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He Completes Me (Home #2)

by Cardeno C. (Goodreads Author)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 796 ratings · 85 reviews

Not even his mother’s funeral can convince self-proclaimed party boy Zach Johnson to put aside his flamboyant ways or even think about settling down. He is who he is, and no one can make him change. But when he meets Aaron Paulson, his brother's best friend, Zach has to step back and re-evaluate his perceptions of love and family.

Aaron insists he’s falling for Zach, but Za...more

ebook, 300 pages

Published March 21st 2011 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 20th 2011)

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Feb 02, 2013 deirdre rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, buddy-reads

So sweet .....
What a wonderful love story .... One that had me thinking 'awwwwwww' many many times.
This book presents a relationship....over 500 pages of relationship growth and development. I loved that!
This would be a great read to follow a darker one.

The book is written in first person POV. This actually didn't make me love either the first 25% of the book or the narrator, Zach. But, what it DID enable was for me to witness the growth and change in Zach . . . And eventually Aaron. I thoroughl...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Mandy*reads obsessively* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-owned, m-m, my-faves, hurt-comfort-disability, sweet, fun-or-funny, listen-to-it-books, evil-females, kid-kids-and-more-kids, lots-of-sugar

First read May 2011
I was in the mood for a really sweet story, and this one definitely is!
Aaron was to good to be true,but hey it's a romance:)

**
I loved it the first time, so I'm doing a reread...we shall see...
Ok, I finished my reread..*sigh* I still love it, yes, I have a few niggels, but I am more than willing to overlook them for the warm fuzzies this book leaves me with!

**
I have a horrible headache so I decided to give myself a present and bought a few of my favorites as audiobooks, unfort...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Rossy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Is there someone i want to see tortured?

Recommended to Rossy by: Lured by a good blurb and friends who gave no warning!

Shelves: series-mm-smexin, angst-drama, mm-glitterkink, challenge-cover-to-cover-2011

Somewhere along the 53% i went into a sugar coma and this book sneaked in a star. I was too numb to put care, and just grateful that i no longer had to mentally try to torture the main characters.

The Good:
If you don't mind a sugary sweet story, with insta-love. Then this is the book, if not series, for you. The books in this series are like powder donuts; which i don't mind every now and then. The intake can be almost deadly though, so be careful how many you intake without something healthy in...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Edina Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: androgynous, intense

Well done! I'm really happy I gave a chance to this book. I was hesitating because I read Home Again by the same author and was not impressed.

It is not easy to pull off and intense love story and not make it too sappy. This story is really intense, but not the annoying sappy type at all. The book is quite long, and I was worried it would be filled with boring stuff just to fill the space. I'm happy to say it was not the case. From the first chapter to the last, the story is consuming. It is ric...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Damn, this book blows Mary Calmes out of the water as far as fluff goes. I think there was maybe 1 (no 2) instances of possible angst due to misunderstandings/jealousy that lasted less than a paragraph. Whew. So, yes, it was sweet.

But, it was also hot. Damn these boys could fuck like rabbits. Over and over and over again. Pages and pages and pages of sex. Bad thing? Not necessarily. But the book definitely could have been 50 pages shorter, in my opinion.

Zach – he was such a dickwad in the beginn...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Jess Candela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, read-in-2011, read-in-2012, bingo-challenge

Somehow I gave this 5 stars when I read it 24April2011. Unfortunately, I didn't think to add any commentary, so I have no idea what I was thinking when I did so. Or what drugs I may have been on. After discussing it with some friends, and all of us agreeing this seems like one of the last books I'd be likely to rate 5 stars, I had to reread it to find out.

Insta-love is one of my big pet peeves, though every once in a great while it's done in a way I find believable. This is not one of those time...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Crys Harris rated it 3 of 5 stars

I do not get why this sappy story is so highly regarded. The sex is repetitive, one of the main characters is just too good to stomach, and I HATE the two main secondary characters. I wanted to bash Kim in the face. Dean is a spineless cretin. Only Zach is worth anything.

And I have officially read a book with too much sex.

So, I just re-read this and I liked it better than the first time, for some reason. I felt more kindly toward Dean and Kim and Aaron's vulnerability came through more, making h...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, e-books-on-nook

3.5

Wow, Aaron was just the sweetest soul...I sapped out for him over and over again throughout this book! Zach's SIL got on my last damn nerve though (Hello, nasty hussy, keep your 'tuna' to yourself! Gag!)! But all-in-all I really enjoyed this story and would love to see what happens after they moved into the new house and set up the new clinic/business. Fluffy Goodness for sure!

