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Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2)

by Marie Sexton (Goodreads Author), Heidi Cullinan (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 923 ratings · 177 reviews

Paul Hannon moved to Tucker Springs for his girlfriend, but she's left him with a house he can't afford and a pantry full of useless gadgets. All Paul wants is to get back to normal, even if he's not sure what that is anymore. When he wanders into Tucker Pawn for a gift to win her back, he meets El Rozal, pawn shop owner and all-around cynic. El Rozal doesn't do relationsh...more

ebook, 194 pages

Published September 10th 2012 by Riptide Publishing

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2012

96th out of 583 books — 1,183 voters

Best MM Books Written By Two Authors

2nd out of 38 books — 13 voters

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Jan 25, 2013 Monique ~ Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton are fabulous authors in their own right, but the culmination of their talents in this book have notched it up a whole new level! Amazing... could not put it down until finished! 4.25 stars

I love my dark novels and I love plenty of smut and angst! But, you know what… Sometimes you just need a comfort read and Second Hand delivers just that. Don’t get me wrong, the sex is still HAWT and tummy tinglingley good, but this is a slow burner and our two MC’s, although dra...more

25 likes · like · see review

Sep 09, 2012 Ami rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-contemporary, mm-romance-or-erotica, 5-stars_rating

4.75 stars (rounded up)

The story is not without flaws. I do have itsy bitsy complaints. But when it counts, it is perfect read for what I need at the moment (yes -- rating can change in different situation :p). Because if the question is do I like this? My answer is without a doubt, yes, I am in love with it. I am gladly rounding up the rating even with the point deductions.

First, the alternating POVs ...
Both authors pull it off very well and I feel that it all makes sense. This story is Paul's...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Samington rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: down-on-the-ladies, dubious-racism, evil-exes, friends-to-lovers, gay-for-you, in-the-closet, instalove, irritating, just-really-not-good, mf, vapid-protag-s, contemporary

El was all right except for a kind of unappealing mini-character-arc toward the end, but I found Paul's naiveté to be trying after a while. He's thirty, or almost, but he acted more like a twenty-two year old. It was frankly past time for him to start growing up. Their relationship progressed in a standard fashion, but I couldn't quite figure out what El saw in Paul, especially at first. Did he just like the innocent demeanor? The text made it explicit that Paul wasn't El's type physically, and...more El was all right except for a kind of unappealing mini-character-arc toward the end, but I found Paul's naiveté to be trying after a while. He's thirty, or almost, but he acted more like a twenty-two year old. It was frankly past time for him to start growing up. Their relationship progressed in a standard fashion, but I couldn't quite figure out what El saw in Paul, especially at first. Did he just like the innocent demeanor? The text made it explicit that Paul wasn't El's type physically, and their first couple interactions didn't really seem to have much of a spark, so the progression from that to El thinking about Paul at night and trying to lure him back to the shop again and again seemed forced to me.

I didn't really like the first-person/third-person POV switches, but they weren't as jarring as I had been afraid they'd be. The whole (view spoiler) thing bothered me as well, because it smacked of (view spoiler)

So that's Paul and El. They're no couple-to-end-all-couples, but they're serviceable. Steady. They're not the ones that bring this book crashing catastrophically down. Instead, let's talk about the women in this story. Oh, boy, the women.

There are four principal female characters: Rosa, El's sister; his mother, Patti; Stacey, Paul's ex-girlfriend; and Lorraine, Paul's neighbor. More aptly summarized, there is:

one (1) crazy, hysterical, fit-throwing mom;

one (1) trashy sister who gets slut-shamed a bunch, has a bunch of kids with different dads, fights cattily with other women, (view spoiler) and doesn't appear to possess any control over her own life;

one (1) cliché-to-end-all-clichés ex-girlfriend: bitchy, "slutty" (or at least accused of being a slut, repeatedly), materialistic, spoiled, selfish, cold, gold-digging, conniving, manipulative, and heartless, plus, though ostensibly an artist, she's talentless, to boot;

one (1) cypher of a girl who exists only to pine after Paul and give him advice on garden management until she, surprise surprise, (view spoiler) Oh, wait, I'm sorry, did I say "cypher of a girl?" I meant "dizzy bitch."

