One Night with Rhodes

One Night #4

by Eden Finley

Blair Rhodes considers himself an equal opportunity player. He knew from a young age that he wasn’t entirely straight. Ogling his best friend’s older brother was the first thing that tipped him off.

But Garrett Erikson is off limits. Always has been. Garrett is as straight as they come.

Garrett’s reputation as a womaniser precedes him, but it’s not who he is. Not even close. And when Blair turns up on his doorstep, heartbroken over a breakup, Garrett knows it’s a bad idea to go drinking with him.

One night is all it takes for everything to change.

For the past ten years, Garrett’s denied his desires to everyone, including himself.

And as much as Blair wants to be the guy Garrett needs, he needs to protect his own heart. Like his ex-boyfriend always told him: “Never mess with the straight ones. It only leads to trouble.”


**** One Night with Rhodes is a standalone romance ****

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, LGBT, Contemporary Romance, Adult

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2017

About the author

Eden Finley is an Amazon bestselling author who writes steamy contemporary romances that are mostly full of snark and light-hearted fluff.

She lives to create an escape from real life for herself and her readers.

She's also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don't make sense to anyone else.

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to finish this book. For the most part I just wanted to slap both MCs.
The beginning seemed promising, but their constant on and off relationship and numerous random hookups made it hard to stay invested in their story.
And the epilogue? Just ... no.

[~Mindy Lynn~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one!

This is a story about two guys that are struggling with being out, coming out, how it will effect their relationships with their friends and family, acceptance of who they are, and succumbing to the love they feel for one another.

Garrett... The poor guy was a mess of fear. I adored him even if I was frustrated with him a lot. But you can't begrudge someone of their feeling's and he was a emotional wreck. He was having a really hard time with guilt, shame, and accepting who he was. He was letting his sexuality define him a lot of the time which made him quite squirrelly. He was known by his family and friends as a Man-whore, but a lot of it was for show. He felt he had to always be on. He had to pretend to be someone else in front of everyone so they wouldn't see the real him. Except, Blair. Blair saw him. Blair got him. Blair was the only person he felt like he could be the real him.
Blair recently came out to his friends and family when he declared to have a boyfriend named Marc. It was kind of anticlimactic with his friends considering they didn't say much and when only a week later his boyfriend breaks up with him they just never mention it. Like it never happened. His parents just seem to think since Blair also likes females that it's just something like a phase. The night of Blair's breakup he's heartbroken and needing a distraction so he heads to his best friend Hunter's place in hopes for a night out of drinks and a rebound. Instead he ends up with Hunter's older brother Garrett for a night out of drunken comfort. Blair has always had a bit of a crush on the older brother of his best friend and is completely shocked when Garrett's lips lands on his for a steamy kiss. This is all that happens because Blair can see the struggle and fear that is going on inside of Garrett and refuses to do anything while drunk. Plus he can see how skittish Garrett is. He has right to be because from here on we have a lot of back and forth with Garrett doing a lot of running.

The story is quite heart breaking seeing both men struggle so much inside and outside of their relationship. It was really hard watching Garrett struggle with accepting himself.
But the story was also full of love. These two men were really good together. Great chemistry and some really steamy sexy times. I loved them.

This book also has a lot of fun and funny side characters that made the book even more enjoyable. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series.

Happy reading dolls!

~I RECIEVED AN ARC COURTESY OF NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW~

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 2 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Didn't do it for me*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Fourth book in the series centers around bisexual production assistant, Blair Rhodes (22-27) and in the closet and womaniser and marketer (marketing), Garrett Erikson (26-31). One meeting after a clusterfuck relationship, the on and off again relationship between the two men starts and last for five years. Years of seeing the other date, love each other but not together, hiding... has its tool, yet they can't get enough of each other. Overall, I didn't like it all that much. The back and forth, the timeline and how the book began... it just didn't work for me. It was also predictable and lacked of depth (for me) when it came to the characters. It was also boring as not much happened expect a repeat. I shouldn't have started reading the book, yet it was M/M and I needed some M/M.

