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Coming About #3
Unbreak Broken
Rory Donovan’s life is a hot mess. His marriage is failing and he’s in intensive psychotherapy, working through the unfortunate side effects of memories of a childhood trauma. The only thing good in his life right now is his job—teaching photography to gifted high school students.
Harbor Patrol officer Bennett Foster is co-parenting his teenage daughter with his high school best friend Jessie. When he meets Addison’s teacher and realizes they’ve met before, he can’t get the sexy stranger out of his head.
Striking up a sexual-tension-filled friendship, together they must help an angsty teenager deal with a dying friend. Bennett must keep his little family from falling apart while Rory struggles to come to terms with his new reality. Somewhere along the way, most unexpectedly…love happens.
Harbor Patrol officer Bennett Foster is co-parenting his teenage daughter with his high school best friend Jessie. When he meets Addison’s teacher and realizes they’ve met before, he can’t get the sexy stranger out of his head.
Striking up a sexual-tension-filled friendship, together they must help an angsty teenager deal with a dying friend. Bennett must keep his little family from falling apart while Rory struggles to come to terms with his new reality. Somewhere along the way, most unexpectedly…love happens.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2015
10 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
J.K. Hogan
21 books298 followersJ.K. Hogan is a pan/demi nerd living in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and their pets. She’s been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing character lists and storylines for her toys growing up. In addition to being an author, J.K. is an autist, an artist, and an activist, with a special place in her heart for Star Trek. When she isn’t writing, J.K. can be found designing book covers at Wicked Pixel Designs, creating fiber art and supplies at Earthbound Fiber Arts, watching Hurricanes Hockey and, of course, reading!
For more information, visit www.jkhogan.com
For more information, visit www.jkhogan.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 23, 2015
~4.25~
This is a tender, hopeful story about second chances, self-discovery, family, and that crazy little thing called love.
This book can be read as a standalone, but if you've read either of the two previous books in the Coming About series, you'll probably remember Rory (Justice's best friend and Rich's roommate) as the even-keeled guy who always has a smile on his face.
Rory, a high school photography teacher, never stood out for me, and now I know why. Rory blends right into the background. He's good ol' reliable Rory. No one knows that his smile hides confusion and pain.
With his recent marriage falling apart, Rory has to do some soul searching.
One thing Rory knows for sure: Lieutenant Bennett Foster makes his heart beat faster.
Bennett is gay but not out on the force. He's tired of hiding though, especially when the slightly nerdy, gorgeous Rory enters the picture.
Never mind that Rory is Bennett's daughter's teacher and straight. Maybe.
This is a slow-burn story. For the first third of the book, Rory is married and very much struggling with his identity and sexuality. Talking to a therapist helps him revisit long-buried, painful memories. As his marriage dissolves, Rory seeks human touch, a real connection.
Even though I was a little frustrated with the slow pace of the story initially, I soon found myself completely wrapped up in Rory and Bennett's relationship.
This isn't a very steamy book. Rory's sexual issues mean he's tentative, a little fearful. But the exploration is beautiful. Bennett is so gentle and patient with Rory.
The first time Bennett and Rory come together, they barely touch. There's only a mirror and pleasure and Bennett's rough voice whispering words of encouragement. This was insanely sexy in the most unexpected way.
I loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Bennett's friend and co-parent, Jessie, and his daughter, Addison, wise beyond her years.
There's more to this story than Rory's epiphany and his budding relationship with Bennett. Hogan deals with sensitive issues, including bullying, grief, and teen self-identity. I generally dislike kids in books, but Addy is a fully fleshed out, likable character.
This proved to be an enlightening, enjoyable read, with some suspense, plenty of romance, and an endearing HEA.
Definitely recommended.
This is a tender, hopeful story about second chances, self-discovery, family, and that crazy little thing called love.
This book can be read as a standalone, but if you've read either of the two previous books in the Coming About series, you'll probably remember Rory (Justice's best friend and Rich's roommate) as the even-keeled guy who always has a smile on his face.
Rory, a high school photography teacher, never stood out for me, and now I know why. Rory blends right into the background. He's good ol' reliable Rory. No one knows that his smile hides confusion and pain.
With his recent marriage falling apart, Rory has to do some soul searching.
One thing Rory knows for sure: Lieutenant Bennett Foster makes his heart beat faster.
Bennett is gay but not out on the force. He's tired of hiding though, especially when the slightly nerdy, gorgeous Rory enters the picture.
Never mind that Rory is Bennett's daughter's teacher and straight. Maybe.
This is a slow-burn story. For the first third of the book, Rory is married and very much struggling with his identity and sexuality. Talking to a therapist helps him revisit long-buried, painful memories. As his marriage dissolves, Rory seeks human touch, a real connection.
Even though I was a little frustrated with the slow pace of the story initially, I soon found myself completely wrapped up in Rory and Bennett's relationship.
This isn't a very steamy book. Rory's sexual issues mean he's tentative, a little fearful. But the exploration is beautiful. Bennett is so gentle and patient with Rory.
The first time Bennett and Rory come together, they barely touch. There's only a mirror and pleasure and Bennett's rough voice whispering words of encouragement. This was insanely sexy in the most unexpected way.
I loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Bennett's friend and co-parent, Jessie, and his daughter, Addison, wise beyond her years.
There's more to this story than Rory's epiphany and his budding relationship with Bennett. Hogan deals with sensitive issues, including bullying, grief, and teen self-identity. I generally dislike kids in books, but Addy is a fully fleshed out, likable character.
This proved to be an enlightening, enjoyable read, with some suspense, plenty of romance, and an endearing HEA.
Definitely recommended.
September 3, 2018
I was a bit worried about reading this book, because I've read the previous one in this series and Rory kinda pissed me off in that one. Ofcourse I shouldn't have worried, because after reading this one, I am totally "team Rory" !!
So like I said, we've met Rory in the previous books. He's a high school photography teacher, who got married to Maia not too long ago. Things however aren't going that great and his marriage is slowly falling apart. You see, Rory has some serious sexual problems. He doesn't feel any desire to have sex with his wife.
This of course doesn't sit well with Maia. She tries to push him and seduce him, but this only makes it worse. Because Rory does love his wife very much, he has been going to therapy, to try and fix himself. I loved the interactions with his psychologist. She was awesome.
Little by little they start to figure out what is wrong with Rory and why he has no sexdrive. I was very dissapointed by Maia's reaction. She was given the chance to work things out with her husband, to help him and to try and fix their marriage, but she said she couldn't do it. What the hell happend to "in sickness and in health"...I understand the situation wasn't easy for her, but damn that was bitchy.
As it turns out, Rory went trough something very traumatic when he was young, which halted his sexual development. Now he needs to go back to the beginning and figure out who he is and what he wants for himself sexually. Like puberty all over again....He also has skinhunger...meaning he loves and needs te be touched, just not in a sexual way
This is were Bennet comes in. Rory and Bennet already met, through their mutual friends, but Rory is also Addisons teacher (Bennetts daughter). Bennett is gay, but he had a one time thing with his best friend Jessie, which resulted in them having Addison.
They are still best friends though and have shared custody. I loved the relationship between the two of them. Bennett is not fully out. Just his best friends and daughter know he's gay. He's an officer for the harbor police, so coming out might not be easy.
Bennet and Rory meet again at a PTA meeting. They have this immediate spark between them, which confuses the hell out of Rory. When meeting up at a bar, drunk Rory gets drunk and tells Bennett everything he's been going through. They strike up a friendship and slowly Bennett brings Rory back to himself.
This book had some very emotional parts, and I want to give an extra half star for Addison, who was so brave and awesome. The steam in this one is very sensual, emotional and damn sexy !!
This review is posted on Wendy's Wycked Words
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December 19, 2019
Re-read December 2019
Still an amazing read.
-------------------------
This was awesome! I loved it. My inner psychologist was so happy with this book.
