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Lavender Shores #3
The Veranda
Donovan Carlisle helps countless people in Lavender Shores with his skills as a therapist. It seems, however, that his ability to enable others to live their happiest life only works outside of himself. Donovan truly loves his life but isn’t able to find a relationship that satisfies his heart’s craving. Maybe the problem is that the only man he wants is off-limits.
Spencer Epstein came to Lavender Shores to find himself. Instead, he married one of the local town beauties. He’d thought his prayers had finally been answered. Then he met his pregnant fiancée’s brother. It turned out those answered prayers were just cruel twists of fate.
A decade later, after a divorce and the crumbling of all Spencer thought was set in stone, he sees his brother-in-law at a masquerade sex party. He takes full advantage of the anonymity and acts on the desires he’s held at bay all those years.
The problem is those silent and frenzied moments didn’t satiate anything. The fire and heat between the two men only grows as secrets are uncovered, and they must determine if the cost of their passion is too high....
Spencer Epstein came to Lavender Shores to find himself. Instead, he married one of the local town beauties. He’d thought his prayers had finally been answered. Then he met his pregnant fiancée’s brother. It turned out those answered prayers were just cruel twists of fate.
A decade later, after a divorce and the crumbling of all Spencer thought was set in stone, he sees his brother-in-law at a masquerade sex party. He takes full advantage of the anonymity and acts on the desires he’s held at bay all those years.
The problem is those silent and frenzied moments didn’t satiate anything. The fire and heat between the two men only grows as secrets are uncovered, and they must determine if the cost of their passion is too high....
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published August 25, 2017
97 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
October 5, 2017
~3.5~
I loved Donovan in book 2, but I was a little hesitant to read his story, mostly because the thought of sleeping with anyone my brother has slept with makes me want to curl up in a corner and die. NO. Just no.
That issue didn't much come into play here, though. This is a fairly low-angst story. Donovan and Spencer are already in love. It just takes a costume sex party and one blow job to push them over the edge.
The ending is the sweetest EVER. I think Donovan outdid himself! And the sexy times weren't half bad either.
My main issue was with the way Erica (Spencer's ex and Donovan's sister) was presented. A villain doesn't get to become a hero without some massive groveling and a major change of heart. I didn't see that in Erica. She was vicious to Gilbert in book 2, and she was a manipulative and conniving bitch in this story.
Honestly, what woman raised with a gay brother in an LGBQT mecca tells a gay man that he can't know he's gay until he's had sex with a woman? She KNEW what Spencer had gone through, roped him into marriage, then cheated on him when he couldn't fulfill her sexual needs. Well, golly gee, I wonder why.
I hate Erica TBH, and I hope we never hear one word about her again.
I'll be first in line for Lamont's story!
I loved Donovan in book 2, but I was a little hesitant to read his story, mostly because the thought of sleeping with anyone my brother has slept with makes me want to curl up in a corner and die. NO. Just no.
That issue didn't much come into play here, though. This is a fairly low-angst story. Donovan and Spencer are already in love. It just takes a costume sex party and one blow job to push them over the edge.
The ending is the sweetest EVER. I think Donovan outdid himself! And the sexy times weren't half bad either.
My main issue was with the way Erica (Spencer's ex and Donovan's sister) was presented. A villain doesn't get to become a hero without some massive groveling and a major change of heart. I didn't see that in Erica. She was vicious to Gilbert in book 2, and she was a manipulative and conniving bitch in this story.
Honestly, what woman raised with a gay brother in an LGBQT mecca tells a gay man that he can't know he's gay until he's had sex with a woman? She KNEW what Spencer had gone through, roped him into marriage, then cheated on him when he couldn't fulfill her sexual needs. Well, golly gee, I wonder why.
I hate Erica TBH, and I hope we never hear one word about her again.
I'll be first in line for Lamont's story!
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July 2, 2025
The Veranda is book three in the Lavender Shores series by Rosalind Abel. I read the first two books quite awhile ago but then got distracted by other books. Now I’m back and oh my gosh. What a lovely, wonderful, swoony story this was. I adored these two together.
Donavan Carlisle is a therapist in Lavender Shores. He is forty two years old and has dedicated his life to helping others live a happy, healthy life. He just can’t seem to achieve the same for himself. Because for ten years, Donavan has pined for his half sister’s now ex-husband. The first time they met, it was like being struck by lightning. He has spent the last ten years making sure he kept his feelings hidden.
Spencer Epstein is thirty nine years old and is a lawyer. He always knew he was gay. But his religious parents did everything they could to “change” him. When Spencer met Ericka, he thought those prayers had been answered. Until he met her half brother, Donavan. And his world came tumbling down. He loved Ericka and they had two beautiful children together. But she left him anyway for someone else. Now divorced, Spencer attends a masquerade party and immediately recognizes Donavan, despite his disguise. It’s a chance he can’t let pass so he goes for it and they have an encounter that changes their lives.
“Now that we’d crossed that line, every fiber of my being needed him.”
Spencer was so brave. After a lifetime of denial, he is ready to embrace who he is. And also, to do whatever he could to have the man he has loved for a decade of his life. I have to admit that I greatly disliked Ericka. She was not a good person. Along with Spencer’s parents. This man literally had no support from anyone. Yet, he still stood tall and tried to be a good father. I loved him with Donavan. I loved seeing them both transform into the happiest version of themselves. The next book in the series is going to be Lamont’s book called The Shipwreck. I can’t wait to read it.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Donavan Carlisle is a therapist in Lavender Shores. He is forty two years old and has dedicated his life to helping others live a happy, healthy life. He just can’t seem to achieve the same for himself. Because for ten years, Donavan has pined for his half sister’s now ex-husband. The first time they met, it was like being struck by lightning. He has spent the last ten years making sure he kept his feelings hidden.
Spencer Epstein is thirty nine years old and is a lawyer. He always knew he was gay. But his religious parents did everything they could to “change” him. When Spencer met Ericka, he thought those prayers had been answered. Until he met her half brother, Donavan. And his world came tumbling down. He loved Ericka and they had two beautiful children together. But she left him anyway for someone else. Now divorced, Spencer attends a masquerade party and immediately recognizes Donavan, despite his disguise. It’s a chance he can’t let pass so he goes for it and they have an encounter that changes their lives.
“Now that we’d crossed that line, every fiber of my being needed him.”
Spencer was so brave. After a lifetime of denial, he is ready to embrace who he is. And also, to do whatever he could to have the man he has loved for a decade of his life. I have to admit that I greatly disliked Ericka. She was not a good person. Along with Spencer’s parents. This man literally had no support from anyone. Yet, he still stood tall and tried to be a good father. I loved him with Donavan. I loved seeing them both transform into the happiest version of themselves. The next book in the series is going to be Lamont’s book called The Shipwreck. I can’t wait to read it.
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
September 2, 2017
**3.5 stars**
Another romance, sweet and low-angst, in the lavender shores series, this time with Donovan and Spencer, 2 mature MCs at a crossroad of their life now that Spencer is divorced and finally feels free to be himself after being raised under strict religious codes and despite a few years spent in “reparative therapy”.
What I really like :
* Each instalment is quite different from the other. It’s not “rinse and repeat”.
* No over drama : these guys just know what they want, are anxious but don’t back off and talk together.
* There is a kind of “quietness” in the development of the relationship that makes it real.
* And of course, they are very hot together.
