
I think Cates’s secondary characters are just as interesting to read. Take example Aaron’s new stepmother. Much younger than Aaron’s father, it is easy to judge her as another no-brainer type of female we often find in books. But Valerie shows that she has smarts, like when she actually suggests a job to Aaron. Another example is Jesse’s parents … it’s also easy to hate them for what they’ve done to Jesse and don’t get me wrong, I really don’t like them … but Cates gave us the back-story that made things more complicated than what it was on the surface. Again, I’m not justifying what they have done, I think Jesse is better without them, but it is an example that there are complexities in Cates’s characters. Something I truly appreciate in a romance. Characters can easily win me over if the storyline is just mediocre. Luckily, this one has depth in both characters and storyline.
There was one moment where I feared that Cates would bring the much-dreaded martyrdom plot – you know, where the guy will push away his love interest because he thinks it is “for the best” – when Aaron suffered a set-back on his health. Luckily Jesse was able to cool his head down and challenged Aaron for it. That made me just love Jesse even more!! It also reminded me of a similar plot in the first book, where Anthony pushed Dean to talk about what was bothering him when Dean pulled the “I don’t think this is going to work” attitude due to his jealousy. I guess I have to trust Cates for not taking the cliché path after all.
With this second book in the series, I am very much convinced that “The Guy” series is one that I will pay attention to. Luckily, book 3 is coming in December. It will be about Anthony’s friend Henry and the new sheriff, which means that we will be back in Glamour. Judging by the ‘seeds’ that have been planted in this book – it seems like it will be another promising one. I’m looking forward to it.
Aaron takes relationships lightly – he is not interested in a long-term relationship. It stems from his not-so-good experience with love: his parents were divorced and his first experience of liking someone ends up in rejection. Meanwhile, Jesse is used to being a cast away from his family, to be a disappointment. Jesse has an anxiety problem and spent the last few years perfecting the art of a reclusive.
I loved book 1 of this series so much that I decided to immediately read this one – and I loved it just as much! Cates has the ability to weave a romance story between two men with different characteristics and combine it with a few subtle layers of other different plots, all resulting in a well-rounded storyline.
Just like in the first book, I loved the dynamic of these two different men. Aaron liked to joke around, to tease people, but with Jesse, he learned that he didn’t have to hide his fear with trying to be funny. He could just admit that he’s scared and he knew that it would be okay, that Jesse would not judge him for it. While Jesse learned that he could fight his fear of being in a crowd when he was with Aaron. That Aaron can calm him and that Aaron is proud of him (and his arts). Jesse can be just who he is, odd duck and all, and not having to worry about rejection.
I think Cates’s secondary characters are just as interesting to read. Take example Aaron’s new stepmother. Much younger than Aaron’s father, it is easy to judge her as another no-brainer type of female we often find in books. But Valerie shows that she has smarts, like when she actually suggests a job to Aaron. Another example is Jesse’s parents … it’s also easy to hate them for what they’ve done to Jesse and don’t get me wrong, I really don’t like them … but Cates gave us the back-story that made things more complicated than what it was on the surface. Again, I’m not justifying what they have done, I think Jesse is better without them, but it is an example that there are complexities in Cates’s characters. Something I truly appreciate in a romance. Characters can easily win me over if the storyline is just mediocre. Luckily, this one has depth in both characters and storyline.
There was one moment where I feared that Cates would bring the much-dreaded martyrdom plot – you know, where the guy will push away his love interest because he thinks it is “for the best” – when Aaron suffered a set-back on his health. Luckily Jesse was able to cool his head down and challenged Aaron for it. That made me just love Jesse even more!! It also reminded me of a similar plot in the first book, where Anthony pushed Dean to talk about what was bothering him when Dean pulled the “I don’t think this is going to work” attitude due to his jealousy. I guess I have to trust Cates for not taking the cliché path after all.
With this second book in the series, I am very much convinced that “The Guy” series is one that I will pay attention to. Luckily, book 3 is coming in December. It will be about Anthony’s friend Henry and the new sheriff, which means that we will be back in Glamour. Judging by the ‘seeds’ that have been planted in this book – it seems like it will be another promising one. I’m looking forward to it.
September 17, 2015
Not sure if this is rounding up or down!
Anna-P says pretty much the same but with gifs in her review
I liked it until 80% it was a solid four star read. Jesse was endearing, hiding behind his beard, disguising his crippling shyness with grumpy snarls. He was a sweet child in a cold family and grew into an interesting man.
Aaron, the slight army man with skin of purest cream. I didn't get much sense of army from him but he's a nice guy with his own troubles.
Lovely to see them maneuver around each other and find their places. I'd have liked more time between Aaron realizing his childhood crush (Jesse's brother) was an arse and him and Jesse having sex. But every side character was a paper-thin caricature.
Not having read the first book I wasn't best keen on it's characters shouldering their way in and attempting a take-over past half-way, felt like Cates ran out of story and was using them to bulk up the book.
Max is some friend; a particular man not a fan of dogs who dog sits. Was left wondering if he also looked after the few sheep/cows/chicken that were mentioned once on Aarons arrival at Jesse's then forgotten.
Then 80%. Drama followed by drama, followed by bigger drama. Everyone acting out of character, everything resolved neatly in a few pages ready for the next issue. Characters like Jesse's father giving sudden unprompted confessionals. It killed the book, took the focus off the two men getting together and clouded it with issues, so that the end was meh. Could have been a winner. Wasn't.
Anna-P says pretty much the same but with gifs in her review
I liked it until 80% it was a solid four star read. Jesse was endearing, hiding behind his beard, disguising his crippling shyness with grumpy snarls. He was a sweet child in a cold family and grew into an interesting man.
Aaron, the slight army man with skin of purest cream. I didn't get much sense of army from him but he's a nice guy with his own troubles.
Lovely to see them maneuver around each other and find their places. I'd have liked more time between Aaron realizing his childhood crush (Jesse's brother) was an arse and him and Jesse having sex. But every side character was a paper-thin caricature.
Not having read the first book I wasn't best keen on it's characters shouldering their way in and attempting a take-over past half-way, felt like Cates ran out of story and was using them to bulk up the book.
Max is some friend; a particular man not a fan of dogs who dog sits. Was left wondering if he also looked after the few sheep/cows/chicken that were mentioned once on Aarons arrival at Jesse's then forgotten.
Then 80%. Drama followed by drama, followed by bigger drama. Everyone acting out of character, everything resolved neatly in a few pages ready for the next issue. Characters like Jesse's father giving sudden unprompted confessionals. It killed the book, took the focus off the two men getting together and clouded it with issues, so that the end was meh. Could have been a winner. Wasn't.
December 14, 2014
Another winner for me from the author. This was sweet, hot and had some family drama. My heart broke for tender hearted Jesse.
onto book 3! YAY!
onto book 3! YAY!
January 2, 2016
3.5 Stars
I thought Matt Baca did a much better job this time with the narration. The flow of the story was great.
I thought Matt Baca did a much better job this time with the narration. The flow of the story was great.
