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Leaning Into #3
Leaning Into the Fall
Nick Jorgensen is a quirky genius. He's made a fortune in the competitive high tech field with his quick mind and attention to detail. He believes in hard work and trusting his gut. And he believes in karma. It’s the only thing that makes sense. People are difficult, but numbers never lie. In the disastrous wake of a broken engagement to an investor’s daughter, Nick is more certain than ever he isn’t relationship material.
Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.
Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.
228 pages, ebook
First published March 12, 2017
53 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Lane Hayes
110 books1,702 followersLane Hayes loves a good romance! She’s the bestselling author of the Out in College, Starting From, Better Than, A Kind Of, Right and Wrong, and Leaning Into Series! Lane loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). All things she can find in sunny SoCal where she lives with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
March 27, 2017
~4.5~
Gorgeous, sexy, poignant, real.
These are just a few words that describe Leaning Into the Fall.
Lane Hayes is one of the few authors who can write a story from one character's first-person POV and still make me feel like I know BOTH MCs intimately.
Nick is such a contradiction: cocky and insecure; compulsive and wanton; passionate and detached. He was not a good friend to Eric in the first book, but in this book we see Nick as he really is: lost, a little scared, working hard to prove to everyone that he's more than the weird kid singing "Hakuna Matata" at the top of his lungs.
And Wes, more than a decade Nick's senior, is an absolute dream: honest, direct, smart, funny. He might be the first person who really understands Nick, with all his quirks and idiosyncrasies, and gives him space to just be himself. Wes has been on the streets; he's loved and lost. He knows better than Nick can imagine.
I loved all the interactions between Wes and Nick, and every time Wes called Nick "Nicky" I wanted to weep.
Leaning Into the Fall introduces us to some amazing secondary characters. Geordie about broke my heart, and I bet we haven't seen the last of Finn.
Romance takes center stage in this story, but the plot includes some business politics and dirty dealings. There is even a mystery of sorts related to a bottle of wine, which makes Nick doubt everything.
This book has all the feels. Wes and Nick have scorching chemistry from the first moment they meet when Nick demands Wes take back several cases of wine with personalized labels he ordered for his (long since called off) wedding to Lisa. Wes refuses. Nick leaves in a huff.
But he comes back. The wine is taken care of in a spectacular fashion, but Wes and Nick's relationship is less dramatic. Wes calls Nick on his crap, and Nick learns to trust, not just Wes but also himself.
Sometimes the only way to hold on is to let go.
We clung to each other until the trembling subsided. I was sure I couldn't move if I wanted to. I was wrecked. Completely and utterly spent. Like pieces of me were lying next to pieces of him. We might never find a way to separate the fragments again.
Gorgeous, sexy, poignant, real.
These are just a few words that describe Leaning Into the Fall.
Lane Hayes is one of the few authors who can write a story from one character's first-person POV and still make me feel like I know BOTH MCs intimately.
Nick is such a contradiction: cocky and insecure; compulsive and wanton; passionate and detached. He was not a good friend to Eric in the first book, but in this book we see Nick as he really is: lost, a little scared, working hard to prove to everyone that he's more than the weird kid singing "Hakuna Matata" at the top of his lungs.
And Wes, more than a decade Nick's senior, is an absolute dream: honest, direct, smart, funny. He might be the first person who really understands Nick, with all his quirks and idiosyncrasies, and gives him space to just be himself. Wes has been on the streets; he's loved and lost. He knows better than Nick can imagine.
I loved all the interactions between Wes and Nick, and every time Wes called Nick "Nicky" I wanted to weep.
These pieces of you . . . they're so real. I want them to be mine. I don't have much to offer in return, but whatever I have is yours.
Leaning Into the Fall introduces us to some amazing secondary characters. Geordie about broke my heart, and I bet we haven't seen the last of Finn.
Romance takes center stage in this story, but the plot includes some business politics and dirty dealings. There is even a mystery of sorts related to a bottle of wine, which makes Nick doubt everything.
This book has all the feels. Wes and Nick have scorching chemistry from the first moment they meet when Nick demands Wes take back several cases of wine with personalized labels he ordered for his (long since called off) wedding to Lisa. Wes refuses. Nick leaves in a huff.
But he comes back. The wine is taken care of in a spectacular fashion, but Wes and Nick's relationship is less dramatic. Wes calls Nick on his crap, and Nick learns to trust, not just Wes but also himself.
Sometimes the only way to hold on is to let go.
I think I'd follow you anywhere. Off a cliff, off a bridge, out of an airplane. If I'm going to fall, I want to do it with you.
September 7, 2017
5 Stars!
If you read the first book in this series then I can only assume that you all felt the same about Nick as I did. He was a pretty selfish A-hole. But he was a selfish A-hole that I wanted to know more about and was hoping he'd get a book. And here it is and I absolutely loved it and him. Go figure right?
We got a taste of Nick in the first book and that taste was bitter. But in this book we get to see a more indepth look into Nick's psyche. The more insight we got into this mans mind the more I understood his actions in the first book and the more I wanted to crawl through my Kindle and hug and cuddle him. He is lost in his mind and he's insecure, lonely, and a bit scared. I loved him. I loved his quirks and his awkwardness. He is my kind of people.
Then there was Wes... How I adored him. He was EVERYTHING Nick needed in a partner/lover in life. He was so damn sweet with Nick. He was very straight forward with Nick and knew when to let Nick be, when to draw him back, and called him out on his BS. I think being older and secure in who he is helped ground Nick and understand him like no ever has. They were the perfect match for each other. I loved them together. That speech Nick gives Wes near the end slayed me and I was so pleased that Nick finally found his words and was able to express them to Wes. It was one of my favorite moments in the book.
Another favorite moment was with Geordie and Nick when he goes looking for Wes but finds a broken Geordie. That man broke my damn heart and their shared moment sitting in the window seat had me bawling. It was just one of those moments in a book that stays with you.
We got to meet a man named Finn in this book and he's still a bit of a mystery and I can't wait to find out more about him.
This was excellent and I am impatiently waiting for the next one!
Happy reading dolls! xx
If you read the first book in this series then I can only assume that you all felt the same about Nick as I did. He was a pretty selfish A-hole. But he was a selfish A-hole that I wanted to know more about and was hoping he'd get a book. And here it is and I absolutely loved it and him. Go figure right?
We got a taste of Nick in the first book and that taste was bitter. But in this book we get to see a more indepth look into Nick's psyche. The more insight we got into this mans mind the more I understood his actions in the first book and the more I wanted to crawl through my Kindle and hug and cuddle him. He is lost in his mind and he's insecure, lonely, and a bit scared. I loved him. I loved his quirks and his awkwardness. He is my kind of people.