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Mar 03, 2013 Sas rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

Fave Quote: '"That was just a blowjob like Star Wars was just a movie."'

- Storyline - 7/10
- Hero - 9/10
- Hero - 9/10
- Chemistry - 10/10
- Steaminess - 8/10
- Sweetness - 8/10
- Secondary Characters - 10/10
- Setting - 7/10
- Details/Quirks - 5/10
- Banter/Humor - 9/10
- Ending - 10/10
- Ridiculousness - 2/10
- Annoying the shit out of me factor - 5/10
- This book described in one word/phrase - Sugary

This book was a weird one, because I couldn't decide whether I loved or hated the main characters. First o...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I read the first book in the Coming Home series and really liked it and was intrigued when at the end of the story two new possible storylines were introduced. I was pleased to discover that Cardeno did in point of fact explore them. This second story has loose ties to the first one because one of the heroes, Clark, is a minor character in this story and we get a little of what it was like for him in the years he was away from home.

This is the story of a guy, Zach, who had a rough start in life...more I read the first book in the Coming Home series and really liked it and was intrigued when at the end of the story two new possible storylines were introduced. I was pleased to discover that Cardeno did in point of fact explore them. This second story has loose ties to the first one because one of the heroes, Clark, is a minor character in this story and we get a little of what it was like for him in the years he was away from home.

This is the story of a guy, Zach, who had a rough start in life and thus his current life if unchecked is destined to continue in loneliness and self-destruction though he only sees himself as the guy who doesn't do commitments and is the life of the party- many parties. Zach comes home for the first time in a decade at his brother's begging to attend his estranged mother's funeral. Zach is hateful and angry with his extended family for ignoring him in his time of need and for their harsh bigotry. He lumps his older brother in with this crowd and has done so for years even though his brother made regular attempts to show he cared. It is not until Zach slams around with a chip on his shoulder and throwing accusations and assumptions about that he soon learns that he was very wrong about many things.

First, his brother and his brother's wife and kids accept him whole-heartedly and unashamedly. Secondly and most importantly, the big handsome bear of a guy, Aaron, who is looked on as almost a member of the family is gay and shock of all, still interested in Zach after all Zach's snarkiness. Most of the story is a journey of Zach as he grows into a whole, healthy and capable of loving human being. Aaron is the key to this. It is above all a romance, but it is also a road of recovery.

My thoughts on the story are that overall, I really liked it, but it was a touch and go thing in a few places when you get down to specifics. I thought the author handled Zach's snarkiness with a deftness that some authors do not quite achieve when they have to write a character who starts out hateful, but then grows. There's that line that must be walked down the center ever so carefully of writing the character in serious need of intervention without totally alienating the reader's sympathies toward the character. Zach is a shining example of getting it right which is a vast relief since the whole story is told from his point of view.
The part that felt a little off was that odd dynamic between Dean, Zach's brother, Dean's wife and Aaron. I had that niggly thing like they were almost a three-some in the beginning because of how both of the husband and wife seemed to rely so heavily on Aaron for every little thing and got all touchy feely with him. Dean's wife had no personal boundaries when it came to Aaron even after he was with Zach and admitted a couple of times that she felt attracted to him and she relied on him more than her husband. I was glad to see Zach put them in their place a bit when it came to Aaron so the poor guy could have his own life.
I also had a few moments when I wanted Aaron to grow a spine and tell people "NO". But it is his gentle, giving and self-sacrificing nature that gets through to Zach so I wasn't too upset about it. And he was just so perfect for Zach. I loved the passionate lover that was revealed in Aaron who was so different from the public Aaron that everyone else saw when he finally got together with Zach.

It was a very satisfying read and I look forward to reading Aaron's cousins' story next.(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Tracy added it

Shelves: m-m

I'm not ready to give this one a rating; not sure if a re-read will work or not. On the one hand, the story was compelling enough to keep me up a tad late until I finished it. On the other hand...

1. Insta-love to the nth degree. SO.Much.Insta-love. Even if Zach doesn't recognize that he's having deep emotions for this guy he's known, like, 12 seconds, his body does...

