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Red's Tavern #1
The Best Friend
My best friend’s a former quarterback, and I’m a nerdy math teacher.
He has no idea how badly I want him.
Back in high school, Mitch protected me from bullies and was at my side through tragedy. It didn’t matter that he was a football star and I was a mathlete, or that I was gay and he was straight. We stuck together like glue--until he married a girl and ran away.
Now Mitch is back home, and he’s a divorced single dad. His son is in my math class, and I collide with Mitch everywhere in this small town. When he starts bartending at the only local gay bar, I’m screwed. Red’s Tavern is my haven, but how can I fake it for other guys when I’m in love with the big jock behind the bar?
Then Mitch invites me into his bed, saying it's just for fun. But I’m addicted to him the second his body is on mine.
I’ve done the math a million times. I know the odds are bad, but I know I want him.
And now that he’s given me a taste, I can’t stop begging for more.
He has no idea how badly I want him.
Back in high school, Mitch protected me from bullies and was at my side through tragedy. It didn’t matter that he was a football star and I was a mathlete, or that I was gay and he was straight. We stuck together like glue--until he married a girl and ran away.
Now Mitch is back home, and he’s a divorced single dad. His son is in my math class, and I collide with Mitch everywhere in this small town. When he starts bartending at the only local gay bar, I’m screwed. Red’s Tavern is my haven, but how can I fake it for other guys when I’m in love with the big jock behind the bar?
Then Mitch invites me into his bed, saying it's just for fun. But I’m addicted to him the second his body is on mine.
I’ve done the math a million times. I know the odds are bad, but I know I want him.
And now that he’s given me a taste, I can’t stop begging for more.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2020
930 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
April 19, 2020
~2.5~
While I appreciated the lack of angst and the interesting secondary characters, especially Red, the tavern owner, I didn't love either MC.
Evan is a bit of a pushover, allowing Mitch to set the boundaries of their relationship. He can't be happy with what he has, but he's not strong enough to walk away either.
Mitch ... UGH ... he's the stereotype of the dumb jock, honestly. Mitch's thought process goes something like this: I get a hard-on any time my best friend's around. This is normal with best friends. I'm so close to Evan. I'm not at all gay, but I love Evan and want to suck his dick.
Ooookay, Mitch, whatever you say, honey.
Mitch kissed Evan on prom night and then that same night knocked up a girl and immediately moved out of town (I question this: two teenagers playing house; wouldn't it have been easier to stay in town and get support from family and friends?). Mitch tells Evan he loved his wife but never felt like he could be himself. He also claims that he couldn't get it up the last few years and that his ex cheated on him.
But not much is made of this information. His ex is completely missing from the story, no phone calls about their son (who is 14), no conflict of any kind really. I needed to know so much more. Was Mitch bi? Demi? His sexuality wasn't explored at all.
The secondary storyline involving Mitch's son was boring and poorly developed. The bullying issue was dropped. The kid had a crush on a girl in his grade, and I care because?
Even the ending was wishy-washy, with Mitch committing but not really. Plus, all the references to being besties and Mitch being a quarterback and calling Evan "weirdo" (but in a NICE way) just got old.
I dunno. This was an easy read, but nothing amazing.
While I appreciated the lack of angst and the interesting secondary characters, especially Red, the tavern owner, I didn't love either MC.
Evan is a bit of a pushover, allowing Mitch to set the boundaries of their relationship. He can't be happy with what he has, but he's not strong enough to walk away either.
Mitch ... UGH ... he's the stereotype of the dumb jock, honestly. Mitch's thought process goes something like this: I get a hard-on any time my best friend's around. This is normal with best friends. I'm so close to Evan. I'm not at all gay, but I love Evan and want to suck his dick.
Ooookay, Mitch, whatever you say, honey.
Mitch kissed Evan on prom night and then that same night knocked up a girl and immediately moved out of town (I question this: two teenagers playing house; wouldn't it have been easier to stay in town and get support from family and friends?). Mitch tells Evan he loved his wife but never felt like he could be himself. He also claims that he couldn't get it up the last few years and that his ex cheated on him.
