How I Met Your Father

by L.B. Gregg

The man of your dreams could be sitting right next to you. Former boy band member Justin Hayes isn’t looking for a man. He just wants a quiet, scandal-free Christmas at home in Chicago, out of the public eye. But his best friend and bandmate is subjecting everyone to his destination wedding, and Justin can’t dodge the “best man” bullet. All he has to do is get to the island on time, survive the reunion, and get Chuck to the altar with as little drama as possible. What could possibly go wrong? Jack Basinger’s own plans for a quiet Christmas have been dashed by the summons to his daughter’s hasty wedding with a man Jack has hardly met. On the bumpy flight to the island, he finds himself comforting a nervous—and extremely attractive—young man. One hasty sexual encounter in an airport bathroom later, they both feel much better. No one ever has to know, after all. Now Justin and Jack must find a way to explore their attraction, despite the distractions of disapproving family members, unexpected announcements, an impromptu concert, and an island paradise that proves there’s no place like home.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Holiday, Christmas, Audiobook, Humor

102 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 24, 2013

About the author

LB Gregg (Lisabea) writes fun, fast-paced contemporary male/male romances for a variety of publishers including Riptide, Samhain, and Carina Press. Her wildly successful Men of Smithfield books feature hot, hunky men looking for love in small town New England. Find more information about LB, The Men of Smithfield, and her fun series Romano and Albright at www.lbgregg.com.


You can also friend LB on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lb.gregg.1
Like her author page http://on.fb.me/216EIiF
Or follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lb.gregg/

Reviews

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio - 4.5 stars
Story- 3 stars

This one had so much potential, i wish it was a full novel.

I will be reading more books by this author, She has a good sense of humor.

[Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
December 9, 2015
4 stars

Nick J. Russo does it again...brings a so so story and elevates it to something really enjoyable and memorable. The comedic notes were hit perfectly, in fact. I think LB Gregg's writing really lends itself to being so entertaining in audiobook format. I've noticed I've enjoyed all of her stories in audio to date!

Definitely recommended listening.


*******************


ORIGINAL REVIEW
November 13, 2013
3 stars

I am a fan of LB Gregg. I think she’s hilarious. (I loved her Romano & Albright series!)

And this book, well, it started off with a bang. The first scenes on the plane and the ones following in the airport were fantastic. They were funny, the attraction between Justin and Jack was sizzling, and there was a ridiculously hot airport bathroom scene that set me up to be SO EXCITED for the rest of the book.

But it was with the rest of the story that I was left a bit confused. It felt like, possibly a hodge podge of ideas in the author’s head of many different stories were just thrown together to try and create this one. It lacked…cohesion? And there was just too much going on…it was all over the place.

Ultimately, the author maintains her humor and the couple of Justin and Jack were sweet, hot, and fun. So I recommend it if you want something quick and easy. Just don’t get too lost in the details.



And to end…here’s a little taste of everything (including my confusion) you’ll get in crammed into < 100 pages:

Past-their-prime-boyband
Cornrows.
Family issues.
A random uncle w/ a sprained ankle.
Closeted gays.
Weddings.
Pregnancies.
Potheads.
May / December romance.
Is this band together or not?
Is this father out or not?
Did the band know he was gay or not?
Is this father abusive and if not why are his kids so afraid of him?
Does this son have a purpose in this story or not?
Do I like this book or not?

If you’re open to the mayhem, I’d say read it! It does have a certain entertainment factor and I can see some people really loving this for the humor alone. :)



Plus, it’s for charity:

20% of all proceeds from this title are donated to the Ali Forney Center in New York, whose mission “is to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth from the harm of homelessness, and to support them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood.” To learn more about this charity or to donate directly, please visit http://www.aliforneycenter.org/


Full review to be posted at:

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.75 stars**

This book was adorable! It is like a hot, hilarious, little pick-me-up. If you are like me and you like really funny, light books, then you will dig this story.

This was my first read by L.B. Gregg and I started another book by her as soon as I finished this one. I loved her style from the get go. The scenes in the airplane/airport are everything- sexy, funny, awkward perfection. And the story after that stays good but not quite at that same level.

I think the author needed another 100 pages or so to fully get all of her ideas across and give the romance more time to bloom. It was certainly a rushed book, a race towards the end. I wanted much more between the end of the story and the epilogue. It felt like the start of something great, rather than the whole shebang. However, I enjoyed every ounce of this reading experience and I want to read much, much more by this author!