Rory hasn’t even been married for a year to his wife, Maia, when it is clear things aren’t working out. Rory has major sexual hang-ups, and he feels panicked whenever Maia wants to have sex. Rory knows this is not normal behavior so he seeks the help of a psychologist.
I really loved how the author went into depth at these sessions. I felt so connected to Rory. I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be alright.
Rory finds out a lot of things about himself at these sessions.
”‘To hunger’ is defined as ‘to have a strong desire or craving for something of which one does not have enough—food, knowledge, sex, love, touch. Skin hunger is a relatively new term. Touch is the only one of the five senses that’s essential to human life.”
Rory is touch starved. He seeks human contact without feeling afraid when things turn sexual.
When the break up between Rory and his wife is final, Rory goes out and gets really drunk. He finds himself talking to Bennet, a close friend of Rory’s best friends. The two of them strike up a friendship, but it is obvious they are both attracted to each other from the start. And Bennet is more than willing to give in to Rory’s craving for touch.
When Rory finds out there really is a traumatic sexual event in his childhood, he knows that is where his problems come from. Because his sexual development has been off from start, he has to find out what he likes. Who he likes. He isn't even sure he is straight, like he has thought his whole life. But fortunately Bennet is there to help him figure things out.
That first ‘sex scene’ was absolutely beautiful.
The relationship between Rory and Bennet was incredibly sweet, without is being too syrupy. I loved how patient Bennet was with Rory. And I loved how open Rory was about everything. These men have a connection from the start and it was wonderful.
I loved reading about Rory’s journey into (sexual) self-discovery.
Definitely recommended, especially for those who love lots of character development and hurt/comfort.
This can be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the others in the series (yet), and I had no trouble following along.
Still an amazing read.
-------------------------
This was awesome! I loved it. My inner psychologist was so happy with this book.
Rory hasn’t even been married for a year to his wife, Maia, when it is clear things aren’t working out. Rory has major sexual hang-ups, and he feels panicked whenever Maia wants to have sex. Rory knows this is not normal behavior so he seeks the help of a psychologist.
I really loved how the author went into depth at these sessions. I felt so connected to Rory. I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be alright.
Rory finds out a lot of things about himself at these sessions.
”‘To hunger’ is defined as ‘to have a strong desire or craving for something of which one does not have enough—food, knowledge, sex, love, touch. Skin hunger is a relatively new term. Touch is the only one of the five senses that’s essential to human life.”
Rory is touch starved. He seeks human contact without feeling afraid when things turn sexual.
When the break up between Rory and his wife is final, Rory goes out and gets really drunk. He finds himself talking to Bennet, a close friend of Rory’s best friends. The two of them strike up a friendship, but it is obvious they are both attracted to each other from the start. And Bennet is more than willing to give in to Rory’s craving for touch.
When Rory finds out there really is a traumatic sexual event in his childhood, he knows that is where his problems come from. Because his sexual development has been off from start, he has to find out what he likes. Who he likes. He isn't even sure he is straight, like he has thought his whole life. But fortunately Bennet is there to help him figure things out.
That first ‘sex scene’ was absolutely beautiful.
The relationship between Rory and Bennet was incredibly sweet, without is being too syrupy. I loved how patient Bennet was with Rory. And I loved how open Rory was about everything. These men have a connection from the start and it was wonderful.
I loved reading about Rory’s journey into (sexual) self-discovery.
Definitely recommended, especially for those who love lots of character development and hurt/comfort.
This can be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the others in the series (yet), and I had no trouble following along.
May 30, 2017
*3,5 stars*
I loved Rory's story and the psychology around it.
It is blooming awful to think you're simply not wired to enjoy the pleasures of sex. To think you're so different that the 'freak label' fits you perfectly. To believe that you can never have what seems so 'normal' to most people.
Rory is desperate - he and his wife have hit a stale mate in their marriage. neither seems to be able to resolve. Rory's psychotherapy session are really well written, and although I doubt that things fall into place that 'easily' in RL, the author does a great job showing Rory's problems right down to the nitty-gritty.
(I am glad btw that Maia wasn't vilified for what happened and that we got to see her side of the story, too!)
And then Rory meets Ben, and something inside him goes 'kaboom'.
Surprisingly, he takes on his feelings without giving it a second thought. Now this could have come across as a real fairy tale, but I actually bought it - Rory's behaviour felt genuine.
And Ben is just a darling in every way - careful, sensitive and loving, he shows Rory what it's like to 'feel'. That scene with the mirror was really hot and beautiful. and very moving at the same time.
However, as much as I enjoyed the romance part I had a few niggles, too.
The first one is on me - A good part of the book deals with Rory being this 'out of the world teacher'. Sigh. I know it is nice and good and wholesome, but I tend to avoid 'amazing teacher' stories because they always make me feel uneasy. Too close to home, probably. *g*
Secondly, there are a couple of situations that feel totally unrealistic to me:
Apart from that though, this was a really good, solid read which I would happily recommend further.
I loved Rory's story and the psychology around it.
It is blooming awful to think you're simply not wired to enjoy the pleasures of sex. To think you're so different that the 'freak label' fits you perfectly. To believe that you can never have what seems so 'normal' to most people.
Rory is desperate - he and his wife have hit a stale mate in their marriage. neither seems to be able to resolve. Rory's psychotherapy session are really well written, and although I doubt that things fall into place that 'easily' in RL, the author does a great job showing Rory's problems right down to the nitty-gritty.
(I am glad btw that Maia wasn't vilified for what happened and that we got to see her side of the story, too!)
And then Rory meets Ben, and something inside him goes 'kaboom'.
Surprisingly, he takes on his feelings without giving it a second thought. Now this could have come across as a real fairy tale, but I actually bought it - Rory's behaviour felt genuine.
And Ben is just a darling in every way - careful, sensitive and loving, he shows Rory what it's like to 'feel'. That scene with the mirror was really hot and beautiful. and very moving at the same time.
However, as much as I enjoyed the romance part I had a few niggles, too.
The first one is on me - A good part of the book deals with Rory being this 'out of the world teacher'. Sigh. I know it is nice and good and wholesome, but I tend to avoid 'amazing teacher' stories because they always make me feel uneasy. Too close to home, probably. *g*
Secondly, there are a couple of situations that feel totally unrealistic to me:
Apart from that though, this was a really good, solid read which I would happily recommend further.
September 16, 2015
This is the third book in the Coming About series and I believe it can be read as a standalone. Finally, Rory's story!
In one way or another, both I Survived Seattle and Love and the Real Boy revolved around Rory . The gentle giant, straight as they come, just married, always happy, always surrounded by friends. Well, it seems it was all a facade.
Rory Donovan is one miserable man. He loves to be touched, his skin craves it, but he has a low sex drive. He's just not interested in having sex. Because of that, he feels inadequate as a man and as a husband. His marriage is falling apart and he feels lonelier than ever. But nobody sees him. Until Bennett.
This is a long book and there is a lot going on. The MCs don't really get together before 60% of the book. Actually, I'm kind of surprised I liked this book so much, since I prefer more fast paced stories. But there were many things that held my interest.
Rory's therapy sessions and his journey to rediscover himself (it is obvious the author did her research and Rory's complex character is very well sketched). Bennett's teenage daughter and her not so teenage struggles (the brat
There is plenty of slow burn here but the steamy scenes are not that many. But let me tell you, each and every scene counts for ten! Most explosive first time ever! It was good to actually read a story where the couple had sex after they fell in love.
"We’d connected long before sex was on the table,
before dating was even on the table. So the fact
that this was happening, here with Rory, was staggering."
The ending was good. One might say it was borderline preachy, but I liked the important message it conveyed. I would have liked an epilogue with just the couple, though.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read for a man's brave journey to rediscover himself and find love. Recommended!
*Review crossposted on Reviews by JesseWave.*
September 16, 2015
Loved loved this. I was so looking forward to Rory's story and it was so worth the wait. God I wanted to hug him so hard. And I loved how awesome Bennett was with him.
This one can be read more stand alone than the second in the series, but the series is so good idk why you wouldn't read all three.
