Crest Ridge

by A.L. Boyd

It was supposed to be their big night! The opening of their movie premier. Robert Owens boyfriend abandoned him, and brought another date. Humiliated, Rob left Los Angeles, and moved to a quiet ranch in rural New Mexico only to face his high school bully Dane Johnson.

Rob never expected his high school tormentor to show up at his new home, but there the man was ordering him to evacuate from an oncoming wildfire. After Rob returned to his ranch, Dane offered an apology, and an explanation of his past actions. Rob has to decide if the bully he once knew has changed his ways. Will they overcome their past and find a new start?

Genres: M M Romance

120 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2015

About the author

A cartographer by day, A.L.Boyd spends most of her free time with her horses, gardening, or reading.

****

I never intended to be a full time writer, but stories sometimes just pop into my head. The writing came about as a way to get the stories out. Nothing is ever the same. The poem was from first hand experiences on a wildland fire. My horse's story is a memoir of 23 years of my life with my favorite horse. Any other stories are just stories that come to me in my sleep and make me want to write them down.

Reviews

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Advanced review copy of Crest Ridge provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Crest Ridge is an extended version of the 2013 Love Has No Boundaries short story Crest Ridge Vacation. 100 pages have been added to the new version.

Successful film star Rob Owens is having a crappy week. His boyfriend has dumped him without so much as an email and brought a new date to Rob's big film premiere. Rob is humiliated and the paparazzi are everywhere, smelling blood in the water. Rob had recently purchased a home far from the Hollywood craziness and decides to leave for an extended vacation. More misery abounds.

Dane Johnson, a local sheriff, is performing emergency duty with the National Guard and finds himself knocking on the door of the old Perkins' home. When Rob answers the door, he is taken aback. Rob and Dane attended the same military academy for their senior years in high school and Dane was anything but kind to Rob.

Rob is shocked to see his high school nemesis at the door of his new home. Dane is all business and tells Rob that he must evacuate his new home because a wildfire is heading his way. Rob is reluctant at first, but Dane won't take no for an answer. On the drive to the emergency shelter, Dane apologies to Rob for his past behavior and asks for Rob to call him so they can meet and Dane can explain. Meanwhile, Rob has no choice but return to California until the threat of the wildfire passes because of the lack of hotel rooms in the area.

Two weeks later he is back and has not decided if he wants to open those old wounds and call Dane. The choice is taken out of his hands when Dane makes another official visit to his house and finally has a chance to explain his bullying behavior from 10 years ago. From there, these boys become friends and then eventually lovers. We get an epilogue of a year later and we see that the boys are happy and together and get their HEA.

I went ahead and read the 2013 shorter version so I could see what extras A.L. Boyd added to the new version. The old version follows the same story line and events but instead of showing us some of the events, the author merely alludes to them. (A good example is Rob's break up with his actor boyfriend Adam. In the 2013 version Rob mentions it but in the new version we get to actually see it in real time.)

While I really did enjoy the characters in this book and thought the premise was solid, I found the new version was nothing more than filler for the first book. There were a lot of pages in the book that just weren't necessary in the progression of the story, including describing mundane tasks in exaggerated detail, and the addition of a not-very-intriguing sub plot of a mysterious stalker.

The conclusion I came to was that while the 2013 story was too short to be a fleshed out short story, the new version was too long because of unnecessary filler moments that didn't seem to help flesh out the novella. All the key plot points were there, but the delivery just didn't work.

I can recommended Crest Ridge to folks who are fans of the 2013 version and want to read more about these boys, but if you didn't enjoy reading the 2013 version, you should probably give this one a pass.

Prompt photo from the Love Has No Boundaries story:

[Otterpuss · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, fairly light hearted read.
The characters were good and likeable, and the secondary characters were also well written.

There's a mystery storyline here as well as the romance which I enjoyed, but the ending was very unclear and rushed. It wasn't explained how Dane and Rob got to the place they were at the end of the book and I felt a bit dissatisfied with it.

The romance aspect was sweet and slow burn. It was about 70% before there was any physical intimacy, even kissing, and I was a bit confused about the status of their relationship until that point, but it made a nice change for the focus to be on romance rather than sex.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

*copy provided by author/publisher via M/M Romance goodreads group and Don't Buy Me Love in exchange for an honest review*

I'm struggling with how many stars to give this book. There were good points to the story and bad. First the good.

