Distant Cousins

by Eric Huffbind

Contemporary Gay Male Romance.

Konner was looking forward to learning more about his family heritage. What he found was his entire life was a lie. Even the worst mistakes can be forgiven

Konner O’Flattery, a passionate amateur genealogist, has finally gotten back the results of the DNA test he took. He’s been waiting months to uncover what mysteries his DNA has locked inside. But his results aren’t anything like he expected, and he unearths a secret buried since birth. His heart becomes shattered leaving no room for forgiveness. Now, Konner feels compelled to go on a journey to find the truth of who and what he truly is.

Through the miracles of modern technology, Konner meets his distant cousin, Aaron Kirschenbaum. Turns out, he knows exactly who Aaron is, yet they’ve never met. Aaron makes the girls and boys alike swoon from his stunning good looks and velvety voice. Unfortunately, he’s picked up a bad habit of abusing his status for his own personal gain.

Konner’s story pulls on the strings of Aaron’s heart. So, he offers to help Konner, in any way he possibly can. Aaron finds Konner to be incredibly attractive, so the two men are swept up into an intense romance filled with sensuous heat and passion.

Distant Cousins is Eric Huffbind’s second published novel, a Contemporary Gay Male Romance. Take a journey with Konner as he finds heartbreak, intrigue, love, passion, and the importance of forgiveness. If you want to rekindle the euphoric high of falling in love, Distant Cousins is the book for you.

64,000 words / No cliff hanger / HEA This book is intended for mature audiences Don’t wait! Begin your journey to “Happily Ever After.”

Genres: Contemporary, LGBT

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2018

About the author

Eric Huffbind is a man of many talents. He is a hopeless romantic, licensed registered nurse, has been a travel agent, and the eternal social butterfly. Among his passionate interests are history, genealogy, romance, and travel. Like so many other individuals, he has a long bucket list. On the list, to no surprise, was writing a novel. He pulls from a lifetime of raw emotions: be it love, happiness, sadness, tears, joy, anxiety, fear, disappointment, or achievement.

Although, my stories are love stories between two gay men, regardless of your sexual orientation, my novels are meant to rekindle the true spirit of romance and love in your heart.
​
Mr. Huffbind was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and has remained in southwest Ohio for his entire life. He shares his life with his husband, an autistic son, and his Pomeranian.

The author welcomes your feedback and encourages your book reviews on Amazon.com or wherever the book was purchased. He may be reached at: eric@erichuffbind.com

Reviews

[Karen Wellsbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am struggling to know how to describe this book.
It could have been a lovely exploration of how finding out your adopted as an adult could lead to loss of identity and questioning what family means, adding some romance along the way - it wasn't.
The writing is very literal, there is no allowance for reader thought or understanding, so there are explanations of what is PTSD, what is kosher, how some Jews lived in Europe, just in case you didn't know these things.
The romance is also very bizarre, the sex scenes are vaguely embarrassing, there was a lot of clenching, throbbing etc and some very odd language . At times I wondered if this was written as a parody, but I don't think so. Initially I found it entertaining, but then this book descended into daftness that needed a good edit.

[Emily Seelye]

DNF at 30%

Made it to first sex scene which came out of nowhere and had me laughing and cringing at language

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

When taking a geneology site's DNA test, Konnor never thought it would lead him to finding out he was adopted and the last 30 years of his life was a lie. He also didn't expect it to lead to lead to a distant cousin who is a celebrity... and sexy, gorgeous, sweet and caring.  Aaron is willing to help Konnor trace as much of his family tree as possible in hopes of finding his new self identity. As they work together and get to know each other, the connection grows strong... and steamy.

A very interesting story of a man searching for the answers of who he is and where he belongs. His whole world has been flipped by finding out he was adopted. Yes, his adopted family is loving and great... But everything he thought he was was built on what he considers to be lies. His heritage is opposite of what he thought. Raised Catholic when all his ancestors were Jewish, he craves answers. And Aaron is there for him when he needs someone to help find those answers. I feel that through the well written story that we get a feel for the characters, both main and supporting.  I felt connected to the story and characters and needing to hear their story. This book delivers a swoon worthy amount of sweetness, enough fire and steam to fog up your kindle screen and a story that sucks you in. Loved it!