Great job JK. Want more!
This one can be read more stand alone than the second in the series, but the series is so good idk why you wouldn't read all three.
Great job JK. Want more!
February 28, 2017
I read a book in a series out of order!!
I feel all sorts of bold. It is of course not my fault but that of a very bad influence who I must blame for everything!!
Aside from a few continuity errors and being a tiny bit 'in the dark' about other characters stories this was really very good. Some things were a little unbelievable but that's the beauty of fiction. What was very well done was Rory's problems and the work that he was doing to help figure them out, I think it's fair that his healing was fast forwarded in order to work for this book but the advice and care that he got was very well done.
Bennett and Rory were just lovely together and I love how everyone blended together to become a family unit. Hurt/comfort at it's best and a good dose of steam mixed in.
September 22, 2015
I know I have a lot of reviews to write, but I NEED to get my thoughts out on this one before anything else.
Rory, Justice's straight friend that married Maia in book 2, broke my heart. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to wrap him up in a blanket and never let go.
Skin hunger, ever heard of it? I have. Although, it wasn't called that term, actually not sure if there even was a label for it back several years ago. That NEED to be touched. My friend described it as being a flower, but instead of water and sunlight, it's touch she needs to survive and without it she'd wilt and die.
Then we get down the nitty gritty of Rory's issues and man, my heart broke. I loved the relationship between Rory and his therapist. I loved how open he was and didn't really hold anything back, well anything vital. I will say though, that I was very upset with Maia.
Then here comes Bennett and I just adored him. I loved his relationship with Jessie and Addison. I loved how he was with Rory. I loved how they were able to just talk and get things out in the open. I loved how Rory confided in Bennett, even when he didn't talk to his friends.
Speaking of friends, it kind of made me think about them. Rich and Justice could never sense anything was wrong? Rory was so broken and they never noticed? It made me think Rory was more alone than I thought.
The kids, Addison and Alex, made me cry. GAH! I was a hot mess with tears and that's no joke. I kind of wanted more about them, I was really interested in that storyline.
This was my favorite of the 3 books so far. Everything just felt so real. I loved it. I'm really hoping for more from this series, because I'm not done.
http://youwillriseproject.blogspot.com/
Rory, Justice's straight friend that married Maia in book 2, broke my heart. I wanted to hug him. I wanted to wrap him up in a blanket and never let go.
Skin hunger, ever heard of it? I have. Although, it wasn't called that term, actually not sure if there even was a label for it back several years ago. That NEED to be touched. My friend described it as being a flower, but instead of water and sunlight, it's touch she needs to survive and without it she'd wilt and die.
Then we get down the nitty gritty of Rory's issues and man, my heart broke. I loved the relationship between Rory and his therapist. I loved how open he was and didn't really hold anything back, well anything vital. I will say though, that I was very upset with Maia.
Then here comes Bennett and I just adored him. I loved his relationship with Jessie and Addison. I loved how he was with Rory. I loved how they were able to just talk and get things out in the open. I loved how Rory confided in Bennett, even when he didn't talk to his friends.
Speaking of friends, it kind of made me think about them. Rich and Justice could never sense anything was wrong? Rory was so broken and they never noticed? It made me think Rory was more alone than I thought.
The kids, Addison and Alex, made me cry. GAH! I was a hot mess with tears and that's no joke. I kind of wanted more about them, I was really interested in that storyline.
This was my favorite of the 3 books so far. Everything just felt so real. I loved it. I'm really hoping for more from this series, because I'm not done.
http://youwillriseproject.blogspot.com/
June 11, 2017
Este libro es como un telefilm la sobremesa de los domingos. Si sabes lo que te espera y tienes asumido que cualquier parecido con la realidad es pura coincidencia, puedes disfrutarlo porque es entretenido y la pareja protagonista es adorable.
Uno de los MC tiene problemas sexuales derivados de un trauma, todo lo relacionado con el tema me ha dejado algo o.O, pero bueno, qué se yo sobre esto, igual es todo muy creíble, a mi no me lo ha parecido, no el problema en sí, el cómo se soluciona. Hay una mini subtrama seudopoliciaca que creo que tampoco hay donde pillarla. Y el final es, como diríamos en España, una americanada elevada a la enésima potencia. Con todo y con eso, ha sido agradabley por eso le pongo 3 estrellas en lugar de 2.
Uno de los MC tiene problemas sexuales derivados de un trauma, todo lo relacionado con el tema me ha dejado algo o.O, pero bueno, qué se yo sobre esto, igual es todo muy creíble, a mi no me lo ha parecido, no el problema en sí, el cómo se soluciona. Hay una mini subtrama seudopoliciaca que creo que tampoco hay donde pillarla. Y el final es, como diríamos en España, una americanada elevada a la enésima potencia. Con todo y con eso, ha sido agradabley por eso le pongo 3 estrellas en lugar de 2.
November 26, 2016
*4,5 stars*
This was beautiful story.
Rory thinks he is broken. He's married to this woman he loves very much. He just doesn't really feel sexual desire for her. He loves to be touched, he just doesn't want sex all the time. It's becoming more and more of a problem in his marriage. He seeks psychological aid and with his therapeut he discovers his suppressed memories of his childhood.
He meets Bennett. And from the beginning these men have a great connection. Bennett seems to be very sensitive by Rory's appearance. He actually sees the real man, his sadness.
I loved Bennett patience with Rory's sexual discoveries. That first scene in front of a mirror... There was no touching, just the words of Bennett. Quite surprisingly it was very sexy and emotional.
I don't want to say much more about Rory's journey because I think the story is so much more.
The writer deals with a lot of sensitive subjects such as; abuse, bullying, grief and teen self-identity.
I really like reading about childeren in my books and Addison, Bennett's daughter was really great.
And also all the side characters.
fav. quote
"There are no teams. You’re on Team Rory, and that’s all you need to worry about. And if Bennett wants to fucking join Team Rory, then I say he’ll make a great asset - pun intended.
You have to decide what makes you happy so that you can live in this world with all its darkness. Once you figure that out, fuck what everyone else thinks because it’s not about them.”
September 17, 2015
3.75 stars
9-14
So I have to think on the rating and my review for this. This was alot heavier than the previous two, definitely touched on some topics that was fairly interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but I do like the author's way of writing.
9-17
I really like J.K. Hogan writing. I like the realness to it, I like the difficulties she brings, I like the tragedy surrounding her characters, and I like that someone out there in the world is going through this or went through it. I knew she was working on a book three for the series, but it was next to nothing clue wise on whose book it will me. Goodness she gave us sweet Rory from book one. You know Rory, the one whose wedding to Maia brought the entire crew together. Yeah him, who introduced Justice & Nic and Rich & Paddy. Straight Rory, well folks he isn't so straight. He's definitely on his No labels kick this book. This book was way heavier then the other two. It dealt with some soul-wrenching discussions about some of the characters past. I think Rory's situation is the first I read about in mm books, and I loved the way the author went about it.
I felt like her information on his past was spot on. It was nicely done, and the clinical aspect was done well. I loved Rory's relationship with his therapist. I know each person is different, but I think he was finally able to be himself with the understanding and help from his doctor. We saw some familiar faces, and I'm really happy Rory was able to have that support he needed. Bennett was great, I liked him as a character. I wish we would have gotten some of his backstory. While his issues wasn't heavily dictated, I felt like he was closed off majority of the story. I don't know if he wasn't opening up because of a past relationship or because that's who he was.
Why not 5 stars then? Well certain story lines I did not particularly care far. The whole triangle with Rory, Maia and her crazy brother. I did not really find that believable. I mean it could happen, and here is where I'm at. It was a point made in the story about Rory and perceptions. He's written as this solid big guy 6'3 or 6'4, and he allows someone to get the jump on him. I'm having a hard time believing that he couldn't take action or stand up for himself. I guess because book 1 Rory was totally different. While he wasn't a main character his presence was very big. So I'm having a hard time as seeing him as a victim. That's not the author's fault, and that's totally my own issue.