“I’m not suicidal, for fuck’s sake.” I tried to pull my head back, but he held it tighter.
“Are you telling me you’ve dealt with all the shit from last year? All that avoiding me, the unhealthy binge drinking, all those girls you took home … was it because you wanted it? It had nothing to do with proving a point?”
I swallowed hard.
“Didn’t think so. All you have to do is realise what you want. Not what society wants, not what your brother or your parents want, but what you want. What do you want, Garrett?”
I swallowed hard and rasped, “You. I want you.”

Other Characters:
↦ Book one main characters: Cole Turner and Paige Minor.
↦ Book two main characters: Cole's best friend and Garrett's brother, Ryan Hunter Erikson and Paige's best friend, Sara Shaw
↦ Book three main characters: one of Cole's best friends, Spencer Crowley and Cole's ex-wife, Reece Knightly
↦ Gage and Pip, Reece's best friend.
↦ Caitlin ‘Caity’, Blair new neighbor; she fast became his rock.

“We don’t care if you like guys. Even I’d turn for that Thor fella.”

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series (Can Be Read As A Standalone), Book Four.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Yes.
Favorite character? - Blair Rhodes.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - No.
Will I read this again in the future? - No.
Rating - 2 stars.

[Teal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to take away a star because of the epilogue.

Prior to that I'd have given this 3 stars -- and while 3 stars doesn't usually mean "meh" to me, in this case it did. The core problem was that I never felt a spark between the MCs. And in hindsight I can pinpoint exactly where the lack of connection between them became unmistakable: at about 60%, when they were each blasé about the other hooking up with and forming relationships with other people.

Well, hell, if they're each okay with the other screwing around, why should I have any more investment in their relationship than they do? After that, I didn't give a shit. All their interactions and dramas from that point on just seemed silly. Not to mention dull, boring, tedious and annoying.

And then came the epilogue -- which turned out to be all about breeding arrangements! I was so tempted to take ALL the stars away. Seriously, it went on and on about the details of how they were going to reproduce and who could provide eggs and who could provide sperm and who could provide the uterus and they were holding babies during that discussion and I can't even begin to describe how off-putting it was. I actually had to just skip the last few pages of the book. That is NOT what I'm looking for in a m/m romance. And the longer I think about it the more I regret spending my time reading this book and that makes me want to take away ANOTHER star, so probably I'd best stop right here and just try not to think about it any longer.

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

I really enjoyed this. It can be read without having read the books in the series before this, because while the other couples are featured, you don't need to know their stories in order to understand Blair and Garrett's story.

So this was this author's first M/M romance novel and as a debut M/M book, it was really good. I read on her blog post that she researched the hell out of this before writing it, which I appreciate because she just discovered M/M romance and if she had just written the book without a lick of knowledge about about LGBT+ relationships, and in this particular case M/M relationships, then it probably would have been much worse.

Blair and Garrett weren't stereotyped at all, they were given complexities, they were more than their sexualities, even if Garrett had to learn that fact. And they were also good together, I loved their chemistry and I loved reading about them falling in love over the years.

Although I did give this a half star off because while I'm glad this was more slow burn than anything else and that it took its time to get these two to their happy ever after, it also at times felt a little too slow. Like, it starts out in the present (or well, late 2016), and then before anything happens we go back into time to flashbacks. So because I had a little taste of the present, I REALLY wanted to get back to that right away, but I go enjoy flashbacks to a point, because they give us their relationship background. But this went just a little too long before getting back to the present. It was like over the 90% mark before we got back to the beginning in the present and that frustrated me. I felt about half way through that I was ready to get back to the present. But that didn't happen. I just could have used less flashback, is all. Which, made them getting back together for good at the end a tag rushed, because there was less than 10% of the novel left, so yeah.

I mean, I'm still happy they got their happy ending and that Garrett got through his shit and everything before he committed to Blair for good, but I was expecting the flashbacks to fill in the gaps on their past relationship and then get the last half, or maybe third of the book be them getting back together for good. But it was in the last 10% instead and that was a little too long to leave it, I felt.

But anyway, in the end I still ended up loving this, despite that minor annoyance, and while these two dated and slept with others when they weren't together, I loved how they were always in the back of each other's minds, they were always still in love with each other.

