La lista

Second Chances #1

by Felice Stevens, Alice Arcoleo (Translator)

Ops. Ci è ricascato.
Elliot Hansen ha la terribile abitudine di innamorarsi di ogni uomo che frequenta.
I suoi amici ne hanno avuto abbastanza e creano una lista con le qualità che dovrebbe avere l’uomo perfetto per Elliot.
Quei fianchi stretti…
Quegli addominali…
Un fidanzato non dovrebbe essere più della somma di tutte le sue parti?
Eppure, quando il sexy detective Winston Rogers fa irruzione in camera sua per arrestare un ladro, Elliot sa che non gli dispiacerebbe spuntare dalla lista un paio di cosette con lui.

E se tu ne avessi avuto abbastanza?
Cinque anni dopo la morte del marito, Winston Rogers è single e determinato a restarlo.
Si getta a capofitto nel lavoro… più pericoloso è l’incarico, meglio è.
Non può rischiare di far soffrire ancora il suo cuore.
Ma poi un arresto di routine nella stanza da letto del vicino lascia Win a cercare più delle prove del crimine, perché il sorriso dolce e lo sguardo vulnerabile di quell’uomo toccano qualcosa in lui che pensava fosse smarrita per sempre.
Perché non godersi la compagnia reciproca senza impegno? Win ed Elliot decidono di creare una lista tutta loro.
Regola #1: Solamente amici di letto.
Regola #2: Non fare niente di stupido come innamorarsi.
Regola #3…
Vederli ignorare le prime due regole.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, LGBT, Friends To Lovers, Gay

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2021

About the author

Felice Stevens writes romance because what is better than people falling in love? Her favorite part of a romance novel is that first kiss…sigh. She loves creating stories of hopes and dreams and happily ever afters. Her stories are character-driven, rich with the sights, sounds and flavors of New York City and filled with men who are sometimes deeply flawed but always real.

Felice writes M/M romance because she believes that everyone deserves a happily ever after. Having traveled all over the world, she can safely say that the universal language that unites people is love. Felice has written in a variety of sub-genres, including contemporary, paranormal and has a mystery series as well.

Felice is a two-time Lambda Literary Award nominee and the Lambda award-winner for Best Gay Romance for her book, The Ghost and Charlie Muir, as well as the e-Lit gold medal winner in romance for Broken Silence.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING 4.5 STARS

The List is book one in the brand new series by Felice Stevens, Second Chances. This series is about four men who have been best friends since college, Elliot, Spencer, Wolf and Chess. In the fifteen years since they met, they have become more than best friends, they are more like family. As family does, they meddle in each others lives, they annoy each other, but most of all, they protect each other. This book is Elliot’s story.



Elliot Hansen is a freelance lifestyle reporter. Elliot is also unlucky in love. He has a habit of immediately falling in love with his boyfriends. He tries to make himself into what they want or need, losing himself along the way. And every time he ends up getting dumped, betrayed, or even scammed. His three best friends decide Elliot needs a list of what makes his perfect man. This list includes a few physical characteristics as well as some things Elliot adds, his favorite kinds of dates, places to go. But all Elliot really wants is just to be loved and appreciated.



I think in every book we are more drawn to one character, one who makes us feel all soft and squishy inside. In this book, that was detective Winston (Win) Rogers. Win had it all. He was madly in love with his husband and he loved his career as a detective in New York. But five years ago, he lost his husband in a needless accident. He can’t seem to get past his grief. Win moved into a new house six months ago and hasn’t even bothered to unpack. He goes to work and comes home. His partner (who I loved,) Forrest, is the only thing that keeps him going. To make Forrest happy, Win signed up for a dating app and has tried a couple of dates that didn’t go well. He just can’t force himself to feel something that’s not there. But then, on the way home late from work one night, he saw a burglar breaking into his neighbor’s house through the window. So Win followed him in and caught him in the master bedroom. As soon as the light came on and the man who was sleeping jumped up, parts of Win woke up that he thought were permanently gone.

“Let’s be unpredictable together.”



Elliot needs to figure out how to just be in a relationship without instantly picturing forever. And Win needs a no strings, friends with benefits relationship to help him ease back into life as a single man. So they strike a deal. Both of these men have pasts they are fighting against. They need each other more than either ever imagined. And you know that the more time they spent together, the more they began to feel for one another.