September 7, 2017
Darum geht’s:
Aaron ist schon ewig in seinen Jugendfreund Gregory verknallt, doch als er sich endlich traut, ihn zu küssen, erlebt er eine herbe Enttäuschung. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt ist er nur noch Luft für Gregory und als Aaron das nicht mehr aushält, flüchtet er und verpflichtet sich bei der Army. Nur Gregorys kleiner Bruder Jesse lässt den Kontakt nicht abreißen und fängt an, mit Aaron Briefe auszutauschen.
Als Aaron aus gesundheitlichen Gründen aus der Army ausscheidet und nach hause kommt, trifft er auf die beiden ungleichen Brüder.
So fand ich’s:
Als Aaron weggegangen ist, war Jesse noch ein Kind, gerade mal 12 Jahre alt, und Aaron hat im schmächtigen, etwas verschrobenen Jesse nur so etwas wie einen kleinen Bruder gesehen. Der intelligente, super sportliche und ehrgeizige Gregory war Aarons Held und bester Freund. Doch nicht nur Gregorys Reaktion auf Aarons Kuss, sondern auch Aarons Erlebnisse in der Army und im Kriegseinsatz als Hubschrauberpilot, haben seine Ansichten im Laufe der Zeit etwas geändert und seine Wahrnehmung geschärft. Als er 10 Jahre später wieder nach hause kommt, sieht er vieles mit anderen Augen.
Jesse ist nach wie vor nicht so, wie seine Eltern sich das erhofft haben und komplett anders als seine Geschwister. Außerdem ist er nicht begeistert davon, dass Aaron wieder da ist. Jesse fürchtet, dass er wieder von der Seitenlinie aus voller Herzschmerz beobachten muss, wie Aaron vom charmanten, aber berechnenden Gregory eingefangen wird. Deshalb versucht er auch zuerst, Aaron mit abweisendem Verhalten zu vertreiben.
Und auch als die beiden zueinander gefunden haben, läuft es nicht reibunglos. Aber obwohl sie so ihre Problemchen und Probleme haben, gehen die beiden immer liebevoll und fürsorglich miteinander um, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Wenn sie nicht gerade hemmungslos übereinander herfallen, was ziemlich erotisch geschildert wurde und mir ebenfalls sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden stimmt und man wird auch als Leser davon eingefangen.
Es gibt die Familien der beiden Männer, die jede für sich eigene Stolpersteine für die jungen Männer parat hat, um ihnen das Leben zu erschweren. Aber es gibt auch Aarons Armyfreund Dean und dessen Verlobten Anthony, die wir schon aus dem ersten Band „Der Kerl aus Glamour“ kennen. Die beiden treffen wir wieder, auch wenn sie hier nur eine Nebenrolle spielen.
Die Charaktere stehen hier eindeutig im Fokus der Erzählung, die Autorin lässt uns teilhaben an den schlimmen und den schönen Gefühlen der beiden, und hat mich genau wie mit Band 1 auch mit dieser Fortsetzung wieder komplett überzeugt.
Band 3 „The Last Guy Breathing“ steht hier schon in den Startlöchern.
Aaron ist schon ewig in seinen Jugendfreund Gregory verknallt, doch als er sich endlich traut, ihn zu küssen, erlebt er eine herbe Enttäuschung. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt ist er nur noch Luft für Gregory und als Aaron das nicht mehr aushält, flüchtet er und verpflichtet sich bei der Army. Nur Gregorys kleiner Bruder Jesse lässt den Kontakt nicht abreißen und fängt an, mit Aaron Briefe auszutauschen.
Als Aaron aus gesundheitlichen Gründen aus der Army ausscheidet und nach hause kommt, trifft er auf die beiden ungleichen Brüder.
So fand ich’s:
Als Aaron weggegangen ist, war Jesse noch ein Kind, gerade mal 12 Jahre alt, und Aaron hat im schmächtigen, etwas verschrobenen Jesse nur so etwas wie einen kleinen Bruder gesehen. Der intelligente, super sportliche und ehrgeizige Gregory war Aarons Held und bester Freund. Doch nicht nur Gregorys Reaktion auf Aarons Kuss, sondern auch Aarons Erlebnisse in der Army und im Kriegseinsatz als Hubschrauberpilot, haben seine Ansichten im Laufe der Zeit etwas geändert und seine Wahrnehmung geschärft. Als er 10 Jahre später wieder nach hause kommt, sieht er vieles mit anderen Augen.
Jesse ist nach wie vor nicht so, wie seine Eltern sich das erhofft haben und komplett anders als seine Geschwister. Außerdem ist er nicht begeistert davon, dass Aaron wieder da ist. Jesse fürchtet, dass er wieder von der Seitenlinie aus voller Herzschmerz beobachten muss, wie Aaron vom charmanten, aber berechnenden Gregory eingefangen wird. Deshalb versucht er auch zuerst, Aaron mit abweisendem Verhalten zu vertreiben.
Und auch als die beiden zueinander gefunden haben, läuft es nicht reibunglos. Aber obwohl sie so ihre Problemchen und Probleme haben, gehen die beiden immer liebevoll und fürsorglich miteinander um, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Wenn sie nicht gerade hemmungslos übereinander herfallen, was ziemlich erotisch geschildert wurde und mir ebenfalls sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden stimmt und man wird auch als Leser davon eingefangen.
Es gibt die Familien der beiden Männer, die jede für sich eigene Stolpersteine für die jungen Männer parat hat, um ihnen das Leben zu erschweren. Aber es gibt auch Aarons Armyfreund Dean und dessen Verlobten Anthony, die wir schon aus dem ersten Band „Der Kerl aus Glamour“ kennen. Die beiden treffen wir wieder, auch wenn sie hier nur eine Nebenrolle spielen.
Die Charaktere stehen hier eindeutig im Fokus der Erzählung, die Autorin lässt uns teilhaben an den schlimmen und den schönen Gefühlen der beiden, und hat mich genau wie mit Band 1 auch mit dieser Fortsetzung wieder komplett überzeugt.
Band 3 „The Last Guy Breathing“ steht hier schon in den Startlöchern.
September 17, 2018
Als Aaron und Jesse nach zehn Jahren überraschend wieder aufeinandertreffen, sind sie beide nicht mehr die dummen Jungs von früher. Erwachsen, mit Erfahrungen im Leben, die für die meisten anderen Menschen nicht gerade alltäglich sind, hat sich Jesse ein Leben abseits der Familie und anderen Menschen aufgebaut, während Aaron zehn Jahre lang nur die Armee hatte und im Grunde immer vor allen Problemen weggelaufen ist.
Dass aus den beiden nicht sofort dickste Freunde werden, obwohl sie sich seit ihrer Kindheit kennen, hat mich nicht gewundert, aber dennoch passen sie gut zusammen, denn sie geben dem jeweils anderen genau das, was der braucht. Auch wenn Aaron sehr lange braucht, um das zu kapieren und auch, um wirklich die Augen aufzumachen, denn Jesses Bruder, den er sehr lange geliebt hat, ist längst nicht der Mann, den er sich in seiner Wunschvorstellung erträumt hat. Im Gegenteil. Je mehr Aaron mitbekommt, was in Jesses Familie los ist, umso ernüchterter ist er und umso mehr fällt ihm auf, dass Jesse ganz anders ist und besonders nicht mehr der kleine Junge von damals. Dennoch brauchen sie lange, um sich zu finden, was auch nötig ist.
