Nothing to Lose

BrewBiz #related

by E.M. Lindsey

Once upon a time, in a small seaside town, a happy man living a happy life brings other people joy with his delicious bakes.

And then a storm cloud moves in next door, and suddenly things are...different.

A war between them is brewing, like a hurricane offshore, and if Peyton isn't careful, Hudson is going to sweep him into the raging waters like a tsunami.

Nothing To Lose is a previously released serial novel set in a small-town featuring a grumpy neighbor with a secret profession, a sunshine baker who thinks a few well baked, browned butter cookies can solve a lot of problems, a stray cat, a noisy bird, and the sweetest happily ever after.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Disability, Contemporary, Grumpy Sunshine, LGBT, Slow Burn

225 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2023

About the author

E.M. Lindsey is the author of MM contemporary romance. She presently lives and works in the southeastern United States.

EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.

Reviews

[Janet (iamltr)]

Oh my heart...

Not gonna lie, this may be the best book I have read this year. I have been waiting for the finished version to be released as I can't do serials and it was worth it.

Slight Spoilers ahead

In here we have Peyton, a half Japanese man who was raised white in his adopted family. Yall, I am a half Japanese person raised by white people and this is the first time I could see myself in a story. I'm not adopted, but I knew what he was talking about as I too had such comments thrown at me.

Anyways, Peyton has Crohn's and had to have an emergency surgery resulting in a stoma and bag and a Barbie butt. I never knew that they actually sewed the anus up. Being a young gay man, he didn't know how he was going to have a partner since he would never have anal sex again. Peyton is also a instagram famous baker who lost his bakery when he had his surgery.

One day he finds out that Hudson has moved in next door. Now Hudson is a grumpy wheelchair using sex toy maker. His life has not been easy.

When these two meet, its instant attraction but no lie, there is not even a kiss until 80% in.

Of course the grumpy one gets won over by the nicer one and it ends wonderfully and messy.

We also got a glimpse of the coffee shop owned by the deaf twins which is being serialized on patreon. I am on the patreon but like I said before, I can't do serials so I will read the cafe brothers once the book is released.

[Ed Davis]

Another wonderful book by E. M. Lindsey. I loved this story. I couldn’t believe how awful Hudson was in the beginning of the book. Even though I wanted to hit him I knew E. M. would have me loving him by the end of the story. I read Affogato some time ago so I was delighted to have a chance to visit with Caleb and his crew.

[Adaline]

3.5 Stars.
As it’s usual with EM Lindsay, I love the disability rep, I love the build it to the relationship but then when they get together the book deflates like a ballon for me. It goes too sappy.

Which I think may be a sell point for some but it doesn’t work for me. I will continue reading all their books cause the rep is truly fantastic. I just wish the romance part especially when they are together worked better for me.

[The Secret Librarian]

Rating: 3 ♥️
Steam: 2 🔥
PoV: dual, 3rd person

I’m usually a big fan of E.M. Lindsey’s books and love their writing, so I was a bit sad that this didn’t quite work out for me.

There were a lot of great tropes in this one, along with some fantastic disability representation! As always it felt realistic and respectfully written, as well as thoroughly researched. Stories like this one always makes me reflect and I really appreciate the thoughts and discussions that this book brought up. Peyton’s struggles were especially hard to read at times and it was easy to feel for him.

Peyton was the ultimate sunshine character, he was so sweet and such a people pleaser, while Hudson was the opposite. I usually love grumpy characters but I honestly felt like Hudson took it too far, he was just plain rude and pretty terrible to Peyton in the beginning and it didn’t sit right with me. Despite that, I ended up enjoying Hudson’s PoV and he showed some softer sides as well, but I still had a hard time getting over the first interactions he had with Peyton.

I really wanted to love this story, and I’m glad I gave it a chance because the representation was great, but there were several things I struggled with and that simply wasn’t for me. Some coincidences that were a bit much, and a few things felt a bit too abrupt for my liking. However, I’m sure that it’s a story that some readers will love, and it’s definitely worth giving it a chance!

[Mariah]

3.75 sigh I thought this would finally be it.
The it in question would be as yet elusive EML 5 star for me.
I feel like often times we start with premium ingredients but somewhere along the way the recipe is smudged or illegible and the end product misses the mark a bit.

this had a delicious slow burn with plenty of time dedicated to getting to know the MCs individually, which is a great thing imo. but i could tell 60% in that the pacing was off for the number of pages in the book. I wasn't surprised when we barely had time to linger with the couple after they finally did become a couple - which I've seen many times before in EML books.

