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Inestimable Blessings
Lee Calder’s life is right on track. He has a small circle of close friends, a career he loves, and a baby on the way via a surrogate. Mr. Right is nowhere to be found, but Lee isn’t about to let that little tidbit rain on his parade. He’s more than willing to thrust his other needs aside and focus on fulfilling his lifelong dream of being a father.
With his love life in the gutter, Lee turns to fantasies of his hunky neighbor, Finn Alexander. His daydreaming is merely a harmless diversion until Finn comes to Lee’s rescue on a dark and stormy night.
To Lee’s surprise, the chemistry they shared in his imagination is nothing compared to the real thing. Finn is as hot between the sheets as Lee always envisioned. Better still, they get along famously outside the bedroom. The only things standing in the way of Lee having it all are the bundle of joy due any minute and Finn’s apparent aversion to children.
With his love life in the gutter, Lee turns to fantasies of his hunky neighbor, Finn Alexander. His daydreaming is merely a harmless diversion until Finn comes to Lee’s rescue on a dark and stormy night.
To Lee’s surprise, the chemistry they shared in his imagination is nothing compared to the real thing. Finn is as hot between the sheets as Lee always envisioned. Better still, they get along famously outside the bedroom. The only things standing in the way of Lee having it all are the bundle of joy due any minute and Finn’s apparent aversion to children.
158 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2010
13 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Young
130 books401 followersA bestselling author of erotic romance, Amanda Young penned her first romance at eighteen. That novel was promptly deleted before it could traumatize innocent readers. After several years of honing her craft, Amanda went on to receive her first publishing contract in 2006.
A vivid imagination and a passion for all the things that go bump in the night has led Amanda to create provocative stories that push boundaries and dare readers to expand their comfort zones. Since she tends to write whatever strikes her fancy, her novels fall into many different subgenres. Among her available titles you’ll find contemporary and paranormal settings, gay and straight themes alike.
Amanda Young lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and two pampered pooches. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found chasing after a mischievous toddler or daydreaming about the characters in her next book. She loves to hear from her readers, and can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Her website, www.amandayoung.org, is where you can find up-to-date information on all of Amanda’s current and upcoming releases.
A vivid imagination and a passion for all the things that go bump in the night has led Amanda to create provocative stories that push boundaries and dare readers to expand their comfort zones. Since she tends to write whatever strikes her fancy, her novels fall into many different subgenres. Among her available titles you’ll find contemporary and paranormal settings, gay and straight themes alike.
Amanda Young lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and two pampered pooches. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found chasing after a mischievous toddler or daydreaming about the characters in her next book. She loves to hear from her readers, and can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Her website, www.amandayoung.org, is where you can find up-to-date information on all of Amanda’s current and upcoming releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 8, 2010
^^CUTE!^^
My second book by this author and I must say I really do like Amanda Young’s writing style. It is uncomplicated, has a great flow, and the sex scenes can be pretty hot. I will say with honesty that I had a hard time liking this story, the plot was good, the set-up great, but it just did not jive with me.
Lee Calder wants a baby and he is making it happen, with a surrogate mother he has everything planned. His friends cannot understand his desire to have a child, but that don’t bother him; he is going to be a father and that is all he wants right now. If only he had the perfect man by his side, but you know faith that perfect man is never far behind and settling down with a baby might seem just a little too much.
In comes the neighbour he’s been lusting after, a chance meeting leads to some very hot chemistry and a lunch date. Things are looking serious and feelings are coming out of nowhere, is the sexy neighbour the man he has been looking for, the signs say yes. Lee feels things might be getting serious, but how do you say, “Hey, I got a baby on the way”.
The book is very HEA and offers up a mild conflict to stir the pot. Both lead male characters are likeable, but I just could not fall in love with them. The dialogue between them felt very forced and just did not flow right, I had a hard time believing in them. The author does offer up chemistry in the bedroom and I must say Miss Young has a special skill for that. I enjoyed the independence of the men, very hard working, and unwavering in their desires.