The mystery and suspense portion of the book was very well written. The author kept me sitting on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who Rob's stalker was. This portion of the book flowed well and kept me guessing to the very end. It was highly enjoyable.

The characters. They were both well developed as individuals, but as a couple is where the story lacked. This is where it fell apart for me. The progression of the relationship felt too slow and unemotional. I just didn't feel a connection most of the time. I caught glimpses of a connection, but the scenes weren't followed through. To me the relationship just wasn't believable. I wanted chemistry, and I didn't get it.

If you're looking for a good mystery and suspense, and the romance portion of the book doesn't concern you, pick this book up. If the romance portion matters, you might me disappointed.

I'm giving the mystery and suspense portion 5 stars and the romance 2 stars, for an average rating of 3.5 Stars

[Dakota Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and look forward to reading more in the future. I thought the story was interesting, intriguing in parts and enjoyed the characters. Robert I felt for from the beginning, the way he was treated by his parents and the hell he went through in miltary school, but he's made quit the name for himself in movies as the leading man. After needing a vacation and heading to a small rural community, he runs into Dane. Dane was a tyrant in miltary school and hell bent on making Rob's life miserable or so it seemed at the time, Dane is sexy as hell and totally into Rob. I enjoyed their getting to know each other again stages, their leaning on each other and their things in common. I thought their relationship was sweet and sexy in parts too. The story kept me interested throughout, I loved the towns people and the close knight community. Without ruining anyting, if your looking for a sweet and sexy story with tho aor hotties this book is for you. 4 stars

[Sylvia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope didn't like it this one was just not for me.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Setting: New Mexico

This book included some of my favorite romance tropes - hot actor - check! enemies to lovers - check! knew each other in high school and one bullied the other - check, check and check!! Rob and Dane went to the same military school. Rob started the school in his senior year. He was unhappy in the school and had been placed there because he, in trying to seek attention from his distant parents, rebelled, got into trouble, and was given the choice of juvie or military school. Dane was an older cadet at the school and made Rob's life miserable. Rob's boyfriend breaks up with him publicly and off Rob goes to New Mexico where his godparents lived to essentially disappear. So I was ready to sit back and enjoy. Unfortunately the book, while light hearted, was a little uneven for me. There were parts that I enjoyed and there were parts that didn't work for me. There was also quite a bit of telling vs showing in the writing which bogged down the story. Rob and Dane meet again and Dane is consumed with guilt over how he treated Rob in school. But the guilt Dane feels is mentioned too many times. There's a reason Dane feels guilty but okay! I get it. I also didn't feel the connection between Rob and Dane either emotionally or sexually and I need that to love my MCs and enjoy the book. Without that connection, I am doomed!! Rob and Dane were likeable guys and the secondary characters were okay, too. However, I think there were too many people who were interconnected - Juan, Dane's boss, Briggs, Marc, the aunt, Elle, etc.) and too much stuff going on which distracted me and took my attention away from Rob and Dane. Very small town, gossipy place. There is one major sex scene when they finally get together and it was written well. I wished the author had engaged in more because Rob and Dane together were hawt but it felt awkward to me because I still couldn't feel that connection!! Now there was a stalker storyline that was handled quite well. I don't usually like mystery/suspense in my romance reads because many authors can't balance the romance with the bad guys/good guys stuff. But the stalker mystery part really held my attention. The ending was rushed and confused me, particularly since Dane had trouble with being out as a gay man. I think I needed more Rob and Dane romance time and less of the other stuff so I could better connect with them.

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Rob is a famous actor who heads to New Mexico for vacation right after his boyfriend shows up to a big event with someone else. We briefly meet Adam and I immediately disliked him and wondered what the heck Rob ever saw in him. Luckily he was only present for a few pages. Jerk. :-)

While in New Mexico, Rob comes face-to-face with one of his military school tormentors, Dane. Now, years later, Dane is gorgeous and apologetic and wanting to get to know Rob. Although hesitant at first, Rob gives Dane a chance and they become friends (and eventually lovers). There is a mystery to be solved (someone is stalking Rob) and Dane is struggling with coming out of the closet, but both of these cause the guys to come together more rather than keep them apart (more story angst than relationship angst).

