Somebody 2 Love

by Maria Vickers

Will the past come back to destroy everything they are building? Two strangers meeting by chance, searching for somebody to love, and finding each other.

Rhys had it all…for the most part. He didn’t mind leaving people or dreams in the past because he was determined to carve out a new future with his fiancé, Nick. But like a house of cards, it all came crashing down around him. Nick found someone else to love, and Rhys suddenly found himself with nothing. Will Rhys open his heart again or keep it sealed shut?

Declan experienced a lot as an Army doctor, but once he was able, he got out, tired of war and suffering. When he meets Rhys, Declan sees a brokenness in the other man’s eyes and wants to do anything he can to drive away Rhys’s ghosts. Even if it means risking his own heart.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2021

About the author

Maria Vickers is a bestselling and award-winning author who currently resides in St. Louis, MO with her pug, Spencer Tracy. She has always had a passion for writing and after she became disabled in 2010, she decided to use writing as her escape. Life is about what you make of it, you have to live it to the fullest no matter the circumstances.

From a young age, she has always loved books and even dreamed of being an author when she was younger. Growing up in the Navy, she used to weave tales for her siblings and her friends about anything and everything. And when she wasn't creating her own stories, she had a book in her hand. They transported her to another world. She hopes that her readers will have the same experience when reading her stories, and that, in some way, they can relate to her characters.

Getting sick changed her life forever, but it also opened doors for her that she thought would always be out of reach.

Reviews

[Tanja OMGReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have yet to find MM story that I don't like. This one was a quick read about two men who have been thrown together by chance but ended up being the right person for each other.

I don't usually like age gap in book but this one worked for me. I liked that Declan was a bit older because Rhys needed guidance. But what I loved the most is the slow burn that was driving me crazy but I know that had they ended up together sooner a lot would be lost in the story. So I'm happy to add one more book to the "I love MM genre" and I can't wait to see what this author come up with next.

* * * Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog * * *

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to the book and yah not really good for Rhys though. The way Rhys finds out his fiancée was cheating on him was bad but what happens next. Yah the Ex wasn't a nice person.
Told with both povs per chapter and I got the feelings coming from both of them.
“Love isn’t about losing yourself.”
Yah Rhys had a big wake up call but he needed to get on with life instead of mopping around. I would've loved less of hearing about Nick after what he'd done.
Includes Social anxiety, age gap, friends to lover's, and more.
A good book to read with this one and I loved the ending of this.

Question's...Hmm I thought Rhys didn't communicate with his parents? How did his mum know he'd broken up with the Ex in the letter?

Rhys, 22 yrs once engaged to Nick had given everything to be with him, even his family and nursing studies. Now Rhys was living with his bosses in a spare room.
Ex-military Doc Declan 36 now a café owner and part time doctor at the hospital.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with strong characters in Rhys and Declan. The author gives them a strong connection and a slow burn romance with a strong chemistry. I enjoyed watching them work toward a relationship and love. She paints her scenes perfectly and delivers a sweet romance.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review and much more can be found at Love Bytes Reviews

Rhys is a young guy from Montana who leaves college, his family and his friends behind in Missoula to move to Austin Texas. He meets a guy online, Nick, that makes him feel things he’s never felt before and so he follow the guy back to Texas when he’s 19 and has finished only a year of college working toward his nursing degree. His family and friends are absolutely unhappy about the situation. Rhys has been isolated by his shy personality and social anxiety in Austin and hasn’t made many friends or tried to pursue school any more. Which is fine with Nick – he’s happy to have Rhys at his beck and call. Since they are engaged, Rhys believes whole heartedly in their future together. Rhys has a job at a successful brewery, but he tries to be available for Nick whenever he wants. But then Nick gets very busy – working a lot of overtime and sometimes not even coming home at night. Turns out Nick has not really been working overtime, and those niggling doubts that Rhys are realized when Nick tells him he’s found someone else and Rhys needs to find somewhere else to live – with no prelude, notice, nothing.