I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and voluntarily am leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[BOOKSISTERSWORLD BOOKSISTERS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorit books in the contemporary romance world. The beautiful description of characters and the incredible attention Eric has for the emotions and intersections the characters experience, this story is an outstanding work of art. I loved how the DNA test and all the incredible expectations an the epilogue it has, are given a touch of humanity and a delicatessen that makes your heart flip flop all the time. Thank you for this amazing story, for the way the music and the personal journey are committed and entwined. Just one word good enough to flip flop....

[Linda A · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story.
Konner is looking to find his family after discovering he is adopted after getting the results from a DNA test. Aaron reaches out to Konner telling him he is a distant cousin. The two embark on a journey to find Konner’s family by finding which family member they share. An intense romance and a few dead ends lead to a surprising result.

I received this book as an advance reader copy and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Konner is tracing his ancestry and decides to take advantage of a special offer DNA test to help him in his search. However, when the results are returned he is in for a shock. Now begins a search for his real past, dealing with what he considers to have been deceit and lies and making some surprising connections along the way to finding truth and love.
A beautiful story of heartbreak, love and forgiveness.

[Karolina Cebula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in English and Polish || Recenzja po angielsku i polsku

*3.5 - 4 stars*

When Konner O'Flattery decided to take an Ancestry DNA test that would help him learn more about his family roots, he did not even suspect how important for him the results would be. Within an instant his whole life turns out to be build on a great secret that turns his entire world upside down. The young man begins to question everything he believed to be certain and true so far. For thirty years his parents hid from him the fact that he was adopted, and although they had the best intentions, they hurt him deeply. In order to find himself and understand what it means to have Jewish blood running in his veins, Konner decides to find his biological parents. For this purpose, he contacts people who, just like him, took the DNA test and were classified as his distant relatives. One of those who respond to Konner's desperate e-mail in which he was asking for help is Aaron Kirschenbaum, a singer who's loved by millions of people, and whom only a few know well. And suddenly the road that leads to finding Konner's biological family turns out to be also a road to love.

"Distant Cousins" is not a perfect and particularly ambitious novel, however, I have the impression that in this book all the pros and cons are largely in balance from the beginning to the end. The story presented by Eric Huffbind is a little bit naïve and idealized, but definitely pleasant to read. On the one hand, it resembles all those dreams and fantasies that probably everyone who, even once, had a crush on a celebrity had – a random meeting with your idol which starts your great mutual love. I think that when we realize that Konner's story is based on what often comes to mind of many fans, we feel an enormous sentiment and affection for this book. After all, to some extent it's part of us. The second skeleton of the novel focuses not so much on the adoption itself, but rather on how the adopted person feels about it and consequently on the need to find oneself, get to know one's roots, fully understand their situation. In this case, the author presented the problem in a bitter-sweet manner and showed us Konner's rather predictable reaction to the information about his adoption. However, an undoubted plus is the theme of Jewish culture that appears in this context. I admit it is not developed in detail, but in my opinion it is a great advantage of "Distant Cousins", as I know very little about this subject.

As for the characters, one word comes to my mind – innocent. Konner and Aaron sometimes seem to me to be like two big kids. Although their bodies are fully developed and ready to discover adulthood sexually, but the way they look at the world and people is marked by the mentioned innocence. They do know that the world is not black and white, that it's full of many shades of gray, but they look at it as if it were to be perfect and they don't want to accept any compromises. This makes them take some matters more seriously than the situation would require. The best example is seduction, which suddenly grows into a great problem, even though it should not be so important. It is impossible, however, to ignore the fact that thanks to such trifles over which the men make such a fuss, we see how the characters bring out the best of each other. Taking it all into account I would say that although in real life they could be a bit troublesome friends for us, in the novel we undoubtedly like them for being such sensitive idealists and we wish them all the best. What's more, if the author decides to expand the story of these two, with real pleasure we would read about them again, for example in a novella or holiday story, as it's easy to become really attached to them.