If you are looking for cute, easy, and fun, then this might be the book for you. It’s a quick read with a great idea just felt short for me, but it might not be so for other readers. It is true romance; with a baby, puppy and hot male love it’s worth a looking into.
My second book by this author and I must say I really do like Amanda Young’s writing style. It is uncomplicated, has a great flow, and the sex scenes can be pretty hot. I will say with honesty that I had a hard time liking this story, the plot was good, the set-up great, but it just did not jive with me.
Lee Calder wants a baby and he is making it happen, with a surrogate mother he has everything planned. His friends cannot understand his desire to have a child, but that don’t bother him; he is going to be a father and that is all he wants right now. If only he had the perfect man by his side, but you know faith that perfect man is never far behind and settling down with a baby might seem just a little too much.
In comes the neighbour he’s been lusting after, a chance meeting leads to some very hot chemistry and a lunch date. Things are looking serious and feelings are coming out of nowhere, is the sexy neighbour the man he has been looking for, the signs say yes. Lee feels things might be getting serious, but how do you say, “Hey, I got a baby on the way”.
The book is very HEA and offers up a mild conflict to stir the pot. Both lead male characters are likeable, but I just could not fall in love with them. The dialogue between them felt very forced and just did not flow right, I had a hard time believing in them. The author does offer up chemistry in the bedroom and I must say Miss Young has a special skill for that. I enjoyed the independence of the men, very hard working, and unwavering in their desires.
If you are looking for cute, easy, and fun, then this might be the book for you. It’s a quick read with a great idea just felt short for me, but it might not be so for other readers. It is true romance; with a baby, puppy and hot male love it’s worth a looking into.
August 24, 2010
Lee Calder is tired to look for Mr. Right to start a family -- so he takes matter into his own hand. With a help of a surrogate, he is now waiting for his baby to arrive. He is happy to only dream about a certain Mr. Hunky neighbor. But when he actually exchange words with Finn Alexander (the Mr. Hunky), Lee discover that they both share good chemistry and enjoy each other's presence so much, that one date turns into another, and they end up being in a relationship. Only, what will happen if Finn finds out that Lee is actually is preparing for a baby to enter the picture?
What a lovely and sweet story!! Like my friend, Sayang, here said, it gives that warm fuzzy feeling. I know that there isn't big conflict or deep angst ... but really, I read this after I finish a tour de force book, in form of Harper Fox's "Driftwood", so a book like this is needed to get out from that emotional state!! Besides, I need more M/M stories with pregnancies and babies in it.
What a lovely and sweet story!! Like my friend, Sayang, here said, it gives that warm fuzzy feeling. I know that there isn't big conflict or deep angst ... but really, I read this after I finish a tour de force book, in form of Harper Fox's "Driftwood", so a book like this is needed to get out from that emotional state!! Besides, I need more M/M stories with pregnancies and babies in it.
August 14, 2010
Lee is a really nice guy looking forward to the most important day of his life, the birth of his baby via a surrogate. He's got some great friends, a nice job and home and despite the lack of a Mr. Right he's happy. Things get even better though when he meets his sexy neighbor Finn. As they start to spend time together the attraction between them grows and soon feelings deepen. As the weeks pass and the baby's arrival date grows closer Lee has to figure out how to break the news to Finn. When he finally does will his dreams of a family with Finn and the baby come true or will it be over before it ever really began?
This latest book from Amanda Young is a sweet uncomplicated story. I enjoyed reading it and both Lee and Finn are well developed and likable protagonists. There is a bit of angst in the story, not too much though, as Finn's last relationship ended badly and is something he is still dealing with throughout the story. That does lead to a couple of painful bumps in their road to happiness but the guys are able to work through them.
There is a nice set of supporting characters in the book as well as a very unsympathetic character but the focus is on the relationship between Lee and Finn and the arrival of the baby. I liked that the story didn't become all about the baby once it came which is something I've seen before.