I'm all for getting to know them separately, but part of the draw of romance for me is seeing how two (or more) people fit together and grow and just an epilogue is not enough time to do that.

i needed 150 pages of domestic bliss to really make this book shine.

but i shall continue in my hunt for the 5 star EML, because even when i don't find it, i still get unique stories with diverse characters that are vibrant, human and so real. on to the next one.

[Sarah]

3.5 - The pacing in this is super bizarre. Lovely slow burn then bam insta-love then random time leap then epilogue. I was really getting into it when suddenly the book ended. It was a cute story though and I love that it has really well done dual disability rep. The two MC’s were complex medically and I loved it until about 85% when the characters got together and then it flopped. Their grumpy/sunshine personas disappeared and it all got quickly wrapped up in a sugary bow. This then made the characters feel empty, their troubles suddenly disappeared off page and I didn’t understand what the point of trying to keep track of all the side characters during the story was, as we never met them again.

One of the MC’s has Crohn’s which is not a common find in romance novels, if this is something you find interesting to read about I highly recommend Jay Hogan’s Digging Deep which also really accurately depicts an MC with Crohns.

[Kaje Harper]

As usual, Lindsey creates interesting and engaging main characters with challenges (in this case, the effects of Crohn's surgery, and the disability left from spinal tumor surgery.) Both men have realistic reactions, irritability, self-doubts, and wondering about who they are now their world has changed, presented in a matter-of-fact way that doesn't angst. I liked the way that both men were determined to reclaim their sexual nature, despite having to do it in ways that were not their past preferences. And that they were prickly with each other, over tentative back and forth gestures.

I almost wanted a little more drama with the antagonists who'd been set up in the story (especially the mother, on page rather then off), and a bit slower burn once the burn happens. At the same time, I liked the low-key treatment of the romance between these guys. Their siblings/friends kept them from being too isolated, and the one big coincidence didn't seem too unlikely. Another good book from a favorite author.

[Joyfully Jay]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

Nothing to Lose is a sweet story with really interesting characters. It was originally published as a serial, but has since been combined together and released as a single novel. I’m not a big serial reader, so I was excited to see this re-release and I think the transition of the individual chapters into one book feels very seamless. This is a fairly quiet story with an intense focus on Hudson and Peyton. I say time and again that E.M. Lindsey is so masterful at character development and that is really showcased here. The men are on similar journeys, both having survived significant health situations that changed their lives and now mostly settled back into their new normal.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Kris]

I struggled with this one, I genuinely did not like Hudson for over half of the book. He wasn't a betrayed, hurt man, he was just a jerk and a mean one at that. I'm not a fan of the enemies to lovers trope, as I've never met anyone I truly felt hate for that I would ever consider letting near me much less have sex with me.
The middle part of the book was well done, the tension ramping up nicely to the "reveal" that Peyton's bad date was Hudson's ex.... but then the book dissolved into cheesy rainbows and tweeting birds and gagggggggggggggggggggg
I can honestly say I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone and I'm certain I won't reread it either.

[K]

This was my first book by E.M. Lindsey, and it will not be my last. The exploration of a relationship between 2 people with disabilities is so different from 98% of the MM romance out there, it was really a breath of fresh air. I particularly appreciated the window into Peyton's adjustment to his body and his new sexual reality, and thought the sex positivity and depiction of a satisfying sex life that isn't your typical "insert tab A in slot B" was fabulous. Given some of the side characters I'm wondering if this is the start of a series that shows MCs with different physical abilities - I really hope so. I also loved the inclusion of a non-white MC and discussion of the casual racism that is so pervasive. The grumpiness-to-insta-love was pretty abrupt, and there were a few coincidences that were a little too much - the ex being a big one - but overall it was well written enough and different enough from what else is out there that I didn't mind. Highly recommend it for something fresh and different yet still sexy and fun.

[Steph]

I applaud the author for taking readers outside of their comfort zone, I have read several of Their previous series so I know They are amazing at writing 'outside the box' by celebrating adaption rather than concentrating on just limitations. The portrayal of Peyton's Chrohn's and stoma was talked about with dignity and positivity. I felt the author had actually bothered to research and find out all the information an ignorant reader needed to know. I was glad we heard about potential 'disasters' that could happen and genuine worries and that they were not ignored; It gave the story credibility. The story is written in duel POV which means you get to know both characters.  Once you take away the initial storyline of limitations, devastation and burden that both MC's carry on their shoulders we are left with a sunshine/grumpy story that has humour and chemistry. Despite the sexual scenes being adapted to suit both men they were really sexy and felt incredibly intimate. The ending was a very HEA and was just perfect. Lots of secondary characters were introduced so I am looking forward to more stories in this series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Vfields Don't touch my happy!]

