One for the Road

by Kate Hawthorne

The only things left between them are wasted time and ten years of regret.

Max
I left St. Jack’s Bay ten years ago and haven’t looked back once. Unless you count all the times I close my eyes and think about Rome Anderson kissing me on the water tower or all of the firsts we shared in my cramped teenage bedroom. Being in love with Rome as a teenager was serious and scary, so I did the only thing I knew how to do—I ran.

I should have known it would only be a matter of time before life called me back to the small town we grew up in, and also back to Rome who’s never left. I’m only home for a week and the two of us are fresh out of firsts, but neither of us seems to be against the idea of sharing some last times together instead.

Rome
I’ve never stopped loving Max, but over the years, I’ve definitely started to hate him. At seventeen, I got left behind, but it worked out okay in the end. I own the only bar in town, I date when I want to, and Max’s twin sister Lydia is my best friend. Life isn’t what it was supposed to be, but it’s not horrible.

Max is back now and taking him to bed was a terrible idea because it’s not long before I don’t hate him at all. I love Max and I want him to be mine, but we’ve both been here before. I know it’s only a matter of time before he breaks my heart and heads back on the road, leaving me—and our future—behind once again.

One for the Road is a steamy, small town, second chance, gay romance.

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Second Chance Romance, Friends To Lovers

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 19, 2023

About the author

With over two dozen published romances to her name, Kate Hawthorne has built a recognizable brand around telling emotional stories that pack a figurative (and sometimes literal) punch.

Existing on a steady diet of wine and coffee, Kate spends her days dreaming up angsty stories full of heat, kink, and heart. Kate now lives in Louisville, where she writes romance, reads romance, and hides from the humidity.

Visit her website at http://www.katehawthornebooks.com

Reviews

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
POV: Dual, Third Person
HEA: Yes
Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

Overall Opinion
With this book, I struggled to connect with the characters for most of the book, but by the end I was rooting for their happy ending. Everything about Max and Rome were painful and passionate and emotional, and the second chance element was so worth the wait. The chemistry was fire and there was good BDSM D/s scenes between the MCs. This was a good read, would definitely appeal to many readers!

Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Small Town
❣️ Second Chance
❣️ Very High Heat
❣️ BDSM Elements
❣️ HEA

Trigger and Content Warnings: BDSM elements, death of a parent

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

One for the Road is an intense, character-driven, lovers-reunited story. The book takes us deep into the relationship between Max and Rome as they navigate seeing each other again for the first time in ten years and figuring out if there is a way to make things work the second time around. Hawthorne really delves into the emotions here for both men as they are both rather stuck. Neither has been able to move on since Max left ten years ago, and they so clearly still have feelings for each other. I could really feel how strongly these guys were connected, even after so much time, and how intensely they feel about each other. We slowly see Max and Rome move from fearful they will run into each other, to working through that first contact, to giving in to the intense attraction and acting on it. All the while, there is this ticking clock, as Max still plans to leave. On top of that, they need to figure out how they work together as more experienced adults, versus the teens they once were together.

Overall, I enjoyed the way this story really digs deep into the lovers reunited trope. There is just a nice intensity and really well explored dynamic here between them. It takes a while for these guys to find their way, but it ends up really rewarding and I was rooting for them to come back together.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Thrudr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I generally enjoy Kate Harthorne's writing style. It always feels like a dark cloud is always hanging above the MC. I adore Rebound so I was really looking forward to this one. I'm really disappointed with this book.

The main idea behind the story is that the MC were in love and together since they were young. Max left his hometown and Rome and he was 18 and now 10 years later he came back. Both Max and Rome seemed really cartoonish characters to me. Like the level of angst was unbearable (and I love my angsty books). I understand that the author tried to show in a way 10 years of longing and heartache on both Max and Rome but it was to such an extreme that their personalities was just this angst and misery. Because of this their relationship throughout the entire book was a misery fest. It was no enjoyable or redeemable and I didn't get the happy feeling when they got together, it was just a depressive depressive book.