This book has a simple plot and a good flow throughout. The characters are well drawn and interesting, the writing is solid and when it comes to the sex scenes they are quite hot. Overall an easy read with a really nice ending.
This latest book from Amanda Young is a sweet uncomplicated story. I enjoyed reading it and both Lee and Finn are well developed and likable protagonists. There is a bit of angst in the story, not too much though, as Finn's last relationship ended badly and is something he is still dealing with throughout the story. That does lead to a couple of painful bumps in their road to happiness but the guys are able to work through them.
There is a nice set of supporting characters in the book as well as a very unsympathetic character but the focus is on the relationship between Lee and Finn and the arrival of the baby. I liked that the story didn't become all about the baby once it came which is something I've seen before.
This book has a simple plot and a good flow throughout. The characters are well drawn and interesting, the writing is solid and when it comes to the sex scenes they are quite hot. Overall an easy read with a really nice ending.
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September 15, 2013
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November 24, 2010As expected by a story with a baby in it, Inestimable Blessings can give you the baby cuties, so if you don’t like to ohh and ahh on toddler, you will probably not understand Lee Calder’s desire to be a father at any cost (and with the bills for a surrogate mother that is a saying).
Lee Calder is an average handsome, average wealthy, average old gay guy. An adopted child with the bad luck to loose his foster parents when he was still young, he developed a desire to be a father; due to his loose ends, the desires to be a biological father is even stronger and since Mr. Right is not around, Lee decides to use his mother’s inheritance to hire a surrogate mother. Of course as soon as he has done that, Mr Right pops up out right next door, in the guise of his new very handsome neighboor.
This is a romance, and of course it follows all the romance rules: Mr Hunk next door is of course gay and free and he is more than willing to start a long-term relationship with Lee. Problem is, Finn is also a muscle car mechanic, more the beer than milk type, and a new baby in arrive is probably not a good surprise for him. Lee enjoys some weeks of bliss, but then he has to find the courage to confess to Finn that Lee will be soon a single dad.
While Lee has his originality, and maybe weakness, in being a man that doesn’t accept to be lonely (it’s also probably an aftercome from his own experience), I liked also the contrast of Finn; apparently he is not a family man, but I think that he is exactly that: even if young and still in the age range to play the field, Finn prefers an exclusive relationship and a steady lifestyle; he has an home, family ties, even a puppy.
Yes, puppies, babies, sweet and romance… definitely this is a novel for the romantic heart; maybe not so realistic, with little contrast and contraposition, but nice.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1453699805/?...
Lee Calder is an average handsome, average wealthy, average old gay guy. An adopted child with the bad luck to loose his foster parents when he was still young, he developed a desire to be a father; due to his loose ends, the desires to be a biological father is even stronger and since Mr. Right is not around, Lee decides to use his mother’s inheritance to hire a surrogate mother. Of course as soon as he has done that, Mr Right pops up out right next door, in the guise of his new very handsome neighboor.
This is a romance, and of course it follows all the romance rules: Mr Hunk next door is of course gay and free and he is more than willing to start a long-term relationship with Lee. Problem is, Finn is also a muscle car mechanic, more the beer than milk type, and a new baby in arrive is probably not a good surprise for him. Lee enjoys some weeks of bliss, but then he has to find the courage to confess to Finn that Lee will be soon a single dad.
While Lee has his originality, and maybe weakness, in being a man that doesn’t accept to be lonely (it’s also probably an aftercome from his own experience), I liked also the contrast of Finn; apparently he is not a family man, but I think that he is exactly that: even if young and still in the age range to play the field, Finn prefers an exclusive relationship and a steady lifestyle; he has an home, family ties, even a puppy.
Yes, puppies, babies, sweet and romance… definitely this is a novel for the romantic heart; maybe not so realistic, with little contrast and contraposition, but nice.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1453699805/?...
