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Connection #2
Trust
NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Re-released as a single volume titled "Trust the Connection".
256 pages, ebook
First published January 28, 2016
2 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Brigham Vaughn
82 books772 followersBrigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 11, 2016
Review originally posted at Sinfully.
4.5 stars
The story picks up right after the end of Connection. There was a tenuous happiness and start to the relationship both men had been fighting, but with the amount of issues Jeremy struggles with, there was no expectation that there would be smooth sailing. Jeremy and Evan navigate lots of ups and downs from the moment the book opens.
What should have been the start of a new chapter for Evan and Jeremy comes quickly crashing down as the men wake up and Jeremy panics, walking out after telling Evan they need to sever all ties. Jeremy is convinced he is doing the right thing, that Evan is too young and has too much yet to experience; that Jeremy is too scarred and broken to be right for Evan.
Evan is heartbroken and devastated. Losing Jeremy’s friendship is almost more than he can bear having been alone for so much of his life. He has connected with Jeremy deeply based on their shared histories. Evan tries to move on but realizes that Jeremy is the one for him. When Jeremy finds out Evan is dating, the enormity of his feelings and the regret at letting Evan go hits him hard. He becomes determined to work things out and realizes that he’s going to need help working on his own issues of intimacy and confidence.
As the title implies, trust is a huge issue for both men. Jeremy needs to trust that Evan can decide what he wants and that when Evan tells him the scars don’t matter he means it. Evan is working on trying to trust his mother. When she calls with some startling new and plans, Evan wants to believe her, wants to trust that her motives are good. Jeremy doesn’t buy it. His family let him down and he doesn’t want Evan to be hurt when his mother does the same.
Brigham Vaughn writes emotions well. Both characters have grown in so many ways from when they first appeared. Evan is innocent and naïve when it comes to so many things, but the harsh treatment from his family and his work at the funeral home has made him seem older and wiser in other ways. Jeremy works on not seeing himself as broken, but accepting the changes resulting from his accident and moving forward as the man he is now and not dwelling on the ways he is no longer the same.
The course of their relationship flowed very realistically. There was no instant love cures all. In fact love was one of the things making everything that much harder. Jeremy works hard with his doctors and on his own and he is not always successful, but he is determined. Both men work hard to open up and keep the lines of communication open and honest.
Russ and Stephen, and their extended family, are back offering support and becoming the family Evan never had. Two adorable new side characters, Chris and Tod, have got me wondering if there might just be some more in store for the men of this series.
By the end of the story Evan and Jeremy have found family and learned how to embrace life and love. Yes they are different in so many ways, but their shared experiences are what make them so good for each other. They lighten each other up and heat up the pages. I recommend Evan and Jeremy’s story (and Russ and Stephen’s for that matter) to anyone who likes stories where the love and attraction is clearly there, but isn’t going to come easily.
4.5 stars
The story picks up right after the end of Connection. There was a tenuous happiness and start to the relationship both men had been fighting, but with the amount of issues Jeremy struggles with, there was no expectation that there would be smooth sailing. Jeremy and Evan navigate lots of ups and downs from the moment the book opens.
What should have been the start of a new chapter for Evan and Jeremy comes quickly crashing down as the men wake up and Jeremy panics, walking out after telling Evan they need to sever all ties. Jeremy is convinced he is doing the right thing, that Evan is too young and has too much yet to experience; that Jeremy is too scarred and broken to be right for Evan.
Evan is heartbroken and devastated. Losing Jeremy’s friendship is almost more than he can bear having been alone for so much of his life. He has connected with Jeremy deeply based on their shared histories. Evan tries to move on but realizes that Jeremy is the one for him. When Jeremy finds out Evan is dating, the enormity of his feelings and the regret at letting Evan go hits him hard. He becomes determined to work things out and realizes that he’s going to need help working on his own issues of intimacy and confidence.
As the title implies, trust is a huge issue for both men. Jeremy needs to trust that Evan can decide what he wants and that when Evan tells him the scars don’t matter he means it. Evan is working on trying to trust his mother. When she calls with some startling new and plans, Evan wants to believe her, wants to trust that her motives are good. Jeremy doesn’t buy it. His family let him down and he doesn’t want Evan to be hurt when his mother does the same.
Brigham Vaughn writes emotions well. Both characters have grown in so many ways from when they first appeared. Evan is innocent and naïve when it comes to so many things, but the harsh treatment from his family and his work at the funeral home has made him seem older and wiser in other ways. Jeremy works on not seeing himself as broken, but accepting the changes resulting from his accident and moving forward as the man he is now and not dwelling on the ways he is no longer the same.
The course of their relationship flowed very realistically. There was no instant love cures all. In fact love was one of the things making everything that much harder. Jeremy works hard with his doctors and on his own and he is not always successful, but he is determined. Both men work hard to open up and keep the lines of communication open and honest.
Russ and Stephen, and their extended family, are back offering support and becoming the family Evan never had. Two adorable new side characters, Chris and Tod, have got me wondering if there might just be some more in store for the men of this series.
By the end of the story Evan and Jeremy have found family and learned how to embrace life and love. Yes they are different in so many ways, but their shared experiences are what make them so good for each other. They lighten each other up and heat up the pages. I recommend Evan and Jeremy’s story (and Russ and Stephen’s for that matter) to anyone who likes stories where the love and attraction is clearly there, but isn’t going to come easily.