I also had some issues with Rome's Kink like sure he was a Dom but it felt pretty amateurish to not explain the lifestyle to Max and just sum it up in: surely you watched porn. I feel like the author did a disservice to the D/s lifestyle by making the character so inexperienced and frankly bad at being a Dom..

I wish I would have liked it because I was really looking forward to it, but I just had a really bad time reading it.

[ML · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a high-angst second-chance love story that will pull you in with the improbability and hope of its success. Max and Rome were high school best friends and lovers. They planned to leave their small town together when they were of age. Rome became aware of his own desires to dominate. Max also became aware of his own desires to submit and enjoy some roughness and pain. They were young, inexperienced, and Max panicked with the intensity of all the emotions, so he left town for ten years.

Max was always on the run, guilty, ashamed, and not knowing how to return. Now, his mother has passed, his twin sister has asked him to return for a few weeks to settle affairs, and Max knows he will run into Rome again. Rome is now more experienced, he's moved on, but neither man can forget their only love. Can these two find their way to another chance for love? Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster ride and a brutally earned HEA.

[Jezabel Nightingale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard one to review. I enjoyed it, but found it hard going in parts. I think I would have preferred it to be written in first person. Having it in third person with alternate views was new to me, and it is possible it is something I’m just not used to.

I found it hard to relate to Max. He was scared and fearful, but I had trouble relating to why. It may be that it was because of the MM nature of the relationship.

In no way would I not recommend this book, in fact I suspect many will really enjoy it.

[Caia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quote:
In the back of his closet was an abstract mural, not much more than shapes and colors, messy brushstrokes and handprints. His brushstrokes, but not his handprints. Never his handprints.
Quote:
That attitude wasn’t anything that couldn’t be taken care of with a quick spanking…but those weren’t his to give anymore.

---
The first second-chance romance I really, really loved was written by Kate Hawthorne.
So I was over the moon, that I had the opportunity of ARC reading “One for the Road”!

We follow Max who is forced to come back to his hometown after 10years of avoidance, mainly avoiding Rome…
So he’s hell bent to get his mom’s funeral over with and walk away for good!

But now avoiding Rome who isn’t just Max’s first love, but also the only person Max felt something for, isn’t that easy, when it turns out that he’s his sisters bff.
Running away from feelings and needs he couldn’t understand at age 17 he dreads to be confronted with them 10yrs later.

Max&Rome are both jaded after their first-love-experience & now a serious case of grump-grump grown ups.
So maybe one or two or a few more spankings were a good choice to help them find some important conclusions.

I loved how their story is told in some not overdramatic but down-to-earth kinda way.

Dread, regret&grief are palpable as well as this feeling of “being lost”.
I was so invested in Max’s journey of acceptance; Romes determination and their relationship development, that I can honestly say I loved every minute.


CW by author: Parental Death

Note: I got an ebook in exchange for an honest review
__

tags: gay - romance - first love - second chance - small town - spankings - d/s dynamic - kink -grumpy/grumpy - alcohol - angst - hurt/comfort - trust issues - HEA - 3rd person - duo POV

Tags are based on my personal impression/opinion & don’t have a 100% reliability.
If you don’t know if a book might be something for you:
Read reviews, ask questions; be a responsible adult: feel free to comment or dm me!

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️🔥A good start as Max reluctantly returns home after his mothers death, I was drawn into this from the first page. Max had been away from home for the past 10 years and was reluctant to deal with his past baggage. Rome was once Max’s best friend at the age of 17 years but he’d settled for Max’s twin sister while working at his bar. With Max back now brought his feelings back too.

A fantastic first re-meeting and there’s tension between them along with secrets. Rome had begin his exploring his dominate side of himself when Max had left town. I felt bad for Hendrix because he needed the returned love, I loved the scene at the ending with him again (no spoilers).

Lots of emotions for Rome and Max past and present that are still raw with Max in town. The love is still obsously there but the hurt is on the surface which Rome didn’t want to do again and again. Max was only in town briefly before he leaves again for the city.

“It would have made you mine,” Rome whispered. “It would have fucking made you mine.” 
“Rome.”
“It can’t be just once more, Max.”…….