January 31, 2016
This was just a sweet little love story about one gay man meeting the love of his life at the slightly inopportune time. Lee is cute in his need to have a child of his own. He's determined life is passing him by and while having someone to share everything with would be wonderful the most important thing for him is to have a child of his own. I liked his outlook and his decision to go with surrogacy in a way that still allowed him to have what he wanted, I child of his own blood. His reasoning as it was explained was actually really sweet and gave a lot of insight to his character even though it came very late in the book.
Finn on the other hand is a man at loose ends. He doesn't really know what he wants other than the love he has for his business and restoring old cars. Meeting Lee was not expected, and yet he really is falling for his neighbor. He's had his heart broken before and trusting again is hard.
I liked watching these two navigate an awkward circumstance to discover something special that neither was really expecting. This is one of those really sweet feel good stories and I enjoyed its simplicity. :)
Finn on the other hand is a man at loose ends. He doesn't really know what he wants other than the love he has for his business and restoring old cars. Meeting Lee was not expected, and yet he really is falling for his neighbor. He's had his heart broken before and trusting again is hard.
I liked watching these two navigate an awkward circumstance to discover something special that neither was really expecting. This is one of those really sweet feel good stories and I enjoyed its simplicity. :)
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October 25, 2010A beautiful, heartwarming story from my first M/M author Amanda Young, Inestimable Blessings is testament to love in its many forms.
Amanda’s writing is very sensual and her stories flow beautifully; I always get so caught up in the lives of her characters and the eroticism when her men love each other is sexy, very hot and often simply sweet. She really knows how to portray people falling in love and she is able to share with the reader the emotional component of relationships.
Lee is such a wonderful person and someone that I would love to call friend. Even though he’s not found that certain special someone he’s going ahead with his life and doing something to achieve his dream of being a father. Watching as the birth of his child neared I completely shared in his excitement; no it’s more than just mere excitement. What Lee is experiencing, along with some trepidation, is joy… complete and utter joy. And his feelings spilled from the pages and worked their way to my heart. It brought back the amazing memories of my own pregnancies and the incredible and often overwhelming feelings associated with becoming a parent a first or even fourth time. What a gift!
Then when Lee finally connected with his neighbour Finn… that was HOT and thrilling in its own right. And it added a separate texture to Lee’s life that, again, was extremely heartwarming.
I loved the dynamics of the relationship between Finn and Lee; the humour and the thrill of finding someone with whom you can be yourself flowed and thrilled at the same time. And I totally loved Finn’s dog… oh my heavens. Finn may not have ever entertained the idea of being a father, but his dog Rowdy is a sweet and perfect substitute.
Amanda Young’s Inestimable Blessings will have you laughing, cheering, crying—okay I cried, you may just sniffle here and there—and overall just celebrating love in many of its incarnations. Once again one of my very favourite authors has taken us on a journey and one that I will be happy to take again and again.
Kathy K.
Amanda’s writing is very sensual and her stories flow beautifully; I always get so caught up in the lives of her characters and the eroticism when her men love each other is sexy, very hot and often simply sweet. She really knows how to portray people falling in love and she is able to share with the reader the emotional component of relationships.
Lee is such a wonderful person and someone that I would love to call friend. Even though he’s not found that certain special someone he’s going ahead with his life and doing something to achieve his dream of being a father. Watching as the birth of his child neared I completely shared in his excitement; no it’s more than just mere excitement. What Lee is experiencing, along with some trepidation, is joy… complete and utter joy. And his feelings spilled from the pages and worked their way to my heart. It brought back the amazing memories of my own pregnancies and the incredible and often overwhelming feelings associated with becoming a parent a first or even fourth time. What a gift!
Then when Lee finally connected with his neighbour Finn… that was HOT and thrilling in its own right. And it added a separate texture to Lee’s life that, again, was extremely heartwarming.
I loved the dynamics of the relationship between Finn and Lee; the humour and the thrill of finding someone with whom you can be yourself flowed and thrilled at the same time. And I totally loved Finn’s dog… oh my heavens. Finn may not have ever entertained the idea of being a father, but his dog Rowdy is a sweet and perfect substitute.