I loved these two together. Win was such a wonderful man. So darn swoony. And oh so sexy. Together they were so cute and adorable. But they both had things they needed to deal with individually before they could be an us.

Once again, I found Felice’s writing to be completely engaging, her characters so easy to fall in love with. I had to keep turning the pages to see how things would turn out. I loved Elliot’s three friends. Their group text was so much fun. And the epilogue was perfect. I can’t wait to see what’s next in this series and will also look forward to getting updates on Win and Elliot.

“Being with Elliot made life’s impossible moments possible again.”

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 1 out of 5]

Audio - The narrator has a great voice, but his performance....



I get that the more popular narrators maybe busy with other projects...but there are so many underused talented narrators.

I'm sure my list below will probably fall on blind eyes, but I'm going to name some of those underused talents:

Nick Hudson
Kaleo Griffith
Ethan Holtan
Kieran Flitton
Jason Frazier
J.R. Warlow
Kris Antham
Anderson Richards

Story -

Unfortunately, the robotic performance gave a rather good story a stilted and cheesy quality. What would have been a 4 to 4.5 star rating if not for casting the wrong narrator....



....BOUGHT IT DOWN TO A 1 TO 1.5 star

Needless to say, I'm kinda pissed the fuck off. If this is the narrator choice for the rest of the series, I'm not giving it a SECOND CHANCE. I'll just call it one and fucking done!

[Gustaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not much for writing reviews these days but I had to leave a review for this one. It was pure romance bliss!
I fell in love with Elliot and Win from the very first page and I couldn't stop reading. I wanted to wrap both Elliot and Win in bubbles and never let them go. Both men had past trauma and really needed something good to happen. Well, they did find each other.

Even though this book deals with some heavy topics, like death of a family member and being swindled out of money, it never went far into angst territory. Which was nice.

At one point, I had some well chosen words to tell Elliot's friends but other than that, everything was pretty great.

The next book is Chess and Andre's book, I can't wait to see how Felice Steven takes that on.

[Miriam still reading! HIATUS from GR · Rating 4 out of 5]

2.5 stars audio
4 stars story

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was a great start to a new series from Felice Stevens. Win and Elliot are seemingly looking for different things when they first unexpectedly meet, but for the sake of both of them moving forward decide to try a friends with benefits arrangement. Well, we all know how that works in a romance book, but Win and Elliot were such a joy to watch as they "date" and fall in love. Win has gotten a covert look at Elliot's list of what his perfect man should have, and uses it to guide his way to making Elliot happy, as a friend of course.

Both men are grieving something that is driving them to either seek love or avoid it, and even though it is a main point, the story is not overwhelmed by sadness. It's sweet, romantic, sexy and emotional.

Elliot's three best friends can sometimes be a bit much in their support, but I was drawn in by them and am really excited to see what future books will hold.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Right! That’s it. This quote was the straw that broke the book worm’s back:

“I need you now, in my mouth, in my body. You’re already in my heart.”

Fucks sake!! No one talks like this! I can’t bring myself to read anymore......

DNF at 88% 😆😆

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felice has this new series I am sure will make (at least me) swoon over these guys she introduced in the beginning of this series. Elliot, Chess, Wolf and Spencer. These four guy's friendship reminds me to the Breakfast club guys I loved so much.
This is Elliot's story, with Spencer's intervene with his love life.
Trying not to make a habit to meet a guy on his duty, Win met Elliot in his bedroom when he catches a bad guy who tried to rob Elliot.
Well, you know the rest :)
Elliot and Win has almost similar stories with a different background that they're trying to lived with.
But they didn't know, in the end, they have to deal with it together.
Losing someone and losing the life that you should have been, Win considered not to have a serious relationship, until he met Elliot, someone who's starving for love and affection, who's easily falling for the first man he dated.
I was a little bit upset with how Win treated his relationship with Elliot, but he made it up with talking about it.
What I really liked about them is they talked it out and never leave the problem between them unsolved for too long. The help from Win's parents and Elliot's friends also made it easier.
I wanted to hug little Elliot for what he had been through in his very early life, that's not what we expected our life to be. Maybe it's to late to reach it back, maybe not. I liked it that Felice left it open between Elliot and his past. The decision is never easy when you have a complicated past.
The List is not just a story about two guys falling in love, but it also tells more about relationship in general. Lovers, friends, parents.
I cannot wait for the next two books in the series!