2. Aaron's martyr thing. Dude cannot say no to anybody. His self-worth seems to be tied into making sure everyone else he knows is...more I'm not ready to give this one a rating; not sure if a re-read will work or not. On the one hand, the story was compelling enough to keep me up a tad late until I finished it. On the other hand...

1. Insta-love to the nth degree. SO.Much.Insta-love. Even if Zach doesn't recognize that he's having deep emotions for this guy he's known, like, 12 seconds, his body does...

2. Aaron's martyr thing. Dude cannot say no to anybody. His self-worth seems to be tied into making sure everyone else he knows is happy. Nobody (except, of course, Zach) ever seems to want to give to him. Seriously, you can't do much about your biological family, but, really. You're allowed to have friends. And you're allowed to choose as friends people who don't always need something from YOU. Hell, you can even choose people you don't need anything from. O.o (And I say this with love & empathy, knowing that I have a tendency to have difficulty saying no, myself.)

3. The age thing. I just don't understand the age thing. Zach & Dean's dad died about 20 years ago, when Zach was 8. When Zach was 12, Dean went away to college. At some point while they were both in college, Dean and Aaron were roommates (in an apartment, granted...) Aaron is all of a year younger than Zach? So, basically, Dean-the-grad student got an apartment with his close friend Aaron-the-undergrad? Seems unlikely! (& anyway, I *think* it said that it was while Dean was a grad student & Aaron was starting vet med. Which means there can't be *that* many years between them, or Dean's super-slow, or Aaron's super-fast. Because there's AT LEAST 6 years between Dean and Zach.)

4. Kimmy, Dean's wife, while not necessarily a bad person, was not a sympathetic character. I don't like her. They blame it on post-partum depression, but she just comes across as whiny, needy and shallow. She can barely boil water on her own and she's planning on being the SAHM to a 6YO and toddler twins? Does she have a *clue* how much work this is going to be? Because I'm thinking Aaron's been pulling the weight for her for so long, she's gonna have one HELL of a wake-up call. Also, the kids are total Plot Moppets.

So, readability is probably a 4. But those issues above bring the actual story itself to more like a 2.5 But I can't figure out how to properly weight those to average things out. (less)

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Oct 23, 2011 Cindi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I never jump into the middle (or in this case, the 2nd) of a series without reading the previous books. After reading some reviews of the first in the series, I decided to read this anyway. I'm glad I did but I'm confused. After reading the blurbs for the other books that are related to this one, it looks like the others take place after this one or (with one character) before this one.
"He Completes Me" is about Zach and Aaron. Other characters (Clark, David, etc.) are mentioned in this book. O...more I never jump into the middle (or in this case, the 2nd) of a series without reading the previous books. After reading some reviews of the first in the series, I decided to read this anyway. I'm glad I did but I'm confused. After reading the blurbs for the other books that are related to this one, it looks like the others take place after this one or (with one character) before this one.
"He Completes Me" is about Zach and Aaron. Other characters (Clark, David, etc.) are mentioned in this book. One has his "happily ever after" already where one is still searching for it. It's kind of confusing. Clark's story is #1 in the series, yet he is still searching for his "happily ever after" in this book. Also, I read that David's book takes place AFTER this one, yet he was already in his happy relationship during this book. Totally unlike any other series I've ever read. It will not prevent me from reading the other books. It might encourage me to read them. But as I said, confusing.

Now to this book. I had never read anything by this author. But I have to say that I totally loved the writing style. I'm not always that big on first-person type stories but I loved how Zach would often think or say something that was aimed at the reader. It was very refreshing and not like anything else I've read.

Zach is a wild child, so to speak. I think man-whore describes him best. And he is not ashamed of it. He is forced to return to his hometown for his mother's funeral. He had turned his back on his family (namely his brother, Dean) and his hometown a decade earlier and never looked back. He is quite happy with his lifestyle in L.A. and plans to come home long enough for the funeral and then hightail it back to his life in L.A. At his brother's home, he meets Aaron, the best friend to Dean and his wife, Kimmy. There is an immediate attraction between the two of them, though Zach believes Aaron is straight. It wouldn't matter anyway because Zach is eager to get on a plane and go back to California.

