Jared Sanderson has spent his life wanting to be a hero. That's why he became a cop. It was a life that kept him busy and organized without any worry about long-term romantic relationships. Those were best left to his three brothers. Life was simple until Jared nipped his old high school friend, Quinn, at the Fun Run finish line.
Quinn Martin left the small town of Lincolnport as a high school senior and cut all of his social ties, including a casual friendship with Jared. A lingering sense of guilt about a disaster in the past kept Quinn away from the idea of committed dating relationships while his professional inn-keeping career prospered.
Meeting again as two out gay adults in the best physical condition of their lives causes the old smoldering attraction between Jared and Quinn to kindle into a flame. Unfortunately, Quinn's secret and Jared's doubts conspire in an attempt to sink the new relationship.
A Man for Jared is a 58,000-word gay friends to lovers romance with strong family relationship themes. Suicidal thoughts and deaths caused by drunk driving play a role in the plot. This is the second book in the Sanderson Brothers series following A Song for Noah. All of the books can be read as standalone stories, but they are best read as a continuing series about the Sanderson family including all four brothers as characters in each novel.
OK, let's clear the air here. I am a very big fan of Declan Rhodes--I have read most of his books and just love the way he gets into the usually messed-up heads of his various MCs to bring them to their senses. This one, however, has a couple of issues.
First, it's the second in a series about four orphaned brothers, three of whom are gay, the oldest of which (Noah) was on the cover and truly the protagonist of the story that involved a high school friend turned major rock star coming back to town and making up and making love. That is a sweet story which introduced us to the Sanderson boys and their sweet Aunt Carrie, who took them in when their parents were killed in a car accident caused by a drunken driver. We also got a host of crazy characters in Lincolnport, a small town in Wisconsin down the road apiece from Lake Michigan.
In this one, the second youngest brother, Jared, is supposed to be the focus, right? Well, two things: If that's him on the cover, the artist did not read any part of the book except to get the color of his eyes right. He's a cop with a severe buzz cut of his sandy blond hair (mentioned several times) while Quinn, the man who eventually stumbles back into his life has long black hair and brown eyes. Whatever.
As for the story, well there is always a secret and this one is a doozy, kept from Jared for a long time after he and Quinn, who lives in and owns a B&B in Maple Grove, a town about 40 minutes from Lincolnport, meet and get to do a lot of greeting. There are far more interactions among Quinn's family and friends than Jared's, and a somewhat glossed-over criminal plot that sort of consumes Jared.
But this is Quinn's book, and I liked it, though I think it's more 3 1/2 than four stars. Over to you, and yes, I will get the next one which apparently does not feature one of the brothers, maybe.
I love DeClan Rhodes. This was really a 3 and 1/2 star read for me , but it was still a winner. His books just always flow. I love the way he writes so every book deserves 4 stars.
This was really a journey of looking through the window of a love story. Pleasant and charming reconnection story of friends to lovers. Quinn was so charming, you just want to give him hugs. He just needed to trust his friendship/love for Jared to move open up to him. The conflict was so real, I was happy when he came clean. Good read.
This title is misleading for me. Why you say? Because for me it was a story of Quinn and the heavily guilty conscience he carried for so long. His guilt kept him from believing that the "accident" was just that-an accident caused by two men who made the wrong choice with both paying a heavy price for their choices. I see that Jared is written as the main character but for me he was a secondary one. Granted he took his cop duties seriously, but he lacked forgiveness and made a huge mistake in not researching the circumstances of Quinn's situation before jumping to conclusions, hanging up as Quinn bared his soul, and shutting Quinn out. The reveal to Jared was also slow in coming in the plot. Up to the reveal the plot seemed to plod along for me. Sure, there was the Sanderson family interactions and Aunt Carrie was her usual feisty self. And the interaction between Miss Sandra, Mr. Tenpole, Grace, Randy was just sweet icing on the cake of this book. Of course, the telling brought up memories of the Sanderson parents' death because of a drunk driver but still Jared should have heard Quinn out. Mistakes like this are made by everyone but Jared was a supposedly a properly trained officer and should have fallen back on his training and searched out the facts. For me this was a flaw in Jared's character. I was given an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest opinion/review.
There are a few things I've come to expect from a book by Declan Rhodes: a solid storyline, wonderful characters you can't help but root for, some steamy fun, and feels, lots of feels. A Man for Jared doesn't disappoint and throws in the added bonus of being a slow burn love story without feeling like it. What I mean by that is the story doesn't lag at all. Things move along at a steady pace even as Jared and Quinn take their time with each other. This one does hit on some serious stuff, part of which leads to that angsty obstacle our guys have to overcome. Now, that subject matter could've gone a couple of different ways, but Rhodes handled it very well in my opinion. It isn't just glossed over, but it doesn't overshadow the romance. The author does a good job of showing how certain things shaped the characters' lives without being all that they are. The only drawback for me was the case Jared was working. I realize that it was a bit of side story to move things along, but I would've liked to have seen more development there, especially considering the nature of the case. That said, the case is just one small element of the story and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their romance. Jared and Quinn's story kind of overlaps with the storyline from book 1 in the series, A Song for Noah, but it can still be read as a standalone. That said, once you've met any of these characters, you'll want to know them all, so I'd recommend starting at the beginning.