[Dharshani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the epilogue, that must count for something.

[MaDoReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Primer libro que leo de la autora y que no me parece una sobredosis de azúcar, me ha pillado de buen humor, los personajes me han caído simpáticos, su historia es creíble, tienen química, vamos que mi grumpy self en lo que al MM se refiere me ha dado un descanso estos días y lo agradezco.
Continuaré con la serie sobre todo porque como no me haga un libro de Wolf y Spencer, quemaré cosas.

Edito para decir que el segundo y el tercer libro han sido tremendos DNF, se ve que este me pilló en un buen día, porque los otros dos libros, uf, cero patatero.

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hands off one of the cheesy stories I've ever read. No angst, over 40 year old MC's of which one reads as no older than 22. I think maybe it's me and not the book. But I have toothaches with some of the sweetness.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this a B- for narration and a B for content at AudioGals

The List is the first book in Felice Stevens’ new series, Second Chances, featuring Elliot, Spencer, Wolf and Chess, four men who have been friends since college, and who, in the fifteen years since they met, have become more than best friends – they’re family. The List is Elliot’s story, and it’ll be followed by Chess’ book and then… well, I have my suspicions ;)

Elliot Hansen has an unfortunate habit of falling in love with pretty much every man he dates. After his most recent break-up – with a guy who’d moved in with him, conned money out of him to start a business (which went nowhere) and then dumped him – his friends once again urge him to be more careful (read: less gullible), to try to protect himself a little more and not to assume every guy he goes out with wants the same things he does. They suggest he should stop looking to fall in love, that he should play the field and have some fun – but that’s not really Elliot’s style. All he wants – all he’s ever wanted, really – is to love and be loved. But he decides to maybe give ‘having fun’ a try – which is when Spencer jokingly writes a list of the things that would make Elliot’s perfect man… only the things he comes up with (hung like a horse, perfect abs, great ass) aren’t the things Elliot is looking for at all. Later, and more than a little annoyed at his friends’ not-so-gentle teasing, he crosses out all Spencer’s suggestions and adds some of his own – picnics, walks on the beach, long drives and days out at the zoo and local wineries.

Detective Winston Rogers lost his husband in an accident five years earlier and has found it hard to move on. Even though he’s not really interested in a new relationship, he’s signed up with a couple of dating sites at the instigation of his best friend/work-partner but hasn’t had a great deal of success with the guys he’s met so far. Arriving home late one night he sees someone climbing in through the window of the house next door – he parks in his driveway and follows, entering the house through the same window and slowly moving upstairs when he finds the downstairs empty.

As meet-cutes go, apprehending a burglar in the bedroom of your sleeping neighbour certainly wins points for originality! After the intruder is apprehended and taken away, Win takes a good look at his neighbour for the first time – and can’t help but notice that he’s really, really cute. It’s been a long time – five years – since he’s noticed that about anyone. Quickly telling himself to stop thinking inappropriate thoughts, he instead concentrates on looking around while Elliot checks to see if anything’s missing. That’s when Win notices a crumpled piece of paper sitting on the bedside table – and although he knows he shouldn’t read it… he does, finding himself relating to the second part of the list, the bit about long drives and walks on the beach. Before he leaves, Win brusquely tells Elliot he’ll help him fix the window.

After this, the two men start spending time together regularly, and when Elliot tells Win about his disastrous history with relationships, Win sees a way they can help each other. Win isn’t looking for love, but he does want companionship – and (hopefully) sex with someone he likes – something with no strings to help him adjust to life as a single man, while Elliot needs to learn how to have fun and be with someone without instantly thinking they’re ‘the one’.

