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Baytown Boys #1

Because You Came Back

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Who's that handsome stud behind the wheel?
Fancy seeing such a sight in this small town.


It's just another service call until I see that the broken-down car on the side of the road is a luxury BMW, which is out of place here in Baytown. And then I about faint when I see that the delicious-looking man inside it is Ashton Falls, my old high school classmate, and the object of my obsession ever since.
Back then, I wanted him bad, but never let on. I was the popular football jock, and he was the nerd who tutored me. I had a reputation to uphold, which included staying closeted.

After graduation, Ashtown moved away and became a Silicon Valley tech billionaire. He's back in Baytown for our ten-year high school reunion. Meanwhile, I stayed here to take care of my mom, and opened a mechanic's shop. And I'm still in that damn closet, because there's a stigma around these parts against gay men.

Our worlds are about as night and day as they could get. But soon they collide with a night of passion in which I discover that Ashton is as attracted to me as I was to him, and that he always has been.
He can teach me more than just math now, and he's as athletic in the bedroom as I was on the field. I want him to stay with me, and in me, for good. But will both of us be willing and able to change our lives enough for that to happen?

And, first things first, after hiding my true identity from fellow Baytown residents for my entire life, will I have the courage to show up at our high school reunion with Ashton on my arm?

Because You Came Back is a full-length standalone coming out, small town, second chance, rags to riches, opposites attract, billionaire/blue collar gay romance novel that combines humor, heat and heart. It has no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a very happy after ever.

It's Book 1 in the Baytown Boys series. It can be read alone but, due to related characters and settings, is best read with others in the series... and a tall glass of water to cool you off after so much steam.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2018

321 people are currently reading
243 people want to read

About the author

Ian Finn

30 books71 followers
Ian Finn is a male/male contemporary romance author who writes books full of heat and feels.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. This is the male/male romance author.

This is Ian^^Finn, where ^=space.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
116 (33%)
4 stars
99 (28%)
3 stars
95 (27%)
2 stars
24 (6%)
1 star
12 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
Profile Image for Ed Davis.
2,902 reviews99 followers
February 12, 2019
I started out really liking this book. It just seemed that the story was flowing along. Then shortly after Ashton and Levi got together it started to drag. The dialogue seemed stilted and there were places were words were used incorrectly. For instance at one point he said,” I felt his shaft encasing my neck.” That doesn’t even make sense.
Profile Image for Denise H..
3,247 reviews271 followers
March 6, 2019
**** This is my first book with this author. We get everything we like, a renewed chance, angst, personal uncertainty, and some action, as well. Ashton is back in his hometown for the ten year class reunion and spend time with his beloved grandmother. Levi had to quit college and come home when his Dad died and left his Mom heavily in debt. Now he owns the Mechanic Shop.


Ashton needs rescuing right away from car trouble. Levi is in the closet, but billionaire tech giant, Ashton, has always been out. Our men have talks, lunch, and find out the attraction is still there. A jealous woman causes many problems, and eventually, violence.
Our epilogue at 8 months past, shows how far our guys have come, and we see pertinent revelations.
Enjoy !

=====
A proof reader is needed to catch wrong words, and names mixed up. Plus our men's descriptions do not match the cover. More description was given to non-main characters. For example, Levi is said to have long brown hair.
But the story is a good one, so be sure to give the author a chance.

========
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews128 followers
added-it
February 8, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/8/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
Who's that handsome stud behind the wheel?
Fancy seeing such a sight in this small town.

It's just another service call until I see that the broken-down car on the side of the road is a luxury BMW, which is out of place here in Baytown. And then I about faint when I see that the delicious-looking man inside it is Ashton Falls, my old high school classmate, and the object of my obsession ever since.
Back then, I wanted him bad, but never let on. I was the popular football jock, and he was the nerd who tutored me. I had a reputation to uphold, which included staying closeted.

After graduation, Ashtown moved away and became a Silicon Valley tech billionaire. He's back in Baytown for our ten-year high school reunion. Meanwhile, I stayed here to take care of my mom, and opened a mechanic's shop. And I'm still in that damn closet, because there's a stigma around these parts against gay men.

Our worlds are about as night and day as they could get. But soon they collide with a night of passion in which I discover that Ashton is as attracted to me as I was to him, and that he always has been.
He can teach me more than just math now, and he's as athletic in the bedroom as I was on the field. I want him to stay with me, and in me, for good. But will both of us be willing and able to change our lives enough for that to happen?