Then there was Wes... How I adored him. He was EVERYTHING Nick needed in a partner/lover in life. He was so damn sweet with Nick. He was very straight forward with Nick and knew when to let Nick be, when to draw him back, and called him out on his BS. I think being older and secure in who he is helped ground Nick and understand him like no ever has. They were the perfect match for each other. I loved them together. That speech Nick gives Wes near the end slayed me and I was so pleased that Nick finally found his words and was able to express them to Wes. It was one of my favorite moments in the book.
Another favorite moment was with Geordie and Nick when he goes looking for Wes but finds a broken Geordie. That man broke my damn heart and their shared moment sitting in the window seat had me bawling. It was just one of those moments in a book that stays with you.
We got to meet a man named Finn in this book and he's still a bit of a mystery and I can't wait to find out more about him.
This was excellent and I am impatiently waiting for the next one!
Happy reading dolls! xx
March 14, 2017
In Leaning Into the Fall, we get Nick Jorgensen's story. If you read Leaning Into Love, he was Eric's ex-boyfriend. To me, he across as selfish and ruthless willing to do anything to get the deal. I was interested to see how Lane Hayes would redeem him in my eyes and redeem him she did. You see, Nick's brain doesn't work the way many's do. He's a numbers guy; his brain is always going. In the story, Nick's trying to figure out a code to ink a deal, and in the midst of this, he's suspicious of many around him. It's during this time that he meets Wes. Wes is older, settled. Right from the start, they had instant chemistry, and despite his paranoia, Nick goes with the flow, and Wes understands Nick more than anyone ever has.
My highlights:
-Nick. Lane, you did it. Not only did you show me how his brain works, but you also had me feeling compassion for him, and you had me feeling paranoid like him, lol.
-Wes. I loved his even keel personality and his patience.
-Relationship development. This is always my favorite part of this author's stories. She never rushes it; she just allows feelings to develop naturally over a period.
-Narration. I'm a big alternating POVs girl but being in Nick's brain was perfect in this instance. It was pivotal in giving the reader an insight into his mind.
-And the end. ♥
**Side note. Lane, I need Geordie and Josh. Please!
Can this be read as a standalone? Yes, but to see the outstanding job she did redeeming Nick you should read book 1.
Lane Hayes is an auto-buy, auto-read for me. I don't read blurbs for her books I just read them. She always delivers. If you're looking for a sexy love story to get lost into pick up this book and if you've never read her- whatcha waiting for! 4.5 Stars.
“Think of love as a stage of grace; not the means of anything but the alpha and omega, and end in itself.”
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
March 16, 2017
"Love demands courage, patience, compromise, and trust. In return, it offers immeasurable joy.
It was time to surrender and lean into the fall."
Leaning Into the Fall by Lane Hayes is book two in her new "Leaning Into" Series that follows a group of men who have been friends since college and are now living in the San Francisco area. The MC's in this story are Nick Jorgensen and Wes Conrad. This story is told in a first person POV from Nick's perspective and we have very limited insight into Wes's side of the story. We met Nick in the first book of the series, Leaning into Love, as he watched his longtime friend/business partner/hook-up, Eric, fall in love and then get married to another of their friends. Nick doesn't deal well with personal relationships and change even less so, so watching his friend move on in a direction that didn't involve him - unsettled him. At the same time, Nick made a rash decision to propose to a business investor's daughter - start planning the wedding - then leave the woman all before the first book of this series was over. So, to say Nick has some challenges is putting it lightly - he is brash and calculating yet at the same time he is a man who needs someone to stabilize him, comfort him, and bring all the pieces of his world together.
Wes Conrad, he is a man who knows how to get things done and currently that means running his thriving winery located in Nappa Valley. When he is confronted with the gorgeous, yet quirky, Nick Jorgensen who is yet again trying to return his custom label wedding party wine. He can't help but wish he could take the man back to his place and show him a thing or two about accepting "No" for the final answer. Wes comes across as a dominant man in this story, not one who wants a man kneeling at his feet or walking to heel on a leash, but one who knows exactly what he wants and his personality is one that has a commanding tone to it. In short order. He has his life together, all that is missing is a man to enjoy it with him. "This is new but I know it's special. You matter to me, Nick, and I can't help thinking I finally have exactly what I need."
These two men are perfect for each other - and much like Wes' house and estate with its feng shui and order, Wes is exactly the type of man Nick needs to help quiet his mind which is always working on the next formula or interpreting calculations and equations where others see nothing but scenery.
Nick has never been in a long-term relationship, or ever been loved - he isn't sure what love is beyond an emotion that can't be equated and written out. He is afraid. He knows he is falling in deep with Wes but he isn't sure that if he leaps - Wes will be there to catch him, no matter what. "Love isn't calculated. It isn't an equation, and it doesn't always add up the way you think it will. You don't get to cross out the wrong answers and force the one you want instead. You give and you take what's given in return and then you trust."
I loved watching these two as they fell in love. Ms. Hayes weaved quite the romance between the two and spiced it up with some very hot sex! Wes' and his dominance follows him into the bedroom and he is once again exactly what Nick needs and Nick turns out to be his perfect counterpart.
"Love wasn't about making a deal and keeping score. It was about taking a chance. And it was infinitely easier to do when you had someone you loved at your side leaning into the fall."
Overall, this is a romance that will make you totally fall in love with Nick, yes our author is able to redeem him after his less than stellar introduction from book one of the series. You will love Wes, he is one of those men that is just what you would want in a dream guy. These two together are just the right mix. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series thus far, and the world that Ms. Hayes is creating for our characters is perfect. I cannot wait now to see who gets the next book in the series, I am hoping for Josh as he is a mysterious guy and I bet his story is one that will be amazing. In addition to reading about Nick and Wes, I did enjoy the brief cameo appearances by Eric and Zane - I am hopeful we can get more of their story at some point as I really loved them.
5 Stars to this installment of the "Leaning Into" series!! I am anxiously awaiting the next book from Ms. Hayes!
Review Copy of Leaning Into the Fall provided by Lane Hayes for an honest Review.
March 26, 2017
Funnily enough Nick didn't bother me much in the first Leaning Into book, I barely even remembered him.
He got on my nerves a bit in this one though. Not enough to ruin the story for me, but enough to not give it 5 stars.
Wes on the other hand was worthy of 5 stars.
Lane Hayes is an auto-buy author for me, so despite the fact that I didn't love one of the MCs I still loved the book.
He got on my nerves a bit in this one though. Not enough to ruin the story for me, but enough to not give it 5 stars.
Wes on the other hand was worthy of 5 stars.
Lane Hayes is an auto-buy author for me, so despite the fact that I didn't love one of the MCs I still loved the book.
November 30, 2017
5++++++ stars
I Loved this so much , I might just quote the whole book.
Live your life your way and smile as often as possible. Nothing makes your enemies crazier than your happiness.”
This book is so beautifully written, I enjoyed reading it. The author made me fall in love with Nick, I did not like him in Erick’s book but he redeemed himself.