What follows is a sweet, yet at times, strange long distance love story between Zach and Aaron. I will admit that there is one scene in the book that almost made me stop reading it. This was early on and all I could think was how there was no way that I would ever begin to like Zach after that. I was determined to hate his character and I decided then to simply finish the book to just finish it. I am surprised to say that I really did begin to like his character and ended up loving him by the time the book ended.

I really loved this story but there are a couple of things that I felt were either unnecessary or simply not explained. Dean and Kimmy. Yes, I understand how they became close to Aaron. I understand Aaron giving up his life (basically) to be there for them. But I had a very hard time liking Kim AT ALL. And it took awhile to warm up to Dean, and even then, I didn't care for his character much. I guess he redeemed himself (somewhat) when he confronted his and Zach's stepfather. The issue I had with the two of them was the fact that they used Aaron. It's like they were totally incapable of doing anything on their own. They are supposed to be successful, college educated professionals but yet they came across as weak. Both of them. They didn't take care of their children when Aaron was there. One of them was constantly calling Aaron to come to their house to fix something. And the thing that really made me dislike Kim the most was when she showed up at Aaron's apartment pounding on the door at 8:00 a.m. the morning after Zach came to visit for the first time in months. She invited them for a big breakfast that Aaron and Zach had to make. I kept waiting for there to be some type of argument or something in regards to how Dean and Kim treated Aaron. I kept hoping either Aaron or Zach would step up and say "Enough is enough." That didn't happen. And another thing I didn't like about it is the fact that once Zach moved in with Aaron and they were all living in the same town Dean and Kim pretty much disappeared. They were constantly interfering in their lives when they lived hundreds of miles apart and they were constantly calling on Aaron to come to their house for one thing or another but yet when they all live in the same town........ nothing. I don't get it. I would also like to know what the point was of Kim showing up at the vet clinic to take Zach lunch. The entire thing was unnecessary.

I am not that big on books where one (or both) main characters say the "L" word so early on. Aaron (who also came across as really weak at times) started saying that to Zach a day or so after they met. While I loved his character, I also saw him as a very weak person who was willing to be treated like crap just to keep the man he loved. He was willing to forgive Zach for anything and everything.

I loved watching Zach's character grow. I enjoy watching him go from the wild child man slut to actually caring and loving toward Aaron. I was scared the length of the book would make it drag on and on. What it did was show me how good of a writer this author is. By the time the book ended I was seeing Zach in a new light.

I really look forward to reading more by this author. As I said, I really loved the writing style.(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Elisa Ramblings added it · review of another edition

I understood 2 things reading this book, the 2nd in the Home Series by Cardeno C., that she believes in soul mates and that she likes to slowly introduce the reader to the following couple in the series, in a way letting the reader know that the story is an happily ever after, and that, even if the next couple will have issues, they for sure will find a way to overcome all of them.

Zach and Aaron were introduce to us in Home Again; Zach is Clark’s friend from Los Angeles, and actually I wondered...more I understood 2 things reading this book, the 2nd in the Home Series by Cardeno C., that she believes in soul mates and that she likes to slowly introduce the reader to the following couple in the series, in a way letting the reader know that the story is an happily ever after, and that, even if the next couple will have issues, they for sure will find a way to overcome all of them.

Zach and Aaron were introduce to us in Home Again; Zach is Clark’s friend from Los Angeles, and actually I wondered the strange coincidence of Zach moving back to Emile City the same time Clark, almost like he was following his friend. That is not right, and to be precise, it was Zach who decided to move before Clark to going living together with his boyfriend, Aaron.

Zach has met Aaron in not a nice circumstance, Zach’s mother’s funeral. It was a sad circumstance not since Zach was particularly near to his mother, actually he was kicked out of home at only 18 years old, after years of abuses, but since Zach doesn’t want to face all the sad memories Emile City brings back to him. But Zach’s brother Dean lives there, and he seems really a nice guy, he wants for Zach to meet his family, his wife, his three sons and yes, Aaron, since Aaron is part of that family. Aaron is the good boy who has always helped them, when Dean’s wife was depressed, when her business was failing, when she was unable to take care of her own kid. Aaron is also the guy who took care of a terminal ill boyfriend when he was only a teenager, who is still spending all his free time doing volunteering job, who is basically a virgin at 27 years old… Aaron is more or less a saint, and Zach is more or less an “easy” guy.