Es ist eine sehr ruhige Geschichte und das Erzählen der Vergangenheit mit der Hilfe von Briefen, die Jesse Aaron geschrieben hat, während der in der Armee war, hat mir richtig gut gefallen. Vor allem, dass Aaron und Jesse das Ganze am Ende wieder aufleben lassen. Klasse Idee.
Die letzten 20% haben mich dann aber mehr als einmal mit dem Kopf schütteln lassen. Erst dieses in meinen Augen völlig unnötige und übertriebene Drama im Krankenhaus und dann noch das für mich unbefriedigende Kapitel über Jesses Vergangenheit, die mal eben holterdipolter in ein paar Absätzen erwähnt und dann gleich wieder abgehandelt wird. Das hat mir diese sonst so tolle Story beim Lesen zeitweise echt verdorben.
Am liebsten würde ich das Gelesene wieder vergessen, dann hätte die Geschichte nämlich volle Punktzahl bekommen. So aber gibt es Punktabzug, auch wenn ich auf eine Leseempfehlung nicht verzichte, der Rest ist nämlich wirklich schön und eine wunderbar erzählte Romanze.
Vielen Dank an den Dreamspinner Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.
Dass aus den beiden nicht sofort dickste Freunde werden, obwohl sie sich seit ihrer Kindheit kennen, hat mich nicht gewundert, aber dennoch passen sie gut zusammen, denn sie geben dem jeweils anderen genau das, was der braucht. Auch wenn Aaron sehr lange braucht, um das zu kapieren und auch, um wirklich die Augen aufzumachen, denn Jesses Bruder, den er sehr lange geliebt hat, ist längst nicht der Mann, den er sich in seiner Wunschvorstellung erträumt hat. Im Gegenteil. Je mehr Aaron mitbekommt, was in Jesses Familie los ist, umso ernüchterter ist er und umso mehr fällt ihm auf, dass Jesse ganz anders ist und besonders nicht mehr der kleine Junge von damals. Dennoch brauchen sie lange, um sich zu finden, was auch nötig ist.
Es ist eine sehr ruhige Geschichte und das Erzählen der Vergangenheit mit der Hilfe von Briefen, die Jesse Aaron geschrieben hat, während der in der Armee war, hat mir richtig gut gefallen. Vor allem, dass Aaron und Jesse das Ganze am Ende wieder aufleben lassen. Klasse Idee.
Die letzten 20% haben mich dann aber mehr als einmal mit dem Kopf schütteln lassen. Erst dieses in meinen Augen völlig unnötige und übertriebene Drama im Krankenhaus und dann noch das für mich unbefriedigende Kapitel über Jesses Vergangenheit, die mal eben holterdipolter in ein paar Absätzen erwähnt und dann gleich wieder abgehandelt wird. Das hat mir diese sonst so tolle Story beim Lesen zeitweise echt verdorben.
Am liebsten würde ich das Gelesene wieder vergessen, dann hätte die Geschichte nämlich volle Punktzahl bekommen. So aber gibt es Punktabzug, auch wenn ich auf eine Leseempfehlung nicht verzichte, der Rest ist nämlich wirklich schön und eine wunderbar erzählte Romanze.
Vielen Dank an den Dreamspinner Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar.
February 17, 2015
3.5 Stars
While I did not enjoy The Only Guy quite as much as I did The Guy From Glamour, I enjoyed it well enough. It's pretty low angst and the sex was hot.
Aaron Weiss is a very recently made ex-Special Forces soldier with a medical discharge from an infection he got while overseas that effected his heart. He ends up back in New York living with his mom, while he figures out what the hell he is going to do now. A couple friends of the parents (the Ross's) are hosting an anniversary party and mom wants him to go, in spite of the fact that these friends are the parents of his ex best friend, Gregory (and reason he joined the Army to begin with). Sure mom, don't mind the awkwardness, I'll be fine. And dear old dad has to chime in, too, that Aaron should go talk to Jesse, the youngest Ross son, and try to get him to come.
Jesse is a disappointment to his family. Not because of who Jesse is, though. He's a disappointment because his family are a bunch of douche bags. Jesse is a brilliant artist, and he's very self sufficient, living on his farm. He grows his own vegetables and raises chickens and goats for eggs and cheese. But he didn't go to medical school like dad wanted him to, and he isn't a successful financial player like his brother Gregory, so there must be something wrong with Jesse, according to his parents. Jesse also suffers from severe social anxiety and his parents have always ridiculed him because of it. Can you tell I didn't like them at all?
Though there is a fair amount of mis-communication at first, I really liked them when they finally got together. Jesse really went outside his comfort zone and took a risk in order to let Aaron know how he feels. And though Jesse is very uncertain in social situations, he can be a take charge guy in bed. That was sexy. And I loved how Jesse didn't let Aaron push him away when his heart issues put him in the hospital. Aaron said some cruel things and I felt like kicking his ass. That Jesse was secure enough at that time was heartening.
While I did not enjoy The Only Guy quite as much as I did The Guy From Glamour, I enjoyed it well enough. It's pretty low angst and the sex was hot.
Aaron Weiss is a very recently made ex-Special Forces soldier with a medical discharge from an infection he got while overseas that effected his heart. He ends up back in New York living with his mom, while he figures out what the hell he is going to do now. A couple friends of the parents (the Ross's) are hosting an anniversary party and mom wants him to go, in spite of the fact that these friends are the parents of his ex best friend, Gregory (and reason he joined the Army to begin with). Sure mom, don't mind the awkwardness, I'll be fine. And dear old dad has to chime in, too, that Aaron should go talk to Jesse, the youngest Ross son, and try to get him to come.
Jesse is a disappointment to his family. Not because of who Jesse is, though. He's a disappointment because his family are a bunch of douche bags. Jesse is a brilliant artist, and he's very self sufficient, living on his farm. He grows his own vegetables and raises chickens and goats for eggs and cheese. But he didn't go to medical school like dad wanted him to, and he isn't a successful financial player like his brother Gregory, so there must be something wrong with Jesse, according to his parents. Jesse also suffers from severe social anxiety and his parents have always ridiculed him because of it. Can you tell I didn't like them at all?
Though there is a fair amount of mis-communication at first, I really liked them when they finally got together. Jesse really went outside his comfort zone and took a risk in order to let Aaron know how he feels. And though Jesse is very uncertain in social situations, he can be a take charge guy in bed. That was sexy. And I loved how Jesse didn't let Aaron push him away when his heart issues put him in the hospital. Aaron said some cruel things and I felt like kicking his ass. That Jesse was secure enough at that time was heartening.
January 17, 2015
*sigh*
I love this series. I love this author. I love this narrator.