I can't wait to see if we get some continuation on the series. So many people have been introduced, and I'd like to see John Michael get his story. Can't wait for more from this author.
9-14
So I have to think on the rating and my review for this. This was alot heavier than the previous two, definitely touched on some topics that was fairly interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but I do like the author's way of writing.
9-17
I really like J.K. Hogan writing. I like the realness to it, I like the difficulties she brings, I like the tragedy surrounding her characters, and I like that someone out there in the world is going through this or went through it. I knew she was working on a book three for the series, but it was next to nothing clue wise on whose book it will me. Goodness she gave us sweet Rory from book one. You know Rory, the one whose wedding to Maia brought the entire crew together. Yeah him, who introduced Justice & Nic and Rich & Paddy. Straight Rory, well folks he isn't so straight. He's definitely on his No labels kick this book. This book was way heavier then the other two. It dealt with some soul-wrenching discussions about some of the characters past. I think Rory's situation is the first I read about in mm books, and I loved the way the author went about it.
I felt like her information on his past was spot on. It was nicely done, and the clinical aspect was done well. I loved Rory's relationship with his therapist. I know each person is different, but I think he was finally able to be himself with the understanding and help from his doctor. We saw some familiar faces, and I'm really happy Rory was able to have that support he needed. Bennett was great, I liked him as a character. I wish we would have gotten some of his backstory. While his issues wasn't heavily dictated, I felt like he was closed off majority of the story. I don't know if he wasn't opening up because of a past relationship or because that's who he was.
Why not 5 stars then? Well certain story lines I did not particularly care far. The whole triangle with Rory, Maia and her crazy brother. I did not really find that believable. I mean it could happen, and here is where I'm at. It was a point made in the story about Rory and perceptions. He's written as this solid big guy 6'3 or 6'4, and he allows someone to get the jump on him. I'm having a hard time believing that he couldn't take action or stand up for himself. I guess because book 1 Rory was totally different. While he wasn't a main character his presence was very big. So I'm having a hard time as seeing him as a victim. That's not the author's fault, and that's totally my own issue.
I can't wait to see if we get some continuation on the series. So many people have been introduced, and I'd like to see John Michael get his story. Can't wait for more from this author.
October 13, 2015
If my husband walked in here now he would wonder what happened? I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out. It's amazing how a book can do that to you, that's why I LOVE reading. This was my favorite one out of the series. Rory and Bennett were everything. I really enjoyed their friends and family too. It was just good and I'm sorry it ended.
September 24, 2015
Pre-read notes:
While I knew that Rory had some issues, I didn't realize what they were. This blurb makes me worried. Yes, I know this is a fictional character, but childhood trauma won't be easy to handle. And if this trauma is sexual in nature, I'll likely be crying.
Review:
Well, damn. I cried. Not just once.
In this 3rd installment of the Coming About series, we find out about Rory's story. Rory, who's steady and reliable, and kind of tends to fade into the background, even as big as he is, because nobody really sees behind his mask of jolliness, and nobody knows, not even Rory, what's making him so sad and feeling lonely.
I'd never heard of skin hunger, but then I googled that, and OMG. Cue the tears. To think that Rory craves touch, needs it like he needs food and water, but can't get it because he can't meet the expectations behind his wife's touches, was simply heartbreaking.
Rory, a photography teacher at a private school, is in therapy because his young marriage is failing miserably. He doesn't like sex, and his wife is demanding it. He can't perform in bed, doesn't get anything out of it, and he wants to get help to make it all better. Because that is the kind of person Rory is - he's there for others and doesn't ask for much himself.
While in therapy, the childhood trauma hinted at in the blurb comes to light.
Yep, cue the tears #2.
Stunned at having forgotten this horrific experience, Rory doesn't know how to deal, until his therapist makes a suggestion - stop all sexual activities, and find out what works for you.
Rory's wife Maia moves out, having expressed in a joined session that she's not strong enough to help him. WTF, Maia? That's your husband asking you for help with a traumatic incident that he's working through for your sake too? I found her reaction callous and uncaring, and good riddance to her.
Rory has a student in his class, Addison, through whom he meets Bennett Foster.
Bennett sees immediately that Rory is not the happy-go-lucky guy he pretends to be. Intrigued, he tries to get to know the man.
I absolutely loved the interactions between Bennett and Rory. Bennett seems to know exactly what Rory needs, and he holds back and lets the other man lead. Their relationship starts out very low-steam, more of a friendship, but blossoms over time as Rory finds out who he really is, what he really likes. It was simply beautiful to watch how Rory learns to ASK for what he needs, as he discovers what he really needs, and how Bennett was there every step of the way to provide it all. I liked that Rory's discovery of "I'm gay" wasn't a huge drama, that he had enough confidence to say "well, this is who I am, alright", and I loved how Bennett didn't fall into a major trap of questioning that discovery.
I also loved that Addison was a fully fleshed-out character, and her teenage angst and conflict rang true and authentic. She's a huge catalyst for Rory and Bennett's progress as well. Jessie, Bennett's best friend and baby-mama, also plays a big role, and she was well done too.
Overall, this is a sweet, somewhat quiet story about finding yourself, figuring out just who you are, overcoming a traumatic experience, and gaining your one true love. Through it all, even with the drama about Maia's brother, and the sadness with Addison's friend Sarah, the whole book has an overall tone of hope and light.
And so much love.
Superbly done; I couldn't put this down. While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend you read the entire series, in order, to get the full impact.
Now, JK Hogan, please write me a book about Neal Hesse, yeah? He needs a story too.
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **
While I knew that Rory had some issues, I didn't realize what they were. This blurb makes me worried. Yes, I know this is a fictional character, but childhood trauma won't be easy to handle. And if this trauma is sexual in nature, I'll likely be crying.
Review:
Well, damn. I cried. Not just once.
In this 3rd installment of the Coming About series, we find out about Rory's story. Rory, who's steady and reliable, and kind of tends to fade into the background, even as big as he is, because nobody really sees behind his mask of jolliness, and nobody knows, not even Rory, what's making him so sad and feeling lonely.
I'd never heard of skin hunger, but then I googled that, and OMG. Cue the tears. To think that Rory craves touch, needs it like he needs food and water, but can't get it because he can't meet the expectations behind his wife's touches, was simply heartbreaking.
Rory, a photography teacher at a private school, is in therapy because his young marriage is failing miserably. He doesn't like sex, and his wife is demanding it. He can't perform in bed, doesn't get anything out of it, and he wants to get help to make it all better. Because that is the kind of person Rory is - he's there for others and doesn't ask for much himself.
While in therapy, the childhood trauma hinted at in the blurb comes to light.
Yep, cue the tears #2.
Stunned at having forgotten this horrific experience, Rory doesn't know how to deal, until his therapist makes a suggestion - stop all sexual activities, and find out what works for you.
Rory's wife Maia moves out, having expressed in a joined session that she's not strong enough to help him. WTF, Maia? That's your husband asking you for help with a traumatic incident that he's working through for your sake too? I found her reaction callous and uncaring, and good riddance to her.
Rory has a student in his class, Addison, through whom he meets Bennett Foster.
Bennett sees immediately that Rory is not the happy-go-lucky guy he pretends to be. Intrigued, he tries to get to know the man.
I absolutely loved the interactions between Bennett and Rory. Bennett seems to know exactly what Rory needs, and he holds back and lets the other man lead. Their relationship starts out very low-steam, more of a friendship, but blossoms over time as Rory finds out who he really is, what he really likes. It was simply beautiful to watch how Rory learns to ASK for what he needs, as he discovers what he really needs, and how Bennett was there every step of the way to provide it all. I liked that Rory's discovery of "I'm gay" wasn't a huge drama, that he had enough confidence to say "well, this is who I am, alright", and I loved how Bennett didn't fall into a major trap of questioning that discovery.