Amanda Young’s Inestimable Blessings will have you laughing, cheering, crying—okay I cried, you may just sniffle here and there—and overall just celebrating love in many of its incarnations. Once again one of my very favourite authors has taken us on a journey and one that I will be happy to take again and again.
Kathy K.
November 26, 2015
Lee Calder knows what he wants out of life. He has a wonderful career as a physical therapist and a baby on the way via surrogate. The only thing missing is someone to share his blessings with him, but he’s okay with that as long as he gets to be a father. He’ll keep daydreaming about his hunky neighbor Finn while he enjoys life.
Literally stumbling onto his neighbor and finding out the other man is also gay is quite a surprise. While their attraction grows, Lee has to find a way to tell Finn he’s about to become a daddy without scaring Finn off.
Inestimable Blessings is a M/M contemporary romance about finding love when you least expect it. While Lee was happy to raise his child alone, finding someone to share his family with would be the icing on the cake. Finn also wasn’t looking for love after being burned by his ex. And he certainly wasn’t looking for a ready-made family.
Although I loved the premise of this book and enjoy family-centered romance, there were a few things that missed the mark for me. Lee was quick to anticipate the problem of Finn rejecting him because of his impeding fatherhood when Finn had given no indication he wouldn’t be receptive to the idea. It felt like the author was telling us what the issue would be instead of building up to something. The summary also misled me to believe there would be some big rescue between the two men when in actuality it was nothing like that. There was also a bit of unnecessary cliché.
I found the dialogue somewhat awkward as well as editing and formatting issues. There were some inconsistencies, like telling us that the surrogate had four children but later saying she had two. Several chapter breaks were missing, and there was some random highlighting in the electronic version. A professional editor and formatter would have made a world of difference in this book. These days, there are so many choices that it’s not worth it to read something that’s not professionally done.
For more of my reviews, please visit https://rachlawrencebooks.wordpress.com/.
Literally stumbling onto his neighbor and finding out the other man is also gay is quite a surprise. While their attraction grows, Lee has to find a way to tell Finn he’s about to become a daddy without scaring Finn off.
Inestimable Blessings is a M/M contemporary romance about finding love when you least expect it. While Lee was happy to raise his child alone, finding someone to share his family with would be the icing on the cake. Finn also wasn’t looking for love after being burned by his ex. And he certainly wasn’t looking for a ready-made family.
Although I loved the premise of this book and enjoy family-centered romance, there were a few things that missed the mark for me. Lee was quick to anticipate the problem of Finn rejecting him because of his impeding fatherhood when Finn had given no indication he wouldn’t be receptive to the idea. It felt like the author was telling us what the issue would be instead of building up to something. The summary also misled me to believe there would be some big rescue between the two men when in actuality it was nothing like that. There was also a bit of unnecessary cliché.
I found the dialogue somewhat awkward as well as editing and formatting issues. There were some inconsistencies, like telling us that the surrogate had four children but later saying she had two. Several chapter breaks were missing, and there was some random highlighting in the electronic version. A professional editor and formatter would have made a world of difference in this book. These days, there are so many choices that it’s not worth it to read something that’s not professionally done.
For more of my reviews, please visit https://rachlawrencebooks.wordpress.com/.
July 28, 2011
This was cute and sweet with a good HEA. Lee desperately wants a baby of his own despite not having a partner so he finds a surrogate to have his baby. So life is going along as ususal, the birth is getting near, when he has a chance meeting with Finn, his gorgeous neighbor that he's been eyeing for the past few months but never had the courage to actually meet. They have an immediate chemistry and are pretty inseperable for the next few weeks... until Lee finally breaks the news of his impending bundle of joy to Finn, who doesn't seem to want kids. Or is it because he's tried to convince himself that he doesn't want them because it wasn't something that he was ever going to be able to have? After some time apart to think, Finn realizes how he can't live without Lee and they make nice. And of course, once the baby gets there, Lee is blown away by his love for his child, and Finn amazingly falls right into the roll of fatherhood right along side Lee. There is a bit of turmoil involving Finn and the ex to add a small bit of tension working up to the climax. It ended on a very sweet note; a nice HEA.
