It Was Always You

by Cardeno C.

Join these bestselling M/M authors as they bring you tales of love, lust, and laughter...between friends.

Featuring seven brand new novellas, each answering the question—what happens when the one meant for you was right there all along?

Genres: M M Romance, Anthologies, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Short Stories, LGBT

506 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 4, 2016

About the author

Cardeno C. - CC to friends - is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

Heartwarming Stories. Strong Relationships. Forever Love.

Website: www.cardenoc.com

Blog: (Shared Blog) https://gayromanceauthors.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @CardenoC

FB Profile: http://www.facebook.com/CardenoC

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carde...

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6M...

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cardenoC/

Reviews

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.6~

Listen up, peeps: "All money and proceeds for this anthology will be donated to the charity One.n.Ten."

Located in Phoenix, Arizona, One.n.Ten serves LGBTQ youth and young adults ages 14-24: "We enhance their lives by providing empowering social and service programs that promote self‐expression, self‐acceptance, leadership development and healthy life choices."

What's not to love about that?

The stories in this anthology range from 800 to 1,200 Kindle locations. Read them all or pick and choose. It's all good.

Individual story ratings and reviews below:

Rough Edges
Cardeno C.
~3.5~

Enemies-to-lovers; tentative HEA; slow burn; steam: moderate

I had a really hard time with Kyle, one of the MCs, initially; he was so judgmental and bitter. He doesn’t even give Brent a chance before he decides Brent is a lazy trust fund baby. But Brent is a nice guy, and he bends over backwards to help Kyle when Kyle loses his job.

This is a slowburn story with some very sweet moments. Kyle comes to realize there’s more to Brent than meets the eye, and while I would have loved an epilogue, the ending made me smile.

Unexpected Turn
Ella Frank
~2.5~

BFFs-to-lovers; HFN; B/GFY; cheating; steam: low

This story takes place over the course of approximately 17 hours. One day Connor is straight; the next, his dick twitches every time he sees his bestie and housemate Tyler. But Tyler has a boyfriend. And Connor has a girlfriend. And round and round we go.

I don’t like stories where the MCs are with someone else for pages on end, as is the case here (the MCs are NOT together for 18 out of the 22 chapters). The B/GFY was not believable here, not at all. Connor has absolutely no qualms about jumping on the gay train. It all happened too quickly and easily. Plus, let’s face it: both the guys cheated on their respective significant others (yes, Ty’s boyfriend was a total douche, but cheating is cheating).

There were a few hot kisses, and I liked both men, but there was almost no relationship development and the ending felt rushed and abrupt.

Dare You
Riley Hart
~4.25~

Friends/neighbors-to-lovers; HEA; steam: moderate-high

Dare doesn’t do commitments. He owns a bar, picks up guys for some sucking and licking, and surfs most mornings. His best friend is his neighbor Austin, a quiet, reliable guy who is completely dedicated to the LGBQT youth center where he works. When Dare finds out Austin is going to meet up with a guy to exchange blow jobs, he loses his mind and offers to do the blowing himself.

This is a very sexy, romantic story. The MCs are well developed, and there’s a lovely epilogue! I loved that Dare didn’t want to change Austin, and that Austin was willing to venture out of his comfort zone for Dare. These two were perfect for each other.

Please Don't Go
Felice Stevens
~2.5~

Childhood friends reunited; Holy Insta Love, Batman; HEA; steam: moderate

I don't mesh well with this author. I find her stories cheesy, full of artificial dialogue and improbable situations. This story was no different. The various editing issues aside, the falling in love in less than a week was just WAY too fast.

One of the MCs, Danny, is angry because Paul left him when they were teenagers. Sorry, but you are not allowed to hold a grudge for 15 years and expect your summer camp buddy to stay with you forever. Grow up, move on.

Paul and Danny end up working in the same office (somehow, they never knew that they worked for different branches of the same company, which seems highly unlikely). Danny's work bestie, Maxie, sexually harasses people left and right; his boss is a sexist, arrogant asshole with a big heart (huh?); and Paul's supervisor is a homophobe. Of course.

Despite myself, I got into the romance, and the sex was hawt. I also liked the HEA. But the insta love wasn't believable, and the character development nonexistent.

Perfect Catch
N.R. Walker
~4.25~

BFFs-to-lovers; Aussies; tentative HEA; steam: moderate-high

Slowww burn with plenty of sexy times! I wish Walker wrote this kind of steam all the time, because she's damn good at it. I really enjoyed this story of two manly guys who've been best friends forever but have never gotten together. One camping trip changes everything.

I really wanted (no, NEEDED!) an epilogue, but the MCs have great chemistry, which made me feel good about their HEA.

Leaning Into Love
Lane Hayes
~4.5~

Friends-to-lovers; HEA; steam: moderate-high

I love Lane Hayes, and I almost passed out from excitement when I read that this novella is the beginning of a new series set in San Francisco, the city of my youth (ah, yes, I spent my formative college years in the Bay Area and loved every fucking minute of it).

As is Hayes' trademark, this story is narrated by one of the MCs. Eric is a good Jewish boy (except in bed; in bed, he's slutty & naughty) still a little broken up over his business partner, friend, and former lover marrying a woman for her daddy's money. But Zane is there to show Eric what real love looks like. Zane is a dreamboat! I wanted to shove Eric aside and claim him as my own, but, damn it, Zane sees no one but Eric.

Romantic, sweet, and plenty steamy, Leaning Into Love is a quiet read with a gorgeous HEA and my favorite story in the anthology.

The Sweetest Goodbye
Christine Lee
~3.5~

Friends-to-lovers; tentative HEA; tears; NA; steam: moderate

Beautifully written but sad. The loss in this book may not hit everyone as hard as it hit me, but I'm not ashamed to admit I cried.

I liked the dual first-person POV and the realistic slow burn. I just wish Billy could have seen what was right in front of him instead of pining for something he'd never have. An epilogue was much needed.

[Tanu Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rough Edges by Cardeno C: 4 stars
It was a sweet story. I liked Kyle and Brent. I liked their story. It was a sweet buildup to their happy ending.

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank: 5 stars
This was my most favourite story from the whole anthology. It has put the author on my to-stalk list, and I can't wait to read more of her books! Connor and Tyler were simply adorable. I loved how their story progressed. It was simply pitch perfect for me. I wanted to read a full-length novel about them.

Dare You To by Riley Hart: 3.5 stars
It was a fine enough story, but I didn't really enjoy it too much. I still maintain my statement that her normal-length novels are much better than her short stories. Austin and Dare were good characters, but I couldn't really connect with them or their story much.

Leaning into Love by Lane Hayes: 4.5 stars
I really loved this one. Eric and Zane made me fall in love with them and their romance. Such a sweet buildup and such sweet love they had. This one landed the second position on my list of favourites.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee: 0 stars
I DNFed this one. Maybe I should have read The Deepest Blue by the author before I read this, but I didn't like Dylan or Billie, at all. I didn't understand their characters, nor did I like them. I had to leave it midread, sorry to say.

The Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker: 4.5 stars
This one was a bloody sweet read. I adored both Troy and Calvin. There was a lot told in a limited number of words. Troy just made me want to squeeze him so hard. And Cal made me want to jump about with glee alongside him. This book shares the second position on my list.

So the average is 3.58 stars, which equals to 4 stars.

There were a lot of typos, which, to be honest, I wasn't expecting. Because the books are by pretty famous and loved authors, so I was expecting to be taken to typo-free, punctuation heaven. But oh well, I'll just be happy cuddling with ny favourite reads.

[Exina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It Was Always You is a collection of friends-to-lovers stories. All money and proceeds for this anthology will be donated to the charity One.n.Ten.

Rough Edges by Cardeno C. - 4 stars
My review.

Dare You To by Riley Hart - 4 stars
My review.

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes - 2 stars
My review.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee - 4 stars
My review.

Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens - 2 stars
My review.

Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker - 3 stars
My review.

[Alba and Her Secrets..♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 'Always You' Stars!

