I keep doing this weird thing where I put off reading books by this author and then can’t figure out why because her writing is pretty freaking amazing. Once I got over the hurdle of acknowledging that I was missing backstory with these two characters (since this book is a spin-off from a previous series), it absorbed me completely. Morton brings John and Matt to life on the page, and each man is three-dimensional and unique. I adored how the friendship between them grew before it included a sexual component, and overall, it is a satisfying stand-alone romance novel.
Morton immediately bucks the enemies-to-lovers arc by having the men reconcile enough to begin a tentative friendship pretty early in the novel. Then, the heat quotient is definitely there, but Matt has been burned in the past, and he genuinely enjoys the burgeoning friendship between him and John and doesn’t want to ruin it for a short-lived fling. For John’s part, his life has always had a specific path and expectations, which his newfound friendship with Matt disrupts thoroughly. Once the sex happens, it’s pretty much all over but for the shouting.
Except it’s less shouting and more idiots in love. Luckily, Matt and John have good friends on their side who are determined to see them happy. This book is a perfect one-shot for readers interested in checking out Morton’s work or just looking for a sweet, solid (and absolutely sexy) romance novel. Excellent reading no matter the time of year.
Rating: 5 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.