By the numbers…
3.5 stars
2 interesting characters
2 fascinating challenges
5+ supporting characters
1 destructive parent
1 reader who wanted to spend more time watching these two grow into a couple. Alas…

[thosemeddlingkids]

3.5 stars

This was 4 stars up until the 85% mark, then it got way too mushy for me. I really appreciate the care and research Lindsey puts into their characters and representation. However, I struggle with the actual romance/chemistry/relationship dynamics within some of their romances. I really enjoyed both Hudson and Peyton's characters, they were complex and dynamic. But once they got together, it felt like they changed personalities entirely. We had this grumpy/sunshine neighbors situation going to immediately being each other's baby's and true loves. Happy for them, but I thought we were in a slow burn romance.

[Terri]

If grief from life changes bugs you in fiction, skip this one. (But it's good, for anyone able to handle grief.) More specifically, each main character is handling grief differently; they're very different people, with different issues. Conflict is a given. I liked the progression. And, I've met a narcissist, and seen her attempts to ruin a friend. The 'bad guys' are creepily spot-on.

That said, the last few chapters were not well edited, boo. And there are two choices the author made that were, sorry, stupid. One is Peyton signing his notes as a friendly neighbor with merely his initial. What. He also assumes a male neighbor, based on the moving guys. Again, what. No one's perfect, but that's why we hire the good editors who work on the whole story.

This is the only novel I've read in the series. While the disabilities are handled well, and it's generally good, I'm not interested enough in any other characters to try the others.

[SandyB]

3.5 stars.
This was a mixed bag of a read for me - overall, there was great representation, good levels of steam, and fantastic chemistry between the two MCs. Hudson’s grump factor is pretty intense at the beginning, and Peyton’s sunshine, fortunately, had a bit of a balance from his interactions with his best friends because it could have gotten old fast. Hudson’s bird and Peyton’s cat were even fun. However, for me, the story felt rushed over some secondary plot points (ones that maybe didn’t need to be introduced at all), so I didn’t get quite the same “wow, what a great read” feeling that the author’s books usually give me.

[Penumbra]

Nothing to Lose is the first book of a new series either called ‘BrewBiz’ or ‘Out to Sea.’ It’s labeled two different things. Anyway, the main characters are Peyton, a baker, and Hudson, a designer of adult toys. This is told in third person from both Peyton and Hudson’s povs.

First, I like the cover. I think it represents Peyton well since he’s half-Japanese.

I enjoyed this book. The author did a good job of creating two characters with distinct personalities and voices that carried throughout the story. The blurb doesn’t describe the plot very much so I’ll add a bit more. Peyton suffers from Crohn’s disease that became so severe he had to have surgery that resulted in getting a stoma and wearing a bag. He used to have a bakery, but when Peyton became ill, he lost the bakery. Now he’s trying to restart by writing a blog and a mail order business with his bakery items. Hudson had surgery for a tumor on his spine. The surgery left him paralyzed. Married at the time, Hudson’s husband Austin, divorced him. Since the divorce, Hudson has been bitter, but turned to developing sex toys for people with handicaps. Hudson moved in next door to Peyton, and Peyton welcomed Hudson with some baked goods which Hudson refused. That’s how the two men start to interact.

I liked Peyton but at the same time I felt his pain. It’s like he tried to remain optimistic, but he could never forget about his bag because if he did, it created an extreme mess. He wanted to have a relationship and sex again, but he was depressed about what a potential partner would think, and therefore afraid to date. He was constantly trying not to dwell on what he lost in his life and he was having a difficult time of it. Peyton was an excellent baker and he fretted over the fact that Hudson refused his food overtures. Hudson was a bitter grouch. He didn’t want to associate with anyone except with the friends he already had and he didn’t want anyone to know what he did for a living. This is a very slow friendship-to-lovers buildup between the two men. They don’t have sex until about three-quarters of the way through the book. By the end of the story, I could believe in Peyton and Hudson as a couple.

I liked Nothing to Lose. The author did a great job writing about two different physical disabilities and the emotions that Peyton and Hudson went through dealing with their situations. I recommend this book and give it 4 Stars. It looks like there’s another book about a couple of baristas, that appeared in this story, coming soon. I’m interested in reading what that one is about.