This is a good one, so don't be scared off by it being the author's first M/M romance. It handled the characters well, and I love love lOVED how she dealt with bisexuality. The characters didn't get it, but the author did, and that was clear. There was no asshole main or major characters going "but bisexuals just want one or the other" or "they're greedy and are just sluts" and so on and so forth. There was NONE of that (there was an ex that we never really saw of Blair's that had this attitude, but he was super minor and he was meant to be there to show that those assholes do exist. Also one of Blair's girlfriends over the years was kinda like that as well. But the narrative never played that as if it was okay, and it was so refreshing to see that).

Also, Blair never said "well, I'm gay" once he fell in love with Garrett. I've read so many books where a formerly "straight" character who was legitimately attracted to women before/was married to a woman/fell in love with a woman/had kids with a woman fall in love with a man and then just called himself gay when he was clearly bisexual. That didn't happen with Blair and I was so thankful for that. Let bisexual characters call themselves bisexual please! (and that's different then men who were with women because they were denying they were gay or hiding they were gay, i know. But I'm talking about men were were actually attracted/in love with women and they weren't pretending, but later on fall for a man, ya know?)

Anywayyy, overall I loved this, and I was pleasantly surprised. Definitely recommend <333

[Megan [At The Cottage] · Rating 1 out of 5]

MM Romance
Angst filled ridiculousness (I dont know what trope this is tbh)
Takes place in Australia with Aussie slang

First off, I can’t believe this is an Eden Finley book!!! what in the actual fuck? This can’t be the same author who wrote the fake boyfriend series! After doing some research, this book was Eden’s debut MM romance. Let’s just say, she has come a longgggggg way. Most of the couples in this series appear to be MF so I skipped those and this read fine as a stand-alone. Secondly, I’m probably going to bitch about Garrett from this book who is so far in the closet, his soul is practically painted on the walls. BUT I understand not everyone is able to be who they truly are and in no way do I judge anyone for being unable to speak their truth. I just fucking hate these characters. Just wanted to put that out there because this review is going to get ugly.

Garrett and Blair have known each other forever as Garrett is Blair’s best friend’s older brother. Blair figured out in high school that he was bi and has recently come out to his friends/family. Garrett is known as a womanizing manwhore when the reality is he is attracted to men and has been keeping it a secret for over 14 years. He feels like he cannot be himself especially around his loved ones and it’s killing him especially when he finds out Blair is bi because he’s always had a thing for him. The feeling is mutual for Blair only he’s out and has experience with both men and women.

These two enter into a weird friends with benefits experimental relationship that spans over 5 years. It’s obvious from the start, they both are in too deep but it’s complicated. Every time Garrett & Blair get closer, Garrett freezes him out and pretends nothing ever happened between them. They are off and on for years without anyone knowing and they are both in love with each other but it’s never discussed. When they are “off” they date others. Garrett plays up his womanizing persona and Blair dates mainly women because he can’t have the one guy he truly wants. This pattern goes on FOREVER until Garrett tells Blair he’s moving to Sydney to be who he can’t be when he’s around his family/friends. Blair is broken-hearted but they promise to keep in touch.

I fucking CANNOT with this book. It was so angsty for absolutely no reason at all. Garrett was such a dickhead. When he’s in Sydney, he comes out as gay to his coworkers instantly and has a boyfriend within a few weeks. He’s keeping it from everyone else though except he rubs that shit in Blair’s face. His brother comes to visit and Garrett makes his boyfriend who he is living with pretend to be just his roommate!! I understand not wanting to come out but the fucking pain he put people through killed me. 💔

I hated this book but couldn’t put it down. I kept hoping Garrett and Blair would have a real conversation and just admit their feelings for each other even if they needed to keep it private. Instead, this book made me super teary eyed because of how fucked up the main characters were. Once Garrett does come out, it’s so anti-climactic I wanted to die for sticking it out so long. I can’t even believe Blair takes him back after everything he put him through. What I hated most was seeing them date other people in front of each other over the years yet attempt some weird friendship that nearly killed both of them because of the pain.