I have a lot of love here. Highly recommended story and the audio is perfect.
I love this series. I love this author. I love this narrator.
I have a lot of love here. Highly recommended story and the audio is perfect.
April 8, 2018
Aaron, der zehn Jahre lang Soldat war, muss aufgrund einer Herzinfektion seinen Beruf an den Nagel hängen und kommt zurück nach Hause. Es fällt ihm schwer zu wissen, was er mit seinem weiteren leben anfangen möchte und noch dazu hegt er noch immer die Hoffnung, dass Gregory, seine Jugendliebe, ihn doch zurücklieben könnte, vor allem da sich dieser von seiner Verlobten getrennt hat – wieder einmal. Gregory war auch der Grund, warum er so überstürzt eine Militärlaufbahn eingeschlagen hat.
Jesse, Gregorys jüngerer Bruder und das „schwarze Schaf der Familie“, hat sich ein Leben abgeschieden von den anderen aufgebaut – eine kleine Farm, wo er Tiere rettet, und wo er seiner Kunst, die sehr erfolgreich ist, nachgehen kann. Als plötzlich Aaron vor seiner Tür steht, in dem er seit Jahren verliebt ist, weiß er nicht wie er damit umgehen soll und versucht ihn loszuwerden, doch aufgrund eines defekten Autos klappt das nicht so wirklich.
Die beiden verbringen schöne Tage und Aaron kann sich immer mehr für diese Abgeschiedenheit erwärmen. Nur versteht er nicht, warum zwischen ihm und Jesse immer so eine Spannung besteht, immerhin will er doch Gregory, oder? Doch oft kommt es anders als man denkt und ehe sich Aaron versieht, hat sich Jesse in sein Herz geschlichen.
Aaron hat, wie gesagt, sehr damit zu kämpfen, dass er so plötzlich und eigentlich ungewollt aus dem Militärdienst entlassen wurde. Er hängt irgendwie in der Schwebe, weiß nicht, was er tun soll und wie sein weiteres Leben verlaufen soll. Aaron ist so ein Charakter, der seine Sorgen aber gerne mit einem Lächeln und einen blöden Spruch überspielt. Eigentlich nervt mich so was sehr oft, aber hier hat es sehr gut gepasst und ich mochte Aaron auch auf anhieb. Und mit seiner Art zieht er Jesse, der sehr zurückgezogen lebt, auch immer mehr aus seinem Schneckenhaus.
Jesse ist, wie gesagt, ein sehr ruhiger Charakter, der sich von anderen zurückzieht. Dies hat viel mit seiner Familie zu tun, die ihm nicht gut behandeln und ihm immer das Gefühl geben, dass er eine Enttäuschung sei. Und das, obwohl er mit seiner Kunst mehr als erfolgreich ist. Er und Aaron ergänzen sich sehr schön und man merkt einfach, wie viel sie einander bedeuten. Ihre Beziehung entwickelt sich ruhig und sinnlich, was sehr gut zu den beiden passt. Und Jesse lernt mit Aaron seine Ängste etwas zu überwinden, auch wenn sie beide wissen, dass sie nie ganz weg sein werden.
Schön fand ich, dass man Dean und Anthony aus dem ersten Band wieder getroffen hat und sie sind noch immer so toll wie in ihrer eigenen Geschichte. Mit den Familien von Jesse und Aaron hatte ich aber so meine Probleme. Jesses Eltern machen ihn für einen Fehler, den sie selbst begangen haben, verantwortlich und behandeln ihn daher anders wie seine Geschwister. Etwas, was ich überhaupt nicht verstehen kann und verstehen will, da sie Jesse mehr als nur verletzen mit ihrem Verhalten. Auch Aarons Mutter fand ich persönlich schrecklich. Wie sie Jesse am Anfang behandelt hat und nach einer Entschuldigung passt es? Sorry, aber ihr Verhalten Aaron gegenüber ist kontrollierend und einfach schrecklich. Und da könnte sie sich 100x entschuldigen, ich würde ihr nicht so leicht verzeihen. Aarons Dad und seine neue Frau, Valerie, fand ich hingegen toll. Schade, dass sie nur so selten vorkamen.
Eigentlich hat mir die Geschichte wirklich gut gefallen, vor allem da sie sich einfach auf Jesse und Aaron und ihre Beziehung konzentriert. Warum in den letzten 20% dann so ein melodramatisches Drama noch geschehen muss, was ich überhaupt nicht nachvollziehen konnte, ist mir ein Rätsel und hat mir den Lesespaß doch ein wenig verdorben. Das hätte es einfach nicht mehr gebraucht. Außerdem wurden gewisse Dinge einfach nicht mehr so aufgelöst, dass ich ein gutes und zufriedenes Gefühl am Ende hatte.
Trotz des letzten Kritikpunktes kann ich aber eine Leseempfehlung aussprechen, da die Geschichte an sich wirklich schön ist und ich sie jedem ans Herz legen kann. Und ich freue mich schon sehr auf den dritten Band.
https://www.gaydanken.at/?p=167
Jesse, Gregorys jüngerer Bruder und das „schwarze Schaf der Familie“, hat sich ein Leben abgeschieden von den anderen aufgebaut – eine kleine Farm, wo er Tiere rettet, und wo er seiner Kunst, die sehr erfolgreich ist, nachgehen kann. Als plötzlich Aaron vor seiner Tür steht, in dem er seit Jahren verliebt ist, weiß er nicht wie er damit umgehen soll und versucht ihn loszuwerden, doch aufgrund eines defekten Autos klappt das nicht so wirklich.
Die beiden verbringen schöne Tage und Aaron kann sich immer mehr für diese Abgeschiedenheit erwärmen. Nur versteht er nicht, warum zwischen ihm und Jesse immer so eine Spannung besteht, immerhin will er doch Gregory, oder? Doch oft kommt es anders als man denkt und ehe sich Aaron versieht, hat sich Jesse in sein Herz geschlichen.
Aaron hat, wie gesagt, sehr damit zu kämpfen, dass er so plötzlich und eigentlich ungewollt aus dem Militärdienst entlassen wurde. Er hängt irgendwie in der Schwebe, weiß nicht, was er tun soll und wie sein weiteres Leben verlaufen soll. Aaron ist so ein Charakter, der seine Sorgen aber gerne mit einem Lächeln und einen blöden Spruch überspielt. Eigentlich nervt mich so was sehr oft, aber hier hat es sehr gut gepasst und ich mochte Aaron auch auf anhieb. Und mit seiner Art zieht er Jesse, der sehr zurückgezogen lebt, auch immer mehr aus seinem Schneckenhaus.
Jesse ist, wie gesagt, ein sehr ruhiger Charakter, der sich von anderen zurückzieht. Dies hat viel mit seiner Familie zu tun, die ihm nicht gut behandeln und ihm immer das Gefühl geben, dass er eine Enttäuschung sei. Und das, obwohl er mit seiner Kunst mehr als erfolgreich ist. Er und Aaron ergänzen sich sehr schön und man merkt einfach, wie viel sie einander bedeuten. Ihre Beziehung entwickelt sich ruhig und sinnlich, was sehr gut zu den beiden passt. Und Jesse lernt mit Aaron seine Ängste etwas zu überwinden, auch wenn sie beide wissen, dass sie nie ganz weg sein werden.