January 27, 2016
I received an ARC from the author.
All too often when I read a romance I’ll finish the story and sit back thinking ‘yeah! Nice! But what happened next?’ Because that’s the thing with romances, isn’t it? You read two hundred pages of two men trying to overcome all their issues so they can be together, get to spend twenty pages with them while they declare their undying love for each other and then the story ends and you’ll just have to believe the happy ever after really happened. And while this isn’t an issue for me, I do often find myself wondering about what the future would hold for the two characters.
In many ways Brigham Vaughn answers those questions in this book, and it was as satisfying an experience as I always thought it might be. When ‘Connection’ ends Jeremy and Evan seem to at last have found their way too each other. We leave them together, in bed, and we dare hope that they’ll be happy together.
Trust starts the morning after Connection ends and from the start it is clear that these two men are only at the start of their rocky road. Sometimes love alone isn’t enough and Jeremy and Evan are learning that the hard way.
Jeremy and Evan charmed me as often as they infuriated. For every time I wanted to squeeze them in a tight hug and comfort them I had a moment when it was all I could do to not shout at my Kindle that they should just talk to each other, stop introspecting and start believing. But of course, that is what this story is all about; Jeremy and Evan’s journey to the moment where they are able to believe in themselves and in each other—the moment when they can both trust that they are good enough and that together they’re perfectly imperfect. And seeing Evan find inner strength and confidence was as beautiful as watching Jeremy as he overcame his insecurities and stopped looking at himself as only half the man he used to be.
Evan and Jeremy’s journey in these two books was heartbreaking and delightful, sad and funny, frustrating and uplifting. Most of all, their journey was beautiful and memorable and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
On a side note I have to say that I also enjoyed catching up with the gang from the Equals series again. They featured enough to give us an insight into their lives but not enough to take the focus of Evan and Jeremy. The balance was just about perfect. And I think I may have spied another spin-off in the making while reading Trust. I’m looking forward to that tale when it comes.
All too often when I read a romance I’ll finish the story and sit back thinking ‘yeah! Nice! But what happened next?’ Because that’s the thing with romances, isn’t it? You read two hundred pages of two men trying to overcome all their issues so they can be together, get to spend twenty pages with them while they declare their undying love for each other and then the story ends and you’ll just have to believe the happy ever after really happened. And while this isn’t an issue for me, I do often find myself wondering about what the future would hold for the two characters.
In many ways Brigham Vaughn answers those questions in this book, and it was as satisfying an experience as I always thought it might be. When ‘Connection’ ends Jeremy and Evan seem to at last have found their way too each other. We leave them together, in bed, and we dare hope that they’ll be happy together.
Trust starts the morning after Connection ends and from the start it is clear that these two men are only at the start of their rocky road. Sometimes love alone isn’t enough and Jeremy and Evan are learning that the hard way.
Jeremy and Evan charmed me as often as they infuriated. For every time I wanted to squeeze them in a tight hug and comfort them I had a moment when it was all I could do to not shout at my Kindle that they should just talk to each other, stop introspecting and start believing. But of course, that is what this story is all about; Jeremy and Evan’s journey to the moment where they are able to believe in themselves and in each other—the moment when they can both trust that they are good enough and that together they’re perfectly imperfect. And seeing Evan find inner strength and confidence was as beautiful as watching Jeremy as he overcame his insecurities and stopped looking at himself as only half the man he used to be.
Evan and Jeremy’s journey in these two books was heartbreaking and delightful, sad and funny, frustrating and uplifting. Most of all, their journey was beautiful and memorable and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
On a side note I have to say that I also enjoyed catching up with the gang from the Equals series again. They featured enough to give us an insight into their lives but not enough to take the focus of Evan and Jeremy. The balance was just about perfect. And I think I may have spied another spin-off in the making while reading Trust. I’m looking forward to that tale when it comes.
April 4, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
rust picks up right where Connection left off. Jeremy and Evan are in bed together. Evan is blissfully happy, but Jeremy? He’s still suffering from his insecurities, and when Evan runs his fingers along his scars, he completely freaks out. He leaps out of bed, telling Evan, “Don’t fucking touch me!” Breaking Evan’s heart, Jeremy declares their night together a mistake and even tells him that they can’t be friends, and maybe they never even were. Naturally, Evan is just devastated.
After he leaves, Jeremy becomes physically ill. He already suffers from migraines from the accident. Between the headache, the nausea, and the pain in his leg, he’s a true mess and begins to shut himself off from the world, only going to work and to his shrink. Evan, meanwhile, after deciding to stop wallowing, ambles outside to get some fresh air and meets a very nice young man and his dog. They get to talking and agree to go on a date, however, he realizes that he’s not ready for something like that.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
rust picks up right where Connection left off. Jeremy and Evan are in bed together. Evan is blissfully happy, but Jeremy? He’s still suffering from his insecurities, and when Evan runs his fingers along his scars, he completely freaks out. He leaps out of bed, telling Evan, “Don’t fucking touch me!” Breaking Evan’s heart, Jeremy declares their night together a mistake and even tells him that they can’t be friends, and maybe they never even were. Naturally, Evan is just devastated.