What bugged me a bit :
* I can’t put my fingers on it, but I never really felt engaged. It’s just me, so, don’t mind me.
* I felt the beginning was out of place and I could have make without the epilogue. The ending was well done, but then….
In overall, a good addition to the series and I am now looking forward to Lamont’s story.
And of course, there is the author website to revisit to keep track of the settings and the characters.
Another romance, sweet and low-angst, in the lavender shores series, this time with Donovan and Spencer, 2 mature MCs at a crossroad of their life now that Spencer is divorced and finally feels free to be himself after being raised under strict religious codes and despite a few years spent in “reparative therapy”.
What I really like :
* Each instalment is quite different from the other. It’s not “rinse and repeat”.
* No over drama : these guys just know what they want, are anxious but don’t back off and talk together.
* There is a kind of “quietness” in the development of the relationship that makes it real.
* And of course, they are very hot together.
What bugged me a bit :
* I can’t put my fingers on it, but I never really felt engaged. It’s just me, so, don’t mind me.
* I felt the beginning was out of place and I could have make without the epilogue. The ending was well done, but then….
In overall, a good addition to the series and I am now looking forward to Lamont’s story.
And of course, there is the author website to revisit to keep track of the settings and the characters.
September 30, 2017
Once again, Rosalind Abel has written a beautiful story about love, life and the pursuit of happiness without any messy drama or stupid miscommunication angst getting in the way. Hooray! I will sing this author's praises til the cows come home for that.
For those of you who have been keeping up with this series, The Veranda is Donovan and Spencer's story. Donovan we know from The Garden, Gilbert and Walden's story (otherwise known as Book Two). Donovan is Lavender Shores's resident therapist. He knows everyone's secrets and has helped many of the town's people through their hard times, most notably talking Gilbert from the edge. He's older, wiser, quiet and unassuming. But, he's been harboring his own secret for nearly ten years now.
You see, Donovan is and has been for quite some time, in love with his sister's husband. Sure, it's unrequited but that doesn't make it any less real. It was love at first sight that was never acted upon and there's no hope for it to ever become anything more, even if his sister's divorce is now final. You can't turn a straight man gay; life is not a M/M romance novel, after all.
After a chance encounter at a Pride party, Donovan may have to rethink the past ten years of his life. Turns out, Spencer may have been harboring a secret of his own.
I really enjoyed getting to know these two men and watching their journey together. I always love it when I get a story with characters who are older than the normal twenty-two year olds that are in most stories of this genre. I'm in my early forties with kids who are the same age as most of those characters and it kinda weirds me out to read about the sexcapades of what I consider to be barely adults.
Donovan has a good head on his shoulders and isn't prone to drama. I really liked that about him. I loved Spencer more though. Spencer is a man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go after it. He's got his second chance in life and he doesn't squander it. He's not repressed but he isn't wild either. No mid-life crisis for this man! He's not out to anyone other than his parents and his ex-wife yet but he's working towards it. I wouldn't say he's closeted, really. He's got his kids to think about. He doesn't want to do anything that will hurt them, especially since the divorce is so recent. Once he makes up his mind, though, hot damn! He's direct and assertive and, holy cannoli is that some kind of hotness right there!
I've said it before but it bears repeating: what I love most about this story, this series and this author is the communication. There's no running away, no miscommunication and no Big Misunderstanding to be found in any of these books. The characters actually talk to each other; tell each other how they feel. Communication is so damned sexy!
I love all of the characters in this series. It was great to see everyone again. I have fallen in love not only with these two men, but this town and all of it's inhabitants. Except Erica. She can take a long walk off a short pier. That woman has Issues (yes, that's capitalized, because reasons). She could use a good dose of therapy. Maybe Donovan could hook her up with a colleague or two. Or four. She really needs it. Bratty woman is bratty.
For those of you who have been keeping up with this series, The Veranda is Donovan and Spencer's story. Donovan we know from The Garden, Gilbert and Walden's story (otherwise known as Book Two). Donovan is Lavender Shores's resident therapist. He knows everyone's secrets and has helped many of the town's people through their hard times, most notably talking Gilbert from the edge. He's older, wiser, quiet and unassuming. But, he's been harboring his own secret for nearly ten years now.
You see, Donovan is and has been for quite some time, in love with his sister's husband. Sure, it's unrequited but that doesn't make it any less real. It was love at first sight that was never acted upon and there's no hope for it to ever become anything more, even if his sister's divorce is now final. You can't turn a straight man gay; life is not a M/M romance novel, after all.
After a chance encounter at a Pride party, Donovan may have to rethink the past ten years of his life. Turns out, Spencer may have been harboring a secret of his own.
I really enjoyed getting to know these two men and watching their journey together. I always love it when I get a story with characters who are older than the normal twenty-two year olds that are in most stories of this genre. I'm in my early forties with kids who are the same age as most of those characters and it kinda weirds me out to read about the sexcapades of what I consider to be barely adults.
Donovan has a good head on his shoulders and isn't prone to drama. I really liked that about him. I loved Spencer more though. Spencer is a man who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go after it. He's got his second chance in life and he doesn't squander it. He's not repressed but he isn't wild either. No mid-life crisis for this man! He's not out to anyone other than his parents and his ex-wife yet but he's working towards it. I wouldn't say he's closeted, really. He's got his kids to think about. He doesn't want to do anything that will hurt them, especially since the divorce is so recent. Once he makes up his mind, though, hot damn! He's direct and assertive and, holy cannoli is that some kind of hotness right there!
"I'm not a kid, Donovan. I'm thirty-nine, a damn good lawyer, a father of two, and I know what I want. I've known what I've wanted for a long, long time. Just because I didn't allow myself to have it or act on it doesn't mean I wasn't certain of it."
I've said it before but it bears repeating: what I love most about this story, this series and this author is the communication. There's no running away, no miscommunication and no Big Misunderstanding to be found in any of these books. The characters actually talk to each other; tell each other how they feel. Communication is so damned sexy!
I love all of the characters in this series. It was great to see everyone again. I have fallen in love not only with these two men, but this town and all of it's inhabitants. Except Erica. She can take a long walk off a short pier. That woman has Issues (yes, that's capitalized, because reasons). She could use a good dose of therapy. Maybe Donovan could hook her up with a colleague or two. Or four. She really needs it. Bratty woman is bratty.
August 29, 2017
Originally reviewed at Sinfully.
This is another very romantic story in the Lavender Shores series. While they all work as standalone stories, I’d suggest reading from the start, not just because the stories are all so good, but also because the history of this unique town has been explained, the characters have all been introduced before and favorite couples return in each book. This story takes place two years from the start of the first book so there are plenty of updates on both Andrew and Joel and Gilbert and Walden.
Spencer has known he was gay since he was a child, but he had a problem accepting it. His preacher parents had him in years of therapy to try to pray the gay away. He thought his prayers had been answered with Erica and he moved to Lavender Shores with her to be married. Those thoughts changed the night of his engagement party when he met her half-brother Donovan and his whole carefully, but poorly, constructed pretend world came crashing down. Spencer shoved those feelings back down again, married Erica, had children and played the part of faithful husband. Donovan was similarly struck that night and the two have existed as brothers-in-law for 10 years while carefully trying to hide the lust and desire that never went away but grew. Now that Spencer is divorced he’s ready to try to live the way he was always meant to. When he discovers Donovan is at the same masquerade sex party, Spencer takes his chance and figures the anonymity will help. He doesn’t realize Donovan knows it’s him and the encounter sets the men on a path that has some very big obstacles to overcome.