Schön fand ich, dass man Dean und Anthony aus dem ersten Band wieder getroffen hat und sie sind noch immer so toll wie in ihrer eigenen Geschichte. Mit den Familien von Jesse und Aaron hatte ich aber so meine Probleme. Jesses Eltern machen ihn für einen Fehler, den sie selbst begangen haben, verantwortlich und behandeln ihn daher anders wie seine Geschwister. Etwas, was ich überhaupt nicht verstehen kann und verstehen will, da sie Jesse mehr als nur verletzen mit ihrem Verhalten. Auch Aarons Mutter fand ich persönlich schrecklich. Wie sie Jesse am Anfang behandelt hat und nach einer Entschuldigung passt es? Sorry, aber ihr Verhalten Aaron gegenüber ist kontrollierend und einfach schrecklich. Und da könnte sie sich 100x entschuldigen, ich würde ihr nicht so leicht verzeihen. Aarons Dad und seine neue Frau, Valerie, fand ich hingegen toll. Schade, dass sie nur so selten vorkamen.
Eigentlich hat mir die Geschichte wirklich gut gefallen, vor allem da sie sich einfach auf Jesse und Aaron und ihre Beziehung konzentriert. Warum in den letzten 20% dann so ein melodramatisches Drama noch geschehen muss, was ich überhaupt nicht nachvollziehen konnte, ist mir ein Rätsel und hat mir den Lesespaß doch ein wenig verdorben. Das hätte es einfach nicht mehr gebraucht. Außerdem wurden gewisse Dinge einfach nicht mehr so aufgelöst, dass ich ein gutes und zufriedenes Gefühl am Ende hatte.
Trotz des letzten Kritikpunktes kann ich aber eine Leseempfehlung aussprechen, da die Geschichte an sich wirklich schön ist und ich sie jedem ans Herz legen kann. Und ich freue mich schon sehr auf den dritten Band.
https://www.gaydanken.at/?p=167
May 29, 2014
This may have suffered under the weight of my expectations. I didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have liked but even though they weren't what I was expecting I didn't dislike them.
I did like that we got to see more of Dean and Anthony from The Guy From Glamour.
What was it that didn't sit quite right with me the most:
Jesse was a sweet guy but nothing like I was expecting. That's not a bad thing and maybe I need a re-read to wrap my head around it. Aaron's story was interesting and I did enjoy it but never to the point where I was invested emotionally. I guess a solid read and a nice build up to book three which I'll be reading.
I did like that we got to see more of Dean and Anthony from The Guy From Glamour.
What was it that didn't sit quite right with me the most:
Jesse was a sweet guy but nothing like I was expecting. That's not a bad thing and maybe I need a re-read to wrap my head around it. Aaron's story was interesting and I did enjoy it but never to the point where I was invested emotionally. I guess a solid read and a nice build up to book three which I'll be reading.
September 24, 2015
3.5 I'll be your sure thing stars
The only reason this book gets a 3.5 and not a 4.5 is because of the end - really!!!!! This book had a blunt end I really don't think the writer would have died if there were like 10 pages more just to conclude everything!!!!!!!!
I am so pissed off I don't think I'm going to read the last book
I wanted Jesse's brother and sister to know why his parents always treated Jesse like they had and I wanted his mother to beg for forgiveness.... Bloody hell I just wanted it to end properly. Now I am going to think about this for a long time and wonder I hate to wonder GRRRRRRRR
The only reason this book gets a 3.5 and not a 4.5 is because of the end - really!!!!! This book had a blunt end I really don't think the writer would have died if there were like 10 pages more just to conclude everything!!!!!!!!
I am so pissed off I don't think I'm going to read the last book
I wanted Jesse's brother and sister to know why his parents always treated Jesse like they had and I wanted his mother to beg for forgiveness.... Bloody hell I just wanted it to end properly. Now I am going to think about this for a long time and wonder I hate to wonder GRRRRRRRR
August 3, 2014
This book really worked for me.
Jesse stole my heart pretty much from the first. I felt for him every step of the way. OK I'm a sucker for the odd one out scenario lol.
Aaron was sweet although there were times I felt like shaking him. What is with people always wanting to give help but never wanting to accept help when situations are reversed?
For me a good story has me invested and involved, and this one did that. When it came to Jesse's family I was ready to start kicking ass.
Aarons mother also got my dander up, but luckily she saw reason in the end.
The romance side to this one was another plus. Great chemistry between Jesse and Aaron. Even if I did gloss over the actual sex, I'm sure most will love it.
If you like the underdog type of hero then you will probably love this book.
Jesse stole my heart pretty much from the first. I felt for him every step of the way. OK I'm a sucker for the odd one out scenario lol.
Aaron was sweet although there were times I felt like shaking him. What is with people always wanting to give help but never wanting to accept help when situations are reversed?
For me a good story has me invested and involved, and this one did that. When it came to Jesse's family I was ready to start kicking ass.
Aarons mother also got my dander up, but luckily she saw reason in the end.
The romance side to this one was another plus. Great chemistry between Jesse and Aaron. Even if I did gloss over the actual sex, I'm sure most will love it.
If you like the underdog type of hero then you will probably love this book.
July 23, 2014
I really liked it a lot. There were several times I thought, this now would be the perfect ending, but nope, the story went on. Aaron's martyrdom at around 80% I could have done without. Nevertheless that didn't take too long and then we were back to a very nice, engaging story. Yap, liked it a lot.
May 29, 2014
A review by The Blogger Girls.
What a sweet, enjoyable story this was! I was really looking foward to it after reading the first in the series, The Guy From Glamour, and as with that book, I was not disappointed. While the two MCs from Glamour do make an appearance here, this could easily be read on its own, though I’d wager to guess this might interest you to check their story out as well.
As with Glamour, I found this to be a little different than what I was expecting. Here, we have teenage best friends, Aaron and Gregory, and Gregory’s younger brother, Jesse. Aaron has a crush on Gregory that is unrequited, the results of which send Aaron packing for the Army. Gregory’s reactions are harsh and cold, leaving him wanting to have nothing whatsoever to do with Aaron.
Ten years later, a medical discharge leads Aaron back home to recover and make a new life. Things haven’t much changed for Aaron where Gregory is concerned, as he still harbors that crush he has carried for all of these years. Meanwhile, there is sweet Jesse, now a bit of a recluse, living by himself in the middle of nowhere. He has terrible anxiety issues that are more sadly explained as the story goes. While he has become quite the successful artist/sculptor, he has also had to deal with his own crush, on Aaron.
Now, what I really loved about this story were the interactions between Aaron and Jesse, mostly once they get past their own various issues enough to really see each other. I loved watching Jesse’s attempts to overcome his social issues while Aaron dealt with his own, and how they each helped each other through them. These guys are really sweet together, they communicate fairly well, and really come to care about each other when neither really thought it was possible.