After he leaves, Jeremy becomes physically ill. He already suffers from migraines from the accident. Between the headache, the nausea, and the pain in his leg, he’s a true mess and begins to shut himself off from the world, only going to work and to his shrink. Evan, meanwhile, after deciding to stop wallowing, ambles outside to get some fresh air and meets a very nice young man and his dog. They get to talking and agree to go on a date, however, he realizes that he’s not ready for something like that.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
February 5, 2016
Brigham Vaughn has a way with heartbreak! In Trust we truly are taking a ride on the relationship roller coaster.
First off, Connection is book 1 and you need to read that before Trust because Trust begins where Connection ends... The next morning. It's important you know that.
That said... So, Evan and Jeremy... these boys! They are extremely frustrating. I wanted to beat them over the head so many times when I was reading this. Other times I wanted to hug them and tell them to take a deep breath.
See, the title of this book is truly the essence of the whole story. Jeremy runs. Evan's heart breaks. Trust is fractured. Trust is literally the hardest thing to obtain in any relationship. When it's broken, lost, or questioned it never comes back whole... if it comes back at all.
We watch these two come together, break apart, and come together. And I have to say it's quite beautiful if not utterly tragic at the same time. I felt like I survived a tornado when it was over. At one point I was like Will Farrel in Anchorman. I actually shouted, "I'm in a glass case of emotion!"
I think both of these books are worth a read and you have to embrace the feelings it will evoke!
First off, Connection is book 1 and you need to read that before Trust because Trust begins where Connection ends... The next morning. It's important you know that.
That said... So, Evan and Jeremy... these boys! They are extremely frustrating. I wanted to beat them over the head so many times when I was reading this. Other times I wanted to hug them and tell them to take a deep breath.
See, the title of this book is truly the essence of the whole story. Jeremy runs. Evan's heart breaks. Trust is fractured. Trust is literally the hardest thing to obtain in any relationship. When it's broken, lost, or questioned it never comes back whole... if it comes back at all.
We watch these two come together, break apart, and come together. And I have to say it's quite beautiful if not utterly tragic at the same time. I felt like I survived a tornado when it was over. At one point I was like Will Farrel in Anchorman. I actually shouted, "I'm in a glass case of emotion!"
I think both of these books are worth a read and you have to embrace the feelings it will evoke!
May 4, 2016
This story picks up right after Connection ended. Evan and Jeremy have finally (finally) got enough of their shit together and soon they will be off dancing into the sunset with nary a care in the world.
What? You don’t believe me?
Yeah, that was probably a bit too much to expect.
So, if you’ve read the blurb (or have even a passing experience with sequels) you’d have guessed that book two brings with it a whole bag of problems for Evan and Jeremy. Which really shouldn’t surprise anyone since they hardly had things together in book one. Jeremy is still…well, fucked up. Evan is still unsure about his place in Jeremy’s life and in the world in general. And together they have all the attraction but no clue how to go from friends that want to jump each other’s bones to boyfriends who have a decent idea of how an adult relationship functions.
Which honestly made me a bit wary of reading this. I really really really dislike sequels where everything falls apart. It is just one of those pet peeves that isn’t ever likely to go away. I don’t like to watch things crumble after I’ve spent an entire book seeing the characters scramble their way thru all the shit that kept them apart. Knowing that the second book was going to be all about doing that all over again made me exhausted before I even turned on my kindle.
I couldn’t just leave Evan and Jeremy where they had landed though. If there is one things I hate more than watching things fall apart it is never knowing how things end. And I really needed to know how this whole story ended.
And it ended with me basically having to pry my fingers off my kindle because I kept falling asleep every time I blinked but still refused to stop reading.
I was seriously impressed how this author took one of the things I really dislike about sequels and spun a story that was engaging and fun, and even good in the parts that were not so nice to the characters. I actually ended up liking how things fell apart, because when they came back together they were whole. Individually and together. It worked where countless times before I had been left frustrated and fed up with what felt like contrived scenarios jammed into the plot to created conflict. It wasn’t like that at all, here. I was freaking impressed.
This book was really good. Maybe because it defied my expectations, but probably just because it was well written and the characters were extremely engaging. While I don’t think you should be reading this as a standalone, I will say that you should pick up both books in this series and settle in for a wonderful ride.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
What? You don’t believe me?
Yeah, that was probably a bit too much to expect.
So, if you’ve read the blurb (or have even a passing experience with sequels) you’d have guessed that book two brings with it a whole bag of problems for Evan and Jeremy. Which really shouldn’t surprise anyone since they hardly had things together in book one. Jeremy is still…well, fucked up. Evan is still unsure about his place in Jeremy’s life and in the world in general. And together they have all the attraction but no clue how to go from friends that want to jump each other’s bones to boyfriends who have a decent idea of how an adult relationship functions.
Which honestly made me a bit wary of reading this. I really really really dislike sequels where everything falls apart. It is just one of those pet peeves that isn’t ever likely to go away. I don’t like to watch things crumble after I’ve spent an entire book seeing the characters scramble their way thru all the shit that kept them apart. Knowing that the second book was going to be all about doing that all over again made me exhausted before I even turned on my kindle.