One of Spencer’s obstacles is the internalized guilt that comes from growing up with his preacher family. He’s had an ingrained belief from a very young age that something was wrong with him being gay and he needed to work at changing it. Now he realizes how wrong that was, but still has a nagging voice that shows up occasionally. Donovan’s fears mostly revolve around his being with Spencer seen as betraying his family and how it would look to the residents of Lavender Shores. Both know the biggest hurdle to overcome will be how Spencer and Erica’s children will react. They fear that after spending so long pushing down their desires, that what they are building could all be ripped away in an instant.
Spencer and Donovan are another wonderful couple. They’re not kids and they don’t act like it, except maybe in bed. Spencer is all in on exploring everything he’s missed out on and these two definitely have fun. They also talk, for the most part and really try to make things work. A little help from their friends is the only other thing they really need to figure things out and it’s nice to see the support they receive from them when they couldn’t necessarily count on their families.
Even though the “I love yous” come quickly, this is not insta-love in my opinion. Spencer and Donovan have spent 10 years hiding their deeper feelings and getting to know each other as friends and family. Their new relationship moved quickly but naturally under the circumstances. I really adored these two together, from the sex to the banter and to their understanding and respect for each other, they were a great couple, but the familiarity they shared took away some of the intensity we got in the prior books which had more of a “will they won’t they” component, and it settled into a more quiet love story, making it feel different from the first two books. These two still had a lot to learn about each other and their exploration of everything they wanted but couldn’t have over the years was romantic and sexy, especially when Donovan gets to play out his fantasies surrounding his fantasies about a man in a suit.
I have to mention one part of the book that I struggled a bit with. If you’ve read the prior books, you’ve met Erica. She’s a bitch on wheels. Just nasty. Donovan and Spencer are apparently the only people in town that Erica doesn’t hold in public contempt, but even so and despite what we’re told about her not having a problem with LGBT people, she still uses Spencer’s homosexuality as a weapon against him and has from the start. Erica’s behavior is unpredictable and it’s not clear at all to me why Spencer ever actually loved her or even liked her. It’s a minor bother, but it still nagged at me throughout.
I’m going to say again that I’m really enjoying this series. Each book has had a different feel, but all of them have a good combination of romance, humor, drama, sex and a quirky town full of characters. I’m so glad there are more to come and I can’t wait for Lamont to finally find his HEA. This will be a perfect read for you if you like stories about people casting off their past to embrace the person they were always meant to be and finding their soulmate in the process.
This is another very romantic story in the Lavender Shores series. While they all work as standalone stories, I’d suggest reading from the start, not just because the stories are all so good, but also because the history of this unique town has been explained, the characters have all been introduced before and favorite couples return in each book. This story takes place two years from the start of the first book so there are plenty of updates on both Andrew and Joel and Gilbert and Walden.
Spencer has known he was gay since he was a child, but he had a problem accepting it. His preacher parents had him in years of therapy to try to pray the gay away. He thought his prayers had been answered with Erica and he moved to Lavender Shores with her to be married. Those thoughts changed the night of his engagement party when he met her half-brother Donovan and his whole carefully, but poorly, constructed pretend world came crashing down. Spencer shoved those feelings back down again, married Erica, had children and played the part of faithful husband. Donovan was similarly struck that night and the two have existed as brothers-in-law for 10 years while carefully trying to hide the lust and desire that never went away but grew. Now that Spencer is divorced he’s ready to try to live the way he was always meant to. When he discovers Donovan is at the same masquerade sex party, Spencer takes his chance and figures the anonymity will help. He doesn’t realize Donovan knows it’s him and the encounter sets the men on a path that has some very big obstacles to overcome.
One of Spencer’s obstacles is the internalized guilt that comes from growing up with his preacher family. He’s had an ingrained belief from a very young age that something was wrong with him being gay and he needed to work at changing it. Now he realizes how wrong that was, but still has a nagging voice that shows up occasionally. Donovan’s fears mostly revolve around his being with Spencer seen as betraying his family and how it would look to the residents of Lavender Shores. Both know the biggest hurdle to overcome will be how Spencer and Erica’s children will react. They fear that after spending so long pushing down their desires, that what they are building could all be ripped away in an instant.
Spencer and Donovan are another wonderful couple. They’re not kids and they don’t act like it, except maybe in bed. Spencer is all in on exploring everything he’s missed out on and these two definitely have fun. They also talk, for the most part and really try to make things work. A little help from their friends is the only other thing they really need to figure things out and it’s nice to see the support they receive from them when they couldn’t necessarily count on their families.
Even though the “I love yous” come quickly, this is not insta-love in my opinion. Spencer and Donovan have spent 10 years hiding their deeper feelings and getting to know each other as friends and family. Their new relationship moved quickly but naturally under the circumstances. I really adored these two together, from the sex to the banter and to their understanding and respect for each other, they were a great couple, but the familiarity they shared took away some of the intensity we got in the prior books which had more of a “will they won’t they” component, and it settled into a more quiet love story, making it feel different from the first two books. These two still had a lot to learn about each other and their exploration of everything they wanted but couldn’t have over the years was romantic and sexy, especially when Donovan gets to play out his fantasies surrounding his fantasies about a man in a suit.
I have to mention one part of the book that I struggled a bit with. If you’ve read the prior books, you’ve met Erica. She’s a bitch on wheels. Just nasty. Donovan and Spencer are apparently the only people in town that Erica doesn’t hold in public contempt, but even so and despite what we’re told about her not having a problem with LGBT people, she still uses Spencer’s homosexuality as a weapon against him and has from the start. Erica’s behavior is unpredictable and it’s not clear at all to me why Spencer ever actually loved her or even liked her. It’s a minor bother, but it still nagged at me throughout.
I’m going to say again that I’m really enjoying this series. Each book has had a different feel, but all of them have a good combination of romance, humor, drama, sex and a quirky town full of characters. I’m so glad there are more to come and I can’t wait for Lamont to finally find his HEA. This will be a perfect read for you if you like stories about people casting off their past to embrace the person they were always meant to be and finding their soulmate in the process.
September 11, 2017
This was my favorite of the series.
July 9, 2019
Audio - 3.5 stars
Story - 3.25 stars
Story - 3.25 stars
August 22, 2017
4.5 Stars. Rounded up for Suit Porn! I want to move to Lavender Shores and sit in the swing on Donovan’s veranda! Once again, the setting for the book provides a tranquil backdrop to the sometimes emotionally turbulent plot. We met Donovan, Gilbert’s therapist friend in The Garden and he appealed to me right away. He has a case of unrequited love for Spencer, his brother-in-law of 10 years, now divorced from his half sister. After the unexpected encounter at a party, Spencer and Donovan realize their feelings are veeeerry mutual! Spencer’s long struggle over his attraction comes from a somewhat darker place, not only because his wife is Donovan’s sister. The story revolves around the two men finally reaching a point where they can pursue a relationship. I was captivated seeing Spencer take his long delayed steps in being his true self. He was sort of a kid-in-candy-store with Donovan, and Donovan struggled to be a boyfriend and not a therapist at times. I thought they were wonderful characters and true to the mature age they had both reached.