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Shin Mon Thway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this story has so much potential. First of all, how fun is that title? 😱 It really grabs you by the balls, doesn’t it? 😂 And I think Nick J. Russo did such a great job narrating this story, it really was a fun, short, entertaining listen. 👏 The opening was really fun, how Justin Hayes, former band member of teenage heartthrob hooked up with Jack the hunky older man at the airport over a tumultuous air turbulence. 😁 Both men has no idea who the other man is and thoroughly enjoyed their smoking-hot, short hook-up in the airport family bathroom. Later, it turned out one is the best man of the groom and ones the father of the bride. Talk about “awkward” at the wedding. 😂 It was really REALLY funny. 😁 Although the time they knew each other was short, they were willing to try because they knew there’s just something about being together with each other. And they did get their happy ending in the end. What lack in this story is how they get from willing to try being together to getting their happy ending, the middle part. 😐 But honestly, I don’t quite mind it. It was a mere 3 hours listen so I knew I wasn’t going to get an in-depth full-length novel. 😌 But what I got in 3 hours was hilarious, entertaining and sexy. So I really didn’t mind. I think if you are looking for a short, light listen that will make you laugh out loud, you might wanna check this one. 😉



4 how indeed I met your father stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️







Audio rating

Story - 3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Narration - 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Performance - 4.25 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Overall - 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read - Still find it adorable

Overall book rating: 4 (22 January 2017 First Read)
Audio book: Narrator - Nick J Russo: 4
Book cover 3.8 stars

I WANTED MORE!



I SO ENJOYED THIS! It was hysterically funny at times. Between "death-by-air-farts" having a fetish for "airport-talk" and finding out who exactly the hot silver fox was who pushed you up against the bathroom wall I just had a ball!

I LOVED Jack. Especially in the first half of the book. He just takes the lead and I have such a thing for Alpha males. He immediately got my attention with his manners. It made me super excited to read the rest of the book.

Justing was his own person. I enjoyed his way of thinking. And the rest of the band? Why isn't there a book for each band member?????
I really enjoyed their personalities! It would be so great to get to know them in their own story.

I was really disappointed when the ending rushed upon me that fast. This book had so much potential of being EPIC. Really! I loved it!

Please LB Gregg!!!! Do this one over! Please please please! Give us more of that banter and more details!
I swear I'll be a devoted reader forever if you do! ;-)

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

This was a super quick read, but very funny.

Justin Hayes, deeply in the closet, former boy band member is headed to his bandmates wedding. When the plane experiences some turbulence Justin is comforted by his seat-mate Jack, the much older, very handsome Jack.

Justin is used to keeping his private life private and is freaked out by Jack's abruptness. So when the plane lands Justin darts for safety. And by safety I mean a quick whack job in the airport family bathroom with Jack!



Sadly this was about the only steam in the book, but the humor amongst Jack and Justin and the other band members and family more than made up for it.

As a result of their romp Justin shows up late for the wedding festivities. And guess who ends up being the father of the bride.....Jack!



What ensues is a whole lot of awkward and a whole lot of funny! I seriously LMAO when Jack and Justin got caught and outed by Ben and the rest of the gang while on the volcano climb!



I didn't 100% connect with Jack and Justin...which is to be expected with the length of the book. But this was a fun, sweet read and that had me laughing throughout most of the book!

[Gustaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. So so so much. The only bad thing was that it is too short.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

From "How I Met Your Father" to How's Your Father? is only one small step. Grammatically speaking a harmless open question. Idiomatically speaking? Well, you might want to answer it carefully. Justin finds this out the hard way, but all's well that ends well.

Justin is a member of an aging boy band and on his way to his friend's wedding on a Carribean Island. The turbulence on the way makes him nervous and there is an immediate connection to the passenger sat next to him. The connection is so strong that there's no denying them there hormones and they both end up having a quickie, or a bit of how's your father in the toilet of the airport. Usually, this would be a case of wham bam thank you ma'am, have a nice life and the biological need sated. However, passenger X, alias the toilet quickie , turns up at the party planned for his band mate Chuck who's getting married. Yes, Justin just had his wicked way with the last person on earth he thought he would ever see again. When I saw the name Justin, knew it was a boy band singer, for some reason my brain went into Bieber picture mode. Just couldnt shake the image for some reason - lol!

I love embarrassing situations, especially those of others. Maybe I'm a little mean, but this book did get me laughing. I could see Justin's eyes like organ stops, goofing up the song lyrics and wanting to die on the spot when Jack (passenger X) walks into the bar where the party is happening.