Dean and his wife Kim has never ever thought Zach and Aaron could be a couple since they are so different, but when Zach meets Aaron, he starts to think that he would like to change to be a better guy and so a better match for Aaron. Not that Aaron is asking that, on the contrary I think he likes Zach exactly as he is, and there was never a moment I felt Aaron was considering a pity case or someone to “safe” from his own sad fate of loneliness; it was all in Zach’s mind, and it was Zach who decided, on his own, that he wanted to be exclusive for the first time in his life, that sex was not the only reason to be with a guy, that building a family with Aaron was not destroying his life but making it better… everything to be worthy of Aaron’s love.

But if I have to choose, I think that who is actually saving someone is Zach; Aaron’s life was… boring, and sad, and empty. He was such a good boy that he has always done things for other people and in that way forgetting to build something for him. Aside for when he is with Dean and Kim’s family or when he is volunteering, Aaron is lonely; he has no hobbies, no boyfriend and he is far from his family. He is waiting for his soul mate and until then there is no reason to “play the field”; sincerely, sometime I found Aaron to be a little too much righteous and grey dove that is Zach is dirtying a bit that shining armour, and in this case a little dirt doesn’t hurt.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1615818529/?...(less)

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May 28, 2011 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

He Completes Me is the second book in the Home series. The first, Home Again, I pretty much hated entirely (1 star), but thankfully you don’t have to read Home Again to understand He Completes Me. In fact just pick up this one if it sounds interesting to you. HCM is a better book by far but it still suffers from second half malaise as the tension drains from the book to be replaced by sex scene after sex scene with no real purpose. It’s romantic to be sure and a very strong HEA with some adorabl...more He Completes Me is the second book in the Home series. The first, Home Again, I pretty much hated entirely (1 star), but thankfully you don’t have to read Home Again to understand He Completes Me. In fact just pick up this one if it sounds interesting to you. HCM is a better book by far but it still suffers from second half malaise as the tension drains from the book to be replaced by sex scene after sex scene with no real purpose. It’s romantic to be sure and a very strong HEA with some adorable characters so that may be enough for some readers.

The first half of the story deals with Zach and Aaron as they initially get together. Zach meets Aaron on a trip home to attend Zach’s mother’s funeral. Zach hasn’t been home in years and he’s apprehensive to connect with the older brother he never really knew. When Zach and Aaron meet, the sparks immediately fly. They spend two days together where Zach freaks out due to his issues with commitment and Aaron patiently supports and waits for Zach. This is followed by four months when Zach is in LA and they talk on the phone every night. Finally though the two get together, blend their lives, and live happily ever after. This is roughly the halfway mark in the book and the remainder is made up of lengthy sex scenes and the details of how the two are going to be so happy.

The book starts off very well with Zach as an adorable and very engaging narrator. He tends to talk to the reader a lot with asides. He explains his emotions and thought process much better to the reader than he ever does to Aaron but it only starts to run long towards the end of the book. Here Zach tends to internally answer the question for the reader, then repeat the answer almost verbatim to Aaron. This causes definite repetition to the writing and story and does get tiresome towards the end of the 300pg novel. Yet Zach manages to stay charming most of the time. Initially Zach is filled with insecurities, doubts, fears, and concerns. It seems like he won’t ever get out of his own way to finally be happy while Aaron comes across nearly perfect. He’s selfless, giving, caring, incredibly patient, generous, but he’s also deeply lonely and needs Zach just as much as Zach needs Aaron. This dynamic really makes the relationship works and shows some nice depth to both men.

Unfortunately the story falls apart once the two are together. Zach remains a likable narrator and his internal musings and quips are pretty cute. Unfortunately the story loses its driving focus though. The two are together, in love, and all of Zach’s problems and fears are gone under the light of Aaron’s love. So there is no tension and no conflict. Nothing can make Zach doubt their love. Nothing can taint how in love they are. They touch each other constantly, have sex all the time, and profess their love and happiness. The remaining story is just the various detail scenes as Zach finds work, they look for a house, have sex everywhere, meet Aaron’s friends (there’s a built in third book between Seth and Eli or Nate and Jake right there) and other day to day things. This isn’t necessarily bad for those that like slice of life details but it almost feels like a second book tacked onto the first. It’s such a shift in both character development and tone.