I also loved that Addison was a fully fleshed-out character, and her teenage angst and conflict rang true and authentic. She's a huge catalyst for Rory and Bennett's progress as well. Jessie, Bennett's best friend and baby-mama, also plays a big role, and she was well done too.
Overall, this is a sweet, somewhat quiet story about finding yourself, figuring out just who you are, overcoming a traumatic experience, and gaining your one true love. Through it all, even with the drama about Maia's brother, and the sadness with Addison's friend Sarah, the whole book has an overall tone of hope and light.
And so much love.
Superbly done; I couldn't put this down. While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend you read the entire series, in order, to get the full impact.
Now, JK Hogan, please write me a book about Neal Hesse, yeah? He needs a story too.
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher. A positive review was not promised in return. **
October 26, 2016
“How do I just…change teams like that? What will people think? What will Maia think, or my parents?”
“Teams, teams. There are no teams. You’re on Team Rory, and that’s all you need to worry about. And if Bennett wants to fucking join Team Rory, then I say he’ll make a great asset—pun intended. But seriously, this is way simpler than you’re making it out to be. Are people going to give you shit? Yes. But if it weren’t this, they’d give you shit about the divorce, or your teaching style, or the fact that you’ve seen Frozen more times than my five-year-old nephew. You have to decide what makes you happy so that you can live in this world with all its darkness. Once you figure that out, fuck what everyone else thinks because it’s not about them.”
A very profound thought about life, coming from Rich, who has turned into my fave hero of the series. It's been my motto lately as well (or I'm trying to make it so), and reading it here makes me even more determined to go on and live my life the way I want to.
----------
So, the whole book is like that; it's more than a romance, it's a man's journey to find himself and what makes him tick. And it's a heartbreaking journey at times, a very emotional one, more than I thought so when I read the book blurb. But it's engaging and thought provoking, and also enjoyable. Rory and Bennett are hot together, but there's an understanding between them that's even more powerful than any physical attraction. However . Also, there are way too many issues and 'broken' characters in the story, from Bennett's daughter Addison and her best friend, the psychologist's son, the violent brother-in-law... For crying out loud, there are -vague or not so vague- references at sexual abuse, domestic violence, violence in general, bullying, cancer and coming-out/discovering one's sexuality, all in one book, making it bit too crowded in the end. Just my personal opinion and POV of course, but because of that, Rich's book still remains my favorite of the series, and Rich my favorite MC. Though I do love Rory almost as much :)
Still, this has been a great series by a new author, so I can't wait to see what she has in store for us in the future.
“Teams, teams. There are no teams. You’re on Team Rory, and that’s all you need to worry about. And if Bennett wants to fucking join Team Rory, then I say he’ll make a great asset—pun intended. But seriously, this is way simpler than you’re making it out to be. Are people going to give you shit? Yes. But if it weren’t this, they’d give you shit about the divorce, or your teaching style, or the fact that you’ve seen Frozen more times than my five-year-old nephew. You have to decide what makes you happy so that you can live in this world with all its darkness. Once you figure that out, fuck what everyone else thinks because it’s not about them.”
A very profound thought about life, coming from Rich, who has turned into my fave hero of the series. It's been my motto lately as well (or I'm trying to make it so), and reading it here makes me even more determined to go on and live my life the way I want to.
----------
So, the whole book is like that; it's more than a romance, it's a man's journey to find himself and what makes him tick. And it's a heartbreaking journey at times, a very emotional one, more than I thought so when I read the book blurb. But it's engaging and thought provoking, and also enjoyable. Rory and Bennett are hot together, but there's an understanding between them that's even more powerful than any physical attraction. However . Also, there are way too many issues and 'broken' characters in the story, from Bennett's daughter Addison and her best friend, the psychologist's son, the violent brother-in-law... For crying out loud, there are -vague or not so vague- references at sexual abuse, domestic violence, violence in general, bullying, cancer and coming-out/discovering one's sexuality, all in one book, making it bit too crowded in the end. Just my personal opinion and POV of course, but because of that, Rich's book still remains my favorite of the series, and Rich my favorite MC. Though I do love Rory almost as much :)
Still, this has been a great series by a new author, so I can't wait to see what she has in store for us in the future.
January 19, 2016
Loved this - want to give it all the stars!!!
After the second book (Rich's story) I didn't think I could like Rory, but I was so very wrong - this is my fave so far, I want to forget it all and start again, this is will definitely be a future re-read!
Fell in love with Rory, swooned over Bennett and wanted to hug to stuffing out of Addy and Alex. Also nice to get a little hello from Rich and Justice :)
Great story, amazing characters - HIGHLY recommended!
After the second book (Rich's story) I didn't think I could like Rory, but I was so very wrong - this is my fave so far, I want to forget it all and start again, this is will definitely be a future re-read!
Fell in love with Rory, swooned over Bennett and wanted to hug to stuffing out of Addy and Alex. Also nice to get a little hello from Rich and Justice :)
Great story, amazing characters - HIGHLY recommended!
July 15, 2017
Tres raspadillas, me ha parecido lento y la verdad, no he llegado a conectar con los chicos, pero a pesar de ello, me gusta como escribe el autor.
February 21, 2016
Unbreak Broken, my favorite of the series! While this could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading this series in order for context and understanding of Rory’s relationships with his friends. Also, there are spoilers in this story for the first two books.
I’ve been waiting for the real story of Rory, and boy, do we get it here! Poor Rory—his marriage is falling apart and he feels like a failure. At least his teaching job is going well. When his favorite and most promising student, Addison, keeps skirting the rules, he feels that he must involve her parents. But it turns out that he is already acquainted with her father. Bennett is one of the Marine patrol who saved Nic Valentine in I Survived Seattle. Nic is the husband of Rory’s best friend, Justice, and they have all met while fixing up Nic’s boat, which was Justice’s wedding present to Nic. Bennett’s best friend is Addison’s mother, Jesse, and the result of a youthful mistake has made them happily co-parents since. Each time they are together, Bennett feels like Rory is holding something back, like there is a deep sadness that he tries to hide all the time. When he asks Rory is he’s alright, Rory is stunned; nobody ever asks him that! They all assume that he is the easy going, happy guy that he has worked so hard to project.
As they continue to run into each other around town, Bennett continues to get the impression that Rory is hiding something and that it’s really causing him pain. For some reason, Rory feels comfortable with Bennett and confesses his marriage issues and what he’s discovering in therapy. When Maia, Rory’s wife, leaves him, he decides to meet his friends Justice and Rich at a gay bar. Turns out Bennett and his partner end up at the same bar because his partner has just broken up with his boyfriend and is looking for a distraction. Rory gets rip roaring drunk, and Bennett comes to the rescue since neither Justice nor Rich can hang around to get him home. After a hot dance and some extracurricular activity, Bennett takes Rory home to pour him into bed to await a killer hangover.
While Rory and Bennett are becoming maybe more than friends, Rory is also getting closer to Addison, who is dealing with her best friend who has leukemia. She’s devastated and has been expressing herself through her photography, and the messages in the art are concerning Rory. He feels he needs to inform Bennett of his concerns, and Bennett is grateful to Rory and continues to be there for his daughter.
There is also some drama with Maia’s family that Rory has to deal with, which moves things along in his relationship with Bennett as well. This was my least favorite part of the story. I could have done without this whole episode, to be honest, although it does figure in the climax of the story.
I really loved how the relationship between these two developed. Neither is very adept at adult relationships. Bennett isn’t exactly out at work, and he really hasn’t had a serious relationship—but he’s never met anyone like Rory.
