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The Family We Make
Spencer Kent gave up on love a long time ago. As a twenty-eight-year-old single father with a fourteen-year-old son, Connor, he knows his appeal to the average gay man is limited, and when you factor in his low self-esteem and tendencies towards rudeness and sarcasm, it might as well be nonexistent. But that’s okay. A man is the last thing Spencer needs or wants.
Tim Ellis’s life is falling apart around him. After four years of hard work at college, he finds himself blacklisted from the career of his dreams by the professor he refused to sleep with and abandoned by the boyfriend he thought he was going to marry. Even though he was lucky enough to land a job at a bakery, he still feels like a failure.
Tim and Spencer’s first meeting is filled with turbulent misunderstanding, but Tim makes a connection with Connor through a Big Brother/Big Sister program, and both men put aside their mutual dislike for his sake. By letting go, they may help each other find their way into a life they never could have imagined.
Warning: References to attempted sexual coercion by a male professor towards a male college student, references to a female high school teacher having sexual relations with unnamed underage male students.
Word Count: 108800.
Tim Ellis’s life is falling apart around him. After four years of hard work at college, he finds himself blacklisted from the career of his dreams by the professor he refused to sleep with and abandoned by the boyfriend he thought he was going to marry. Even though he was lucky enough to land a job at a bakery, he still feels like a failure.
Tim and Spencer’s first meeting is filled with turbulent misunderstanding, but Tim makes a connection with Connor through a Big Brother/Big Sister program, and both men put aside their mutual dislike for his sake. By letting go, they may help each other find their way into a life they never could have imagined.
Warning: References to attempted sexual coercion by a male professor towards a male college student, references to a female high school teacher having sexual relations with unnamed underage male students.
Word Count: 108800.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2020
10 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Dan Wingreen
7 books15 followersDan lives in Ohio (as people do) with his husband and the most adorable little rescue dog ever. His three favorite things are The Empire Strikes Back, winter, and RPGs. His least favorite thing is pizza. Since the age of twelve, it’s been his dream to write something good enough to get published and, after over a decade of unforgivable procrastination, he actually managed to get it done. Thankfully, what he finally ended up writing turned out much better than the Spider-Man and Eminem fan fiction he wrote in sixth grade. His new dream, which will hopefully take less time to achieve, is to own two Netherland Dwarf bunnies named Bunnedict Thumperbatch and Attila the Bun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
April 8, 2020
I absolutely ADORED this "family of your own making" story from start to finish and can't recommend it strongly enough.
It was exactly the story that I'd hoped for after being pulled in by the blurb.
At 28, short and kind of bitchy Spencer had already been a dad for half of his life. His 14 y.o. son, Connor, was the sole focus of his personal life, while making his freshman English Literature students miserable was the main joy of his professional life.
But when Connor started getting bullied at school and Spencer realized that his son had zero friends, on the advice of his best friend, Spencer decided to enroll Connor in a Big Brothers program in hopes of helping him not feel quite so alone.
At 22, tall and confident Tim had finished his undergraduate degree in Psychology, but thanks to being blackballed from Masters programs by a professor's sexual harassment, he'd put his dreams of grad school on hold, falling back to being a baker until he was able to regroup and move forward.
Then when Tim decided to volunteer at a local youth center, the last thing that he expected was for the Little Brother that he was assigned to have such an abrasive dad who straight-up accused him of -- before they'd so much as had a real conversation.
So saying that Spencer and Tim got off on the wrong foot would be a huge understatement, with both men hoping to never, ever, ever cross paths again.
But as Tim and Connor's friendship drew them closer and closer, Tim extended an olive branch to Spencer, which was reluctantly taken, pulling Tim more deeply into the lives of both Spencer and his son, leading to Spencer and Tim's own friendship starting to take root.
“I’m being a huge asshole. Again. I’m sorry.”I loved how complex all three of the main characters were. Spencer's walls of snark were hiding deep insecurities, while Connor's shy loneliness was severely holding him back, and Tim's facade of happy confidence was masking his own fears of his future.
“Is it…because of me?”
Spencer turned his head enough so one eye was visible. “Am I an asshole because of you? No. I’m an asshole because I’m an asshole.”
But together, all three of them just worked, almost effortlessly. They clicked, when things should have been much more difficult than they actually were, which I loved reading.
He buried his face in Tim’s shirt and cried.Aside from the feels, this story also contained tons and tons of spot-on dry humor, snark, and banter, so the more serious moments never seemed to get too heavy.
He cried for himself because Tim understood, but mostly he cried for Connor. Connor, who was joy and light and life and frustration and fear and anger and sarcasm and laughter and a million other indefinable things so many people never bothered to learn. He cried because so many people would rather he never existed because they couldn’t see him as anything other than a moral point to make where Tim just saw Connor.
He cried because, sometimes, there’s nothing else a person can do.
Like when Spencer and Connor were having their own personal World War 3 over Connor refusing to tell his dad the identities of his bullies, for example.
“Can we go now?” Connor called. A quick glance showed he still had his back turned, but his arms were still crossed, and his hip was cocked, and he was actually tapping his foot.
That’s so cute…
“Sickening, isn’t it? Like looking at four sleepy puppies kind of adorable.”
Also, when Spencer and Tim finally started dating (and having sex), the same odd-ball humor was still firmly in place, so I constantly found myself smiling and laughing.
He smacked Tim’s ass again, just because he could, then grinned. “Fuck yeah.”
I’m in charge now, bitch.
He grimaced. Apparently, there was a definite upper limit to how dommy Spencer could be without feeling icky and uncomfortable.
The only thing that I would note is that there was one "woman's right to choose" part, which while not entirely young 14 y.o. Spencer's fault, the opinion that he voiced here in the book will likely result in a few rants from a reader or two. But I got it. How could a loving father feel any other way about the son who he'd adored for fourteen years?
In spite of that one controversial part, I do suspect that there will be a lot of readers who enjoy the story as much as I did.
And for those worried that the story might be too kid-centric, I found Connor to be an integral character, while not being completely omni-present.
I'd rate this story at 4.5 stars, rounding up to a full 5 stars.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
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May 17, 2020
This book is exceptionally well done and truly the only reason why I'm not giving my usual 5 stars to such a great book is because I found Spencer to be a character that is very hard to love...
Spencer is a 28 year old literature teacher who has a 14 year old son who - by some administrative accident - is sitting in Spencer's class.
You do the math: Spencer was a 14 year old kid himself when he fathered his son Connor.
Spencer and Connor are a very interesting father/son team. Spencer is a great dad who always wants the best for his son, but Connor suffers from social anxiety and often finds his dad to be overbearing, especially when Spencer finds out that Connor literally has no friends at school and hides in the library during lunch break.
In order to fix this, Spencer negotiates a deal with his son that will make him go to a youth center once a week to participate in a Big Brother program, so Connor will spend time with an older boy and have at least some kind of social interaction. In return, Spencer allows Connor to set up their PS4 in his room.
The Big Brother that Connor meets at the center is Tim, a 22 year old psychology student. Tim and Spencer clash at first, because Spencer is simply a very, very complicated person and an aggressive mother hen when it comes to his son.
Still, their animosity turns into friendship and eventually into romance.
I definitely want to give a big shout out to the fact that the character triangle Spencer/Tim/Connor is an incredibly well written piece of fiction with beautiful layers of personality and attitudes. The story is called 'The Family We Make' and it's clear that this is not a romance between two guys where a kid shows up every now and then like a sitcom sidekick. Connor is a fully fleshed out character who assumes as big a role in this plot as his dad and his Big Brother friend Tim. It's really masterfully done.
Still, Spencer with his many quirks is almost a tad too much for me. He swears all the time, he doesn't eat spicy foods (and he's taking it to an extreme which means he only eats about three different things). He always 'attacks' first before thinking (their first meeting would have been reason enough for me to kick his ass) and he's so weirdly insecure while trying to be a strong and independent parent at the same time that it's a good thing Tim found everything he did 'adorable' or else this story would never have made it to a happy ending.
In fact, Tim was a bit too easy for Spencer, IMO. Tim also had a dark past and many traumatic things to work through, but when it came to Spencer and his being a difficult bitch most of the time, Tim acted like an angel.
Their romance is great and I'm so happy for the family they're making, but I doubt Spencer would have been this lucky outside of a romance novel context...
4 stars!
Spencer is a 28 year old literature teacher who has a 14 year old son who - by some administrative accident - is sitting in Spencer's class.
You do the math: Spencer was a 14 year old kid himself when he fathered his son Connor.
Spencer and Connor are a very interesting father/son team. Spencer is a great dad who always wants the best for his son, but Connor suffers from social anxiety and often finds his dad to be overbearing, especially when Spencer finds out that Connor literally has no friends at school and hides in the library during lunch break.
In order to fix this, Spencer negotiates a deal with his son that will make him go to a youth center once a week to participate in a Big Brother program, so Connor will spend time with an older boy and have at least some kind of social interaction. In return, Spencer allows Connor to set up their PS4 in his room.
The Big Brother that Connor meets at the center is Tim, a 22 year old psychology student. Tim and Spencer clash at first, because Spencer is simply a very, very complicated person and an aggressive mother hen when it comes to his son.
Still, their animosity turns into friendship and eventually into romance.
I definitely want to give a big shout out to the fact that the character triangle Spencer/Tim/Connor is an incredibly well written piece of fiction with beautiful layers of personality and attitudes. The story is called 'The Family We Make' and it's clear that this is not a romance between two guys where a kid shows up every now and then like a sitcom sidekick. Connor is a fully fleshed out character who assumes as big a role in this plot as his dad and his Big Brother friend Tim. It's really masterfully done.