Nick or Nicky as Wes called him- you either dislike him or not. He was selfish, weird, clueless, superstitious, genius, borderline sociopath, cute and I loved the hell out of him. He was a very complex character and i loved how the author made me (the reader) understand him. He reminded me of Sheldon.
I trust you. I think you should know I’d follow you anywhere. Off a cliff, off a bridge, out of an airplane. If I’m going to fall, I want to do it with you. I love you, Wes.”
Wes the silver fox, bless his heart, he was gentle, kind, patient with Nick , wise and loving. He stole the show from Nick. I Loved him.
Love isn’t calculated. It isn’t an equation, and it doesn’t always add up the way you think it will. You don’t get to cross out the wrong answers and force the one you want instead. You give and you take what’s given in return and then you trust.”
This story is told from Nick’s POV, and I was left satisfied. I got to know Wes very well and I love that both MC’s were likable.
The chemistry was believable, the character development was amazingly done and the sex scenes were hot. The pairing was on point, Wes was mature enough to understand Nick, and there was no unnecessary misunderstanding, no magic dick, just Nick and his clueless unfiltered mouth.
Lane Hayes is an amazing author I fell in love with her words.
“You break my heart, Nick. You’re perfectly imperfect. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. No one. Not even Mike. I loved him carefully, without any real passion. You…you take my breath away. You’re inside me. I feel everything you do. I don’t just hear your laughter or sense when you’re sad…I feel it. I want to make you happy. I want to fix you. Make you strong when you feel weak. Make you smile when you feel like crying.
I hope Geordie will get his HEA. Because for now he is just stuck, this broke my heart:
“Maybe. But right now, I’m in pieces. Shattered from the inside out. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to talk sometimes. I lost someone I’ll never get back. He was my heart, my soul, my reason for waking up. I lost it all the morning he didn’t wake up. Maybe you’re right. Maybe one day I’ll be myself again. Maybe one day I won’t wrap myself in his old clothes hoping to catch his scent on my skin. Maybe I won’t sit for hours listening to musicals he loved just to remember the sound of his laughter. The way it boomed and made everyone around him giggle whether or not they were in on the joke. Maybe I’ll fill the emptiness with…something. But right now, I wish I was I with him.”
This was a beautiful romance story. Recommended!
March 12, 2017
After reading the short, Leaning Into Love, there were a few things not to like about Nick Jorgensen. I honestly couldn't fathom how Hayes would pull off his "redemption."
Nick isn't a bad guy, per se. He's just.....different. He doesn't think the same way others do. He's a genius with code and math, and he doesn't do consideration of others' thoughts/feelings because his brain just doesn't go there. It made a big difference to me because he isn't malicious, he's just not thinking about it. It's not the way his brain works.
A chance run in (or two) with Wes Conrad leave Nick feeling very off-balance. The chemistry between them is off the charts, but it's a little too coincidental for Nick. He's willing to go with it, because the pull is that strong, but he's a little paranoid about the multiple overlapping people in common that the two of them seem to have. It's borderline paranoid, but his brain just doesn't think anything happens "just because" and "for no reason." His life's work is code and equations. Everything has a cause and effect to him.
That second part isn't entirely true, though that's certainly what I believed after Book 1. The truth is that Nick doesn't do anything attached to an outcome that he can see benefitting anyone, including his friends. Cause and effect, nothing "just because."
And Wes, well, he figures Nick out pretty quickly. He has a magic touch that (both figuratively and literally) quiets Nick's mind. It also doesn't hurt that he's a gorgeous older man, who is too mature and set in his ways to let Nick get away with anything.
The book spans several months of time with Nick and Wes, from beginning, to the messy relationship "stuff." A relationship is tricky for Nick. If there isn't a reason for Wes to like him, with clear cause and effect, it just doesn't compute. He just can't wrap his brain around it.
Wes had to learn to trust that, at forty-five, he's finally found the one for him, and that Nick wanted to stick around. Nick had to let go of reason, and learn that love isn't logical. Love just is.
Although Wes, and to a greater extent, Nick, weren't entirely relatable for me, this story is told so well, the writing just gorgeous, that I ate it up. It's Lane's talent as a writer that I could fall in love with Nick, his overactive mind and all.
I really, really hope Josh's book is next. He stole a lot of scenes for me in this book, and I need his story.
Nick isn't a bad guy, per se. He's just.....different. He doesn't think the same way others do. He's a genius with code and math, and he doesn't do consideration of others' thoughts/feelings because his brain just doesn't go there. It made a big difference to me because he isn't malicious, he's just not thinking about it. It's not the way his brain works.
A chance run in (or two) with Wes Conrad leave Nick feeling very off-balance. The chemistry between them is off the charts, but it's a little too coincidental for Nick. He's willing to go with it, because the pull is that strong, but he's a little paranoid about the multiple overlapping people in common that the two of them seem to have. It's borderline paranoid, but his brain just doesn't think anything happens "just because" and "for no reason." His life's work is code and equations. Everything has a cause and effect to him.
"I don't think you're an asshole, but you don't mind if everyone thinks you are. You do careless and aloof well, but...I don't buy the act. I'm not sure who you are or what you need, Nick, but I have a feeling it'll take more than a stolen hour on a random night to figure you out."
"You don't do anything that isn't attached to an outcome that might benefit you."
That second part isn't entirely true, though that's certainly what I believed after Book 1. The truth is that Nick doesn't do anything attached to an outcome that he can see benefitting anyone, including his friends. Cause and effect, nothing "just because."
And Wes, well, he figures Nick out pretty quickly. He has a magic touch that (both figuratively and literally) quiets Nick's mind. It also doesn't hurt that he's a gorgeous older man, who is too mature and set in his ways to let Nick get away with anything.
The book spans several months of time with Nick and Wes, from beginning, to the messy relationship "stuff." A relationship is tricky for Nick. If there isn't a reason for Wes to like him, with clear cause and effect, it just doesn't compute. He just can't wrap his brain around it.
[...] there were no numbers taunting me in my periphery, reminding me that every moment without a solution spelled failure. Wes had chased them away.
Wes had to learn to trust that, at forty-five, he's finally found the one for him, and that Nick wanted to stick around. Nick had to let go of reason, and learn that love isn't logical. Love just is.
"Live your life your way and smile as often as possible. Nothing makes your enemies crazier than your happiness."
Although Wes, and to a greater extent, Nick, weren't entirely relatable for me, this story is told so well, the writing just gorgeous, that I ate it up. It's Lane's talent as a writer that I could fall in love with Nick, his overactive mind and all.
I really, really hope Josh's book is next. He stole a lot of scenes for me in this book, and I need his story.
March 18, 2017
*4.5 stars*
I wasn't expecting to like this so much! Who would have thought I'd end up loving Nick, the douchebag? Wes stole the show for me, though, and despite not having his POV, he is my favorite character in the series so far.