But not much is made of this information. His ex is completely missing from the story, no phone calls about their son (who is 14), no conflict of any kind really. I needed to know so much more. Was Mitch bi? Demi? His sexuality wasn't explored at all.
The secondary storyline involving Mitch's son was boring and poorly developed. The bullying issue was dropped. The kid had a crush on a girl in his grade, and I care because?
Even the ending was wishy-washy, with Mitch committing but not really. Plus, all the references to being besties and Mitch being a quarterback and calling Evan "weirdo" (but in a NICE way) just got old.
I dunno. This was an easy read, but nothing amazing.
August 2, 2020
Reviewed on: 03-03-2020
Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.
Had fun reading this uncomplicated, light on details , no angst, no drama, easy to read story.
It has the right amount of sweetness , humor and naughtiness. A friends to lovers, gay for you, first time gay , nerd and jock , small town, opposite attract, combination.
Will Re-read: No
Reviewed #TheBestFriend by #RaleighRuebins courtesy of #GRR #Read2020 #KU #Kindle
Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.
Had fun reading this uncomplicated, light on details , no angst, no drama, easy to read story.
It has the right amount of sweetness , humor and naughtiness. A friends to lovers, gay for you, first time gay , nerd and jock , small town, opposite attract, combination.
Will Re-read: No
Reviewed #TheBestFriend by #RaleighRuebins courtesy of #GRR #Read2020 #KU #Kindle
August 22, 2021
i enjoyed this read. some part made me wanna pull my hair out, bc WHAT MITCH! but most part makes me soft bc as dumb as Mitch was, they both were very sweet to each other.
i think the phrase "too hot" was used a bit too much. and i'm also weirded out that Mitch would allow his 14 year old kid go on a date, and the curfew set was midnight, WHAT?! and also the issue with Andy was cast aside.
i think the phrase "too hot" was used a bit too much. and i'm also weirded out that Mitch would allow his 14 year old kid go on a date, and the curfew set was midnight, WHAT?! and also the issue with Andy was cast aside.
July 22, 2021
Childhood-bffs-to-lovers is my bread and butter, so of course I had to hop on this!
But Mitch...did he have a little too many concussions during his high school football days because he proved time and time again that he was Just That Clueless.
I hit page 14 and Mitch was already going, "I was so excited about seeing him that for some reason, my cock was even a little hard" BUT WE'RE BEST BUDS SO THAT'S A NORMAL REACTION. Mm-hmm. Just #bestbrothings #nohomo.
Evan, with his white picket fence dream and long-time crush on Mitch, basically got swept up in whatever Mitch wanted to do. A bit of a doormat ngl.
The part that irked me the most was that Mitch knew from the get-go Evan's dream of finding The One, and on one hand says Evan deserves the world instead of hookups, etc., but on the other, Mitch's single braincell thinks that it'd be a great idea to suggest that they play around sexually with no strings attached 😑 He's not manipulative or anything like that, he's just a dumb-dumb with zero awareness of the consequences of his actions, and I don't know which one's worse LOL.
Btw what happened to the Andy Benson bullying situation? I was hoping it was gonna get addressed but then POOF the whole thing dropped off the face of the planet, and before I knew it, the story was over 🧐
Ah well, at least I appreciated the minimal-to-zero angst direction the author decided to take with this because I get the feeling it would've been too much for me to handle otherwise 😆
But Mitch...did he have a little too many concussions during his high school football days because he proved time and time again that he was Just That Clueless.
I hit page 14 and Mitch was already going, "I was so excited about seeing him that for some reason, my cock was even a little hard" BUT WE'RE BEST BUDS SO THAT'S A NORMAL REACTION. Mm-hmm. Just #bestbrothings #nohomo.
Evan, with his white picket fence dream and long-time crush on Mitch, basically got swept up in whatever Mitch wanted to do. A bit of a doormat ngl.