August 31, 2011
Lee's got a good life, stable job, house, no boyfriend, but he wants a family so has a surrogate about 6 weeks from popping out a little one. His friends bug him about talking about a baby too much and tell him gay men don't want to talk kids, so when he finally meets his hot neighbor Finn and they start dating he keeps his mouth shut. He figures it's just a fling anyway, so whatever. As the date approaches he finally breaks down and tells Finn who doesn't react very well. A week later Finn apologises, they work it out and eagerly await the baby. The baby arrives, everything is going great and Lee is just about to say the "L" word when he catches Finn in a compromising position with his ex. Ooops. I was a bit worried about reading this one so soon after the other baby one I read, but the baby is really a much smaller part of this and there is little discussion of shopping or decorating. Some, but not tons. It's more about Lee and Finn and working up the nerve to tell him and then coping with the aftermath. The major crisis is resolved within minutes which was nice, not dragged out forever and it's a sweet story without excessive angst or trauma.
February 7, 2017
A lovely feel good read, that I devoured in one sitting. Bonus was I picked it up free!
Its a relatively short read (more than a lunch hour though) about Lee, who is very near the end of a surrogacy pregnancy and looking forward to being a Dad. The story is told from his point of view. We meet his friends, who are in varying degrees of supportiveness for his new life venture, and his hunky new neighbour Finn (love that name!).
Finn and Lee hit it off, and this is where a longer story could flesh out more of their time together - I'd have loved more of Finn teaching Lee to drive with gears, its always a good stress time!
Their time together is hot and steamy, followed by some misunderstandings over the surrogacy (but in true romance style, all is fine on the arrival of said baby) and Finn's highly confused ex. But nothing a fist in the face can't fix! Good fun for when you want a smile on your face.
Its a relatively short read (more than a lunch hour though) about Lee, who is very near the end of a surrogacy pregnancy and looking forward to being a Dad. The story is told from his point of view. We meet his friends, who are in varying degrees of supportiveness for his new life venture, and his hunky new neighbour Finn (love that name!).
Finn and Lee hit it off, and this is where a longer story could flesh out more of their time together - I'd have loved more of Finn teaching Lee to drive with gears, its always a good stress time!
Their time together is hot and steamy, followed by some misunderstandings over the surrogacy (but in true romance style, all is fine on the arrival of said baby) and Finn's highly confused ex. But nothing a fist in the face can't fix! Good fun for when you want a smile on your face.
September 16, 2013
Sweet idea, but overly predictable and lacking in any real conflict that would enable me to feel something for either man.
I would have liked a longer, more intense exploration of the relationship. This seemed too short and shallow really.
I would have liked a longer, more intense exploration of the relationship. This seemed too short and shallow really.
October 29, 2016
Lee's dream is to be a father and he has given up on waiting for a partner to be part of this dream. His surrogate is six weeks away from giving birth when he meets Finn. While both men have different reasons for believing they are not ready for a relationship they both jump in with both feet. There attraction is intense and they also genuinely like each other. There is a little bit of angst thrown in at the end of the book, but it is all quickly resolved. This is a feel good, sweet and simple story.
January 9, 2015
2.5 stars
An extremely sweet book but it just lacked a little depth in the story. I enjoyed it, and the new baby hospital scene was lovely. It just needed a little more storyline support perhaps?
An extremely sweet book but it just lacked a little depth in the story. I enjoyed it, and the new baby hospital scene was lovely. It just needed a little more storyline support perhaps?
December 21, 2012
Truly great story. I loved that Finn fell in love with Maddy and Lee both.