Recommended!
I wasn't expecting to like this so much! Who would have thought I'd end up loving Nick, the douchebag? Wes stole the show for me, though, and despite not having his POV, he is my favorite character in the series so far.
Recommended!
February 4, 2018
I absolutely loved this.
Nick Nick Nick...I had a problem with him in the first book, and although he got better in the second, I was still weary of him. But of course, once it got to his book and his POV, I understood him a lot more and came to really like him.
He isn't the best at social situations, and there is a reason why he behaves the way he does, but it becomes more understandable in this. I actually came to adore him - and of course Hayes was able to do that.
Nick isn't just an asshole for the sake of being an asshole - or just not caring. He comes off that way but he's way more than that.
And Wes was perfect for him, in ever way. He was good at calling Nick out on his shit when Nick needed to be called out on his shit, but he was also very good at making Nick happy, And seeing as we never really got to see Nick happy in the previous two books, it made my heart melt in this when West got Nick to smile and laugh.
When Nick grinned so wide when he saw Wes, it was so freaking adorable.
This was also an interesting story, how these two were connected, how their stories actually entwined together.
Their connection was great, their chemistry was sizzling and yes the sex was hottt ;)
Two big thumbs up from me. This is one of my favorite I've read of Lane Hayes's books. Definitely recommend :D
Nick Nick Nick...I had a problem with him in the first book, and although he got better in the second, I was still weary of him. But of course, once it got to his book and his POV, I understood him a lot more and came to really like him.
He isn't the best at social situations, and there is a reason why he behaves the way he does, but it becomes more understandable in this. I actually came to adore him - and of course Hayes was able to do that.
Nick isn't just an asshole for the sake of being an asshole - or just not caring. He comes off that way but he's way more than that.
And Wes was perfect for him, in ever way. He was good at calling Nick out on his shit when Nick needed to be called out on his shit, but he was also very good at making Nick happy, And seeing as we never really got to see Nick happy in the previous two books, it made my heart melt in this when West got Nick to smile and laugh.
When Nick grinned so wide when he saw Wes, it was so freaking adorable.
This was also an interesting story, how these two were connected, how their stories actually entwined together.
Their connection was great, their chemistry was sizzling and yes the sex was hottt ;)
Two big thumbs up from me. This is one of my favorite I've read of Lane Hayes's books. Definitely recommend :D
November 20, 2017
So so beautiful this is a gorgeous romance
Oh Nick, Nick with the lack of filter, you aren't the arse you came across as in Eric's book at all are you. No, you're a beautifully brilliant man who doesn't know how to shut off his brain.
This book reminded me a lot of the gorgeous film A Beautiful Mind, about John Nash, although that obviously centred on paranoid schizophrenia rather than Nick's never specifically identified issue. It was more how Nick, like Nash, has scenarios running in his head constantly.
Lane Hayes' style of writing just works for me. I always feel like I'm reading about people she knows and both MCs, even when written from a single POV, get given so much depth and insight. There is always a wealth of detail given to the setting, I can feel myself walking the streets of the Castro with these guys as they live their lives in San Francisco.
And, on top of all the above, Lane references one of my all time favourite film moments in John Cusack's boombox moment in Say Anything. (Seriously, if you've never watched this film, do so immediately!)
I loved Wes, he was perfect for Nick, he had the maturity and the self awareness to know how to help him deal with all the noise and interference. Together they were spell-binding, so so hot.
I also wanted to hug Geordie so much, I wanted to punch Ryan and I'm about to read an ARC from Lane which is hopefully going to redeem Finn and restore Josh's heart!
This book is about finding the perfect person who can just help you switch off the world and be still. While Nick's personality traits are never given a label, Aspergers is mentioned in passing and I want to just pop a comment here about how well I feel Lane dealt with Nick not "being normal" (in so much as anyone is ever normal).
His lack of brain filter and awkwardness in social situations was never used as a humour device (outside of with his friends, who love and understand him) and the reader is given a quite painful insight into how his own self-awareness makes him feel inadequate and awkward at times.
And Wes doesn't "cure him", there's no magic dick, just a man with the infinite patience needed to allow Nick to just be Nick, flaws and all.
It really is quite beautiful to see Nick being able to slow his brain down and just breathe for a while.
Oh Nick, Nick with the lack of filter, you aren't the arse you came across as in Eric's book at all are you. No, you're a beautifully brilliant man who doesn't know how to shut off his brain.
This book reminded me a lot of the gorgeous film A Beautiful Mind, about John Nash, although that obviously centred on paranoid schizophrenia rather than Nick's never specifically identified issue. It was more how Nick, like Nash, has scenarios running in his head constantly.
Lane Hayes' style of writing just works for me. I always feel like I'm reading about people she knows and both MCs, even when written from a single POV, get given so much depth and insight. There is always a wealth of detail given to the setting, I can feel myself walking the streets of the Castro with these guys as they live their lives in San Francisco.
And, on top of all the above, Lane references one of my all time favourite film moments in John Cusack's boombox moment in Say Anything. (Seriously, if you've never watched this film, do so immediately!)
I loved Wes, he was perfect for Nick, he had the maturity and the self awareness to know how to help him deal with all the noise and interference. Together they were spell-binding, so so hot.
I also wanted to hug Geordie so much, I wanted to punch Ryan and I'm about to read an ARC from Lane which is hopefully going to redeem Finn and restore Josh's heart!
This book is about finding the perfect person who can just help you switch off the world and be still. While Nick's personality traits are never given a label, Aspergers is mentioned in passing and I want to just pop a comment here about how well I feel Lane dealt with Nick not "being normal" (in so much as anyone is ever normal).
His lack of brain filter and awkwardness in social situations was never used as a humour device (outside of with his friends, who love and understand him) and the reader is given a quite painful insight into how his own self-awareness makes him feel inadequate and awkward at times.
And Wes doesn't "cure him", there's no magic dick, just a man with the infinite patience needed to allow Nick to just be Nick, flaws and all.
It really is quite beautiful to see Nick being able to slow his brain down and just breathe for a while.
March 23, 2017
Leaning Into the Fall is Wes and Nick's story...Nick, the selfish prick I didn't like in Leaning into You. Not at all.
I would have never though that I would fall in love with him but I did.
Wonderful book.
Can't wait for book three. Hopefully it's Josh and Finn's book. Pretty please?
April 19, 2019
4.5 stars This was delightful!
March 23, 2017
That was surprisingly awesome.
Let’s be honest with each other, I don’t think any of us that read Leaning Into Love gave two shits about Nick and a full length novel about him seemed totally unnecessary. In my eyes he didn’t deserve a story. His story was already told and I knew enough about him that I was positive I didn’t need to know anything else.
Boy was I wrong.