Who's left? A flakey, unfriendly vet tech whose departure Paul looks forward to and whom neither Paul nor his male boss (story pending!) likes? El's wise Latina grandmother? The dog? There's Paul's mother, I guess, but she only appears at the end, plus she's not so much a character as she is a vehicle for Paul to come to terms with his sexuality. Double-plus, she's another authorial mouthpiece with which to cut Stacey to ribbons, so, uh.

The romance, therefore, took a backseat to the creepy portrayals of the female characters. I couldn't find it in myself to enjoy Paul and El's romance when I was constantly bracing myself for the next appearance of Stacey or Rosa or Patti or Lorraine. At the close of the book, I can't look back with pleasure on the romance; all I'm left with is seething discomfort and irritation.(less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Cayce rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

4 stars

I loved Second Hand! It was so much better than the first book in the series, Where Nerves End. Oh, and it's not really a series, the characters are all new, and even the authors(!) are different, the only connecting point is the setting, Tucker Springs.

Paul was cute and clueless :) El's family was a mess, but they were amusing and El himself was also very amusing - the things he did to see Paul were simply hilarious ("one item per day" rule). And they (El) even ended up with a dog. :D
The...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Gwenith rated it 4 of 5 stars

ANOTHER VISIT TO TUCKER SPRINGS, WOOT!

Imagine this scene on roller skates ...thats only a snippet of the good stuff in this book~that is "Paul and El and they are sweet and delicious~"

Gosh, I also loved the pup he was so freaking perfect!

The Book

This one has a touch of innocence and is a very refreshing comfort read. My most favorite parts~The roller-skate scene, their first kiss and the ice cream scene...yummy, yum, yum!

I loved that this book had me smiling and laughing the whole time while r...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Kelly_Instalove rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: theme-glbtq, era-contemporary, genre-romance, theme-small-town, theme-rebound-starting-over, theme-friends2lovers, theme-beta-hero

Grade: A

I have to do a One-Quote Review for this because anything longer would be nauseatingly sycophantic.

“I just want to be the first choice for someone for once. Just once.”

So, Heidi and Marie, just go ahead and push all my buttons, and THEN reach in and pull my guts out. You both seem to be good at that sort of thing.

ALSO: Hurry the hell up with your next books, so I can fling myself on the altar of your brilliance ALL OVER AGAIN.

I guess that last bit crossed the “sycophant” line, huh? Oh,...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Amy *Sussudio* rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it!!!!!!! No complaints no small issues just a great story and I loved El and Paul.

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Dec 24, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shannon by: Cheryl

Shelves: not-lendable

This was really, really good. More of a 4.5 stars for me. The only thing missing for a full 5 was the sobbing that I like in a "makes my chest ache" book. The sex was freaking hawt! Dayum! Well, when they finally got around to it. Definately a build up, sexual tension type book. I liked it better than #1 and it could definately stand alone. Other than location, there were no other connections. El was in the first book because he owned the pawn shop but that was the only connection that I could s...more

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May 04, 2013 DayDreamer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbtq, easy-read, reviewed-or-kinda

3.5 Rounded up because it left me in a good place.
Generally sweet, and from my perspective, more enjoyable than Dirty Laundry and Covet Thy Neighbor, even with my excitement and waiting for the latter.

Paul was clueless and gullible. That made him endearing to a point, but I pitied him and couldn't really find him sexy.

El's fit about the ring was exasperating.

I half expected the fire to be (view spoiler).