Much of the relationship development seems off page. There were very little scenes of sexy times, and the growth of feelings tended to be told to me after the fact rather than explained and shown as it was occurring. It felt weird at times to me, too. They went on their first date and had not really even shared a kiss that I remember, but after, when they went back to Rob's house, Rob went to sleep and Dane crawled into bed with him. It seemed out of character for Dane to me, but then I wondered if it were just that I didn't see much of the relationship progress, but it actually had for them. (Sorry if that is confusing!!)

Regardless, it was a nice story about Enemies who turned Friends who turned Lovers. Rob was adorable (if not a bit clueless...what famous celebrity who gets recognized everywhere doesn't get concerned right away about stalkers??) and Dane was sweet. I really liked these two together.

This book was an expanded version of a very short story that I had not yet read. I did read it after I finished this book to see what was different, but the parts that were added were more to expand past history and to add a new mystery like element to the story. The base of the relationship between Rob and Dane was relatively the same (with just some additional character/relationship development). I liked both stories.

[Dreamer80 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
This story was originally written for the Goodreads M/M Romance Group writing event in 2013.
This story talks about Rob and Dane. They meet during a military camp where Rob got sent as a punishment procedure. He meets Dane there and the hell begins. They had both been seniors at the same military prep school. Reading about the acts of bullism made my skin crawl. Old memories and all… . Ten years later, Rob is a famous actor and Dane is one of the county’s
deputy sheriff officers. They meet during a mandatory evacuation and Dane can’t believe to be face-to-face again with Rob. He wants to apologize but Rob doesn’t want to talk to him at first, He wants to stay alone and that’s why he decided to leave for a while, far away from his ex, the paparazzi, etc. Meeting again with his old tormentor wasn’t in his plans. but after talking with his dear friend Jess, he decides to give Dane a chance to explain himself. They talk and after finding out that Rob might be a victim of a stalker, they start to see each other often. Dane likes Rob but he’s deep in the closet and he knows that his parents, his friends, his colleagues at work won’t be happy about it. Rob is famous and out and when one time they got caught eating and drinking in a public place, hell breaks loose. But love has its ways.
I don’t want to write more because I don’t want to spoil this great story. It has everything: angst, hurt, love and more.
The last chapter was so good and what’s not to love when the MCs have their HEA?
4.5 to 5 stars

[Mari Cardenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Owens finds out on the way to his latest movie's premiere that his boyfriend is bringing a date with him. Not wanting to deal with the aftermath of his ex-lover's betrayal, he decides to go on the vacation he had already planned to the ranch he just bought in New Mexico. Only the peace and quiet he had hoped to find there are interrupted by a fire, and then by Dane Johnson, his former high school nemesis and now a deputy at the small town where Rob's ranch is in. Turns out Dane has been keeping a secret his whole life, and that his actions when they were younger were brought by him trying to hide his attraction for Rob. He asks Rob for a second chance at being friends and maybe more, but he's not ready to be out and proud, and he's not sure he'll ever be.

Robert and Dane are cute together, they take things very slowly, which all things considered turned out to be a good thing. Robert is understanding and loving and doesn't push Dane into giving him more than he can and ultimately that works great for them. I loved that even if Dane wasn't ready for most of the story to come out, once it really mattered, he threw caution to the wind and just gave in. I also loved that his big secret, wasn't much of one in the end.

The story is pretty good, flows nicely, there's sweetness, intrigue and suspense with a plot twist that I didn't quite see coming. The secondary characters really add up to the story, Dane's aunt and his coworkers especially, same as Rob's driver. All in all, a solid, entertaining read.

Rating: 4.5 Stars.

[Alexis Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was received free in return for an honest review via the Goodreads Don’t Buy My Love program.)

2.5 stars
Two years ago, in 2013, I read the original short story posted as part of Goodreads Don’t Read in the Closet event. At that time I enjoyed the short read, but did think it could have been expanded from its tiny 34 page length. I was very excited to see the Ms. Boyd took the time to add more to the story.

*sigh*

Unfortunately the new story wasn't much of an improvement. While the expanded storyline and mystery were nice additions, the story lacked a few extras that were much needed.

If a story could stutter, this one did...badly. At times the words flowed over the page, but too many times it didn't. Chapters often felt more like plotted outlines then a continuous picture.

And where?---Oh where?---dear author was the emotional content? What I wouldn't have given to actually feel these characters. Rob and Dane's voices barely sounded different other than the fact that Rob was openly gay, and Dane, deep in the closet.