Rory has been so busy doing what he thinks he’s supposed to that he’s never figured out what he really wants. His therapist helps him immeasurably, whether it’s getting to the root of his issue or dealing with his new-found desires. She is a wonderful character in this story as well. I feel like each of the books in this series have just gotten stronger. I hope we get more in this world, whether it’s Bennett’s partner, or Rich’s brother, or Alex, I’d love to see more from this author in this nice little community she’s built. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Sadonna for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
I’ve been waiting for the real story of Rory, and boy, do we get it here! Poor Rory—his marriage is falling apart and he feels like a failure. At least his teaching job is going well. When his favorite and most promising student, Addison, keeps skirting the rules, he feels that he must involve her parents. But it turns out that he is already acquainted with her father. Bennett is one of the Marine patrol who saved Nic Valentine in I Survived Seattle. Nic is the husband of Rory’s best friend, Justice, and they have all met while fixing up Nic’s boat, which was Justice’s wedding present to Nic. Bennett’s best friend is Addison’s mother, Jesse, and the result of a youthful mistake has made them happily co-parents since. Each time they are together, Bennett feels like Rory is holding something back, like there is a deep sadness that he tries to hide all the time. When he asks Rory is he’s alright, Rory is stunned; nobody ever asks him that! They all assume that he is the easy going, happy guy that he has worked so hard to project.
As they continue to run into each other around town, Bennett continues to get the impression that Rory is hiding something and that it’s really causing him pain. For some reason, Rory feels comfortable with Bennett and confesses his marriage issues and what he’s discovering in therapy. When Maia, Rory’s wife, leaves him, he decides to meet his friends Justice and Rich at a gay bar. Turns out Bennett and his partner end up at the same bar because his partner has just broken up with his boyfriend and is looking for a distraction. Rory gets rip roaring drunk, and Bennett comes to the rescue since neither Justice nor Rich can hang around to get him home. After a hot dance and some extracurricular activity, Bennett takes Rory home to pour him into bed to await a killer hangover.
While Rory and Bennett are becoming maybe more than friends, Rory is also getting closer to Addison, who is dealing with her best friend who has leukemia. She’s devastated and has been expressing herself through her photography, and the messages in the art are concerning Rory. He feels he needs to inform Bennett of his concerns, and Bennett is grateful to Rory and continues to be there for his daughter.
There is also some drama with Maia’s family that Rory has to deal with, which moves things along in his relationship with Bennett as well. This was my least favorite part of the story. I could have done without this whole episode, to be honest, although it does figure in the climax of the story.
I really loved how the relationship between these two developed. Neither is very adept at adult relationships. Bennett isn’t exactly out at work, and he really hasn’t had a serious relationship—but he’s never met anyone like Rory.
Rory has been so busy doing what he thinks he’s supposed to that he’s never figured out what he really wants. His therapist helps him immeasurably, whether it’s getting to the root of his issue or dealing with his new-found desires. She is a wonderful character in this story as well. I feel like each of the books in this series have just gotten stronger. I hope we get more in this world, whether it’s Bennett’s partner, or Rich’s brother, or Alex, I’d love to see more from this author in this nice little community she’s built. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Sadonna for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
September 14, 2015
LOVED IT!!
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*
While reading the first two books in this series I have watched Rory and desperately wanted to get into his head and see what his story was. See what makes him tick. J.K. didn't disappoint. We go deep into Rory's head. Rory, a HS Photography teacher is sweet and totally confused. Things are not going well in his new marriage, but he doesn't know how to fix himself to make it better. Frustrated, he turns to therapy for help. We get an very in-depth look at Rory's past, while he works through his issues.
Bennett, a Harbor Patrol Officer, knows who he is. He is gay, but he isn't out except to his work partner, his daughter, Addy and her mother, Jessie. He is a loving and devoted father and a workaholic without much of a social life.
The two men meet through mutual friends and again through a parent teacher conference concerning Bennett's daughter, who also happens to be one of Rory's students, Addy. They continue to be thrown together in different circumstances and eventually form a friendship. But will the friendship between them lead to more?
I couldn't wait for this book, and I absolutely loved it! I haven't read a book by this author yet that I haven't loved. This book made me feel. I felt Rory's frustration, hurt and sadness. I felt like I knew these characters inside and out. I loved how in-depth the character development was. Both of these guys are extremely lovable and you can't help but root for them to find their way. They had a chemistry, love, and passion you could just feel. The story had enough angst to keep you interested, but not so much you wanted to pull your hair out. As in every other book I have read by this author, the sex was smoking hot!!
The secondary characters, especially Addison were also all well developed and added nicely to the story. I loved getting to revisit some of the previous MC's from this series.
I wanted a conclusion, but I didn't want this to end. I am sad to look on goodreeads and see I have now read all of this author's M/M works. I can't wait for her to write more in the future, and I hope to see more of the couples from this series in the future as well.
Awesome read, highly recommended!!
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*
While reading the first two books in this series I have watched Rory and desperately wanted to get into his head and see what his story was. See what makes him tick. J.K. didn't disappoint. We go deep into Rory's head. Rory, a HS Photography teacher is sweet and totally confused. Things are not going well in his new marriage, but he doesn't know how to fix himself to make it better. Frustrated, he turns to therapy for help. We get an very in-depth look at Rory's past, while he works through his issues.
Bennett, a Harbor Patrol Officer, knows who he is. He is gay, but he isn't out except to his work partner, his daughter, Addy and her mother, Jessie. He is a loving and devoted father and a workaholic without much of a social life.
The two men meet through mutual friends and again through a parent teacher conference concerning Bennett's daughter, who also happens to be one of Rory's students, Addy. They continue to be thrown together in different circumstances and eventually form a friendship. But will the friendship between them lead to more?
I couldn't wait for this book, and I absolutely loved it! I haven't read a book by this author yet that I haven't loved. This book made me feel. I felt Rory's frustration, hurt and sadness. I felt like I knew these characters inside and out. I loved how in-depth the character development was. Both of these guys are extremely lovable and you can't help but root for them to find their way. They had a chemistry, love, and passion you could just feel. The story had enough angst to keep you interested, but not so much you wanted to pull your hair out. As in every other book I have read by this author, the sex was smoking hot!!
The secondary characters, especially Addison were also all well developed and added nicely to the story. I loved getting to revisit some of the previous MC's from this series.
I wanted a conclusion, but I didn't want this to end. I am sad to look on goodreeads and see I have now read all of this author's M/M works. I can't wait for her to write more in the future, and I hope to see more of the couples from this series in the future as well.
Awesome read, highly recommended!!
March 14, 2016
Not enough stars
I am in awe of JK Hogan and her stories, that are outstanding in expressing empathy and understanding of so many different issues. I loved her first two books and this one, I think is the best of the three. I was engrossed in the book, as she explored and revealed both the short term and long term effects of bullying on its victims. She also showed it from differing viewpoints, that of Rory and of Alex. Also included were the effects on family and friends who aren't always aware of these traumas until they have to deal with the aftermath.
Rory and Bennett were great characters and the background and personalities were built up so well. Even though they were in previous books, I loved finding out what had been troubling Rory for so long, and more about Bennett. Bennett's daughter Addie, her mother, Jessie, Dr. Conlon and her son Alex, were fully fleshed characters as well. Addie, particularly, was integral to the story and was one of the best presented young teens I've ever seen in a book. None of these secondary characters were peripheral at all. Rich, from The Real Boy, was a part of it as well, and we got to see the previous MC's from the series.
Just a well-rounded, complete and meaningful read. Maybe we'll get another, for Neal? And dammit, I just have to go back and read the first two books again!
I am in awe of JK Hogan and her stories, that are outstanding in expressing empathy and understanding of so many different issues. I loved her first two books and this one, I think is the best of the three. I was engrossed in the book, as she explored and revealed both the short term and long term effects of bullying on its victims. She also showed it from differing viewpoints, that of Rory and of Alex. Also included were the effects on family and friends who aren't always aware of these traumas until they have to deal with the aftermath.
Rory and Bennett were great characters and the background and personalities were built up so well. Even though they were in previous books, I loved finding out what had been troubling Rory for so long, and more about Bennett. Bennett's daughter Addie, her mother, Jessie, Dr. Conlon and her son Alex, were fully fleshed characters as well. Addie, particularly, was integral to the story and was one of the best presented young teens I've ever seen in a book. None of these secondary characters were peripheral at all. Rich, from The Real Boy, was a part of it as well, and we got to see the previous MC's from the series.