At this point, however, I must mention one significant disadvantage of "Distant Cousins", namely the lack of insight into the characters' psyche and all that's "inside" of them. Although they speak to a large extent about their feelings, it seems to me to be superficial. I have the impression that in the novel we focus mainly on what is happening with the characters here and now, in the more physical context, while we do not have access to their emotions in their pure form. For to say "I am sad" is one thing, and to feel sadness is something completely different. I think that this is the best illustration of what I missed while reading, as I found here a lot of "to be" and not so much of "to feel". Therefore, what's missing in "Distant Cousins" is the second plane on which this story and its characters would be built. It is a great pity, because the author had a great opportunity to explore "the inside" of his characters, as there appeared such topics as falling in love and being in love, feeling betrayed by loved ones, disappointed, lost, feelings of uncertainty, sadness, hope, joy. And it is not about writing long elaborates about emotions, but about a few sentences that formed inside our characters' hearts. I am sure that if only a little more attention would be given to feelings, thoughts and the above-mentioned "inside" side of the characters, the novel would have gain a lot.

Finishing this review, I would like to mention the undeniable advantage of "Distant Cousins", which is the way in which the author shows the sexual intercourse of the two main characters and what he draws attention to. At the beginning it is worth noting that while reading the novel what immediately catches the eye are the really hot sex descriptions, which make us blush. It seems to me that, among other things, it is influenced by the fact that Konner and Aaron fully accept their sexuality and themselves, thanks to which they feel really comfortable in their own skin. What's more, they know what they have to offer and what they would like to receive in return. However, what seems really important to me is that the author often draws attention to a certain male feature, which in many other novels is skipped or appropriately reduced – the hairiness. Our protagonists are hairy, as hairy as every man and they don't only know it or accept it, but they like it and it turns them on. They are men for whom other men are sexually attractive, with everything that goes with it, and it is really visible in this novel. Eric Huffbind does not "shave" Konner and Aaron describing the sex, but he even emphasizes that they are hairy, and that's what I liked here.

In conclusion, "Distant Cousins" doesn't make the readers melt, but we really can enjoy this novel. It has a lot of warmth and love, but there is no shortage of dilemmas and dramas. This is a simple, enjoyable book, which I can recommend with a clear conscience to all of you to read during those upcoming autumn evenings. As far as I'm concerned, this is Eric Huffbind's first book I've read, but it's definitely not the last one.

______________________

*3.5 gwiazdki*

Decydując się na zrobienie testu DNA mającego pomóc mu w odkrywaniu rodzinnych korzeni, Konner O’Flattery nawet nie podejrzewał, jak znaczące okażą się dla niego jego wyniki. W przeciągu jednej chwili całe jego dotychczasowe życie okazuje się oparte na tajemnicy, która wstrząsa jego światem i sprawia, że mężczyzna zaczyna kwestionować wszystko, co do tej pory wydawało mu się pewne. Przez trzydzieści lat rodzice ukrywali przed nim fakt, że został adoptowany i chociaż mieli jak najlepsze intencje, to jednak zranili syna do żywego. Aby na nowo odnaleźć siebie oraz zrozumieć, co oznacza dla niego płynąca w jego żyłach żydowska krew, Konner postanawia odnaleźć swoich biologicznych rodziców. W tym celu kontaktuje się z osobami, które podobnie jak on zrobiły test DNA i które zostały sklasyfikowane jako jego dalecy krewni. Jedną z osób, które odpowiadają na jego desperacki e-mail z prośbą o pomoc jest Aaron Kirschenbaum, piosenkarz, do którego wzdychają miliony, a którego niewiele osób zna naprawdę dobrze. I nagle droga, która miała prowadzić do odnalezienia biologicznej rodziny okazuje się także drogą ku miłości.

