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Blurb
One man looking to set down roots, the other looking to leave…
Fresh out of a relationship, Nate’s searching for a change—what better way is there than renovating his uncle’s old coffee shop in Chesapeake City? He has a new job, in a new town, and a new lease. And when he almost runs over his hot neighbor, Linc, who happens to be his contractor? Well, based on the explosive attraction between them, maybe he’ll find something new there too.
Linc’s been treading water ever since his wife passed away in childbirth, focusing all of his energy on raising his son, Beckett. The obvious solution? He needs to get the hell out of Chesapeake City. But when Nate charmingly fumbles his way into Linc’s life, he finds his defenses lowering for the first time in years. One date leads to another, and hell, this man makes him feel in ways he’d forgotten.
Even though Nate just finished piecing his heart back together, he falls fast. Yet Linc’s made it clear he’s a bad bet. The man hasn’t clicked with anyone since his wife, and if Nate ends up being “not enough” again, that won’t shatter just his heart—the fragile home he’s trying to build in this town will crumble too.
Review
3.5 stars
A heartfelt and emotional small-town, m/m single parent romance, this is a sweet, sexy, easy read, and I really enjoyed it.
Nate has just been dumped by his long-term boyfriend and is looking for a fresh start, so he packs up his life and moves from Boston to the small, riverside town of Chesapeake City (which, to my delight, actually exists, and I had a wonderful time browsing through pictures online). His Uncle left him his beloved local coffee shop, and Nate wans to renovate and run the business, while embracing small town life and all of the changes it will hopefully bring.
Linc is a single dad raising his 6-year-old son, and still grieving the death of his wife in childbirth. He is serious and a bit withdrawn, and though he has created a solid life for himself and is a devoted father to little Beckett, he is stagnating. And then a breath of fresh air blows into town that Link wasn’t expecting.
After a series of awkward encounters – thanks to the adorably bumbling Nate – the two men learn that Linc is the contractor that Nate has hired to help him with his renovations. Attraction is there from the beginning, and while Nate is interested, he is a relationship guy and wants more than just a quick hook up. Linc hasn’t been able to connect with anybody – male or female – since his wife died, but there’s something about the new guy in town that sparks his interest, and the more the two guys hang out, Linc finds his walls coming down.
There’s a bit of opposites-attract about these two as bright and optimistic Nate throws himself whole-heartedly into exploring things with Linc, while Linc is quieter and holds himself back a lot. But it’s beautiful watching him open up and begin to explore the possibilities of a relationship, and I loved these two guys together.
The romance is sweet, fun, and seriously sexy as they tentatively find their way forward together. It feels easy and natural, and it’s so gorgeous watching them fall into a relationship. But the guys still have some hurdles to overcome.
Nate was a slice of sweetness in a world that should’ve stamped it out, his bright nature the exact sort of pure most had crushed out of them at an early age. He deserved kindness, he deserved love, and he deserved his dream coming true.
He deserved more than the husk Linc had become.
This kind of storyline can be annoying, where one member of the relationship story doesn’t feel worthy of the other, but McIntyre writes it well. I could understand where Linc was coming from, and Nate’s persistence and optimism is just gorgeous as he encourages Linc, actively and open-heartedly trying to build the life that he’s always wanted.
“You deserve the world … You deserve so much more than this bullshit from a fucking guy too broken to make you the promises you need.”
… “Hey,” he said softly. “I’m the one who decides what I need. And none of this ‘deserve’ bullshit. Because this thing between us? It’s not the sort of connection to pass up.”
Helping the guys along the way is a fun group of friends, who I’m sure we’ll see more of as the series progresses. And Little Beckett is a fantastic part of the unfolding romance, and I just adored the little guy. He’s going through his own stuff, and I really felt for Linc as a father, and loved that while Nate brings light back into Linc’s life, he’s there for little Beckett as well. So freaking cute.
There is some drama along the way for these two, but it’s short-lived and resolved well, and I loved seeing them get their well-deserved HEA. I finished this book with a smile on my face, and looking forward to reading more in the series.
3.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Chesapeake Days
Stronger Than Hope (#1) (Nate & Linc)
Buy: Amazon | Paperback
Stronger Than Passion (#2) (Hudson & Nico)
To be released 11 June
Pre-order: Amazon