Still, Spencer with his many quirks is almost a tad too much for me. He swears all the time, he doesn't eat spicy foods (and he's taking it to an extreme which means he only eats about three different things). He always 'attacks' first before thinking (their first meeting would have been reason enough for me to kick his ass) and he's so weirdly insecure while trying to be a strong and independent parent at the same time that it's a good thing Tim found everything he did 'adorable' or else this story would never have made it to a happy ending.
In fact, Tim was a bit too easy for Spencer, IMO. Tim also had a dark past and many traumatic things to work through, but when it came to Spencer and his being a difficult bitch most of the time, Tim acted like an angel.
Their romance is great and I'm so happy for the family they're making, but I doubt Spencer would have been this lucky outside of a romance novel context...
4 stars!
April 16, 2020
I wasn't prepared to love this story as much as I did but this totally deserved the money I complained about dishing out plus every single star I could add.
Spencer the single dad was quite the spitfire and a big time mama bear protector. His uncensored words and texting were hilarious!😂 He was who he was and I absolutely adored him.
Connor was his son, they had a unique relationship instead of father and son they talked to each other more like big brother little brother. Make no mistake though they loved one other so completely and were each others whole world until Tim came along. Spencer and Connor were exactly what Tim needed, they just fit so completely! 😍 This wasn't all sweetness I'm making it out to be because there was a fair share of angst but so very worth the read. 😁
Spencer the single dad was quite the spitfire and a big time mama bear protector. His uncensored words and texting were hilarious!😂 He was who he was and I absolutely adored him.
Connor was his son, they had a unique relationship instead of father and son they talked to each other more like big brother little brother. Make no mistake though they loved one other so completely and were each others whole world until Tim came along. Spencer and Connor were exactly what Tim needed, they just fit so completely! 😍 This wasn't all sweetness I'm making it out to be because there was a fair share of angst but so very worth the read. 😁
May 24, 2020
Dan Wingreen pulled me in from the very first page of The Family We Make. These characters are complex, slightly flawed, and thoroughly real. Very little went the way I expected, and I loved it!
Mr. Wingreen has a smooth, flowing writing style, and I can’t wait to enjoy it some more. What a marvelous discovery for my to-be-read shelf.
a copy of The Family We Make was provided to me by NetGalley for the purpose of my review
Mr. Wingreen has a smooth, flowing writing style, and I can’t wait to enjoy it some more. What a marvelous discovery for my to-be-read shelf.
a copy of The Family We Make was provided to me by NetGalley for the purpose of my review
September 21, 2020
This will most likely make my list of top 10 reads of 2020. I just loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved the awkward "meet cute" - in short, I love everything about this.
At the core, this book is about exactly what the title promises - The Family We Make for ourselves.
Spencer Kent, 28, kinda short, kinda snarky, is an English Lit teacher at a highschool, gay, and a single father to a 14 yo boy named Connor. His son is his whole life, except when he is able to torture freshman high schoolers with English Lit assignments, and Spencer has no delusions about being quality dating material as a single father, therefore he's not had a date or adult relationship in, well, 14 years.
Tim Ellis, kinda tall, kinda shy, has freshly graduated college with a degree in psychology, but is being blackmailed by a dirty prof to either sleep with him or be blacklisted for joining a Masters program. Tim chooses being blacklisted, which dashes his hopes of post grad studies and getting his Masters degree. Having also lost the man he hoped to marry (good riddance, in my opinion), Tim now finds himself working in a bakery and mostly regretting all his life choices.
There's a rather awkward "meet cute", which had me squinting at Spencer for a bit, but I quickly forgave him (as did Tim) for being such a big dork and rude to boot, because he was ever so sorry when he realized what he had insinuated.
I'm not going into any specific plot details in this review, because this is the kind of book you need to let unfold without any preconceived notions. Thus, I'm only going to talk about the quality of the writing, as well as the perfection of these characters, who are complex and multi-faceted, and have good and bad personality traits.
There is biting snark, primarily from Spencer's side, which he uses to hide behind a massive brick wall of insecurity and fear of being vulnerable. Tim hides his own feelings and fears behind a mask of happy-go-lucky, for reasons. I felt sorry for Connor, bullied and scared, and too shy and self-conscious to find the confidence to make friends. Being the teacher's kid is not cool, as you know.
While neither Spencer, nor Tim, nor Connor are in any way, shape or form perfect, they are in effect a perfectly self-made family, because once they click, they REALLY click, and the relationships between Spencer and Tim, and Connor and Tim, become pretty much effortless, almost as if they'd known each other their entire lives or were molded as perfect pieces of the Kent/Ellis family puzzle.
The writing itself is engaging, crisp, detailed, and emotional. There is witty banter in the dialogue, usually from Spencer, but Tim gives almost as good as he gets. The author did a fine job creating believable dialogue between the two men (sometimes adorkable, but I loved that), as well as between Spencer and his son, and Tim and Connor also. Connor's teenage angst is evident in his speech and demeanor, and there are the kind of typical clashes between father and son I would expect at this age. There are emotional moments within that made my eyes tear up, and there were emotional moments within that had me grinning like a loon.
All in all - you should read this book. You should read it, love it, and then read it again. This book is about as close to perfection (IMHO) as I could have wished for. This is an author to watch, for sure!
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **
At the core, this book is about exactly what the title promises - The Family We Make for ourselves.
Spencer Kent, 28, kinda short, kinda snarky, is an English Lit teacher at a highschool, gay, and a single father to a 14 yo boy named Connor. His son is his whole life, except when he is able to torture freshman high schoolers with English Lit assignments, and Spencer has no delusions about being quality dating material as a single father, therefore he's not had a date or adult relationship in, well, 14 years.
Tim Ellis, kinda tall, kinda shy, has freshly graduated college with a degree in psychology, but is being blackmailed by a dirty prof to either sleep with him or be blacklisted for joining a Masters program. Tim chooses being blacklisted, which dashes his hopes of post grad studies and getting his Masters degree. Having also lost the man he hoped to marry (good riddance, in my opinion), Tim now finds himself working in a bakery and mostly regretting all his life choices.
There's a rather awkward "meet cute", which had me squinting at Spencer for a bit, but I quickly forgave him (as did Tim) for being such a big dork and rude to boot, because he was ever so sorry when he realized what he had insinuated.
I'm not going into any specific plot details in this review, because this is the kind of book you need to let unfold without any preconceived notions. Thus, I'm only going to talk about the quality of the writing, as well as the perfection of these characters, who are complex and multi-faceted, and have good and bad personality traits.
There is biting snark, primarily from Spencer's side, which he uses to hide behind a massive brick wall of insecurity and fear of being vulnerable. Tim hides his own feelings and fears behind a mask of happy-go-lucky, for reasons. I felt sorry for Connor, bullied and scared, and too shy and self-conscious to find the confidence to make friends. Being the teacher's kid is not cool, as you know.
While neither Spencer, nor Tim, nor Connor are in any way, shape or form perfect, they are in effect a perfectly self-made family, because once they click, they REALLY click, and the relationships between Spencer and Tim, and Connor and Tim, become pretty much effortless, almost as if they'd known each other their entire lives or were molded as perfect pieces of the Kent/Ellis family puzzle.
The writing itself is engaging, crisp, detailed, and emotional. There is witty banter in the dialogue, usually from Spencer, but Tim gives almost as good as he gets. The author did a fine job creating believable dialogue between the two men (sometimes adorkable, but I loved that), as well as between Spencer and his son, and Tim and Connor also. Connor's teenage angst is evident in his speech and demeanor, and there are the kind of typical clashes between father and son I would expect at this age. There are emotional moments within that made my eyes tear up, and there were emotional moments within that had me grinning like a loon.
All in all - you should read this book. You should read it, love it, and then read it again. This book is about as close to perfection (IMHO) as I could have wished for. This is an author to watch, for sure!
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **
May 22, 2020
I've given this an A- at AAR, so 4.5 stars rounded up.
Dan Wingreen’s The Family We Make is a charming, funny and incredibly touching contemporary romance featuring a single dad with a teenaged son and a guy who feels as though he’s lost his way in life. It’s well-written and sharply observed, with brilliantly drawn relationships, a teenager who speaks and acts like one and two complex, flawed and utterly endearing leads. I pretty much inhaled it, and even though there were a couple of things that didn’t quite work for me, I adored it and came away from it with a huge smile on my face.
At twenty-eight, teacher Spencer Kent has been a father for half his life. His son Connor – the result of a drunken more-than-fumble when he was just thirteen – is the centre of his universe; which is not to say that life is plain sailing and they don’t have their ‘moments’, especially now Connor is a teenager, but Spencer adores him and wouldn’t have things any other way. Becoming a father so young, though, has been a bit of a struggle; Spencer had help from his parents in the early days, and they took care of Connor while Spencer went to college, but it’s just been him and Connor for a decade and even now he is never sure he’s doing the right thing – something any parent of any age will identify with. But most of the time, things between them are pretty good, and if Spencer is sometimes lonely for adult companionship and conversation, if he’s missed out on his chance to find ‘the one’ – because what gay man his age is going to want to take on a teenaged boy as well? – then that’s the way it is. Having Connor in his life more than makes up for it.
Connor is fairly quiet and reserved, but it comes as a shock when Spencer discovers his son doesn’t have any friends and that he’s being bullied, and he panics. How can he not have noticed something that important? When a colleague recommends he signs Connor up for the local Big Brother program, he thinks it’s worth considering, and after a discussion (and a hefty bribe!) Connor agrees to give it a try.