And then the epilogue!!! WTF This is one of those rambly, long, ridiculous reviews so I apologize. Also, none of Eden’s trademark humor or hot sex scenes were present in this book. I almost DNF’d it so many times I lost count. I must be a masochist torturing myself with shit like this when there’s so many other books I want to read that HAVE to be better than this trash. Ughhh just no. Fuck you Garrett!!! 🤬 And WHY ruin Caity and Blair’s friendship??? That was the ONE person who didn’t fuck with him and had his back. Fuck this book. I don’t think I even properly explained why I hated this so much but I need to move on from this BS before I lose even more of my mind.

“If I was being truthful, Derek was right. The only reason Blair and I weren’t together was because I didn’t have the guts to tell my family I was in love with him.”
—-I’m soooo sure your current bf has to tell you this after you move permanently to another state to finally have the relationship you want when you have who you really want at home!!! FFS 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Rachel Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know if it's because I haven't read the first three books (although from reading this one, I get the feeling that there is a LOT of overlap with the characters and what's going on in their books and this one, so I never felt lost or anything) but I felt like this book really, really dragged and I struggled to even finish it.

I'm usually fine with books that switch perspective and go through a long span of time, but for whatever reason it was hard to remember whether the chapter was Blair's or Garrett's, and for about the first half of the book, I thought I was reading flashbacks mixed in with present day chapters instead of a continual length of time starting back in 2013 or whatever and going through 2018, since some chapters had a month and year, and then the next few wouldn't. I think if the chapter headings had been more consistent and always had the month/year, I wouldn't have been so confused.

There's just a lot of drinking, a LOT of hook ups, a LOT of back and forth, a lot of dumb people making dumb mistakes, one of them is in a relationship, and when Blair and Garrett finally get their acts in gear and get things figured out, I don't know if I cared anymore.

I felt like 90% of the book was Garrett running away from his problems, and I think with tighter editing, that could have been cut down to more like 60-70% and we could have gotten some time with the two of them really being a couple rather than having to read about them being in other relationships and being told what they're doing. Or the whole story could have been shorter, because I swear Blair and Garrett spent more time apart than together, so it's hard to buy into their love for each other when the only time they spend together is a hookup and then a fight.

I'm in the minority here based on the average review, but I just can't recommend this one for a friends to lovers and coming out of the closet type of story.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Vanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars!! It was just ok.. and although I almost DNFed it a few times, I soldiered on because I like Eden Finley's other books and this was the very first M/M she wrote, and the only M/M in a contemporary M/F series. Having said that the most obvious problem with this story is how Einstein defined insanity "that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." And that is the insane relationship that Blair and Garrett have for 5 years 🙄😠. They are friends-with-benefits then become friends, date other people, break up with other people because they still have feelings for each other, then become friends-with-benefits again, then back to friends, date other people, break up with other people because they have feelings for each other..... and on and on.......😱 All along Blair is "kinda-out" as bi 🙄and Garrett is "definitely-not-out" 😬 (despite being active on online apps and hooking up constantly) And this goes on for 5 years!!! 😳😱 Also there were too many supporting characters with their own on-going drama (which I would understand if I'd read the 4 M/F books that came before this one.. but here they just created a lot of unnecessary plot which I wanted to skip) However.., there were still a few things I liked; the friendship they build over the years😍, the humor that is so Eden Finley 👍 and the sizzling hot chemistry 🔥💞🔥between the MCs. They saved the book from being a total disappointment. Read it only if you are a huge fan of Eden Finley and have no issues waiting 5 years of back and forth before the MCs find their HEA (maybe)🤔

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:
Wow, I really, really loved this book. I haven't read any of the rest of the series so I had no idea what to expect, but I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I really liked it.

The story covers six years. The title may say "one night", but the relationship between Garrett and Blair is much more complex and long-lasting than it sounds. See, Blair is bisexual and he's come out, but right after he came out, his boyfriend dumped him and he never dated another guy (at least not that his friends and family knew about) so they all just assumed his bisexuality was only a phase. So, he's out...but not really, because it's not a thing that anyone even talks about and he never mentions it.