Also, Dane's constant "I can't" became grating after a while. Really, get over it, it's the 21st century, people can handle the truth. You can be nervous, but buck up, Dane, you're a cop and National Reservist, you can tell your friends and co-workers you're gay. Most of them probably already thought you were.

Go back, try again, and hit me hard. Give me what these guys are feeling, give them unique voices, make the story fluid and then, yeah...

[Suzanne Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an Advance Reader Copy for my unbiased review.

Rob Owens and Dane Johnson had met long ago when in military school. Dane and his group had bullied Rob and years later Rob, now a well known actor, did not have any good feelings about meeting Dane again when they were grownups. But a wildfire necessitates Dane, who is a deputy sheriff for the county and working with the National Guard, traveling to Rob's new ranch home and letting him know that mandatory evacuations were taking place.

They are both shocked to see one another, but throughout the book, they get to know one another as adults as Dane tries to protect Rob from a stalker who seems to be on the edge of doing something dangerous.

The premise was a good one, and caught my attention. The main characters were believable and their interaction was interesting enough to keep me reading. The secondary characters were written well and the story seemed to flow.

The complete resolution to the stalking issue was left very unclear, as was how the MCs arrived at the place they were at the end of the book. I was left feeling a bit let down as the wrap up of the story seemed kind of rushed and abrupt.

I would recommend this book as a light read as long as the reader did not have expectations of a really in-depth, deeply emotional experience.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book free by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

Rob, a famous actor is in New Mexico at his ranch for a vacation, when there is a knock at the door. Its the local National Guard, evacuating everybody due to local fires. When Rob, looks up he notices the Guardsman is Dane, his nemesis from military school.
A few weeks later when Rob is back in NM, he meets up with Dane again.
Dane is apologetic about how he behaved in school and admits that he is gay but deep in the closet.
I didn't read the short version of this story that was written for a MM event and so it was all new to me.
I loved how supportive Rob was of Dane and his struggle with whether to come out or not.
There was a mystery in this book. Rob's stalker which I thought if anything was solved a little too easily.
All in all an enjoyable read.

[Drako · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was kind of short but enjoyable. I like Rob. He has his insecurities, especially after the situation with his boyfriend. I'm not the biggest fan of Dane, but that makes him a bit more real. He's not out, Rob is. Dane can't really show affection publicly and seems to be mortified at the idea of coming out of the closet. It annoys me and I rather wish Rob had made him beg a bit before getting into things seriously. It's well written, and has a nice flare of drama at the end. I just still dislike Dane as a person, just because he's a more realistic idea of what a closet case is like and I'm not fond of those.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rob goes on vacation after his lover publicly breaks up with him. While there he gets unexpectedly runs into Dane, an old enemy from high school. Dane apologizes for all those years ago and they begin a tentative friendship which slowly grows into something more, however Dane is still scared of coming out. When Rob is kidnapped Dane doesn’t hesitate to do anything to fine him.

I liked how this story had a slow build and they spent the time to get to know each other before either of them acted on their attraction, making it a bit more real.

[Taya:) · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I received a copy of this book from the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.

This completely flew under the radar for me. I didn't know about the first version in DRitC 2013 event. This story was a breeze to read but wasn't a fresh story to me . I felt like I read these type of story before. The see through mystery could have been taken out or been less obvious. The romance was insta enemies to lovers.

[Janeylou · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 starss

[Tex Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 of 5 stars – Light/Sweet Yet Tropy M/M Romance/Suspense.
[I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, A.L.]

This was a nice, sweet romance between two guys who used to be high school enemies, with a New Mexico setting and bit of suspense to keep things interesting.

A.L. Boyd's style was easy to read and flowed well, with the third-person perspective alternating between Rob and Dane. The length was appropriate – a short read, expanded (and apparently improved) from a short story written for a Goodreads M/M Romance Group event. With Boyd adding some meat to it, I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop from a bullying past to lovers, and feeling the tension build slowly around that as well as the mysterious stalker.

I understand it'd be hard to do this for a short read, but I did wish for a bit more on some the things I enjoyed. I was drawn to the New Mexico setting, but I still wished for more description to give me a better visual. I particularly enjoyed the suspense being introduced so that the story was not solely centered on the m/m romance. Even so, both were pretty predictable tropes and not too in-depth. Granted, the solution was a bit of a surprise, and made sense; but the whole structure wasn’t quite like a more dedicated mystery, again leaving me wanting more.