While there are some bumps in the road and a small amount of angst involved in the same, the joy of seeing them work through them and overcome makes it all worth it. There is quite a bit of family drama/bad behavior which is the cause of most of Jesse and/or Gregory’s issues. Many times I wanted to wrap Jesse up in a big hug and never let go, while at the same time, kicking Gregory’s ass to kingdom come.
This is just a good quality, solid series about finding love and making futures together. The sex scenes are hot and emotionally charged which just adds to the overall charm of these stories. While either story didn’t blow me away or had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, they are wonderful romances with extremely likable characters. If you like your characters a little flawed or broken and love to watch them heal, find love and happiness, I definitely recommend you add this book and The Guy From Glamour to your TBR.
Overall Impression: I really liked it
What a sweet, enjoyable story this was! I was really looking foward to it after reading the first in the series, The Guy From Glamour, and as with that book, I was not disappointed. While the two MCs from Glamour do make an appearance here, this could easily be read on its own, though I’d wager to guess this might interest you to check their story out as well.
As with Glamour, I found this to be a little different than what I was expecting. Here, we have teenage best friends, Aaron and Gregory, and Gregory’s younger brother, Jesse. Aaron has a crush on Gregory that is unrequited, the results of which send Aaron packing for the Army. Gregory’s reactions are harsh and cold, leaving him wanting to have nothing whatsoever to do with Aaron.
Ten years later, a medical discharge leads Aaron back home to recover and make a new life. Things haven’t much changed for Aaron where Gregory is concerned, as he still harbors that crush he has carried for all of these years. Meanwhile, there is sweet Jesse, now a bit of a recluse, living by himself in the middle of nowhere. He has terrible anxiety issues that are more sadly explained as the story goes. While he has become quite the successful artist/sculptor, he has also had to deal with his own crush, on Aaron.
Now, what I really loved about this story were the interactions between Aaron and Jesse, mostly once they get past their own various issues enough to really see each other. I loved watching Jesse’s attempts to overcome his social issues while Aaron dealt with his own, and how they each helped each other through them. These guys are really sweet together, they communicate fairly well, and really come to care about each other when neither really thought it was possible.
While there are some bumps in the road and a small amount of angst involved in the same, the joy of seeing them work through them and overcome makes it all worth it. There is quite a bit of family drama/bad behavior which is the cause of most of Jesse and/or Gregory’s issues. Many times I wanted to wrap Jesse up in a big hug and never let go, while at the same time, kicking Gregory’s ass to kingdom come.
This is just a good quality, solid series about finding love and making futures together. The sex scenes are hot and emotionally charged which just adds to the overall charm of these stories. While either story didn’t blow me away or had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, they are wonderful romances with extremely likable characters. If you like your characters a little flawed or broken and love to watch them heal, find love and happiness, I definitely recommend you add this book and The Guy From Glamour to your TBR.
Overall Impression: I really liked it
August 7, 2018
Eine Infektion und die daraus resultierende Herzerkrankung zwingen Aaron Weiss die Armee zu verlassen und ins Zivilleben zurückzukehren. Dort muss er sich erst zurechtfinden und das ist gar nicht so einfach. Seine Eltern sind inzwischen geschieden und während der Vater eine neue Familie gegründet hat, kümmert sich Aarons Mutter um ihre eigene alte Mutter. Aaron, das einzige Kind seiner Eltern, fühlt sich hin- und hergerissen. Zudem agiert seine Mutter äusserst beschützend und einengend. Zuviel für Aaron, der noch ein ganz anderes Problem vor sich her schiebt.
Dieses Problem heisst Gregory, war einst sein bester Freund, seine erste Liebe und auch der Grund wieso er überhaupt in die Armee geflüchtet ist. Doch ehe er Greg wiedersieht, trifft er Jesse – den jüngeren Bruder Gregs und früheren Brieffreund Aarons. Von dem Kind Jesse ist nichts geblieben. Jesse hat sich von seiner Familie abgenabelt, lebt ein einsames Leben auf dem Land und meidet die Stadt. Den Erwartungen seiner Eltern konnte der jüngste Ross niemals entsprechen und auch Liebe und Zuneigung ist in der Familie ein rares Gut. Vor allem für Jesse nicht erreichbar.
Jesse ist wenig erfreut über Aarons plötzliche Rückkehr. Alte Wunden werden aufgerissen und seine Gefühle für Aaron sind intensiver wie nie zuvor. Doch Aaron hat keine Ahnung von Jesse’s Gefühlen für ihn und reagiert irritiert über Jesses Veränderung und Zurückweisung. Doch dann sind sie gezwungen ein paar Tage gemeinsam in der Einöde zu verbringen. Aaron lernt den neuen Jesse kennen und versteht dann auch die problematische Beziehung zwischen Jesse und seiner Familie.
Der zweite Teil der Guy Reihe ist von der Autorin ein wenig anders angelegt. Zwar gibt es Verbindungen zu Dean und Anthony, doch ein Großteil der Handlung spielt sich in New York bzw. im Umland von New York ab. Beide Protagonisten haben einen etwas komplizierten Hintergrund und sind selbst auch nicht die pflegeleichtesten Personen. Aaron hat die Tendenz Problemen aus dem Weg zu gehen und zu flüchten; Jesse versteckt sich hinter einem schnoddrigen Verhalten und zieht es vor gleich ganz aus dem Leben der Familie zu verschwinden.
Kennt man erst die Hintergründe, dann ist das Verhalten der Helden absolut nachvollziehbar. Vor allem Jesse spielt sich schnell ins Herz des Lesers. Seine Liebe zu Aaron dauert schon ewig und ist bittersüss. Die Autorin lässt zwischen Jesse und Aaron eine Brieffreundschaft entstehen und so erfährt man sehr viel in Rückblenden, das dann die Handlungen und Gedanken in der Gegenwart verständlicher werden lassen. Ein ganz tolles Buch mit Drama, Witz und Romantik. Sehr zu empfehlen.
Dieses Problem heisst Gregory, war einst sein bester Freund, seine erste Liebe und auch der Grund wieso er überhaupt in die Armee geflüchtet ist. Doch ehe er Greg wiedersieht, trifft er Jesse – den jüngeren Bruder Gregs und früheren Brieffreund Aarons. Von dem Kind Jesse ist nichts geblieben. Jesse hat sich von seiner Familie abgenabelt, lebt ein einsames Leben auf dem Land und meidet die Stadt. Den Erwartungen seiner Eltern konnte der jüngste Ross niemals entsprechen und auch Liebe und Zuneigung ist in der Familie ein rares Gut. Vor allem für Jesse nicht erreichbar.
Jesse ist wenig erfreut über Aarons plötzliche Rückkehr. Alte Wunden werden aufgerissen und seine Gefühle für Aaron sind intensiver wie nie zuvor. Doch Aaron hat keine Ahnung von Jesse’s Gefühlen für ihn und reagiert irritiert über Jesses Veränderung und Zurückweisung. Doch dann sind sie gezwungen ein paar Tage gemeinsam in der Einöde zu verbringen. Aaron lernt den neuen Jesse kennen und versteht dann auch die problematische Beziehung zwischen Jesse und seiner Familie.