I couldn’t just leave Evan and Jeremy where they had landed though. If there is one things I hate more than watching things fall apart it is never knowing how things end. And I really needed to know how this whole story ended.
And it ended with me basically having to pry my fingers off my kindle because I kept falling asleep every time I blinked but still refused to stop reading.
I was seriously impressed how this author took one of the things I really dislike about sequels and spun a story that was engaging and fun, and even good in the parts that were not so nice to the characters. I actually ended up liking how things fell apart, because when they came back together they were whole. Individually and together. It worked where countless times before I had been left frustrated and fed up with what felt like contrived scenarios jammed into the plot to created conflict. It wasn’t like that at all, here. I was freaking impressed.
This book was really good. Maybe because it defied my expectations, but probably just because it was well written and the characters were extremely engaging. While I don’t think you should be reading this as a standalone, I will say that you should pick up both books in this series and settle in for a wonderful ride.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
November 20, 2018
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I’m going to sort of guess that anyone reading this will have read Connections. If you haven’t, I would recommend that you read that before reading Trust—Trust directly follows Connections and I wouldn’t say it’s a stand-alone novel. (It’s not a great horror to have to read Connections if you haven’t already :-) ).
I have been reading a lot of my one of my favorite genres lately, Regency romances. What, you might ask, does that have to do with Trust? A discussion came up about the hero and whether or not a hero who was somewhat of a villain was worthy of redemption. One of the things making them worthy of redemption was vulnerability, a willingness to do better/make themselves a better person not just for someone else but because they realized they could be a better person.
Now, Jeremy is far from a villain, but I think in his own mind, he has built his faults, physical and mental, up to villainous proportions. He is a tortured soul. One thing that good storytellers remember is that, whether a character is in a Regency romance or a contemporary romance, human nature doesn’t change. Jeremy isn’t a swashbuckling rogue of a lord, but he has let his accident turn him into someone who isn’t always a very nice person, who is distant, and who is not easy to get to know—who in fact, doesn’t want to get to know anyone because life is easier that way. He isn’t really living.
Evan is the breath of fresh air in his stagnant world, the one who sees him with fresh eyes, and who doesn’t see him as someone who is lacking—he sees what is good in Jeremy. I don’t think that’s too spoilery. This is the basis for the premise of the book. Evan’s optimism vs. Jeremy’s pessimism.
Trust is a story of exactly that—the ability to trust someone enough to have faith in them to grow into themselves, into the person they are meant to be. It’s the knowledge that mistakes will be made, but will be forgiven. That love means the ability to accept a person’s faults as well as their strengths.
Ms. Vaughan does an exemplary job of showing how Evan and Jeremy overcome their obstacles, in a realistic manner—I especially appreciated how Jeremy moved through working through his issues regarding the accident. The issues and fears that they face are realistic and ones that come up in many relationships in their fledgeling stages—I could definitely identify with some of them very clearly and empathetically. I love that they have their misunderstandings, but they choose more constructive ways to deal with them than the confusion caused by non-communication.
The secondary characters are well-drawn, and also good at judging how much both Evan and Jeremy change through the course of the book. I love the idea of family and making ones’ own family. I think this is true not only in the lives of people who are in LBGT relationships, but just in some families in general, for a variety of reasons. It’s definitely true that sometimes the families you make are closer than the families you’re born into.
On the other hand, imagining Jeremy as a swashbuckling lord is sort of fun.
I’m going to sort of guess that anyone reading this will have read Connections. If you haven’t, I would recommend that you read that before reading Trust—Trust directly follows Connections and I wouldn’t say it’s a stand-alone novel. (It’s not a great horror to have to read Connections if you haven’t already :-) ).
I have been reading a lot of my one of my favorite genres lately, Regency romances. What, you might ask, does that have to do with Trust? A discussion came up about the hero and whether or not a hero who was somewhat of a villain was worthy of redemption. One of the things making them worthy of redemption was vulnerability, a willingness to do better/make themselves a better person not just for someone else but because they realized they could be a better person.
Now, Jeremy is far from a villain, but I think in his own mind, he has built his faults, physical and mental, up to villainous proportions. He is a tortured soul. One thing that good storytellers remember is that, whether a character is in a Regency romance or a contemporary romance, human nature doesn’t change. Jeremy isn’t a swashbuckling rogue of a lord, but he has let his accident turn him into someone who isn’t always a very nice person, who is distant, and who is not easy to get to know—who in fact, doesn’t want to get to know anyone because life is easier that way. He isn’t really living.
Evan is the breath of fresh air in his stagnant world, the one who sees him with fresh eyes, and who doesn’t see him as someone who is lacking—he sees what is good in Jeremy. I don’t think that’s too spoilery. This is the basis for the premise of the book. Evan’s optimism vs. Jeremy’s pessimism.
Trust is a story of exactly that—the ability to trust someone enough to have faith in them to grow into themselves, into the person they are meant to be. It’s the knowledge that mistakes will be made, but will be forgiven. That love means the ability to accept a person’s faults as well as their strengths.