The part that irked me the most was that Mitch knew from the get-go Evan's dream of finding The One, and on one hand says Evan deserves the world instead of hookups, etc., but on the other, Mitch's single braincell thinks that it'd be a great idea to suggest that they play around sexually with no strings attached 😑 He's not manipulative or anything like that, he's just a dumb-dumb with zero awareness of the consequences of his actions, and I don't know which one's worse LOL.
Btw what happened to the Andy Benson bullying situation? I was hoping it was gonna get addressed but then POOF the whole thing dropped off the face of the planet, and before I knew it, the story was over 🧐
Ah well, at least I appreciated the minimal-to-zero angst direction the author decided to take with this because I get the feeling it would've been too much for me to handle otherwise 😆
April 4, 2020
The Best Friend was utterly confusing and frustrating
I got to 50%, I just couldn't keep going. I can't justify giving it more then 1 star when I struggled to get through half the book but it had somethings working for it... and I hope perhaps the rest of the series gets better.
Things that worked:
Humor: it's there, woven in the dialogue and action and honestly I had a laugh or two during the first couple of pages.
Dialogue : Not bad at all honestly, the conversations flowed naturally.
Future Series build up : Most authors would have dropped a few hints in the end, but Raleigh Ruebins builds those characters into the story as secondary characters that are constantly interacting with each other and the MC's. I liked that, I was honestly more interested in hearing about Red ( bar owner), Sam ( hot young bartender), Perry ( Silent silver fox), Cal ( resident Lumberjack)... every single one of them had a presence.
Now the reasons why I simply couldn't keep going:
The MC's - OMG I seriously dislike both of them. It's hard to sympathize or bond with unrealistic characters. The character traits just made no sense and contradicted their own nature.
One second Mitch ( ex quarterback, father, best friend, oblivious, delusional, muscle bound) is talking about how Evan deserves better. How he's better than all these 'dates' and 'one night stands'. Uh huh... then he says s*** like this:
“I’m just saying… maybe we can have this,” he said. “Something simple, something that feels good to both of us. With nothing to be scared of.”
AKA let's get together, casual and all, best friends who mess around... what's the harm? Also I am straight, except for you Evan...
Ugh... honestly I get it, I get that the character is suppose to be oblivious and fit the stereotype of the dumb jock. I guess I just really hate stereotypes.
And Evan ( Math teacher + in love with his straight BFF + lonely)
"Lying here on a wonky air mattress on the floor of Red’s Tavern, I had both everything and nothing I really wanted."
Now explain to me how someone who feels that way, who FINALLY gets what he wants, still goes on dates with other men? I don't understand, it just doesn't make sense for the character.
Lastly there is so much repetition it drove me up the wall. Quarterback is mentioned too many times to count and so is best friend... and it just felt childish for 30 year old men to speak that way.
Sigh, okay I am done ranting. This was a frustrating read because there is potential there and skill that the writer has, but it needs so much more work on one of the most important things and that's the Main characters. It's almost like all the effort went into setting up the Red Tavern scene and not enough on the two characters the story is actually about... I will most likely give the second book in this series a try, fingers crossed I have a better reaction.
I got to 50%, I just couldn't keep going. I can't justify giving it more then 1 star when I struggled to get through half the book but it had somethings working for it... and I hope perhaps the rest of the series gets better.
Things that worked:
Humor: it's there, woven in the dialogue and action and honestly I had a laugh or two during the first couple of pages.
Dialogue : Not bad at all honestly, the conversations flowed naturally.
Future Series build up : Most authors would have dropped a few hints in the end, but Raleigh Ruebins builds those characters into the story as secondary characters that are constantly interacting with each other and the MC's. I liked that, I was honestly more interested in hearing about Red ( bar owner), Sam ( hot young bartender), Perry ( Silent silver fox), Cal ( resident Lumberjack)... every single one of them had a presence.
Now the reasons why I simply couldn't keep going:
The MC's - OMG I seriously dislike both of them. It's hard to sympathize or bond with unrealistic characters. The character traits just made no sense and contradicted their own nature.
One second Mitch ( ex quarterback, father, best friend, oblivious, delusional, muscle bound) is talking about how Evan deserves better. How he's better than all these 'dates' and 'one night stands'. Uh huh... then he says s*** like this:
“I’m just saying… maybe we can have this,” he said. “Something simple, something that feels good to both of us. With nothing to be scared of.”
AKA let's get together, casual and all, best friends who mess around... what's the harm? Also I am straight, except for you Evan...
Ugh... honestly I get it, I get that the character is suppose to be oblivious and fit the stereotype of the dumb jock. I guess I just really hate stereotypes.
And Evan ( Math teacher + in love with his straight BFF + lonely)
"Lying here on a wonky air mattress on the floor of Red’s Tavern, I had both everything and nothing I really wanted."
Now explain to me how someone who feels that way, who FINALLY gets what he wants, still goes on dates with other men? I don't understand, it just doesn't make sense for the character.
Lastly there is so much repetition it drove me up the wall. Quarterback is mentioned too many times to count and so is best friend... and it just felt childish for 30 year old men to speak that way.
Sigh, okay I am done ranting. This was a frustrating read because there is potential there and skill that the writer has, but it needs so much more work on one of the most important things and that's the Main characters. It's almost like all the effort went into setting up the Red Tavern scene and not enough on the two characters the story is actually about... I will most likely give the second book in this series a try, fingers crossed I have a better reaction.
February 17, 2022
Cute cute cute best friends to lovers and second chance tropes.
Best friends who kissed at senior prom are separated by an accidental pregnancy that causes one MC to marry his high school girlfriend at 18, and move away for 15 years.
From the minute these two reunite it’s all sorts of adorable longing and suppressed feelings. It’s kind of dumb/silly at times, there’s zero angst, and it could use a minor edit. All of that is completely overlooked because these two guys have insane chemistry. It’s hot as hell and I was rooting for them the entire time.
Best friends who kissed at senior prom are separated by an accidental pregnancy that causes one MC to marry his high school girlfriend at 18, and move away for 15 years.
From the minute these two reunite it’s all sorts of adorable longing and suppressed feelings. It’s kind of dumb/silly at times, there’s zero angst, and it could use a minor edit. All of that is completely overlooked because these two guys have insane chemistry. It’s hot as hell and I was rooting for them the entire time.
July 31, 2021
Cute and I have warm fuzzies from this one. I want to read the second one so it’s going on my TBR immediately
March 24, 2020
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. I love the theme and the characters are good but it felt weird and rushed in some parts. I kind of didn’t buy the story too much and Mitch came off as being a dumb ass a little bit. Overall just ok for me.
April 15, 2022
Rep: gay mcs
March 2, 2020
[I received an arc for an honest review]
The Best Friend is the first book in Raleigh Ruebins' new series, Red's Tavern. A very sweet best friends to lovers MM romance with very little angst.
Evan has been in love with his best friend Mitch since high school. Evan the gay math nerd and Mitch the straight football star were inseparable. Unfortunately, months after graduation Mitch gets married and moves away. 15 years later, Mitch moves home to their small town, newly divorced and a single dad. Evan's feelings have never gone away but it seems like he needs to finally give up the impossible dream of his straight best friend falling for him. But Mitch returns different than he left and his own feelings for Evan have changed and even though they confuse him, he can't deny them. Can Evan survive Mitch open their relationship up to the physical or will he lose his heart in the process.
"We're both afraid of getting our hearts broken."
"You're the only one who even has the power to break mine"
I really liked Evan's character, he was such a sweetheart. However, Mitch missed the mark for me. I can't pin point exactly what it was but his personality and his inability to not see how his actions were affecting Evan was frustration. [His son Zach on the other hand was a great portrayal of a teenager in a new place and crushing on a girl]. As with all the Raleigh Ruebins' books I have read, the intimate scenes between the main men were great. I loved the enthusiasm and communication between them in the sheets.
Is it possible to be addicted to somebody's lips? Asking for a friend.
If you love a small town romance with cheesy sweet moments, little to no angst and a happily ever after than this one might be for you. The Best Friend, was a decent start to a new series. I know I will be keeping an eye out for the next book. Hopefully it stars a certain cowboy obsessed bar owner.
The Best Friend is the first book in Raleigh Ruebins' new series, Red's Tavern. A very sweet best friends to lovers MM romance with very little angst.
Evan has been in love with his best friend Mitch since high school. Evan the gay math nerd and Mitch the straight football star were inseparable. Unfortunately, months after graduation Mitch gets married and moves away. 15 years later, Mitch moves home to their small town, newly divorced and a single dad. Evan's feelings have never gone away but it seems like he needs to finally give up the impossible dream of his straight best friend falling for him. But Mitch returns different than he left and his own feelings for Evan have changed and even though they confuse him, he can't deny them. Can Evan survive Mitch open their relationship up to the physical or will he lose his heart in the process.
"We're both afraid of getting our hearts broken."
"You're the only one who even has the power to break mine"
I really liked Evan's character, he was such a sweetheart. However, Mitch missed the mark for me. I can't pin point exactly what it was but his personality and his inability to not see how his actions were affecting Evan was frustration. [His son Zach on the other hand was a great portrayal of a teenager in a new place and crushing on a girl]. As with all the Raleigh Ruebins' books I have read, the intimate scenes between the main men were great. I loved the enthusiasm and communication between them in the sheets.
Is it possible to be addicted to somebody's lips? Asking for a friend.
If you love a small town romance with cheesy sweet moments, little to no angst and a happily ever after than this one might be for you. The Best Friend, was a decent start to a new series. I know I will be keeping an eye out for the next book. Hopefully it stars a certain cowboy obsessed bar owner.
June 4, 2022
Jak wstępniak serii nie zachęcił, tak pierwszy tom totalnie mnie zniechęcił...
Tak naprawdę to była dokładna kalka wstępniaka - tyle, że z inną parą, z dodanym nastolatkiem i - niestety - dużo dłuższa, co spowodowało jedynie, że była przez to o wiele, wiele cięższa do strawienia... Było totalnie nudno i stereotypowo do bólu. Dialogi - szkoda gadać. Bohaterowie i ich problemy interesowali mnie tyle, co zeszłoroczny śnieg i dodatkowo zachowywali się jakby mieli lat 18, a nie 32.
Miałam ochotę na coś lekkiego, przyjemnego, bez żadnych dramatów - mogło być nawet przeciętne i stereotypowe, byle w miar�� interesująco napisane - w końcu nawet jeżeli schemat goni schemat, to można to podać w fajny sposób. Mam w sobie naprawdę dużo cierpliwości do czytania i kończenia serii, które podobają mi się tak sobie czy tylko przyzwoicie, w których historia historii nierówna. Ale tutaj moje zainteresowanie do czytania dalej po tych dwóch tomach spadło poniżej zera i bez najmniejszego żalu mówię chłopakom z Red's Tavern - żegnajcie 😉
Tak naprawdę to była dokładna kalka wstępniaka - tyle, że z inną parą, z dodanym nastolatkiem i - niestety - dużo dłuższa, co spowodowało jedynie, że była przez to o wiele, wiele cięższa do strawienia... Było totalnie nudno i stereotypowo do bólu. Dialogi - szkoda gadać. Bohaterowie i ich problemy interesowali mnie tyle, co zeszłoroczny śnieg i dodatkowo zachowywali się jakby mieli lat 18, a nie 32.
Miałam ochotę na coś lekkiego, przyjemnego, bez żadnych dramatów - mogło być nawet przeciętne i stereotypowe, byle w miar�� interesująco napisane - w końcu nawet jeżeli schemat goni schemat, to można to podać w fajny sposób. Mam w sobie naprawdę dużo cierpliwości do czytania i kończenia serii, które podobają mi się tak sobie czy tylko przyzwoicie, w których historia historii nierówna. Ale tutaj moje zainteresowanie do czytania dalej po tych dwóch tomach spadło poniżej zera i bez najmniejszego żalu mówię chłopakom z Red's Tavern - żegnajcie 😉
March 19, 2020
I’ve been craving a good gfy for a bit now and this hit all the spots.