Paul's mother knowing more...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Camille rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-rom-erotica, male-1stp-pov-romance

Ohhhh, I had fun reading this book! I haven't giggled maniacally on the NY subway (where nobody cares cuz there's always someone crazier than you) like this in forever! But this book had me laughing and smiling and sighing (mostly in wonderment at the daftness that is Paul at times) and feeling sad at times, a little empathetic over El's self-imposed loneliness, and mystified that, despite the switch between first and third person p.o.v between characters and the dual authorship, this book kept...more Ohhhh, I had fun reading this book! I haven't giggled maniacally on the NY subway (where nobody cares cuz there's always someone crazier than you) like this in forever! But this book had me laughing and smiling and sighing (mostly in wonderment at the daftness that is Paul at times) and feeling sad at times, a little empathetic over El's self-imposed loneliness, and mystified that, despite the switch between first and third person p.o.v between characters and the dual authorship, this book kept me riveted.

Having read Cullinan's Dance With Me, which was fantastic, I was both hopeful and wary. Hopeful that she would be able to produce another story with similar depth, insight and emotional texture; wary that I would be able to recognise any signature characterisation and be able, as well, to anticipate the trajectory of her plot's arc. Some writers are as such. You read one book and you've read all their books. Not so with Cullinan, thus far. Though the author does have a thing for laundry mats :-) But this one obsession is fine. It lends relatability and realism to her work and to the worlds of her characters.

There is also, contained within this book, some of the emotional landscaping I was hoping for, but not in the same tenor as with Dance With Me. The register here is significantly lighter in tone, which is fine. Each book has its own ambitions and positioning on the emotional scale that it wishes to hold. While lighter, though, there are still real world issues here with which the characters must contend: hoarding as a psychological illness; alienation from authenticity, sexuality and self; manipulation and advantaging by one character over another; self-imposed isolation and shallowness in relationships with others; failure and disappointment; and my favourite (which I hope continues to be a trope of Cullinan's)-- adjustment when life posits you on a road that vastly differs from the plans you'd made and envisioned yourself fulfilling. The book culminates in the realisation and resolution of these issues (some better than others) and the thankful evolution of the characters.

This is my version of "happily ever after". Growth! Growth which produces tangible, credible, potentially-permanent happiness. By interaction with these issues and by successfully coming to terms with them and subsequently overcoming them, El (who sounded delicious) and Paul find greater happiness in their lives and with each other (note, no co-dependence to make them fulfilled...people need to resolve their own stuff to be happy, not imagine someone else can do that for them solely).

As mentioned, I think El is delish :-) But that isn't just his physical description. I like his maturity, though he had some growing to do, and the way he loves Paul. Paul on the other hand is hilarious and just this side of being ridiculous. I like clueless characters, those slightly slow like in Muscling Through but it needs to be done right. Here, it is. Any further though, and Paul would have been that annoying character with too-low confidence, self-awareness and intelligence to like. As it is, he is well-characterised. This is one of Cullinan's strengths, I believe, great, imperfect characters that make the books real and a real pleasure in which to be immersed.

My points off come from my belief that the issues in this book could have been pushed just that fraction further, the hoarding especially. I also wanted to know more about Paul's best friend. He sort of just drops out of sight along the way...unless there's gonna be a book 2, which I would definitely read.

Good collaboration on this book by authors I plan to partake of further :-)(less)

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May 01, 2013 Kukko rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1-sfpl, z-2013, a-contemporary, a-romance, character-business-owner, character-receptionist, a-2b-gay-for-you

MM romance between a chain-smoking, pawn shop owner (El) and Paul, a "straight" receptionist for the local vet.

Paul was delightfully naive….yet still this story dragged on for me.

In my humble opinion, too much of the book was devoted to El's family - I did not connect with El's sister or his mother and could not understand why they were featuring so heavily. I also could not help feeling like their story line was unnecessarily lengthening the book.

However, I was somewhat interested in El's bes...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Solid cute romance: pretty much exactly like any other HC and MS romance, but sometimes familiar feels good.

3.5 stars rounded up.

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Sep 08, 2012 Veronica / V rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

100% better than book one, I loved it.
Surprisingly I have no complaints.