Tim Ellis finished his psychology degree and intended to continue his studies at grad school, but dropped the idea when his professor made it clear that his acceptance to the master’s program was dependent on Tim’s having sex with him - and when he refused, the man threatened to blackball him at all the other colleges in the area. Tim broke up with his manipulative boyfriend a few months back, his mother is forever on at him to come home, to do this, or that, and instead of embarking on the career in child psychology he’d planned on, he’s back working at a friend’s bakery. He’s fed up and feeling useless, the one bright spot in his life his volunteer work at the local youth centre. Which is, of course, where he meets Spencer and Connor.
To say that Spencer and Tim get off on the wrong foot at their first meeting is an understatement of massive proportions, and they part actually hoping never to see each other again! Fortunately however, Tim and Connor get along really well, and their growing friendship eventually expands to include Spencer, and I loved watching Tim and Spencer become friends, then fall in love, and the three of them gradually become a family.
The story is told from Spencer’s and Tim’s viewpoints, but really there are three main characters, as Connor is integral to the story without overwhelming or unbalancing it. I adored all three of them; the characterisation is superb, and they’re all fully-rounded, complex individuals whose flaws and insecurities combine to make them feel incredibly real, and the dialogue is sharply focused and often very funny. Spencer is a bit chaotic, but he’s also hilarious – he’s cynical and sarcastic and has no brain-to-mouth filter (sometimes Connor seems to be the more mature of the two of them!), but his snarkiness is clearly a defence mechanism. Tim thinks he’s adorable, and it’s true – beneath the waspishness, he’s rather charming. Tim is six years younger, but seems to be a bit more ‘together’; he’s also the more sexually experienced of the two, which makes sense given Spencer has put his social and dating life in order to parent Connor.
The book tackles a number of serious issues, from the problems of being a father at fourteen to how to parent a child close to you in age, to how to protect and support that child in a way that still allows them to acquire the independence they need as they grow up. One of the things the author does very well is to expose the difficulties involved in handling bullying at school; as a teacher myself, it’s something I come up against a lot and while schools do their best, they can only do so much. And while I’m on the subject of school and teaching, the only parts of the book that didn’t work for me were mostly related to Spencer’s job. Some of the things he did and said (like texting during a lesson) were unprofessional (and here in the UK would have probably led to disciplinary action), and there’s an odd sub-plot relating to a female teacher who is widely known to sleep with older students, and who is still in a job. Here, she’d have been suspended at the merest whiff of a suspicion, let alone actual complaints.
Those things apart however, I loved The Family We Make and recommend it highly. The familial relationships that develop between Tim, Spencer and Connor are really well done, and the friendship between Tim and Connor, especially how Tim is absolutely there for Connor and makes sure to respect his privacy, was lovely to watch developing. There are some wonderful moments of raw emotion that perfectly capture the ups and downs of family life, and of what it’s like to love another person so much it hurts that really hit me in the feels, and the romance is a lovely, angst-free slow-burn. I loved that once Spencer and Tim start dating (and having sex), they’re exactly the same people with the same sense of dry humour and ability to snark back and forth that they always were, and by the end, I was completely convinced that these guys – all of them – were going to be together for the long haul.
The Family We Make is cute, funny, insightful, sexy and utterly delightful. It’s the fabulous feel-good read I didn’t know I needed in my life, and I’m so glad to have found it.
Dan Wingreen’s The Family We Make is a charming, funny and incredibly touching contemporary romance featuring a single dad with a teenaged son and a guy who feels as though he’s lost his way in life. It’s well-written and sharply observed, with brilliantly drawn relationships, a teenager who speaks and acts like one and two complex, flawed and utterly endearing leads. I pretty much inhaled it, and even though there were a couple of things that didn’t quite work for me, I adored it and came away from it with a huge smile on my face.
At twenty-eight, teacher Spencer Kent has been a father for half his life. His son Connor – the result of a drunken more-than-fumble when he was just thirteen – is the centre of his universe; which is not to say that life is plain sailing and they don’t have their ‘moments’, especially now Connor is a teenager, but Spencer adores him and wouldn’t have things any other way. Becoming a father so young, though, has been a bit of a struggle; Spencer had help from his parents in the early days, and they took care of Connor while Spencer went to college, but it’s just been him and Connor for a decade and even now he is never sure he’s doing the right thing – something any parent of any age will identify with. But most of the time, things between them are pretty good, and if Spencer is sometimes lonely for adult companionship and conversation, if he’s missed out on his chance to find ‘the one’ – because what gay man his age is going to want to take on a teenaged boy as well? – then that’s the way it is. Having Connor in his life more than makes up for it.
Connor is fairly quiet and reserved, but it comes as a shock when Spencer discovers his son doesn’t have any friends and that he’s being bullied, and he panics. How can he not have noticed something that important? When a colleague recommends he signs Connor up for the local Big Brother program, he thinks it’s worth considering, and after a discussion (and a hefty bribe!) Connor agrees to give it a try.
Tim Ellis finished his psychology degree and intended to continue his studies at grad school, but dropped the idea when his professor made it clear that his acceptance to the master’s program was dependent on Tim’s having sex with him - and when he refused, the man threatened to blackball him at all the other colleges in the area. Tim broke up with his manipulative boyfriend a few months back, his mother is forever on at him to come home, to do this, or that, and instead of embarking on the career in child psychology he’d planned on, he’s back working at a friend’s bakery. He’s fed up and feeling useless, the one bright spot in his life his volunteer work at the local youth centre. Which is, of course, where he meets Spencer and Connor.
To say that Spencer and Tim get off on the wrong foot at their first meeting is an understatement of massive proportions, and they part actually hoping never to see each other again! Fortunately however, Tim and Connor get along really well, and their growing friendship eventually expands to include Spencer, and I loved watching Tim and Spencer become friends, then fall in love, and the three of them gradually become a family.
The story is told from Spencer’s and Tim’s viewpoints, but really there are three main characters, as Connor is integral to the story without overwhelming or unbalancing it. I adored all three of them; the characterisation is superb, and they’re all fully-rounded, complex individuals whose flaws and insecurities combine to make them feel incredibly real, and the dialogue is sharply focused and often very funny. Spencer is a bit chaotic, but he’s also hilarious – he’s cynical and sarcastic and has no brain-to-mouth filter (sometimes Connor seems to be the more mature of the two of them!), but his snarkiness is clearly a defence mechanism. Tim thinks he’s adorable, and it’s true – beneath the waspishness, he’s rather charming. Tim is six years younger, but seems to be a bit more ‘together’; he’s also the more sexually experienced of the two, which makes sense given Spencer has put his social and dating life in order to parent Connor.
The book tackles a number of serious issues, from the problems of being a father at fourteen to how to parent a child close to you in age, to how to protect and support that child in a way that still allows them to acquire the independence they need as they grow up. One of the things the author does very well is to expose the difficulties involved in handling bullying at school; as a teacher myself, it’s something I come up against a lot and while schools do their best, they can only do so much. And while I’m on the subject of school and teaching, the only parts of the book that didn’t work for me were mostly related to Spencer’s job. Some of the things he did and said (like texting during a lesson) were unprofessional (and here in the UK would have probably led to disciplinary action), and there’s an odd sub-plot relating to a female teacher who is widely known to sleep with older students, and who is still in a job. Here, she’d have been suspended at the merest whiff of a suspicion, let alone actual complaints.
Those things apart however, I loved The Family We Make and recommend it highly. The familial relationships that develop between Tim, Spencer and Connor are really well done, and the friendship between Tim and Connor, especially how Tim is absolutely there for Connor and makes sure to respect his privacy, was lovely to watch developing. There are some wonderful moments of raw emotion that perfectly capture the ups and downs of family life, and of what it’s like to love another person so much it hurts that really hit me in the feels, and the romance is a lovely, angst-free slow-burn. I loved that once Spencer and Tim start dating (and having sex), they’re exactly the same people with the same sense of dry humour and ability to snark back and forth that they always were, and by the end, I was completely convinced that these guys – all of them – were going to be together for the long haul.
The Family We Make is cute, funny, insightful, sexy and utterly delightful. It’s the fabulous feel-good read I didn’t know I needed in my life, and I’m so glad to have found it.
March 31, 2020
Wow, The Family We Make is one hell of an emotional read by Dan Wingreen.
Spencer became a father at the age of 14. A new teacher at the high school, he discovers his son Connor is being bullied. Spencer's a great character. He's hysterical and his parenting skills leave a lot to be desired. But his struggles with his son leave him uncertain and insecure.
Meanwhile, Timothy has a smothering mother who makes him feel like a loser. He's younger than Spencer, but they become friends when Timothy becomes Connor's big brother. I love the representation of the youth center and the big brother program. As well, I appreciate that Tim respects Connor's privacy. This part is exceptionally well done.
From the title, it's obvious this story revolves around family. And boy does it. There are many facets of family that are illustrated, most importantly the fact that family is what you make of it.
This story tackles many serious issues. The struggles of being a father at the age of fourteen. The struggle of being so close in age to your child. The struggle to support your child on their own terms. It also deals with the bullying issues of both children and adults, as well as the problems administrations have when it comes to bullying.
Told in 3rd person pov, the author manages to fully capture Spencer and Timothy's emotions, as well as Connor's, which are well explored and super intense. The characters are so darn lovable, leaving me wishing I could know these people.
The bullying moments are horrific, constantly bringing tears to my eyes. There are many different things related to this that had me so damn angry. But it in the end, I had a smile on my face with how it's resolved. Sort of.