Even deeper in the closet is Garrett. He's terrified about anyone knowing that he's gay. In fact it took many, many years for him to even admit it to himself. The thing that pushed him to even consider it was his attraction and one-night hook-ups with Blair, his little brother's best friend. Yes, that was plural...hook-ups...because Garrett is in a game of give and take with Blair. He has a night of weakness with Blair and then he rebuilds his walls, not wanting to accept reality.

It's painful to read...for both Garrett, who's in so much denial. And for Blair, who is on an emotional roller-coaster because he really likes Garrett...and is worried for his mental stability. And really, Garrett is not in a good place mentally.

There is so much emotion to this book. I absolutely love that. I also really love how long the book and relationship builds...it covers 6 years in these men's lives. Just because of that depth in time, I could really believe the validity of the HEA when it happened.

I also have to note just how sexy this book is. For Garrett, this is all new and forbidden. There's a taboo sexiness to the entire book because of that, plus he's a virgin when it comes to men...again, seriously sexy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story from the very first page until the last. In fact, I was really sad when it ended because the book was so good. The story does cover 6 years and the rest of the romances within this group of friends are happening in the background (all those other romances are m/f) so now I'm really interested in going back and reading the other books in this series...must find some time to do so!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start by saying, the story was good, and I completely understand how messed up Garrett was. I know he had to work out his issues and face his past demons and make amends for his past mistakes and transgressions, but I really wish the author had concentrated more on him trying to get the help he needed earlier in the story, so the main characters could have had more page time as a couple. The majority of this book is spent with Garrett and Blair either in a relationship with other people or hooking up with random strangers. It was sad and so frustrating to read this. By the time they do finally get together it was almost too late for me and I was just about beyond caring. I'll be honest, it took a lot of willpower not to throw my iPad against the wall. This story was emotionally taxing to read.

While there is a nice epilogue, the ending still felt much too rushed. I loved the resolution, but I wish the execution had been different. Blair and Garrett get together finally and bam! Epilogue. There were situations and issues that I felt should have been resolved on page.

This review sounds negative and really that wasn't my intention. The writing is good, I really enjoyed the author's writing style. The chemistry between Blair and Garrett was out of this world and as far as I can tell, this was the author's first MM book. Sometimes you can tell when an author transitions from MF to MM, but that's not the case here. This book felt very organic in that respect. The sex scenes between Garrett and Blair were passionate and beyond hot. *fans self*.

All in all, this was a good book. My main problem with this book was that I hated the fact that the main characters spent most of the book having sex with other people. This may not bother others, but in my opinion, if you love someone, you won't want to sleep with others. To me, whether you're in a relationship or not with that person it still feels like cheating, at least emotionally. Still, if that doesn't bother you, I'd definitely recommend it!

* Copy provided to me via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

[Sanaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!

Since recently, I've become a lover of all things angst. And this book had it and more. I actually really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The characters (main and secondary), the story, the writing were all things that really worked for me.

The one problem I had was that there were too many other relationships that were inserted into this book. I felt like they were overshadowing the story.

An arc was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Night with Rhodes was such an easy book to fall into and just enjoy. It is the only book that I’ve read from the One Night series and the first Eden Finley book I’ve read. Reader can go into this book and enjoy it without having read the other in the series.

Blair and Garrett have always known each other. Garrett is the older brother of Blair’s friend Hunter who happens to have the second book in the series. They’ve always been in the same circle of friends but never dated due to a bro-code and Garrett is a straight manwhore. All of that changes one night when Garrett kisses Blair. This is where they embark on a five year casual but exclusive hook up thing that doesn’t really work but it puts them on the path that might work, one day, if only that pesky closet wasn’t there for someone to hide in.

The story flowed well for me. Readers are given major events at different points in time of what is going on with Blair and Garrett. Some of the events puts them closer to a happily ever after while other things happen that puts them at odds with each other. Finley delivers this as first person point of view from each man. It’s clearly marked at the beginning of each chapter who we’re getting the details from. It���s also clear from the dialog and character personality as to who we are reading. The alternating points of view never got confusing or jumbled.

My only complaint is that I would have liked a little more page time with Garrett and Blair after they got their relationship figured out. All in all I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. I do not plan on going back to read the other books in the series. Those characters were entertaining as secondary characters here but not interesting enough for me to want to read their book. I am however looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Favorite quote, Blair to Garrett: “I wish we didn’t keep fucking each other up.”