Hot 🔥 sexy scenes happen yeah Rome has trouble with his feelings knowing heart break is head. Once was never going to be enough for either of them. This had me telling Max to get his act together and get his a**se back with Rome. I understood why he left at 18 but he could have returned sooner and stopped begin a coward.
A definite communication breakdown between them, present and past.Beautifully written as I could feel the emotions what the characters go through. I loved this book.

*also reviewed on mmbookwormreviews.com

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this starts off intense and remains intense throughout. Even before Max and Rome see each other the tension between them is palpable. When they do see each other the sparks of desire, anger, need is off the page. Hot before the spice even starts. I don't know how the author did it but the 'wanting' is so strong throughout you feel on edge waiting for the release. The sex scenes were hot, rough and steamy and not skimped on. The whole book is centred around two MC's who love each other, need each other but can't see a way to have what they want. The D/s dynamic runs quietly in the background, there is talk of harder BDSM play, specifically bondage and flogging but those scenes don't actually come up. I say it runs quietly because it is mainly orgasm control and spanking, but after reading one of the final spanking scenes, it is far from mild. There is an epilogue which provides a HEA, so you can rest easy. I read this in a day and was well invested, it has to be 5 stars.

[ForewordPR]

Foreword PR is elated to be working with Kate Hawthorne for the release of One for the Road! One for the Road is a steamy, small-town, second chance M/M standalone. Visit here to find out how you can read early: One for the Road

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

One for the Road is a good second-chance romance that blends hurt/comfort with some BDSM elements. To be honest, that relationship dynamic caught me unawares when I began the book as it is not mentioned in the blurb or foreword, but as I enjoy stories about reconnecting with a lost love, I kept reading and am glad I did.

Max and Rome were longtime friends and high school loves until Max abruptly left town. It was interesting reading about Max going back to the small town he’d fled without a word so many years ago. The tension surrounding his return was palpable from Max, Rome, and even Max’s sisters, and I found myself increasingly pulled into the story and chance at Max and Rome rekindling their love.

As I rarely read books with any BDSM elements, it’s difficult for me to gauge the intensity or even how well this is done. Admittedly, some parts felt a bit much for me, but overall, I found this dynamic and bond worked well in One for the Road, and the chemistry between Max and Rome was definitely on point.

What I appreciated most about One for the Road was the honest and palpable emotions and plot development as the characters work through their pasts, fears, and hopes for the future to find a path together.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Emily Johnston (Booked.Up.With.Emily) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

Max and Rome were each others first loves - you know, that all encompassing, naive love that we get wrapped up in and believe it will last forever. Until it doesn't.

A decade has passed since Max left behind his family and his one true love, Rome, in St. Jack's Bay and never looked back. Now that his mother has passed away, he is being forced to come home to help his sister with the arrangements. He has to come back to one place that he swore he would never step foot in again.

Rome has been in the same place, St. Jack's Bay, for the last 10 years since Max stole his heart and took it with him. He has been stuck with non-emotional relationships since he has never been able to get over Max.

In the beginning of the book, I really didn't connect with either of the characters and I really didn't like Max. He wasn't a very likeable character with how he was treating his sister and also Rome when he saw him. Over the course of the book, we dive deep into why both characters are still resentful, but we also see why they still love each other. Will there time finally come where they can be together or will their past issues continue in the present?

This was the first book I have read by this author. I really enjoyed the small town feel of these books and the seriously unexpected spice. I wasn't expecting much spice, but I was surely mistaken. Rome is on a whole other level.

[LifeReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this story told in a very “matter of fact” way. Max returning to his hometown to then face the ex he left as a teenager, Rome.

It’s a unique story as in what makes the couple tick and the reasonings Max tends to run scared. To be honest i didn’t like either guy at the beginning as it all felt quite cold. But as the story built, the walls came down and I felt like we saw the real Max and Rome.

The kink was a refreshing element to their relationship and was steamy at parts. It’s certainly an intense story of their relationship in their conflicting hate and love, so that makes it a little bit angsty. It’s certainly a journey.