Der zweite Teil der Guy Reihe ist von der Autorin ein wenig anders angelegt. Zwar gibt es Verbindungen zu Dean und Anthony, doch ein Großteil der Handlung spielt sich in New York bzw. im Umland von New York ab. Beide Protagonisten haben einen etwas komplizierten Hintergrund und sind selbst auch nicht die pflegeleichtesten Personen. Aaron hat die Tendenz Problemen aus dem Weg zu gehen und zu flüchten; Jesse versteckt sich hinter einem schnoddrigen Verhalten und zieht es vor gleich ganz aus dem Leben der Familie zu verschwinden.
Kennt man erst die Hintergründe, dann ist das Verhalten der Helden absolut nachvollziehbar. Vor allem Jesse spielt sich schnell ins Herz des Lesers. Seine Liebe zu Aaron dauert schon ewig und ist bittersüss. Die Autorin lässt zwischen Jesse und Aaron eine Brieffreundschaft entstehen und so erfährt man sehr viel in Rückblenden, das dann die Handlungen und Gedanken in der Gegenwart verständlicher werden lassen. Ein ganz tolles Buch mit Drama, Witz und Romantik. Sehr zu empfehlen.
June 26, 2018
Darum geht's:
Aaron ist schon ewig in seinen Jugendfreund Gregory verknallt, doch als er sich endlich traut, ihn zu küssen, erlebt er eine herbe Enttäuschung. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt ist er nur noch Luft für Gregory und als Aaron das nicht mehr aushält, flüchtet er und verpflichtet sich bei der Army. Nur Gregorys kleiner Bruder Jesse lässt den Kontakt nicht abreißen und fängt an, mit Aaron Briefe auszutauschen.
Als Aaron aus gesundheitlichen Gründen aus der Army ausscheidet und nach hause kommt, trifft er auf die beiden ungleichen Brüder.
So fand ich's:
Als Aaron weggegangen ist, war Jesse noch ein Kind, gerade mal 12 Jahre alt, und Aaron hat im schmächtigen, etwas verschrobenen Jesse nur so etwas wie einen kleinen Bruder gesehen. Der intelligente, super sportliche und ehrgeizige Gregory war Aarons Held und bester Freund. Doch nicht nur Gregorys Reaktion auf Aarons Kuss, sondern auch Aarons Erlebnisse in der Army und im Kriegseinsatz als Hubschrauberpilot, haben seine Ansichten im Laufe der Zeit etwas geändert und seine Wahrnehmung geschärft. Als er 10 Jahre später wieder nach hause kommt, sieht er vieles mit anderen Augen.
Jesse ist nach wie vor nicht so, wie seine Eltern sich das erhofft haben und komplett anders als seine Geschwister. Außerdem ist er nicht begeistert davon, dass Aaron wieder da ist. Jesse fürchtet, dass er wieder von der Seitenlinie aus voller Herzschmerz beobachten muss, wie Aaron vom charmanten, aber berechnenden Gregory eingefangen wird. Deshalb versucht er auch zuerst, Aaron mit abweisendem Verhalten zu vertreiben.
Und auch als die beiden zueinander gefunden haben, läuft es nicht reibunglos. Aber obwohl sie so ihre Problemchen und Probleme haben, gehen die beiden immer liebevoll und fürsorglich miteinander um, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Wenn sie nicht gerade hemmungslos übereinander herfallen, was ziemlich erotisch geschildert wurde und mir ebenfalls sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden stimmt und man wird auch als Leser davon eingefangen.
Es gibt die Familien der beiden Männer, die jede für sich eigene Stolpersteine für die jungen Männer parat hat, um ihnen das Leben zu erschweren. Aber es gibt auch Aarons Armyfreund Dean und dessen Verlobten Anthony, die wir schon aus dem ersten Band “Der Kerl aus Glamour” kennen. Die beiden treffen wir wieder, auch wenn sie hier nur eine Nebenrolle spielen.
Die Charaktere stehen hier eindeutig im Fokus der Erzählung, die Autorin lässt uns teilhaben an den schlimmen und den schönen Gefühlen der beiden, und hat mich genau wie mit Band 1 auch mit dieser Fortsetzung wieder komplett überzeugt.
Band 3 “The Last Guy Breathing” steht hier schon in den Startlöchern.
Aaron ist schon ewig in seinen Jugendfreund Gregory verknallt, doch als er sich endlich traut, ihn zu küssen, erlebt er eine herbe Enttäuschung. Ab diesem Zeitpunkt ist er nur noch Luft für Gregory und als Aaron das nicht mehr aushält, flüchtet er und verpflichtet sich bei der Army. Nur Gregorys kleiner Bruder Jesse lässt den Kontakt nicht abreißen und fängt an, mit Aaron Briefe auszutauschen.
Als Aaron aus gesundheitlichen Gründen aus der Army ausscheidet und nach hause kommt, trifft er auf die beiden ungleichen Brüder.
So fand ich's:
Als Aaron weggegangen ist, war Jesse noch ein Kind, gerade mal 12 Jahre alt, und Aaron hat im schmächtigen, etwas verschrobenen Jesse nur so etwas wie einen kleinen Bruder gesehen. Der intelligente, super sportliche und ehrgeizige Gregory war Aarons Held und bester Freund. Doch nicht nur Gregorys Reaktion auf Aarons Kuss, sondern auch Aarons Erlebnisse in der Army und im Kriegseinsatz als Hubschrauberpilot, haben seine Ansichten im Laufe der Zeit etwas geändert und seine Wahrnehmung geschärft. Als er 10 Jahre später wieder nach hause kommt, sieht er vieles mit anderen Augen.
Jesse ist nach wie vor nicht so, wie seine Eltern sich das erhofft haben und komplett anders als seine Geschwister. Außerdem ist er nicht begeistert davon, dass Aaron wieder da ist. Jesse fürchtet, dass er wieder von der Seitenlinie aus voller Herzschmerz beobachten muss, wie Aaron vom charmanten, aber berechnenden Gregory eingefangen wird. Deshalb versucht er auch zuerst, Aaron mit abweisendem Verhalten zu vertreiben.
Und auch als die beiden zueinander gefunden haben, läuft es nicht reibunglos. Aber obwohl sie so ihre Problemchen und Probleme haben, gehen die beiden immer liebevoll und fürsorglich miteinander um, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat. Wenn sie nicht gerade hemmungslos übereinander herfallen, was ziemlich erotisch geschildert wurde und mir ebenfalls sehr gut gefallen hat. Die Chemie zwischen den beiden stimmt und man wird auch als Leser davon eingefangen.
Es gibt die Familien der beiden Männer, die jede für sich eigene Stolpersteine für die jungen Männer parat hat, um ihnen das Leben zu erschweren. Aber es gibt auch Aarons Armyfreund Dean und dessen Verlobten Anthony, die wir schon aus dem ersten Band “Der Kerl aus Glamour” kennen. Die beiden treffen wir wieder, auch wenn sie hier nur eine Nebenrolle spielen.