Want a good dose of MM short stories and help a charity by doing it? It Was Always You is perfect for you then! I LOVED THIS SO MUCH <3333

I decided to read it because I love Ella Frank so much and now I have discovered many other amazing authors that I will be sure to check out because I fell in love with their story telling! Such a great collection of shorties: great characters, full of emotions and sexy love stories, MM fans you don't want to miss this!

My overall rating is 4.5 STARS but here are the stories one by one: 3.5 stars for Rough Edges by Cardeno C., 4.5 stars for Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank, 5 stars for Dare You To by Riley Hart, 4.5 stars for Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes, 4.5 stars for The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee, 2.5 stars for Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens and 5+ stars Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker (my favorite!).

[.Lili. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to give this an automatic 5 Stars because it's for charity, but I am going to write concise reviews for each story individually.

Rough Edges by Cardeno C. 4 Stars.

I initially skipped over this one. After I had read some other ones, I
came back and finished it. I needed to get past the first chapter. I have to facepalm myself because this was actually pretty good.

Highlights:

-Enemies to lovers
-Sweet romance
-Low angst
-Brent. He was just awesome and deserved every bit of happiness.
-Kyle. I almost skipped out because of you, but you redeemed yourself.

A Cardeno C Special for sure! Highly Recommend.

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank. 4.5 Stars

I haven't had much luck with Ella Frank since Take, but this one I LOVED!

Highlights:

-Great MCs
-Best friends to lovers
-Opposites attract
-Full story in a short number of pages. It didn't feel like a book that started in the middle.
-I thought it flowed nicely.
-Dual POV
-Sexy
-And an awesome HEA.

I had fun reading it. Recommend it!

Dare You To by Riley Hart. 4.5 Stars

Riley nailed this sweet and emotional best friends to lovers.

Highlights:

-As mentioned above- best friends to lovers
-Opposites attract
-Awesome characters- both self-less and loyal.
-If you love hurt/comfort/healing like me- this ones for you!
-Steamy ;)
-Great ending!

Riley Hart's been on a roll this year and delivered again! Highly Recommend!

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes. 4 Stars.

In Lane Hayes's contribution, we have long time friends who have always kind of had feelings for each other but never acted on them.

Highlights:

-Friends to lovers
-Likeable characters(- minus the douchebag ex)
-Sweet romance- there was something about the way they were with each other that left me swooning.
-Moderate steam
-I was happy the drama never went over the top
-An excellent introduction to her new series! I hope we get a book for Miles next! *WIGGLES eyebrows*

Highly Recommend.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee. 5 Stars.

Wow. This story reduced me to a blubbering mess.

Highlights:

-Best friends to lovers
-Emotional
-Steamy
-Dual POV
-Perfect amount of angst
-Hurt/comfort/healing
-Beautifully written

This story was the best of the anthology for me- can't recommend enough. If you're like me, that skips around stories in anthologies my recommendation is: DO NOT SKIP THIS ONE.

Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens. 2 Stars

I'm sorry I didn't care for this one. Too much, too fast. I felt the dialogue was laying it on too thick- it felt contrived.

Perfect Catch by NR Walker 4.999 Stars

What an ending to this fabulous anthology!

-Best friends to lovers
-STEAMY
-Take a deep breath kind of romance
-The way she set it all up- gurl!
-And a solid HEA

This story was just AWESOME!

Final thoughts:

I wrote the reviews as I read each story. In the beginning, I was going to give this 5 Stars because proceeds are going to charity. Well, this book earned it's 5 Stars. This is THE BEST anthology I've ever read. Hands down. If you have not pre-ordered it already- what are you waiting for? HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

[Gigi]

SNEAK PEEK!

Gay Book Review's September 2016 Guest Grinders column highlights the It Was Always You Anthology by Felice Stevens Riley Hart Christina Lee N.r. Walker Lane Hayes Ella Frank and Cardeno C. Exclusive 99¢ pre-order: http://apple.co/2aup8hL All benefits to http://onenten.org/

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

~All money and proceeds for this anthology will be donated to the charity One.n.Ten.~

Best friends, former enemies, or just long lost acquaintances...whatever the case, what do you do when your soulmate turns out to be the one who was right there all along? This is the theme of this anthology, and before reviewing each story separately, I'm telling you that I highly recommend it. It's fun, well written, and there's something in here for every taste.



Rough Edges by Cardeno C ~4.5 stars

ENEMIES-to-lovers and opposites attract. Yes, enemies in all caps. Because Kyle and Brent are at each other's throats from the word go. You see, Kyle was very poor, and has worked his ass off to crawl out of the trailer park he grew up in, while Brent has been living off his trust fund.

I'm sure most readers will be put off by Kyle's attitude at first especially compared to Brent's, who had the patient of a saint. I was too, until it became clear that this was his defense mechanism.

“You’re one of the pretty, shiny, ‘get everything they want at the snap of a finger’ people.”
“That’s probably true. But I’m also real.”
“In somebody’s world, you are. But people like me? We only play dress-up in that space.”
“Are you wearing a costume right now?” Brent asked.
“Nope.” ...“I’m sitting here buck naked.”
“Me too,” Brent whispered and looked him in the eyes. “Do you want to see me?”

The ending is a HFN, but these two are so on the same page, I can totally see them still together a few years later.

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank ~3 stars

Friends-to-lovers story. Connor and Tyler are best friends. Connor is "straight" but he started developing feelings for his gay best friend.

This story was just ok for me. I liked the tension and the slow burn, and in the end they were beautiful together. BUT: Connor's sudden lust for his friend was too sudden for me to buy (it literally happened in the blink of an eye), for the majority of the story the MCs are with other people, these other people were just too much (Ty's boyfriend was too evil, while Connor's girlfriend was the epitome of understanding), and the way the MCs finally admitted their feelings is not my jam.

Dare You To by Riley Hart ~ 4.5 stars

Friends-to-lovers and opposites attract. I really liked this one. It's the story of Dare, an outgoing bar owner and adrenaline junkie, and Austin, a youth counselor at an LGBT center.

I really liked the way that both MCs saw each other here despite their differences. Dare is an adorable goofball, but he carries demons, and Austin can see behind the facade. And Austin thinks he's conservative and boring, but in Dare's mind ... "He was steady, and steady took a confidence not everyone possessed.

The progression from friends to lovers felt very real and natural. Three big pluses: ginger MC, jealous-angry sex, and an epilogue!

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes ~ 3.5 stars

Friends-to-lovers. I was very pleased to see that this is a sneak peek into Lane Hayes's new series that will revolve around a group of men in San Francisco. All of them are introduced in this story, but the focus here is on Eric and Zane.

I loved the slow burn and the chemistry between the MCs, and the epilogue was cute. I also adored the banter among the group of friends (I suspect Josh will be my favorite). What didn't work all that well for me was the drama with Eric's ex. It kept driving the plot, and paired with Eric's martyr behaviour in the end, it rubbed me the wrong way.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee ~5 stars

Friends-to-lovers, and my personal favorite. This is a spin-off story from The Deepest Blue, but it stands perfectly alone. It also made me tear up.

Billie has been waiting forever for Leo, the one that got away, to come back to him. That's how he missed what was in front of him the whole time: his best friend, Dylan. Dylan is such an amazing character. Fierce and unapologetic, strong but with a gentle heart.

There is a lot of steam, dirty dancing sessions, the mother of dirty talks, and the most amazing Labrador ever. I really loved this story.

Please Don’t Go by Felice Stevens ~2 stars

Old friends who get a second chance. I'm afraid I had some issues with this one. The bones of the story were great and the opening scene was really good. But A)it felt weird that Danny kept such a grudge after all these years (they were only 14 years old back then), and B) it all happened too fast, and the "I love you" came too soon.

Perfect Catch by N.R.Walker ~4.5 stars

Best friends to lovers. This was pretty awesome. Cal and Troy have been best friends since they were teenagers, but they secretly have feelings for each other. All it takes is a fishing trip and a thunderstorm.

When they finally get together, they 're all in! For Walker standards this was pretty steamy. The ending is a HEA in my book. Also, rain sex y'all! Nuff said.

Like I said, I highly recommend this. And of course, the cause is amazing.