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite things about Hawthorne’s writing is the way she plays with tropes in a manner that takes the story beyond the obvious. This is very much a second-chance romance, as a family tragedy forces one character home for the first time since leaving his high school boyfriend behind. However, that’s where the easy description ends and the subtlety begins for these intricate characters. Many questions were left unanswered when Max abandoned Rome, especially because their relationship included a power exchange dynamic when neither was mature enough yet for the necessary self-examination involved.

In their time apart, Rome develops that side of himself, while Max…does not. His life away from his hometown ultimately places him in a holding pattern, while Rome examines and embraces all aspects of himself, including building a life when the original plan was for them both to leave together. This creates an amazing immediate tension between the characters when they find themselves face to face again, even before we have any idea what the original conflict between them was about. The connection between them still very much exists, despite their older age and their time apart. Is giving into it a good idea? Not necessarily, but that’s half the fun of this sort of romance. I love a good “idiots in love” story, but here, Max is just an idiot with little emotional intelligence. Hawthorne’s deft touch with characterization means that I kind of love him anyway.

This book is an incredible example of how character development is an integral part of any good romance arc. Max’s personal journey, including the conflict he also experiences with his sister, is as compelling as anything he experiences with Rome. At the same time, Rome’s role in this book more than satisfied the need for hope that elevates the romance from a potential angst-fest to a narrative I had a hard time putting down. (Seriously, I made time to read in the middle of my busiest event of the year, even when it meant wiping away tears right before presenting.)

As always, Hawthorne’s books are never just about the kink, even when it’s also totally about the kink. I highly recommend this book to any readers interested in checking out this writer’s work, because it is a well-written stand-alone that features so many elements that define her as a talented, unique voice. Familiar readers will also find plenty to love here, and I have the feeling that Max and Rome will become characters as popular as many in previous stories.

Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this novel from the author.

[Emily Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rome and Max's story was angsty, complicated, and steamy, and I loved every second. These men were far from perfect, but it was their struggle and conflict that made me feel more connected to them and invested in their happy ending. The two of them fell headfirst into love as teenagers, discovered kink together, and fell apart when Max let his fears overrule his heart and ran away from Rome. I knew their reunion was going to be less than happy, but Max and Rome seemed to purposely to take the hard path at every opportunity presented to them. I never doubted that their feelings for one another were still deep, but finding a way forward after betrayal wasn't easy. The push and pull as they found their footing around each other was captivating on its own, but adding in the emotional angst and hotter than heck physical chemistry made their story something I couldn't put down. Max and Rome communicated poorly, probably started sleeping together again sooner than they should have, and held onto their fears of abandonment for so long that I wasn't sure they'd ever be ready for their second-chance at a relationship. It took them (but mostly Max) all the way to the brink of saying goodbye forever before finally having that breakthrough moment and realizing what was most important to them, and let me tell you I have never cheered more than I did when they finally figured things out. In a lot of ways, their story felt more true-to-life than anything I've read in romances for a long while, and that's one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back to Kate Hawthorne's books. I love the messy, imperfect, reality of her writing style, I really enjoyed the way she told Rome and Max's story.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, emotional, mesmeric

I've given this five stars because I was completely caught up in Max and Rome's story but I have to admit I had a few problems with it.
At first, I liked Max but was not keen on Rome, mainly I think because what we heard from Max first coloured my judgment of Rome. As the story progressed, my attitude towards them changed and Rome became a much more sympathetic character and Max started to grate on me a bit. It was never really explained to my satisfaction what Max was scared of and why, so it was hard to understand his flight ten years previously and his self-imposed exile.
I really have no preference between first person and third person narration but I believe this book would have had an even greater resonance if it was told in the first person. Both men had such deep emotion, so many ties binding them, so much lost by being apart, so much pain, such great love, that I wanted to hear directly from them in the first person.
Their relationship was messy and painful and poignant and raw, so hard to watch but so easy to lose oneself in their wounded souls with all their hurt and regret. The problems I had became very minor irritants, as caught up as I was in all their longing and heartache and overarching love.
I actually had trouble putting it aside to sleep because I was desperate to see the catalyst for Max's long overdue epiphany and when it came, it was so unexpected but so fitting in the circumstances that I had to smile.
Even after everything they went through to get where they were in the last chapter, it definitely wasn't a given in my mind that they would actually make it, so the epilogue provided me with the reassurance I needed and thus was perfect.

[Xanthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

One for the Road is another great story from Kate Hawthorne that is character driven with a good amount of angst throughout. Rome and Max were friends and then lovers as teens, even planning on leaving their small town together, before an argument had Max leaving by himself.
The past ten years have not been great for either man. It feels more like they've just been fighting to move on, with little luck. Max is the one that has struggled the most. I think he has a really low feeling of self worth and confidence, and then with how intense his and Rome's relationship got when they added a bit of kink, it overwhelmed him. He's pushed away both his first love as well as his twin sister so when he's called back to town after his mother dies, it's quite a frosty reception. He doesn't help himself and tensions run high between him and them. It's immediately noticeable, the connection and spark that is shared between the two men but also the heartache that continues even after all these years. At first, I struggled to feel the love that they both professed (at least to themselves) to have for each other but as the week progresses, and their back and forth about Max leaving, and then reconnecting both in, and out of, the bedroom, showcases just how deep their emotions go.
It's hard to return to a place you feel you don't belong, or to those you don't feel good enough for and Kate writes that really well here. My heart went out to both men, as well as Lydia as she was also left by her twin, and especially dealing with a sick and dying parent. What grabs you is hoping that they both get their HEA and needing to know how it comes about. A very well written second chance romance.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.

[Sarah C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the plot. I loved the angst - and let me tell you, there is a LOT of angst in this book. The spicy scenes were very spicy and all in all, it was a good book.

But I can't give it a five star and there's only one reason for that: Max.

He was an incredibly unlikeable character. I'm very much in support of unlikable characters and typically, this won't knock it down a star. But Max was on his own level, to the point where half the time, I wanted to reach through the page and knock him over the head and not in the good way. And this would've been fine, except his sudden change made little to no sense in context of everything else happening in the story. It wasn't a slow change in who he was. It was a very sudden about face.

That said, I still didn't HATE him. I just wish his progression from unlikable to HEA felt less like emotional whiplash.

The rest of the book though? The rest of the book I loved. I loved Rome. He seemed pretty together. There is a side character who I want to see get a happily ever after of his own. The universe felt right and developed. The scenes at the water tower were amazing. This book had me in my feels.

And even though one of the MCs grated my cheese in a not so great way, it will be reread. Because damn, Kate may have made one character completely unlikable to me, but the rest of the book was just so damn good and the rest of the characters were just amazing.

I would like to commend her though on making an unlikable main character. There aren't enough of them out there and it makes me happy to see.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ 4����️
This was just not my jam. I did not like Max, and have no idea why Rome was into him. 3 stars for Rome and his pining little heart and poor Lydia who's twin left her for ten years and to deal with their dying mom. Also for the sexy hot chemistry, about the only good thing in the book for me.

•minor spoilers•

Max left his hometown, his boyfriend Rome, his twin sister Lydia and didn't come back for a decade even when his mom was sick and dying. He only came back because she died. Why did he leave? Basically freaked out because he has low self esteem and a plethora of insecurities in addition to being a dumb kid at the time. The only connection I felt between Rome and Max was physical. I could not tell you anything about Max besides the fact that he's an idiot and super sad all the time. No idea about anything else in his life or his interests or hobbies, just a flat annoying character. At least Rome had the bar and his lifestyle. And I'm glad Lydia got one good smack in because boy needed it.

I was not a fan of the third person writing, especially with a lot of scenes with the same sex characters because half the time I couldn't tell who was talking. I also felt like I was dropped halfway into a super intense drama with very little detail about the first half. I have no idea why they were best friends and really felt no connection their emotional relationship. Very steamy which made it a little more bearable, that and my love for Rome were why it got 3 stars and not lower for me.