There are major obstacles to being open about being together, primarily Spencer’s children, his ex-wife as Donovan’s half-sister and the ire of their respective parents. There were some jarring notes that kept this from being a five star. Being raised in an LGBTQ-positive family and town, Erica’s actions, when first meeting Spencer, seemed out of place. She was depicted as being quite manipulative and a bit nasty when angry but not to caricature level. She does put the kids first and the nasty is mostly words, not deeds. The attitude of Donovan’s dad seemed out of the blue to me but I might not be remembering enough detail from prior books. The ties between the founding families are still rather confusing for me.
As in the prior books, the sex is a little adventurous and I do love a man in a suit. Or mostly in his suit anyway! The conflicts added depth to the story, making it not only a light romantic read but a very satisfying one. Spencer’s past was an unexpected element and deftly used in the storyline without becoming depressing. Once again, I’m very happy recommending this book to anyone who enjoys the erotic romance genre.
ARC was provided to me by the author on behalf of Hearts On Fire Reviews in return for an unbiased opinion*
There are major obstacles to being open about being together, primarily Spencer’s children, his ex-wife as Donovan’s half-sister and the ire of their respective parents. There were some jarring notes that kept this from being a five star. Being raised in an LGBTQ-positive family and town, Erica’s actions, when first meeting Spencer, seemed out of place. She was depicted as being quite manipulative and a bit nasty when angry but not to caricature level. She does put the kids first and the nasty is mostly words, not deeds. The attitude of Donovan’s dad seemed out of the blue to me but I might not be remembering enough detail from prior books. The ties between the founding families are still rather confusing for me.
As in the prior books, the sex is a little adventurous and I do love a man in a suit. Or mostly in his suit anyway! The conflicts added depth to the story, making it not only a light romantic read but a very satisfying one. Spencer’s past was an unexpected element and deftly used in the storyline without becoming depressing. Once again, I’m very happy recommending this book to anyone who enjoys the erotic romance genre.
ARC was provided to me by the author on behalf of Hearts On Fire Reviews in return for an unbiased opinion*
November 20, 2017
3.5 stars for this installment- I actually quite enjoyed this. There was less cheesy sweetness and more of a believable story. Donovan & Spencer were lovely together and after overcoming fears and vulnerabilities they finally found their peace.
March 21, 2025
My favorite story in the series so far. I adored Spencer and Donovan.
Reread 2021/01/29:
I like this a little less after reading the rest of the series. I still adored Spencer and Donovan, however I found Erica much more annoying than the first time.
Reread 2022/08/15
Reread march 2025
Reread 2021/01/29:
I like this a little less after reading the rest of the series. I still adored Spencer and Donovan, however I found Erica much more annoying than the first time.
Reread 2022/08/15
Reread march 2025
August 27, 2017
My favourite one yet in this series
I wasn't sure how Rosalind was going to pull this one off given the circumstances but I have to say it was done with aplomb.
Donovan had been in love with his brother-in-law since the first time he met Spencer at the engagement party - when he was introduced to the man his pregnant half sister Erika was marrying.
What he hadn't known, until 10 years later, after Erika had an affair and the couple had divorced, was that Spencer had been fighting the same attraction and feelings.
This romance could have been a hot mess, but it's handled with sensitivity and real consideration of all those involved, including Spencer and Erika's two children.
As more is found out about Spencer's life, the more it becomes clear how he'd ended up in a marriage with Erika, while Donovan had been unable to let his feelings go.
This book is also smoking hot, suit porn at its finest and the office encounter is up there with the best erotica. But there's also lots and lots of emotions and feelings too.
The two men are understandably concerned about the fall out their relationship will bring an for a time, things get a bit sticky. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Erika be a far more rounded person than the utter bitch she'd been in Gilbert's book. I felt for her a little in this one.
Oh, and Spencer is right, Cats is a spectacular musical, dinner theatre or not ;)
I wasn't sure how Rosalind was going to pull this one off given the circumstances but I have to say it was done with aplomb.
Donovan had been in love with his brother-in-law since the first time he met Spencer at the engagement party - when he was introduced to the man his pregnant half sister Erika was marrying.
What he hadn't known, until 10 years later, after Erika had an affair and the couple had divorced, was that Spencer had been fighting the same attraction and feelings.
This romance could have been a hot mess, but it's handled with sensitivity and real consideration of all those involved, including Spencer and Erika's two children.
As more is found out about Spencer's life, the more it becomes clear how he'd ended up in a marriage with Erika, while Donovan had been unable to let his feelings go.
This book is also smoking hot, suit porn at its finest and the office encounter is up there with the best erotica. But there's also lots and lots of emotions and feelings too.
The two men are understandably concerned about the fall out their relationship will bring an for a time, things get a bit sticky. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Erika be a far more rounded person than the utter bitch she'd been in Gilbert's book. I felt for her a little in this one.
Oh, and Spencer is right, Cats is a spectacular musical, dinner theatre or not ;)
June 28, 2018
I was honestly enjoying the hell outta' this one...and then...
well then came the ending but we'll get to that for now let's talk about what I liked...which quite honestly was most of this book.
'The Veranda' is the third book in Rosalind Abel's 'Lavender Shores' series and the third one that I've listened to on audio. Once again Kirt Graves is the narrator for this series and once again he's done a rock solid job of narrating this book. This is my 6th book narrated by Kirt Graves and I've absolutely enjoyed them all. From the Lavender Shores books to Wolfsong and everything in between the narration of each one of these books has without fail done justice to the story and with this most recent installment to the Lavender Shores series I've been reminded of the fact that I have yet another narrator whose backlist I need to investigate further. So from an audio perspective this one's definitely recommended.
Now on to the story. We've met Donovan in previous stories and I really liked him so when I saw that he was one of the MCs in this book I was more than happy to check it out. I have to admit though if Spencer has shown up previously he's not as solid of a memory in my mind but maybe that's because he was probably over shadowed by his less than likable sister...seriously can that woman just die without a fuss.
She was without a doubt a manipulative, conniving, self-serving b!tch! Couldn't stand her and from start to finish but given that we got to see her in action in previous stories this did not surprise me and quite honestly my less than warm fuzzy feelings towards here made it a whole like easier to get past that fact that Donovan's love interest is her ex-husband...yeah, that may have made me a bit squimish...but, hey, it's just a siblings thing. You date my brother or sister and for me that just automatically takes you off of my 'things I'd like to do' list.
While Donovan and Spencer may have seemed like 'insta-love' they weren't this was more a case of unrequited love come to fruition and there was just so much about these two was was sweet and adorable. For the most part I loved their story, how things progressed and how these two were together. While everyone may not be on board with Donovan and Spencer's relationship I love that they are. They each know what they want and what they want is each other and when push comes to shove both men are willing to speak up for what they want and yet in spit of that they're smart enough to not push things.
Along with Donovan and Spencer it was to say the least delightful to catch up with the MCs from previous books as well as some other secondary characters...such as Robert Kelly...that man is cray, cray in the most adorable way, Lamont...who can we please have his story
Ok so overall as you can see I enjoyed this story and now without benefit of specific details I'm going to explain how 'The Veranda' went from 4 stars to 3 for me and I really, really want you to keep in mind this is a 100% subjective opinion here. Yes, i have some friends who share my thoughts on this but I also have friends who either didn't care or really liked what happened...and yes, I'm talking about the ending now. I'm not going to go into the details here because if you've read the book whether you liked it or not I'm sure you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't but you plan on it than I'm not going to be the one to spoil it for you but for me it was just too much.