The romance that ensues is lovely, full of genuine affection and tenderness as these two men find themselves falling in love, no matter how much they’ve told themselves they don’t want it (Win) or shouldn’t be looking for it (Elliot). Both are compelled by loss and hurt to either seek love (Elliot’s story is particularly heart-breaking), or avoid it, but together, they’re able to help each other to break the cycles they’re stuck in. Being with someone who is genuinely interested in him is something of a revelation for Elliot, who has never had that before, while Elliot’s kindness, good nature and affection eventually bring Win to see that he can let go of his grief and guilt and that he’s ready to accept love and happiness.

Win and Elliot are three-dimensional and engaging characters, although I confess I found Elliot’s naivété at the beginning a bit hard to swallow – but as the story progresses and the author slowly reveals what is driving him, it became impossible to see him as foolish or needy. Instead, I saw someone who had the strength to persevere when he was knocked back, and watching him finally get his heart’s desire was deeply satisfying. Elliot is an absolute sweetheart and Win is the grump to his sunshine; on the surface, they’re very different, but it turns out that they have very similar tastes. The additions Elliot made to the list are exactly the sort of things Win likes to do as well, things that speak to the sort of connection and companionship that are important to both of them.

I have a few niggles though. First of all, Win conceals a rather important detail from Elliot for reasons that don’t make a great deal of sense, and I really couldn’t buy Elliot’s mother’s sudden and total change of heart near the end. There were times I wanted to yell at Elliot’s friends because their well-meaning interference and ‘advice’ was sometimes harsh and their lack of sensitivity was… quite something. But then I suppose, when a group of people is as tight-knit as these friends are, they’re the only ones you can rely on to tell it like it is – and the truth isn’t always pretty. While they might not have covered themselves in glory in this book, I’m certainly going to be picking up their stories as they appear.

This is (I believe) Broadway actor Denis Lambert’s first foray into audiobook narration, and he acquits himself pretty well, delivering a well-paced and expressive performance that effectively conveys the emotional content of the story. His portrayal of Elliot is excellent; he captures his innate kindness and optimism and vulnerability very well, and his interpretation of Win is equally good, with just the right amount of gruffness in his voice. He does a great job with Spencer’s confidence and snark, although I have to wonder if he’s going to be able to sustain the low pitch and gravelly tone he’s given Wolf when it comes to his book – it sounds a little uncomfortable here. There are only a couple of recurring female characters in the story – Elliot’s mother and his partner’s wife Claudia – and Mr. Lambert’s female voices need work; the first time Claudia spoke I wondered if he had got the dialogue (or the tags) mixed up, because ‘her’ voice was lower-pitched than all the male voices in the scene. There are also places where his inexperience in the form shows; for instance, his phrasing is off occasionally – it sounds as though he isn’t sure what’s coming next! – and some of the characters aren’t differentiated clearly enough, so I needed to rely on the dialogue tags to work out who was speaking. I also noticed some sound-quality issues – nothing terrible, but a few places where the ambient noise differed from one moment to the next, or where there were obvious drop-ins.

Felice Stevens is an expert at crafting poignant, character-driven love stories full of genuine emotion featuring individuals we come to care about and root for, and The List is no exception. It gets the Second Chances series off to a good start, and even though I have some reservations about the narration, I’ll be back for the remaining books in the series.

This review originally appeared at AudioGals .

[the kevin (vaguely alive) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 28%

1. Elliot

Apparently Elliot is supposed to be mid thirties. At best, I'd call him 20. Beyond his obsession with falling in love (a fine character flaw to work with), he's immature and incompetent. He can't even navigate Home Depot? Or replace a window latch? When someone protests "I don't need protection, I'm not a child" repeatedly, one has to wonder.

2. Win

Meh.

3. Instalust, and instalove

Their first kiss comes out of left field, like what the what? No chemistry. For Elliot supposedly taking things slow, he sure doesn't in his head.

4. The Drama

I came across this because I skimmed random chunks. We get the "I saw him hugging some mysterious person, but didn't ask who and immediately assumed it was cheating!!", plus freaking out that Win is still married, because Wolf found a single article about Win and Kevin's marriage from ten years ago. By freakout, I mean the "you're cheating!! i will storm out and listen to nothing" "wait let me explain!! except I'll only repeat that instead of shouting the explanation over your idiocy!!" I mean...come on.

I also don't understand how you find a ten year old article about a marriage, and yet no article about a fatal car accident comes up at the same time? How do these people use the internet? Can they?