And as for the sex scenes, their first time, when it finally happens, is tender, sweet, and oh so hot!
My first read from Dan Wingreen, I am super impressed with The Family We Make. This touching slow burn romance is very well written and intriguing throughout. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Spencer became a father at the age of 14. A new teacher at the high school, he discovers his son Connor is being bullied. Spencer's a great character. He's hysterical and his parenting skills leave a lot to be desired. But his struggles with his son leave him uncertain and insecure.
Meanwhile, Timothy has a smothering mother who makes him feel like a loser. He's younger than Spencer, but they become friends when Timothy becomes Connor's big brother. I love the representation of the youth center and the big brother program. As well, I appreciate that Tim respects Connor's privacy. This part is exceptionally well done.
From the title, it's obvious this story revolves around family. And boy does it. There are many facets of family that are illustrated, most importantly the fact that family is what you make of it.
This story tackles many serious issues. The struggles of being a father at the age of fourteen. The struggle of being so close in age to your child. The struggle to support your child on their own terms. It also deals with the bullying issues of both children and adults, as well as the problems administrations have when it comes to bullying.
Told in 3rd person pov, the author manages to fully capture Spencer and Timothy's emotions, as well as Connor's, which are well explored and super intense. The characters are so darn lovable, leaving me wishing I could know these people.
The bullying moments are horrific, constantly bringing tears to my eyes. There are many different things related to this that had me so damn angry. But it in the end, I had a smile on my face with how it's resolved. Sort of.
And as for the sex scenes, their first time, when it finally happens, is tender, sweet, and oh so hot!
My first read from Dan Wingreen, I am super impressed with The Family We Make. This touching slow burn romance is very well written and intriguing throughout. I look forward to reading more from this author.
May 19, 2020
5++++
What a touching story! I’m going to start with a high recommendation!
This was more than a stunning story! It will grab you and will keep you thinking about them days after finishing! That kind of story is it!
Spencer is twenty-eight and already a father of Connor just fourteen years old.
Not quite in the position for a relationship and not quite the father to wear the batch ‘best father of the year’ if it’s about proper language or right behavior. But he got it for being the best for Connor. I loved his funny playful way of expressing, cursing, and messy way of fathering.
Conner is just like him, both with low self-esteem, no friends and loneliness.
Spencer is teaching literature at the same high school his son follows lessons.
After Spencer understands his son is bullied and has no friends he's worried and gets Connor into the Big Brother program at the Youth Center.
Tim is working at a bakery, not his first choice. Volunteering is something he’s used to doing, now he has a new job, a new place and found a new job as a volunteer.
This is where Tim meets Connor, where Connor gets him as his Big Brother. They become friends. Connor’s life is heartbreaking, I cried for him, read it you will too.
Tim and Spencer are absolutely delightful together, hard times, good times, best times.
Follow those three and be stunned by their life.
This is one of the most honest stories I’ve ever read. Besides the heavy stuff there are also everyday matters just the real-life things, sweet crazy things, funny awkward things only intended for the eyes and ears of family. It was all superb. The humor was more than delightful.
Connor was such a precious boy, how he feels, thinks and expressed broke and warmed my heart, what a wonderful kid. Tim was just what Connor needed, a big brother who was there for him.
The more the men get involved the clearer it gets they mean everything for each other. Tim was mesmerized by Spencer and adored him, Spencer can’t believe his luck to find this man.
“Tim felt like he belonged with them. Like he was wanted.”
What a story, it made me tear up more than once. I dreamed about them, when a story is as catching like this one, you just can’t let it go. The important parts were thoroughly I’ll say it again thoroughly developed. It couldn’t get more appealing than it already was.
Spencer, Connor, and Tim their personalities were well pictured, I felt connected as if they were good friends.
The author shines a light on them from every angle, so you’ll get to know them through and through, you will love them because they are the most lovable persons.
The story felt whole, real, funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming.
I’ll end how I started with a high recommendation!
What a touching story! I’m going to start with a high recommendation!
This was more than a stunning story! It will grab you and will keep you thinking about them days after finishing! That kind of story is it!
Spencer is twenty-eight and already a father of Connor just fourteen years old.
Not quite in the position for a relationship and not quite the father to wear the batch ‘best father of the year’ if it’s about proper language or right behavior. But he got it for being the best for Connor. I loved his funny playful way of expressing, cursing, and messy way of fathering.
Conner is just like him, both with low self-esteem, no friends and loneliness.
Spencer is teaching literature at the same high school his son follows lessons.
After Spencer understands his son is bullied and has no friends he's worried and gets Connor into the Big Brother program at the Youth Center.
Tim is working at a bakery, not his first choice. Volunteering is something he’s used to doing, now he has a new job, a new place and found a new job as a volunteer.
This is where Tim meets Connor, where Connor gets him as his Big Brother. They become friends. Connor’s life is heartbreaking, I cried for him, read it you will too.
Tim and Spencer are absolutely delightful together, hard times, good times, best times.
Follow those three and be stunned by their life.
This is one of the most honest stories I’ve ever read. Besides the heavy stuff there are also everyday matters just the real-life things, sweet crazy things, funny awkward things only intended for the eyes and ears of family. It was all superb. The humor was more than delightful.
Connor was such a precious boy, how he feels, thinks and expressed broke and warmed my heart, what a wonderful kid. Tim was just what Connor needed, a big brother who was there for him.
The more the men get involved the clearer it gets they mean everything for each other. Tim was mesmerized by Spencer and adored him, Spencer can’t believe his luck to find this man.
“Tim felt like he belonged with them. Like he was wanted.”
What a story, it made me tear up more than once. I dreamed about them, when a story is as catching like this one, you just can’t let it go. The important parts were thoroughly I’ll say it again thoroughly developed. It couldn’t get more appealing than it already was.
Spencer, Connor, and Tim their personalities were well pictured, I felt connected as if they were good friends.
The author shines a light on them from every angle, so you’ll get to know them through and through, you will love them because they are the most lovable persons.
The story felt whole, real, funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming.
I’ll end how I started with a high recommendation!
April 12, 2020
I both liked the story a lot and was bored by it a couple of times. I almost DNF'ed at 75%, but ultimately, I'm happy I finished the book.
The book is very realistic for better or worse; life is tough sometimes, but not necessarily surrounded by huge dramatic events, and that's the feeling you get from this book.
The characters come together and fulfill each other beautifully, but still so much is left unresolved.
What bored me a little was how one-sided the characters could sometimes be, and thus their interactions seemed the same every time.
The book is very realistic for better or worse; life is tough sometimes, but not necessarily surrounded by huge dramatic events, and that's the feeling you get from this book.
The characters come together and fulfill each other beautifully, but still so much is left unresolved.
What bored me a little was how one-sided the characters could sometimes be, and thus their interactions seemed the same every time.
April 7, 2020
4.5 Stars
Perfect little pick me up read. Sweet, funny, and lots of heart.
The only glaringly obvious thing that disturbed me was the lack of resolution or even much time spent on the pedo-teacher drama. I mean, what the fuck? Seemed a little heavy to just gloss over.
Perfect little pick me up read. Sweet, funny, and lots of heart.
The only glaringly obvious thing that disturbed me was the lack of resolution or even much time spent on the pedo-teacher drama. I mean, what the fuck? Seemed a little heavy to just gloss over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2020
4.75 Stars - Dan Wingreen’s ‘The Family We Make” is a nearly perfect M/M romance novel
This is the first book written by Mr. Wingreen that I’ve read. It definitely won’t be the last.
Writing with both humor and sensitivity about subjects like personal insecurity, low self esteem, verbal and physical abuse, and especially bullying, Wingreen has created wonderful, identifiable characters; characters I quickly became attracted to. I laughed out loud, cried, and experienced the incredible empathy of these characters who, over time, transformed from doubt into genuine love. A true family.
Spencer Kent is a 28 year old Chicago high school English teacher who lives with his 14 year old son, Connor, a high school freshman. Tim Ellis, when we first meet him, is a 22 year old assistant baker with an undergraduate degree in psychology. They’re all very caring people, but each is dealing with his own personal issues.
Cass Baker, another single parent teacher in Spencer’s school, beautifully summed up one of the novel’s major issues when she told Spencer, “No one can push your buttons like your own child.”
Cass also told Spencer he needed someone else - an adult - in his life. Her advice was almost prophetic when she said, “You don’t need to find the perfect guy, Spencer. Just the perfect guy for you.” That advice was almost prophetic because it turns out that Tim is both a perfect guy and the perfect guy for Spencer and Connor.
One character and her behavior throughout is more than slightly off-putting. Steph is a nasty, manipulative female teacher in Spencer’s school who has been reported multiple times for possibly engaging in sexual activity with her underaged male students. My primary concern with ‘The Family We Make’ is Steph’s character and the role she played in the story’s resolution. I do wish the author had chosen a different character and a better way to address that particular section of the narrative.
Before your read this book please take note of the publisher’s warning that there are references to attempted sexual coercion by a male professor towards a male college student and references to a female high school teacher [Steph] having sexual relations with unnamed underage male students.
With that caveat, I couldn’t recommend ‘The Family We Make’ more highly.
I received an Advance Review Copy of ‘The Family We Make’ from NetGalley and NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review. #The Family We Make #NetGalley
This is the first book written by Mr. Wingreen that I’ve read. It definitely won’t be the last.
Writing with both humor and sensitivity about subjects like personal insecurity, low self esteem, verbal and physical abuse, and especially bullying, Wingreen has created wonderful, identifiable characters; characters I quickly became attracted to. I laughed out loud, cried, and experienced the incredible empathy of these characters who, over time, transformed from doubt into genuine love. A true family.
