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45 and Holding
Empty Nest meets Mid-life Crisis
When widower Scott Anderson’s daughter goes off to college, he finds himself alone for the first time in as long as he can remember. With his primary role no longer being “Claire’s dad,” he realizes he isn’t sure who he is or what he wants out of life.
For Craig Baker, a mid-life crisis crept up on him in the form of restlessness that a new Jeep didn’t solve. Just as he’s contemplating getting a tattoo to try and shake himself out of this funk, he meets an old classmate who is in the same boat.
They’re both trying to figure out who they are at the age of forty-five.
For one man, there’s a slow realization that maybe he doesn’t need something to cure the restlessness, but someone.
For the other man, it’s the discovery of a new side to himself and the willingness to embrace it.
And for both of them, it’s realizing that mid-life means you still have half your life left so you might as well live it.
When widower Scott Anderson’s daughter goes off to college, he finds himself alone for the first time in as long as he can remember. With his primary role no longer being “Claire’s dad,” he realizes he isn’t sure who he is or what he wants out of life.
For Craig Baker, a mid-life crisis crept up on him in the form of restlessness that a new Jeep didn’t solve. Just as he’s contemplating getting a tattoo to try and shake himself out of this funk, he meets an old classmate who is in the same boat.
They’re both trying to figure out who they are at the age of forty-five.
For one man, there’s a slow realization that maybe he doesn’t need something to cure the restlessness, but someone.
For the other man, it’s the discovery of a new side to himself and the willingness to embrace it.
And for both of them, it’s realizing that mid-life means you still have half your life left so you might as well live it.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2018
148 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
October 21, 2018
~3.5~
This story is like a cookie fresh from the oven: comforting, a little gooey, pure sweetness.
The voices of the MCs were interchangeable, and some of the dialogue was beyond corny, but the HEA was adorbs. I loved the dogs too.
However, as someone who just hit her 40s, I was depressed reading Craig's middle-age musings about being old and decrepit. I feel young, damn it!
This story is like a cookie fresh from the oven: comforting, a little gooey, pure sweetness.
The voices of the MCs were interchangeable, and some of the dialogue was beyond corny, but the HEA was adorbs. I loved the dogs too.
However, as someone who just hit her 40s, I was depressed reading Craig's middle-age musings about being old and decrepit. I feel young, damn it!
June 11, 2023
That was thoroughly enjoyable. No drama. No manufactured angst. About people MY AGE. It was just what I needed. I will admit that it could stand run through by a good editor, but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment. YMMV
Reread 1/28/2019 still made smile
Reread 7/10/2019 I needed some guaranteed happiness. This most definitely fit the bill. Bumping up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reread 2/12/2021 A book about my people. I'm trying not to be depressed about hearing the songs of my youth on the “golden oldies” station 😒
Reread 2/23/2022
Reread 11/17/2022 This book never fails to brighten my day. I still love it as much today as I did the first time I read it.
Reread 1/18/2023 I have no motivation to read anything new 🫤, so only past favorites are on the menu.
Reread 6/11/2023 I needed a palate cleanser. This always works.
Reread 1/28/2019 still made smile
Reread 7/10/2019 I needed some guaranteed happiness. This most definitely fit the bill. Bumping up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reread 2/12/2021 A book about my people. I'm trying not to be depressed about hearing the songs of my youth on the “golden oldies” station 😒
Reread 2/23/2022
Reread 11/17/2022 This book never fails to brighten my day. I still love it as much today as I did the first time I read it.
Reread 1/18/2023 I have no motivation to read anything new 🫤, so only past favorites are on the menu.
Reread 6/11/2023 I needed a palate cleanser. This always works.
October 15, 2018
True story. A couple weeks ago my car was in the shop. When I picked up my car all my preset radio stations had been wiped. So, as I was driving down the road I was remembering what stations I had preset and also evaluating whether I wanted to change any. Why not right? Well, I recalled we have an Oldies Station and I thought yes, this will be a fun station to add to my mix.
Side note, I am a station flipper. Aside from the morning when I religiously listen to Preston and Steve, any other time I flip, flip, flip, flip…
Anyway, I thought some oldies would add to my station shuffle.
And then I put the station on and the station ID commercial stated “your #1 station for the most 80s music on the radio” and I had to pull over the car. WHAT? Oldies to me is music from the 50s not the 80s. The 80s is the 80s and NOT OLDIES!
Point of this story. This happened in this book and I got it. I mean, I totally got it. What is worse, in this book the song was not from the 80s, IT WAS FROM THE 90s!!!
Sigh.
I’m old.
I loved this book. It’s just one of those books that I enjoyed from the beginning to the end and it just made me so happy.
Side note, I am a station flipper. Aside from the morning when I religiously listen to Preston and Steve, any other time I flip, flip, flip, flip…
Anyway, I thought some oldies would add to my station shuffle.
And then I put the station on and the station ID commercial stated “your #1 station for the most 80s music on the radio” and I had to pull over the car. WHAT? Oldies to me is music from the 50s not the 80s. The 80s is the 80s and NOT OLDIES!
Point of this story. This happened in this book and I got it. I mean, I totally got it. What is worse, in this book the song was not from the 80s, IT WAS FROM THE 90s!!!
Sigh.
I’m old.
I loved this book. It’s just one of those books that I enjoyed from the beginning to the end and it just made me so happy.
October 16, 2018
Even though I liked this, I couldn’t keep these guys apart! I think it was the names. I was okay with the guys on the cover, but the guy with the beard looks like a Craig to me and the other one like a Scott. So I kept thinking Scott was the dog trainer and Craig the one with the grown up daughter. And this lasted the entire book. My head hurt because of it.
I don’t think I’ve ever had it this bad with switching up characters before. I think it was also because neither had a very distinct character trait that made them stand out. I liked them both, but they were kind of interchangeable. And that didn’t help with me with my mix-up issues at al.
I did like the sweetness, the fluffiness of it all. And the fact that these guys were 40+ and both knew it, was very well done. They weren’t old by any chance, but they weren’t spring chickens either.
So overall I enjoyed this, but because of the constant character confusion on my part I wasn’t completely engrossed in the story.
I don’t think I’ve ever had it this bad with switching up characters before. I think it was also because neither had a very distinct character trait that made them stand out. I liked them both, but they were kind of interchangeable. And that didn’t help with me with my mix-up issues at al.
I did like the sweetness, the fluffiness of it all. And the fact that these guys were 40+ and both knew it, was very well done. They weren’t old by any chance, but they weren’t spring chickens either.
So overall I enjoyed this, but because of the constant character confusion on my part I wasn’t completely engrossed in the story.
September 30, 2018
4.25 Stars
This was a refreshing reminder that we don't stop living or loving in our twenties. The "Midlife Musings" are hilarious and often dead on accurate!😁 It was wonderful to read about a mature couple.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
This was a refreshing reminder that we don't stop living or loving in our twenties. The "Midlife Musings" are hilarious and often dead on accurate!😁 It was wonderful to read about a mature couple.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
October 9, 2018
This was a really sweet, angst-free story about finding friendship and love in your forties, that just flirted with the boundaries of being a little boring. I enjoyed the midlife musings that started each chapter. And while I liked both men it took me quite a few chapter to be able to tell them apart.
June 28, 2021
What a sweet book. I loved it. If you’re looking for an older romance. Low angst. This is the book for you.
October 14, 2018
The story I was looking for! Cute, sweet and fluffy 😍 I loved this two!!!!!
October 8, 2018
This was a nice and sweet story and I don't have any complaints about it, however, I also don't have anything to rave about. This was okay, but nothing special.
Usually I don't miss the lack of drama and the main characters were close to my own age, which should have been positive. It had a widowed dad of a grown up daughter, cute dogs and a sweet gay guy, but all that didn't really help, the story was just meh, not bad, but for me that was not enough, overall 3 stars.
Usually I don't miss the lack of drama and the main characters were close to my own age, which should have been positive. It had a widowed dad of a grown up daughter, cute dogs and a sweet gay guy, but all that didn't really help, the story was just meh, not bad, but for me that was not enough, overall 3 stars.
October 18, 2018
Overall book rating: 4
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3.5
In honour of all things good, sweet and non-angst’y
Let met kick off with a CHEERS to the author. I SO enjoyed those MIDLIFE MUSINGS!!
I think those funny little starts to each chapter definitely made this story something else. I laughed so hard at some of them.
Midlife Musings: Keeping up with the vernacular of the youth is a problem. For example, when I wondered aloud what kind of cake he wanted to eat at the ocean, my kid couldn’t stop laughing. Same with “shipping.” Who the fuck is shipping what, where, and why
So naturally I’m never gonna listen to that song again without smiling.
This is a no angst, sweet, funny and just all round feel good story about two guys thinking they might have reached the dreaded “midlife chrysies” or “empty nest syndrome” for Scott at least.
“What tattoo would you get?”
I shook my head. “Million-dollar question. Part of me is, like, trying to think of something all meaningful and shit, and another part of me thinks I should just get an elbow macaroni tattooed on my wrist.”
I so enjoyed reading through the things they think up or get up to. Nothing is out of park ridiculous. There are no over the top asshole supporting characters.
Yes. This does make the whole “situation” transfer a hell of lot “smoothly” that one would imagine. But not even that bothered me. It wasn’t INSTA love. It was like. And appreciating that life is short. And getting to know someone you want to be FRIENDS with and not only jump in bed at the first given moment.
I’m not saying anything more. Read this when the mood of Low angst strikes you. When you need sweet and warm. When you just want to have some GOOD moments.
And also of course if you like puppies ;-)
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3.5
In honour of all things good, sweet and non-angst’y
Let met kick off with a CHEERS to the author. I SO enjoyed those MIDLIFE MUSINGS!!
I think those funny little starts to each chapter definitely made this story something else. I laughed so hard at some of them.
Midlife Musings: Keeping up with the vernacular of the youth is a problem. For example, when I wondered aloud what kind of cake he wanted to eat at the ocean, my kid couldn’t stop laughing. Same with “shipping.” Who the fuck is shipping what, where, and why
So naturally I’m never gonna listen to that song again without smiling.
This is a no angst, sweet, funny and just all round feel good story about two guys thinking they might have reached the dreaded “midlife chrysies” or “empty nest syndrome” for Scott at least.
“What tattoo would you get?”
I shook my head. “Million-dollar question. Part of me is, like, trying to think of something all meaningful and shit, and another part of me thinks I should just get an elbow macaroni tattooed on my wrist.”
I so enjoyed reading through the things they think up or get up to. Nothing is out of park ridiculous. There are no over the top asshole supporting characters.
Yes. This does make the whole “situation” transfer a hell of lot “smoothly” that one would imagine. But not even that bothered me. It wasn’t INSTA love. It was like. And appreciating that life is short. And getting to know someone you want to be FRIENDS with and not only jump in bed at the first given moment.
I’m not saying anything more. Read this when the mood of Low angst strikes you. When you need sweet and warm. When you just want to have some GOOD moments.
And also of course if you like puppies ;-)
September 4, 2023
These two authors are new to me and I was told this was an angst free read which I needed right now and oh boy it is such an easy read.....Craig is gay and Scott is straight...or is he....They become friends first, both are 45 and wondering what to do now they are "old".....They start going out doing things together but the way they get together was sweet..Scott didn't freak out or make a big deal out of falling for a guy, he totally accepted it...The other characters in the book were good too....No horrible people......It really was just a simple read but that was good...very good...When they got together omg they were hot.....The epilogue we get is 5 years later when they're 50 which I thought was perfect..I won't say what happens but it was the perfect ending...I will definitely be looking up more from these authors and I'll definitely be re-reading....x
September 29, 2018
A Fun, Sweet, Lovely Romance!
Cute dogs, rock climbing and mid-life crisis make for a funny, sweet romance tale about Craig & Scott. I so enjoyed this story, I enjoyed the MCs, the dogs and the getting older angst. Simply great!
Cute dogs, rock climbing and mid-life crisis make for a funny, sweet romance tale about Craig & Scott. I so enjoyed this story, I enjoyed the MCs, the dogs and the getting older angst. Simply great!
October 9, 2018
What can I say, it was a good story about middle age gay men, at the beginning I was afraid about the plot but it was a very good surprise. Try it.
November 27, 2023
This is one of those rare MM romances where the MCs aren't just over 40 but the authors actually portray them as being their ages. So huge kudos to the authors for that! Unfortunately, this was the type of low angst story where low angst is confused with 'minimal plot' so I was bored from the halfway mark to the end. In addition, there were some writing issues that were distracting.
If you're looking for a story that realistically portrays guys who are 45 years old, I definitely recommend trying this! Sure, the authors have the MCs spending a lot of time whining about getting older and how their bodies and other things have changed, but that's how a lot people are in the real world. I'm the same way and I shared a lot of the sentiments that the MCs had. For example, I can't wrap my head around the idea that a radio station would play 90s music during a oldies or throwback segment - the 90s felt like they were yesterday. Like the MCs, I was also stunned at how quickly my body changed when I hit my 30s and how my body at 40 functions and looks completely differently from when I was younger. Some people might get annoyed at these constant themes, but I found it relatable so I enjoyed that aspect.
Sidenote - if you're interested in this story because the MCs used to be classmates back in high school, don't bother. They were in the same grade in high school but in a refreshingly realistic approach, they only knew each other's names and rarely interacted so their shared time in high school is mostly irrelevant.
I also liked how the author paced Scott's gay awakening. It's up for debate if it's a GFY or a gay awakening situation but it didn't really matter to me. Having married his wife young, having a child young and then becoming a widower and single parent at a young age meant Scott had put dating and issues like figuring out his own sexual orientation behind him for decades. Now that he's suffering from empty nest syndrome, he's thinking about these things for the first time in a long time so it made sense to me that he would only realize he's attracted to women and men (or maybe just to Craig) at the age of 45. He treated this discovery in a mature way that fit his age, which I loved. There was no big gay panic, no OTT dramatics - he just quietly mulled over these new developments and took a mature approach towards trying out a gay relationship for the first time in his life. I found that really refreshing. Connected to that, I liked how the authors paced Scott and Craig's developing friendship and eventual relationship. I loved having them hang out together and do various activities which provided them with a nice friendship but also laid a solid foundation for a romantic relationship.
Unfortunately, the story got really boring once the MCs got together at about the halfway mark. From then on, Craig got pushed into the background and the rest of the story felt like gay fiction as Scott went around, 'coming out' to various members of his family (since his opinions about his sexual orientation remained unclear throughout the book, he 'came out' by telling people he's currently dating a guy). It was repetitive and boring. I also disliked that the various dog characters were just background decoration. Sure, Scott getting a new puppy and signing up for Craig's puppy class was how they met and while I liked that the authors didn't randomly forget about the MCs' dogs, they didn't add anything special. They were part of the MCs routines, like drinking coffee in the morning. Sure, that's reality but the setup of the story provided plenty of opportunity to have the pets play a bigger role and I was disappointed that they didn't.
I also disliked that Scott's 18 year old daughter was cast in the role of nosy-annoying-female-side -character that's usually occupied by the gay MC's female BFF. She was way too involved in her dad's sex life (ie expressing continuous concern that he didn't have one) and apparently she wasn't surprised by the whole dad-dating-a-dude thing because she's noticed him checking out other guy's asses in the past. The whole thing made me uncomfortable because she's his daughter and in general, I found it just as annoying as I usually do when the role goes to a BFF.
Speaking of female side characters, I was really annoyed that the story ends with . One of the reasons I read MM romance is because I hate pregnancy, babies and anything related to that stuff so I don't appreciate having an MM romance book end with references to a woman going through labor.
Lastly, the final nail in the coffin for the book was the odd writing style that sometimes made an appearance. Maybe this was a result of the book being co-written? The weirdness would come and go at random times. Here are some examples:
+ Dialogue would randomly not contain contractions when that didn't fit any of characters' speech patterns
+ Craig sometimes filled his speech with the word 'like' to a point where it sounded ridiculous and it didn't fit his personality or the way he normally spoke. If he were a flamboyant type of person who spoke that way naturally, it would have made sense but this speech pattern only appeared at random times. Examples:
"I don't know what's wrong with me these days. It's like, like everything, I'm not unhappy but I'm not happy really. I feel like...restless or something."
xxxx
"Dude, you are like the snappiest dresser for someone who works from home."
+ Sentences where the word order was slightly off, just enough to be a distraction. Examples:
But then Tattoo Dad's t-shirt was just enough tighter than last time to where it hitched up higher on his arm.
xxxxx
"This Sunday? Should we, or do you want to wait another week?"
xxxx
The second time I climbed, it was next to one of the experienced guys, who was giving me pointers and talking about goats, for reasons I had no idea why.
The strange word order made the sentences sound like they were written by somebody who isn't a fluent English speaker and maybe the co-writing aspect made the changes back and forth more noticeable, but it was a distraction for me.
Overall, I loved the MCs and I loved that the authors portrayed their ages accurately, which happens so rarely in the world of MM romance. But the story didn't have enough plot and had some distracting writing issues, which meant it wasn't enjoyable for me.
If you're looking for a story that realistically portrays guys who are 45 years old, I definitely recommend trying this! Sure, the authors have the MCs spending a lot of time whining about getting older and how their bodies and other things have changed, but that's how a lot people are in the real world. I'm the same way and I shared a lot of the sentiments that the MCs had. For example, I can't wrap my head around the idea that a radio station would play 90s music during a oldies or throwback segment - the 90s felt like they were yesterday. Like the MCs, I was also stunned at how quickly my body changed when I hit my 30s and how my body at 40 functions and looks completely differently from when I was younger. Some people might get annoyed at these constant themes, but I found it relatable so I enjoyed that aspect.
Sidenote - if you're interested in this story because the MCs used to be classmates back in high school, don't bother. They were in the same grade in high school but in a refreshingly realistic approach, they only knew each other's names and rarely interacted so their shared time in high school is mostly irrelevant.
I also liked how the author paced Scott's gay awakening. It's up for debate if it's a GFY or a gay awakening situation but it didn't really matter to me. Having married his wife young, having a child young and then becoming a widower and single parent at a young age meant Scott had put dating and issues like figuring out his own sexual orientation behind him for decades. Now that he's suffering from empty nest syndrome, he's thinking about these things for the first time in a long time so it made sense to me that he would only realize he's attracted to women and men (or maybe just to Craig) at the age of 45. He treated this discovery in a mature way that fit his age, which I loved. There was no big gay panic, no OTT dramatics - he just quietly mulled over these new developments and took a mature approach towards trying out a gay relationship for the first time in his life. I found that really refreshing. Connected to that, I liked how the authors paced Scott and Craig's developing friendship and eventual relationship. I loved having them hang out together and do various activities which provided them with a nice friendship but also laid a solid foundation for a romantic relationship.
Unfortunately, the story got really boring once the MCs got together at about the halfway mark. From then on, Craig got pushed into the background and the rest of the story felt like gay fiction as Scott went around, 'coming out' to various members of his family (since his opinions about his sexual orientation remained unclear throughout the book, he 'came out' by telling people he's currently dating a guy). It was repetitive and boring. I also disliked that the various dog characters were just background decoration. Sure, Scott getting a new puppy and signing up for Craig's puppy class was how they met and while I liked that the authors didn't randomly forget about the MCs' dogs, they didn't add anything special. They were part of the MCs routines, like drinking coffee in the morning. Sure, that's reality but the setup of the story provided plenty of opportunity to have the pets play a bigger role and I was disappointed that they didn't.
I also disliked that Scott's 18 year old daughter was cast in the role of nosy-annoying-female-side -character that's usually occupied by the gay MC's female BFF. She was way too involved in her dad's sex life (ie expressing continuous concern that he didn't have one) and apparently she wasn't surprised by the whole dad-dating-a-dude thing because she's noticed him checking out other guy's asses in the past. The whole thing made me uncomfortable because she's his daughter and in general, I found it just as annoying as I usually do when the role goes to a BFF.
Speaking of female side characters, I was really annoyed that the story ends with . One of the reasons I read MM romance is because I hate pregnancy, babies and anything related to that stuff so I don't appreciate having an MM romance book end with references to a woman going through labor.
Lastly, the final nail in the coffin for the book was the odd writing style that sometimes made an appearance. Maybe this was a result of the book being co-written? The weirdness would come and go at random times. Here are some examples:
+ Dialogue would randomly not contain contractions when that didn't fit any of characters' speech patterns
+ Craig sometimes filled his speech with the word 'like' to a point where it sounded ridiculous and it didn't fit his personality or the way he normally spoke. If he were a flamboyant type of person who spoke that way naturally, it would have made sense but this speech pattern only appeared at random times. Examples:
"I don't know what's wrong with me these days. It's like, like everything, I'm not unhappy but I'm not happy really. I feel like...restless or something."
xxxx
"Dude, you are like the snappiest dresser for someone who works from home."
+ Sentences where the word order was slightly off, just enough to be a distraction. Examples:
But then Tattoo Dad's t-shirt was just enough tighter than last time to where it hitched up higher on his arm.
xxxxx
"This Sunday? Should we, or do you want to wait another week?"
xxxx
The second time I climbed, it was next to one of the experienced guys, who was giving me pointers and talking about goats, for reasons I had no idea why.
The strange word order made the sentences sound like they were written by somebody who isn't a fluent English speaker and maybe the co-writing aspect made the changes back and forth more noticeable, but it was a distraction for me.
Overall, I loved the MCs and I loved that the authors portrayed their ages accurately, which happens so rarely in the world of MM romance. But the story didn't have enough plot and had some distracting writing issues, which meant it wasn't enjoyable for me.
October 24, 2018
3.5 STARS
This was just what I needed. A story with a HEA, no drama or catastrophes, discovery, decisions and love. Simply adorable!
This was just what I needed. A story with a HEA, no drama or catastrophes, discovery, decisions and love. Simply adorable!
October 20, 2018
It was ok, but expected more with all the great reviews. I skipped some paragraphs here and there towards the end.
Read
March 29, 2023I was expecting the age to play a factor because duh it’s in the title but I didn’t expect it to be ALL about their age. It just felt like two guys talking about how old they are and it just didn’t work for me, maybe cos I don’t consider 45 to be that old? 🤷🏻♀️ it did tone down a bit towards the middle half but I had already lost interest at that point.
Also, tattoo dad seemed to be flirting with one of the MCs and I was expecting it to come into play again after both MCs started dating but it was just…never mentioned again? Even tho they’re all in class together weekly? 😵💫
Also, tattoo dad seemed to be flirting with one of the MCs and I was expecting it to come into play again after both MCs started dating but it was just…never mentioned again? Even tho they’re all in class together weekly? 😵💫
October 10, 2019
I often find myself looking for books with characters who are a little older. Granted, forty-five isn't old, but most of the books I read have twenty-somethings. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I just sometimes want characters who have been around the block a time or two. :)
Scott and Craig's story was refreshing. It's a nice friends to lovers story. The friendship always came first, even when Craig was desperately wanting it to go further. Craig is openly gay. Scott is not. I normally run far, far away from GFY books but this one worked. I can't say why it worked, but I ended it with a huge smile on my face.
Great story.
Full review can be found at -
October 9, 2018
Mid-life crisis hits Craig pretty hard at the same time Scott's empty-nester syndrome gets the best of him. By rekindling their thin high school acquaintance through a sassy little diva schnauzer pup they just might find a happy future neither man expected. It's so hard not to love this story. Scott was cute and his minor freak-outs were understandable and the way he works through them is actually pretty smart despite the whole "escaping as if the schnauzers from hell are at his heels" thing. Craig was certainly no diva, his experience allowed him to understand Scott and be patient even if he wished he didn't have to be. Together they were hot, sweet, funny, and just about perfect. The Musings were seriously boss, pretty much tied for the best thing about the story with the endearingly awesome MC's. There was so little angst and with the most perfect proposal for the MC's extended by the best person to do the asking, I'm blind to any and all faults with the dudes or the story.
October 15, 2018
Relevant to anybody in this age range or above! Low angst and fun. Highly recommended
October 11, 2018
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The tagline said it all Empty Nest meets Mid-life Crisis. That sounds like something right up my alley. I recently celebrated a birthday and of course, I'm hyper-aware of my age and thinking about silly things like how I'm few steps from another age bracket when I fill out a survey.
The two MCs Scott and Craig are old classmates reconnecting many moons later when Scott attends Craig's dog program. I like that they were older and still trying to figure who they are but also have more confidence to go for it. The midlife musing, in the beginning, every chapter were my favorite part. It was cheesy goodness.
Overall, it was a good time and no manufactured drama.
The tagline said it all Empty Nest meets Mid-life Crisis. That sounds like something right up my alley. I recently celebrated a birthday and of course, I'm hyper-aware of my age and thinking about silly things like how I'm few steps from another age bracket when I fill out a survey.
The two MCs Scott and Craig are old classmates reconnecting many moons later when Scott attends Craig's dog program. I like that they were older and still trying to figure who they are but also have more confidence to go for it. The midlife musing, in the beginning, every chapter were my favorite part. It was cheesy goodness.
Overall, it was a good time and no manufactured drama.
September 29, 2018
Love it.
Beautiful, sweet and funny.
Great connections between those two. The humor was natural and genuine. Great story, no angst.
Perfect!
Beautiful, sweet and funny.
Great connections between those two. The humor was natural and genuine. Great story, no angst.
Perfect!
September 29, 2018
45 and Holding is the perfect book for a quiet afternoon read! I fell in love with Craig and Scott right from the start. This is a great story with no angst. I loved how they clicked right away and had the maturity to appreciate what they found with each other.
This is a sweet, sexy read that us just perfect!
This is a sweet, sexy read that us just perfect!
February 19, 2019
This was a nice book. Nothing really special. As a man in my 60th decade, reading about guys closer to my age is a good thing. Maybe I should be OK with average but how do you turn that into an interesting story?
May 28, 2020
I really like the story, but there was something off for me, but can't put my finger on it
November 9, 2018
I adored this book. It has been so wonderful that, at least what I'm picking, is all about diversity. I've seen book with disabilities and different races, more trans, bi, etc. And now I'm seeing more older men like in this one and I love it. Don't get me wrong, books with 20-somethings who are built, hung and sexy as hell can make for a good read, but it was nice to see someone my age, while being fit, they are sculpted. They have a little paunch. It made my day.
Craig is convinced he's lost his mind. He sees a tat on this gorgeous man in his dog training class and he thinks he has to have one now. Maybe a motorcycle. Shouldn't he have had that before now? Maybe this is what they mean by middle age crisis. Who knows. All he knows is he feels unbalanced like never before and don't know how to fix it. And man do I know how he feels. You feel like your life should be different. It's not necessarily that you aren't happy but something is unsettling. And you have no idea what. But when he meets Scott, things begin to change. For one, he has a friend. And everything with Scott feels right.
Scott is dealing with empty nest syndrome. He lost his wife years ago and now his daughter has left for college. He feels alone and it's taking everything he has not to call his kid every second. He's such a sweet man too. He grew up fast when his wife died. He made sure he was the dad his daughter needed him to be. But now even his kid wants him to date. And she doesn't care who. Even if it's a man. Getting to know Craig has opened up some feelings for him, but he's not sure if he's ready. Or if it's even what he wants. Until a sexy kiss turns everything upside down.
I love these two. They've spent their lives buckling down taking care of things. But both of them feel ready for more. I love that they aren't perfect. They are every day 45 year old men who want more for the rest of their lives. But they aren't too set in their ways to make a little change. To do something different. They are happy with each other the way they are. And I love it. Of course, everyone wants to make a great impression, but still.
This is such a sweet romance. It's soft and not angsty. It's endearing and loving and I adored it all. It's a great read.
http://lovebytesreviews.com
Craig is convinced he's lost his mind. He sees a tat on this gorgeous man in his dog training class and he thinks he has to have one now. Maybe a motorcycle. Shouldn't he have had that before now? Maybe this is what they mean by middle age crisis. Who knows. All he knows is he feels unbalanced like never before and don't know how to fix it. And man do I know how he feels. You feel like your life should be different. It's not necessarily that you aren't happy but something is unsettling. And you have no idea what. But when he meets Scott, things begin to change. For one, he has a friend. And everything with Scott feels right.
Scott is dealing with empty nest syndrome. He lost his wife years ago and now his daughter has left for college. He feels alone and it's taking everything he has not to call his kid every second. He's such a sweet man too. He grew up fast when his wife died. He made sure he was the dad his daughter needed him to be. But now even his kid wants him to date. And she doesn't care who. Even if it's a man. Getting to know Craig has opened up some feelings for him, but he's not sure if he's ready. Or if it's even what he wants. Until a sexy kiss turns everything upside down.
I love these two. They've spent their lives buckling down taking care of things. But both of them feel ready for more. I love that they aren't perfect. They are every day 45 year old men who want more for the rest of their lives. But they aren't too set in their ways to make a little change. To do something different. They are happy with each other the way they are. And I love it. Of course, everyone wants to make a great impression, but still.
This is such a sweet romance. It's soft and not angsty. It's endearing and loving and I adored it all. It's a great read.
http://lovebytesreviews.com
October 2, 2018
I absolutely loved this over 40 story of two men and their families. The over 40 crowd rarely get great stories especially when it isn't super May-December but having both these men at the age of 45 find their footing in life is truly a beautiful thing. Scott and Craig knew each other way back when but didn't really KNOW each other...and Scott will need to come to some very big revelations in his life in order to realize that love is right in front of him. This story is sweet and sexy and hello...dogs :) Sexy silver foxes finding each other later in life? There is nothing better in my mind!
October 6, 2018
Scott and Craig
You are never too old for love. Both guys are mid forties and wondering if mid life crisis was getting to them.
Scott decided to get a dog, Craig owns a dog grooming business, where they meet.
Funny thing they went to the same high school so they knew each other.
This was a laugh out loud love story. I fell in love with these guys . They made reading so easy. Their relationship was such an easy transition from friends to lovers. I really enjoyed this book.
You are never too old for love. Both guys are mid forties and wondering if mid life crisis was getting to them.
Scott decided to get a dog, Craig owns a dog grooming business, where they meet.
Funny thing they went to the same high school so they knew each other.
This was a laugh out loud love story. I fell in love with these guys . They made reading so easy. Their relationship was such an easy transition from friends to lovers. I really enjoyed this book.
September 6, 2020
3.5 stars. Uh, when was 45 over the hill?! When did 45 year olds become overly preoccupied with back aches, their energy level, and their physiques? I'm not 45 yet, but I admit that this part of the story made me cringe and felt over the top.
If you ignore the over-the-hill musing at the beginning of every chapter, this book is a low-angst and saccharine sweet read about two old friends in high school who reconnect 20 years later and unexpectedly find love.
If you ignore the over-the-hill musing at the beginning of every chapter, this book is a low-angst and saccharine sweet read about two old friends in high school who reconnect 20 years later and unexpectedly find love.
September 28, 2018
The story grew on me. At first, it seemed to be a low angst, feel-good, dramaless story, which is an okay read for me but not my favorite, and it is, but around the half way mark, it had become more for me.
It's about happiness in life, and about surrounding yourself with the best people possible. It made my heart warm (plus, you know, puppies..)
It's about happiness in life, and about surrounding yourself with the best people possible. It made my heart warm (plus, you know, puppies..)
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