I wasn’t impressed that I had to get my weekly massage from a guy with a toe ring. But when I discovered David Cooke’s skills as a masseur were literally orgasmic, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and his amazing hands, day and night. Especially at night.
He’s full of surprises. And despite my bad behavior, David’s just as eager to explore this chemistry between
us. Turns out, there’s a lot more to him than hemp pants and tattoos. If he’s so wrong for me, why does being with him feel so right?
~~
I was a roller coaster of emotions reading this novella. Up - I'm glad David called Seth on his reaction during the first time they met. Down - why the heck was he on board for stranger danger sex outside? Those are just a couple of examples but I think you get the general idea. Seth's a complicated character emotionally; very closed off, confused with how to raise his niece now that his sister has passed. I hate giving an 'it's ok card' to people behaving like assholes but I'm willing to grant that he has a lot going on in his life.
But that confusion they have about their individual futures is part of why I'm not completely happy with the rapid fire progression to sex. Things between Seth and David gradually become more even keeled as they learn about each other but just like I'm not ok with early sudden hookups in heterosexual romances, I'm not totally a fan of it here. Yes the sexual tension is just itching to be broken but when people are being mean/jerky I tend not to want to reward them for that.
Still Gregg doesn't let Seth or David rest on what appear to be their personalities in the beginning. Both of them have some pretty crappy events in their past and it makes it that much harder to trust each other in those initial stages. That eventual coming together is what makes this romance a winner for me, even if the beginning of it wasn't totally my style. Combined with a realistic and logical approach to solving both blackmail threats and custody battles and I'm overall a happy camper.
Overall Feeling - B-
Series - 1) Mark and Tony 2) Max and Finn 3) Seth and David 4) Holden and Adam
**Title requested from NetGalley**