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Sep 09, 2012 unchatnoir rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, disappointment, romance

I have mixed feelings about this one. This would have been a perfectly cute story had I not read Promises, Double Blind and A to Z. Because while Paul is a less clueless version of Zach, El is practically Randy's twin. And their story reminded me of Matt&Jared's. I don't know how I feel about that; at times it was almost like "Hey, I know these guys" and it was hard not to feel a little cheated to be honest. Their story was sweet though and it seems like the authors worked well together. May...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Emme rated it 4 of 5 stars

The switching between 1st- and 3rd-person narrative voice took a bit to get used to, but overall this was an enjoyable read. Paul's adorableness (and cluelessness) might grate on the nerves of some, but it was endearing to me. I liked El and his wacky family. And, lastly, I'm about ready to wake up hubby so we can go the pound to find our Mojo.

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Apr 09, 2013 Beck rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, contemporary, mm, 2013-rainbow-challenge, 2013-mm-countdown-challenge, 2013-challenges-overall-count

Awwww. This was so sweet my teeth ache. Paul was one of those lovely characters who was perpetually bemused by life. El on the other hand was a hardened cynic who hid his marshmallow heart with aloofness. Together they were gorgeous. Any man who carries his dog around in a baby carrier is too cute for words.

This is a lovely sequel. At first I was mildly disappointed it wasn't Seth's story (I was in the mood for some hot twinky meets tattooed bad boy action) but that feeling was quickly replaced...more

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May 21, 2013 Bibliojunkies rated it 4 of 5 stars

As some of you may know, the three of us were lucky enough to be able to attend the Romantic Times Convention last week. We had an amazing time and will hopefully post about it here soon. The publishers, authors and organizers of the convention were humbling in their generosity. But the thing that stood out for me the most…the thing that started out our long weekend with a bang…was the book that I found in my RT tote. The tote that is given to ALL attendees once they pick up their badge. I opene...more As some of you may know, the three of us were lucky enough to be able to attend the Romantic Times Convention last week. We had an amazing time and will hopefully post about it here soon. The publishers, authors and organizers of the convention were humbling in their generosity. But the thing that stood out for me the most…the thing that started out our long weekend with a bang…was the book that I found in my RT tote. The tote that is given to ALL attendees once they pick up their badge. I opened this tote to see what goodies I would find and found Second Hand by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton staring me in the face. I am a huge fan of m/m romance but it's not main stream as I hope it will be soon. So the fact that Romantic Times Magazine and Riptide Publishing put this novel in the hands of ALL the RT attendees absolutely warmed my heart.

What is a girl to do when handed her favorite type of romance written by two authors she has been dying to read? Maybe take every spare minute she has during RT (there aren’t many – they keep you busy) and on the ride home to devour said book and swoon over the darling heroes? Of course that’s what I did!

Paul is clueless. Or as El, owner of the Tucker Pawn, described him after first meeting him, “perpetually confused.” His girlfriend left him two months ago yet he still thinks he could win her back. If he finds her just the right present for her birthday, she might come home. But when you make next to nothing and have more expenses than you care to admit, the neighborhood pawn shop is the only option. So off Paul goes to find jewelry to win back his girl. He finds the jewelry but, not surprisingly, he doesn’t win back the girl. Paul finally gets angry over his failed relationship and begins to de-clutter his home by getting rid of all the unnecessary things he owns because of Stacey.

Tucker Pawn owner, El Rozal, is immediately intrigued by Paul. There is something about Paul’s simplicity and kindness that El finds immensely appealing. So much so that El convinces Paul to visit the pawn shop every day by saying he can only buy one thing per customer, per day. Never mind the fact that it’s a lie. And never mind the fact that Paul is straight.

So Paul visits the pawn shop everyday. And everyday El buys an appliance that he will never be able to sell so that Paul will come back. Those daily visits create a friendship and bond that is guaranteed to turn both of their lives upside down.

This story was stinkin’ adorable. AND hot. But mostly adorable. Paul’s insecurity is adorable. El’s smitten behavior is adorable. El is HOT. The dog is adorable. Paul’s cluelessness is adorable. Paul and El together? Hot and adorable.