A men in suits mystery, a renewed romance from high school, and a secret that could have derailed a fated pairing.
In this sequenced love story featuring the gay Sanderson brothers, the focus is on Jared, who has always aspired to a career in law enforcement. Representing his police force in a fun run, he reunites with Quinn, a high school friend—their renewed acquaintance blossoms into romance. Quinn runs a small inn and swims for exercise, developing a triangle-shaped physique that Jared admires. The depth of Declan Rhodes's characters makes this, and most of his books, worth reading.
Readers of this series will remember that the untimely deaths of the Sanderson brothers’ parents in a drunk driving accident are frequently referenced. In this case, Quinn harbors a secret that becomes a burden in their budding romance.
Additionally, there’s a mystery involving ‘strange men in suits’ lingering around the area where Quinn’s inn is located, which has already caught the attention of Jared’s police chief. It’s more complex than a Hardy Boys mystery but less intricate than a Donald Strachey mystery that emerges during the revelations about Quinn’s past and his confession to Jared.
As expected, it concludes with a happy ending, featuring appearances from all the major characters in the Sanderson series, making it a heartwarming read. This installment carries more emotion than the other series contributions, but it’s worth diving into.
"He was the first man to locate my heart so quickly."
For the second book of the Sanderson Brother's series, by Declan Rhodes, we get a bit of an emotional read with "A Man for Jared." Not really a second chance romance, because I don't think that Jared and Quinn were ever good friends in high school. It was more along the lines of," Oh, yeah, we had a couple of classes together. " Quin sort of quietly, disappeared their senior year, and it didn't create much of a ripple. Quinn and Jared meet again, a few years later, at the Lincolnport Fun Run, and the sparks are soon flying. Quinn owns a B&B right up the coast, and Jared is a cop in Lincolnport. Being a Sanderson, Jared has his issues, but Quinn is harboring a terrible secret. When you're dealing with someone who has trust issues, when exactly, is the best time to deliver some news, that could be a deal breaker? In this small-town romance, you can expect drama, angst, good-natured family involvement, humorous situations, emotional turmoil, heavy topics, excitement, some steam, and romance. I enjoyed that the author stepped out of his usual low-angst romances, and really challenged his characters. A gratifying read. I received this book as an ARC from the author, and I volunteered this review.
'Jared' (Sanderson Brothers series, Book 2) written by Declan Rhodes (Kindle)
First off I want to mention that the model on the cover looks nothing like how Jared is described, and more like Quinn.
Engaging storyline although a few gaps here and there, especially with the side story of the men in black. I wanted more.
And Jared comes across as a bit of an arrogant jerk sometimes. I get that he's upset when Quinn tells him his secret from the past due to how Jared's parents died. But (ffs) at least let Quinn finish telling the rest of what happened before acting like a judgemental arse-hat and storming off, and then ignoring him for a while!
The storyline focused more on Quinn than Jared, including some delightful side characters.
Idk, something about Jared annoyed me and I can't quite put my finger on it.
There were some unfolding side dramas as well, involving Quinn's step-mom and a new beau, and others which were interesting.
I loved all the brotherly interactions, some serious and some funny!
What's up with constantly calling attention to Jared's swimming technique?
Quinn was the star of this book, for me. I felt like I could relate to so much of his story, while Jared was a bit of a blank slate. I loved that Quinn had found strength and peace in swimming in Lake Michigan from an initial, very dark, place of despair. He definitely had experienced trauma and tragedy, but he was able to find the will to learn from his mistakes and became the stronger for it.
Jared was harder for me to connect to. He was a bit too perfect for my taste. And I didn’t really feel that he had much growth during the course of this story. Though I was certainly thinking that he would probably discover Quinn’’s past on his own, or through his job (somehow) - which would have made the whole reveal so much worse than it actually turned out.
With all of the news that’s going on right now, I liked that Jared being a cop wasn’t politicized. He was simply a good guy, in a sometimes dangerous job.
3.5 stars So, this second book in the Sanderson brothers series was an enjoyable gay romance novel. However, the grammar and writing style was occasionally awkward, the point of view changed to the wrong person in the middle of a chapter at least twice, and what turns out to be a major case requiring surveillance that Jared is assigned to--and is only told vague information about--seems to not take up all that much of his time and ends up being solved in the most random encounter ever. Additionally, the title can be seen as misleading since we get to know Quinn better than Jared. Anyway, while I liked the previous novel A Song for Noah a lot more, I still enjoyed this one too.