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is now one of my favorite anthologies ever! It was steamy, which is rare with an anthology!! And some of my fav authors were included, so I knew it would be a win!

The theme of this anthology is friends to lovers, a personal favorite. Here we go with the breakdown:

Rough Edges by Cardeno C
3 stars
This one was a typical CC, but I really disliked Kyle for his judgy and downright hostile attitude.

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank
3 stars
Also a typical Frank story, but cheating is cheating. And both MCs were with a SO for the majority of the story before they hooked up. And the GFY/BFY was way too "out of left field" to be considered remotely believable. The writing was still good though.

Dare You to by Riley Hart
4 stars
Very sweet friends to lover story between an awkward, self-proclaimed, boring geek and a party boy who would never settle down. I liked this one a lot.

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes
4.5 stars
A fav author of mine, and this is the intro to a new series!! The ex was awful (but could be a possible future MC to be redeemed?), but I loved the two MCs in this one.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee
4 stars
My first read by this author, and I'll be on the lookout for others. I enjoyed this one a lot. It really packed the feelz. Billie figured out the one that got away should really stay away and he needed to see the best friend that's been right in front of him.

Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens
2 stars
This author and I don't mesh, but I gave it a go anyway. We still don't mesh. For fans of Ms. Stevens, I'm sure you'll love it. She's not for me. Cheese and insta-everything and unrealism.

Perfect Catch by NR Walker
5 stars
Love, love, love this author and this was a teeny bit reminiscent of Charlie and Travis for me. Best friends who've been in love forever and never said a word. And the steam - Walker brought it this time! On fire! Definitely my fav of the bunch.

[~Kristin~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these out of order...I chose to skip around, I will review them in the order I read them.
~Dare You by Riley Hart~
**4.5 Stars**
I had to jump ahead and read this first, and it was fantastic! I loved the friends to lovers story, it had a lot of emotion and steam. I think Austin's passion for his job working at the outreach center and how that affected Dare was my favorite part of this story. They each challenged the other and found life was so much more rewarding when they stepped out of the boxes they had put around themselves in life. The epilogue was a wonderful treat, especially with a novella. Great way to start this anthology.

~Perfect Catch by NR Walker~
**4.5 Stars**
This friends to lovers story was wonderful, these two were childhood best friends that had always had feelings for the other, but the timing was always off and they never confessed their true feelings. The build up was slow and the tension was high, but when they finally clicked into place it was fantastic, and wonderfully hot! It was a little sappy and emotional, but when it's done right...I'm a total sucker and eat it up. Loved this couple..plain and simple.

~Leaning into Love by Lane Hayes~
**4 Stars**
This was another friends to lovers tale, about two very different boys that met in high school but didn't really become friends until they ended up at the same college. Years later they are part of a tight knit circle of friends, when something starts to change. Their progression from friends to more felt very believable, I really didn't like the ex Nick...who is still one of both of their best friends, or what problems his selfishness caused, but the way this couple reacted and handled it was refreshing. I love that this is a start to a new series, I'm so excited to see what happens to these guys, hopefully we will get more of this couple too!

I've decided to stop here for now, the others aren't really speaking to me, but the ones I did read were fabulous!

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I jumped on this one fast because (a) it's an anthology with seven friends to lovers stories AND (b) the proceeds go to a great cause.

And ... it was a mixed bag for me. There were a couple of stand-outs. I especially loved the Christina Lee story. In my view, this is the perfect friends to lovers story. Lots of good emotions. I've only read one other book by her so I think I need to check out the rest of her backlist!

My second favourite was the Cardeno C. although this felt more like an enemies to lovers story than a friends to lovers story. But I'm not complaining ... it was pretty perfectly done.

Here are my ratings:
Cardeno C. - 4.5 stars
Ella Frank - DNF (this author's just not for me)
Riley Hart - 3.75 stars
Lane Hayes - 3.5 stars
Christina Lee - 4.5 stars
Felice Stevens - DNF (also just not for me)
N.R. Walker - 4 stars

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

This M/M anthology – which focuses on stories featuring friends-to-lovers – possibly has the best line-up of M/M authors of any anthology I’ve read to date.


Rough Edges by Cardeno C.
(3 Stars)
This one had a bit of an enemies-to-lovers vibe working for it. Unfortunately, I found Kyle fairly unlikable – his reasons for assholery be damned. Brent was a sweetheart, though, and the sex was pretty sensual, so points for that.


Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank
(Not read – yet!)
Although Ella is probably my favourite author of the bunch, I’m a bit hesitant to read this one due to the story content apparently the MCs cheat on their significant others in order to be together – not cool, dudes.. I feel like I’ll have to work up to this one, which I’m sure won’t take long because it’s Ella and I adore Ella!


Dare You To by Riley Hart
(4.5 Stars)
I’ve yet to meet a Riley Hart story I haven’t liked. Here we have Austin and Dare - friends and neighbours; one a boring geek, the other a badass thrill-seeker - as they navigate their complicated feelings as they slowly shift their relationship from friends-to-lovers.

A pure joy to read, this story was sweet, romantic, moving and sexy as all get out. I could have easily devoured a full length novel about these two fabulous men.


Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes
(4.5 Stars)
This was the most surprising story of the bunch for me. I say that because Lane Hayes’ stories and I haven’t really enjoyed each others company in the past, so you’ll understand my shock when I found myself enjoying the shit out of this one.

The story follows long-time friends, Eric and Zane, as they tentatively shift from friends-to-lovers. I really liked both of these characters; I found Eric to be sweet, snarky and relatable, while Zane was an absolute dreamboat of an MC. I loved the relationship progression that unfolded here, and I adored the San Francisco setting and the group of friends featured (except for Nick – that wanker!).

This is the first story (or prequel story) to a brand new Hayes series that I for one can’t wait to read.


The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee
(Not read – yet!)
I’m under the impression that the characters featured here are from another Christina Lee series (Roadmap to Your Heart), and therefore, I’ll be holding off reading this until I’m all caught up elsewhere!

ETA: Finally read! Absolutely fantastic. Full review here


Please Don’t Go by Felice Stevens
(2.5 Stars)
Danny and Paul were once summer camp besties who abruptly lost contact. Now, they’re new work colleagues who go from disgruntled old friends to passionately in love in the span of 48 hours. I liked the premise, but I thought Danny was too insecure and Paul was a little too creepy in his insta-feels. Overall, it was a sweet and sexy read, which was perhaps too fast-paced in the love department for my liking.


Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker
(5 Stars)
My personal favourite story within this anthology, Perfect Catch featured all the things I’m looking for when reading a friends-to-lovers story.

The Aussie MCs, Troy and Cal(vin), were extremely likable and easy to root for. Best friends since forever, Cal and Troy have been secretly crushing on each other, but both are hesitant to make a move in fear of ruining their important friendship. When the two go on a weekend fishing trip together (alone without all their other buddies) their relationship begins to change and bottled-up feelings are finally expressed. It was super sweet and super-duper sexy (think pouring rain, a tent and two sweaty naked men in the heat of passion).


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Note: All proceeds go to the charity one.n.ten and the book will only be available to buy for a limited time, so get on it (if you haven’t already)!

[Pavellit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas and Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication) is coming soon and let's open our hearts and share love with this great cause.
"All money and proceeds for this anthology will be donated to the charity One.n.Ten, which serves LGBTQ youth and young adults ages 14-24"

If you're either a fan of MM best friends-to-lovers relationship, distinctly developing through sex, or a charitable person dedicates to LGBTQ community, you should give a go to this opportunity.

“I’ve never experienced that with anyone else. That connection. I mean, for me there’s never really been anyone else. There was only you. It was always you.” 'Perfect Catch/N.R. Walker'

Rough Edges
Cardeno C.
***3.5***

Kyle keeps Brent at a distance because he couldn’t respect a man who doesn't value hard work, no matter how good-looking and charming he is. Brent’s loaded. He doesn’t need to work. On the other hand, Kyle is all about work, and a money-wiser- investing his savings in a house. But apparently the universe is not 'ready for people like him to move up in the world'. He's been laid off. The only option for keeping his head on the surface is to live together with Brent, where he explores the other sides of his 'born with silver spoon' friend. Of course, there is lots of sex exploration but not only. Above of all, the personal self fulfillment is an essential factor for their progression. The writhing is unpolished and very affordable.