Rhys is devastated by Nick’s betrayal. He’s all alone in a city that he’s lived in for nearly three years, with the exception of this boss, Baker. Baker can see that something is very very wrong with Rhys. He decides he needs to act to get Rhys out of this untenable situation. So he offers his guest room, no strings, until Rhys can get his feet under him. But Rhys is absolutely reeling. When Baker tells his best friend Declan about Rhys, Declan assumes the worst and thinks Rhys is out to take advantage of Baker’s generous nature. Then he meets Rhys at a friend’s barbecue and he realizes he’s been all wrong. He kind of terrorizes Rhys at their first meeting, but then tries to make up for it. And when Baker has to go out of town, he looks after Rhys and they come to a tentative truce. Rhys confides some things to Declan that he’s not shared with anyone else. Not even Nick. For some reason he feels like he can trust Declan.

Declan befriends Rhys and wants to help him get his life on track. But he’s quite a bit older than Rhys and he perceives that as an obstacle. His feeling is that Rhys needs to heal and recover from the devastation of Nick’s terrible treatment and that he needs to find somebody who will really appreciate him to build a life with. But he is definitely attracted to Rhys and cares a lot about him and for him. He is trying to give him space to figure out his path and determine what he really wants to do with his life. Along the way they build a solid friendship. But Rhys thinks he’s ready for more, but Declan doesn’t seem to be picking up his clues. But when a crisis unfolds and some meddling ensues, Rhys and Declan have to come clean about their feelings.

So I think this might be a case of it’s me, not necessarily the book. While the overall story was fine, there were a few things that detracted from my full enjoyment. I wanted a lot more details about Declan and his decision to step away from being a full-time doctor. It seems to me that there was a lot more to that story and the bare minimum was shared with the reader. I didn’t really feel like I got to know Declan, even though the story is told from alternating POVs. He was still a mystery to me. My biggest issue, however, was that while the first eighty percent of the book tell Rhys’s story of leaving his family and Montana and moving to Texas for Nick and their subsequent breakup and his downward spiral, just when he starts to open up to Declan, we have a time-jump that skips over how close they become as friends. We miss whatever signals Rhys thinks he’s giving Declan that he’s ready for more. We miss Declan’s holding himself back, even though he wants Rhys as more than a friend. We just get a lot of Declan’s reminiscence about how many erotic dreams he’s had about Rhys. This is the part of the story I was most interested and wanted to see! I wanted to be inspired by how Rhys had forged a new path forward after his terrible treatment by Nick. I wanted to understand how he had come to the place where he was ready to put his heart out there again. Instead the last fifteen percent of the book is a sort of crazy push comes to shove engineered confrontation that apparently was the culmination of months of tapdancing around each other. So I feel like I missed a lot of the natural progression of Rhys and Declan coming together as a couple. That was the fundamental change that takes place and I didn’t get to see it 🙁 I also found the writing style a little choppy for my taste, but again, this could be a me thing. As usual, YMMV.

[TinaMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhys gave up everything to live with his lover in Texas, only to be betrayed by him. He's a quiet, introvert who loves with his whole heart.

Dr. Declan Pierce is 36, he served as a Doctor for the Army, now he's an Army reservist, part-time ER doctor and coffee shop owner. He has a close circle of friends, and doesn't want to risk losing anyone.

They meet at a BBQ with mutual friends, where Rhys was still heart-broken over his fiancé's betrayal and Declan is determined to run him out of his friend's life. Declan quickly realized he misjudged Rhys and wanted to help him get back on his feet.

The start of this story has a lot of details then it just starts summarizing chunks of time. I wanted to feel and experience their slow burn, and Rhys' reclaiming his life, but it felt like cliff notes of their story toward the end. Most of the book isn't even about them, it's about Rhys' relationship with his family and with the man who betrayed and kicked him to the curb. Only the last 15-20% of the book is actually about Declan and Rhys.

I felt like the blurb was misleading, these two weren't thrown together and the question about 'will the past come back to destroy everything their building' was non-existent. My copy had several editing problems and story inconsistencies, which may have been fixed since this released back in 2021. All of these things just made this an okay read for me. It had potential, but it felt like the emphasis was in the wrong place.


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[Alexis Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Sigh. Finally done. This is a reluctant 3 stars because I received an ARC and don't know if any of the dozen or so errors I found have been fixed.

This was slow burn to the extreme with the MCs not even meeting until a third of the way through the book. I'm going to rant about name choices. Rhys is not a common American name, might be more common to find in NY or along the coast, but Montana?? Name choices are a pet peeve, but I'm usually willing to go with the flow if there is a reason for it, background or family history. Since I got none of this my peeve stands.