Read if you like:
• slight BDSM
• second chance romance
• small town romance

[Larissa_S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hawthorne takes the fairly common second-chance romance trope and gives it nuance, depth, and plenty of angst. Max is a challenging character to understand, and I found it took quite a while for me to warm up to him. He abandoned Rome, his sister, and his family as a teen and did not return until ten years later, even when his mother was dying. Rome was brokenhearted when Max left him behind, and while the hurt and the anger are still there, so is the intense attraction and connection between them. Hawthorne does a nice job laying out how Max, who left, actually has remained stuck while Rome, who never left, has created a life for himself in St. Jack’s Bay. He’s also taken the time to discover who he is as a person and to feel comfortable in his sexuality and kink preferences. The immediate clash between them and their gradual reintegration into each other’s lives is handled well by Hawthorne. This is not a one-note emotional story; she has created a lot of internal soul-searching and complex, often competing, emotions for these two men to work their way through. Interestingly, Hawthorne devotes a good amount of real estate to Max’s relationship with his sister, which is critical to his character journey. Overall, One for the Road is a story I thought would be tropey but turned out to be intriguing, and I was invested in it despite my hesitation (and annoyance) with Max. Recommended.

[Heather Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

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This is for the ones who like emotionally satisfying and kinky romances.

Everything about this story is raw and painful, but you can also feel the passion and love. Max and Rome loved each other as teenagers when they also discovered BDSM. They were supposed to leave town together too. But when the emotions of love, kink, and personal baggage become too much, Max leaves without Rome. And never looks back.

When Max is forced back to town, all the emotions from back then, from the years apart, the hurt, the anger, and the love all boils over. It's rough to witness. Max is a mess, and geez, he was tough to like in the beginning.

But like all Kate Hawthorne books, she makes us and the characters work for the redemption and peace that inevitably comes. By the end, you will have taken wholeheartedly to this couple and their second chance at love.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s talk about this STANDALONE novel by Kate Hawthorne. I was not prepared for it. Not at all. I was not prepared for how attached I became to Max and Rome — I dreamt about them for crying out loud and I have never dreamt about a book couple before. Apparently I just wanted more and more (are we SURE this one is a standalone Kate?). This is a second chance novel with BDSM but not really BDSM heavy, if that makes any sense (which it will when you read the book). Neither character, in my opinion, was especially likable initially and then all you wanted to know was why…why everything basically, and you couldn’t help but love them both. It’s well-paced with enough reveals along the way that I could not put it down (apparently even when sleeping), and gosh darn it I just wanted them both to be happy (well, Max and Rome and Max’s sister to be honest). There were a couple things I never really did understand (like what does Max actually do for money back home, and why did no one in town really support their mom when she got sick) but these are overall very minor details in a story that grabbed me and hasn’t let go. Definitely will read again.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I adored Rome and how hard he worked to build his life up to what it is, even if it wasn't what he wanted or needed. He did SO much of the heavy lifting in this book and I loved his character so much.

I just didn't understand Lydia and her hatred of Max and basically everyone else, and how Max just seemed to float around thinking he wasn't deserving of love? I didn't see anywhere in his history where this would come into play or where something would make him feel this way? I also didn't really like how he treated Drew and didn't understand the ban from his life. But mainly Lydia. In every scene she was in, it was just filled with bitterness and distain and I would have liked to see that fleshed out a bit more.

I do feel like a bit more of background and perhaps the scene of why and how Max left would have made a lot more things make sense, but all in all, I couldn't put this book down. Not even for a moment. It was addicting and I needed to know what happened and how they finally got their HEA.

[Babara-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

SECOND CHANCE LOVE!

This was a very intense read with a lot of emotion and off the pages chemistry!

It was sad to see two such characters that knew each other on such an intimate level as young adults, were now acting like strangers when their paths crossed ten years later!