There are also a few issues brought up and ignored. There is Zach’s step father who abused him growing up that randomly shows up in the later half of the book for no real reason. There are early warning signs littered heavily in the first half that Zach’s brother and sister-in-law, while good friends with Aaron, seemingly take advantage of him. There is never any resolution to this problem, which is really glaring. Zach points out enough times that the behavior is wrong that the reader can’t help but start to notice and dislike this as well, yet once Zach and Aaron are together and in love, nothing is ever said anymore. Instead all of these issues are pushed aside because I guess nothing matters once you’re in love.

The writing overall is pretty clean and easy to read. The pages fly by pleasantly enough and I would have been more engaged if there had been fewer sex scenes. When they come so quickly and frequently (no pun intended, except they do both) with no further progression to the story or characters, my eyes start to glaze over and become bored. For those readers more invested or happen to like quite a lot of explicit sex in their sweet romance, then the plethora of erotica may not bother them.

Overall the story as a whole can be described with Zach’s statement after sex “it was sweet and loving and, well, nice.” For anyone looking for that kind of story, this may satisfy. For me it falls in between. It’s not fabulous but it’s not horrible either.
(less)

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May 05, 2013 Reginlaradiosa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recensione presente sul sito www.reginlaradiosa.it:

"Tu illumini una stanza, Zach. Ha un sorriso meraviglioso. Sei divertente ed è divertente stare con te e la gioia che trasudi è contagiosa. Sei sicuro di te e di quello che sei. Hai idea di quanto sia raro? Sai quante persone vivono senza essere sicure di quello che vogliono o di chi sono? Non riesco nemmeno a dirti quanto ti ammiro. Non devi affrontarle più da solo queste cose, Zach. Sono qui ora e ti aiuterò. Puoi lasciarti andare. Mi prender...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Carly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, m-m

It took me a couple of chapters to get the rhytm of the story that seemed a little off at first. But it was only until I realized that I wasn't reading a story, I was listening with my eyes. I liked the interactivnes of it, how the reader/listener was in a way included.

As for teh story itself, I really enjoyed it. Zach at first didn't come off as exactly likable with a tendency to jump to conclussions but I thouroughly enjoyed his voice and his honesty and straightforwardness.

Aaron at the begi...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Fangtasia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The second book in the "Home" series by Cardeno C., HCM is the perfect contemporary m/m romance. I fell in love with Zach from the first scene. He figuratively sticks his tongue out at everyone who ever treated him badly in his home town and does it with flair. Yes, he goes to his mother's funeral very inappropriately dressed, but he didn't care for his Mom at all, as she never cared for him either. Aaron, on the other hand, is almost a non-entity, until he falls in love with Zach. I understand...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Vivian Archer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-contemp, 2013bingo

If you believe in kismet than this book is for you.

Being the cynic I am, it was Zach that saved me from needing an insulin injection while reading. Sure his snarky, jaded behavior is transformed by the healing powers of Aaron's love, but his mental commentary cuts through the syrup. I'd say Aaron is a complete Mary Sue, but he's way too delightfully naughty in carnal matters and besides it's like admitting you enjoy drowning puppies--he's too lovable to dis.

Favorite quote re: Zach

I kid you not,...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: buddy-read, m-m-romance, series, meh

2.75 stars

It got more than 2.5 because I liked it more than I liked book 1 in this series, Home Again . But honestly, overall, it was just... meh.

Things I Liked

-Zach's job as a chef.
-Aaron's job as a vet.
-The house/clinic they buy together, and their business plans for the future.
-Zach's narration includes, on occasion, some truly hilarious one-liners that kind of sneak up on you at unexpected moments.
-Zach taking care of Aaron, because when you give THAT much of yourself to others, you need...more

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Mar 27, 2011 S.J.D. Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-would-read-again, m-m-romance, reviewed, romance

I picked up this book as soon as I finished Home Again by this same author. We get just a sneak glimpse of Zach and Aaron in Home Again. I knew then that I wanted to know their story. Zach is a crude mouthed, flamboyant bar/bed hopping bundle of energy. He hasn't ever had any real ties since he was 8 years old. He also has no filter between brain and mouth and what comes out of his mouth, wow! He likes him and his life just as they are, that is until he meets Aaron. Aaron is a sweet, selfless, m...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Chris Jeffreys rated it 5 of 5 stars

Zach and Aaron are the two main characters in this novel. Throughout this novel, we see their relationship develop into a remarkable love affair. Along the way, there are a lot of laughs, a few tears, and a lot of romance. (Yes, there are sex scenes in the book, but that's not what I'm talking about when I say romance.). This author has a wonderful way of writing the love that his characters feel for each other. The romance is so intense that, at several points in the book, I got up from my chai...more

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Jul 12, 2011 ♥Laddie♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: comfort-read, doctor-hero, hero-abused-in-past, mm

3.5

I've been reading a lot of the sweet stuff lately. This may be the sweetest one I've read so far.