5. The friends

They seemed older than Elliot at least, and somewhat interesting. Still, they didn't feel very friendly to each other. It read like those friends you've had for a long time but you don't actually have a lot in common and one of the members is a total idiot but you put up with him because you've been friends for 15 years and feel bad for him?

I only randomly skimmed this to the end via searching for Wolf because I was interested in him and Spencer. And by skimmed, I mean searched "Wolf" and then read snippets. I should really probably not read their book because I don't much like the writing style, but it's a setup I struggle to resist...

[Pingmg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devoured this in one sitting! I loved how Elliot and Win was, though both had their reasons for not wanting to put themselves out there, not wanting to get hurt. They still took a chance on each other, and it paid off. Felice Stevens always delivers.🙂

[Edga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely romance

Such an entertaining read. Elliot and Win are both well written, sincere people, whom I fell in love with. I felt for both of them, but especially Elliot. When we find out about his background, it's obvious why he is the way he is. It's so heartbreaking. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters, however overbearing they seemed, Elliot's friends were incredibly loyal to him. Felice handled the development of the relationship really well, I loved how they eventually came together. A well written romance, with a lovely, satisfying ending.

[Shirley Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This story had all the elements I’ve come to expect from Felice Stevens—interesting characters, a dose of humor and a sprinkle of angst all mixed up with a feel-good romance. ❤️

I had a great time getting to know Elliot and Winston. They both had loved and lost and were hesitant to get involved with each other. I enjoyed Elliot and Winston together tremendously. They had great chemistry and their shared moments were a treat to read. They both showed great growth as the story progressed and I loved that they allowed themselves the chance of something more with each other. I did love their time together, but I feel like their connection could’ve been developed further. I think the story would’ve benefited from a bit more “showing” and a little less “telling”. IDK, I guess I would’ve preferred experiencing more of their interactions firsthand instead of their inner monologues. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thankfully, this was the only hiccup in the story for me. I liked how the author went about setting up the stage for the rest of the series. She did a great job of introducing Elliot’s friends (future MCs?) and giving the reader a glimpse into their personalities. So much so, that I’m already intrigued to see whose story we’ll be getting next!

All in all, an enjoyable, sweet yet steamy read and a great start to a series.

[Ash🍉 · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 42%

I think this is the first time I’ve had two dnf’s in a row, I rarely give up on them. This book started off good enough and I was intrigued by the characters straight away. But the interactions are were it fell short for me. They seemed so forced and just not natural. It became more obvious over time and it just felt more and more awkward fo read.

The burglar thing was really weird too, a guy going in to rob a house and goes straight into the room where a person is sleeping to steal stuff from there? Why on earth would someone do that! You’d think a burglar would go into every room except the ones with people in them. It was the key point that had the two mc’s meeting but it just felt way too forced much like the rest of the book.

[Liza · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 55%

I hated everyone. Win was using Elliott like everyone else. Elliotts friends are awful. Couldnt get myself to continue.

[MiaReadsMMBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's face it, we've all done it at one stage of our lives or another... You know what I mean, write that list that defines what you think your perfect other would be. It might be sexy, or sweet, unrealistic, or a yearning for a true great desire; sometimes simply writing it down, even if somewhat reluctantly forced to by well-meaning, good-intentioned friends, can sometimes help the universe manifest that patterned you never quite thought you'd find.

The List takes this premise, refines it, repackages it into a second chances romance and gifts us with the wonder that is Elliott and his neighbour, Win.

I loved this story, it's sweet and sexy and has so much heart. There's a touch of angst, it's very much a Felice Stevens book but with a little bit of extra sizzle *wags eyebrows*

I love that these two men try to define a FWB relationship and that they ultimately fail so spectacularly. As the blurb notes:

Rule #1: Strictly friends with benefits.
Rule #2: No doing anything stupid like falling in love.
Rule #3....
See Elliot and Win ignore Rules #1 and #2.

5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Felice Stevens]

Pre-order The List today!
Mr Falls-in-Love-Too-Fast meets Mr I’ll-Never Fall in Love Again
Sweet, nerdy journalist
Hot, broody detective
Friends with benefits
Found family
Swoony and sexy with a touch of angst
Universal Link: getbook.at/TheList
Audiobook—> bit.ly/TheListaudio

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The List is a beautiful standalone romance by Felice Stevens. The start of the Second Chances series, I am all in for reading about these four best friends. If you love series with a strong friend element, you will adore this.