Ms. Vaughan does an exemplary job of showing how Evan and Jeremy overcome their obstacles, in a realistic manner—I especially appreciated how Jeremy moved through working through his issues regarding the accident. The issues and fears that they face are realistic and ones that come up in many relationships in their fledgeling stages—I could definitely identify with some of them very clearly and empathetically. I love that they have their misunderstandings, but they choose more constructive ways to deal with them than the confusion caused by non-communication.
The secondary characters are well-drawn, and also good at judging how much both Evan and Jeremy change through the course of the book. I love the idea of family and making ones’ own family. I think this is true not only in the lives of people who are in LBGT relationships, but just in some families in general, for a variety of reasons. It’s definitely true that sometimes the families you make are closer than the families you’re born into.
On the other hand, imagining Jeremy as a swashbuckling lord is sort of fun.
February 24, 2016
This is the sequel to Connection, where Evan and Jeremy first meet. That story ended on a very tenuous happily for now, more of a happy for this minute. As we start Trust, we see that assuming those HFNs turn out great isn’t always the case. In this continuation, we begin with Jeremy being the world’s biggest jerk. I honestly think that this scene would have worked better as part of the previous book, or that the books were combined, because for me enough time had passed between the two books for me to really dislike Jeremy. The Evan at this time is the same wonderful man he was in Connection but Jeremy wasn’t. And it wasn’t just the very beginning, where he runs out on Evan and leaves him broken-hearted, it was more. When Evan asks, “Can we still be friends?”, after having his heart ripped out by Jeremy, Jeremy pours salt on the wound. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t think we were ever really friends, to be honest.” Problem with that is, they did seem to be friends, especially before.
Evan has a really hard time trying to get over Jeremy, thinking no one could “…ever understand me the way Jeremy does.” Except I felt if he gets you like you think, he wouldn’t be putting you through this. And when it gets awkward around Evan, I didn’t feel sorry for him because he made it that way. Does it sound like I’m hard on Jeremy? I was. But oddly enough, while in the beginning of the book I felt that Jeremy was totally the one who didn’t know how to be a boyfriend, as the story progresses I felt Evan was acting immaturely and he was the one breaking them up, particularly as his mother becomes part of the scenario. It was a total turnaround for me that now I wanted to shake Evan and ask him what his problem was, even knowing the problems he had growing up and especially with his father.
Jeremy beginning to come to terms with his disability, rather than just existing and waiting to die, was so interesting and sometimes heartbreaking. The idiot at the cycling club, we will just hope he falls off his bike. I could see the growth in Jeremy, both towards his disability and as a boyfriend, and that was a great thing.
These two really struggle for their relationship status and fight to get to that HEA. I just wish that sometimes they weren’t fighting each other for it. Just as an aside, Chris was an awesome character and such a great friend. We also get to see Russ and Stephen again, and I would wish those friends for anyone, including myself.
This book was such an up and down ride for the emotions but ultimately worth it. And it turns the “once we have sex, life is perfect” idea on it’s head. Because let’s face it, most of the time that just isn’t true. Problems aren’t solved by sex, usually they are just complicated by it. Here, we get that see how much of a struggle it is to get to a better place.
Evan has a really hard time trying to get over Jeremy, thinking no one could “…ever understand me the way Jeremy does.” Except I felt if he gets you like you think, he wouldn’t be putting you through this. And when it gets awkward around Evan, I didn’t feel sorry for him because he made it that way. Does it sound like I’m hard on Jeremy? I was. But oddly enough, while in the beginning of the book I felt that Jeremy was totally the one who didn’t know how to be a boyfriend, as the story progresses I felt Evan was acting immaturely and he was the one breaking them up, particularly as his mother becomes part of the scenario. It was a total turnaround for me that now I wanted to shake Evan and ask him what his problem was, even knowing the problems he had growing up and especially with his father.
Jeremy beginning to come to terms with his disability, rather than just existing and waiting to die, was so interesting and sometimes heartbreaking. The idiot at the cycling club, we will just hope he falls off his bike. I could see the growth in Jeremy, both towards his disability and as a boyfriend, and that was a great thing.
These two really struggle for their relationship status and fight to get to that HEA. I just wish that sometimes they weren’t fighting each other for it. Just as an aside, Chris was an awesome character and such a great friend. We also get to see Russ and Stephen again, and I would wish those friends for anyone, including myself.
This book was such an up and down ride for the emotions but ultimately worth it. And it turns the “once we have sex, life is perfect” idea on it’s head. Because let’s face it, most of the time that just isn’t true. Problems aren’t solved by sex, usually they are just complicated by it. Here, we get that see how much of a struggle it is to get to a better place.
November 8, 2016
This title was originally reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®
I have been following Jeremy's story from the beginning. I first knew of him while enjoying a little May-December romance novella that was supposed to stand alone by the name of Equals. Here we are six books later and maybe just maybe Jeremy will be able to get a happily ever after.
For complete Review see http://www.prismbookalliance.com/?p=4...
January 28, 2016
I was a beta for this book.
I fell in love with Evan first, Jeremy took me a while, but in the end my love for both these characters is deep and strong. This is the story of how they overcame their obstacles to learn how to trust each other and themselves, and to forge the connection we all hope to find in life.