So. Very. Wrong.
I knew nothing about him truth be told. Nothing.
So, sorry, sorry, sorry! I totally give a shit and am so happy that the author told his story. I loved it. Nick ended up being one of the most interesting characters I have read about in a very long time. I ended up falling totally in love with him and with Wes. They balanced each other in the most perfect way.
The Nick and Wes show was totally a five star read for me.
The business deal? I am baffled. What happened? So many players and twists and turns but zero answers. I can only hope that the next book focuses on Josh and Finn and the story comes full circle. So many unanswered questions and I feel totally confused.
So, aside from that this was an almost perfect read. It takes major talent to take a character with no redeeming qualities become a character I will be thinking about long after the book ends.
When is the next book? I can’t wait!
Let’s be honest with each other, I don’t think any of us that read Leaning Into Love gave two shits about Nick and a full length novel about him seemed totally unnecessary. In my eyes he didn’t deserve a story. His story was already told and I knew enough about him that I was positive I didn’t need to know anything else.
Boy was I wrong.
So. Very. Wrong.
I knew nothing about him truth be told. Nothing.
So, sorry, sorry, sorry! I totally give a shit and am so happy that the author told his story. I loved it. Nick ended up being one of the most interesting characters I have read about in a very long time. I ended up falling totally in love with him and with Wes. They balanced each other in the most perfect way.
The Nick and Wes show was totally a five star read for me.
The business deal? I am baffled. What happened? So many players and twists and turns but zero answers. I can only hope that the next book focuses on Josh and Finn and the story comes full circle. So many unanswered questions and I feel totally confused.
So, aside from that this was an almost perfect read. It takes major talent to take a character with no redeeming qualities become a character I will be thinking about long after the book ends.
When is the next book? I can’t wait!
September 20, 2017
Brilliant ....... I'd like some Wes too ! ( He could sort through my jumbled head any day ) .
I read this as a standalone , with no problem , and loved both Nick and Wes . Especially Wes * Swoon *
Actually , there is a small problem , I get the impression that Nick was a little misunderstood in the first book in this series . The author did such a good job in making me like Nick , I really want to go back and read the previous book , but don't want to mess with my love for Nick . This is what you get for reading a series out of order ...... self inflicted reading malaise !
Still , off I go , I'm sure this author will make me get over that !
I read this as a standalone , with no problem , and loved both Nick and Wes . Especially Wes * Swoon *
Actually , there is a small problem , I get the impression that Nick was a little misunderstood in the first book in this series . The author did such a good job in making me like Nick , I really want to go back and read the previous book , but don't want to mess with my love for Nick . This is what you get for reading a series out of order ...... self inflicted reading malaise !
Still , off I go , I'm sure this author will make me get over that !
April 18, 2017
Lane Hayes is one of my favorite authors, and this story proves why. Faced with a secondary character in a short story who was really the anti-hero—a bisexual guy who jilted his (female) fiancé and disappointed his best friend and business partner—Ms. Hayes decided to give him his own story, in which he demonstrates why he was such a letdown in book one, and then falls into deep and everlasting love with a handsome and sweet older man.
I was skeptical when we first saw Nick in this story—buried nose-deep in code in his and Eric’s IT security business—and seemingly clueless to what’s going on in the rest of the world. He keeps bugging his BFF friend Eric, who’s on a well-deserved honeymoon vacation in Bora Bora, so faced with penalty of death from Eric’s new husband, Zane, (Leaning Into Love) Nick decides to take a break from work and return the wine he purchased as a wedding favor for his own cancelled wedding months ago.
There he runs headlong into Wes Conrad, winery owner, who refuses to allow Nick to return the wine that was labelled with the personal information for Nick’s wedding. It’s company policy not to take it back, and Wes digs in his heels and outright refuses. And so begins the crappiest day of Nick’s life, but also one that turns out to be the day he went head-on with the man who would ultimately become the most important person in his life.
I love the way the author took the time to explain and explore Nick’s issues—issues with antisocial behavior, a constant side focus on the numbers in his head—mathematical equations—that needed to be addressed. She also gave Nick an older, more mature man—one who has lived through multiple life experiences, including the tragic loss of his business, his former lover, and a good friend. Wes has the maturity and the patience to handle Nick, and though wildly attracted to one another from early in the story, there’s no rush into deep and everlasting love. It evolves over time, and every moment and every step of the way is absolutely necessary for this couple. Business deals, takeover possibilities, poor decisions, partnership problems—this story has it all. But most of all? It has a young man who seemed to be irredeemable learn to face his issues and take responsibility for his own actions and then take the leap into falling head over heels with the man he most needs in this world.
That might sound a bit mushy and romantic, but that’s how I saw it. And I have a particular soft spot in my heart for older men who find romance in the MM genre. This one is terrific, and I highly recommend it. Why not a full 5 stars? I couldn’t shake all of the prejudice I had against Nick from the first book. Let’s just say he’s darn lucky he had such a great author to tell his story. And I can’t wait to see if Ms. Hayes has more in store for us in this series. I suspect maybe Nick and Eric’s friend Josh will be next. Can’t wait!
ARC provided by the publisher through Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words in exchange for an impartial review.
I was skeptical when we first saw Nick in this story—buried nose-deep in code in his and Eric’s IT security business—and seemingly clueless to what’s going on in the rest of the world. He keeps bugging his BFF friend Eric, who’s on a well-deserved honeymoon vacation in Bora Bora, so faced with penalty of death from Eric’s new husband, Zane, (Leaning Into Love) Nick decides to take a break from work and return the wine he purchased as a wedding favor for his own cancelled wedding months ago.
There he runs headlong into Wes Conrad, winery owner, who refuses to allow Nick to return the wine that was labelled with the personal information for Nick’s wedding. It’s company policy not to take it back, and Wes digs in his heels and outright refuses. And so begins the crappiest day of Nick’s life, but also one that turns out to be the day he went head-on with the man who would ultimately become the most important person in his life.
I love the way the author took the time to explain and explore Nick’s issues—issues with antisocial behavior, a constant side focus on the numbers in his head—mathematical equations—that needed to be addressed. She also gave Nick an older, more mature man—one who has lived through multiple life experiences, including the tragic loss of his business, his former lover, and a good friend. Wes has the maturity and the patience to handle Nick, and though wildly attracted to one another from early in the story, there’s no rush into deep and everlasting love. It evolves over time, and every moment and every step of the way is absolutely necessary for this couple. Business deals, takeover possibilities, poor decisions, partnership problems—this story has it all. But most of all? It has a young man who seemed to be irredeemable learn to face his issues and take responsibility for his own actions and then take the leap into falling head over heels with the man he most needs in this world.