I can do OTT, I really can...there are more than a couple of authors that I read who have done their share of over the top and I've loved it, but, in the case of this story for me it was just too much and it just didn't work...it really did spoil things for me.
So at the end of it all I was frustrated and I'm taking a star back because of that, but as I said it's a very subjective rating that we're dealing with here because honestly if that ending had been just a tiny bit different there'd be 4 stars or 3.5 at the very least on this one and I'm still waiting for Lamont's story which I know from the e-books is the next one on the list...so while I'm waiting I'ma just gonna' wander of and read a few books to pass the time while I patiently wait
*************************
An audio book of 'The Veranda' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
well then came the ending but we'll get to that for now let's talk about what I liked...which quite honestly was most of this book.
'The Veranda' is the third book in Rosalind Abel's 'Lavender Shores' series and the third one that I've listened to on audio. Once again Kirt Graves is the narrator for this series and once again he's done a rock solid job of narrating this book. This is my 6th book narrated by Kirt Graves and I've absolutely enjoyed them all. From the Lavender Shores books to Wolfsong and everything in between the narration of each one of these books has without fail done justice to the story and with this most recent installment to the Lavender Shores series I've been reminded of the fact that I have yet another narrator whose backlist I need to investigate further. So from an audio perspective this one's definitely recommended.
Now on to the story. We've met Donovan in previous stories and I really liked him so when I saw that he was one of the MCs in this book I was more than happy to check it out. I have to admit though if Spencer has shown up previously he's not as solid of a memory in my mind but maybe that's because he was probably over shadowed by his less than likable sister...seriously can that woman just die without a fuss.
She was without a doubt a manipulative, conniving, self-serving b!tch! Couldn't stand her and from start to finish but given that we got to see her in action in previous stories this did not surprise me and quite honestly my less than warm fuzzy feelings towards here made it a whole like easier to get past that fact that Donovan's love interest is her ex-husband...yeah, that may have made me a bit squimish...but, hey, it's just a siblings thing. You date my brother or sister and for me that just automatically takes you off of my 'things I'd like to do' list.
While Donovan and Spencer may have seemed like 'insta-love' they weren't this was more a case of unrequited love come to fruition and there was just so much about these two was was sweet and adorable. For the most part I loved their story, how things progressed and how these two were together. While everyone may not be on board with Donovan and Spencer's relationship I love that they are. They each know what they want and what they want is each other and when push comes to shove both men are willing to speak up for what they want and yet in spit of that they're smart enough to not push things.
Along with Donovan and Spencer it was to say the least delightful to catch up with the MCs from previous books as well as some other secondary characters...such as Robert Kelly...that man is cray, cray in the most adorable way, Lamont...who can we please have his story
Ok so overall as you can see I enjoyed this story and now without benefit of specific details I'm going to explain how 'The Veranda' went from 4 stars to 3 for me and I really, really want you to keep in mind this is a 100% subjective opinion here. Yes, i have some friends who share my thoughts on this but I also have friends who either didn't care or really liked what happened...and yes, I'm talking about the ending now. I'm not going to go into the details here because if you've read the book whether you liked it or not I'm sure you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't but you plan on it than I'm not going to be the one to spoil it for you but for me it was just too much.
I can do OTT, I really can...there are more than a couple of authors that I read who have done their share of over the top and I've loved it, but, in the case of this story for me it was just too much and it just didn't work...it really did spoil things for me.
So at the end of it all I was frustrated and I'm taking a star back because of that, but as I said it's a very subjective rating that we're dealing with here because honestly if that ending had been just a tiny bit different there'd be 4 stars or 3.5 at the very least on this one and I'm still waiting for Lamont's story which I know from the e-books is the next one on the list...so while I'm waiting I'ma just gonna' wander of and read a few books to pass the time while I patiently wait
*************************
An audio book of 'The Veranda' was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 29, 2017
In reading The Veranda, I couldn't help but think of the old England Dan and John Ford Coley song that goes "It's sad to belong to someone else, when the right one comes along." Spencer, having gone through years of reparative therapy, thought his attraction to Erica was the answer to heartfelt prayer, until he met Erica's half-brother Donovan the night of their engagement party and realized he belonged to someone else when the right one did come along. After ten years of marriage and two children, Erica and Spencer are divorced and Spencer is finally free to act on his attraction for Donovan. And Donovan? Turns out Donovan, with a string of unsuccessful relationships, has been waiting for Spencer, even if he didn't fully realize it.
I think this story of former brothers-in-law who finally get their chance at happiness together could have been somewhat bizarre in another author's hands, but Rosalind Abel really pulls off this beautifully nuanced story of love at first glance and the ten years it took before that love was finally realized.
I think this story of former brothers-in-law who finally get their chance at happiness together could have been somewhat bizarre in another author's hands, but Rosalind Abel really pulls off this beautifully nuanced story of love at first glance and the ten years it took before that love was finally realized.
It’s you, Donovan. It will always be you.” He started to look away, and I grabbed his leg, waiting for him to look at me again. “It’s always been you. Even when I tried to make that not be true, it still was.Add in milk chocolate penis cookies, absolutely sizzling sex on Spencer's desk in a high-rise (full-glass window) law office and a heaping helping of suit porn and there is plenty to like about The Veranda.
We were just two regular men on a date. Two men who’d wanted to be with each other for a decade. Two men who had just had killer rounds of sex, donned suits, and driven to the Castro for cheeseburgers. Well, maybe regular was an overstatement.Three books into the Lavendar Shores series, I really like the range of stories Rosalind Abel has given us. The Palisade was almost a fairy tale story of true love, while The Garden had two damaged MCs who saved one another. The Veranda gives us a story of improbable second chances and the joy and amazing gift of finally being there when the right one comes along. 5 stars.
For the first time in my life, I was being exactly who I was. And while maybe that should’ve been the most terrifying thing in the world, it felt absolutely amazing.
September 1, 2017
2.5 Stars
The Veranda is the 3rd book in the Lavender Shores series by Rosalind Abel. While I enjoyed the first 2 books, I think I have issues with this one. I read this a bit ago and I still can’t come up with the words to describe what I’m feeling.
Let me start with some names. In this book we have the town psychiatrist, Donovan Carlisle, and the San Francisco lawyer, Spencer Epstein. Smell something fishy there? You see, because if read the first two books you understand! It’s one of the biggest things I can’t get my head around. The Epstein’s and the Carlisle’s are related. Since I just dropped that bomb on you, let me explain. I’m not spoiling anything; it’s all right there in the blurb. Spencer married Donovan’s half-sister! EEK! I’m sorry, but I can’t. Isn’t there some sort of bro-code or family-code? Something? You don’t screw someone your sister (or brother) screwed?
I think I let the lack of code taint my judgement of this book. Spencer and Donovan meet at a sex party, but they have masks on, so do they know who each other are? After the party they keep bumping in to each other in town, because hello, it’s Lavender Shores. Spencer has two kids with Donovan’s sister, and Donovan is pretty involved in the kids’ lives. I’m not sure how or why neither one of them thought they could hide from each other if Spencer is going to be around Lavender Shores more. Since the divorce Spencer lives in San Francisco, so he’s not around much.
There wasn’t so much drama here, but more of figuring out the how. I liked the easiness of their relationship. They’re older, so they don’t play games. It was refreshing. They just worked together and it was nice to see. Not everything is so easy though. I did find it fascinating that Donovan truly wanted to know what Gilbert thought. That right there told me my thoughts from book two were valid. That Gilbert and Donovan’s relationship definitely blurred some lines and they were too close. Spencer had his own issues to deal with, like his love of Cats. ;)
“For the first time in my life, I was being exactly who I was. And while maybe that should’ve been the most terrifying thing in the world, it felt absolutely amazing.”
We did get to see Andrew’s pervy dad, Robert. Also, I wanted to throat punch Erica. I don’t care if she was sorry for what she said/did or not. I am waiting for Connor’s book! Yep. It used to be Lamont I wanted the most, but nope. I needed Connor’s book yesterday.
If you want a feel of the town or see the family trees you can visit www.lavendershores.com This is a great way to get familiar with all the names/families/town.
Overall, if you can get over the screwing the same person your ex-wife/half-sister did then this is a great story. I know the circumstances and I still can’t, but maybe you can. Penis cookies for everyone!
The Veranda is the 3rd book in the Lavender Shores series by Rosalind Abel. While I enjoyed the first 2 books, I think I have issues with this one. I read this a bit ago and I still can’t come up with the words to describe what I’m feeling.
Let me start with some names. In this book we have the town psychiatrist, Donovan Carlisle, and the San Francisco lawyer, Spencer Epstein. Smell something fishy there? You see, because if read the first two books you understand! It’s one of the biggest things I can’t get my head around. The Epstein’s and the Carlisle’s are related. Since I just dropped that bomb on you, let me explain. I’m not spoiling anything; it’s all right there in the blurb. Spencer married Donovan’s half-sister! EEK! I’m sorry, but I can’t. Isn’t there some sort of bro-code or family-code? Something? You don’t screw someone your sister (or brother) screwed?
I think I let the lack of code taint my judgement of this book. Spencer and Donovan meet at a sex party, but they have masks on, so do they know who each other are? After the party they keep bumping in to each other in town, because hello, it’s Lavender Shores. Spencer has two kids with Donovan’s sister, and Donovan is pretty involved in the kids’ lives. I’m not sure how or why neither one of them thought they could hide from each other if Spencer is going to be around Lavender Shores more. Since the divorce Spencer lives in San Francisco, so he’s not around much.
There wasn’t so much drama here, but more of figuring out the how. I liked the easiness of their relationship. They’re older, so they don’t play games. It was refreshing. They just worked together and it was nice to see. Not everything is so easy though. I did find it fascinating that Donovan truly wanted to know what Gilbert thought. That right there told me my thoughts from book two were valid. That Gilbert and Donovan’s relationship definitely blurred some lines and they were too close. Spencer had his own issues to deal with, like his love of Cats. ;)
“For the first time in my life, I was being exactly who I was. And while maybe that should’ve been the most terrifying thing in the world, it felt absolutely amazing.”
We did get to see Andrew’s pervy dad, Robert. Also, I wanted to throat punch Erica. I don’t care if she was sorry for what she said/did or not. I am waiting for Connor’s book! Yep. It used to be Lamont I wanted the most, but nope. I needed Connor’s book yesterday.
If you want a feel of the town or see the family trees you can visit www.lavendershores.com This is a great way to get familiar with all the names/families/town.
Overall, if you can get over the screwing the same person your ex-wife/half-sister did then this is a great story. I know the circumstances and I still can’t, but maybe you can. Penis cookies for everyone!
June 5, 2018
Now in audiooooo!
************************
Donovan and Spencer, your story was more than worth waiting for, just like this opportunity for the two of you to discover if the last decade of wanting each other could be bested by actually being together.
I'm jumping right in because, one of the things stuck at the front of my brain about this story is, we get to see the vulnerable and insecure sides of Donavan and how Spencer is the one who makes that possible, and this swoon-worthy element deserves all the recognition. Even better, Spencer gives Donavan the strength to share these parts of himself, to go for it in those moments when he has to make a choice: do I leap or do I play it "safe"?
As for Spencer, as much as he's been through and kept hidden about himself all these years, he's a bit more ahead of the game than Donovan when it comes to going for it. This goes for most aspects of his life, a grabs your hand and smiles while shouting "let's go!" kind of personality.
This is the strongest story in the series so far, for me. The angst, humor, romance, and character development are well-balanced and work harmoniously together.
There are a few mistakes in the text itself, but they're minor and didn't slow things down for me.
Spencer and the chapters he narrates are especially insightful regarding his efforts reconcile everything he was taught during his childhood, particularly by his father. That it's a sin to love who you love, to be who you are without trying to fit inside the boundaries of what someone else defines as who you should be.
Gilbert, you're one of my favorite characters in this series, in any series. There is a complex multi-geared psyche beneath the sublimely snarky top layers of your personality, and we get to see more of both aspects in this story.
Q: “So, you and the hot lawyer, huh? Like I said, I don’t want to hear any sex details from you, and if you have pictures, keep that shit locked up tight. I don’t need to accidentally stumble onto that while looking at porn. But I’ve got to ask, when you two role-play, does he ever hold you in contempt of court, and then come up with perverted little sentences for you to pay your debt to society?”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“What? Like I said, I definitely don’t want to picture that. But when I’m not picturing that, that’s exactly what I wouldn’t picture.”/Q
#gilbertrules
Things are not perfect, Spencer and Donavan have several obstacles to navigate, but they do just that by talking and listening to each other. Imagine that. Oh wait, ya don't hafta because these two show us how they do it and how it works. :D
************************
Donovan and Spencer, your story was more than worth waiting for, just like this opportunity for the two of you to discover if the last decade of wanting each other could be bested by actually being together.
I'm jumping right in because, one of the things stuck at the front of my brain about this story is, we get to see the vulnerable and insecure sides of Donavan and how Spencer is the one who makes that possible, and this swoon-worthy element deserves all the recognition. Even better, Spencer gives Donavan the strength to share these parts of himself, to go for it in those moments when he has to make a choice: do I leap or do I play it "safe"?
As for Spencer, as much as he's been through and kept hidden about himself all these years, he's a bit more ahead of the game than Donovan when it comes to going for it. This goes for most aspects of his life, a grabs your hand and smiles while shouting "let's go!" kind of personality.
This is the strongest story in the series so far, for me. The angst, humor, romance, and character development are well-balanced and work harmoniously together.
There are a few mistakes in the text itself, but they're minor and didn't slow things down for me.
Spencer and the chapters he narrates are especially insightful regarding his efforts reconcile everything he was taught during his childhood, particularly by his father. That it's a sin to love who you love, to be who you are without trying to fit inside the boundaries of what someone else defines as who you should be.
Gilbert, you're one of my favorite characters in this series, in any series. There is a complex multi-geared psyche beneath the sublimely snarky top layers of your personality, and we get to see more of both aspects in this story.
Q: “So, you and the hot lawyer, huh? Like I said, I don’t want to hear any sex details from you, and if you have pictures, keep that shit locked up tight. I don’t need to accidentally stumble onto that while looking at porn. But I’ve got to ask, when you two role-play, does he ever hold you in contempt of court, and then come up with perverted little sentences for you to pay your debt to society?”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“What? Like I said, I definitely don’t want to picture that. But when I’m not picturing that, that’s exactly what I wouldn’t picture.”/Q
#gilbertrules
Things are not perfect, Spencer and Donavan have several obstacles to navigate, but they do just that by talking and listening to each other. Imagine that. Oh wait, ya don't hafta because these two show us how they do it and how it works. :D
November 19, 2019
You've changed. You're daring. You're different in the woods.~ Maker's Wife, Into The Woods
Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story : 5 stars
Reviewed: 10-21-19
San Francisco is a little more than an hour south of Lavender Shores
Kirt Graves beautifully narrated The Veranda book 3 in the wonderful Lavender Series by Rosalind Abel
Donovan Carlisle
Donovan and Spencer's story gave me all the feels and left me wanting have a enchanted Veranda of mine own.