Of the relationship, I appreciated how Boyd realistically showed the fears and struggles of coming out, especially when it was not by choice for the one who was closeted, as well as the need to apologize for bullying. Eventually this led to the one explicit sex scene, which was hot, but a little odd in how it happened, and it could have been more sensuous had it depicted more fully what a guy really feels and thinks sexually.

There were also a few aspects that were a bit unrealistic for me. Things were plausible enough, but still seemed a bit too convenient, including Rob's too quickly forgiving Dane considering all the trauma and pain he'd felt from Dane's bullying. There was then a slow build, but then all of a sudden they were in bed together. The protective services seemed a bit overboard, but maybe expected for a famous actor. That did lead to the two staying together for a week, which was after their hot sex scene; but then nothing happened for the whole week, which didn’t fit.

Given this was a light, sweet m/m romance with a mystery to add to the tension, I took all that in stride and enjoyed the story.

[Stacey Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was provided for free by the author through the M/M Romance Group on Goodreads and Don’t Buy Me Love in exchange for an honest review.

Rob Owens, A-list actor, is dumped by his boyfriend right before a movie premiere. Rob is heartbroken, but handles the slight with dignity. He leaves shortly after for his newly purchased home in New Mexico to take a break from it all. No sooner than he gets to his new home, someone is banging on his door. Rob is shocked to see none other than his military school nemesis, Dane Johnson, telling him he has to evacuate due to the impending forest fire en route to his home. Rob is shocked though when Dane apologizes to him for his actions when they were teens and asks him to call him. Two weeks later, Dane has to make another call to Rob’s home and further explains why he bullied Rob. Rob feels Dane is genuine so he invites Dane to go on a hike. They quickly become friends and it’s clear they are attracted to each other. They start dating but Dane has to keep things quiet out of fear of the repercussions to his job and his relationship with his family. Rob starts receiving threatening phone calls, which has Dane worried for his safety. Tension in the story heightens as Rob’s stalker escalates his threats and Dane and Rob are spotted out by paparazzi. The story comes to a head when Rob is kidnapped and Dane ultimately outs himself to his coworkers, family, and friends for the man he’s grown to love.

This is a fairly short story. Their relationship doesn’t heat up until the about the last ¼ of the book and even this it’s pretty light. There isn’t a great deal of development spent on them falling in love. Having said that though, I did feel they were a good couple. I did feel that Dane’s continued discomfort and refusal to come out publicly when he was with a famous and out partner was a bit of cold water splashed on the story, especially since those close to him accepted him. It mostly deals with the Rob’s stalker issue and to some degree, Dane’s issues with coming out. However, the mystery of who is stalking Rob and why is set up very well. Overall, the story held my attention and was an enjoyable read.

[Jenny Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved a copy of this book via IndiGo in exchange for an honest review...

Rob, a movie star wanting to take a break after a shady break up from his equally as shady boyfriend Adam, decides to buy a ranch in New Mexico to escape and take a vacation... He never dreamed that escaping to New Mexico would lead him right into an old bully from the military academy his parents sent him to when he "came out". I still don't understand why/how parents can just disown their children just because they don't agree with who they chose to be in a relationship with... blows my mind... how is it anybodys business but your own anyway.... BUT, I digress lol... here's where we meet Dane.

Dane is in the National Guards AND a Deputy Sherriff, he's stewed on the fact that he bullied Rob for years and hoped to get in touch with him to apologize and explain... Not having any luck with that, wouldn't ya know he's surprised when a job with the guards runs him right to the doorstep of Robs new ranch....

The story wasn't what I thought it was gonna be, the mystery of some things kept my interest quite a bit, every time I thought I'd figured it out, I didn't... The only thing I didn't like is I felt like it skipped detail that it would have been nice to have....I felt like the story was skimmed over... Other than that though, it wasn't so much about the relationship as much as it was about this side story... I was happy with the ending even though I felt like it was another cut to moment, just skipped ahead a year later with no real detail on the last year....

I do appreciate the chance to read it though :)

[J.R. Barten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike others, I hadn't read the story on which this is based. I was able to follow it without reading the first, so even though this is in essence a second in a short series, the story stood on its own just fine.