Spencer Kent is a 28 year old Chicago high school English teacher who lives with his 14 year old son, Connor, a high school freshman. Tim Ellis, when we first meet him, is a 22 year old assistant baker with an undergraduate degree in psychology. They’re all very caring people, but each is dealing with his own personal issues.
Cass Baker, another single parent teacher in Spencer’s school, beautifully summed up one of the novel’s major issues when she told Spencer, “No one can push your buttons like your own child.”
Cass also told Spencer he needed someone else - an adult - in his life. Her advice was almost prophetic when she said, “You don’t need to find the perfect guy, Spencer. Just the perfect guy for you.” That advice was almost prophetic because it turns out that Tim is both a perfect guy and the perfect guy for Spencer and Connor.
One character and her behavior throughout is more than slightly off-putting. Steph is a nasty, manipulative female teacher in Spencer’s school who has been reported multiple times for possibly engaging in sexual activity with her underaged male students. My primary concern with ‘The Family We Make’ is Steph’s character and the role she played in the story’s resolution. I do wish the author had chosen a different character and a better way to address that particular section of the narrative.
Before your read this book please take note of the publisher’s warning that there are references to attempted sexual coercion by a male professor towards a male college student and references to a female high school teacher [Steph] having sexual relations with unnamed underage male students.
With that caveat, I couldn’t recommend ‘The Family We Make’ more highly.
I received an Advance Review Copy of ‘The Family We Make’ from NetGalley and NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review. #The Family We Make #NetGalley
April 10, 2020
Aaaaah very good. Aside from a few spots of poor editing, this was nearly perfect! I thought the author did a good job keeping the two main characters' voices different. I liked the slow burn and the development of the relationship. I liked how Tim fit into the family. Some good angst, some good sweetness. Very enjoyable!!
(At least one other review I read mentioned the problematic nature of Connor's birth, and...yes. None of that is great, on a few levels, as you'd probably expect with a 13-year-old girl having a baby and the 14-year-old dad raising him. But they were kids, and young, and Spencer recognizes the problematic nature of the various parts of the whole thing now, and they were addressed well enough for me. This really comes up just once in the story, so anyone concerned that it's a drawn out issue through the story or a main focus needs not worry.)
(At least one other review I read mentioned the problematic nature of Connor's birth, and...yes. None of that is great, on a few levels, as you'd probably expect with a 13-year-old girl having a baby and the 14-year-old dad raising him. But they were kids, and young, and Spencer recognizes the problematic nature of the various parts of the whole thing now, and they were addressed well enough for me. This really comes up just once in the story, so anyone concerned that it's a drawn out issue through the story or a main focus needs not worry.)
December 20, 2025
Reread 17.-20.12.25.
Ciągle jestem duuuużą fanką zarówno samej historii, jak i bohaterów 🤗
* * * * * * *
Jeżeli chodzi o historię, dostałam dokładnie to, czego się spodziewałam po blurbie. Natomiast to, czego się nie spodziewałam, to jak bogaci, pełni, trójwymiarowi i do bólu prawdziwi będą bohaterowie - zwłaszcza Spencer i Connor. I nie spodziewałam się zupełnie, że tak bardzo, bardzo, bardzo mi się spodoba.
Czy to slow-burn? Jasne.
Czy Spencer jest trudnym bohaterem? Zdecydowanie.
Czy go pokochałam? Z całego serducha.
Spencer naprawdę jest trudnym do polubienia bohaterem. Można go z jednej strony łatwo pokochać, ale z drugiej jeszcze łatwiej znienawidzić. 28-letni nauczyciel w szkole średniej, od 14 lat tata Connora. Mający jakieś 165 cm wzrostu, drobny, bez zarostu często brany za dużo młodszego, niż jest w rzeczywistości. Pełen sprzeczności - sarkastyczny, zgryźliwy, uparty, często słownie atakuje pierwszy, postrach uczniów. Czasami jego filtr między mózgiem a ustami po prostu nie działa - może się zapycha od ilości myśli i scenariuszy tego, co może pójść źle, które ma w głowie 😉 Jest dupkiem, do czego sam się chętnie przyznaje. A z drugiej strony za tą całą fasadą, którą prezentuje światu, jest tak niepewny pod każdym prawie względem, ma bardzo złe doświadczenia ze szkoły, kiedy sam jeszcze był uczniem - i to mocno rzutuje na jego życie. Jest przeświadczony, że życie spędzi samotnie - normalnie nikt by go nie chciał, nawet gdyby był sam, a co dopiero z dzieckiem. Dzieckiem, z którym potrafi się dogadywać jak z przyjacielem, przekomarzać i kłócić jak z rodzeństwem, wychowywać i uczyć tak, jak najlepszy rodzic tylko potrafi. Które kocha dziko, gwałtownie i do bólu. Które jest całym jego życiem i które ZAWSZE jest na pierwszym miejscu.
Connor, syn Spencera, jest absolutnie fantastyczny. Malutki jak na swój wiek - genów nie oszukasz, nieśmiały do bólu, jego jedynym przyjacielem jest jego tata - w szkole nie ma nawet znajomych. Próby ewentualnego uziemienia go w domu są nic niewarte - i tak z niego nie wychodzi. A jednocześnie w tym wszystkim jest synem swojego ojca - potrafi być uparty jak osioł, potrafi się przekomarzać i rzucać złośliwości w stronę Spencera jak równy z równym. W szkole jest tylko przemykającym po korytarzach cieniem - a i tak zostaje zauważony przez szkolnych dręczycieli. I od tego właściwie zaczyna się historia - od przyłapania przez Spencera, jak Connor jest w szkole zastraszany. Tak trafia do centrum młodzieży i do programu Big Brother/Big Sister. I tak poznaje Tima...
Tim ma swoje za uszami. Za fasadą pewnego siebie, spokojnego i pogodnego faceta kryje swoje niepewności. Ostatni rok - nieudany, toksyczny związek i niedopuszczenie po 4 latach nauki w college'u do magisterki przez profesora, któremu dosłownie nie chciał possać kutasa - podkopało mocno jego wiarę w siebie. Zamiast przygotowywać się do zdobycia tytułu magistra, ląduje w piekarni na porannej zmianie. A że od dawna pomaga w centrach młodzieży jako wolontariusz, to po przeprowadzce również się do takiego zgłasza. I tam trafia na Connora...
Niezmiernie mi się podobało, jak wszystko między tą całą trójką się rozwijało - pomimo tak parszywego i niefortunnego pierwszego spotkania pomiędzy Timem a Spencerem (i chyba nie muszę tutaj dodawać, że była to tylko i wyłącznie wina Spencera 😉). Jak fantastycznie się wpasowali - i tak naturalnie. Jakby byli dla siebie stworzeni. Connor nie był irytującym nastoletnim dodatkiem - był pełnoprawnym bohaterem, bez którego nie byłoby ani tej historii, ani tej rodziny. Było pełno różnych odcieni szarości, zarówno w wydarzeniach, rozwiązaniach, jak i w bohaterach - nic nie było czarno-białe. Nikt nie był doskonały. Ale wszystko było rzeczywiste i tak bardzo ludzkie...
Naprawdę bardzo mi się podobało 💙
Ciągle jestem duuuużą fanką zarówno samej historii, jak i bohaterów 🤗
* * * * * * *
Jeżeli chodzi o historię, dostałam dokładnie to, czego się spodziewałam po blurbie. Natomiast to, czego się nie spodziewałam, to jak bogaci, pełni, trójwymiarowi i do bólu prawdziwi będą bohaterowie - zwłaszcza Spencer i Connor. I nie spodziewałam się zupełnie, że tak bardzo, bardzo, bardzo mi się spodoba.
Czy to slow-burn? Jasne.
Czy Spencer jest trudnym bohaterem? Zdecydowanie.
Czy go pokochałam? Z całego serducha.
Spencer naprawdę jest trudnym do polubienia bohaterem. Można go z jednej strony łatwo pokochać, ale z drugiej jeszcze łatwiej znienawidzić. 28-letni nauczyciel w szkole średniej, od 14 lat tata Connora. Mający jakieś 165 cm wzrostu, drobny, bez zarostu często brany za dużo młodszego, niż jest w rzeczywistości. Pełen sprzeczności - sarkastyczny, zgryźliwy, uparty, często słownie atakuje pierwszy, postrach uczniów. Czasami jego filtr między mózgiem a ustami po prostu nie działa - może się zapycha od ilości myśli i scenariuszy tego, co może pójść źle, które ma w głowie 😉 Jest dupkiem, do czego sam się chętnie przyznaje. A z drugiej strony za tą całą fasadą, którą prezentuje światu, jest tak niepewny pod każdym prawie względem, ma bardzo złe doświadczenia ze szkoły, kiedy sam jeszcze był uczniem - i to mocno rzutuje na jego życie. Jest przeświadczony, że życie spędzi samotnie - normalnie nikt by go nie chciał, nawet gdyby był sam, a co dopiero z dzieckiem. Dzieckiem, z którym potrafi się dogadywać jak z przyjacielem, przekomarzać i kłócić jak z rodzeństwem, wychowywać i uczyć tak, jak najlepszy rodzic tylko potrafi. Które kocha dziko, gwałtownie i do bólu. Które jest całym jego życiem i które ZAWSZE jest na pierwszym miejscu.
Connor, syn Spencera, jest absolutnie fantastyczny. Malutki jak na swój wiek - genów nie oszukasz, nieśmiały do bólu, jego jedynym przyjacielem jest jego tata - w szkole nie ma nawet znajomych. Próby ewentualnego uziemienia go w domu są nic niewarte - i tak z niego nie wychodzi. A jednocześnie w tym wszystkim jest synem swojego ojca - potrafi być uparty jak osioł, potrafi się przekomarzać i rzucać złośliwości w stronę Spencera jak równy z równym. W szkole jest tylko przemykającym po korytarzach cieniem - a i tak zostaje zauważony przez szkolnych dręczycieli. I od tego właściwie zaczyna się historia - od przyłapania przez Spencera, jak Connor jest w szkole zastraszany. Tak trafia do centrum młodzieży i do programu Big Brother/Big Sister. I tak poznaje Tima...
Tim ma swoje za uszami. Za fasadą pewnego siebie, spokojnego i pogodnego faceta kryje swoje niepewności. Ostatni rok - nieudany, toksyczny związek i niedopuszczenie po 4 latach nauki w college'u do magisterki przez profesora, któremu dosłownie nie chciał possać kutasa - podkopało mocno jego wiarę w siebie. Zamiast przygotowywać się do zdobycia tytułu magistra, ląduje w piekarni na porannej zmianie. A że od dawna pomaga w centrach młodzieży jako wolontariusz, to po przeprowadzce również się do takiego zgłasza. I tam trafia na Connora...
Niezmiernie mi się podobało, jak wszystko między tą całą trójką się rozwijało - pomimo tak parszywego i niefortunnego pierwszego spotkania pomiędzy Timem a Spencerem (i chyba nie muszę tutaj dodawać, że była to tylko i wyłącznie wina Spencera 😉). Jak fantastycznie się wpasowali - i tak naturalnie. Jakby byli dla siebie stworzeni. Connor nie był irytującym nastoletnim dodatkiem - był pełnoprawnym bohaterem, bez którego nie byłoby ani tej historii, ani tej rodziny. Było pełno różnych odcieni szarości, zarówno w wydarzeniach, rozwiązaniach, jak i w bohaterach - nic nie było czarno-białe. Nikt nie był doskonały. Ale wszystko było rzeczywiste i tak bardzo ludzkie...
Naprawdę bardzo mi się podobało 💙
April 21, 2020
4.25 stars
May 25, 2024
4.5 stars. Exceptional story telling, single dad to a high schooler. Slooow burn, slice-of-life story where we get to know the main characters very very well. This story is about the characters, their personalities, their hopes, dreams, failures, struggles and successes. It’s a deep dive into who they are and what they need to be happy. It’s very realistic, there are great conversations but not a ton of sass or OTT remarks, just the right amount of silliness and sarcasm. It’s also two stories in one. We have the beautiful, platonic bonding story of a mentor/teen and the romantic story of the main couple. We see in great detail how all these relationship form and meld together to create a family.
Save this for when you want a warm, feel-good, Hallmark style story. Its ordinary people, doing ordinary things and it’s beautiful in its normalcy. Super low drama, super low angst, mild spice. This book will be especially well received by teachers and parents of pre-teens as those are big elements.
Age gap (6 years), m/m, teacher, kids, Big Brother, teen child, bullying with injury, HEA, Chicago, NYC, vers.
Save this for when you want a warm, feel-good, Hallmark style story. Its ordinary people, doing ordinary things and it’s beautiful in its normalcy. Super low drama, super low angst, mild spice. This book will be especially well received by teachers and parents of pre-teens as those are big elements.
Age gap (6 years), m/m, teacher, kids, Big Brother, teen child, bullying with injury, HEA, Chicago, NYC, vers.
September 14, 2022
To był dobrze spędzony czas. Bohaterowie od pierwszej chwili skradli me serce. Niesamowite dialogi i świetny humor. Taka miła, bezproblemowa czytelnicza przejażdżka, jest miłą odskocznią po cięższych lekturach. Piąteczka :)
May 3, 2020
Loved just about everything in this book.
April 25, 2020
3,5 stars.
I liked this book, but didn't love it like I expected to do. I don't know exactly why, though. Maybe it was the writing, maybe it was the fact that I didn't really feel the connection between Tim and Spencer. There were some parts I skipped because the story lost my attention for a bit, but overall it was enjoyable enough for me to rate it 3+ stars.
I liked this book, but didn't love it like I expected to do. I don't know exactly why, though. Maybe it was the writing, maybe it was the fact that I didn't really feel the connection between Tim and Spencer. There were some parts I skipped because the story lost my attention for a bit, but overall it was enjoyable enough for me to rate it 3+ stars.
March 30, 2020
I am new to Dan Wingreen's books and this one was a fantastic introduction. This is a well-written, humourous, touching novel about two men, one of whom has a teenaged son and the way they meet... and become more.
Spencer is a single father of a young teen named Connor. Connor is quiet and a bit withdrawn and when he agrees to go to a youth center he is assigned a "big brother" - Tim. Tim is a volunteer. He's fled school after refusing to have sex with a Professor got him threatened and he's broken up with his boyfriend. Once the three of these characters are together, a lovely, long and winding tale begins as they all get to know one another.
There are a few really significant themes going on in this book. Spencer is a young father. He became a father when he was fourteen. years old. He's grown into his role, but it wasn't always easy. His son, Connor is his pride and joy. But what I truly enjoyed was the relationship between the two of them. They certainly don't have a perfect relationship and that made me incredibly happy. Their conversations, battles, and arguments were so realistic that I was instantly invested in both of these characters. Wingreen. has done a wonderful job of presenting some of the trials of being a young parent, living with a teen who struggles with being social, life in general!
One of the other issues that is so well written in this story is about bullying. Connor is bullied at school, probably for being different and shy. But when it turns physical it becomes a huge obstacle for Connor and his Dad to overcome. bullying is a horrendous thing for any young person to deal with... anyone at all for that matter. In this novel, Wingreen does a fantastic job of presenting the ongoing frustration and long term effects of bullying. It can be really insidious and difficult to prove when it comes down to it. Connor struggles as he's a character on the cusp of adulthood. Spencer must fight his urges to take things into his own hands and try to protect his son at all costs.
What I really enjoyed in this story was the way the characters were so fully developed. Really, there are three main characters in this book. The POV may only shift between the adults, but it's clear from the beginning that Connor is a great character as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the way these three souls got to know each other.
Of note in this book? I absolutely loved the dialogue and texting between Spencer and Tim. It was equal parts hilarious, touching and entertaining. It's been a while since I have read "getting to know you" conversations with such delight.
There are a lot of heavy issues in this book, but the lightness shows through as well. It's real and great. Highly recommend this one.
Spencer is a single father of a young teen named Connor. Connor is quiet and a bit withdrawn and when he agrees to go to a youth center he is assigned a "big brother" - Tim. Tim is a volunteer. He's fled school after refusing to have sex with a Professor got him threatened and he's broken up with his boyfriend. Once the three of these characters are together, a lovely, long and winding tale begins as they all get to know one another.
There are a few really significant themes going on in this book. Spencer is a young father. He became a father when he was fourteen. years old. He's grown into his role, but it wasn't always easy. His son, Connor is his pride and joy. But what I truly enjoyed was the relationship between the two of them. They certainly don't have a perfect relationship and that made me incredibly happy. Their conversations, battles, and arguments were so realistic that I was instantly invested in both of these characters. Wingreen. has done a wonderful job of presenting some of the trials of being a young parent, living with a teen who struggles with being social, life in general!
One of the other issues that is so well written in this story is about bullying. Connor is bullied at school, probably for being different and shy. But when it turns physical it becomes a huge obstacle for Connor and his Dad to overcome. bullying is a horrendous thing for any young person to deal with... anyone at all for that matter. In this novel, Wingreen does a fantastic job of presenting the ongoing frustration and long term effects of bullying. It can be really insidious and difficult to prove when it comes down to it. Connor struggles as he's a character on the cusp of adulthood. Spencer must fight his urges to take things into his own hands and try to protect his son at all costs.
What I really enjoyed in this story was the way the characters were so fully developed. Really, there are three main characters in this book. The POV may only shift between the adults, but it's clear from the beginning that Connor is a great character as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the way these three souls got to know each other.
Of note in this book? I absolutely loved the dialogue and texting between Spencer and Tim. It was equal parts hilarious, touching and entertaining. It's been a while since I have read "getting to know you" conversations with such delight.
There are a lot of heavy issues in this book, but the lightness shows through as well. It's real and great. Highly recommend this one.
April 13, 2020
The first half of this book was really good, I enjoyed it so much. Connor was the brightest part of the entire story. He’s so sensitive and insecure and my heart went out to him. Spencer was such a great father, even being so young when he had him, and I really loved their relationship. Tim fit together to make this trio complete and he was such a great “big brother” to Connor.
The book started dragging about half way through and I felt there was too much inner dialogue at times. Plus I didn’t care about teacher politics and having kids the same age as Connor I was not impressed at Spencer as a teacher or the school in general. Spencer was on his phone gaming or texting instead of teaching and the entire Steph debacle seemed over the top and unnecessary.
I liked how Spencer and Tim dated and took their time to build a relationship but Spencer started to annoy me towards the end. I didn’t get why his height was such a huge deal. The way the author wrote him I thought he was only 5’3” or 5’4” but he’s really about 5’6” or 5’7” which is under average but I see a lot of men that are that height and they don’t stick out to me. I’m 5’7” and there’s a scene in the supermarket where Spencer can’t reach something on the upper shelf. I actually have gotten items off top shelves for other shoppers who are shorter with no problem so I didn’t understand why his height was harped on. It seemed more like the author has an issue with height. Spencer overall seemed like a huge baby about many things and by the end I was over him.
If the book was shorter and cut out some of the story I would’ve enjoyed this a lot more.
The book started dragging about half way through and I felt there was too much inner dialogue at times. Plus I didn’t care about teacher politics and having kids the same age as Connor I was not impressed at Spencer as a teacher or the school in general. Spencer was on his phone gaming or texting instead of teaching and the entire Steph debacle seemed over the top and unnecessary.
I liked how Spencer and Tim dated and took their time to build a relationship but Spencer started to annoy me towards the end. I didn’t get why his height was such a huge deal. The way the author wrote him I thought he was only 5’3” or 5’4” but he’s really about 5’6” or 5’7” which is under average but I see a lot of men that are that height and they don’t stick out to me. I’m 5’7” and there’s a scene in the supermarket where Spencer can’t reach something on the upper shelf. I actually have gotten items off top shelves for other shoppers who are shorter with no problem so I didn’t understand why his height was harped on. It seemed more like the author has an issue with height. Spencer overall seemed like a huge baby about many things and by the end I was over him.
If the book was shorter and cut out some of the story I would’ve enjoyed this a lot more.
March 31, 2020
Terrifying teacher and baking Big Brother give teen Connor the support he needs
3.5+🌟stars
I found the arc of the plot of this MM romance/family novel good and the minutiae of the characters' daily lives realistic. The author is not a bad writer, though he never passes up the chance to use lots of words when less would do the job just as well.
For me, this story would have been more enjoyable if shorter. Had I liked Spencer more, I might have wanted to read long passages about him. But Spencer repeatedly demonstrated that he was an immature jerk! Yes, he had a traumatic background when he became a single parent in his early teens. But he's now an adult in his late twenties with a 14 year-old to support. He's a high school teacher who focuses on texting and playing games on his phone when he should be teaching. He gets a kick out of terrorizing his students with fierce looks and essays, essays, essays (then complains about all the time it takes to grade them). His picky eating habits are similar to a six year old's, and he pops off accusing people without letting them get a word in. Tim, his son's recent college graduate, Big Brother friend, may think he's cute, adore his nerdy side and love Spencer's aggressive protectiveness of his bullied son, but I was not won over.😒
There's a current of abuse and coercion running through the story that paints a sad picture of the vigilance of our institutions of learning against bullying, assault and sexual abuse. Sad, probably true, but hopefully not as prevalent as here where all of the main characters have been directly impacted.
Thanks to Ninestar Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
3.5+🌟stars
I found the arc of the plot of this MM romance/family novel good and the minutiae of the characters' daily lives realistic. The author is not a bad writer, though he never passes up the chance to use lots of words when less would do the job just as well.
For me, this story would have been more enjoyable if shorter. Had I liked Spencer more, I might have wanted to read long passages about him. But Spencer repeatedly demonstrated that he was an immature jerk! Yes, he had a traumatic background when he became a single parent in his early teens. But he's now an adult in his late twenties with a 14 year-old to support. He's a high school teacher who focuses on texting and playing games on his phone when he should be teaching. He gets a kick out of terrorizing his students with fierce looks and essays, essays, essays (then complains about all the time it takes to grade them). His picky eating habits are similar to a six year old's, and he pops off accusing people without letting them get a word in. Tim, his son's recent college graduate, Big Brother friend, may think he's cute, adore his nerdy side and love Spencer's aggressive protectiveness of his bullied son, but I was not won over.😒
There's a current of abuse and coercion running through the story that paints a sad picture of the vigilance of our institutions of learning against bullying, assault and sexual abuse. Sad, probably true, but hopefully not as prevalent as here where all of the main characters have been directly impacted.
Thanks to Ninestar Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
April 4, 2020
I adored almost everything about this one!
I inhaled this so quickly that I didn't even slow down to highlight anything, which I regret now as I struggle to think of how to convince everyone to read it.
So read this one if you like
- the single parent trope
- slow burn
- awkward, honest romance
- smiling so hard your cheeks hurt
Spencer missed out on dating and love, but has been blessed with a wonderful teenage son. He thinks he missed his chance for 'the one' even though he's still young. He is sarcastic, cynical and pretty hilarious.
When Tim, through the local Youth program, becomes friends with Connor and eventually Spencer, they don't know how lucky they've gotten
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I inhaled this so quickly that I didn't even slow down to highlight anything, which I regret now as I struggle to think of how to convince everyone to read it.
So read this one if you like
- the single parent trope
- slow burn
- awkward, honest romance
- smiling so hard your cheeks hurt
Spencer missed out on dating and love, but has been blessed with a wonderful teenage son. He thinks he missed his chance for 'the one' even though he's still young. He is sarcastic, cynical and pretty hilarious.
When Tim, through the local Youth program, becomes friends with Connor and eventually Spencer, they don't know how lucky they've gotten
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
I particularly liked the idea of Spencer, at only 28, having a 14-year-old son. That’s was an interesting plot point and not something you read very often. In fact, I’ve never read anything like that. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it really worked here. Speaking of an age gap, Tim is only 22 years old, and while it doesn’t seem like much, there is such a difference between 28 and 22, just in life experience. This also works in this story. I found myself completely caught up in Spencer and Tim. Connor too, but to a lesser extent. I rooted for them from the moment they met, even though the circumstances were less than ideal.
Another thing that really pushed my buttons is how Tim becomes so attached to Connor. It wasn’t just him taking the boy to the park to play catch; there were real emotions here, from both of them. I loved how, after Spencer and Tim begin their relationship, Tim tells Connor that he was there for him first, and he’ll always be on his side. I felt that to my core. The author wrote, not only this scene, but the entirety of Tim and Connor’s special relationship, beautifully.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
I particularly liked the idea of Spencer, at only 28, having a 14-year-old son. That’s was an interesting plot point and not something you read very often. In fact, I’ve never read anything like that. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it really worked here. Speaking of an age gap, Tim is only 22 years old, and while it doesn’t seem like much, there is such a difference between 28 and 22, just in life experience. This also works in this story. I found myself completely caught up in Spencer and Tim. Connor too, but to a lesser extent. I rooted for them from the moment they met, even though the circumstances were less than ideal.
Another thing that really pushed my buttons is how Tim becomes so attached to Connor. It wasn’t just him taking the boy to the park to play catch; there were real emotions here, from both of them. I loved how, after Spencer and Tim begin their relationship, Tim tells Connor that he was there for him first, and he’ll always be on his side. I felt that to my core. The author wrote, not only this scene, but the entirety of Tim and Connor’s special relationship, beautifully.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
March 29, 2020
I loved Tim, Spencer and Connor. They felt so real and endearing that I wished I could reach them through the pages and smother them with hugs.
Tim was hesitant and doubtful of his every move, Spencer tried to hide his shyness with sarcasm, and Connor was the sweetest and loneliest kid. Their story is one of friendship that developed into more, while slowly their flaws and insecurities became puzzle pieces clicking together perfectly.
As mentioned in the warnings, the book did treat some serious issues. Connor's being bullied, especially, caused me huge distress and heartbreak. I loved how it made Spencer and Tim clause ranks around Connor, and how they tried to solve the problem together. BUT, aside from this ugliness, this was a sweet, funny, moving story about trust, love and family.
*ARC provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing&Design in exchange for an honest review
Tim was hesitant and doubtful of his every move, Spencer tried to hide his shyness with sarcasm, and Connor was the sweetest and loneliest kid. Their story is one of friendship that developed into more, while slowly their flaws and insecurities became puzzle pieces clicking together perfectly.
As mentioned in the warnings, the book did treat some serious issues. Connor's being bullied, especially, caused me huge distress and heartbreak. I loved how it made Spencer and Tim clause ranks around Connor, and how they tried to solve the problem together. BUT, aside from this ugliness, this was a sweet, funny, moving story about trust, love and family.
*ARC provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing&Design in exchange for an honest review
September 25, 2020
"I would have strapped her down to a table for nine months and ripped Connor out of her womb myself if that was the only way I could have had him."
Saying this about a 13 year old pregnant girl for wanting an abortion is so awful. Especially when it's coming from an adult man with the benefit of hindsight.
Saying this about a 13 year old pregnant girl for wanting an abortion is so awful. Especially when it's coming from an adult man with the benefit of hindsight.
March 29, 2020
4.5 stars
Dan Wingreen is a new-to-me author, and I’m very happy I chose to give him a try, because I wound up loving this contemporary romance.
What brings Spencer and Tim together as a couple originally is their shared concern for Spencer’s son Connor; he’s being bullied in school, so Spencer signs him up for the Big Brother program Tim participates in. I appreciated the focus on family in the book, with the relationship between Spencer and Connor being as important to the story as the romance between Spencer and Tim. Spencer and Connor reminded me somewhat of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, actually, in that they are close enough in age to be friends as much as parent and child. (If you’re wondering how a 28-year-old gay man wound up with a 14-year-old son—well, it involves alcohol and young Spencer trying to prove he was straight. The night obviously didn’t turn out as planned.)
Spencer and Connor aren’t quite as funny as Lorelai and Rory, but there’s still a lot of humor in the story. Spencer is sarcastic and awkward, with a tendency to say whatever he thinks, sometimes to hilarious effect. I wasn’t expecting a book that was laugh-out-loud funny at times, so that was a nice surprise.
I liked both Spencer and Tim, and I loved them together as a couple. Tim often refers to Spencer as adorable, and he really is charming in all his awkward glory. Tim is six years younger, but unlike Spencer, whose social life got put on a back burner because of Connor, Tim has been involved with a fair number of guys. He winds up taking the lead a lot, and the way they interact is super cute. When the rather lonely Tim is welcomed into Spencer and Connor’s family, it’s very sweet. And while the romance is slow burn, the reader eventually gets some genuine heat, too.
I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances with a focus on family life.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.
Dan Wingreen is a new-to-me author, and I’m very happy I chose to give him a try, because I wound up loving this contemporary romance.
What brings Spencer and Tim together as a couple originally is their shared concern for Spencer’s son Connor; he’s being bullied in school, so Spencer signs him up for the Big Brother program Tim participates in. I appreciated the focus on family in the book, with the relationship between Spencer and Connor being as important to the story as the romance between Spencer and Tim. Spencer and Connor reminded me somewhat of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, actually, in that they are close enough in age to be friends as much as parent and child. (If you’re wondering how a 28-year-old gay man wound up with a 14-year-old son—well, it involves alcohol and young Spencer trying to prove he was straight. The night obviously didn’t turn out as planned.)
Spencer and Connor aren’t quite as funny as Lorelai and Rory, but there’s still a lot of humor in the story. Spencer is sarcastic and awkward, with a tendency to say whatever he thinks, sometimes to hilarious effect. I wasn’t expecting a book that was laugh-out-loud funny at times, so that was a nice surprise.
I liked both Spencer and Tim, and I loved them together as a couple. Tim often refers to Spencer as adorable, and he really is charming in all his awkward glory. Tim is six years younger, but unlike Spencer, whose social life got put on a back burner because of Connor, Tim has been involved with a fair number of guys. He winds up taking the lead a lot, and the way they interact is super cute. When the rather lonely Tim is welcomed into Spencer and Connor’s family, it’s very sweet. And while the romance is slow burn, the reader eventually gets some genuine heat, too.
I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances with a focus on family life.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.
April 25, 2020
4.5 - 5 stars rounded up...
What was my initial thought when I finished The Family We Make? “Things that would normally bug me about a character’s actions I could let slide in The Family We Make, simply because these characters were so delightfully real. ❤ ” I let this one sit for a few days before writing this review, and I still stand behind that thought.
It’s taken me a while to figure out how to approach this review. I finally decided to ignore the things that might bother some readers, just know that there are all sorts of trigger points. What I can say is that those triggers or those things that both Tim, Spencer and others did didn’t make me like them any less, they just made Tim and Spencer more human and in turn, more relatable. I’m a firm believer in forgiving people who do stupid things when they’re, well, young and stupid. I’m also aware that there are things that a lot of people (myself included) would do that may seem out of character if it involved protecting a loved one, especially a child.
As much as I loved Spencer, he did not make it easy. He was brash, sarcastic and more often than not had no filter between his brain and his mouth. His first meeting with Tim didn’t go well and would have been a total failure, if not for Connor. I loved the interactions between both Connor and Tim and Connor and Spencer. Their love and concern for Connor was the thing that brought them together, but it didn’t happen over night. They both had too much personal history to jump into anything, especially they didn’t really like each other despite their physical attraction.
There was a lot to love about The Family We Make. I adored the relationship between father and son as much as I loved the budding relationship between Tim and Connor. The slow burn between Spencer and Tim was realistic and the sense of family was strong even before the characters realized what was happening. Was it a perfect story? Of course not. There were things that could have probably been left out, but even those things drove the story where it needed to go. This was my first Dan Wingreen book, but now that he’s on my radar, I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last.
I received The Family We Make in exchange for a fair and honest review.
What was my initial thought when I finished The Family We Make? “Things that would normally bug me about a character’s actions I could let slide in The Family We Make, simply because these characters were so delightfully real. ❤ ” I let this one sit for a few days before writing this review, and I still stand behind that thought.
It’s taken me a while to figure out how to approach this review. I finally decided to ignore the things that might bother some readers, just know that there are all sorts of trigger points. What I can say is that those triggers or those things that both Tim, Spencer and others did didn’t make me like them any less, they just made Tim and Spencer more human and in turn, more relatable. I’m a firm believer in forgiving people who do stupid things when they’re, well, young and stupid. I’m also aware that there are things that a lot of people (myself included) would do that may seem out of character if it involved protecting a loved one, especially a child.
As much as I loved Spencer, he did not make it easy. He was brash, sarcastic and more often than not had no filter between his brain and his mouth. His first meeting with Tim didn’t go well and would have been a total failure, if not for Connor. I loved the interactions between both Connor and Tim and Connor and Spencer. Their love and concern for Connor was the thing that brought them together, but it didn’t happen over night. They both had too much personal history to jump into anything, especially they didn’t really like each other despite their physical attraction.
There was a lot to love about The Family We Make. I adored the relationship between father and son as much as I loved the budding relationship between Tim and Connor. The slow burn between Spencer and Tim was realistic and the sense of family was strong even before the characters realized what was happening. Was it a perfect story? Of course not. There were things that could have probably been left out, but even those things drove the story where it needed to go. This was my first Dan Wingreen book, but now that he’s on my radar, I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last.
I received The Family We Make in exchange for a fair and honest review.
March 29, 2020
The Family We Make
4 stars
The Family We Make is a standalone story by Dan Wingreen. Spencer Kent is a 28-year-old single father of a 14-year-old. He has given up on love and has devoted his life to his son and his job. He is a teacher, and he’s worried about his son who’s friendless and getting beaten up, so with the urging of his close friend and fellow teacher, Spencer signs his son up for a Big Brother/ Big Sister program. Timothy Ellis is working at a bakery. He was going to school for psychology but when he turned down a physical relationship with his adviser, he was dropped from graduate school. He is scared he was blacklisted so he never applied elsewhere. Tim, who likes volunteering with youth, also joins a Big Brother / Big Sister program. Spencer and Tim's first meeting is interesting and they quickly grow close.
Spencer is hilarious. While he is 28, he comes off as so much younger. He forgets to grocery shop, forgets to make his kid’s lunch and bribes his son to do things. He is hilarious. Tim is the complete opposite - at 22 he is responsible and seems to have his life together. Spencer and Tim are a cute couple, though, and balance each other out perfectly
I really liked this book. Spencer made me laugh many times and I finished this book in one sitting. I really wish there was more. My only complaint is we didn't get to see the "meeting the parents" scene. I feel like that would have been hilarious. Anyways, I was happy with the ending and although we probably won’t, I hope we get to see Spencer and Tim again.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
4 stars
The Family We Make is a standalone story by Dan Wingreen. Spencer Kent is a 28-year-old single father of a 14-year-old. He has given up on love and has devoted his life to his son and his job. He is a teacher, and he’s worried about his son who’s friendless and getting beaten up, so with the urging of his close friend and fellow teacher, Spencer signs his son up for a Big Brother/ Big Sister program. Timothy Ellis is working at a bakery. He was going to school for psychology but when he turned down a physical relationship with his adviser, he was dropped from graduate school. He is scared he was blacklisted so he never applied elsewhere. Tim, who likes volunteering with youth, also joins a Big Brother / Big Sister program. Spencer and Tim's first meeting is interesting and they quickly grow close.
Spencer is hilarious. While he is 28, he comes off as so much younger. He forgets to grocery shop, forgets to make his kid’s lunch and bribes his son to do things. He is hilarious. Tim is the complete opposite - at 22 he is responsible and seems to have his life together. Spencer and Tim are a cute couple, though, and balance each other out perfectly
I really liked this book. Spencer made me laugh many times and I finished this book in one sitting. I really wish there was more. My only complaint is we didn't get to see the "meeting the parents" scene. I feel like that would have been hilarious. Anyways, I was happy with the ending and although we probably won’t, I hope we get to see Spencer and Tim again.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
April 16, 2020
This has some really good elements - flawed but fantastic main characters; a teen boy who develops realistically; some twisty, turny plot points keeping the narrative drive interesting, and a love story with heart and happiness.
(Gosh, I sound cheesy today).
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me this book. It's already been out for a couple of weeks. If you are looking for an immersive mm romance that provides both humour and a little bit of heart-break, this is for you. It takes time for Spencer and Tim to get together, but that makes the story stronger, and when they do find each other, the commitment is real.
I really liked the role Connor played, but yes, be aware there are some unsavoury characters who take advantage of their position and power to reduce the self-worth of our deserving boys (all three of them).
I enjoyed this a lot.
(Gosh, I sound cheesy today).
Thanks to Netgalley for giving me this book. It's already been out for a couple of weeks. If you are looking for an immersive mm romance that provides both humour and a little bit of heart-break, this is for you. It takes time for Spencer and Tim to get together, but that makes the story stronger, and when they do find each other, the commitment is real.
I really liked the role Connor played, but yes, be aware there are some unsavoury characters who take advantage of their position and power to reduce the self-worth of our deserving boys (all three of them).
I enjoyed this a lot.
January 13, 2021
La historia es muy bonita pero a mi personalmente no me gustó nada el libro porque Spenser me resultó odioso. Quizás es por la forma de narrar la historia porque a veces resulta muy cómico y ácido pero otras es insufrible.
Además toca temas muy controvertidos pero no profundiza en ellos más que en lo justo para dramatizar un poco la cosa y luego los soluciona de un plumazo como si no fuesen suficientemente graves, y por ello le quito estrellas
No la disfruté en absoluto.
Además toca temas muy controvertidos pero no profundiza en ellos más que en lo justo para dramatizar un poco la cosa y luego los soluciona de un plumazo como si no fuesen suficientemente graves, y por ello le quito estrellas
No la disfruté en absoluto.
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