I loved the idea of an aging boy band theme, all becoming more mature, but the cohesiveness of the friendship is still there as it was before. This is also the thing, Justin is gay, his band mates know it , but due to his public profile of being a teenage heart-throb then his public face has to remain secret. Well, needless to say after a hike up the mountain with the boys, Jack and his brother, another embarrassing situation leads to the fact that some things can't be kept secret any longer and the truth will out! I also ended up laughing at the whole predicament ~ normally everyone's nightmare. But Justin is not the only be with secrets. Actually the book is full of secrets and embarrassing moments. But everything comes together in the end. Wonderful! Can't say more really otherwise it would get too spoilery.

This is a delightful little novella for the Chrsitmas season. This story is not about Chrsitmas trees, snow flakes, tinsel, etc. It's about two weddings that take place on a Carribean island at Christmas. Nice idea I thought. All in all a nice little holiday treat.

[Macky · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*

A little bit ' busy' at times but still enjoyable. Loved the beginning and the bathroom scene and had a nice warm fuzzy moment with the epilogue. Not too long but not a ' blink and you'll miss' it length either so I guess you'd say short(ish), sweet and satisfying. Liked it!

[Heller · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

I don't want to say zany but this was a bit crazy. A bit of slower pace and getting to know the MC's better would have suited me more. This was a bit frantic but fun.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOY BAND!? Did someone say boy band? Haha…The addictive harmony and in-sync dance numbers of boy bands have been a weakness of mine from way, way back. Let’s just say I spent a big chunk of my life jumping up & down, singing, and shrieking. Sooo…L.B. Gregg’s How I Met Your Father was an instant hit with me. :)

Justin Hayes, a former boy band wonder, is on the way to his best friend’s wedding when the plane ride turns bumpy, scary and intimate. A shared moment soon turns to all kinds of hotness, sparks, and possible trouble. Can Justin stop playing a role? Start being himself? And finally find his happy ending?

I adored Justin’s voice and camaraderie with his bandmates and friends. It was quick banter, jokes and obvious love between them all from beginning to end. But for me, it was the fun, sexy chemistry between Jack and Justin that kept me click, click, clicking til the end. So sexy, intense, and a bit naughty. I loved every touch, bite, and eyelash flutter!

”Oh, I like the sound of that,” he whispered, and I fluttered my lashes indecently again. “You want to go there, Justin?” He drew my name slow, like the attraction between us could never be weird enough or wild enough for him. Like I could not only have whatever I wanted, but he’d give it to me for free. His rough palm found mine, and when our fingers laced again, my chest constricted.”

There was a lot swirling around this novella, but it all came together in the end. It made me smile, hum, and hunt down some old boy band magic.

A sweet and sexy read.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. I'm a sucker for holiday books. We're approaching my favorite time of year when people and places are starting to get festive and cheery. Everyone's a little nicer too. As a result, maybe I approach holiday-themed stories a little differently as they are generally supposed to be very sweet, happily ever after and uplifting to the spirit. Maybe I'm in a more giving mood. But this novella really delivered but not in a trite, been-there-done-that way. I usually don't like stories where the main character is a rock star but this is not really a central part of the story. What I read was a very well done romance involving an older, more mature man who is well-established in his career and life, with a younger (but not too young- no boy band aged twinks here!) former A-list celebrity who after putting his life on hold is now finding out what he wants. I'm a sucker about a romance involving older characters. I'm also a big fan of LB Gregg's writing- her prose just flows well for me and I've really enjoyed her other published books. And as usual, the plot is fast paced and the dialogue is sparkling. So funny and entertaining. A half star off because while I liked the sweet epilogue, it wrapped up the story a little too quickly and neatly for me. In this case, a little more angst would have been a good thing.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Those were five words I wouldn't string together in this lifetime: Sorry I had your dad."

What a fun read this was. Justin is on his way to his best friend's wedding when he meets a sexy older man on the plane. Things happen. Dirty things. Then he gets to the wedding and finds out he did dirty things with the brides dad. Oopsie! This book was written well and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was sweet and funny and sexy. I laughed out loud more than once. (Justin's friends are the biggest bunch of asshats ever but man they were funny). This was my first time reading this author and I immediately went off to look up her other work. Can't wait to try some other stuff by her.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful, feel-good story! It was funny, romantic, smart and sensual. It left me with a wonderful laid-back, happy feeling that tells me it'll be a wonderful re-read — one of those favorite stories I keep in mind for emergencies and for the times I really want to pamper myself.