Die Charaktere stehen hier eindeutig im Fokus der Erzählung, die Autorin lässt uns teilhaben an den schlimmen und den schönen Gefühlen der beiden, und hat mich genau wie mit Band 1 auch mit dieser Fortsetzung wieder komplett überzeugt.
Band 3 “The Last Guy Breathing” steht hier schon in den Startlöchern.
December 19, 2014
3.5 stars. There's something about an MC who's convinced the other is his "one," no matter the time or distance between them. Throw in a childhood friends-to-lovers theme and the exchange of hand-written letters, and the romance factor in "The Only Guy" is pretty high. This second story in The Guy series didn't quite reach the level of the first book, but it was still a good read.
Aaron has just received a medical discharge from the military and is at loose ends. He's staying with his mom in NYC; adjusting to his dad's new wife and child; and wondering whatever happened to the one that got away, his childhood best friend Gregory.
Gregory's little brother, Jesse, has become something of a recluse and outcast. Aaron's dad asks him to visit Jesse and get him to come to the anniversary party of Jesse's parents. Aaron takes the trip to Jesse's idyllic home in the country and is -- of course -- forced to stay for a few days after he has car trouble. Aaron soon figures out which brother he really belongs with.
Jesse has felt a connection to Aaron since they were children. Once Aaron departs for the army, he becomes Aaron's pen pal. It was a pleasure to read these letters and see the MCs revisit the tradition later in the story.
For the most part, this was an easy read with some family and medical drama thrown in for good measure. My favorite part was the trip back to Glamour. I loved seeing Aaron having fun, Jesse challenging his fears, Anthony and Dean's wedding, and the wonderful Carrino family. I hope the next book is set back in Glamour. It seems like a pretty great place to visit.
Aaron has just received a medical discharge from the military and is at loose ends. He's staying with his mom in NYC; adjusting to his dad's new wife and child; and wondering whatever happened to the one that got away, his childhood best friend Gregory.
Gregory's little brother, Jesse, has become something of a recluse and outcast. Aaron's dad asks him to visit Jesse and get him to come to the anniversary party of Jesse's parents. Aaron takes the trip to Jesse's idyllic home in the country and is -- of course -- forced to stay for a few days after he has car trouble. Aaron soon figures out which brother he really belongs with.
Jesse has felt a connection to Aaron since they were children. Once Aaron departs for the army, he becomes Aaron's pen pal. It was a pleasure to read these letters and see the MCs revisit the tradition later in the story.
For the most part, this was an easy read with some family and medical drama thrown in for good measure. My favorite part was the trip back to Glamour. I loved seeing Aaron having fun, Jesse challenging his fears, Anthony and Dean's wedding, and the wonderful Carrino family. I hope the next book is set back in Glamour. It seems like a pretty great place to visit.
June 4, 2014
2.50 stars.
No. Sorry but for me this is a No. I love Skylar Cates writing, and this is why I'm angry with this book. I mean, the writing is good, but where's the story? What happens here? Why Aaron falls in love with Jesse after only a few days together? How this happens? Everything is too rushed, exactly as it was in The guy from glamour. What I loved about Exposed, was that the story between Daniel and Rafe felt like a realistic one, we saw the building of that story, the sensations felt by the two characters were realistic too. In this book, not a single scene moved me. I didn't found an emotional connection with the two main caharacters, because their thoughts were not credible. I think that if an author wants to write a story in which the focus is on the relationship between two men, and not on a high-developed plot, then the relationship must seem realistic, intriguing, with the two characters realistic and interesting too. Sorry, but I fouhd the plot and the developing of the two characters too weak.
No. Sorry but for me this is a No. I love Skylar Cates writing, and this is why I'm angry with this book. I mean, the writing is good, but where's the story? What happens here? Why Aaron falls in love with Jesse after only a few days together? How this happens? Everything is too rushed, exactly as it was in The guy from glamour. What I loved about Exposed, was that the story between Daniel and Rafe felt like a realistic one, we saw the building of that story, the sensations felt by the two characters were realistic too. In this book, not a single scene moved me. I didn't found an emotional connection with the two main caharacters, because their thoughts were not credible. I think that if an author wants to write a story in which the focus is on the relationship between two men, and not on a high-developed plot, then the relationship must seem realistic, intriguing, with the two characters realistic and interesting too. Sorry, but I fouhd the plot and the developing of the two characters too weak.
September 26, 2014
I really didn't like Aaron :( I didn't like how he was pining for one guy then moves on quickly. Left a bad taste in my mouth. Why didn't Jesse say anything? He seemed to keep a lot in. I would have liked him to talk to Aaron more about his family, especially Gregory or whatever his name was.
Jesse. I loved him. So sweet. I wanted to hug him. I hated how he couldn't find anybody to support him and love him for him. His family sucks donkey balls.
HATED Aaron at the end. Dick. Didn't like the quick turnaround either
Liked seeing Dean and Anthony :)
Jesse. I loved him. So sweet. I wanted to hug him. I hated how he couldn't find anybody to support him and love him for him. His family sucks donkey balls.
HATED Aaron at the end. Dick. Didn't like the quick turnaround either
Liked seeing Dean and Anthony :)
April 20, 2016
*** 3 okay, then meh stars ***
Audio edition, narrator Matt Baca.
7 hours 47 minutes
Overall: 3
Performance: 4
Story: 2
Sadly I didn't like this as much as the first one. It started out good, but the last 20% was not so good. It kinda ruined my impression of the book.
Narrator Matt Baca does a good job with this one too. I did hear one mistake, though. When Jesse looks at the old letters from Aaron early in the book, Baca says "Anthony's letters" instead of "Aaron's letter". Anthony is the main character from #1.
Audio edition, narrator Matt Baca.
7 hours 47 minutes
Overall: 3
Performance: 4
Story: 2
Sadly I didn't like this as much as the first one. It started out good, but the last 20% was not so good. It kinda ruined my impression of the book.
Narrator Matt Baca does a good job with this one too. I did hear one mistake, though. When Jesse looks at the old letters from Aaron early in the book, Baca says "Anthony's letters" instead of "Aaron's letter". Anthony is the main character from #1.
February 22, 2015
Ok, first things first:I don't really buy someone falling for someone so hard, so young, the way Jesse did for Aaron, or pining for 10 years, like Aaron did for Gregory.
All that aside though, I really enjoyed this story. Jesse was adorable, Aaron was a good guy. Not sure I really felt it when Aaron decided he liked Jesse back, it felt rushed, but I got there.
I think the story might have been drawn out too much at the end, but it did serve to make both guys more sure of each other in the end.
All that aside though, I really enjoyed this story. Jesse was adorable, Aaron was a good guy. Not sure I really felt it when Aaron decided he liked Jesse back, it felt rushed, but I got there.
I think the story might have been drawn out too much at the end, but it did serve to make both guys more sure of each other in the end.
January 14, 2016
3,5 stars
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