One of the things I really look for in a story is whether the author did what they set out to do. I never felt like Cardeno C. set out to do anything other than write a story full of sugar and spice and everything nice.

The spice was Zach, the slutty party boy. He starts out the story completely okay with being what he is. In the beginning he's a snarky little thing and it's the nasty kind of sna...more 3.5

I've been reading a lot of the sweet stuff lately. This may be the sweetest one I've read so far.

One of the things I really look for in a story is whether the author did what they set out to do. I never felt like Cardeno C. set out to do anything other than write a story full of sugar and spice and everything nice.

The spice was Zach, the slutty party boy. He starts out the story completely okay with being what he is. In the beginning he's a snarky little thing and it's the nasty kind of snark. It's also the way he protects himself whenever he feels overwhelmed or hurt. This isn't a new type of character where romance is concerned but I don't think the author was trying to break the mold. Zach is exactly what worked for the story.

In any case, Zach starts off as someone I wanted to smack some sense into. As the story progresses and he deals with all of his crap, like the way his parents cast him aside, Zach mellows out. He doesn't lose his snark but he stops trying to hurt people. That's when I really started to like Zach. His narration of the story is a lot like listening to your friend tell you a story. The best thing was when he works to take care of and protect Aaron.

Aaron is the sugar. The man was almost too perfect but it was strange how he was saved from perfection. Aaron gives of himself selflessly and endlessly. He helps Zach's brother and sister-in-law raise their kids. He cooks meals for them and helps them with any repairs around the house. Basically he's taken for granted. There's the story of Aaron and an old boyfriend which would probably get Aaron nominated for sainthood. The thing that keeps Aaron from being perfect is the fact that he gives of himself to the point of pretty much not caring enough to take care of himself. It was actually a bit sad. He's a caretaker but no one was taking care of him until Zach gets it together and starts putting Aaron first the Aaron puts Zach first.

Like I said at the beginning of this review, this story was what it was meant to be. No, the writing and the plot weren't mind blowing or groundbreaking but not every story needs to be those things. There's a lot to be said for a bit of escapism.

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Mar 09, 2013 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

I read a lot of the other reviews and I don't agree that it was overly sugary, yes it was sweet but to me it kind of was just right and I don't think it had too much sex, a lot yes but not too much. In "Where he ends and I begin" which I liked as well but that book had way too much sex, disgustingly so but it was great to see Nate and Jake again in this book. I did not like Zack's sister n law or his brother, they were a very selfish coulpe and didn't really appreciate Aaron, they used him. Boun...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Sheri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: boyz-luvin-boyz, love-hate, hot-hot-hot, buddy-read

Wild & cynical. Dedicated & confident. Unlikely pair.

A painful childhood created walls of defense for Zach Johnson. He protected himself with sarcasm, liquor and meaningless sex. His bitterness taints any possibilities for genuine relationships. Returning to his home town for his mother’s funeral, he meets someone. His brother’s best friend, Aaron quickly shatters his armor and creates internal turmoil for Zach. He dreads this new desire, a craving for someone to fill the voids he has s...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance, favorites-2013, boys-love-make-up

Cardeno C. is already on my favorite authors list.
You know, when you find the writing, the story and the characters and everything just works? Well that´s exactly how it is with these books.
Even when the Home Series are stand alone books, the characters life's mixed and open up the story for the next book.
Here in He Completes Me the good family man works hard to earn the love of the party boy.
Zach is out and proud, and he doesn´t hide. He also push it a bit far just to prove his point. He is gay...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Mel Bradley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Zach reluctantly makes his way back to his hometown following his mother’s death. He hasn’t been in contact with his family since graduating high school. His memories about his family and his home town, are anything but pleasant. When he arrives, he wants to be sure that no one forgets just how “gay” he is – so he dresses and acts outrageous in defiance. But just as soon as he’s ready to denounce everything and everyone again, he meets his brother’s best friend, Aaron – and their instant attract...more Zach reluctantly makes his way back to his hometown following his mother’s death. He hasn’t been in contact with his family since graduating high school. His memories about his family and his home town, are anything but pleasant. When he arrives, he wants to be sure that no one forgets just how “gay” he is – so he dresses and acts outrageous in defiance. But just as soon as he’s ready to denounce everything and everyone again, he meets his brother’s best friend, Aaron – and their instant attraction takes them both by surprise. What happens between them, is anything but easy – but hopefully worth the struggle.