Evan has lived a life without love, without connection to others, he’s not sure how to change that, but he wants to try with Jeremy. Jeremy once had connections that he wasn’t ready for, but he lost them after an accident full of screaming metal followed by active neglect and he’s been unable to form new ones. Evan sees a man that can understand what he’s been through. Jeremy has trouble seeing what he can offer Evan, and can’t stop projecting his memories of what being a young adult meant to him onto Evan. He wants Evan in his life, but he doesn’t know how to move from being alone to being a couple.
This is the second part of Evan and Jeremy’s story. This is where they stop fighting their feelings and start working toward making their bond work. I love that they both have to grow and change to make the relationship work. This isn’t just another story where love fixes everything and the HEA is presented in a pretty box with a colorful bow. Jeremy’s arc is more difficult and that is what made me love him in the end. Although Evan might appear to be the more vulnerable of the two he believes that being with the person you love is worth whatever work it takes and that strength is elemental to their bond. Once Jeremy admits to himself that he is ready to chance his heart in order to be with Evan he makes the effort to make it happen, showing a strength he hadn’t previously.
I love that this series-as does the Equals series-brings the importance of the family that we choose into play. I enjoyed seeing the characters from the Equals series still playing a part in Evan’s and Jeremy’s lives. I appreciate the ensemble cast because as much as this is a love story between them it is also a story about the difference the love and support from their chosen family makes in their lives.
If you fell in love with Evan and Jeremy in Connection you have to read this to find out how they work through their challenges to be the couple they are meant to be. If you haven’t read Connection yet, you need to because this is a beautiful story that you will be so glad you read. Really, start with Equals and work your way through the series, they are all amazing books!
I fell in love with Evan first, Jeremy took me a while, but in the end my love for both these characters is deep and strong. This is the story of how they overcame their obstacles to learn how to trust each other and themselves, and to forge the connection we all hope to find in life.
Evan has lived a life without love, without connection to others, he’s not sure how to change that, but he wants to try with Jeremy. Jeremy once had connections that he wasn’t ready for, but he lost them after an accident full of screaming metal followed by active neglect and he’s been unable to form new ones. Evan sees a man that can understand what he’s been through. Jeremy has trouble seeing what he can offer Evan, and can’t stop projecting his memories of what being a young adult meant to him onto Evan. He wants Evan in his life, but he doesn’t know how to move from being alone to being a couple.
This is the second part of Evan and Jeremy’s story. This is where they stop fighting their feelings and start working toward making their bond work. I love that they both have to grow and change to make the relationship work. This isn’t just another story where love fixes everything and the HEA is presented in a pretty box with a colorful bow. Jeremy’s arc is more difficult and that is what made me love him in the end. Although Evan might appear to be the more vulnerable of the two he believes that being with the person you love is worth whatever work it takes and that strength is elemental to their bond. Once Jeremy admits to himself that he is ready to chance his heart in order to be with Evan he makes the effort to make it happen, showing a strength he hadn’t previously.
I love that this series-as does the Equals series-brings the importance of the family that we choose into play. I enjoyed seeing the characters from the Equals series still playing a part in Evan’s and Jeremy’s lives. I appreciate the ensemble cast because as much as this is a love story between them it is also a story about the difference the love and support from their chosen family makes in their lives.
If you fell in love with Evan and Jeremy in Connection you have to read this to find out how they work through their challenges to be the couple they are meant to be. If you haven’t read Connection yet, you need to because this is a beautiful story that you will be so glad you read. Really, start with Equals and work your way through the series, they are all amazing books!
January 29, 2016
Ohhhh……. I really love this author, and “Trust” is the perfect end to the perfect series.
Jeremy stole my heart – I couldn’t stop it, I’m always been a sucker for complex and struggling characters.
At the end of “Connection” we left Evan and Jeremy “together”, but it was obvious to everyone that it wasn’t going to be easy. In “Husband”, the 4th book in the Equal Series, Jeremy comes across as a very strong and confident sort of person, but it’s a façade which he hides behind, he has fears and insecurities which has left our Evan with a broken heart. He tries to go on, to find new friends and maybe even a boyfriend, but nobody is like Jeremy. And for Jeremy, nobody is like Evan – he has only to be brave enough to give themselves a chance.
With Russ and Stephen’s wedding, this could be the ideal moment.
They are perfect together, Evan is just what Jeremy needs to heal his soul and to start living again.
The first time Jeremy lets Evan see his scars, he is afraid that he would be disgusted by them, but Evan is special, he can see over the scars, he is sad for all the pain that Jeremy has suffered, he only sees Jeremy as himself, never the scars!
When everything seems to be going well, Evan’s mother reappears in her son’s life. After everything that had happened with his parents, Jeremy gets worried and this puts pressure on their developing relationship. But like always, they can always count on their friends and Russ’s father.
I really like the relationship that there is between all the characters, the love story between Evan and Jeremy goes without saying, but also the brotherhood between Russ and Evan.
And I have to mention Todd, the waiter in Russ’s and Stephen’s favourite restaurant, he was hilarious and great fun to read.
I have to say that I’m going to miss my boys, they were a wonderful group of friend, a family beyond blood bound.
I cannot recommend this series enough, it’s so well written. I love her style of writing and the way she gives life to her characters, makes them become real people.