Unexpected Turn
Ella Frank
***2.5***

Tyler and his straight best friend, Connor, have never occurred to look beyond the surface of their friendship, and all of a sudden they are so well matched. In the end, their friendship turns out to be more then that, after a double breakup with their '+1s', at Tyler's sister wedding.
For Ella Frank's fans, there are thoughts and introductions, coming from 'under the zipper'. Personally, the story-line makes no sense. They’ve been friends for years, and all of a sudden—

Dare You
Riley Hart
***4.0***

They have been neighbors and good friends for six years. Austin is a youth counselor at an LGBT center. Dare owns a bar. They are too different. Dare is spontaneous, likes to have fun,loves extreme sports, and hides his real name. He always been able to 'trust nature more than he could trust people'. Except for Austin. Austin is dating with Brian. A perfect match. On the paper! Austin needs something different. Wants to be something different. One possibility is his feelings to Dare to start transforming into something different. And....... they cross a line in their friendship- having 'wild adventures and quiet movie nights'.

Leaning Into Love
Lane Hayes
***2.0***

This is a love triangle story rotating about Eric's orbit He is the reason their oddball group of friends is connected. He's the glue. Nick is his business partner of their multimillion-dollar company and ex lover, who decides to get married to their biggest investor’s daughter. Zane is his oldest and best friend, a grade school crush, and begins dating him. I simply don’t know how to explain this turbulent mess. Just a example: Nick (CEO of one of Fortune 500 firms) a couple hours later after his engagement ceremony told his fiancé he’s got feelings for Eric and came out as bi, without any logical rush. I've never ever read so so unbelievable story thrown into 70sh pages. Keeping the coolest I stop here.

The Sweetest Goodbye
Christine Lee
***4.0***


Billie is so lucky to have such a supportive family-siblings, grandma, dad, best friend, dog- but keeping fresh in his mind the memory of his first crush, Leo. They have never been a real chance to explore deeper their relationship. A long distance relationships could not be enough for it. Billie has seizure disorder and his primary support comes from Bullseye- a service dog, who getting up in age and suffers from hip dysplasia.

Dylan does not share the destiny to be surrounded by a real family . He's never known his mother, and his father disowned him a long time ago. He dances in a club and helps his best friend Billie runs his bakery. He’d do anything for Billie, 'including swallowing his feelings so that he could be happy'.

They have grown close over the years, working every day together and lately, they do some intimate things-making each other feel good, but it is what friends do, not lovers. Why can’t it be both?

Please Don't Go
Felice Stevens
***2.0***

Almost thirty years old, Danny is working for a prestigious finance firm as a CPA, but has no one to love. He still keeps memory about the best time of his life when he met Poul at a summer camp many years ago. On the first day of his new job, Poul discovers he and Danny work in the same place. Small world and even smaller in the books! My issue is not so much the plot as the writing. Let say, it's too casual for my taste.

Perfect Catch
N.R. Walker
***4.5***

Cal and Troy's story is my favorite one from the anthology. The simplicity is the key. And such a romantic, erotic and masterly build up storyline.
They have known each other for ten years, but life haven’t put hem on the same page. There's been never really a time when they have been single at the same time, until now. Until a camping trip.

'Because it was getting to the point where I couldn’t keep pretending I wasn’t in love with my best friend. I didn’t have a choice anymore. I had to either tell him or walk away.'

Mmmmm. This camping trip. The smell of them in the rain. And that nervous, heart-stopping moment.

'He was warmth and Old Spice. His arm around me was perfection. And I knew, I knew in my heart, there would never be anyone else for me. This is what I longed for. He was what was missing from my life.'

All's well that ends well!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great collection of short stories that made me smile

[books_and_brew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved these shorts!! I especially loved that they are all friends-to-lovers, which is my FAVORITE trope.

Not all of the shorts are 4 stars, but overall I enjoyed at least something in every single novella. I highly recommend!


On to the next!

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so cute. After four months I finally finished reading this. It never usually takes me that long to read books but this is 500+ pages and I've been reading it on the side, whenever I have free time. This is a book of seven short stories of M/M romances between two long time friends. Each story revolves around a different pair of friends who begin to fall for each other over the course of the short story. I really love this book as a whole, but I had a few shot stories I didn't like, and some that I loved so much I wish it was a full story. To review this, I broke my reviews down into seven parts for each story. I just kind of wrote these in my notes on my phone while I was reading to keep track of which story was which and how long it took me to read each story, so here we go:

Favorite: Perfect Catch. (Without a doubt this is easily my favorite short story in this book. I loved Troy and Calvin and their chemistry is so perfect and their camping trip reminded me of Brokeback Mountain and was giving me all the feels.)
Really good: Rough Edges, Unexpected Turn, The Sweetest Goodbye
Didn't like:Dare You To, Leaning Into Love, Please Don't Go


EACH INDIVIDUAL REVIEW:

ROUGH EDGES - 4/5 stars
-Brent: inherits his family's money, doesn't have to work, is rich
-Kyle: hard working lawyer who loses his job
-Kyle can't stand Brent, he thinks everything has been handed to him on a platter, but Kyle is desperate so he moves into Brent's guest room
-Love the sexual tension, such strong characters for such a short story
-Loved the bickering and I wish it was longer, want to read more from this author (Cardeno C.)
-Read 11/06/16


UNEXPECTED TURN - 4/5 stars
-Love this author Ella Frank!
-Connor is best friends with Tyler, and Connor is straight and has a girlfriend and Tyler has a douche bag boyfriend. They are on the way to Tyler's sisters wedding and Connor is suddenly having feelings for Tyler
-So forbidden and the tension was so real
-Love the characters, love the way their friendship turned to romance
-Read 11/07/16


DARE YOU TO - 3/5 stars
-Follows Dare and Austin
-Dare is a badass, adventurous type with a mysterious dark past
-Austin is loving and sensitive and owns an LGBT clinic for teens
-They are neighbors and they have movies nights together and go surfing together
-It was good but also cheesy as hell with lines like: "I dare you to love me."
-Read 11/13/16


LEANING INTO LOVE - 2/5 stars
-Eric/Zane
-Can't even really remember what happened in this one
-Took me forever to read
-Didn't feel the chemistry
-Not enough smut
-Read: 12/28/16


THE SWEETEST GOODBYE - 4/5
-Billie owns a bakery and is struggling with getting over his ex Leo
-Dylan is his best friend who works with him and wants to be a dancer
-SO MUCH SEXUAL TENSION
-Love both characters even though Billie constantly talking about his ex Leo got annoying
-But not enough smut for all the build up
Read: 1/15/17


PLEASE DON'T GO - 3/5 stars
-Paul and Danny used to go to camp together as kids, now they are reunited in an office, years later
-I liked the sexual tension
-Got kind of bored with it though
-The writing was good but it didn't keep me intrigued
Read: 2/19:17


PERFECT CATCH - 5/5 stars
-FAVORITE SHORT STORY
-Troy and Calvin have known each other since middle school but have never been single at the same time until now
-They go camping alone (Brokeback Mountain style) and there's so much tension between them
-They've been in love with each other since eighth grade and they're just so cute
-Ship it so hard, I want a full book of Troy and Calvin, new OTP
Read: 2/23/17

[BWT · Rating 4 out of 5]

All money and proceeds for this anthology will be donated to the charity One.n.Ten.

A really good anthology that's full of sweet, hot, and cute romances. Plus proceeds go to a good cause. What's not to love?

[Vallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

**5 stars** for the amazing cause this anthology was created for.

Thank you to all the authors who contributed to this anthology where all proceeds will be donated to charity One.n.Ten.! You guys rock for doing this!

I love the theme of this anthology. Whether it was a classic best friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, or second chance romance, all stories had an underlying sweetness and yearning for a happily-ever-after. The most amazing thing? There are 7 novellas to go through, so even if one of them is not your cuppa, fret not! Surely there will be another one that will hit the spot.