I think you get the idea.

I love forever boys. I love stories that first create a friendship and then build it into something more. I love comfort reads. For me this was all three of those things. This is one that I will be picking up to re-read on a rainy day.

Or better yet, maybe I will re-read it on a sunny day. When I am lounging by the pool as my kids play. And the mom or dad next to me will say, “What are you reading?” and I’ll reply, “A lovely story about these two men that fall in love.” And he/she will say, “Oh cool. I love romance. Can I borrow it?”

I like to think that if RT can provide this book to everyone at their convention then the above conversation can definitely happen in the very near future.

Nat(less)

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May 16, 2013 Phaney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: oh-yes, m-m

Fun and sweet. Very little I did not like and even most of that was cleared up as being on purpose by the end, which made me unreasonably happy with relief.

It started out well with Paul endearing off the bat.
After coming to terms with that odd switch between first and third person, I really, really enjoyed El’s POV, probably even more than Paul’s (although that definitely had its moments as well). El’s just… funny and easygoing and keen. And despite appearances not really given to deceiving hims...more

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Apr 10, 2013 ARe Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vals-picks

Second Hand by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton is the second book in the Tucker Springs series in which different authors write the romances between various gay men living in the fictional Colorado town of Tucker Springs. Other than the setting, another thematic similarity that unites the series is serious psychological or physical issues such as chronic pain (in the first Tucker Springs book) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (in the upcoming third book). In this book, one of the main character...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Auggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, romance

Maybe I'm being mean by not giving this book five stars. It had a good story, great characters, a cute (non-insta-love) relationship. Shoot, it even had an adorable dog that didn't just show up for one scene then become a nonentity like so many other animals (and kids) in romances. I loved El's family dynamic and how true it felt (I have a family member that is a hoarder and have witnessed the fallout from it many times). Okay, maybe I should take away points for the two main women in the book b...more Maybe I'm being mean by not giving this book five stars. It had a good story, great characters, a cute (non-insta-love) relationship. Shoot, it even had an adorable dog that didn't just show up for one scene then become a nonentity like so many other animals (and kids) in romances. I loved El's family dynamic and how true it felt (I have a family member that is a hoarder and have witnessed the fallout from it many times). Okay, maybe I should take away points for the two main women in the book being... not so great. But neither were evil personified or anything, just your typical imperfect human so I'm not bothered by it (and I think we all know women like them, too). The ending even gave me warm fuzzies and left me with a smile.

So why four stars? Paul. I think I'm allergic to spinelessness. I mean, he grew as the story progressed and I really liked the strength he found at the end. (view spoiler) But for as much of a doormat as he was for Stacey, I wanted to see him stand up to her. Just say no. (view spoiler)

If not for the great way Paul was written he would have made me hate this book. Which is why I can't give it five stars. I just think about his passivity, (view spoiler) and I just want to clench my teeth and growl. And maybe beat him with a cricket bat. So even as great as this book was, I can't give it a full score. But the fact that it has such a character in it yet I still give it four stars (even four and a half would be doable) says a ton for this story. Thumbs up.(less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Tam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m

Ooops. I see this is #2, I didn’t know that, but I didn’t feel lost and have been told you CAN read them as stand-alones. Anyway.

I had heard good things about Tucker Springs, and when on Valentine’s Riptide had this one half-off, I decided to snap it up (we won’t talk about the other things I bought that were not half-off ooops). It is absolutely adorable.

Paul is such a lost soul. He can not see his own worth, and I think sometimes is so caught up in his own head, he can’t see anything happenin...more Ooops. I see this is #2, I didn’t know that, but I didn’t feel lost and have been told you CAN read them as stand-alones. Anyway.

I had heard good things about Tucker Springs, and when on Valentine’s Riptide had this one half-off, I decided to snap it up (we won’t talk about the other things I bought that were not half-off ooops). It is absolutely adorable.