That might sound a bit mushy and romantic, but that’s how I saw it. And I have a particular soft spot in my heart for older men who find romance in the MM genre. This one is terrific, and I highly recommend it. Why not a full 5 stars? I couldn’t shake all of the prejudice I had against Nick from the first book. Let’s just say he’s darn lucky he had such a great author to tell his story. And I can’t wait to see if Ms. Hayes has more in store for us in this series. I suspect maybe Nick and Eric’s friend Josh will be next. Can’t wait!
ARC provided by the publisher through Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words in exchange for an impartial review.
September 21, 2019
This is book 3 in the Leaning Into, and the though it could be read as a standalone, the intro of this group of friends in Leaning Into Love / Leaning Into Always is pretty sweet, low angst, and pain free.
Nick Jorgensen is 30, and the brains behind EN Tech, a cyber security company. He has the smarts to outcode anyone but isn't so good at interpersonal relationships or filtering his thoughts or his impulses. One of those uncontrolled impulses led to an impromptu engagement and it's quick, predictably disastrous end. Convinced the whole enterprise was cursed he's been trying to return cases of bespoke wine he'd ordered for the wedding. So far he's been unsuccessful but he's willing to try again. Nick is nothing if not persistent. To this end he goes in person to the winery and meets Wes Conrad. Lights out, even if they don't know it right away.
Wes is forty-five, back from where Nick's going, and exactly what Nick needs. He's the calm to Nick's usual mental storm, but he also loves Nick for his quirks & unique mind, not in spite of them. I loved how he's so much himself without being a pompous ass or a rigid know it all. He's interested in how Nick thinks and what makes him tic. Nick for his part finds someone who wants nothing from him but himself and also has the patience to wait him out when he can't figure out his own thoughts.
I loved everything about this. I liked that Wes doesn't hand Nick solutions to his problems, he can't. But he's a sound port and an anchor. I like that, though he certainly screws up, sometimes spectacularly so, Nick is always willing to try again, whether at work or life. I liked that though there's a pretty immediate attraction, and scorching sex early on (I'm not complaining) the love develops organically and over time. Nick and Wes continue to deal with their professional lives as adults do. Perfect.
Do yourself a favor and get the AB by Nick J. Russo. It's perfection.
Nick Jorgensen is 30, and the brains behind EN Tech, a cyber security company. He has the smarts to outcode anyone but isn't so good at interpersonal relationships or filtering his thoughts or his impulses. One of those uncontrolled impulses led to an impromptu engagement and it's quick, predictably disastrous end. Convinced the whole enterprise was cursed he's been trying to return cases of bespoke wine he'd ordered for the wedding. So far he's been unsuccessful but he's willing to try again. Nick is nothing if not persistent. To this end he goes in person to the winery and meets Wes Conrad. Lights out, even if they don't know it right away.
Wes is forty-five, back from where Nick's going, and exactly what Nick needs. He's the calm to Nick's usual mental storm, but he also loves Nick for his quirks & unique mind, not in spite of them. I loved how he's so much himself without being a pompous ass or a rigid know it all. He's interested in how Nick thinks and what makes him tic. Nick for his part finds someone who wants nothing from him but himself and also has the patience to wait him out when he can't figure out his own thoughts.
I loved everything about this. I liked that Wes doesn't hand Nick solutions to his problems, he can't. But he's a sound port and an anchor. I like that, though he certainly screws up, sometimes spectacularly so, Nick is always willing to try again, whether at work or life. I liked that though there's a pretty immediate attraction, and scorching sex early on (I'm not complaining) the love develops organically and over time. Nick and Wes continue to deal with their professional lives as adults do. Perfect.
Do yourself a favor and get the AB by Nick J. Russo. It's perfection.
July 12, 2022
3.5-4 stars
I enjoyed this more than I thought. I didn’t read Eric’s books, so this one can definitely be a standalone story.
I do think that there was a tad too much sex… shocker, but I didn’t think some of it was necessary and I wanted more of their banter.
Wes and Nick were great together, Wes was patient and knew how to calm Nicks brain when he was getting too overwhelmed.
I honestly thought the big issue would be different more dramatic.. so I was a little underwhelmed by what actually happened.. but I still enjoyed seeing Wes and Nicks relationship bloom.
I probably will read a few more from this series, depends on which couples catch my eye, since it feels like you can read these all as standalones, knowing that the secondary characters in the friend group has their own story.
I’ll be interested in Georgie’s for sure since he popped up a lot, same with Josh and Finn. The choices, the choices haha
Also Nick J Russo did a fabulous job with the narration like usual!
I enjoyed this more than I thought. I didn’t read Eric’s books, so this one can definitely be a standalone story.
I do think that there was a tad too much sex… shocker, but I didn’t think some of it was necessary and I wanted more of their banter.
Wes and Nick were great together, Wes was patient and knew how to calm Nicks brain when he was getting too overwhelmed.
I honestly thought the big issue would be different more dramatic.. so I was a little underwhelmed by what actually happened.. but I still enjoyed seeing Wes and Nicks relationship bloom.
I probably will read a few more from this series, depends on which couples catch my eye, since it feels like you can read these all as standalones, knowing that the secondary characters in the friend group has their own story.
I’ll be interested in Georgie’s for sure since he popped up a lot, same with Josh and Finn. The choices, the choices haha
Also Nick J Russo did a fabulous job with the narration like usual!
March 13, 2020
Nick is a tech genius who doesn't do well in sociarl situations and frequently comes across as an arsehole; Wes is more than a decade older and considerably more chilled than Nick, but seems to just 'get' him - even the parts of himself Nick doesn't fully understand. I liked the way their relationship developed; laid-back Wes is a great foil for Nick, who is sometimes driven to the point of obsession and oblivious to everything around him. There's plenty of hot sex, but there's an emotional connection, too -Nick has never clicked with anyone the way he has with Wes, and realises that for the first time ever, he's developing feelings for someone that go beyond work or friendship.
The conflict comes fairly late in the book and although it seems a little contrived, it does actually fit with Nick's character - he gets worked up and anxious easily and does tend to blurt the first thing that comes into his head, and the 'black moment' works because of it.
Nick J. Russo narrates and does a great job!
The conflict comes fairly late in the book and although it seems a little contrived, it does actually fit with Nick's character - he gets worked up and anxious easily and does tend to blurt the first thing that comes into his head, and the 'black moment' works because of it.
Nick J. Russo narrates and does a great job!
November 7, 2017
Stellar story!
After Leaning into Love, I wasn't impressed with Nick and less so after the first few chapters of this book. But of course Lane Hayes redeems him beautifully! Once I started to understand what was behind many of Nick's actions, I was completely on board with his character.
Then there's Wes. Holy silver fox alert! Wes is sooo who Nick needs in his life, as Wes understands Nick more than anyone has before. He's dominant and tender at the same time and he's my new book boyfriend. Wes is maybe a little too perfect at times and Nick still has habits he can, and needs, to break. They are awesome together and the steam they give off could blow up a manhole cover!