March 11, 2013
very sweet and sexy story
maybe
September 14, 20139/14/2013__FREE at ARe
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July 27, 2015A really well written sweet love story with a cute dog and baby!! No drama just sweet loving and a HEA
April 14, 2014
A light, quick read to help pass the time while pretending to actually work. A cute story.
September 21, 2013
Very sweet story!
March 2, 2018
This was a sweet sexy little slice of life story. There is a lot of sex in this but there are also just some nice moments for Finn and Lee as they become a couple. There a slight bump in their relationship when Lee finally tells Finn about his soon to be parenthood and another towards the end. Yet this is a fairly angst free comfort read.
June 16, 2017
Loved it!
This one was very sweet! I loved it. Definitely worth the read! The characters were awesome, the setting great, the sex was steamy, a great easy read.
This one was very sweet! I loved it. Definitely worth the read! The characters were awesome, the setting great, the sex was steamy, a great easy read.
May 28, 2019
Cute, but I wanted more, at least maybe an epilogue a few years later. Are there any stores about Jimmy or Ted or Sal? I'd even be happy to read about Fiona's HEA...
September 6, 2015
It wasn't a terrible story. Full of a lot of fluff, one big melodrama "miscommunication" tantrum, and lots of "does he like me?" stuff in it. Pretty par for the course for these styles of romance.
What pushed it back in rating was the bisexuality bias (the horrible stereotype that bisexuals can't be trusted) and the genetics bias. The need for a biological child was so close to being fully reasoned out. But not quite for me. I think if the raised-adopted was more fully explored, I could have glomped onto it. But it bugged me that he was so focused on his "own" kid, that no other child would do. That he didn't even consider foster children, it bugged me. Clearly, I have my own bias, having adopted my children from the foster system. So I can't say it was a deal breaker in and of itself. But combined with the bisexuality stereotype, it tipped this book back into the two-star rating. I finished the book, and that counts in my rating.
I don't think I'd recommend this book, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from it. If you are looking for babies and fluff and are happy when the MCs spend most of their time not communicating their intent and having all sorts of miscommunication problems, then this is for you. Just know that bisexuals aren't automatically sluts, that gay men have been known to play straight in order to have a biological family, and that being a parent is way more than contributing your genetics to the pool and many awesome dads have no blood connection to the children they raise.
What pushed it back in rating was the bisexuality bias (the horrible stereotype that bisexuals can't be trusted) and the genetics bias. The need for a biological child was so close to being fully reasoned out. But not quite for me. I think if the raised-adopted was more fully explored, I could have glomped onto it. But it bugged me that he was so focused on his "own" kid, that no other child would do. That he didn't even consider foster children, it bugged me. Clearly, I have my own bias, having adopted my children from the foster system. So I can't say it was a deal breaker in and of itself. But combined with the bisexuality stereotype, it tipped this book back into the two-star rating. I finished the book, and that counts in my rating.
I don't think I'd recommend this book, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from it. If you are looking for babies and fluff and are happy when the MCs spend most of their time not communicating their intent and having all sorts of miscommunication problems, then this is for you. Just know that bisexuals aren't automatically sluts, that gay men have been known to play straight in order to have a biological family, and that being a parent is way more than contributing your genetics to the pool and many awesome dads have no blood connection to the children they raise.
February 17, 2017
Very sweet.
October 8, 2011
2.5 stars
You know sometimes things are so beautiful, and suddenly a turn of event throw everything to the dumpster? Lee finally finds himself in a good place in life: he has good job, friends, and a baby is coming through surrogate mother. Then, Finn, the hunky neighbor, comes alone, and he seems to have aversion toward kids. No, when I said good things turn bad, I'm not referring to the story. Like most M/M, Finn comes around soon enough. I'm actually talking about the book.
When everything seems to good, the author decides to make a melodramatic turn. Let's see. Finn has an ex, Pete, who dumped him but wants to get back together. It's just happen that Pete has to kiss Finn when Lee stops by Finn's house and see his lover being kissed so hell breaks loose. I'm into romantic stories, but this kind of thing is way getting old and unnecessary.