I absolutely loved this book – it was my first time reading Cardeno C, and I am upset it has taken me so long. This story was well written, easy to read, but most of all – it was based in reality. The characters felt like real people – they had jobs, responsibilities, true internal struggles, and hurt emotions. These things weren’t cast aside or quickly wrapped up, just because there was a love story to take place – and I loved it. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s nice to read something lightly based in reality, but this was a refreshing gritty change of pace. I wasn’t able to put it down, and in fact read it in one go. There were several struggles throughout – being ok with yourself; getting over or better understanding things that happened as children (overcoming abuse and the guilt associated with it); building relationships in the here and now; choosing sides within a family; and being open to accept and give love unconditionally.

The sex was HOT. The first interaction was sizzling and occurred early on – just a sign of things to come. The sex was “making love” from the very first encounter, which just added to the interactions and struggles, making their coming together even hotter. There were a lot of different types of sexual interactions as well – in a bathroom stall, phone sex, and so on – great variety and true to the situation.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥♥♥
Plot: ♥♥♥♥

This is a great read and I definitely recommend it to just about anyone! You won’t be able to put it down. This has very hot sex, but not anything outlandish (vanilla most of the time with some hints of D/s), but so loving and emotional, that you’ll be hooked. I loved it so much, I bough the next book in the series immediately – and loved it just as much! (less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Traci rated it 5 of 5 stars

I actually loved this book. At first, I was not sure and thought it was a bit fast and predictable. But as I read on, I don't think I have laughed so hard at a character. Zach made me laugh out loud on countless times. I read this book out of order, it was the last one I read for some reason and was confused of the timeline of the other characters in the book. So I was happy that I read it last. The timeline with David and a "partner", Nate, Jake, and Lexi (age 4) and they brought up Micah witho...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, gay-lesbian, kindle-loan

Ok I find this book really hard to rate. In some ways I really liked it, in other ways I wanted to throw my Kindle against the wall.
I looked at some other reviews but I didn't see that anyone else was squeaked out by Aaron's stalkerish passive aggressive behavior. True it could be said he was responding to Zach's hot/cold signals which also bugged me. The first quarter of the book it seemed Aaron was obvilious to Zach's doucheeness. Then to call the guy every night for 4 months when he never ca...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Raevyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

This is one of those stories that feels a little more real to me than other books. There are no adventures or action scenes, there is just two people who fall in love and have to deal with love, life and their own issues.

Zach and Aaron are both great guys, but I have to say that I almost put the book down because early on Zach does something (view spoiler) that really upset me.

This book also has insta-love, but for some...more

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May 16, 2013 Mariana rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

So I said I would space this series out, but I think these are my new crack. The characters are somewhat creepy with how much they love each other (it's huge amounts), and how quickly they fall in love; but it seems to be the theme of these books and I'm going with it. I am all in with this author. I like them this way and I'll probably re-read these in the future.

For all that, these characters are honest with each other and themselves. They are who they are and are OK with it.

On to th...more

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About Cardeno C.

Cardeno C. is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a little happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno often feels that characters write their own stories and just hopes to find enough time to get those stories on the page. And Cardeno loves to hear from readers so please drop...more

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Quotes from He Completes Me

“Its a good thing I'm here, big guy, because you have shit taste in friends."

Okay, I said the last part intentionally, knowing how Aaron would react. And right on cue, Aaron said:

"He's not my friend!"

"Well, I guess that settles it, Nick. You're not going to be rebound guy because, despite your predictions of woe, Aaron and I aren't breaking up. I'd say that we'll see you around, but I doubt that'll happen since you don't even rate friend status.” — 10 people liked it

“Didn't think I had it in me, did you? Well, Ha!” — 8 people liked it

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