Evan has been pining after his best friend, Mitch, since high school -- even more so after a shared kiss during prom night. Not even Mitch leaving, getting married and having a child could stop his heart from wanting what it can’t have. But, now a newly divorced, single dad Mitch is back and inviting Evan into his bed. Evan knows it probably will just hurt him in the end but he’s never been able to say no to Mitch.
Best friends to lovers with gfy is one of my favorite tropes and Raleigh wrote it so well. Evan and Mitch’s chemistry was off the wall and watching their relationship shift to sexual and then romantic made it hard for me not to love these two together. If you’re looking for a gfy that’ll give you so many feels -- look no further.
4.5 stars
♡ arc given in exchange for an honest review ♡
Evan has been pining after his best friend, Mitch, since high school -- even more so after a shared kiss during prom night. Not even Mitch leaving, getting married and having a child could stop his heart from wanting what it can’t have. But, now a newly divorced, single dad Mitch is back and inviting Evan into his bed. Evan knows it probably will just hurt him in the end but he’s never been able to say no to Mitch.
Best friends to lovers with gfy is one of my favorite tropes and Raleigh wrote it so well. Evan and Mitch’s chemistry was off the wall and watching their relationship shift to sexual and then romantic made it hard for me not to love these two together. If you’re looking for a gfy that’ll give you so many feels -- look no further.
4.5 stars
♡ arc given in exchange for an honest review ♡
March 11, 2020
This was dragging. I was kinda hope that I'll like the story. It was okay, but didn't hold my interest for a long time. It was okay read, not very special. Just too easy to forget.
The chemistry sometimes was there, but mostly not.
So, maybe 2,5*
The chemistry sometimes was there, but mostly not.
So, maybe 2,5*
March 10, 2020
I love this trope, as I love gay-for you (who is also present in this book) but here there is so much more! I love the setting of the story, and as we get to know Red and all his employees, it's quite obvious that there is a lot of material for a series :)
Evan is a lovely character, really sweet and easy to like. Mitch, though... not so much. Yes, I know, he has issues, but he doesn't deal with them. And there are times in which he is downright selfish and self-absorbed which affects not only Evan but his son, too.
Nevertheless, this is a fun story, low-angst and sweet, and perfectly encases all my favourite tropes *laughs*
Evan is a lovely character, really sweet and easy to like. Mitch, though... not so much. Yes, I know, he has issues, but he doesn't deal with them. And there are times in which he is downright selfish and self-absorbed which affects not only Evan but his son, too.
Nevertheless, this is a fun story, low-angst and sweet, and perfectly encases all my favourite tropes *laughs*
October 2, 2021
Evan and Mitch were best friends growing up. They shared a memorable kiss at their high school prom, but then Mitch impregnated his girlfriend, they married, and lived in Chicago for 15 years, raising their son. Now divorced, Mitch is back in his small western Kansas town, looking to spend more time with his best buddy, Evan, who is gay. Evan still is in love with Mitch, but Mitch sends all kinds of mixed signals. Can these two find romance and still remain best friends? This is a light, low-angst easy read with a the usual and expected twists and turns and a nice HEA.
April 6, 2021
VERY similar trope to another book I just finished. BFF, straight hunk, return to small town, math teacher, nerdy pet name, teenage boy, etc. I have no idea which was published first and the plots were completely different, but the timing was odd. This was an enjoyable read.
Read
August 2, 2020DNF.
Time of death 17%.
This is not the book for me. Annoyed me from the start.
Time of death 17%.
This is not the book for me. Annoyed me from the start.
July 29, 2022
Sweet but immediately forgettable.
March 19, 2020
Evan's been in love with his best friend Mitch, forever it seems now. And now Mitch is a divorced single dad and is finally moving back home after being in Chicago for 15 years. But Evan also knows he needs to get over his straight friend and move on. Unfortunately for him, Mitch has returned home with a slightly different mindset than he left. He's always loved Evan but it seems that love might be different than just the love for a friend. He just isn't sure and doesn't want to face his changing feelings. His refusal to face those feelings, though, might hurt the one person he has never wanted to hurt.