And, first things first, after hiding my true identity from fellow Baytown residents for my entire life, will I have the courage to show up at our high school reunion with Ashton on my arm?
Profile Image for Kera’s Always Reading.
2,043 reviews79 followers
February 18, 2019
Adorable couple

While I thoroughly enjoyed both Ashton and Levi's characters, this story just fell a little flat for me. We have Ashton, an incredibly successful app creator who comes back to his hometown for his 10 year high school reunion. Back in high school he was considered a nerd, whom everyone assumed was gay (thanks to the rumors started by a certain mean girl). Then we have Levi who owns and runs an auto-mechanic shop. He used to get tutoring from Ashton. Both of them were keeping a secret from the other: they were both insanely attracted to each other.
When the men meet back up, they have to maneuver through a few different obstacles, including the feelings they have for each other, coming out to their small town and that same mean girl who not only hasn't changed her evil ways, but is even worse now.
While I wanted to enjoy this book more, and feel like I really could have, there were parts that seemed too far fetched. This in no way was a bad book! But it just could have been more.
187 reviews1 follower
November 29, 2018
?

I would've gave a higher rating,but it needs to be proofread again. Some places where it supposed to be Aston it was Levi and times when it was to be Levi it was Aston. I did like the story and glad for the happy ending.
Profile Image for Christine .
1,161 reviews61 followers
January 13, 2022
3.5 Stars
This was a good story, with endearing and likable characters; except the antagonist of course. Unfortunately due to some inconsistencies and a lot of grammatical errors I couldn’t give this book a higher rating which I would have liked to. Most times I’m able to skim over the inconsistencies and errors but there were so many in this book that it interrupted my reading flow several times. I truly believe that if this book gets re-edited, and all the inconsistencies are fixed I would definitely re-read it and give it five stars more than likely. This was the first book in the series and despite my negative issues with it, I am planning to read the rest of the series. The characters drew me in and I want to know more about them.
Profile Image for Shelba.
2,698 reviews100 followers
May 10, 2020
DNF @ 3%.

This started with a prologue/excerpt.... which are not the same thing. I typically wouldn't read an excerpt from a book, but obviously would read a prologue. It's definitely not a prologue, since it's describing events that happen later in the story.

And from there, I just really wasn't feeling the writing style or the 1st person present POV.
Profile Image for Wax.
1,295 reviews22 followers
April 30, 2021
Started off strong, with a second chance romance vibe. However, the characters started behaving oddly and the story took a crazy turn. I would read the next in the series to find out what happens to the MC's best friend.
Profile Image for A.M..
Author 7 books57 followers
Read
March 6, 2019
This book started with something marked as ‘prologue/excerpt’
Problem is, those two things are not the same. And it’s a sex scene with someone being dominant over Ashton. A chapter later we learn Ashton is our protagonist.
But … it just seemed like a really odd place to start given we know nothing about either character, or even who the other person is.
But I soldiered on.
Aston is coming home for his ten year school reunion and he’s gone from geek boy to tech billionaire. [in ten years? Really? BILLIONAIRE?]
In the first paragraph there are thoughts in speech marks AND thoughts in italics. Pick one.
The writing style is really awkward.
This little town I grew up in of Baytown lies in the heavily forested, and hilly part of Northern California, close to the Oregon border.

Winces.
Just say ‘Baytown lies…’
And as I drive further, I finally notice my grandmother, Edna’s brightly colored residence. Who can, not notice it, as it stands out distinctly amongst the usual, safe color pallet that the average person paints their home with. But Grandma Edna is no average person.

Winces again.
Doesn’t even say what colour it IS.
That should be ‘palette’ not ‘pallet’.
Pages of awkward dialogue with his grandmother who then drops the name of Levi.

Is he the other guy at the start? Do I care?
Nope.
Did not finish at 8%
1,087 reviews4 followers
July 11, 2022
So cringe.