Cardeno C. –Rough Edges: 3.5 stars

Kyle and Brent are early 30 somethings and part of the same group of friends but could not be more opposite. Kyle has gone through hell to get out of a hick town with no prospects, get educated, and have a respectable job. Brent is a trust-fund baby with no job. Kyle has nothing but contempt for Brent. But little does he know of Brent’s extra-curricular activities, how loving he is, and how much he longs for a relationship. This was a sweet, low-angst story with moderate steam, and a lovely HEA. Kyle was a judgemental prick for a while but quickly saw the error of his ways. I enjoyed this one.

Ella Frank –Unexpected Turn: 2.5 stars

Tyler and Connor are best friends and roommates. Tyler is out and proud while Connor is straight. Both are in relationships. Tyler’s twin is getting married and they both go to the wedding with their respective dates. This did not work for me I’m afraid. There was potential but I did not like that the MCs were in relationships with other people, no matter how shitty or not those relationships were. Also, Connor is all of a sudden hot for his best friend. Out of the blue. Just like that. I wasn’t convinced. But hey, plenty more stories to go through!

Riley Hart –Dare you to: 4.5 stars

Dare and Austin are neighbours and have been friends for 6 years with a standing guys-night every Sunday. Austin is a youth counsellor and Dare is a bar owner. Dare is the thrill-seeker and Austin is the quiet type who everyone calls boring. I loved this one! There were feels and sweetness and dear lord the sex was HOT HOT HOT! The dirty talk was just a teeeeeeny bit cheesy towards the end but overall, my favourite story in the antho.

Lane Hayes –Leaning into Love: 3.5 stars

Eric and Zane: Friends since college, rich, and part of a glamorous group of friends. I liked this one. The drama came from Nick, Eric’s ex (who he’s still friends with) and current business partner. It was more of a “I have this friend who always fucks up” kind of drama though, so not over the top. Moderarate steam and sweet story. Typical Lane too, the writing was great but just a bit more telling than showing for my tastes. Still enjoyed it though.

Christina Lee –The sweetest goodbye: 4 stars

Dylan and Billie are best friends. While Billie is hung up on Leo and waits for him to return form college like loyal Penelope, Dylan is right there and in love with Billie. My heart absolutely broke with Billie’s service dog, Bullseye. Soooo soooo sweet! Loved this and the HEA was amazing.

Felice Stevens –Please don’t go: DNF

Danny and Paul. Man the premise was amazing. Childhood friends who met at summer camp every year but one of them fell off the grid and they have lost touch since they were 15. Now in their 30s, they meet in a professional capacity and reconnect. I just couldn’t with Danny’s assumptions and frankly really rude behaviour. I was very angry reading this so I just stopped. This anthology put me in such a great mood and it wasn’t worth messing my mojo up.

N.R. Walker –Perfect Catch: 4 stars

Troy and Cal are two hot Aussies and have been friends since school. They are both out, their families are ok with it, and have both been secretly in love with one another for ages. But, the timing always sucked. They were never single at the same time, until now. A weekend away to fish, a little rain, and kaboom motherfucker, you have hot tent sex out in the sticks and feels galore! Success!

I highly recommend this anthology to all fans of mm romance. It’s for a good cause folks so go on and buy it. I guarantee you will find stories to love in the bunch.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue bowdley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rough Edges by Cardeno C

This one the first of the anthology was a lovely read....I wasn't keen on Kyle at first but was sure there was a reason for how he treated Brent....And I was right...How they got together was beautiful and the ending just right....x

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank

This one was quite tense to read....I've only read Try so far by Ella Frank but I loved this one.....Straight guy Connor and his gay best friend Tyler......On the way to Ty's sisters wedding Connor starts to realise he might feel different towards his friend.....I loved how this one was done....Connor's girlfriend Miranda was lovely and understanding but Ty's boyfriend Ryan was a total douche...He totally did not belong there...Loved how these two got together x

Dare You To by Riley Hart

Dare and Austin *sigh*.....I loved this one...Dare was just hot....and Austin so sweet....They were perfect together....Only the second book I've read of Riley Harts but it definitely won't be the last x

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes

This is the first i've heard and read from this author and I loved it....Zane and Eric were amazing together...I wasn't keen on Eric's business partner Nick....I thought he pushed his luck a bit....But Zane certainly knew how to treat Eric...Was bit weird reading a book with an MC called Zane as I kept expecting Ty to turn up....Great story though x

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee

I wasn't sure if i could read this seeing as i read that it contained two MC's from the authors other book but I was told I could and i am so glad I read it....This was one of my favourites...Billie was so sweet and Dylan who just carried on knowing or thinking that Billie wanted Leo.....Really well done story even for a short......Absolutely perfect ending.....x

Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens

I've not read any books by this author but i'm gonna look some up...This was a sweet read.....Two men getting together after 15 years apart and when Danny found out why Paul had left he just opened his self up to his true love x

Perfect Catch by NR Walker

Oh my...I loved Troy and Cal......They were both just perfect together....The way they actually got there was perfect....A truly great book to end this amazing anthology....I know i will be re-reading this over and over again...Absolutely loved it....5 Stars for each story x

[Katrina Passick Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this is a fairly satisfying anthology. Sweet stories and all. However, in more than one story, the "I need to tell him, no I can't" internal monologues got a little annoying. There were also some unfortunate lines.

"... Arms akimbo across her ample chest."

That's not how "akimbo" works.

"His touch felt like fire: warm, delicious, and all-consuming."

I'll give N. R. Walker warm and all-consuming, but what person who has ever encountered fire thinks of it as feeling "delicious"?

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big thanks to all of the authors who donated their time, skill, and passion in order to contribute to this anthology benefiting the fantastic One.N.Ten organization. You guys rock! :)

See status updates for my feelings about individual stories.

[Maria Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was Always You is a charity anthology of male/male romance stories from a host of accomplished authors, all tales of acquaintances and friends discovering love right in front of them. The proceeds from the sale of the anthology go to One.n.Ten, an LGBTQ youth support center. They all contain pretty steamy love scenes and happy endings. I enjoyed all of the stories in the collection!

Rough Edges by Cardeno C

Rough Edges takes two men, Kyle and Brent, who have a totally different way of living their lives and takes the expression ‘judging a book by its cover’ to heart. When Kyle, a workaholic businessman met Brent, he was initially attracted to him, until he found out Brent didn’t have a job and was living off his family wealth. From that point on, he couldn’t help expressing his disdain (no doubt in part due to jealousy for the ease of Brent’s life compared to his own). But Brent, knowing how Kyle felt about him (or rather his circumstances) still hadn’t quite put the thought of a relationship with him out of his mind, and when Kyle loses his job and then his apartment, Brent offers him a room until he gets back on his feet. Kyle soon learns that Brent isn’t quite what he seems, his generosity and good natured-ness and his use of his time not at all what Kyle expected. Even with the initial antagonism between them Brent’s patience with Kyle and the reluctant attraction between them (on Kyle’s part anyway, as Brent had always been interested) leads to some steamy scenes, even as Kyle learns that sometimes what you need is right in front of you. I really liked the two of them together and by the end of the novella, they had both come to revise their initial opinions of each other. 4 stars.

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank

Connor and Ty are roommates and best friends. But they are also involved with other people. Connor has a girlfriend and considers himself straight, and Ty is definitely gay and has a boyfriend. When all of them are invited to a wedding for Ty’s twin sister, the truth of Connor and Ty’s attraction to each other, buried until now, comes to the forefront. Nothing happens between Connor and Ty before they are officially broken up with their partners, so there is no worry about cheating in the story. Connor’s sexuality turnabout seemed surprising as he’d always self-identified as straight and until now had never had any inkling of interest in Ty. I’d say it’s a gay for you type story, as he doesn’t show interest in any other men. It’s an insta-lust story surprisingly, since they’ve lived together for two years but never harbored any attraction until now. At any rate, I enjoyed the tale and thought they made a good match. 3 stars.