„Distant Cousins” wprawdzie nie zalicza się do powieści perfekcyjnych i szczególnie ambitnych, jednak mam wrażenie, że wszelkie wady i zalety w dużej mierze równoważą się tutaj od początku do końca. Przedstawiona przez Erica Huffbinda historia, jest bowiem trochę naiwna i wyidealizowana, ale zdecydowanie przyjemna w odbiorze. Z jednej strony przypomina marzenia i fantazje, jakie snuł chyba każdy, kto stracił kiedyś głowę dla jakiegoś celebryty – ot, przypadkowe spotkanie idola, które zapoczątkuje wielką obustronną miłość. Myślę, że kiedy uświadomimy sobie, iż historia Konnera opiera się na tym, co niejednokrotnie błąka się po głowie niejednego fana, czujemy do niej ogromny sentyment i rozczulenie. W końcu jest ona w pewnym stopniu częścią nas samych. Drugi szkielet powieści stanowi nie tyle temat adopcji, co jej odbioru przez osobę adoptowaną i w konsekwencji potrzeba odnalezienia siebie, poznania swoich korzeni, pełnego zrozumienia swojej sytuacji. W tym wypadku autor pozwolił sobie na słodko-gorzkie przedstawienie problemu oraz na raczej przewidywalną reakcję Konnera. Niewątpliwym plusem jest jednak pojawiający się w tym kontekście temat żydowskiej kultury. Nie jest wprawdzie szczegółowo rozwinięty, jednak w moim odczuciu stanowi ogromną zaletę „Distant Cousins”, jako że sama na ten temat wiem naprawdę niewiele.

Co się zaś tyczy bohaterów, nasuwa mi się na myśl jedno określenie – niewinni. Konner i Aaron wydają mi się czasami być dużymi dziećmi. Wprawdzie ich ciała są w pełni rozwinięte i gotowe do odkrywania dorosłości pod kątek seksualnym, jednak sposób w jaki patrzą na świat i ludzi naznaczony jest wspomnianą niewinnością. Niby wiedzą, że świat nie jest czarno-biały, że pełen jest odcieni szarości, jednak patrzą na niego tak, jakby miał być idealny i nie chcą akceptować żadnych kompromisów. To sprawia, że niektóre sprawy traktują poważniej, niż wymagałaby tego sytuacja. Najlepszym przykładem jest uwodzenie, które nagle urasta do rangi wielkiego problemu, mimo że w gruncie rzeczy nie powinno mieć tak wielkiego znaczenia. Nie sposób jednak pominąć faktu, że waśnie za sprawą takich drobnostek, o które mężczyźni robią tyle hałasu, widzimy w jaki sposób bohaterowie wydobywają z siebie nawzajem to, co najlepsze. Wszystko to sprawia, że chociaż w prawdziwym życiu mogliby być dla nas trochę uciążliwymi znajomymi, to w powieści niewątpliwie lubimy ich za to, że są takimi wrażliwymi idealistami i życzymy im jak najlepiej. Co więcej, z rozkoszą spotkalibyśmy ich ponownie, na przykład w jakiejś niewielkiej nowelce lub świątecznym opowiadaniu, ponieważ naprawdę możemy się do nich przywiązać.

W tym miejscu muszę jednak wspomnieć o jednej znaczącej wadzie „Distant Cousins”, a mianowicie braku wglądu w psychikę bohaterów, w ich wnętrze. Wprawdzie w dużym stopniu mówią oni o swoich uczuciach, jednak wydaje mi się to powierzchowne. Mam wrażenie, że w powieści skupiamy się głównie na tym, co dzieje się z bohaterami tu i teraz, pod względem bardziej fizycznym, zaś nie mamy dostępu do ich emocji w ich czystej postaci. Albowiem powiedzieć „jest mi smutno” to jedno, zaś odczuwać smutek to coś zupełnie innego. Myślę, że to najlepiej obrazuje to czego brakowało mi podczas lektury. Otrzymałam bowiem dużo „być”, a mało „czuć”. W „Distant Cousins” brakuje więc tej drugiej płaszczyzny, na której budowana byłaby ta historia oraz jej bohaterowie. To wielka szkoda, ponieważ autor miał ogromną możliwość eksploracji wnętrza swoich bohaterów, jako że pojawiły się tu takie tematy, jak chociażby zakochiwanie się i bycie zakochanym, poczucie bycia zdradzonym przez najbliższych, zawiedzionym, zagubionym, uczucie niepewności, smutku, odczuwanie nadziei, radości. I nie chodzi o pisanie długich elaboratów na temat odczuwanych emocji, ale o tych kilka zdań płynących z wnętrza bohaterów. Jestem przekonana, że gdyby trochę więcej uwagi poświęcić czysto uczuciom, myślom i ogólnie wspomnianemu już wnętrzu, powieść dużo by na tym zyskała.