Spencer Epstein
If you want to listen a romantic story with a delightful fairytale ending get this audiobook, it is worth the credit.
Donovan and Spencer's House and it's magical veranda
October 25, 2017
Another very good story in this series. I really liked that the MCs were older, and that the obstacles for them were a bit unique. I appreciated the quiet directness of the characters, and the avoidance of melodrama. The ex-wife is a bit of the evil-ex stereotype, but the way the story plays out was fun and heartwarming.
February 13, 2021
My favorite story in the series so far. I adored Spencer and Donovan.
Reread 2021/01/29:
I like this a little less after reading the rest of the series. I still adored Spencer and Donovan, however I found Erica much more annoying than the first time.
Reread 2021/01/29:
I like this a little less after reading the rest of the series. I still adored Spencer and Donovan, however I found Erica much more annoying than the first time.
March 1, 2020
Come sempre, Rosalind sa come coccolare durante la lettura.
April 16, 2020
4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ Rosalind Abel aka Brandon Witt non delude mai❤️ sono onesta, non avevo grandi aspettative su questa storia, nella sinossi c'erano dettagli che per mio gusto non mi attirano particolarmente, e invece... MA QUANTO È BELLA QUESTA STORIA!!! Sexy, frizzante e coccolosa con una grande profondità di emozioni e sentimenti. Una tematica seria affrontata con grande sensibilità e delicatezza. Una storia di scelte e di coraggio, di libertà di amare alla luce del sole chi si vuole, ma soprattutto di coraggio e libertà di essere finalmente sé stessi. Voglio vivere anch'io a Lavender Shores😍😍😍😍😍
April 9, 2023
3+
Kolejny tom potwierdza, że jedynka to jakiś wypadek przy pracy 😉
Kolejny tom potwierdza, że jedynka to jakiś wypadek przy pracy 😉
April 18, 2020
Questa serie si sta rivelando davvero bellissima! I personaggi sono tutti peculiari, non ci sono copie o storie trite e ritrite e ogni libro ha un potenziale a sé. Finalmente la storia di Donovan che aveva stuzzicato la mia curiosità nel libro precedente e lo vediamo insieme a Spencer, che da dieci anni vive a Lavender Shores senza essere né felice né soddisfatto della propria vita. Un duo che fa scintille da subito ma che poi si adagia in una normalità che però non annoia, sono due adulti che vogliono vivere la propria vita, senza sotterfugi o segreti. Scelgono la propria felicità e non quella degli altri e credo che questo sia un grande insegnamento. Un libro molto dolce ma anche sexy, mi è piaciuto davvero tanto e non vedo l'ora di leggere la storia di Lamont, l'altro personaggio che ha stuzzicato in maniera particolare la mia curiosità
Want to read
November 26, 2018Free until 11/26/18
November 29, 2018
This was so very enjoyable. I am loving this series so much.
Donovan, who we met in the last book who was Gilbert's therapist, is a 42 year old almost silver fox, and Spencer is a 39 year old father of two...and Donovan's ex-brother-in-law. And they've been in love for about ten years, ever since they met at Spencer and Erica's engagement party.
See, Spencer grew up in an ultra religious family in Oregon (which I can believe of the more rural parts of the state. It's pretty red most anywhere outside of a city) and he'd been in "reparative therapy" for about a decade before he came to Lavender Shores. And oh no, this was conversion therapy, per se...it had none of that physical torture and quite that emotional torture. But he was in "therapy" to try to make him straight.
But then he gave up on it, determined to live as the gay man he is - but terrified of doing so - when he comes to Lavender Shores and meets Erica, who knew he was gay, but asked him if he'd ever tried sex with a woman before to know. When Spencer said he hadn't, they have sex...and then apparently fall in love.
And Spencer thinks he's "cured" and that he's now straight, until a few months later when he meets Erica's brother, Donovan Carlisle.
They never do anything in the almost ten years that he and Erica are married, but they've been in the process of divorce for almost a year at the start of this (which happens a day before Gilbert and Walden announce their marriage as they had in the epilogue of the second book) ever since Erica confessed to cheating on Spencer and leaving him for the guy.
It hasn't been finalized for long when Spencer goes to a sex party in San Fran after work, where Donovan so happens to be...and it's a costume party as well, with masks to have a sense of anonymity. And Spencer just can't help but take this chance to be with Donovan, just this once, because he fears he'll never get another chance again.
Spencer gives Donovan a blow job, and Donovan doesn't know it's him until the end when he sees a tattoo of Spencer's.
From there, they just can't quite stay away from each other, and they start a relationship pretty soon after.
I really loved their chemistry together, their sex scenes were hot, and they were also adorable together.
The part in me that loves forbidden relationship type deals wanted a bigger reaction from everyone else at their relationship, but I still enjoyed what we got, and hey, it was probably more realistic.
I very much enjoyed this story, and can't wait to continue with this series. Loving it!
Donovan, who we met in the last book who was Gilbert's therapist, is a 42 year old almost silver fox, and Spencer is a 39 year old father of two...and Donovan's ex-brother-in-law. And they've been in love for about ten years, ever since they met at Spencer and Erica's engagement party.
See, Spencer grew up in an ultra religious family in Oregon (which I can believe of the more rural parts of the state. It's pretty red most anywhere outside of a city) and he'd been in "reparative therapy" for about a decade before he came to Lavender Shores. And oh no, this was conversion therapy, per se...it had none of that physical torture and quite that emotional torture. But he was in "therapy" to try to make him straight.
But then he gave up on it, determined to live as the gay man he is - but terrified of doing so - when he comes to Lavender Shores and meets Erica, who knew he was gay, but asked him if he'd ever tried sex with a woman before to know. When Spencer said he hadn't, they have sex...and then apparently fall in love.
And Spencer thinks he's "cured" and that he's now straight, until a few months later when he meets Erica's brother, Donovan Carlisle.
They never do anything in the almost ten years that he and Erica are married, but they've been in the process of divorce for almost a year at the start of this (which happens a day before Gilbert and Walden announce their marriage as they had in the epilogue of the second book) ever since Erica confessed to cheating on Spencer and leaving him for the guy.
It hasn't been finalized for long when Spencer goes to a sex party in San Fran after work, where Donovan so happens to be...and it's a costume party as well, with masks to have a sense of anonymity. And Spencer just can't help but take this chance to be with Donovan, just this once, because he fears he'll never get another chance again.
Spencer gives Donovan a blow job, and Donovan doesn't know it's him until the end when he sees a tattoo of Spencer's.
From there, they just can't quite stay away from each other, and they start a relationship pretty soon after.
I really loved their chemistry together, their sex scenes were hot, and they were also adorable together.
The part in me that loves forbidden relationship type deals wanted a bigger reaction from everyone else at their relationship, but I still enjoyed what we got, and hey, it was probably more realistic.