This is a sweet, hot friends to lovers tale. It's lighthearted and easy with little angst and both Mitch and Evan are sweethearts, as is Mitch's adorable teenage son. I'd say this is a great start to what should be a wonderful series.
ARC via GRR/LesCourt ARC Team for an honest review.
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May 23, 2022
I wish there was one book - JUST ONE BOOK - where the two main love interests would TALK TO EACH OTHER before blowing everything out of proportion and causing all kind of drama. My goodness, it would save so much time and heartbreak.
Firstly, I love the nerd and jock trope, especially when they're old friends becoming lovers. It's a great thing to read and I've always been a fan, so this book definitely gets points for that.
But it doesn't work that great when the jock is a pushy dumbass - not exactly the heart of gold type of jock I was expecting. But for some reason, it works for these two? Mitch and Evan are equal in their dumbassery and it somehow ends up giving them a happy ending.
Also, I... wouldn't exactly call this a gay awakening as I've seen some people label it. Mitch, you've been having these feelings since high school, sexual and romantic? Oh, honey... that's gay. That's like super gay. No need to put a label on it if you aren't comfortable, but... yeah.
I can't even count the amount of times I rolled my eyes in this story at the craziness, but I STILL liked it and enjoyed it. Some parts made me want to pull my hair out, some parts made me want to fall asleep because nothing was happening... but I still enjoyed it.
Firstly, I love the nerd and jock trope, especially when they're old friends becoming lovers. It's a great thing to read and I've always been a fan, so this book definitely gets points for that.
But it doesn't work that great when the jock is a pushy dumbass - not exactly the heart of gold type of jock I was expecting. But for some reason, it works for these two? Mitch and Evan are equal in their dumbassery and it somehow ends up giving them a happy ending.
Also, I... wouldn't exactly call this a gay awakening as I've seen some people label it. Mitch, you've been having these feelings since high school, sexual and romantic? Oh, honey... that's gay. That's like super gay. No need to put a label on it if you aren't comfortable, but... yeah.
I can't even count the amount of times I rolled my eyes in this story at the craziness, but I STILL liked it and enjoyed it. Some parts made me want to pull my hair out, some parts made me want to fall asleep because nothing was happening... but I still enjoyed it.
May 19, 2022
Evan has been in love with his straight best friend, Mitch, for fifteen years. When Mitch moves back to their hometown with his fourteen-year-old son after his divorce, they fall right into their friendship. Mitch doesn't understand the rightness he gets from being around Evan, but he doesn't want to give it up for anything ever again.
Evan and Mitch were cute together, but they also drove me crazy. Evan was a bit of a pushover and usually just gave in to whatever Mitch wanted. Even when he would try to tell Mitch the truth of his feelings, it was like he purposely wasn't explaining it well. Mitch never seemed to understand what Evan was trying to say to him. It took Red, Mitch's boss, hitting him over the head repeatedly before he truly understood the depth of Evan's feelings. I like the secondary characters, which will get me to read the next book in the series since Red's story and now intriguing. Overall, it was a good book that, while they drove me crazy, I did enjoy.
Evan and Mitch were cute together, but they also drove me crazy. Evan was a bit of a pushover and usually just gave in to whatever Mitch wanted. Even when he would try to tell Mitch the truth of his feelings, it was like he purposely wasn't explaining it well. Mitch never seemed to understand what Evan was trying to say to him. It took Red, Mitch's boss, hitting him over the head repeatedly before he truly understood the depth of Evan's feelings. I like the secondary characters, which will get me to read the next book in the series since Red's story and now intriguing. Overall, it was a good book that, while they drove me crazy, I did enjoy.
October 7, 2021
Meh... can't say that this one worked for me.
While the beginning was intriguing and certainly got my attention, it was downhill from there. From the get go there's just something not quite right with the link between these two. It feels fine on Ev's side but Mitch's... Mitch sounds like a guy that has issues... a LOT of issues.