Kończąc tę recenzję, chciałabym wspomnieć o niezaprzeczalnym plusie „Distant Cousins”, jakim jest sposób, w jaki autor przedstawia seksualne zbliżenia dwójki głównych bohaterów oraz to, na co zwraca wtedy uwagę. Na początek warto zauważyć, iż podczas lektury powieści w oczy od razu rzucają się nam naprawdę gorące opisy, które czytamy z wypiekami na twarzy. Wydaje mi się, że między innymi ma na to wpływ fakt, iż Konner i Aaron w pełni akceptują swoją seksualność oraz siebie samych, dzięki czemu czują się naprawdę swobodnie w swojej skórze. Co więcej wiedzą, co mają do zaoferowania oraz co chcieliby otrzymać w zamian. Naprawdę istotne wydaje mi się jednak to, że autor niejednokrotnie zwraca uwagę na pewną męską cechę, która w wielu innych powieściach jest pomijana lub stosownie pomniejszana, a chodzi o owłosienie. Nasi bohaterowie są kudłaci, jak kudłaty jest każdy mężczyzna i nie tylko zdają sobie z tego sprawę, nie tylko to akceptują, ale to im się podoba, to ich kręci. Są mężczyznami, dla których seksualnie atrakcyjni są inni mężczyźni ze wszystkim, co to ze sobą niesie i w tej powieści naprawdę to widać. Eric Huffbind nie „goli” Konnera i Aarona opisując seks, ale wręcz podkreśla ich owłosienie i właśnie to przypadło mi tu do gustu.

Podsumowując, „Distant Cousins” wprawdzie nie zwala czytelnika z nóg, jednak naprawdę może się podobać. Ma w sobie dużo ciepła i miłości, ale nie brakuje tu rozterek i dramatów. To prosta, przyjemna książka, którą z czystym sumieniem mogę polecić na jesienne wieczory. Jeśli o mnie chodzi to jest to pierwsza książka Erica Huffbinda, jaką czytałam, ale na pewno nie ostatnia.

[Natosha Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read but I have to be honest and say that some parts of this read where on what I dare say as cheesy. That is not necessarily a bad thing but that did help to bring my rating down to a four instead of a five. The other factor was both of the main characters at some points in time ms or he other seemed mentally much younger then they actually was. But Konner really took the cake on that out of the two charcters. He reminded me more of a 18-19 year old on the temper tantrums he through several times through this read versus being actually 30 years old. That made it really hard to take him as seriously as I am sure he was meant to be taken. With that being said, the actual story line was incredible. The way everything played out was not what I was expecting but it made for a really good read.

Konnor is a 30 year old man with a happy family. He is the oldest out of five and has a wonderful mother and father. Not to mention he loves his job. So when he takes an ancestry DNA testing to find out more information on his past relatives he is shocked to find out that it does not match what he knows about his family.

When he speaks to his parents about it, well he is in for even more of a shock to find out at 30 years old that everything he thought he knew is not reality at all. He finds out he was adopted when he was a baby and his parents kept that from him. To say that he did not take this great is putting it mildly. Konner completely loses it on his parents and now he does not feel that he belongs in the family.

Konner decides to set out and try to find his birth parents. His first inquiry leads him to meeting a distant cousin named Aaron. Aaron turns out to be someone that Konner has admired for a long time, a famous singer named David Kirkman. This is Aaron’s stage name but does not go by it with family and friends.