This just has so much in it that I honestly hate. The character of Kaylee, her vitriol and ridiculously heavy-handed portrayal as the villain was so bad I skimmed through most of it. I honestly didn't even want to finish the story after all the manufactured drama and plot redundancy in the first half. The will they/won't they was laughable as it was blatantly obvious from the start that Ashton and Levi would be happily ever aftered regardless of how well they worked. The issues that almost kept them apart were so quickly made non-issues without any real conversation or resolution so why were they even there???? So much was just so obvious and heavy-handed that I cringed scrolling past it. Then there was the obligatory appearances of characters with their own stories coming out later in the series and nothing in this feels organic or plausible.
Profile Image for Nic.
949 reviews8 followers
December 8, 2018
Okay

An mY story with a few questionable places in the story. It was a story about second chances and had a few ups and downs to get to that second chance.
Profile Image for Em.
319 reviews11 followers
February 15, 2019
I initially thought this was going to be okay but the quality declined rapidly into what amounts to poor porn dialogue and really wooden acting.
Profile Image for Reed.
1,205 reviews21 followers
November 20, 2018
Okay I love this book. I also follow this author and this book is another reason I can’t wait to get my hands on his stories.

Class reunion brings so much to mind. The people I know and knew. Things that happened when I was young and emotional. And as with the other stories I’ve read by this author once I start I have the hardest time putting it down until the end.

I’m happy the author did such a good job developing the characters. Ashton and Levi’s experiences in high school stood out so clear. In every class there are the Ashton’s who seem to draw the wrong attention no matter what. Then there always seems to be a Kaylee who loves to bully everyone. And I sure can’t leave out Levi who is always the guy girls all fantasize about. Their interactions or lack of sets up the perfect background for a reunion. The author did a great job of explaining why the characters were in their present situations. The secondary characters added so much I hope I hear about them again.

There is so much hot sex yet the emotional side is there too. I liked reading about the interaction between all these people. It made it feel like I could have been right in the story. The flow was constant with no parts I wanted to skim through.

I think the author did an excellent job on the ending. All issues were addressed. Ashton and Levi’s present life is so well played out. This again is why I thoroughly enjoy stories by this author.

Profile Image for Claudia Lezár.
1,409 reviews39 followers
August 11, 2019
3,5 *

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good and rare (it would be a Blow-
Away-book like
‘Jesse's Smile' or ‚Joey’ from Angelique Jurd,
‘Save the at he kids' series from EM Leya,
‘Love’s Tethered Heart’ from C.L. Etta or
'Liberty' from Seth King),
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often reread and is a
WOW-book with interesting plot and surprises
(like most of Andrew Grey’s books)
it's like an A

3,5* - a really good book, which will be reread a few
times a year (most romances where you can
enjoy for relaxing and during waiting times in
hospitals). I can recommend them definitively!
It's like an B+

3* - it could be more then a one-time-reader,
maybe 2-3 times a year. It’s like a B

2* - it was ok to read, but it's more a one-time-
reader (i wouldn't recommend it heartily, but
it was ok). It's like a C-, D

1* - sorry, but that isn't really a book for me (too
many mistakes, not nice plot, illogical, so an
absolut NO-GO). It's like failure in the whole
line, dismissed, repeat the class
Profile Image for Patricia Hoffstaetter.
3,160 reviews40 followers
November 20, 2018
It was a pleasure to read this outstanding & heartwarming second-chance MM romance.
The plot is exceptional well-written and filled with unique, individual characters that struggle with self-esteem issues and acceptance as they continue to develop throughout the story-line.
It is about: a mechanic (Levi) who is deep in the closet and does not want anyone to discover his sexual orientation. He gets a callout & comes into contact with a billionaire and obsession from high school (Ashton), they get involved with each other but these two men will have to make some changes in their lives.
There is: a conniving woman (Kaylee), a caring mother, an outspoken grandmother (Edna), drama, intrigue, some suspense, twists & turns, harassment, homophobia, threats, vandalism, abduction, attempted murder, law enforcement, memories, attractions, flirting, shyness, declaration, rejection, heartache, determination, fear, concern, excitement, optimism, celebration, trust, happiness, love & steamy scenes.
I would recommend this second-chance romance to people who enjoy reading this genre. I sincerely doubt you would be disappointed in this book.

Profile Image for Miriam.
928 reviews
November 30, 2018
I received an ARC edition of this book from the author.