Next, let me rant about accents. Montana and Texas-born and not a single twang to be found. Anywhere! Not even a side character. So unrealistic. I truly felt for the emotional abuse Rhys suffered from Nick, but as the story went on, it became apparent that he knew he was being used and continued to stay in a bad relationship when at any time he could have tucked tail and gone home. So I ended up being pissed at Rhys for staying with his abuser when he had an out and chose not to use it and then cried about it. Ugh. Sorry, not sorry, for my lack of empathy.

There were also some major content issues, especially in that it seemed Rhys had been cut off from his parents, and later it seems he still has a decent relationship with them. There were a couple of other issues---hello British idiom!---that dragged me out of the story, too, including Baker's lies near the end, but whatever, by that time the damage had been done, and I was just reading to see how the author would end the story.

[Kristy Johnston · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rhys left his friends and family in Montana to move to Austin with his new BF, Nick, that none of them liked. In the process, he pretty much dropped out of nursing school since he had to reapply in a new state and his previous credits wouldn't transfer, so he got an assistant's job to pay for the groceries and his own phone while Nick paid for everything else. Rhys never went back to school.

While I can appreciate that Rhys is young and not used to the responsibility of providing for himself, when Nick dumps him with no notice, even moving his new young thing in with them in less than 24 hours, who breaks his only sentimental possession with no repercussions, this just didn't work for me. He has no friends and yet Nick hasn't spent any time with him in the last 3 months. Rhys spends too much time in his head instead of saying what needs to be said, instead of insisting on some form of respect for his sacrifices considering they were engaged and that promises were made. After his boss watches his absolute misery for a few weeks while he is living with the flaunting new couple, he offers to put Rhys up in his own house until he gets back on his feet. While that's sweet, the "woe is me, what do I do" character of Rhys isn't working for me considering he bravely moved across the country leaving everything he knew. DNF 20%

[Georgette B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was a pleasant surprise. Although generally enjoy an instalove story, I was glad this wasn’t that. I enjoyed the watching the chemistry between Rhys and Declan develop especially because they started as friends first.

This book tells about Rhys and Declan finding healing through love. Rhys left nursing school, his friends, and family to move to Texas with his boyfriend Nick who, after three years, dumped him in a monumental way. Heartbroken and lost, he reluctantly moves in with his boss Baker. Declan, Baker’s best friend, part-time doctor, and coffee shop owner, is suspicious that Rhys is taking advantage. When Baker asks Declan to talk to Rhys and encourage him to reclaim his life and possibly apply to nursing school, he agrees, if only to prove to his best friend that Rhys is a user. However, when he meets Rhys he sees a broken and scared young man.

Over the course of the next few days, they spend more time together. They grow closer and Rhys begins to heal. Their friendship and feeling row over the next four months. Although Baker tries to get Declan to admit he wants a relationship with Rhys, he insists he only wants to be his friend but Baker knows better and is determined to get these hard headed men together even if it means using deceit. Prompted by Baker, Rhys makes his move and gets his man!

This story is witty and sweet!

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhys had been ready for his happy life, leaving nursing school and everything behind to move toward his future with his fiancé, Nick. But Nick found someone else and left Rhys with absolutely nothing.

Baker, Declan’s best friend, took Rhys in and asked Declan to talk to Rhys and maybe encourage him to go back to nursing school. Declan was sure Rhys was using Declan’s kindness, but he found that wasn’t true. Declan and Rhys formed a close friendship, despite Baker trying to convince Declan there was more there. As Rhys regains his confidence, he is ready to make his move. Will Declan finally admit they are good for each other? Will they both be willing to take a chance on each other?

This was a really good story line where love and friendship really makes all the difference in a person’s life. We can practically see the healing and restoring of self-confidence in Rhys who can grow and become stronger with the wonderful support system he has in his friends. And Declan is a good friend to lean on! Grab your copy and see how their story unfolds.