Paul is such a lost soul. He can not see his own worth, and I think sometimes is so caught up in his own head, he can’t see anything happening around him. He’s totally oblivious to people’s reactions to him, or he sees what he wants to see. He just can’t imagine his boss would want to give him a promotion, so doesn’t see the hints and opportunities coming his way. Given that’s a theme that runs through the book, I have a feeling many of us do that, undermine ourselves by presuming the wrong thing.

Anyway, Paul meets El at the pawn shop, and despite knowing Paul is straight and still interested in getting back together with his girlfriend, he can’t resist the guy. He even comes up with a slightly shady way to keep bringing him back to the pawn shop, by telling him he can only take one item per day.

It takes some doing, El even agreeing to adopt a dog that was abandoned, to get them to a “dating” place. Needless to say “straight” Paul kind of freaks, but not really. He is forced to acknowledge that he’s always been interested in men, but maybe women, is he gay, is he bi, does he want to deal with telling people he’s gay, what about his ex who keeps coming back into his life? He just wants to be “normal”. But he wants El. Oh the dilemma.

There are a lot of secondary characters here that add to the story. There is El’s whole crazy family, with his sister always looking for “the one” despite three kids from three dads and finding guys in bars. El’s hoarder mother, his friend Denver (who is in the next book), bits of Paul’s boss, his ex, his neighbor and his mother. Oh Paul’s mother. I totally love her. When she comes to visit and tries to comfort him as he attempts to come out, it was priceless. I also thought El’s final understanding of his mother’s issues was very sweet, and I think spot on with most hoarders. Very touching, although still frustrating as hell to live with I’m sure.

I remember some people commenting on the style. Paul’s POV is first person and El’s is third. To be honest, unless I’d remembered it being mentioned, I likely wouldn’t have noticed. It just fit and didn’t feel jarring at all. It actually made it nice and clear when you were switching POV. It worked for me.

So overall, this was just a delightful read. A guy who carries his dog in a dog carrier, an oblivious guy with low self-esteem, a supportive family and a one-legged chicken statue made out of metal (funny). It’s a terrific read. I’m looking forward to reading more of the stories about the other characters in Tucker Springs.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Macky rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great book. This is a gentle, sexy comedy romance that oozes charm. The two main characters Paul and Emanuel - or El as he is known as - are both engaging and quirky and I loved that straight away there was an obvious chemistry between them, but in a different way to the usual instant attraction that normally occurs. Paul tugs at your heartstrings, there is a vulnerability about him and lack of confidence caused mainly because his girlfriend has left him in the lurch, not only emotionally...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Octobercountry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently finished reading "Second Hand," a collaboration between Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton.

This book is written in a sort of he said/he said format: alternating chapters from the viewpoints of each of the two protagonists. This is a common enough literary form, but what makes it unusual is that one set of chapters is told in the first person, and the other in the third person. Usually a book written in this format will either have both stories told in the first person, or both told in th...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Wave rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adored Second Hand, a story about making choices, letting go of old fears, and learning to fly without a net. In a world of low expectations and always being second best, Paul “just wanted to be the first choice for someone for once, just once.” This story is told from Paul’s first person POV and Ed’s third person POV and their voices and perspectives are so different, and yet so similar, it was like a melody played with different instruments that blended perfectly.

Paul’s live-in gi...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Buffy Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, mostly because of El. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Paul, but he was such a dope in the beginning, completely oblivious to so much! As time went on, I learned to really like him, as he’s kind of adorable. It was really El that made the story though. He’s fun, smart, kind, and sexy. What more can you ask for?

The story overall was good, but started off a little slow. I do appreciate that the romance was slow building, thus sweeter, but it still seemed to drag just a tad. Once t...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-put-down, m-m

This was El and Paul's story...

Paul meets El when he is looking for a gift for his ex-girlfriend and El takes an instant liking to him. He's kind of goofy, spacy, a little lost most of the time and feels like a huge failure.

El thinks he's cute and interesting even if he is straight... then Paul starts to bring in kitchen gadgets to purge himself of the things that his exgirlfriend left behind so he can try to win a contest in his neighborhood for best yard.

They become good friends fast and El s...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars

How can you not love a book that makes you laugh out loud? Second Hand had several of those moments, which made it not only a sweet read but a fun one too. I love it when that happens.

Paul is a really sweet guy and beyond naive. That fact will probably bother a lot of readers, but I kind of found it endearing. I think it didn’t bother me so much because his naiveness was mostly because he had little or no self confidence. That self confidence was lacking in both his work life and his personal li...more How can you not love a book that makes you laugh out loud? Second Hand had several of those moments, which made it not only a sweet read but a fun one too. I love it when that happens.

Paul is a really sweet guy and beyond naive. That fact will probably bother a lot of readers, but I kind of found it endearing. I think it didn’t bother me so much because his naiveness was mostly because he had little or no self confidence. That self confidence was lacking in both his work life and his personal life. He was one of those characters that brought out the mom in me. He was loving, sweet and deserved so much more than he let himself have.

Then there was El. His family was a mess, but he loved and supported them as much as he could. He had a lot of friends and owned his own business. He was cool, self confident, funny and very, very lonely. He wasn’t sure what he wanted, but he was sure he didn’t want to fall for the straight guy who was still hopelessly in love with his ex-girlfriend. That’s where his heart was headed though and the more time he spent with Paul the harder it was to keep denying the inevitable.

Second Hand was a story of love and realization. Paul not only had to come to terms with the fact that he had been denying who he really was but he also had to realize that he was deserving of so much more than he gave himself credit for. El had some things to come to terms with himself. He put up a really good front, but his life was missing something and he had to risk getting hurt to let go and follow his heart.

There was also an unique aspect of Second Hand that is worth mentioning. The POV switched between El and Paul, which wasn’t unusual, but the way the authors handled it was. Paul’s voice was in 1st person but when it switched to El the voice changed to 3rd person. I’m not sure how other readers will feel about this but I kind of enjoyed it. It was different and kept me on my toes from a reading stand point.

Second Hand is the second book in the Tucker Springs series, but I think it does a pretty good job as a stand alone. The story was pretty predictable, but the witty dialog and the relationship between the characters and the supporting characters made up for it. The sex scenes were fairly explicit, which may not be for everyone, so consider yourself warned. I haven’t read anything from either one of these authors or any other books in the Tucker Springs series, but I might just have to check a few more of them out.(less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, favorites, for-review, net-galley, romance

At First Sight: Paul Hannon isn't quite sure what to do now that his girlfriend of 7 years dumped him: he moved to Tucker Springs, Colorado because she wanted, signed a 3 year lease on a house he can't barely afford because she liked it and he's knee deep in debt because of all the crap Stacey asked him to buy her (including an engament ring that was above his pay grade).

Still, since her birthday is coming up, Paul figures he should get her a present in a last ditch effort to win her back. But...more At First Sight: Paul Hannon isn't quite sure what to do now that his girlfriend of 7 years dumped him: he moved to Tucker Springs, Colorado because she wanted, signed a 3 year lease on a house he can't barely afford because she liked it and he's knee deep in debt because of all the crap Stacey asked him to buy her (including an engament ring that was above his pay grade).

Still, since her birthday is coming up, Paul figures he should get her a present in a last ditch effort to win her back. But due to his financial situation, he ends up going to a pawn shop to look around.

There he meets El Rozal, the owner of Tucker Pawn, who takes a liking to him and gives him a good deal just because he thinks Paul is darn cute - even if he's straight.

Paul's plan doesn't work though and, in an effort to rid himself of all reminders of Stacey, Paul goes back to Tucker Pawn to sell a bunch of kitchen appliances and slowly starts hanging out with El.

El isn't looking for a relationship, let alone with a confused 'straight' guy but the more time he spends with Paul, the more it feels like a relationship - he even adopts a dog because Paul, who is a receptionist at a vet's office, asks him to - but it is very complicated as sometimes it seems like Paul is still very hung up on Stacey. Plus, he has his own family dramas to deal with.