I was a little lost in the business connections and negotiations at times but it didn't impact my enjoyment. Secondary characters were done well too. Geordie, Wes business partner, Nick and Eric's friend Josh, and maybe Finn, one of the investors, will be featured in coming books, I'm sure. The "Better Than" series was a favorite but I didn't connect much with the last two series Lane wrote. This is looking to be even better than "Better Than"!
After Leaning into Love, I wasn't impressed with Nick and less so after the first few chapters of this book. But of course Lane Hayes redeems him beautifully! Once I started to understand what was behind many of Nick's actions, I was completely on board with his character.
Then there's Wes. Holy silver fox alert! Wes is sooo who Nick needs in his life, as Wes understands Nick more than anyone has before. He's dominant and tender at the same time and he's my new book boyfriend. Wes is maybe a little too perfect at times and Nick still has habits he can, and needs, to break. They are awesome together and the steam they give off could blow up a manhole cover!
I was a little lost in the business connections and negotiations at times but it didn't impact my enjoyment. Secondary characters were done well too. Geordie, Wes business partner, Nick and Eric's friend Josh, and maybe Finn, one of the investors, will be featured in coming books, I'm sure. The "Better Than" series was a favorite but I didn't connect much with the last two series Lane wrote. This is looking to be even better than "Better Than"!
April 4, 2017
I really liked this book, I honestly don't remember any of the stories in It Was Always You so I was a bit nervous that I was goin to be lost here, I honestly believe this can be read as a stand alone BUT you do get more context on Nick if you read the previous novella.
During my read I did remembered some of Nick's past, I was shocked because I really liked him here, he seems like a guy that lives in head and is very consumed by his work but he's pretty likeable and in the novella not really, I actually strongly disliked him so it was a nice character development.
All I have to say about Wes is that I love him, I love that he was older *sigh*
I liked the pacing of the relationship, this guys had the hots for each other but it wasnt an instant I love you, they had months to build the relationship.
For the life of me I can't remember Wes's bussines parter name and I love him so much! his story is so sad and he was such an interesting secondary character, I need his book.
During my read I did remembered some of Nick's past, I was shocked because I really liked him here, he seems like a guy that lives in head and is very consumed by his work but he's pretty likeable and in the novella not really, I actually strongly disliked him so it was a nice character development.
All I have to say about Wes is that I love him, I love that he was older *sigh*
I liked the pacing of the relationship, this guys had the hots for each other but it wasnt an instant I love you, they had months to build the relationship.
For the life of me I can't remember Wes's bussines parter name and I love him so much! his story is so sad and he was such an interesting secondary character, I need his book.
April 1, 2017
--⭐️⭐️⭐️5stars⭐️⭐️--
Wait!!! that's the last page? I keep flipping the book and hoping there's still more pages because damn i want more of Wes and Nick.
Lane Hayes, hands off! You didn't just redeemed Nick to me but you made me loved his quirks, his vulnerability and his genius mind. I think you bewitched me and put me inside Nick's mind for me to understand him because you know that i hated him in book one.
Loved loved loved this book. Though I wished that the epilogue was Wes pov but still i loved Nick.
Wait!!! that's the last page? I keep flipping the book and hoping there's still more pages because damn i want more of Wes and Nick.
Lane Hayes, hands off! You didn't just redeemed Nick to me but you made me loved his quirks, his vulnerability and his genius mind. I think you bewitched me and put me inside Nick's mind for me to understand him because you know that i hated him in book one.
Loved loved loved this book. Though I wished that the epilogue was Wes pov but still i loved Nick.
March 17, 2017
I just loved these two together.
Nick is a genius whose mind is always working overtime and can easily get lost in a project. Wes was a calming influence who understood him like no one else. They just fit.
I loved watching them become lovers and friends as they got to know each other. There were some minor bumps and a short separation along the way, but there was no doubt they loved each other and were meant to be.
Nick is a genius whose mind is always working overtime and can easily get lost in a project. Wes was a calming influence who understood him like no one else. They just fit.
I loved watching them become lovers and friends as they got to know each other. There were some minor bumps and a short separation along the way, but there was no doubt they loved each other and were meant to be.
March 16, 2017
It was okay. This book has such high ratings that it's probably a case of "it's not you, it's me" but I found it boring. Nick was sweet and Wes, too, but the story itself wasn't very interesting. I found myself feeling the most for poor Geordie, feeling badly for Wes vis a vis Mike and Kyle with respect to Finn. Don't think I will read further into this series.
November 11, 2021
I loved this book. I should have hated Nick. He was his own worst enemy, but somehow his venerability made him so likable.
January 28, 2018
Okayyyyy…I’m finished and I still don’t know who/what this is about. I was never able to get a read on the MCs, nor the circumstances surrounding them. I read the blurb several times, some reviews, and still, my brain is only filled with big question marks.
I'm going for a fair rating : I read it all, the sex was hot, the depiction of San Francisco quite vivid, and there were some touching scenes, dialogs and monologs that I could grasp. So, a case of “it’s me, not the book”.
**Note for Judith : thank you so much for this gift. So sorry I couldn't get into it <3**
April 21, 2017
Loved it!
What a fantastic, complex, and passionate character Lane Hayes has created in the form of Nick! She provided a great insight into the mental and emotional workings of a character whose outward actions fell outside of societal norms. Together with grounded and mature Wes, the two made for a combustible ride of hotness!
Such a pleasure to read and revel in the connection between these two men.
What a fantastic, complex, and passionate character Lane Hayes has created in the form of Nick! She provided a great insight into the mental and emotional workings of a character whose outward actions fell outside of societal norms. Together with grounded and mature Wes, the two made for a combustible ride of hotness!
Such a pleasure to read and revel in the connection between these two men.
May 30, 2017
Mostly just sex which I skip these days. There's a somewhat cute love story underneath it, though.
December 16, 2018
4.5 stars. Best thing I’ve read in a while. That first full sex scene with the cowboy suggestions although lacking details really revved my engine. Also Hayes did a totally believable job of making Nick likable after his total ass-hattery in the first book.
April 1, 2017
If you read book one then you probably thought Nick was a selfish asshole, just like I did. I was unsure if he was redeemable. His actions spoke of a person who had no regard for the people around him. While he had a strong group of friends who had become his family, his interactions with them spoke of a lack of concern for them, which I found hard to move past.
So, I was unsure about this book and I was unsure of a love interest of Nick's who could both be likable to me and whom Nick would be worthy of. Considering my low opinion of Nick going in, what kind of person would want to be with him? Certainly not a character I could get behind.
All of that is before I read this book. This book provides insight into Nick. He is a genius who lacks the ability to distinguish social cues. But we gain insight into who he is and how he copes. The mechanisms he has in place just to be around people in everyday, normal situations, that most of us handle with ease. Nick thinks he is broken and he has long ago given up trying to fix it as it has always been futile. He tries his best to come off as normal as possible. He knows he fails most times, but there isn't much he can do about it.