As you get to know him you can feel all these insecurities coming from him and it's just way more then what a normal self-conscious person would feel. In my opinion, it kind of felt as if Evan was his life jacket, and that if he ever let go, he would drown. It didn't so much feel like love but more like an unhealthy obsession.
Like a baby with his pacifier.
So much so that it made me feel uncomfortable. And add to that the loooong ending of happily ever after that just goes on and on...
Ok.. but certainly not a win.
While the beginning was intriguing and certainly got my attention, it was downhill from there. From the get go there's just something not quite right with the link between these two. It feels fine on Ev's side but Mitch's... Mitch sounds like a guy that has issues... a LOT of issues.
As you get to know him you can feel all these insecurities coming from him and it's just way more then what a normal self-conscious person would feel. In my opinion, it kind of felt as if Evan was his life jacket, and that if he ever let go, he would drown. It didn't so much feel like love but more like an unhealthy obsession.
Like a baby with his pacifier.
So much so that it made me feel uncomfortable. And add to that the loooong ending of happily ever after that just goes on and on...
Ok.. but certainly not a win.
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April 14, 2020This is a DNF for me...Love the story premise, best friends to lovers/bi for you, but the execution was awkward...No to mention the very first line of book is grammatically wrong...that alone should have tipped me off...but I persevered....after about 30% I skimmed until 50% just to read the first sex scene...The writing was stilted, the straight character (I can't even remember his name) was hmmmm, how should I say this?? AWKWARD....adult-like one minute and a complete child the next..it was like the book was written like an outline...Ugh whatever..I had such high hopes as this is a new to me author...alas, one and done!
March 6, 2020
In the genre of mm romance, there's nothing I love more than a well done gfy. And this was very well done. The fact that they've been friends for years, and one of them is straight while the other has always wanted more brings each moment to an even higher level. I also love that Evan is Mitch's son's teacher and those two connect in their own way, pulling them all in like family. I love that Mitch is the fit, gruff guy but has such a vulnerable squishy side. and they have some super cheesy gushy moments. And some SUPER hot ones.
May 5, 2020
Cute but kinda lost interest in the end
I liked this book while I was reading it.
Baby spoiler ahead->I loved how they reconnected after so many years but I was a little irritated that that had a prom night kiss in thier history where the straight guy left afterwards and knocked up his date. Then proceeded to run away and marry her and not look back for over a decade basically. Especially since they were and still are best friends... idk I just got sidetracked and lost interest at the 80% mark. It wasn’t what I was looking for but wasn’t bad.
I liked this book while I was reading it.
Baby spoiler ahead->I loved how they reconnected after so many years but I was a little irritated that that had a prom night kiss in thier history where the straight guy left afterwards and knocked up his date. Then proceeded to run away and marry her and not look back for over a decade basically. Especially since they were and still are best friends... idk I just got sidetracked and lost interest at the 80% mark. It wasn’t what I was looking for but wasn’t bad.
July 7, 2023
there’s tenderness and an achingly sweet buildup!
This is a modern romance, the first book in a series that should be read in order. I’m not going to lie, if someone would have tried to explain this story to me, I’m not sure I would have believed the trope. However, when you are in the story with the great world building and fantastic characters, you become a believer! I liked this book in its tenderness and achingly sweet build up, I highly recommend this one and can’t wait to jump into the rest of the series!
This is a modern romance, the first book in a series that should be read in order. I’m not going to lie, if someone would have tried to explain this story to me, I’m not sure I would have believed the trope. However, when you are in the story with the great world building and fantastic characters, you become a believer! I liked this book in its tenderness and achingly sweet build up, I highly recommend this one and can’t wait to jump into the rest of the series!
March 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The friendship between the two was beautiful. I hate they missed out on 15 years, but his son was worth it. Their relationship was inevitable and perfect. A genuine best-friends-to-lovers story. Also, I love Red’s Tavern and Red. I can’t wait to read his story and to see how many other love stories start there.
Read an ARC through Gay Romance Reviews, but the opinions are all mine. ❤️
Read an ARC through Gay Romance Reviews, but the opinions are all mine. ❤️
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