Second Glance: Lately, I've been trying to push myself a little out of my comfort zone, so when I came across Second Hand and I liked the premise, I decided to request it from NetGalley.

I had never before read a novel where the main romantic couple was a same-sex couple, but I liked it. I really liked El, he was such a sweet guy who cared for others in his own way. Paul came off as a little whinny sometimes but I get where he was coming from since a big part of him wasn't quite ready to accept himself as gay - even though he had had latent feelings on and off over the years - and El was very respectful of that, which made me like him more.

Actually, I really liked the whole approach the book had to sex, El was obviously the more experienced one but he didn't push Paul to do anything he wasn't comfortable with and often waited for him to take the initiative and respected his boundaries. The few sex-scenes that were in there weren't gratuitous.

I liked seeing El's whole family and understanding why he is the way he is and why he got into owning a pawn shop. I liked getting to understand Paul and why he felt like such a failure in life, even though there were plenty of people who loved him and believed in him - like his parents, El and his boss - when it made sense to me why he was so hung up on Stacey that made me like him a little bit more.

Second Hand is the second book the Tucker Springs series (that is being written by different authors) and I'm actually very curious about it because I enjoyed this one and the set up of the first story sounds kind of similar, and the third features a character that was introduced here. I'm not a huge fan of the covers though, this is the more decent one.

Bottom Line: Second Hand was a very enjoyable story, it's not particularly long, I liked the treatment of the characters and where they ended. I wasn't sure what to expect from it at first, but it was a sweet, romantic and funny story. (less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Lilia Ford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-contemporary

Cute, quick, and well-constructed, with two charming leads, full of humorous touches and even an adorable dog. It is hard to imagine a sweeter hero than Paul: his efforts to win the curb appeal contest, his obliviousness to Lorraine's flirting, his way with animals. El walking around with the dog in a carrier, and then worrying about exposing her to second hand smoke, was reason alone to read the book. The stuff with El's mom's hoarding was also very well-done--and fit well with overall themes....more

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Jan 03, 2013 Lis Carey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, romance

Paul is a young man who has been dumped by his girlfriend Stacey for a man with better prospects. Paul, sadly, is still hung up on her. El--Emmanuel Rozal--runs the pawn shop he inherited from his granddad and avoids all relationships because he sees all the failed relationships (but not the successful ones) all around him. El, by the way, is gay and out, and however mixed up his family is in other ways, it's just not an issue for them.

One day, spurred on by the need to do some outside maintenan...more Paul is a young man who has been dumped by his girlfriend Stacey for a man with better prospects. Paul, sadly, is still hung up on her. El--Emmanuel Rozal--runs the pawn shop he inherited from his granddad and avoids all relationships because he sees all the failed relationships (but not the successful ones) all around him. El, by the way, is gay and out, and however mixed up his family is in other ways, it's just not an issue for them.

One day, spurred on by the need to do some outside maintenance on the rundown rented house Stacey picked and then left him with, Paul walks into El's shop.

You know where this is going, and overall, it's a nicely done light romance novel. There's enough explicit sex that it will not be to everyone's taste because of that, but on the other hand, there's also a very cute little dog involved, and Paul works at a veterinary clinic. (Yes, for some of us, these are pluses.)

I do have one significant reservation about the book, though. Women romance readers are well acquainted with the phenomenon where, despite the required feminine pen name on the cover, it's perfectly clear that the author is a man because what goes on inside the female lead's head is just not what ever happened inside the mind of any woman ever. In these cases, a little digging always turns up the fact that the writer's real gender is male. It may be a fine story in every other way, but no woman ever looked at her reflection in a mirror and was 100% pleased--and that's just one simple, obvious example.

Second Hand has two female authors, and I suspect med will have much the same complaint about what goes on inside Paul's head. It seems too much like what goes on inside the head of a particularly unconfident, just barely adult young woman. I might be wrong; after all, I've never actually been inside a man's head. But I am skeptical of Paul.

Still, recommended as light reading if you enjoy romances.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
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About Marie Sexton

Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

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Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2)

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