I very much enjoyed this story, and can't wait to continue with this series. Loving it!
February 26, 2018
I am really enjoying this series! I was seriously looking forward to reading Donovan's story after I liked him SO much in The Garden. I ended up completely loving this book, although I did have reservations after reading the blurb.
Donovan and Spencer had a complex and controversial relationship, but they were so strong together that I couldn't help but want them to get their HEA (despite my feelings regarding the 'ick' factor.)
I truly felt that both men deserved love, and I was pleased that once they put voice to what they wanted, they both went after it without looking back. They were determined to be together and be happy, and I absolutely loved that neither one wavered on that decision!
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
Donovan and Spencer had a complex and controversial relationship, but they were so strong together that I couldn't help but want them to get their HEA (despite my feelings regarding the 'ick' factor.)
I truly felt that both men deserved love, and I was pleased that once they put voice to what they wanted, they both went after it without looking back. They were determined to be together and be happy, and I absolutely loved that neither one wavered on that decision!
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
August 12, 2018
So.
I like the bind of this book where Donovan is in love with his brother in law. And I like that Spencer makes the move even though sex parties aren't really where I love to start a book but whatever.
I like how Donovan and Spencer work out their relationship.
What grinds my nerves about this book is the at once simplistic and complex portral of Spencer's ex-wife (in this book and others) Some of her reactions were spot on but her cruelty in other aspects and her choice to seduce and marry Spencer make little sense.
Spencer background was compelling and well done.
So, on to the next book in the series!
I like the bind of this book where Donovan is in love with his brother in law. And I like that Spencer makes the move even though sex parties aren't really where I love to start a book but whatever.
I like how Donovan and Spencer work out their relationship.
What grinds my nerves about this book is the at once simplistic and complex portral of Spencer's ex-wife (in this book and others) Some of her reactions were spot on but her cruelty in other aspects and her choice to seduce and marry Spencer make little sense.
Spencer background was compelling and well done.
So, on to the next book in the series!
June 24, 2018
Lavender Shores is full of interesting characters, and I've been looking forward to Donovan's story since listening to The Garden.
After a rocky beginning in which I had some confusion about who was speaking and who's POV I was listening to at the time, about two hours into the audio I finally got everything straight and was able to settle back and enjoy seeing Spencer (who had been through so much) and Donovan finally start their relationship.
I appreciated the angst level in this wasn't high, because there was certainly opportunity for Abel to ratchet it up, but instead there was a lot of communication, and both Spencer and Donovan tried to get, and stay, on the same page.
I liked the narration, though timing and pacing were issues until I got used to them. Kirt Graves performs different character voices, but I found I had to pay particular attention to the beginning of the chapters when the character's POV was announced to know who's POV I was listening to so as not to become confused.
I love the supporting characters and the town's ambiance. I'm really looking forward to stories featuring Lamont and Connor, but wouldn't be in the least bit upset if I never heard from Erica ever again.
The Veranda (Lavender Shores #3) is a dual POV, low angst (especially considering the plot), on page sexy times, with a truly sigh-inducing, lovely HEA ending.
Check out the Lavender Shore founding families family trees of at www.lavendershores.com.
Audio copy of The Veranda provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
September 25, 2017
What to say about this one? I was honestly a little creeped out by the setup. Falling for your sister’s husband and all that jazz just seemed ick to me. Especially when the sister has already been portrayed as an evil bitch. I expected Erica to be the bitch to end all bitches in this story and to use anything, everything and EVERYONE to achieve her villainous status. I expected nothing but angst and drama. She didn’t really do that and I am so relieved. She is still a bitch, I still could care less to ever read another word about her but I am so thankful the book didn’t go in the direction I expected. She is truly an awful and ugly person though, still.
This was really, really hard to believe. I get that is the way of Lavender Shores so I just kind of went with it but this one really, really pushed the believability scale. The setup and all the years in between, just unbelievable. And then it was easy. It just went so easy. From the minute it was decided they were going to be together they just were. Declarations of love, kid’s acceptance and just forever all wrapped up, easy. Nothing much really happened once they were together, the office scene wasn’t my favorite and it got a little over the top cheesy but I still found myself ok with all of it.
I think book 2 is still rated the highest so far, but I truly can’t wait for the next one though! Gah!
I don’t seem to love these books but keep reading them.
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Weekends have become an almost no read zone.
Remind me on Monday to review.
This was really, really hard to believe. I get that is the way of Lavender Shores so I just kind of went with it but this one really, really pushed the believability scale. The setup and all the years in between, just unbelievable. And then it was easy. It just went so easy. From the minute it was decided they were going to be together they just were. Declarations of love, kid’s acceptance and just forever all wrapped up, easy. Nothing much really happened once they were together, the office scene wasn’t my favorite and it got a little over the top cheesy but I still found myself ok with all of it.
I think book 2 is still rated the highest so far, but I truly can’t wait for the next one though! Gah!
I don’t seem to love these books but keep reading them.
-------
Weekends have become an almost no read zone.
Remind me on Monday to review.
probably-not-but-freebie
November 22, 2018Freebie at the zon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/Veranda-Lave...
September 22, 2020
Rosalind Abel, the pseudonym Brandon Witt uses when he pens his more explicit gay m/m romance novels, has written what ultimately becomes a more than satisfying story in ‘The Veranda’ the second volume of his Lavender Shores series.
Once again the characters of Lavender Shores are perfectly brought to life through the excellent narration provided by Kirt Graves.
From the time Spencer (Barton) Epstein and Donovan Carlisle have their first sexual encounter at a gay Broadway-themed costume party in San Francisco - each pretending he doesn’t actually know who the other man is -
through their second sexual experience in a hotel steam room, it’s clear they are going to end up together.
This all seems like a no-brainer except for the fact that Spencer was formerly married to Donovan’s sister, Erica, and is the father of their two children, Emma and Ethan. Even Donovan’s professional training as a therapist is going to be challenged to the maximum.
Of course, there is the obligatory HEA ending, with Spencer, Donovan, Ethan, Erica, and Emma all accepting and enjoying life as it is.
Not everyone is happy, though. John Carlisle Epstein, Erica and Donovan’s father, is clearly exploring every way he can think of the sever the bonds forged between Donovan and Spencer. It will be interesting to see if there are further developments in that regard appearing in subsequent volumes on the Lavender Shores series.
Definitely an improbable but clearly entertaining story.
Once again the characters of Lavender Shores are perfectly brought to life through the excellent narration provided by Kirt Graves.
From the time Spencer (Barton) Epstein and Donovan Carlisle have their first sexual encounter at a gay Broadway-themed costume party in San Francisco - each pretending he doesn’t actually know who the other man is -
through their second sexual experience in a hotel steam room, it’s clear they are going to end up together.
This all seems like a no-brainer except for the fact that Spencer was formerly married to Donovan’s sister, Erica, and is the father of their two children, Emma and Ethan. Even Donovan’s professional training as a therapist is going to be challenged to the maximum.
Of course, there is the obligatory HEA ending, with Spencer, Donovan, Ethan, Erica, and Emma all accepting and enjoying life as it is.
Not everyone is happy, though. John Carlisle Epstein, Erica and Donovan’s father, is clearly exploring every way he can think of the sever the bonds forged between Donovan and Spencer. It will be interesting to see if there are further developments in that regard appearing in subsequent volumes on the Lavender Shores series.
Definitely an improbable but clearly entertaining story.
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