Sometimes, the fear in your mind is the biggest weight. Jared, Cop, out feels his calling to serve and protect. He was raised by his beloved Aunt Carrie with his brothers after their parents were killed by a drunk driver. He lives in Lincolnport. Quinn, works with his friend Grace at the Inn he owns in Maple Grove. They had history from high school and met during a competitive run. Quinn carried a burden that eats him up and directs how he lives his life. This was a good story. There was lots of romance with lots of couples. There was a mystery and some serious action. Good flow. Good characters. I would enjoy a few hundred more pages spending time with all of these characters. Well done! I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jared has been avoiding relationships his adult life. Quinn carries a huge burden of guilt from as a result of irresponsible behavior years ago. While they have chemistry, neither is able to open fully to the other. They have built walls around themselves that need to come down before they can let each other in
We also find out more about Aunt Carrie, my favorite character in this series. She is the glue that held their family together. Hopefully in further books we get to see more of Quinn’s extended family. They are a lot of fun.
I received a free copy of this book from the author. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I love these second chance type of romances from Declan Rhodes. The Sanderson Brothers are an amazing family and now that 2 of 4 brothers have found their happily ever after, Jared hopes that someday, somewhere, he will find his, tough though it may be to find someone who is okay with his life as a police officer. Enter high school friend/acquaintance Quinn who lives with guilt every day that he just can't seem to let go of. Secrets have a way of breaking you down and eventually, these two will have to push through anger and doubt in order to find their way to each other. Some great side characters round out this story nicely!
Living in a small town can be comforting...or it can be a source of stress...since you may feel like you're living in a fish bowl and everyone sees everything and knows all your history.
This is an emotional story when everyone has faced pain in the past and are still working through their grief. When secrets come out...choices have to be made. Can you move forward or let the past hold you prisoner to your pain.
The second book in this series focuses on Jared and his story. It is a bit more of an emotional read than the first book, and it hit me pretty hard in places. There are some heavy topics that are explored and my heart broke for Quinn and the tragedy he has experienced. But it's not all angst and sadness. There is plenty of humour and heart, as well as a strong family connection, and a sweet romance between two likeable characters.
Jared and Quinn felt comfortable together to me. The kind of couple you meet and they just go together. Each is carrying scars from their past. Guilt and shame have Quinn hiding his, knowing that Jared has felt the consequences of his mistake. Jared has used his past as a shield against commitment until he bumps into Quinn again. There isn't any big drama. Yes, they have to work through their problems but they obviously love each other. The side characters are a lovely addition to the story.
Declan once again delivers a story of two independent men, with a career they love who are not interdependent but complement and support each other. And they are part of a network of friends and family with whom they actively interact and who influence their decisions, always positively.
Very enjoyable, and recommended for any reader looking for real life romance, even though I do not wish anybody to have to face a real life threatening situation as our two MCs.
Great book with wonderful Main characters, and an adorable, slobbery black lab 😊. Jared is such a good guy -with a massive heart, and he and Quinn are great together. Especially love how much interaction we got with the rest of the Sanderson brothers/family. Really looking forward to the next book in this series! 😎😎😎
The Main Characters are likable, butvthe story has too many holes. Lots of things glossed that should have been scenes were merely glossed over with a recap sentence. Some inconsistent characterizations, too. Found some grammar errors—not an above average amount, though.
Jared and Quinn are a great couple, both are steady and dependable and their chemistry is undeniable. Once they decide to pursue a relationship they both go all in and everything seems perfect but Quinn is carrying the one secret that could blow their relationship apart.
I really enjoyed reading this charming, sweet, endearing, engaging, delightful, poignant, fantastic, wonderful, and totally awesome twist on the friends-to-lovers, small towns, and friends-to-lovers storylines. I would definitely recommend getting this marvelous gem immediately.
This is an emotional read. Can Jared and Quinn get past the secrets that haven't yet come out and have their HEA? The characters were sweet and their story is heart wrenching
I enjoyed this slow burn, small town romance. I liked Jared and Quinn together. We even got a glimpse of the rest of the brothers. Looking forward to more.
Small-town guys catch up and find themselves hooked🎣!😉
This MM romance is pretty low angst and very family oriented. Both leads dote on the women in their life and are very protective. They've got one big issue that lies unspoken between them as they build a friendship that quickly heats up. I really like the setting in the small towns on the shores of the Great Lakes.
The romantic subplots related to Quinn's stepmother and his receptionist drew focus away from the guys' relationship on occasion, but the pairing of a buff cop and a sleekly-muscled innkeeper was a good one. I did not connect with these characters as much as Noah from the first book in the series, but I enjoyed the story and the bit of mystery thrown in with "the two men in suits."
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
What a fabulous set of brothers to read about caring for each other in every way. Jared is a hard working cop in a small community where not much goes on until one day an unexpected situation occurs. To say that we are pleased for Jared to find the man of his dreams in this book goes without saying ,this is Sanderson novel and should be read in order. Highly recommended