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn! I'm going to have to come back to write this review. I'm not even sure how I ended up reading this one bc not one person I follow or are friends with, have read it AND THATS A DAMN SHAME bc this book HAD me.

Side note, I have not read any of the other books In this series, can definitely read as a standalone. I've been on a strictly MM binge diet for the last several months & can't seem to get off this train.

Another side note, Garrett will most likely drive u bat shit crazy! There were times I just wanted to punt my Kindle across the room, but I was so endeared to him I just immediately forgave him. So Blair, I get you sweetie!

Aaaaand side note tres, Blair definitely has some douche beggary moments with the ladies but for whatever reason I really didn't care. Everybody else get out the way, team Blarrett coming through!

Review to come! But READ it!!!

[Achim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Denise H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, set in Australia, is full of angst, a rollercoaster ride, ups and downs, twists and turns, plus it's a real head-scratcher !
All of that because two bi men can't resolve their personal issues of gayness, coming out, and they can't stop hurting themselves in the process, which spans 5-7 years.
We have Blair, 24ish, who is a movie P.A.

and writer, plus Hunter is his friend.
Garrett, Hunter's brother, 28ish, black hair

and eyes, with muscles, is a marketing specialist.

Garrett was a bed-hopping slut for women, and Blair likes hooking up with both men and women. Nearly every character is sleeping around with lots of women, very loose, lots of drinking.

Garrett finds himself pulled toward Blair, but he's insecure and hates the idea of being gay. There are family issues and friend problems, both in homophobic work places, and we see it unfold, while we are on this bumpy ride.

There is a lot of bed hopping all around, and only detailed M/M sex for our two guys, first times for Garrett. Garrett has lots of issues going way back, and we get flashbacks to help us see.
It's drawn out over 5-7 years, while time passes, they are dating others, on-and-off again talking to each other, and it's a topsy-turvy tale.
Neither character is completely likable.

It finally takes therapy for Garrett to unravel his big problems, while Blair has lived half a life in all of this time, dating women, but not loving them.
I didn't like Garrett, and didn't like the way Blair kept letting himself be used.

The epilogue at the end of this long, tortuous tale, at least has positive thoughts, and some happiness.
It's a story about bisexual issues and "coming out" complexities, with a small side of "love."

=====

[~Mandi~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Night with Rhodes
One Night #4
Eden Finley

This was my first Eden Finley book. I really enjoyed this story. Great romance read between Garrett and Blair.
Garrett was afraid to come out and tell his friends and family that he is gay. Blair who had previously came out to his friends and family that he is bi befriended Garrett and let him confide in him. They also had chemistry between each other but Garrett was too afraid of someone finding out. So he pushed Blair away. Then over the course of several years they had developed feelings and they had to overcome their fears in order to make things work between them.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Laxmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing all of the Fake Boyfriend series I looked for anything more from Eden Finley. I have not read any of the other books in the series but I was able to figure out whose who. This was the story about two friends while over the years deal with acceptance, heartbreak, coming out to family and friends and insecurities. I really enjoyed this story, it delivers for me what I expect from one of her books; a real relationship build, understanding Of why the MC’s are the way they are & what makes them click together - chemistry. I really felt this one

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - 5...

I actually almost skipped this one, I think mainly because I hadn't read the other books in the series. Then, one of my fellow bloggers gave One Night with Rhodes such a great review I couldn't resist. ;)

Since I haven't read the rest of the books in the One Night series, I'm not sure how the earlier books played out. The title and description may elude to 'one night' but this book covered a lot more than that. It was actually made up of many 'one nights'. It sounds kind of confusing, I know, but once you read the book, it will make total sense.

The thing that struck me most about One Night with Rhodes was the patience and caring that Blair expressed for Garrett. He was there for him, even when he knew that it would hurt him to walk away. He did his best to protect his heart and still keep Garrett from crumbling and hurting himself. Blair was determined to help Garrett find himself and come out healthy and whole in the process. I also loved their friends and family. Even though they were totally clueless when it came to Blair's orientation, they still cared.