****I would like to thank the author for the opportunity and privilege of reviewing this ARC. My opinions of this book, were entirely my own.****
https://threebooksovertherainbow.word...
Jeremy stole my heart – I couldn’t stop it, I’m always been a sucker for complex and struggling characters.
At the end of “Connection” we left Evan and Jeremy “together”, but it was obvious to everyone that it wasn’t going to be easy. In “Husband”, the 4th book in the Equal Series, Jeremy comes across as a very strong and confident sort of person, but it’s a façade which he hides behind, he has fears and insecurities which has left our Evan with a broken heart. He tries to go on, to find new friends and maybe even a boyfriend, but nobody is like Jeremy. And for Jeremy, nobody is like Evan – he has only to be brave enough to give themselves a chance.
With Russ and Stephen’s wedding, this could be the ideal moment.
They are perfect together, Evan is just what Jeremy needs to heal his soul and to start living again.
The first time Jeremy lets Evan see his scars, he is afraid that he would be disgusted by them, but Evan is special, he can see over the scars, he is sad for all the pain that Jeremy has suffered, he only sees Jeremy as himself, never the scars!
When everything seems to be going well, Evan’s mother reappears in her son’s life. After everything that had happened with his parents, Jeremy gets worried and this puts pressure on their developing relationship. But like always, they can always count on their friends and Russ’s father.
I really like the relationship that there is between all the characters, the love story between Evan and Jeremy goes without saying, but also the brotherhood between Russ and Evan.
And I have to mention Todd, the waiter in Russ’s and Stephen’s favourite restaurant, he was hilarious and great fun to read.
I have to say that I’m going to miss my boys, they were a wonderful group of friend, a family beyond blood bound.
I cannot recommend this series enough, it’s so well written. I love her style of writing and the way she gives life to her characters, makes them become real people.
****I would like to thank the author for the opportunity and privilege of reviewing this ARC. My opinions of this book, were entirely my own.****
https://threebooksovertherainbow.word...
January 29, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I have two confessions to make: the first being that I haven't yet read the first book in this series, Connections, where the two main characters, Evan and Jeremy, begin their relationship. However, I will be putting it on my Kindle imminently as I so want to see how they came together in the first place.I feel that this book can be read as a standalone, as I enjoyed the story immensely, even without the benefit of knowing what went on in the first part of the story. Brigham Vaughn has created such rich, well-developed characters that one doesn't necessarily need to know what went on before to enjoy reading this part.
My second confession is that I was reaching for the box of tissues by the end of the first chapter when Jeremy walks out on Evan,, leaving him heart-broken and alone. I was also reaching for the tissues in the last few chapters at various points, but this time for the opposite reason, when good things start to break through and occur in their lives. Having watched the men struggle through various ups and downs, getting it back together and trying to make things work. I found myself rooting for Evan and Jeremy to hold it together and get it right after they get back together at a friend's wedding. Seeing Jeremy woo Evan back after realising he'd thrown away the best thing to ever happen to him, and struggling to deal with his issues and learn to open up to Evan was a wonderful journey I took with them through the chapters.
I recommend this book full of great, quirky and colourful characters and follow Evan and Jeremy in their struggles to be together throughout this well-written, enjoyable story.
I'm heading off now to delve into book 1: Connections.
I have two confessions to make: the first being that I haven't yet read the first book in this series, Connections, where the two main characters, Evan and Jeremy, begin their relationship. However, I will be putting it on my Kindle imminently as I so want to see how they came together in the first place.I feel that this book can be read as a standalone, as I enjoyed the story immensely, even without the benefit of knowing what went on in the first part of the story. Brigham Vaughn has created such rich, well-developed characters that one doesn't necessarily need to know what went on before to enjoy reading this part.
My second confession is that I was reaching for the box of tissues by the end of the first chapter when Jeremy walks out on Evan,, leaving him heart-broken and alone. I was also reaching for the tissues in the last few chapters at various points, but this time for the opposite reason, when good things start to break through and occur in their lives. Having watched the men struggle through various ups and downs, getting it back together and trying to make things work. I found myself rooting for Evan and Jeremy to hold it together and get it right after they get back together at a friend's wedding. Seeing Jeremy woo Evan back after realising he'd thrown away the best thing to ever happen to him, and struggling to deal with his issues and learn to open up to Evan was a wonderful journey I took with them through the chapters.
I recommend this book full of great, quirky and colourful characters and follow Evan and Jeremy in their struggles to be together throughout this well-written, enjoyable story.
I'm heading off now to delve into book 1: Connections.
January 29, 2016
2016 has been great for m/m romance so far...I've just read two AMAZING top shelf-keeper books in the same week!
And to the author - the wait was TOTALLY worth it! Evan and Jeremy's story was beautiful, emotional, REAL, and lovely. I'm so glad that it wasn't rushed together and pushed in 1 book, and that the author really wanted to make sure we got the best story from her. And we completely did!
This picks up RIGHT where book 1 ends, so you definitely have to read that one first at minimum...but I totally recommend going back and starting with the series that started it all, with Stephen and Russ.
This deals with a lot of things - trust being one of them obviously, but also being in a relationship and making it work, those fights you're going to have, coping and moving on from a disability, family, and so many more things. And you just can't do anything but love Evan and Jeremy and want the best for them.