Crest Ridge is a quick read, and in some ways I thought that was great and others, not so good. There were parts of the story that I wish were double the word count, so I could get a more complete picture of the progression of Rob and Dane's relationship. But their enemies to lovers story was nice, and I found Dane's immediate confession to be sweet and refreshing. Although I would have liked a bit more of his back story in order to better understand his motivation for outing himself so quickly to the boy he bullied as a teen. It seemed to be a very mature and enlightened decision for someone to make who at the same time wasn't ready to be out to anyone else.

The mystery thrown into the plot was what kept me turning the pages. I didn't expect the outcome, and I like when a crime's resolution isn't so predictable.

It is obvious the author knows his/her stuff about maps, and I was intrigued and impressed with the level of knowledge when Dane was preparing Rob for the hike. Nicely done. The material was presented in a way that I could understand, and I'm usually lost around anything pertaining to topography.

Thanks to the author for the hard work and fun story.

[Anthea · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Rob is a famous actor who after being dumped right before an appearance at one of his premieres, decides to take some time out at his ranch. It is here that he reconnects with Dane, his nemesis from military school. It quickly becomes apparent that the bullying that Dane inflicted on Rob was in fact due to his attempts to hide his attraction from the other boy. After arriving at his ranch, Rob starts getting threatening phone messages and as Dane works for the local police, he and Rob end up spending time together during the investigation allowing their relationship to build into something more.

I liked the fact that there was more to the story than just their relationship. The mystery of who was trying to force Rob off the ranch held my interest. I however would've liked at least a little bit of angst over the new relationship. Dane is in the closet and has never dated a man yet it always seemed a foregone conclusion that the two MC's would end up together. I would've liked a bit more detail on them as a couple and how they overcome their own personal issues.

[AnnMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author via the DBML program in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars (rounded up to 3)

Crest Ridge by A.L. Boyd was a quick, easy read. My main complaint with the story was so much of it seemed to be touching the surface, providing the bare bones of the story, mystery and romance. Rob & Dane had gone to military school together and Dane tortured Rob because of the repressed romantic feelings he felt. Years later Rob is a famous actor who is taking a break from Hollywood after a public breakup. The two meet again and Rob easily gets over Dane’s past behavior and the two start a romantic relationship. Rob receives threats that he dismisses with no thought to his safety, which ultimately culminates in a dramatic rescue by Dane. I am not a fan of mysteries where the main villain is someone who has not appeared in the story prior to the “big reveal”. And really,

I purposely did not read the original short story and perhaps I should have done so. I wish that the author had either extended the story even further or focused on either the romance or the mystery.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book for free for an honest review!

This book was okay. I had originally read a shorter version in Goodreads Love's Landscapes last year. The extended version gives the story more depth. The MC's met originally in military school with one being dropped in to clean up his act and the other so immersed in the rules and regulations that he couldn't voice his opinion. Fast forward a number of years and they meet after both have grown up and established themselves in their careers. You then watch them come to turns to their attraction to each other as well as overcome the conflict from outside sources.

It was a quick fun read.

[blub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more cliche then I thought it would be. The writing style bothered me. I rather read a scene as it happens rather than having it summed up for me. The reunion just seemed too convenient and I kind of wanted Rob to make it a bit harder on Dane instead of him just forgiving him so easily after being bullied the way he was. The twist with the neighbor was a bit unexpected not really shocking though.

I was a bit disappointed with Dean for wanting to hide his relationship in public but okay with it in private. It was shitty that he couldn't be cool in public in fear of being associated and labelled gay. I just thought he was a jerk and he never redeemed himself.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short sweet love story. There was not much intimacy between the Rob and Dane. They is a mysterious twist in the book that keeps you interested along the way. There are some twists and turns. The whole books just seemed very rushed. There could have been more development of the characters. All in all it was a very quick sweet story. If you are looking for steamy this isn't it.
I received an arc for an honest review

[W.S. Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to friends

This was a quick, easy moving story about Rob, an actor, who takes escapes to New Mexico after a break-up. Much to his surprise a bully, Dane, from his military academy prep school days appears. Soon enemies are friends. And more. I would've have loved to see more backstory written in, and some moments taken out that slowed the pace, but overall an enjoyable read.

[Dutchgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the idea of this story but sadly the story itself didn't do it for me.

There are all sorts of plots happening at the same time but not one of them is really developed and some of them are mentioned but after that nothing, no follow up, no closure. The characters are not developed at all so to me this was a forgetable read.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars