This book was very sweet, and even though it had some angst it was not overpowering in the story. In any other book I might have felt it was sort of sweeping conflicts under the rug but I found the book flowed nicely and it was fitting and appropriate to the story. I believe it has much to do with the wonderful narration by Joel Leslie (as always, he is one of the best narrator I know). His talented depiction of the characters, complicated New Orleans accents and all, has made this book a fantastic listen and I am certain that had I read it in e-book format I would not have liked it or not been able to ignore some of the small inconsistencies in the story. As an audiobook it is just a great M/M, not too long so you can finish it in one sitting, and the funny banter and playfulness on the relationship between Beau and Will keeps the smile on your face throughout the book. Joel brings them to life in a trilling way, you feel each emotion, attitude and character as if you watching a movie. He has made this book better by his narration.
This story has some difficult themes, and it manages to deal with them in respectful realistic manner without making the story heavy and angsty. I loved that about this book, there are not many stories that deal with HIV positive characters (I have only found one or two books, in the M/M genre) and I find it is important and wonderful that the author managed to incorporate it into a romantic erotica. The relationship between Beau and Will is sexy, steaming and funny, they deal with their problems and don’t let things stew for too long after they get together. It had some second chance and friends-to lovers vibe, the sub genres I love the most in romance. I felt like Beau’s youth center was a bit of a prop, after the beginning of the book made it appear as a much more central part of the book but it did not bother me too much. I felt like I was missing a lot of the info about the other characters, somethings I would have known had I read the other books first. BUT It was just enough for
me to be very curious about them without it being frustrating or interfere with the story.
I loved this book and am planning on getting the other books in the series.