How I Met Your Father is like sweet sea breeze on your warm skin, the white sand under your bare feet and the dazzling turquoise horizon. Reading it felt like watching the orange sun dropping slowly into the ocean and thousands of stars starting to twinkle over the lullaby of waves. What more can anyone ask for?

Thank you, L.B. Gregg.

[Liz (Bugetta) · Rating 5 out of 5]

1/17/19 Still love it. 😊

Re-read 12/13/15 Just as great as I remembered! Definitely a favorite!

I loved this story. It was so funny. I loved the banter between Justin (closeted former boy band member - band name rhythm method. hehe) and his band mates and the romance was very sweet. I'm not usually a fan of May/December romances but this one worked because even though there was a significant age difference Justin never seemed immature (well not with Jack, just with his band mates. :-)). A sweet, funny, light read. Just perfect!

[BWT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nick J. Russo is quickly becoming an auto-buy narrator for me. I love his character voices, his tempo, inflections...he just rarely goes amiss for me and this time is no exception.

It doesn't hurt that I also like the story; it's quick, fun and hot with some really good humor sprinkled throughout. Which anyone knows is my crack.

Recommended!

[MostlyDelores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it. As other reviewers have said, it seemed just a little frantic, as if a longer book was squirming from the tight fit of not enough pages, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

The four friends, former members of the boy band Rhythm Method (ha!), were funny and banter-y and great, but Jack!, ommygod, Jack! I can't even, with the mature confident man-in-his-prime sexiness... If nothing else, read it for Jack.

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Hilariously Funny Narration of a Quirky , Sexy Story

Nick J. Russo knock it out of the park with his delightful and comical narration of How I Met Your Father. His comedic timing is On Fleek! He delivers it all, the perfect balance of pacing, tone, pauses, inflection.

Quirky💕 Soapy💕 Irreverent💕 Sexy💕 is How I Met Your Father in a nutshell.

Overall: 4 stars
Performance : 5 stars
Story: 4 stars

[Anke · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars.

I couldn't get warm with this story, the whole time til the end. Perhaps I just didn't get it but for me it wasn't funny and the end wasn't an end, that was the epilogue. Yes, the whole thing was a fast read, but overall it was inexpressively.

[Bitchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but not as funny as I usually get from this author. Didn't feel at all like a Christmas story, it just happened to take place at Christmas. I also wish it was longer.

Full review: http://bitchie.booklikes.com/post/709...

[Meep · Rating 2 out of 5]

A chaotic jumble.

There's some heavy issues thrown in but never developed. The story seems to jump from one thing to the next without ever giving enough time to get orientated.
The boyband interactions were trying too hard to be clever/funny and the 'romance' was unconvincing with the two characters not even spending much time together. one quick anonymous hook-up, then later they're interrupted just as it was looking promising! and by his son! eeuw

The original hook-up fine, but I expected a little tension when they met up again - the title gives identity away. Instead they barely talk and the book becomes overrun by secondary characters and their bucket-fulls of issues. I don't remember ever meeting the bride (daughter).

Justin is twenty-nine but looks twenty and acts/sounds like a teenager, Jack is forty-four but looks older. Jack comes across as a sad overlooked old man, despite apparently looking like Fabio and being a successful sports therapist. Justin is constantly thinking he's old and reacting to that, from the start -

How old was he anyway? Did he have a heart condition? Jesus. Maybe I'd killed him.

- he seems more horrified than attracted for most of the book.

And then there's the sappy, sappy ending. HUH! it's sweet but it comes from nowhere.
It gets an extra star as 20%profit is going to charity. Not awful, but instantly forgettable.

[♥️Victoria ♥️ ♥️love books♥️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 4 adorable stars
Audio book: Narrator - Nick J Russo 4 Stars
Book cover 3.5 stars

I loved this book it was funny and sweet and so adorable. I mean how more complicated can things get if you fall in love with the father of the bride and you are the best man of your life long best friend?

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. It was a light fairly brief holiday story about a retired boy band getting together in a beautiful tropical setting for the wedding of one of it's members.

But before we can have the wedding we have to get to it and that is where the story begins for Jack, the father of the bride and Justin, the groom's best man. Now if each of them only knew who the other one was...they might not have gotten as up close and personal at their first meeting as they did. From here this story just gets more and more entertaining as the days progress to the wedding. People who thought to never see each other again suddenly do, there's tension between the groom to be and the father of the bride, there are secrets to be revealed and if that's not enough Jack has a teenage son who idolizes Justin and what the heck just for good measure let's all go mountain climbing in a rainstorm.