Dare You To by Riley Hart

Austin and Dare have been apartment neighbours and good friends for the past six years. Once a week they get together for a movie night or just to hang out. Though they are quite different in character and interests, they’ve found enough in common to cement their friendship. Austin is a hookup kind of guy, while Dare is all about commitment, and when his latest relationship ends because he’s ‘too boring’ Austin wonders whether he should try Dare’s way of living instead. Only Dare realizes that if Austin is going to hook up with anyone, he wants it to be him. Their friendship becomes a friends with benefits arrangement, that soon makes them realize that they should have been a couple all along. It’s got some pretty steamy scenes and I really enjoyed the contrast in their characters and how they got to their happy ending. 4 stars.

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes

This is a story about two longtime friends who discover that their friendship is the perfect base to build upon. Zane and Eric became friends when they went to college. Though they’d been at the same high school, Zane was into athletics and Eric was more on the quiet, geeky side. But at college, a familiar face can be just what one needs and they’d bonded. Zane didn’t come out as bi until after college though, so while Eric was already out of the closet, he had no thoughts of his friend in any other capacity. Over the ensuing years, Eric and his best friend Nick started a tech company and Zane continued his athletic talents, morphing into a world class competitive surfer and sailor. Both had relationships with different people, including Eric and partner Nick having a ‘benefits’ arrangement that ended a few years earlier, but they are single now. Spending more time together, they discover that they might be compatible in more ways than previously thought. I loved how their relationship progressed, slow and steady. There are several secondary characters in the story, and I gave a mental cheer when I discovered that this story is a prequel to a new series, as I really like the writing style and the interpersonal dynamics. We get a great happy ending for Zane and Eric so the story is complete, but I look forward to reading more about their friends! 4.5 stars.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee

If you’ve read any of Christina Lee’s Roadmap to your Heart series, then you’ll be familiar with the Montgomery family, and the youngest son Billie. He’s all grown up now, in his early twenties and with his seizure disorder under control he’s been working full time at his bakery Sweets, with his best friend Dylan whom he’s known since they were young school kids. For a time Billie had a boyfriend of sorts in Leo, but Leo has since moved away. They are still friends, and while Billie has kept a space open in his life for Leo (who has since moved on to other relationships), the fact that Dylan has always been there, supporting him and encouraging him hasn’t gone unnoticed. In fact, when Dylan gets Billie to let loose a little bit, he discovers that his friend holds a new fascination for him, and a sexual attraction blossoms. I really enjoyed this story, and seeing the town of Roscoe and the Montgomery family again (as I’d read some of the other books in the series). It was wonderful to see Billie as a young man with a bright future ahead of him and to see him and Dylan get their happy ending. 4.5 stars.

Please Don’t Go by Felice Stevens

Daniel is feeling pretty lonely when this story starts, his parents being gone and with no relationship in sight. The one bright spot is his memories of summer camp more than ten years ago and the friendship (and crush) he had on his best friend Paul. But Paul didn’t return one summer and Danny went on with his life. He’s got a good job as a financial auditor in a big firm, and at least one friend there who brightens his day. But he never expected that one of the new hires would be his old friend Paul, who as it turns out had been on the run with his mother from an abusive father as a teenager and unable to tell Danny a proper goodbye. Fate has put them in the same orbit again, and their childhood feelings quickly give way to adult ones. The result is some steamy scenes and an insta-love story as their partnership is finally realized. I enjoyed this second chance romance! 4 stars

Perfect Catch by N.R.Walker

A weekend camping and fishing trip is a revelation for two long time friends . Troy and Cal’s mutual friends think they’d match a great match but it isn’t something either had ever pursued due to one or the other always being in a relationship. But they are both single now and when the sparks fly between them while alone in the wilderness they are willing to admit there is something more that binds them together. The tranquil setting is a great backdrop for the first part of the story, but when they get back to ‘real life’ they both wonder what will happen next. Fortunately, it’s not a long wait to get to a sweet and happy ending. I really enjoyed these two characters and I will definitely be looking for more from new to me author. 4.5 stars.

Note: a copy of this anthology was provided by the authors for review.

This review also appears at Straight Shootin' Book Reviews: https://straightshootinbookreviews.co...

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

This anthology of gay romances of realizing your perfect match has always been in your life was highly enjoyable, a whole lot sexy and fun to boot. While some stories were stronger than others, they were all good and the proceeds from this boxed set go to http://onenten.org/about-one-n-ten/ an organization that helps LGBTQ youth and young adults embrace who they are and become actively engaged in their communities and empowered to lead. Enjoy!!

Rough Edges by Cardeno C.

This was a good story, about one man's ability to overlook another's bristly behavior and even reach out a helping hand when he needed it. Trust fund baby Brent has wanted Kyle since he met him, but Kyle doesn't like what he considers Brent's lazy lifestyle but when Kyle needs a place to stay and Brent helps him through a rough patch he begins to see a whole other side to Brent. I liked this story, but for a good part of it Kyle's bristly temperament really bugged me and I had a hard time liking him. I found myself often offended on Brent's behalf. Kyle did grow and change during this book which was a good thing, but I also would have liked to see Brent confront him just a bit more. That being said, it was a decent romance of opposite attract with some nicely written sexy times.

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank

I loved this story of best friends, one gay and one seemingly not; realizing what they feel for one another was more than friendship. Tyler and Connor have been friends and roommates for years; both in relationships with other people and on the weekend of Tyler's sister's wedding their friendship turns to more. While Tyler has always noticed Connor's attractiveness Tyler is way confused about his seemingly sudden interest in Tyler and the jealousy he feels towards Tyler's boyfriend. I loved watching Connor work out his feelings toward Tyler and Tyler realizing he's just not some sexual experimentation for Connor. Their long time friendship made their relationship special and moving from friends to lovers made it that much more special. I loved the easy way between them and watching them realize the perfect person for them was there all along was priceless!

Dare You To by Riley Hart

Friends and neighbors become more in this story by Riley Hart. I enjoyed every minute of this story and watching Dare help Austin move past his comfort zone and Austin helping Dare open up to the pain from his childhood and move forward. Despite how different these two were, they complimented each other. I liked that they took some time to really get to know one another and that Austin wouldn't let Dare run from his feelings. A sexy and fun story!

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes
Friends since college what starts out as a bit of mutual fun turns into so much more for Eric and Zane and despite the complications for Eric's ex and a threat to Zane's business these two manage to not only really get to know one another better but find love. I enjoyed their dates and the quiet times they spent together and I especially loved that they communicated well and didn't let outside forces tear them apart. Lane Hayes is a new to me author, but I will be checking out her other work.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee

It is never easy pining for someone who is pining for someone else and that is exactly the case in this book. Billie (William, Will) has been waiting for his first love, his first everything to return from college to see if they can make a go of it again. These are young characters 22ish and Billie seems even younger and perhaps that has to do with his medical condition and the fact that his entire family watches over him like a hawk. His good friend and employee Dylan tries to help Will (as he calls him) to live his life and stop waiting for Leo who has all but admitted he has had a very good time with others since being away at college and while Will has had a few encounters as well, they have been very few and far between. Meanwhile Dylan is there working beside Will hoping he will see him and give him half the attention he's given Leo over the years. I liked this story, but honestly while I felt the friendship between Will and Dylan I didn't really feel the heat between them. I loved their friendship and the way they could talk about everything together and maybe it was their age, but they got really serious really fast considering the majority of the book Will was thinking of someone else. I think had this story been longer and we'd seen a better progression of their relationship, I could have accepted it easier but it just felt rushed.

Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens

This was a sweet story of childhood camp friends who lost contact when one of them had to flee with his mother from his abusive father and the one left behind felt sad, betrayed and confused. All of his life people that were important to Danny left him; his father, his best friend, and then his mother through no fault of her own. Danny has a difficult time letting people get close because of this so when his childhood camp friend all of a sudden appears as a transfer into his office he is bewildered and while some of those old feelings resurface, he isn't about to open himself up again to the pain of being left again. Paul had an upward battle to fight in order to make Danny see he was there for him and I appreciated that he gave Danny some time to accept and didn't push too hard, but made it known he wasn't going anywhere. I'll admit I always have a bit of an issue with people who can't seem to move past the past especially 14 years later, but I also get that Danny has some big abandonment issues which leaves him unable to let go of that hurt. It was sweet that their summers together meant so much to one another and that they were able to reconnect and move forward with their lives. As always Ms. Stevens packs a lot of emotion into this one, as well as some super sexy times.

Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker

I'm not going to lie, this story of two Aussie best friends realizing that for once they are both single at the same time and decide to act on their mutual attraction was fantastic (of course me hearing their sexy accents in my head was a huge bonus). Best friends since their early teens and discovering they both are gay forged their friendship, but their timing never worked out. A camping and fishing trip alone forced them both to own up to their feelings for one another and act on them. It wasn't easy; they were both afraid of losing their best friend if things didn't work out but they communicated well and their absolute trust in one another helped them give in and go for it. I really enjoyed this one a lot!

Review copy provided for an honest review.

[Elsbeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

I loved this anthology. It was written by some of my favorite authors and with the theme friends-to-lovers

Rough Edges by Cardeno C. *4 stars*

MC: Kyle and Brent

This was more a enemies-to-lovers story. Kyle “disliked” Brent the first time they met. He was a uptite, prejudiced against Brent’s way of living. Having come from a poor home and having worked hard to get to the place he was now, he didn’t understand people that didn’t have the same drive. I thought Brent was a very nice and forgiving man. Kyle was very wrong about him.

“Telling me I’ve had a privileged life isn’t an insult. It’s not a compliment either. It just is. I’ve been very lucky. I’m still very lucky. I know that.”

“Being pissed that you got all the luck and I didn’t. That’s dumb, right?”

“Emotions don’t have to be logical.”

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank *4.5 stars*

MC: Tyler and Connor

Although I liked the tension between Tyler and Connor I did feel Connor’s feelings from straight-to-bi were some what sudden. But liking the story that much, I was willing to forget that detail. I loved that they were friends for so long and that they knew everything there is about each other.

The guy who knew all my darkest secrets. The guy I’d cried on the shoulder of countless times. And the guy who had never once given me any reason to believe he would feel the way he must have been feeling to look at me that way.

Dare You To by Riley Hart *4 stars*

MC: Dare and Austin

This one was very nice. Cause I like opposites attract too. Dare is a bar owner and loves to do daring sports in his free time. But on Sunday’s he likes to spend time with his neighbour Austin, watching movies, just spending time together. Austin thinks he’s just an average, boring man. They are attracted to eath other but afraid to say so for very different reasons.

He’d never had anyone in his life who made him feel important the way Austin did. He’d never known what it was like to be a priority for someone, to have a person who wanted to spend time with him, and not because he was a good fuck, or because he knew how to have a good time… just because he was him. Dare.

Leaning into Love by Lane Hayes *4.5 stars*

MC: Eric and Zane

Very sweet story. This involves around a bunch of male friends living in San Francisco. I loved the slow burn between Eric and Zane. Zane was very sweet. Must be something to do with his name. *wink*

Lane Hayes is new for me and I’m sure going to read more of her. I understand this is a sneak peek for a new series. So I’m excited for that.

Love wasn’t based on one-sided emotional currency. I wasn’t responsible for Zane’s happiness without a thought for myself. He didn’t expect me to have all the answers. He only wanted me to give what I could and trust that I had someone in my corner who was willing to ride out any storms or a change in course.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee *4 stars*

MC: Billie and Dylan

Billie was waiting for his first love Leo to return home and in that process he failed to see his feelings were deepening for his longtime best friend Dylan. I felt so sorry for Dylan. He was so in love with Billie and Billie just couldn’t see it. He was scared to show Billie, too afraid to lose their friendship.

Just live your life… and be happy.”

Please don’t go by Felice Stevens *3 stars*

MC: Danny and Paul

My least favorite. Too little time for two men that knew each other 15 years ago, to fall in love and express their feelings that quickly. But nevertheless, enjoyable enough.

This must be what home feels like. Knowing you’re where you’re supposed to be. Where you belong. And who you belong there with.

Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker *5 stars*

MC: Troy and Cal(vin)

I just love ms Walker’s writing. Her characters are always so swoonworthy. I loved this one the most. Troy and Cal go on a camping trip to do some fishing cause that’s what friends do. They are so comfortable with each other. They were like a left and a right hand. For years they secretly have been pining for each other but have never been in sync. One of them was always seeing someone else. But when they get it right, boy.....

“I know. And that’s what I’m scared of,” he said. He looked away, out the kitchen window, like looking at me was too hard.

“Scared of what?”

His gaze shot to mine. “Of losing what we have,” he said. “Of risking it all. You’ve been my best friend forever, and I don’t know what I’d do without you, and that scares me.”

I enjoyed these stories very much and would highly recommend reading it.

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

**copy provided by authors/publisher in exchange for an honest review**

(Review) It Was Always You Anthology

5 Stars

This is probably one of the best anthologies I've ever read. The stories contributed are not only written by some of my favorite authors, but friends to lovers is also one of my favorite tropes. The one thing all of these stories share is that the person you've been looking for and are meant to spend the rest of your life with, may just be right in front of you. Best friends make the best lovers, because they know you, faults and all and accept you because of those faults, not despite them.


(｡◕ฺˇε ˇ◕ฺ｡) Rough Edges by Cardeno C.

4 Stars

Kyle can't stand Brent. He is a trust fund baby, who Kyle feels does nothing productive with his life. When Kyle loses his job, Brent offers him a place to stay. Will they go from enemies to lovers?

I loved Brent, he was kind, caring and generous. Kyle was a complete twat, but thankfully, he eventually comes around.

This story was well-written, flowed well and was a hot!! This was an enjoyable read.



(｡◕ฺˇε ˇ◕ฺ｡) Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank

4.5 Stars

Connor and Tyler are best friends and Roommates. Connor being straight and Tyler being gay has never been an issue in their friendship, but as they leave for a road trip for Ty's, sister's wedding, Connor starts to feel things for Ty that a straight guy should not be feeling for his male best friend. Complicating matters further, both men are in a relationship.

This was a well-written story. Ty and Connor are not only likable characters, but they were engaging and share a chemistry that's undeniable and a sexual tension that was off the charts.

The story was enjoyable, sweet, sexy and left me smiling!! Very recommendable!!

(｡◕ฺˇε ˇ◕ฺ｡) Dare You To by Riley Hart

4.5 Stars

Neighbors Austin and Dare are complete opposites, yet they are also the best of friends. Austin is quiet, more serious and likes to read. He spends his days working at a LGBT center. While Dare, as his name suggests is an adrenaline junky, bar owner. Yet, somehow they fit, they just never realized how well they did.

The story was well-written and paced well. This was a somewhat heartbreaking yet, sweet, and sexy story. The characters are likable and has a good chemistry. Very recommendable!!

(｡◕ฺˇε ˇ◕ฺ｡) Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes

5 Stars

Eric and Zane have known one another since high school, but it wasn't until college, that along with a few other men they formed a small tight-knit group of friends. They have all stayed in the same area and remained friends, but suddenly Eric starts to develop deeper feelings for Zane. Will Zane reciprocate, and what will their other friends think of their new relationship?

I loved this story. The characters were likable and had an amazing chemistry. The story was well-written and flowed well. I really enjoyed getting to meet the secondary characters and am looking forward to reading their stories soon.

This was a sweet, romantic, sexy and engaging story. Highly recommendable!!


(｡◕ฺˇε ˇ◕ฺ｡) The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee

5 + Stars!!!

**warning, get some tissues ready to read this story**

I was one of those pesky readers who begged for Billie's story, and Christina gave me what I asked for and so much more. She threw in a surprise curveball, but I loved the story.

Billie and Dylan were just perfect and they fit together like pieces of a puzzle. The chemistry they shared was astronomical and explosive. The sexual tension palpable. The love they feel for one another comes off the pages at you.

The story was well-written, paced well and I really loved getting to re-visit with Dean and Callum, as well as the rest of the Callum and Billie's family. It was also a nice surprise to see Tate and Sebastian, too!!

This was an incredible conclusion to Billie's story, filled with some sadness and heartbreak, but also loaded with friendship, romance, sweetness, love and plenty of hotness!! Highly recommended!!