Then we meet Wes. Wes is direct, almost to the point of cruel at first. But he is direct in a way that Nick needs. He is understanding. How he just sees Nick and understands his needs is beyond my comprehension. He is patient and good natured about Nick's attitude and actions and reactions. And he is able to see Nick in a way even Nick can't see himself. In other words, Wes is perfect for Nick.
Wes finds in Nick a challenge that he has not ever encountered. Maybe a challenge he didn't even know he needed. They have more in common than you would think and their interactions with each other are thoughtful and caring.
And their chemistry is off the charts from their very first interaction.
I will say that at times I felt more anxious about situations than Nick himself. I wanted things to fall more in his favor, which admittedly isn't very realistic. Especially with Nick's interaction with Geordie after the pouring incident. I was so tense and my anxiousness didn't dissipate nearly as quickly as Nick's did. Nick was recovered and moving on with Wes, while I was still dwelling on it. I wanted Nick to be able to explain himself better and I wanted Geordie to understand him, but that would not have fit with either character at this point of the story, so that was all on me. But, my feelings on it speaks to how well Lane Hayes writes a scene. My heart went out to Nick and I wanted to wrap him in my arms and make everything better.
In the end, this story is Nick's. It is the story of how Nick grows as a person. He learns to accept himself, learns to trust the people around him and he learns what it means to love another person fully, with your whole being.
On to Geordie. I, of course, want his story. But I need time. I want him to have time to grieve and find himself and learn who he is a decade older, wiser, loved and having lost. We don't know Mike, we don't get a chance to meet him, but I think he deserves a proper grieving period. And so does Geordie.
So, I was unsure about this book and I was unsure of a love interest of Nick's who could both be likable to me and whom Nick would be worthy of. Considering my low opinion of Nick going in, what kind of person would want to be with him? Certainly not a character I could get behind.
All of that is before I read this book. This book provides insight into Nick. He is a genius who lacks the ability to distinguish social cues. But we gain insight into who he is and how he copes. The mechanisms he has in place just to be around people in everyday, normal situations, that most of us handle with ease. Nick thinks he is broken and he has long ago given up trying to fix it as it has always been futile. He tries his best to come off as normal as possible. He knows he fails most times, but there isn't much he can do about it.
Then we meet Wes. Wes is direct, almost to the point of cruel at first. But he is direct in a way that Nick needs. He is understanding. How he just sees Nick and understands his needs is beyond my comprehension. He is patient and good natured about Nick's attitude and actions and reactions. And he is able to see Nick in a way even Nick can't see himself. In other words, Wes is perfect for Nick.
Wes finds in Nick a challenge that he has not ever encountered. Maybe a challenge he didn't even know he needed. They have more in common than you would think and their interactions with each other are thoughtful and caring.
And their chemistry is off the charts from their very first interaction.
I will say that at times I felt more anxious about situations than Nick himself. I wanted things to fall more in his favor, which admittedly isn't very realistic. Especially with Nick's interaction with Geordie after the pouring incident. I was so tense and my anxiousness didn't dissipate nearly as quickly as Nick's did. Nick was recovered and moving on with Wes, while I was still dwelling on it. I wanted Nick to be able to explain himself better and I wanted Geordie to understand him, but that would not have fit with either character at this point of the story, so that was all on me. But, my feelings on it speaks to how well Lane Hayes writes a scene. My heart went out to Nick and I wanted to wrap him in my arms and make everything better.
In the end, this story is Nick's. It is the story of how Nick grows as a person. He learns to accept himself, learns to trust the people around him and he learns what it means to love another person fully, with your whole being.
These pieces of you…they’re so real. I want them to be mine. I don’t have much to offer in return, but whatever I have is yours.
On to Geordie. I, of course, want his story. But I need time. I want him to have time to grieve and find himself and learn who he is a decade older, wiser, loved and having lost. We don't know Mike, we don't get a chance to meet him, but I think he deserves a proper grieving period. And so does Geordie.
March 25, 2018
***Audio Review***
Not my favourite of Mr Russo's narrations. There were several errors, and his 'voice' for Geordie in particular, just didn't work for me....but that's personal choice, and may work perfectly well for other people. 4 stars max for the audio. 🙁
***Book Review***
I think we can all agree that Nick is an idiot...an unfiltered, socially awkward, never thinks before he speaks idiot, who also happens to be a brilliant genius as far as computer stuff is concerned, but as far as personal issues and thinking quietly are concerned ?? Nope, nada, not a clue....
For those that read the first in the series, Leaning Into Love, we know that Nick was brave enough to call his wedding to Lisa off, even though he knew there would most likely be nasty repercussions from her hugely rich father, but Nick being Nick, he's still trying to get his money back on the specially labelled wine he bought to celebrate the wedding from a winery in the Napa Valley. The owner of that vineyard, Wes Conrad, has already said no on several occasions, but Nick decides to pay the vineyard a visit and appeal to the owner personally, and needless to say, he likes what he sees.
There were lots of shenanigans in this story of the 'trying to get revenge' kind, and when Nick finally loses his cool and accuses Wes of going behind his back too, well I wanted to throw something at my kindle, or maybe just the kindle itself but...let's just say that things got back on track. Nice to catch up with Eric and Zane, and I definitely want a happy ending for Geordie and it must be with Josh, they both deserve good things to happen. 4.5 stars.
Not my favourite of Mr Russo's narrations. There were several errors, and his 'voice' for Geordie in particular, just didn't work for me....but that's personal choice, and may work perfectly well for other people. 4 stars max for the audio. 🙁
***Book Review***
I think we can all agree that Nick is an idiot...an unfiltered, socially awkward, never thinks before he speaks idiot, who also happens to be a brilliant genius as far as computer stuff is concerned, but as far as personal issues and thinking quietly are concerned ?? Nope, nada, not a clue....
For those that read the first in the series, Leaning Into Love, we know that Nick was brave enough to call his wedding to Lisa off, even though he knew there would most likely be nasty repercussions from her hugely rich father, but Nick being Nick, he's still trying to get his money back on the specially labelled wine he bought to celebrate the wedding from a winery in the Napa Valley. The owner of that vineyard, Wes Conrad, has already said no on several occasions, but Nick decides to pay the vineyard a visit and appeal to the owner personally, and needless to say, he likes what he sees.
There were lots of shenanigans in this story of the 'trying to get revenge' kind, and when Nick finally loses his cool and accuses Wes of going behind his back too, well I wanted to throw something at my kindle, or maybe just the kindle itself but...let's just say that things got back on track. Nice to catch up with Eric and Zane, and I definitely want a happy ending for Geordie and it must be with Josh, they both deserve good things to happen. 4.5 stars.
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