After Aaron originally hears from Konner he feels for him and wants to try and help him find out more about his birth parents. What starts out as something innocent between them soon changes into more. Konner and Aaron become closer until the next thing they know they are an item.

Through weeding their way through a new relationship they are also still working on finding more about Konner’s past. When Konner is close to giving up because he he is getting no where he receives news he was beginning to think he would never get. But it is from that news that Konner finds just how explosive his past really is.

Can Konner and Aaron work through all the information that is about to come Konner’s way together or will everything just be to much for such a new couple? Will Konner ever be able to forgive his parents for the secret they kept from him for so long?

This was a good read. I really did wnjoy it. I just wish that Konner would have handled things a little better then he actually did. Other then that it was a decent book with a great storyline.

Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review

[Grammy 1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 ****Stars
Book: Distant Cousins
Author: Eric Huffbind
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rated: Mature M/M
Release date: Sept 28, 2018
Pages: 247

I saw this book on my Amazon feed. Distant Cousins looked interesting…I have never read a book from this author….annd Free on Kindle Unlimited!

It is Christmas time….I am writing this review December of 2018. As I write this review, I hear on my TV a commercial for ‘23 and me’ a company selling DNA information for 30 per cent off for the holiday!

I have other factors on why I enjoyed this book so much! First I am of Jewish decent and I understand the problems that our people have that differ from the real world where our persecution in Europe made us live differently than others. Secondly, I have one daughter that we adopted, and the need to know their birth parents medical history becomes an issue. So here I am a Jew who adopted a child, reading this wonderful story.

We meet Konner O’ Flattery, who has finally gotten back the results of the DNA test he took. To his horror, his results aren’t anything that he expected. This nice middle class Catholic boy, from a large family of parents and brothers and sisters (of which he is the oldest) uncovers a secret buried since birth. We follow Konner on a journey to find the truth of who he truly is.

In reading this book, Mr. Huffbind has written an interesting story of the ‘new DNAers’ who wish to follow their family tree. These companies also send along percentage lists about matches closest to the client’s type …and thru these matches we follow Konner reaching out to these matches on a wonderful journey of learning where he came from…. And heal. Yes this s a contemporary romance…..along the way he finds that too!

Great read!

[Rick Lunkenheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

DNA test changes Konnor’s world

Konnor is a well-adjusted gay man with loving parents and four loving younger siblings. But then he takes a DNA test. Instead of the Irish Catholic he was raised to believe he was, his ancestors were Jewish, and he learns he was adopted, a secret his parents kept from his parents and siblings.

Feeling betrayed and out of place within his family, he goes on a journey to find his biological family through online ancestry boards. He receives an email from Aaron, a distant cousin that is willing to help. What Konnor doesn’t know is that Aaron is also a swoon-worthy famous singer who goes by the name David Kirkman.

As they traverse their family history together to find out exactly how they are related, they grow close and fall in love with more than a few steamy sex scenes to make this novel exciting.

It was easy to feel the characters, even when they act flawed – such as Konnor’s negative reaction to finding out he was adopted, to Aaron’s typical celebrity arrogance. In addition to an incredible storyline, I learned a lot about how DNA works. My only “slight” complaint about this novel is that there might have been too much detail about the scientific aspects of DNA that took away from the story. But that’s only in few places. It made me want to take my own DNA test.

All in all, this is a great contemporary gay romance with well-rounded characters and an HEA. Great job!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I deeply enjoyed this book, the interplay of relationships, the very close knit O’Flattery family, the bond between Rebecca and Aaron ( then Rebecca, Benjamin, Simon & Aaron), Anna & Kenneth and lastly Samuel & Barry. I loved learning about genealogy and some tidbits of Jewish culture. But the relationships between the O’Flattery siblings and the blossoming to passionate love of Alex/David & Konner. The way they held each other up, called each other on their faults and stood by each other when times were stressful/emotional/near&actually tragic...it has a hea
Finding out that who you thought you were may not be who you truly are and lies can tear your world to shreds. But finding the gift of love and friendships and new family and a greater love and respect for your own? This book did a great job of that. My one and only issue with this book was it took meeting Alex/David to finally truly set the hook for me...I get that’s where we were progressing to, I was on the hook, but it was a little stilted in the build up. Don’t get me wrong I’d read it again because the other 9/10ths are worth it and there are some lovely surprises^^ I look forward to seeing what Eric has next up his sleeve!!