If that's not your idea of a fun time you need to read this book because you've been doing it wrong.

[Lenore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great read. It literally made me laugh out loud and that's quite an accomplishment considering my mood as of late.

I liked both MCs, Justin and Jack, and the chemistry between them was instant and undeniable and electric, and that airport bathroom encounter was scorching hot.

What I enjoyed most, though, was how the author gave her story much more meat than I initially expected (the book's title is fitting, but at the same time it doesn't do the story justice.) How, among other things, she talked about long-standing friendships, strained family relationships, teen angst and parental stress, hasty life-altering decisions (gone right for a change), self-exploration and assessment and development—all in a self-contained novella—and still managed to keep her story light and funny and fresh and romantic; that ending had me smiling from ear to ear.

Props, Ms Gregg.

[Mandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one really misses the mark.

First off, where was the romance? There is a quickie scene in a bathroom and an awkward scene in a cave of sorts - but the romance was missing. How was I to believe these two belonged together when they barely had page time together.

For most of the book it is Justin with his former band mates. This author usually makes me laugh but I found their banter to be flat.

This is more Justin coming to terms with his sexuality and being a former star in a boy band than a romance book. And I didn't like his band mates..they just didn't do it for me.

Major family issues are brought up too between Jack and his kids that are not really addressed.

I have enjoyed this author's previous work quite a bit if you are looking to try something by her.

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars.

This could have been a really amazing book. I like the author. I do. But this really wasn't long enough. The book had so much potential and it's not something I read a lot, but it needed to be longer or to have less secondary characters in it. Somewhere along the line this book became less of a romance, for me, and more a family drama.

Saying all that this book had some really good points. There's also the epilogue that takes place a year after the main story.

Definitely a book for those who want something easy to read. If you want something really complicated, long, hot, or romantic. You probably should look elsewhere.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

One word to describe this one - hilarious! I had some great laughs reading it... Otherwise I was disappointed by the lack of romance. The wedding and banter between friends was nice, yet could not replace a properly developed relationship between the protagonists.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was even more fun than I remember...boy band, wedding, secrets of course...getting laid....up in the airport x2 so much fun. I pretty much giggled my way through this one. My original review was a bit longer but really this was just so much fun and when you're trapped indoors during an pandemic one needs all the fun they can get...plus awesome narrator...Nick J. Russo. I'm probably going to need to listen to this one again soon.

[Eli Easton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great holiday story for 2013. There's a wonderful sense of humor in this story, particularly in the bantering between the boy band members. Jack was luscious and I loved the May/December romance. Recommended!

[Elizabetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sid Love and Elizabetta share some holiday reading with LB Gregg’s How I Met Your Father...

Here it is, mid-November and we’re wrapped up in our blankies with a hot cup of tea, reading by our kindle-light. (Ebetta: Wait, hold the horses, LOL!, Is it cold where you are in India, Sid??? -- Sid: Well, it is officially winter season here, so yea, blankies sound comforting to me, thanks. -- Ebetta: Ah, good to know!) Suddenly we’re transported to sunny, tropical Puerto Rico for a Christmas holiday wedding.

From the extremely bumpy plane ride where our two MC’s meet hot, to the fairy-lit canopy with wedding guests in white linen sitting under a star-studded evening sky, this takes us away, and in style. Made us smile… and we so love the title.

This light-hearted, humorous piece centers around Justin Hayes, former lead singer of the popular boy band, Rhythm Method (Ebetta: Ack! Dislike the name, but it is a boy band) . Justin’s looking at thirty now, and the boy band days are long over, but he still manages to attract a lot of attention with his good looks and easy-going charisma. He’s on his way to stand as best man to fellow bandmate and best friend, Chuck Kinney, and his glowing bride, Mandy.  

Little does Justin know that the hot ’n sexy older man sitting next to him on the plane will play a big role in the wedding festivities. Not everything goes smoothly as family drama kicks up. There’s a nervous groom, a ganja-smoking teenager, and a bride with a secret...



Elizabetta thinks about JT

Ebetta:  Hey Sid, what did you think of Justin Hayes, former lead singer of a boy band hooking up with the much older, suave, Jack Basinger? I’m picturing Justin Timberlake... (Justin for Justin, ha!) what about you?