Up to that point, this was 4.5 stars book. Now, it's 2.5 stars.
You know sometimes things are so beautiful, and suddenly a turn of event throw everything to the dumpster? Lee finally finds himself in a good place in life: he has good job, friends, and a baby is coming through surrogate mother. Then, Finn, the hunky neighbor, comes alone, and he seems to have aversion toward kids. No, when I said good things turn bad, I'm not referring to the story. Like most M/M, Finn comes around soon enough. I'm actually talking about the book.
When everything seems to good, the author decides to make a melodramatic turn. Let's see. Finn has an ex, Pete, who dumped him but wants to get back together. It's just happen that Pete has to kiss Finn when Lee stops by Finn's house and see his lover being kissed so hell breaks loose. I'm into romantic stories, but this kind of thing is way getting old and unnecessary.
Up to that point, this was 4.5 stars book. Now, it's 2.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2021
I enjoyed the story of Lee (who is a soon to be dad from a surrogate) and Finn (who is his hunky neighbor). They had amazing chemistry when they met, and it not just in the bedroom. They were comfortable with each other and had great conversations. Their relationship moved pretty quickly as they got to know each other, until the big old halt when Lee told Finn about his soon to be born child. Finn wasn't sure what to think about it all and threw a small tantrum, but he eventually woke up and realized that it didn't matter. Once he made the decision that he wanted Lee no matter what, he jumped into the idea of children quickly and helped Lee get ready. Once the baby was born, Finn was sucked right into the adorableness of a baby, and became a great dad. It was very sweet. I felt like it was a book that really highlighted Finn's growth, even though it seemed to be more told from Lee's point of view.
August 31, 2013
This was an okay book, I guess. There was nothing extremely remarkable about it, except the baby's birth. Lee's sadness of having missed the moment coupled with the joy of knowing his baby girl was in the world was heartfelt. The description of the first time the man holds his daughter actually made me lose my breath. It's a moment extremely well captured (I believe so, but I don't have kids, though) that touched my heart and warmed me inside.
However, the constant appearance of Finn's ex, just to stir things up in the plot, bugged. And for a character who appears for the sole purpose of causing an argument between the MCs, Peter, the ex, turns around and apologizes for the misunderstanding too quickly. I think his appearance in the end was unnecessary; the plot had enough "drama" as it was.
Overall, this isn't a bad story.
However, the constant appearance of Finn's ex, just to stir things up in the plot, bugged. And for a character who appears for the sole purpose of causing an argument between the MCs, Peter, the ex, turns around and apologizes for the misunderstanding too quickly. I think his appearance in the end was unnecessary; the plot had enough "drama" as it was.
Overall, this isn't a bad story.
April 16, 2016
Congratulations...
Finding love where you least expect it is the norm for just about everybody. "Right under your nose" is about as clichéd as they come. Finn and Lee could literally be the next door neighbor. They are flawed, like we all are. They jump to conclusions, like we all do. Their ending is happy, what we all hope for. This story, with various technical issues, is more than the sum of its parts, and that's totally due to the writing. You are gently and consistently ushered though their relationship. You watch them fall in love. You want to smack them when they're being stupid and hug them when they get it right. At the end you want to celebrate right along with them. Congratulations!!!!
I could pick through this story and point out everything I felt was wrong, but it's bigger than the sum of it's parts.
Finding love where you least expect it is the norm for just about everybody. "Right under your nose" is about as clichéd as they come. Finn and Lee could literally be the next door neighbor. They are flawed, like we all are. They jump to conclusions, like we all do. Their ending is happy, what we all hope for. This story, with various technical issues, is more than the sum of its parts, and that's totally due to the writing. You are gently and consistently ushered though their relationship. You watch them fall in love. You want to smack them when they're being stupid and hug them when they get it right. At the end you want to celebrate right along with them. Congratulations!!!!
I could pick through this story and point out everything I felt was wrong, but it's bigger than the sum of it's parts.
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