[Cheryl_cajun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC read, I voluntarily give this book an honest review. Konner had got the results in of his DNA from ancestry site. When it comes back with a surprising fact of his background, he goes to his parents for advice about it. Going on a goose hunt was how he felt when at first he was blocked from the St. Patrick's adoption agency closed then told him by state law both parties had to agree to release the information. When meeting Aaron a fourth cousin and also famed singer, together start the process of finding the links to Konner's biological parents. On the way the sparks they feel grow to a blazing Inferno. Can they find what links them together more than blood? What happens when Konner is nearly killed in a accident, when family comes together can he forgive the betrayal he feels from his parents? This was a wonderful emotional read, the struggle of finding out your adopted at the age of thirty years old to knowing nothing at all of who he was. To love of family and support of a lover.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

💖 A beautifully written story about family secrets which eventually come out. Konner discovers something his family hid from him for 30 years tearing his world up side down. This story is so well written even I learnt things about DNA and genealogy which I'm very familiar with.  The emotions that Konner goes through in this story is everything from anger, sadness, trusting, love and more.
What Konner finds at the ends is a lot more than he thought he would. He also finds Aaron which he joins in with the mystery. * note this has huge twists that'll make you go Aww. This was a first read for the author and yah I would read more of his books.
Konner lived in LA where he was out and proud supported by his Irish parents.  Sending away for his DNA expecting his O'Flattery name to be Irish. At 30 yrs finding Jewish DNA roots and learning he was adopted. This is Konner's journey into family history and the many secrets and surprises along the way.

[Sharon Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I had asked if I could review this book as I had just done my own DNA and found relatives I didn’t know that I had. The whole idea of using DNA to work out where we came from as well as finding relatives we knew nothing about intrigues me so I wanted to see what Eric Huffbind could do.
I quite liked the story but I did find it heavy reading. We are given a lot of information in this story but I think that I wanted more emotion and perhaps less information with a more sympathetic explanation.
I did not believe in the relationship between Konner and Aaron: in fact their first meeting creeped me out. If I were Aaron I would have gotten Konner out of my life as quickly as possible.
However, the relationship does develop and the story is reasonably interesting.
This is only Eric’s second book and I think that he is an author worth watching.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know I was always loved unconditionally, but. Wow! What do you mean I was adopted?

This was a well written and a very emotional story. Being adopted I could identify very easily withe the characters. I thought this was a great story. This book made me laugh and also made me cry several times. It is amazing when adoptees are able to find their biological parents and siblings. Usually it is good, but sometimes not so much. This book however revealed the love and the strength that can develop in the search, plus it had a great happy ending. The author knows how to make a story flow so that that reader can feel the nerves, the sadness, the joy, and the love the characters go through.
I received this book as an advanced reader's copy and I thought it well worth my honest review and recommendation

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Main Characters: Konner & Aaron
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
4 out of 5 stars
This is an m/m contemporary romance. Konner is 30 years old and just recently sent in his DNA kit. He has been raised in an Irish Catholic household with younger siblings. What a shock when he receives his results. This was a sweet romance when he meets Aaron who turns out to be distantly related to him. I like genealogy and this books contains some interesting facts on it especially early on in the book. For those of you who are not into it, keep reading because the parts you are interested in are just a little further into the book. This book contains family secrets that when found out about really can hurt people. There is a lot of good info on DNA & genealogy contained here.