Just a well-rounded, complete and meaningful read. Maybe we'll get another, for Neal? And dammit, I just have to go back and read the first two books again!
May 28, 2017
Nice story about Rory Donovan, touch starved and unable to perform for his wife Maia and who is undergoing therapy because of it. When we uncover the underlying reason for his difficulties, it's no surprise whatsoever to discover that as far as his head is concerned, his mental sexual development stopped in his early teens, and ever since he has just been going through the motions. He is therefore beginning anew and he finds that he's very attracted to Bennett, who just so happens to be the father of one of Rory's students.
Bennett Foster is a U.S. Coastguard, out and proud. His best friend Jessie and he experienced raging teenage hormones when they were younger, and daughter Addy was the result. They co-parent, and as Rory (who is Addy's Photography teacher) finds out, Addy has problems of her own which she has been keeping secret from mom and dad.
When we add an enraged, hostile and violent ex brother in law into the mix, things start to heat up rather quickly.
I really liked Rory and Ben together, and this was a real feel good story with hopefully a HEA for all concerned (except the loony brother in law of course). 4 stars.
April 10, 2019
“After so many years of nothing, of feeling like I wasn’t connected to the world—like I could play all the right notes, but I couldn’t hear the music—every new sensation was beautiful.”
I was crazy over the first two books in the ‘Coming About’ series and somehow I must’ve gotten caught up in any number of other books and I missed reading the final two. I met Rory in the other two books seeing as Justice was his college roommate and best friend who flew out for Rory’s wedding and met the love of his life, Nic, and Rich had been his roommate in Seattle who had outed Justice at the wedding but had also managed to find his love with Patrick. Bennett is the unknown as all I remember about him is that he’s friends with Patrick and is a member of the Harbor Patrol that helped to rescue Nic in book one. Now, Rory didn’t ding loudly on my radar during those two reads as having mass issues so I was extra curious about what this book would hold.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
I was crazy over the first two books in the ‘Coming About’ series and somehow I must’ve gotten caught up in any number of other books and I missed reading the final two. I met Rory in the other two books seeing as Justice was his college roommate and best friend who flew out for Rory’s wedding and met the love of his life, Nic, and Rich had been his roommate in Seattle who had outed Justice at the wedding but had also managed to find his love with Patrick. Bennett is the unknown as all I remember about him is that he’s friends with Patrick and is a member of the Harbor Patrol that helped to rescue Nic in book one. Now, Rory didn’t ding loudly on my radar during those two reads as having mass issues so I was extra curious about what this book would hold.
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
December 2, 2015
This book was gorgeous, I totally fell in love with it, even though it made me bawl my eyes out. I completely forgot about this series, and I admit I skipped the second book, but at this point I don't even care. This was better than I could've imagined, and I got no complains what's so ever! It was complex, with mature and well developed characters, believable and well executed plot, heart-warming and heart-wrenching, both at the same time and separately, which is the best combination ever in my opinion. Plus, the sex was SMOKIN' HOT and totally sensual!
Did I mention I loved this book? Well I DID!!!!!
Did I mention I loved this book? Well I DID!!!!!
May 2, 2018
4.25 stars
December 24, 2018
Loved it.
March 17, 2017
I am happy I didn't give up on this book like I wanted to. The first 15% to 20% was a bit of a drag. The scenes with Bennett and Rory were magic! Lots of affection, sexual tension and the SS were nice and steamy without being drawn out and excessive. However, every other scene outside of their relationship was boring and drawn out.
September 19, 2015
WELL……That was an emotional rollercoaster I wasn’t expecting. I am an addict when it comes to the M/M genre. I have read a lot of books. Some I will remember the general concept of the book. Some I remember the MCs and most of what happened. Some I read, but can’t remember a thing and that’s not because they weren’t good – It is because I have read so many there is no way to keep every storyline and every character straight. Let me tell you – THIS….this amazing story will stay with me forever. I will remember every character – every detail – every emotion I felt while reading and every tear that fell for agony, joy & journey all the characters went through.
Let’s meet these fantastic characters shall we…..
Rory – the happy-go-lucky teacher on the outside who is being crushed on the inside.
Maia – wife of Rory who wants the sexual aspect of the marriage that is mssing. (Don’t worry, no girly bits are featured)
Bennett – scrumptious Harbor Patrol officer hiding his sexuality from everyone except close friends & family & #1 Dad to Addison
Jessie – Bennett’s best friend & mother to Addison (OMG….you will just love her)
Addison – Rory’s photographer student & depressed teen dealing with more adult issues than an adult. Your heart will break for her, but she is once tough cookie.
Now that the intros are out of the way – time to get down to why you should read this. Mostly everyone likes to read of a broken man who gets “fixed” by another. “Unbreak Broken” is SO much more than that. JK Hogan does a tremendous job in bringing an assortment of characters around full circle. Rory & Bennett start off as acquaintances and slowly build to being more. The build-up & tension is OFF THE DARN CHARTS (explosion to follow). The character development for all of them was flawless. You will get to see how truly broken Rory is even though he didn’t realize why he was. Bennett (sigh….God than man melts my heart) sees right through Rory and immediately knows there is something unsettling about him. We follow them on a journey of self-discovery and watch as they fall in love!
There is not much more to add without giving spoilers (which is big no-no for me) – SO - If you are looking for a book that will pull at your heart strings, put a smile on your face and make you appreciate life and all the beautifulness it can give than this is the book for you! If I could give 10 stars I would….Actually that gives me a thought. Might have to do another review to give it the 10 stars is so deserves.
Reviewed for Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
Let’s meet these fantastic characters shall we…..
Rory – the happy-go-lucky teacher on the outside who is being crushed on the inside.
Maia – wife of Rory who wants the sexual aspect of the marriage that is mssing. (Don’t worry, no girly bits are featured)
Bennett – scrumptious Harbor Patrol officer hiding his sexuality from everyone except close friends & family & #1 Dad to Addison
Jessie – Bennett’s best friend & mother to Addison (OMG….you will just love her)
Addison – Rory’s photographer student & depressed teen dealing with more adult issues than an adult. Your heart will break for her, but she is once tough cookie.
Now that the intros are out of the way – time to get down to why you should read this. Mostly everyone likes to read of a broken man who gets “fixed” by another. “Unbreak Broken” is SO much more than that. JK Hogan does a tremendous job in bringing an assortment of characters around full circle. Rory & Bennett start off as acquaintances and slowly build to being more. The build-up & tension is OFF THE DARN CHARTS (explosion to follow). The character development for all of them was flawless. You will get to see how truly broken Rory is even though he didn’t realize why he was. Bennett (sigh….God than man melts my heart) sees right through Rory and immediately knows there is something unsettling about him. We follow them on a journey of self-discovery and watch as they fall in love!
There is not much more to add without giving spoilers (which is big no-no for me) – SO - If you are looking for a book that will pull at your heart strings, put a smile on your face and make you appreciate life and all the beautifulness it can give than this is the book for you! If I could give 10 stars I would….Actually that gives me a thought. Might have to do another review to give it the 10 stars is so deserves.
Reviewed for Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy
October 2, 2015
Every book in this series is so good, but with each one, they gain a certain depth, that makes addictive reading.
It’s hard to choose which book is my favourite, but I have to say this book is really wonderful.
We met Rory in Book 1. He seemed a very easygoing and positive character, a big guy who is also very strong and I knew he would deliver some surprises.
The story starts with Rory’s wedding, but now, only after a few months, his marriage has problems and is failing.
Even if he does loves his wife Maia, he is not interested in the physical part of the relationship, and this cause a lot of problems.
During psychotherapy he remembered a childhood trauma which maybe is the cause of his actual problems?
In the meantime he has developed an attraction for the Harbour Patrol Officer, Bennet Foster, an even bigger guy than himself. We all know that everything begins with a friendship – Bennett Foster understands Rory like nobody else ever has and the feelings soon develop into something much more, something much deeper and Rory starts to question his own life.