One Night with Rhodes also had a slightly unique format that I kinda liked. The book opened and closed with pretty much the same scene, but a lot happened in between, which meant that most of the book was set in the past. It gave the story a slightly different perspective.

I also have to mention that even though this is the 4th book in the One Night series, it can easily be a stand alone. Characters from the previous books are a huge part of Garrett and Blair's story, but there is a lot of back story in One Night with Rhodes that help keep readers up to speed. That doesn't mean that I'm not curious about those first 3 books. It also doesn't mean that I'm not seriously thinking about continuing the series. The next couple has definitely peaked my curiosity ;)

I received One Night with Rhodes in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Rach · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In all honesty, I enjoyed this far more than I thought I was going to. I haven't read any of the rest of the series so I had no idea what to expect, but it can be read without having read the books in the series before this. Couples from the previous three books are featured but you certainly don't need to know their stories in order to understand where Blair and Garrett's story is going.

One Night With Rhodes is a sexy, slow burn novel about discovering yourself, your sexuality, and nothing gets me quite like a will-they-won’t-they narrative.

What I liked most about the story was that the title may have been “One Night” and, sure it was one night that changed everything between Blair and Garrett, but it’s actually a slow, slow, sloooow burn romance that spans for six years and encompasses everything from the MC’s discovering their sexualities, to coming out. Their relationship stops and starts, but the story never does. It’s a continuous flow of yearning and learning that eventually leads to a beautiful relationship.

Blair is a bisexual character, which was fantastic to see some bi rep for once, though he’s not completely comfortable with his sexuality. He comes out to his friends, but their refusal to acknowledge his sexuality basically puts him right back in the closet which is a gross trope that needs to die. I feel like the book could definitely have done without the bi erasure and I think it’s important for authors to note that just because you drop a scene where all the secondary characters gather around a table and make jokes about how “they get it, he’s bi. We don’t have to talk about it” in reference the MC’s coming out, doesn’t make any of the biphobia okay. It’s harmful to readers.

I won’t lie, at times I had to flip back to the start of chapters because I was fairly confused about who’s part I was reading, but when I finally got into the swing of things I really did enjoy the dynamic and the chemistry between Garrett and Blair and I was glad that there were quite a few issues addressed in regard to coming out.

I’m not 100% sure I’d read another of Eden Finley’s books, but I did enjoy this one and I’d like to thank Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an ARC.

[Jennifer Shanahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Normally I will not read a book in the middle of a series, I will go back and start with the first one, but since I got an advanced copy of this, I read it. Plus it sounded really good. AND it was--I was not disappointed at all. I actually absolutely loved it! ONWRhodes has all my favorite elements of a novel for instance: it was all in first person with chapters either from the point of view of Blair or Garret, kind of epic as it took place over several years and they knew each other when they were younger, two totally hot guys, one really confused and one actually amazingly confident (Blair). Blair is the best (love his name too). Blair is best friend's with Garret's younger brother which is how they have known each other for years. Blair is bi but his friends don't really acknowledge it that much, and he has always liked Garrett who is older, straight, and quite the womanizer. Turns out he is not so straight but is in complete denial and although he and Blair start an off-again, on-again relationship, Garrett can not handle anyone else knowing at all or actually even telling anyone he is gay. So he fakes it for years. He hurts Blair so many times because of his denial and poor Blair, he takes it because he loves Garrett and even in spite of all that, they remain friends, close friends actually. Garrett loves him too but never tells him really and moves 10 hours away just to be openly out. Eventually he realizes what he needs to do to be happy. I really love Blair and Garrett. They are one of my new favorite couples and so great when they are together. I look forward to reading the first three books in this series about Blair's other friends because they all seem funny and each of them has a story I couldn't quite figure out through the bits of them woven in to this book.

[Emily Seelye · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

Despite the title it’s actually Garrett has several one nights with Rhodes over the course of 5 years.

When Blair Rhodes’ boyfriend dumps him, he goes looking for a friend, but gets his older brother instead. They end up hitting it off, but Garrett’s closeted and nowhere ready for a boyfriend or come out. Over the next several years they have an on and off friends with benefits relationship and fall in love. But until Garrett is comfortable with himself, he can’t commit to Blair.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. They did have a rocky and tumultuous relationship, but underneath it all, they became and remained best friends. I did not like that it took Garrett so long to get over his issues, especially after he realizes he’s in love with Blair, and knows he’s continually hurting him.