[C.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the little voices in your head whisper, ask them to speak up! Rhys thought life was good. He had a good career. He had a loving fiance, Rick. He had it all, a good three years behind them. He didn't pay much attention to the chasm growing. Then, I love you. You're my best friend. You need to be out of the house, tomorrow, so my side piece can move in. After two weeks of resembling a Walking Dead extra, Rhy's boss, Baker offers him a spot in his guest room. Baker's best friend, Declan questioned Baker's actions. Declan, is a Vet who got beaten up by the war. He found his peace, working as a doctor part time and owning a coffee shop. Declan, was loaded for bear ready to 'handle' Rhys, until he met him. Then he realized fear and a deep hurt ensnared him. Will Declan, ease up on Rhys? Is he capable of compassion? Will Rhys find his courage? How they relate to each other may be their saving grace. Excellent story. Great group of supportive friends. Well done! I received an ARC from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danial · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly enjoyable story. A splendid work by the author.

This story is told from two points of views. Baker convinces Rhys to move out of his ex's home after his ex brings his side piece home to stay. Baker then gets Declan to help Rhys despite Declan protesting against it. I loved how Declan changed his opinion on Rhys the moment they met. I loved how Rhys, despite all his shyness, was comfortable around Declan. The author has done a wonderful job telling a story of Rhys healing and of Rhys and Declan being more comfortable with each other without sacrificing any part of the story. The pair only confess their feelings towards the end. I won't say who confessed to who as it's more enjoyable not knowing. I also loved the last scene involving Rhys. It was the perfect way to end the book.

In short, I enjoyed this book from the first page till the final page. The author has done a splendid job.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.25 stars

This is the story of how Rhys went from being in love to being dumped. The story of how one young man got out of an abusive relationship and, with the help of friends, managed to reclaim his own heart and his own destiny.

This book takes Rhys through the stages of grief. From anger and guilt to, finally, acceptance. He’s not interested in a rebound relationship, and Declan isn’t interested in pushing a 22-year-old kid — a kid almost 15 years younger than him — into something just because Declan is interested. And that’s pretty much the best part of this book. Too many books skip the pain of betrayal and go right to the next better, and hopefully healthier, romance. This story, though, is more about Rhys healing.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.

[Latecia Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

**First Time Reader** Wow...From start to finish I became invested in seeing what the outcome with Rhys will be. I had so many feels for this young man. He was dealt a sorry hand when he met that loser ex but it's a good thing he had supportive people by his side. I wouldn't say this was much of a romance but more like an emotional journey for Rhys and along the way he picked up a long lasting meaningful relationship with Declan. i enjoyed their banter and their closeness. Declan was good for the younger man and their forever at the end was real and a wonderful. I enjoyed this story and looking forward to more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[K.D. Hilt · Rating 4 out of 5]

M/M romance. I enjoyed this book and it wasn't bad at all. It just didn't keep my attention as much as I would have liked it to. This could be due to just the style of books I've been into reading right now. Overall this was a great book.
Rhys found out his fiancé Nick was cheating on him. Nick moves his new boyfriend into their apartment and after Rhys boss notices something is wrong, Baker offers for him to stay in his house, since Rhys has no family around him. He meets Baker's friend Declan at a BBQ later on. Declan is worried about weather Rhys is using his friend, but they soon begin to get along and grow close together. I don't want to really say more at risk of any big spoilers. If you like M/M romances with an age difference, you may like this book.

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

MENDING IS THE RIGHT ROAD

I haven't read a book by MARIA VICKERS in quite some time. I always enjoy her books. Rhys is a young man who gets his heart shattered. Alone in Texas, no close friends or family, he has no place to turn. Sure he will never be happy or loved again he spirals into a dark place. Knowing that he can't lose himself, he is wracking his brain on how to move forward. Declan is a coffee shop owner, a trauma Doctor and best friend to Rhys's boss. These two men start a friendship that starts to heal their battered souls. I really ENJOYED this book. I loved the characters that have enough potential to have their own books. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!