He understand that to be happy, he has to follow his heart, despite his family and social conventions.
Bennet is a very strong guy, he helps Rory, even though he knows that his heart will be in danger. What guarantee has he got that it’s just not an experiment on Rory’s part? – he has to learn to trust his instinct and of course, Rory.
In addition to the MCs, this book is full of wonderful characters. Alex and Addison stole my breath away with there strength and also their fragility. Alex is now one of Rory’s students, because of bullying about his homosexuality in his previous school, he has now transferred. Addison is Bennet’s daughter. Still a teenager, a student of Rory’s but now having to face an illness of her friend Sarah. But Sarah is not only a friend, there’s more and Addison’s struggles are really touching.
It’s uncommon for me to cry when reading a book, but I have to admit that a few tears were shed – I just got so involved, I couldn’t help myself.
A very touching and wonderful book, you absolutely have to read it, I cannot recommend it enough!
****I would like to thank the Author and the Publisher for the opportunity and privilege of reading this ARC. My review was an honest opinion of the book****
https://threebooksovertherainbow.word...
It’s hard to choose which book is my favourite, but I have to say this book is really wonderful.
We met Rory in Book 1. He seemed a very easygoing and positive character, a big guy who is also very strong and I knew he would deliver some surprises.
The story starts with Rory’s wedding, but now, only after a few months, his marriage has problems and is failing.
Even if he does loves his wife Maia, he is not interested in the physical part of the relationship, and this cause a lot of problems.
During psychotherapy he remembered a childhood trauma which maybe is the cause of his actual problems?
In the meantime he has developed an attraction for the Harbour Patrol Officer, Bennet Foster, an even bigger guy than himself. We all know that everything begins with a friendship – Bennett Foster understands Rory like nobody else ever has and the feelings soon develop into something much more, something much deeper and Rory starts to question his own life.
He understand that to be happy, he has to follow his heart, despite his family and social conventions.
Bennet is a very strong guy, he helps Rory, even though he knows that his heart will be in danger. What guarantee has he got that it’s just not an experiment on Rory’s part? – he has to learn to trust his instinct and of course, Rory.
In addition to the MCs, this book is full of wonderful characters. Alex and Addison stole my breath away with there strength and also their fragility. Alex is now one of Rory’s students, because of bullying about his homosexuality in his previous school, he has now transferred. Addison is Bennet’s daughter. Still a teenager, a student of Rory’s but now having to face an illness of her friend Sarah. But Sarah is not only a friend, there’s more and Addison’s struggles are really touching.
It’s uncommon for me to cry when reading a book, but I have to admit that a few tears were shed – I just got so involved, I couldn’t help myself.
A very touching and wonderful book, you absolutely have to read it, I cannot recommend it enough!
****I would like to thank the Author and the Publisher for the opportunity and privilege of reading this ARC. My review was an honest opinion of the book****
https://threebooksovertherainbow.word...
October 28, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
Unbreak Broken is the third book in Hogan’s Coming About series. I have been dying for Rory’s story since the first book. It was worth the wait. While heavier than the other two books in this series, this installment takes an unexpected but not altogether unwelcomed turn. It’s possibly the fact that I didn’t see it coming that had me glued to the pages. Or that it was so damn hot—because that first scene needed to come with a warning label and a fan.
I think I’ve always known Rory had issues because no one is that perfect. Add to that his need for contact, especially with his male friends, and the countdown for this story began before his wedding to Maia—for me, anyway. That he’s in therapy was not surprising to me. What surprised me was his reasoning and the childhood trauma that he repressed. I would like to send out kudos to this author for her ingenuity with Rory and his psyche. Instead of going directly to the easy explanation, she creates a situation in which Rory not only blames himself, but cares the guilt and shame for decades afterwards. I know I’m being vague but if I gave you all the answers you would be mad at me. The best part of Rory’s breakthrough is not his memory of what happened to him, but the events that follow with Bennett.
Read Crissy’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
Unbreak Broken is the third book in Hogan’s Coming About series. I have been dying for Rory’s story since the first book. It was worth the wait. While heavier than the other two books in this series, this installment takes an unexpected but not altogether unwelcomed turn. It’s possibly the fact that I didn’t see it coming that had me glued to the pages. Or that it was so damn hot—because that first scene needed to come with a warning label and a fan.
I think I’ve always known Rory had issues because no one is that perfect. Add to that his need for contact, especially with his male friends, and the countdown for this story began before his wedding to Maia—for me, anyway. That he’s in therapy was not surprising to me. What surprised me was his reasoning and the childhood trauma that he repressed. I would like to send out kudos to this author for her ingenuity with Rory and his psyche. Instead of going directly to the easy explanation, she creates a situation in which Rory not only blames himself, but cares the guilt and shame for decades afterwards. I know I’m being vague but if I gave you all the answers you would be mad at me. The best part of Rory’s breakthrough is not his memory of what happened to him, but the events that follow with Bennett.
Read Crissy’s review in its entirety here.
September 26, 2015
What a wonderful story! Drowning in a failed marriage, Rory turns to his therapist to help him understand himself and his sexual hang-ups. Rory also teaches high school photography and life keeps throwing him together with the father of one of his students.
Bennett and Rory are drawn to each other from the start. Gently, Bennett helps Rory re-discover his sexuality and discover his attraction to men. The relationship grows slowly as Rory becomes more comfortable with himself and his sexuality.
This is another story featuring slightly older leading men. I really enjoy the complexity that older characters bring to a romance. Both Bennett and Rory are intricate, beautifully drawn men. I love Bennett’s family and I really enjoyed reading about Rory’s job. I love his pupils and his passion for photography.
This story is beautifully written. If the men didn’t have to work through so many important issues to make a relationship work, I would argue that the ending is just a little too perfect and a little too saccharine. But these men do overcome a great deal to be together and I enjoyed every moment of their story.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reviews.
Bennett and Rory are drawn to each other from the start. Gently, Bennett helps Rory re-discover his sexuality and discover his attraction to men. The relationship grows slowly as Rory becomes more comfortable with himself and his sexuality.
This is another story featuring slightly older leading men. I really enjoy the complexity that older characters bring to a romance. Both Bennett and Rory are intricate, beautifully drawn men. I love Bennett’s family and I really enjoyed reading about Rory’s job. I love his pupils and his passion for photography.
This story is beautifully written. If the men didn’t have to work through so many important issues to make a relationship work, I would argue that the ending is just a little too perfect and a little too saccharine. But these men do overcome a great deal to be together and I enjoyed every moment of their story.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reviews.
October 2, 2015
4.5 Stars
I was given this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
This series just keeps getting better and better. In this story the author shows how Rory was able to overcome many issues, from childhood trauma to suddenly realizing he was gay. He was able to overcome it all and he was able to start a new relationship. I love the interactions between Rory and Bennett and loved how the author was able to bring Bennett’s daughter and best friend into the story. There was a story behind the original story and I loved how Rory was able to help many of the kids at his school.
The author was able to bring angst and love to this story and make it believable. I cried when Rory was telling his story to his therapist and then cried again when Rory came up with the idea to have a benefit to help one of the students at his school. Who just happens to be Addison’s soul mate. He even helped his therapist son. I’m hoping there will be a next installment (maybe Neil, Bennett’s work partner).
I was given this book by Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
This series just keeps getting better and better. In this story the author shows how Rory was able to overcome many issues, from childhood trauma to suddenly realizing he was gay. He was able to overcome it all and he was able to start a new relationship. I love the interactions between Rory and Bennett and loved how the author was able to bring Bennett’s daughter and best friend into the story. There was a story behind the original story and I loved how Rory was able to help many of the kids at his school.
The author was able to bring angst and love to this story and make it believable. I cried when Rory was telling his story to his therapist and then cried again when Rory came up with the idea to have a benefit to help one of the students at his school. Who just happens to be Addison’s soul mate. He even helped his therapist son. I’m hoping there will be a next installment (maybe Neil, Bennett’s work partner).
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