Also? Not gonna lie, somewhere in the last third of the book, I started thinking we needed to find someone for Chris haha, and so maybe flirty waiter and he will get a story?
I love this author and can't recommend her enough, please get her stories and especially these two 0 you will love them!
And to the author - the wait was TOTALLY worth it! Evan and Jeremy's story was beautiful, emotional, REAL, and lovely. I'm so glad that it wasn't rushed together and pushed in 1 book, and that the author really wanted to make sure we got the best story from her. And we completely did!
This picks up RIGHT where book 1 ends, so you definitely have to read that one first at minimum...but I totally recommend going back and starting with the series that started it all, with Stephen and Russ.
This deals with a lot of things - trust being one of them obviously, but also being in a relationship and making it work, those fights you're going to have, coping and moving on from a disability, family, and so many more things. And you just can't do anything but love Evan and Jeremy and want the best for them.
Also? Not gonna lie, somewhere in the last third of the book, I started thinking we needed to find someone for Chris haha, and so maybe flirty waiter and he will get a story?
I love this author and can't recommend her enough, please get her stories and especially these two 0 you will love them!
January 29, 2016
2016 has been great for m/m romance so far...I've just read two AMAZING top shelf-keeper books in the same week!
And to the author - the wait was TOTALLY worth it! Evan and Jeremy's story was beautiful, emotional, REAL, and lovely. I'm so glad that it wasn't rushed together and pushed in 1 book, and that the author really wanted to make sure we got the best story from her. And we completely did!
This picks up RIGHT where book 1 ends, so you definitely have to read that one first at minimum...but I totally recommend going back and starting with the series that started it all, with Stephen and Russ.
This deals with a lot of things - trust being one of them obviously, but also being in a relationship and making it work, those fights you're going to have, coping and moving on from a disability, family, and so many more things. And you just can't do anything but love Evan and Jeremy and want the best for them.
Also? Not gonna lie, somewhere in the last third of the book, I started thinking we needed to find someone for Chris haha, and so maybe flirty waiter and he will get a story?
I love this author and can't recommend her enough, please get her stories and especially these two 0 you will love them!
And to the author - the wait was TOTALLY worth it! Evan and Jeremy's story was beautiful, emotional, REAL, and lovely. I'm so glad that it wasn't rushed together and pushed in 1 book, and that the author really wanted to make sure we got the best story from her. And we completely did!
This picks up RIGHT where book 1 ends, so you definitely have to read that one first at minimum...but I totally recommend going back and starting with the series that started it all, with Stephen and Russ.
This deals with a lot of things - trust being one of them obviously, but also being in a relationship and making it work, those fights you're going to have, coping and moving on from a disability, family, and so many more things. And you just can't do anything but love Evan and Jeremy and want the best for them.
Also? Not gonna lie, somewhere in the last third of the book, I started thinking we needed to find someone for Chris haha, and so maybe flirty waiter and he will get a story?
I love this author and can't recommend her enough, please get her stories and especially these two 0 you will love them!
November 8, 2018
I fell in love with Evan when Russ & Stephen met him in Partners and that love only deepened when he became one half of the feature couple of the author's spin-off duology Evan and Jeremy. I will be honest and admit I had my doubts about Jeremy when he was introduced as Stephen's ex, generally exes cause strife wherever they go, but not this ex. Jeremy really begins to heal in Trust but it doesn't come easy and Evan finds it harder to let go of Jeremy and move on when the man pushes him away. I was a little on edge after reading the blurb but knew it was a story I had to read no matter how bumpy the road got and boy was there potholes all over their road. Having grown up around disability and health issues I understood both Jeremy's fears and Evan's hopeful optimism, which only helped the boys when they began to burrow their way into my heart. If you've been reading Miss Vaughn's Equals/Evan and Jeremy series then you can't miss this entry and if you haven't begun yet, well what are you waiting for? I must say that I wouldn't mind seeing minor characters Tod and Chris get their own fairytale journey, *hint, hint*.
March 13, 2016
I just devoured this book. The first book left us thinking Evan and Jeremy were together. This one gave the aftermath of the HFN ending of the first book. It was rocky and sweet at the same time watching the two of them work through their problems and become a solid couple. I liked how Jeremy's problems aren't just easily solved and he has to work at them and how he isn't always right. These two are such a sweet couple and I can see me re-reading this series again soon.
January 28, 2016
I absolutely LOVED TRUST! LOVED it! It surprised me at every turn and I truly felt apart of Jeremy and Evan ' s struggle for their HEA. Beautifully written with all our favorite past characters playing their part to help this couple come together. TRUST was nothing like I excepted and everything I wanted it to be! Fantastic!
February 4, 2016
This is part 2 of Evan and Jeremy's story and is a very satisfying conclusion! Each of these men has their own damage to bring to this relationship. Somehow, through a lot of love and a fair measure of anguish, their relationship heals not only them, but contributes to their friends' lives in positive ways. I very much enjoy reading Ms. Vaughn's work.
January 30, 2016
Loved it. The second part of connections. It had trust, struggles, love, friendship and so much more. So glad it was two books it would have lost so much if it was fitted into one.
February 27, 2016
2.5 stars
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November 24, 2018Read in Trust the Connection
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