[T Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. Rhys and Declan are terrific characters as are the supporting cast. The story is so easy to follow, so appealing on every level and delightfully fun to read. The way this author began the story was unlike any I’ve read before, the heartache, yes, I’ve seen that before, but moving the boyfriend in before the ex is gone, oof, definitely different in the best and most interesting of ways. In fact this entire story kept me fascinated. Bottom line, I loved it from cover to cover, beginning to end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Juniper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the premise of this story a lot, and Rhys is absolutely a sympathetic character. It's hard not to feel for him, and to be happy when things start to get better for him. However, I didn't find Declan as easy to relate to, and some of the supporting characters felt more like caricatures than believable humans (looking at you here, Nick). Also, while stylistic taste is subjective, the narrative voice didn't work for me, as the dialog tended toward the stilted and unrealistic. There were definitely enjoyable moments, but overall this story and I weren't a great fit.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LJ Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I enjoyed the support that Baker, Finn and Declan gave Rhys after his douchbag boyfriend cheated on him and he didn't have a place to stay. Rhys had been so beat down emotionally that it took a while for him to see that he was worthy of love and that Nick, the old boyfriend, was a loser. The time that Declan and Rhys spent together as friends showed Rhys that he had a future and he just had to figure it out on his own after all. I think this was my first book by Maria Vickers and will look for more from her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good story where characters have been through rough times but meet someone who gets them to trust and open up again. Rhys found the perfect man in Declan and most importantly, Rhys never felt like a weak or broken character, just one who had been deeply wounded and determined to crawl in a shell and protect his heart. Declan hadn't been hardened by the suffering he saw in the war, he was able to see pain and hurt in others and wanted to ease that. How he approached Rhys and how they helped each other was lovely.

[Elaine Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love this book. Somebody 2 Love is sweet, romantic, friends to lovers, some angst, funny, slow build, great friends and characters, and I read this book in one sitting. Declan and Rhys are great together and the chemistry between is seen from the moment they meet. Rhys just broke with is fiancée, got kicked out of his apartment, and found out that he's been replaced by someone else. Declan is a doctor, army vet and own his own business. These two get to know one another and they start developing friends with each and I enjoyed how they help each other out.

[Stephanie W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written story of two men, whom are broken and managed to find support, healing and love in one another.
When you find out the man who is supposed o be the love of your life, cheats on you. The natural instinct is avoidance. Thankfully, Rhys found out before it was too late. It doesn't make the betrayal any less painful.
Rhys and Declan, are worth taking a chance on and I hope others enjoy this just as much as I have.


**I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.**

[Rosie Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flattened by his boyfriend's callous betrayal, Rhys is all but drowning in a mire of grief and self-doubt. Initially suspicious of Rhys' motives and that he's taking advantage of his best friend, Declan slowly realises Rhys is simply lost, so lost he might never find his way out. Their story is a slow burn and the better for it, because each have obstacles and issues to overcome. Well written, with plenty of humour to counteract the challenges. Great read!

[Janet Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was about healing. Rhys is broken, all alone with no one. He’s struggling to move on. Declan is his boss’s best friend, owns a coffee shop and an Army doctor. When he meets Rhys he can see something is not right. I loved the chemistry between Rhys and Declan and how they developed a friendship first. I’m voluntarily reviewing from an advanced copy that I received.

[Jurae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhys has just had his heart broken after being in a relationship for three years. Declan is an doctor who is now in the reserves after serving his country. Both are broken men who find that they can heal one another.

This was a good book though not my genre. I enjoyed reading this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Wei · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author to me, and I found the story of Rhys and Declan sweet and emotional. I enjoyed reading how after the horrible letdown, Rhys was able to put himself back together, and then embarked on the journey of healing with the help of Declan. It was a remarkable story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanine Beaulieu St Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheaters never win

Loved this book,I felt bad for Rhys when his asshole Nick cheats on him and moves his new man in but than Rhys boss helps him out and then he meets Declan when he starts to heal his heart and have his own HEA

[R.M. Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful tale of two broken souls finding solace in each other. I found myself rooting for Rhys from the beginning and feeling every inch of his pain. If you love a story where two characters truly come together and perfectly mesh, this is it.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhys is struggling with a bad breakup, Declan doesn't trust easily. Neither expected the other. Will Rhys be able to find himself again? Will Declan accept that he is worth it?

Absolutely loved these two. I loved seeing Rhys learn to love himself and overcome his heartbreak. I loved seeing Declan help Rhys and in a way help himself. Great read and cannot wait for more from this author!

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody 2 Love by Maria Vickers is a well written and entertaining read.  Rhys and Declan are great characters - they were sweet and it was fun to watch them form a friendship and fall in love. 

[Raven Immortas · Rating 5 out of 5]

New to me author. Great story. Enjoyable characters. Worth the read. Check it out! Wont be disappointed

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.