Kieran and Matt’s romance had its fair share of angst and drama, but despite all the ups and downs the two of them won me over with their sweet connection.
If I’m being totally honest, this story did not get off to the most optimistic start. Matt was completely in denial about his attraction to men, Kieran was forcing himself to move on from a years-long crush on his straight best friend, and the two of them hadn’t seen each other in person for multiple years. I wasn’t sure there was any way their family wedding/vacation could turn things around, but little by little I started to pick up on their subtle cues. First it was the way Matt got so grumpy any time Kieran got hit on by another man, then it was Kieran’s less-than-discreet ogling of Matt’s body. As Matt came to terms with the idea that he might not be staight after all, Kieran was also fighting and failing to get over his feelings for Matt. The two of them were the perfect storm of emotions and sexual desire, and when they finally snapped it was hot as heck to experience. That supply closet romp didn’t magically take away all the reason Matt and Kieran were hesitant to explore their romantic attraction, but boy was it a turning point that steered their formerly platonic friendship into steamy waters. The second half of their story was much less about “will they or won’t they” and instead focused on “how can they turn their fantastic chemistry into something real”. Once they’d opened the floodgates, there was no way to pretend that Kieran and Matt weren’t perfect for each other, but the two of them had built up roadblocks and justifications for why their family and friends wouldn’t accept their new togetherness. As sweet as their sexy explorations were, Matt and Kieran were also incredibly angsty and unsure for most of the rest of the story, and it took them all the way to the very end to decide if their relationship was worth the repercussions. I wish their journey had been a little easier, but it ended up all being worth it to see them happy and together in the epilogue.
**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.