I originally read this in KU when it was first published, but the author has given me an ARC for review purposes.

[QuietlyKat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one didn’t work for me. The conflict felt forced and unbelievable. It might have been believable in the beginning but it dragged on for YEARS without good reason and over the entirety of the book. Garrett’s internalized homophobia and the way he kept hurting Blair over and over left me feeling sad, hurt, frustrated and angry. Moreover, I never understood Blair’s continued devotion to someone that treated him so hurtfully and thoughtlessly.

Finally, I despised the heteronormative epilogue.

The storytelling may have been better than 2 stars but the fact that the conflict lasted for the entire story left me disappointed and drained. Even though it’s KU, I wish I would have passed on this one.

[alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It hurts to rate this but alas, a book by Eden Finley that I couldn’t connect to at all 😔 The way it dragged on and on with endless drinking, hookups, and five years of back-and-forth, I found this incredibly tiring to read. Her classic humor shined through in the few snippets we got, but all I can say is I’m glad her writing’s improved immensely since this debut(?) M/M book.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come soon.

*I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. *

[LauraSt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable

I absolutely loved this! Long time-line, closet case, best friends, guilt, love and SEXY times! Best part? You can certainly read as a stand alone if you don’t want to read the other MF books

[Dani Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Blair&Garrett #OneNightWithRhodes #OneNightSeries

Blair Rhodes & Garrett Erickson had me eagerly flipping the pages on this one! This is the second book I have read by Eden Finley, and just like Fake Out I couldn't put this book down. I will note I have not read the other books in this series, and it can be read as a standalone. Although, after reading ONWR, I am excited for Gage, and Pip's book to come out next!

Blair and Garrett's story takes place in a course of 5 years. I really enjoyed the depth in this book. The characters felt real, and you can relate to them. The struggles they go through have you feeling all the feels. You can't help but find yourself holding your breath the last few chapters, just hoping for something to give; for them to have a HEA.

If you enjoy sexy, passionate, yet intense and emotional M/M stories, I recommend picking this book up. So glad I did!

[Viz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only m/m in the series. the story is the progress of relationship in 5 years which has a happy ending. Was not a great fan of how the story jumps time so 3 star.

[amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars! this was so much better than the previous books!
what I liked about it:
- the time jumps and pacing. I liked how we get to see the progression of their relationship.
- I liked the dynamic between garrett and blair and the support.
- loved garrett’s supportive and loving parents, and of course hunter
- garrett’s internal conflict was really interesting and complex with all of his internalized homophobia and denial and I like how he tried to fix his past mistakes and accepted himself.

what I didn’t like:
- the constant conflicts between them and how one would disappear on the other got annoying, and it happened waaaay too much in this series.
- some of the characters are just so unoriginal!!! like they’re just there to say something that’s supposed to be funny but it’s just immature or annoying!!!!
- the male characters were especially unoriginal. i've read at least three other NA romance series that have very similar male characters, and it gets so old. we get it. you all like to sleep around A LOT until you meet that girl (or in this one, the guy) who ~changes~ everything.
- some offensive things about women were said in jest and it bothered me.
- I didn't like how the Caity situation went down and how it was never resolved. seemed like they didn't even care about their friendship.
- I never want to read the word “manwhore” again. it is so overused in these books.

[msmamama · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a round-up from 1.5.

I've enjoyed Finley's writing a fair amount, and have even reread a bunch of her stuff, but this one really just didn't work for me (although I didn't DNF it, so that contributed to the round-up).

I was expecting another sort of rom-com lightweight romance, like most of her stuff, and this was very different. These were messy, at times really unlikeable characters. For me personally, seeing my pairing with other people is really not great, and this just dragged on and on and on. From what I've seen, the rest of the series is all het, and also probably very much not up my alley, so I'll be skipping this rest of this series.

[Mateo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good classical romance, not as funny as the «the fake out» but easy to read. Waiting for the next fake boyfriend serie.