Elliot is one of four best friends. As he's always falling for the wrong guy, his friends help him make a list of what he wants in a man.

Elliot is adorable and easy to love. For the reader. But he doesn't find it easy in his own life. The poor man just wants to find someone.

Enter Winston. Oh dear god. The feelings for this man are intense. I just love him with all of my heart. He's lovable and a sympathetic character, who's still grieving the loss of his husband.

These are two men who aren't looking for the same things in life. One wants love, the other wants no strings. Their journey is fabulous. I love the way they meet. I adore the way things progress as they get to know each other. And I appreciate everything they go through as they are falling for each other.

Basically, this is classic Felice Stevens and I love it all. The characters are charming, their storyline is emotional, and the ending is perfect. The combination of seriousness and humor is well done. Nothing is over the top angsty, and overall it's a feel-good and charming read.

The List is a wonderful second chance at love romance. Everything about this Felice Stevens tale is riveting. Definitely check this one out the nest time you're in the mood for a good hurt/comfort read.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

Dude, Elliot was everyone’s punching bag... Jesus I want to give that man a hug and get him some therapy. I liked this but my only real issue is that Win’s feelings felt a bit abrupt. Like when he said “I love you” for the first time I was kinda like “really? Since when?” LOL

7/10 likely to recommend

[Manuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felice Stevens has done it again.
I was lucky to win this ARC, but I wasn't surprised to find an exceptionally good read. It is funny, sentimental, had me in tears and made me laugh out loud. It is romantic, sad, aggravating and sexy. The slow burning heat between the protagonists makes me want them to have a HEA.

A solid 4.5 stars for the story of Elliot, who always ends up falling too fast and too deep into a relationship with the wrong guys. I guess we all have been there and asked ourselves "Why?". But Elliot has friends. Supportive friends since his early college days and they get together on a regular basis to tell him that he needs to change his way to find the right guy. Spencer, Wolf and Chess have been watching their friend pick the wrong guys every single time, so they start an intervention. So when the question pops up "What do you want in a man?" Elliot struggles with the answer. Spencer, ever the doer in the group of friends, puts pen to paper and makes THE LIST. Elliot Hansen's perfect Man.
Win, a detective in Brooklyn on a special narcotics task force, is struggling with the death of his husband Kevin. Kevin died in a car accident five years earlier but somehow Win can't see himself dating again. His support system of his Dad and his partner Forrester and Forrester's wife Claudia keep trying to convince him that he needs to get back into the dating game.
Win meets Elliot one night when he watches someone break into the house next door from his own place. He comes to the rescue and apprehends the culprit in Elliot's bedroom. After the arrest Win asks Elliot to check for missing items. When Elliot excuses himself to use the bathroom Win looks around and finds THE List.
Elliot, who falls for the wrong men and Win, who feels he will never be with another man, decide to have a friends with benefits relationship. How that works out you need to read for yourself.

[Dawn Nicole Costiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Top Pick of 2021
and a FAVORITE!

Shut the front door!!
Omg I can not express how much I LOVE The List by Felice Stevens. THIS IS PURE ROMANCE with just a splash of angst. I swooned the entire book and when I wasn't swooning, I lost a few tears.

What do you get when you put a sexy heartbroken detective with a sweet nerdy writer.... MAGIC, unbelievable sweetness and scorching hot heat. Winston and Elliot made my heart burst. I absolutely adore these men! Their story proves love comes when you least expect it.

Win's past made my heart ache for him. He had it all until he didn't! Leaving him in a state of perpetual grief.
As for Elliot, this poor man has never felt loved or valued by anyone, except for his 3 best friends. Whom I loved! Snarky, opinionated, passionate and LOYAL.

Both men had given up on love for very different reasons, until they met. They connected immediately, even though they decided to keep it light between them. Friends with benefits. Yeah right!! They were just too perfect together. As much as they tried to fight it, it was a losing battle. They ultimately showed each other, how wonderful life can be when you meet the right person. The tender moments between them took my breath away... and damn they were HOT!! Their sex scenes were smoking, but also sooooo intimate and loving. I loved bearing witness to their journey and solidifying their relationship. They not only grew and transformed together, but individually.