Their dynamic started off as young Sub and Dom experimenting but then Max got scared of his feelings and insecurities and ran away…

Now he is back for his mother’s funeral but does not plan on staying long until old feelings and kinks resurface… and do their push and pull dynamic starts…

They never stopped loving each other but they are not the same inexperienced young teens anymore but grown adults with different appetites and kinks…

I loved their journey to self love and trust even if it was in the third person!

Thank you Forward PR Marketing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

I voluntarily received an ARC for an honest review.

[Breanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hard time starting this book because I knew it would consume me, and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I was right, and I loved this high-angst, second-chance, kinky romance book.

I loved the flow of this book; we got to meet the characters but also learn about their past and how they came to be where they are today. Max and Rome's relationship is complicated at best. We get to learn about the characters, and both of their past mistakes, while cheering for them on the outside.

Max and Rome have problems, but I liked it wasn't just one-sided. Both characters have things they can work on, separately and together as a couple. The scenes of them together were hot and explosive. They fit in with the story and were great to read. Kate does a great job of writing characters that can be messy but ultimately does everything to be together in the end. This was a great first book read of the new year, and I can't wait to see what Kate writes next.

[Richelle Zirkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max and Rome are so delightfully messy and real, you just want to squeeze and hug them and tell them that everything really will work out. Rome is more of our salt of the earth, hold it together character, and I loved him for his willingness to just keep trying and putting in the effort every single day. He’s the person who shows up. Max is a conundrum. He doesn’t feel like he’s deserving of good things. He flutters about not remaining stable financially, physically, or emotionally it would seem. I wish there would have been a little more about what made him feel this way, but I loved that their D/s dynamic freed some of the blockage that he had surrounding his issues in regards to his personal belief system and let him challenge those thoughts. These two were very well matched, and I really loved the transformation they took together!

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love reading KH’s books because there is so much depth and emotion alongside sweetness and all kinds of kinky fun…lol!!

Max and Rome were high school sweethearts but something happened that last year to make Max run away for 10 years. He is guilted into coming back home by his sister and the angst is high!! Max doesn’t know where he belongs anymore but he still loves Rome after all these years. Rome never forgot his first love either. The chemistry and heat coming from these two is SCORCHING and instantaneous!! I love how Rome explains his needs and wants and Max struggles to adjust to it all. The push and pull of whether Max stays or leaves again just pulls at your heart…the agony of not knowing and you can just feel all the pain both men are going thru. I absolutely adore these two and love the epilogue!!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One for the Road was an angsty, second chance romance between Max and Rome who fell in love for the first time when they were teenagers.

Max left his hometown and Rome after a superficial argument ten years before Max returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral. Rome had gotten on with his life even though he wasn't truly happy, he was living a stable life. Max spent the last ten years never putting down roots and searching for something he could never find.

As Rome and Max navigated around each other's needs and desires during the week they were together again, it was heartbreaking to see Max not value himself enough to feel as though he was worthy of Rome's love. This story was painful to read at times and Max was so broken that I didn't connect with him as much as I did to Rome.

The ending was beautifully written and heartwarming.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't normally enjoy second chance romances or a lot of heat, but this book made me cry, it's that bloody good.

I love the way Max and Rome communicate even when they don't think they are, and a huge bonus for me is that every moment of heat between these two serves an important purpose for both their relationship and their character growth.

Max's insecurities just resonated so strongly with me and I felt for him so hard. And it really felt like there could be no one else for either of them.

This is dual POV third person, very high heat with lots of BDSM elements. There is a content warning for the death of a parent, prior to the events in the book.

I received a copy of this book from the author and have chosen to leave an honest review.

[Heather MMRomanceReviewed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit that I actually set this book aside for a bit because I couldn't connect with these two men on the first try... the beginning was a little confusing and had them both dealing with relationships with other men, so the build to their story was longer than I was expecting and it took me a long time to warm to them, particularly as a couple...

I'm glad I pushed through and re-started the book because it got better as I went along and I truly enjoyed the ending and the way they reached their HEA. This book was a little kinky, pretty steamy and once we were into the heart of the story, moved well! While I'm sure Kate will tell you this is a standalone book, I'm rooting for Hadrian to get his HEA in L.A. soon!