Sid: To be honest, I never really pictured Justin as any celebrity figure though the character of Jack was totally reminding me of Brad Pitt’s hotness. But now that you mention it, I can actually see JT fitting the description. Who did you have in mind for Jack?


It's Brad Pitt for Sid

Ebetta: Y’know Brad Pitt works great for me! I was thinking Richard Branson (Virgin Air magnate) but cuter and younger... so it’s Brad, LOL!

Now that we’ve got the visuals... I love the premise of the story. Romance unfolding on a sunny tropical isle, secrets revealed, family drama, all good ingredients for a wedding setting. What did you think of the set-up?

Sid: It was all that a wedding is supposed to be. Everyone wants it to go smoothly but hell if it does! I was hooked the minute Justin’s hand was held by this handsome ol’ stranger and just knew it was going to go far, far deep into awesome-ness (well, I’d read the blurb of course :P )

Ebetta: I thought that interaction between them on the plane was a little odd, actually. Seemed rather forward of Jack. He and Justin had no clue who each other were for one thing (this would only come out later). But Justin is afraid of heights and dislikes airplanes, so I guess Jack felt it necessary to comfort his freak-out??

Sid: You know, Jack’s forwardness didn’t weird me out mostly because I assumed that’s the way he was. And I have to say, it is commendable that the author managed to keep him in character right till the end! There’s a time when he confesses to Justin that even he gets nervous around Justin, but that came as a surprise not only to Justin but me as well because at that point, we get to see the real Jack Basinger.

Ebetta: Ok, so, we pretty quickly feel the heat between these two. I really like how the author doesn’t spell out every last detail about them, how we can read between the lines for ourselves who these guys are and why they connect. And that heat between them... Here’s Jack after a come-on from Justin...

“You want to go there Justin? He drew my name slow, like the attraction between us could never be weird enough or wild enough for him. Like I could not only have whatever I wanted, but he’d give it to me for free. “Would you take your pants off for me? Right here? Because I’d like you to.”

… and the humor between them... Here’s Justin to Jack...
“I wish my dad had been as cool as you...”

Sid: That’s a funny one, like many, many others. This book is jammed with hilarious moments - like the one where Justin realizes that the guy he got “laid up” with at the airport is actually the FOB. Oh my god! I was laughing so hard.

Heat blistered my cheeks. Mandy could never find out I’d had sex with her father. Not ever.
Those were five words I wouldn’t string together in this lifetime: Sorry, I had your dad.

Ebetta: IKR!! That bathroom scene in the airport, hot! And it’s so hard to pick quotes, there are so many freaking good ones!

Sid: And I also agree that the main characters truly connect in this book. I have seen in so many novellas where the author tries and fails in achieving the romantic factor along with the heat growing between them. But this one just hits the right spot. I was a happy reader.

Ebetta: Yes! Also, the camaraderie between Justin and his ex-band mates. There’s a lot of teasing, ribbing, funny dialog between them. You get a sense of good friends between them. I thought the secondary characters were well done.

Really, the only negative for me was that there wasn’t enough sex! There was that very hot bathroom scene... But at the end, there is a ‘year later’ cut-away epilog. That bothered me... I wanted to see how Justin and Jack moved together. Sigh...

Sid: The epilogue takes a long gap of a year to show us where the two had ended up and of course, we were getting what we were hoping for. But that was a lot to take in, too soon. Like you, even I wanted to know how they ended up making this life-changing decision after all. I mean, the age difference between Jack and Justin is a good number of years, and although it is kind of hot -- connecting with Jack’s life also means Justin will require getting used to the fact that his lover has two grown up kids.

Ebetta: AND Justin has to come out of that closet!

Sid: And, Justin has to come out of that closet, yes! Lots of misses.
But that’s all that bothered me. I am the one who roots for true romance, so lack of sex didn’t make any difference. (I wouldn’t have complained if the author had included more, though.)

So, taking everything into consideration -- the wedding drama, funny stuff and two lovely men that I instantly fell in love with -- I would rate this winner at 4.5 stars! And you, Eliza?

Ebetta: Yeah, this was still a delicious treat for me. And in a lovely, lush setting too... I would rate it between 4 - 4.5 stars. It’s a fun, light read just in time for the holidays. Oh, and I’d also recommend another holiday short from this author Mistletoe at Midnight. Loved that one too!

Sid: That, then, is definitely going high on my to-read list!

(Note: How I Met Your Father is part of the Riptide holiday anthology, Home For the Holidays)

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