[Ken Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's a story that any one delving into genealogy would find fascinating. When the gay son gets his DNA testing results back, he finds he's adopted, which neither he nor his siblings knew. Shutting out his parents, he seeks his birth family through the relations that the genealogy site reveals. Distant cousins have similar interest in learning about thier family, so work wih the protagonist in uncovering his birth parents and half-siblings. Sett in California, particularly LA, tied into the vocal performing arts, there were a good blending of multiple scenarios, families, angst. Well written and plotted, with good characters, I was touched by the tale.

[Sallyann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really really wanted to love this book, the story had such great potential but the mc’s were just so annoying. Konner acted like an absolute brat when he found out he was adopted, he was just awful to his parents. Then we have Aaron aka David Kirkman,pop star, mister call be Aaron I just want someone to love me for me, I’m jus a man then in his next breath I couldn’t possibly travel coach and “we’re stopping at the presidential suite”. I just couldn’t find any sympathy with either of them, which is a shame really because this could have been such a great story instead of just a mediocre one.

[Dara Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so intriguing and had a lot of potential but it fell a little short for me due to how clinical it was at times and at others the language was a little strange. The story is what I'd call a 'surface' tale - it's superficial and doesn't really delve deep into feelings or what's going on in the minds of these two men. This makes it feel a bit naive but it's still a worthy read and I did enjoy it.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story. The writing was very detailed, sometimes a little too detailed, but overall it was a good book. I learned a lot about DNA testing and how looking up your ancestry works and quite a bit about the history of the jewish background that I didn't know. My heart went out to Konner when he found out he was adopted and I was glad to see that he was able to find himself again.

[Charles Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes the truth makes life complicated

A 30 year-old man learns for the first time that the parents who raised him had adopted him at birth. Furious about what he believes to be their deception, he embarks on a journey to find out who he really is.

The author writes very well, avoiding most of the cliches often found in this genre. Although the book bogs down a few times, that doesn’t detract from its entertaining and meaningful story.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters and an interesting story line. The author does a great job building the story and pulls at your heartstrings dealing with adoption and wanting to know your heritage. He brings a sweet romance filled with tons of steamy passion along the way. It moves at a steady pace and is an enjoyable story.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given

[W.S. Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid 4.5 star story

I loved this story. Although it started slow, the conflict between Konnor and his Irish Catholic parents after discovering who he really was what kept me turning the pages. This book had a touch of Jackie Collins’ story arcs. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author loved her books. There’s one scene towards the end that’s extremely moving, and rewarded the persistent reader, so bravo!

[Book-Lovin-Momma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Distant Cousins was a good M/M romance about family and love. I enjoyed the story, although at times the scenes were drawn out a little too long, maybe too much unnecessary detail, and some of the word choices were a bit awkward. But the story itself was good, and the message was a good reminder about unconditional love.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thirty-year-old oldest son of Irish parents discovers through a test that his DNA is 97% Eastern Jewish. Someone has some splainin’ to do.

The concept seemed good, the book is well edited, but the execution failed to draw me in and about a quarter of the way in I just lost interest. Somehow I just didn’t care about these characters and decided I had better things to do with my time.

[Barbara M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Distant Cousins: Contemporary Gay Male Rom...

OMG, what a wonderful story, it was absolutely amazing! Definitely a must read, you'll cry, laugh, and have a great lesson learned. Love is Love and there is no way around it. I absolutely love this Author and plan on reading more of his amazing writhing! So many thanks, Honey Bee 🐝📚💙🎶

[tammy rufo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Konner and Aaron's story, especially what Konner went through, very original. i've had my dna done and nothing exciting happened. lol this was a really great read and i would def recommend.

[M L R · Rating 1 out of 5]

Campy and juvenile

Stopped reading at this: "Sweetheart, you have one hot dick and I've missed it. Tell me, how did you wind up with such a big penis." True story....that's after an I love you on the first date. I just can't.

[Maria771 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Konner and Aaron. Interesting plot. It took me awhile to get into the story but I liked it when it hooked me. Chemistry between them is amazing. Emotional ups and downs.

I received this book as an Arc.

[Kaila · Rating 5 out of 5]

bein adopted this story pulled at me.. it was good story.. well written and had so many emotions. very good story