"I’d gotten used to being empty and merely existing. You bring me a joy I believed gone forever. I thought I could keep you out of my heart, but that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be.”

The List is a fantastic start to the new Second Chances Series. This series follows 4 college friends, who are more like brothers...
Elliot, Chess, Wolf and Spencer. What a diverse group! The Nerd, The Lawyer, The Teacher and The Player. They are all extremely different but definitely sexy in their own way. A close knit group, who are a tad overbearing. All up in each other's business, ripping on each other.... but when it comes do to it, they are always their for each other! Chess' story is up next.

[1000storie1000vite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quanta fragilità nei cuori dei due protagonisti. Entrambi hanno saputo toccare le mie corde più intime.
Ancora una volta la Stevens è stata brava a parlare di emozioni, paure e speranze, a mettere in luce i dolori devastanti o nascosti che stanno dietro alla perdita e all’abbandono.
In più ha creato, per i due protagonisti, una bella rete di sostegno, formata dagli amici. Questi ultimi sono tutti ben caratterizzati, mi hanno fatta ridere e sorridere.
Una storia delicata che parla di darsi una seconda possibilità. È il racconto di “un’amicizia speciale” che, trovando la sua vera essenza, l’amore, spinge gli animi feriti di Elliot e Win a curarsi.
Questo romanzo ha un ritmo allegro e uno stile scorrevole e coinvolgente.
Mi è piaciuto davvero tanto.
Hugs&kisses

[Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this 4 stars just for Elliott. (He reminds me of someone I know IRL, who is just the sweetest person ever, with shitty parents.)

[Tracy Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My Tears... What an emotional read, tears were constantly running down my face. I love Elliott and Win. I wanted to hug them both for different reasons. Elliott for not feeling wanted or loved from his parents and Win for losing his husband five years ago, still in morning and trying to move on but can’t until he meets his neighbour and holds him at arms length but changes when he thought he lost him after a week apart. Their story was heartbreaking, romantic, steamy and oh so good! Definitely a five star read and recommend read. Looking forward to reading Elliott’s friends book and hoping Spencer can redeem himself because I didn’t like the way he treated Elliott even though he’s one of his three best friends. I kind of ticked off by Wolf too but Chess, I like, I think he’s hiding something about his relationship. I’ll have to wait and see.

[Jerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story. Both Win and Elliot have their share of pain and have been profoundly affected by it. They were both lucky that Elliot’s house got broken into, and that Win happened to see it happening.
Even though pain of loss was one of the driving forces, it’s not a sad story. These two guys fell quickly and deeply. It’s beautiful. It’s pretty hot, too! I enjoyed it!

[Kelly Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The List! It was so good, I want to read it again and again. The writing brings the characters to life and you feel the emotions. I laughed and I definitely cried.

Win and Elliott are so strong and this book shows how different people deal with the same grief in different ways. I love how Win is guarded and prickly at first, but is so affectionate and sweet when he opens up. I love Elliott's inherent sweetness and his frustration with being "nice."

I grew up similar to Elliott, so this story gave me all the feels.

[Maria Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.M.G!! This book is everything, and I couldn't put it down. I absolutely love Win and Elliot. This book was amazing and completely blew me away. I couldn't get enough and I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out. Brilliant. Emotional, well-written, great character development...The pace of the story and the interactions between the characters was perfect, but it was so much more than that. It wasn't the easiest of reads, both men have their issues and can be considered broken, but you won't be disappointed. Read it. Trust me, you will love it. 5 stars!!

[Mrs.V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felice Stevens is a master in writing deep, complicated, strong emotions.
Every new character, every new story touches me on a deeper level it’s hard to explain, but her characters remain with me for a very long time!
Elliott and Win have suffered loss and grief to last three lifetimes, and where Elliott falls in love with every man he dates, jumping too fast too soon into every new relationship, Win has vowed never to love again after the tragic death of his husband.
Their journey to happiness isn’t easy, or linear or painless, but it’s worth every single second spent reading this wonderful book!