(｡◕ฺˇε ˇ◕ฺ｡) Please Don’t Go by Felice Stevens

4 Stars

This review is going to be extremely short, because I don't want to give away any spoilers. I'll just say it was well-written, and the characters had a good chemistry. It was sweet, spicy and an enjoyable read!! Recommendable!!

(｡◕ฺˇε ˇ◕ฺ｡) Perfect Catch by N.R.Walker

5 + Stars


And they saved the best for last. I absolutely loved Cal and Troy. I loved that the friendship was so genuine and the back and forth banter was funny and how best friends should be. This is probably one of the best friends to lovers I've ever read. The chemistry was undeniable and the sexual tension explosive. The sex was sweet, hot and filled with love.

If I had to pick just one story to read, it would definitely be this one!! Highly recommended!!

This was an amazing complication of stories. Also, the proceeds of the sale go to help out a great LGBT charity, so not only will you be getting some great entertainment, you'll be helping out as well!! Pick it up, you'll be glad you did!!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Nice collection of short stories all with the friends-to-lovers theme.
It did take me a while to finish all stories, and I didn’t like them all as much, but overall I enjoyed this anthology.

[Krissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final rating 3 stars rounded up to 4 because yay for charity :)

Rough Edges by Cardeno C:
3 stars
Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank:
2 stars
Dare You To by Riley Hart:
4 stars
Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes:
3 stars
The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee:
3 stars
Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens:
2 stars
Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker:
3 stars

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite anthology I have to say, that honour is split between Lost and Found and Wish Come True, but there were some good stories in this one, and the authors have given their stories for free in aid of a really good cause. 3.5 stars rounded up.

The stories I liked....Rough Edges by Cardeno C.[although Kyle was a complete Dick at the start], The Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker, Leaning into Love by Lane Hayes and finally The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee [which kind of surprised me by how much I liked it]. The other authors are either hit or miss for me, and I see from other reviews that Ella Frank was back to her 'all sex and no storyline' type of story so that one was a definite no-no.

[*P*u*r*p*l*e* Masochist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come...

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys, this one is a feel good story about friends to lovers. What's not to love. Written by some of my favorite MM authors, this one is must read. I usually avoided anthology, but this one is hard to miss... And all the money you spend for this book, goes for charit.

ALL PROCEEDS will be donated to the wonderful charity --> http://onenten.org/

ROUGH EDGES BY Cardeno C.

I loved the idea of this story. CC is one of those author who can mixed the cuteness and hotness at the same time. Kyle and Brent knew each other for a couple of years, but Kyle appreciate people who’s ‘working’, not some lazy too rich, and ‘not working’ people like Brent. The attraction suddenly fade away. Until one time, Kyle had to accept Brent’s offer to live with him because Brent’s offer is the only way out for Kyle.
I was kinda wanted to slap Kyle all the time because his snarky bitchy comments to Brent, while Brent is all sweet and never mad at him.Even though, they’re having such a ‘mutual’ need relationship while Kyle still bitter about his condition. But I’m glad that their friend’s Matthew open some conversation about Brent and well, Kyle’s suddenly realized that he was wrong about Brent all the time.
This is short, sweet and cute, with a little hotness in the middle.

UNEXPECTED TURN BY Ella Frank

Ella writes a sexy friends to lovers story this time. Two clueless best friends Tyler and Connor known each other since forever, but Connor was ‘straight’, having a girl friend, while Ty is open and proud, he’s also having a boyfriend. Attending Ty’s sister wedding, on a road trip, they’re realized that Connor is not too straight after all.
It’s interesting to see their relationship development and how things ended with both their GF and BF. Cheating? Technically not, imo. I think you should judge it by yourself.
For me, this one is unputdownable, cute and hot as Ella Frank’s hotness. Know what I mean? (Grins)

DARE YOU BY Riley Hart

Leave it to Riley Hart when it comes to friends to lovers story. This one is simply a bit more heavy than the previous two, according my rejection to skip this story for lunch. Book worm, boring Austin is hard to stay in a relationship for too long with his current BF, who’s addressing him as ‘boring’. But Dare, his neighbor and friend for six years found it cute and slowly the ‘mutual attraction’ built after Austin BF broke up with him. One kiss leads to another. Not that simple, because Dare need to ‘work’ for it. Dare is not a person who believe in relationship, because of his past. But he’s in love with his neighbor, it took a while for him to realized that relationship (with Austin) is something he need. Will Austin still be a usual boring self? We’ll find it in epilogue! Yay!

LEANING INTO LOVE BY Lane Hayes

Eric and Zane’s story is kinda reminds me of my very own. Being friends for so many years and didn’t realized that the one who’s always there for you. Is never your boyfriend, but your everyday best friend. To think again, it’s kinda weird lusting after your BFF, but alas, the best lover, is definitely your best friend. I liked it how Eric slowly realized that Nick is not the one he need, but it’s always Zane. All the time. Nice sweet story. But I need an epilogue for this one!

THE SWEETEST GOODBY BY Christina Lee

To be honest, this is my first CL story (okay,okay, I’ll read her other stories…too many books too little time, remember?). So, I have no idea who Billie is. But, it’s okay, this one you can read a s a stand alone.
Billie was rooting after Leo, his first crush, his first love. Still keeping his ‘letter’ inside his cooking book (who’s still writing letters today? Leo must be a romantic…). But Leo never wanted Billie that much. Heart broken for nearly four years, Billie didn’t realize that Dylan is there, and Billie doesn’t need Leo, he need Dylan to stand strong all this time! I think Billie is too preoccupied for his past and refused to move on, while Leo has been moved on since the day he said goodbye.
The last goodbye with Billie’s dog is finally opened Billie’s eyes, how much he need Dylan beside him, not Leo. Even Leo was there at the moment. I cried when Billie said goodbye to his dog (man…that was hard…!). But lucky Billie I guess, he has Dylan, when all I have was just some wet tissues. J This one is really good!

PLEASE DON’T GO BY Felice Stevens

When everyone in your life always left, will you believe the one who’s came back will never leave again? Will you believe the one who’s leaving you, disappeared for fifteen years, then said that he wanted you, will never leave you again? In my case, NOT. And Danny. Disappointed for Paul’s sudden vanished, his only love, his only dream, his first crush, and meet gain in the same office, confused him. Questioning Paul’s motives for approached him after he left. Good thing is, this is a short story (it’s not that I don’t want this to be longer). So, after a few heated conversations, Danny knew why Paul was leaving him, and that’s not pretty. So yeah, they have their HEA, and Felice spoiled us with an epilogue! Everybody’s happy. I’m happy.

PERFECT CATCH BY N.R. Walker

First, don’t miss the dedication part, it will makes you smile.
This is the last story of this anthology, and Nic close it with a wonderful story between Cal and Troy. Best friend since forever. Crush since forever, but never have guts to ‘TALK’! Grr !Instead of talking, they keep dating random people, and disappointed. Time had never really friendly for them. But then the fishing routine came, and all of their friends all of a sudden, can’t go (this is conspiracy folks!), and they talked. FINALLY! Phew! See how even one small talk can make everything’s right?

*Thank you for the ARC Felice Stevens!*

[Anke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rough Edges by Cardeno C.: 4,5 stars, great read, but a bit too short.

Unexpected Turn by Ella Frank: DNF; can't stand anymore of this 'why am I suddenly attracted to him? What is your problem, tell me?' Boring, unbelievable, getting on my nerves. Don't need that.

Dare You by Riley Hart: 5 stars, wonderful read, well rounded and there was even an epilogue!

Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes: 3.5 stars, good enough as a short introduction into the series, as a stand-alone it's too much bare-bones and not enough fleshed out. Too many time-gaps and too much telling and not enough showing. This epilogue didn't work at all, at least for this reader.

The Sweetest Goodbye by Christina Lee: 4.5 stars, wonderful read, moving, especially for dog lovers:)

Please Don't Go by Felice Stevens: 2 stars, for me this was the weakest story so far. At least I finished.

Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker: 3 stars, somehow this didn't grip me as other stories by this author. Still nice, but the spark was missing.

Overall: 4 stars