I liked the connection between the MCs. That Ashton and Levi at least knew each other in high school gave them a connection to build on rather than them seeming to get together out of nowhere. Their relationship wasn't always easy, but it's clear that those close to them support the relationship so that helped with the cuteness of their relationship.
There were times that I felt their conversations didn't feel natural, more like something I would expect out of a psychology manual of dealing with relationship conflict. I'm glad they talked about their issues rather than just having a we're in love so everything will work out attitude, but the conversations just seemed a little too perfect. I still rather liked the flow for the story, long enough to not feel quite insta-love without it being too drawn out.
4,145 reviews25 followers
November 21, 2018
Coming out in a small town
I found that this story was a good mix between a romance with a bit of eroticism and a slight suspense. The main story is about a coming out in a small country town and all the difficulties to pass this coming out without hurting or losing one's family and friends.
Levy never said he was bisexual in his small town. A few days before his school reunion, he finds Ashton for whom he had a big crush ten years ago and both are getting closer. But between Levy who does not know if he should expose himself, Ashton who is afraid if he gets involved, and the return of a neurotic ex-girlfriend, things are more complicated for the couple.I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Cara.
1,752 reviews
June 30, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the book. I am intrigued by the other characters and do plan to read more of the series. The book was easy to read and flowed well, but I found myself skimming paragraphs and paragraphs of description and wishing for more well written dialogue to make the story more interesting. I did enjoy the honesty and decent characters that showed well in the alternating first person POV.
Profile Image for Nicole Henderson.
800 reviews4 followers
July 3, 2019
New series

This is a new series by Ian Finn and I enjoyed it. I’m glad that it wasn’t All sweet and sappy that there was a bit of drama to liven things up. Like Ashton’s kidnapping and at the end where things could have turned ugly. The story does touch on homophobic beliefs and the trauma that comes from what can be a small incident. Overall I loved the book and am looking forward to the next story.
630 reviews2 followers
November 25, 2018
Second chance

This was such a very good and hot story ..... Both men had crushed in each other in HS but we're afraid to admit it... I won't spoil but read what happens at their school reunion so hot oh you will have this crazy Kaylee and love the happily ever after .... I can't wait to read the next book of the series.....
Profile Image for Rachel Blomberg.
1,507 reviews7 followers
December 23, 2018
This book addresses how cruel kids used to be in school. Not really bullying but scared to be themselves. Ashton and Levi were classmates, liked each other but one was a jock and the other was a nerd, smart. Then you have Levi's crazy ex girlfriend that causes lots of drama 10 years later at their reunion.
I voluntarily review this Advanced Readers Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Danielle.
738 reviews
December 24, 2018
True love never dies

High school acquaintances, Levi and Ashton, meet again after 10 years for the (dreaded) 10 yr reunion to find out that they had feeling for each other the whole time. What time, wisdom and a new perspective and do for a person is what this story is about. Great book ready for book 2
Profile Image for Cynthia.
3,201 reviews101 followers
February 8, 2019
Great

Ashton is returning to Baytown for his class reunion and spend some time with his grandmother. But his first night driving around his car breaks down. The two truck driver and mechanic is his high school crush Levi. Little does Ashton know that Levi hE had a crush on him also. Now that have to see where things go and deal with a bit of a psycho.
Profile Image for Wendy Ballard.
653 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2019
Ashtown tutored Levi in high school and what each other didn't know was that they both wanted the other but did nothing about it
When their 10 years high school reunion comes to Ashtown comes back to town and they start talking
I loved this book and I had to go out and get the rest of this series
Profile Image for Debby.
1,024 reviews1 follower
May 15, 2019
Sweet love found type of story

Because You Came Back was a sweet tale of love lost and found. Aston left Baytown to make it rich but has returned home for his ten year reunion. Lyle has lived in Baytown his whole life, he owns a garage and is happy. The two meet up and rekindle their friendship which turns into a sweet romance.
1,758 reviews7 followers
November 20, 2018
What a good story. Levi and Ashton were great characters. They were each other's high school crush but didn't know it. They run into one another 10 years later when Ashton returns home for the high school reunion. Great storyline, with some steamy scenes and some coming-out nerves.
Profile Image for Julia Murdock.
348 reviews
November 27, 2018
I must say Mr. Finn certainy puts the LOVE ina love story. This was a beautiully told story of second chances and finding your one true love through the span of time. It was witty an funny and invigorating to read. This story will make you laugh.andwant to fall in love. A true gem
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews

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