[Molly Otto]

Wow

All you can really say is that em lindsey is the master of inclusive writing. They have a way of writing powerful moving works for you as the reader to see from other views and ways of life. I'm truly masterful with each book I've had the pleasure of picking up. Peyton and Hudson are both raw from life changing illnesses that make atypical sex now a thing of the past, but when they are able to open up to one another, all things click into place, and it's truly magical. Another great read from this author.

[Mir Jak]

"What part of NOT INTERESTED is confusing for you?"

Wow !!! What a book !!! We meet both MC's who are at a point in life where they are relearning how to tackle day-to-day jobs/chores etc. They've both gone through trauma/illness - and that was a real eye-opener for me. The author writes about their trials with empathy but also with honesty and plenty of emotion - no sugar coating it, that's for sure. The story is also sweet, funny and loving....... loved the supporting characters as well. Intense book but oh so worth it !!
Received an arc of this book and voluntarily leave my review.

[Crisana]

I always end up giving this author mostly 3* but this one was quite good so deserves a bit more. The disability rep is also something this author does really well. My only issues would be that it took quite a bit for the MCs to get together and after that happens it became overly sweet.

[Lingovise]

Great representation… rushed, awkward and clumsy delivery.
2.5…

[DLB2572]

This one was ok for me. While I did like the story in the end, it took me a bit of time to really connect to the characters. I'm still glad that I gave it a chance.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Ro]

I wanted to love this. And I gave it three for the honesty about stomas. But things weren't cleared up. Why was Hudson mother like that? We are told it but we don't really see much. How did Peyton help him get away from her?

[Bkwrm24]

Hudson and Peyton ❤️
4 Stars ⭐️

This story was the epitome of Grumpy/Sunshine and takes life after trauma to a whole different level in terms of different ways of coping. E.M Lindsey always has a special way of developing characters with specific disabilities, taking both their struggles and triumphs and winding them into beautifully written tales of love, compassion and often times healing. This book is just another fine example of just how talented this author truly is in that respect. The slow burn relationship development between Hudson and Peyton wasn't always easy to read, it was ugly and angry at times, sweet in some others, touching and honest...the payoff was perfection...chefs kiss💋 I would 100% recommend this read!

* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *

[Lindsey Middlemiss]

MM Romance with Fantastic Disability Rep

Another good MM romance with fantastic disability rep from EM Lindsey. Grumpy/sunshine, kinda enemies to friends to lovers with a HEA.

Peyton is a gay man dealing with life after major surgery for Crohn's Disease. He's now well enough to restart his popular bakery business, but can't work out how to deal with dating or sex following surgery, especially as a mixed race adoptee.

Hudson's business is taking off, but he's still trying to get past his divorce, as well as finding somewhere to live that's suitable for his reality living with a spinal injury. Dating as a disabled divorcee with an attitude and major trust issues seems too hard.

When grumpy Hudson moves into the house next door to sunny Peyton, at first they can't stand each other, but then an unexpected gift leads to so much more.

[Kathleen in Oslo]

2.5 stars

I started reading this when it was being serialized on EM Lindsey's website. It went on hiatus this autumn, and I was chuffed to see that it's completed and coming out. It's grumpy-sunshine and disaster-neighbors-turned-friends-turned-lovers with two disabled MCs, a nightmare ex, an even more nightmare mother, a stray kitty, a disgruntled bird, and lots of baked goods.

Unfortunately, this didn't read as well in book form as it did in serialized form. I think the bite-size bits I was getting online was the better way to read it, because cumulatively, it was a lot. And particularly the POV of Peyton, the baker and sunshine half, who is WAY too sunshine. Like, pathologically so. Distressingly so. This is, in fact, a plot point -- Peyton knows that he is a people-pleaser and that he takes it to extremes -- but I just couldn't with his POV. I also thought the writing was weaker in the Peyton sections, maybe because "sunshine" easily tips over into "facile". It just seemed very surface-level in Peyton's head, even though his struggle to adapt physically and mentally and emotionally to his new normal (after life-saving/-changing surgery for Crohn's disease) is empathetically and sensitively depicted.

Hudson, meanwhile, is grump extraordinaire -- and though I am naturally more inclined to grumps, even I was a bit taken aback by his initial interactions with Peyton. Just as sunshine can tip to facile, grump can tip to asshole, and Hudson definitely finds himself on the wrong side of that line at first. That said, I found Hudson's POV much more relatable and enjoyable. He reads more mature -- he is more mature (forgot to mention, this is also age-gap) -- and he's had longer time to adapt to his disability (partial paralysis caused by a benign spinal tumor).

Once Peyton and Hudson start actually interacting in person rather than via ill-fated bakes, things pick up. They have good chemistry and, yeah, it progresses at lightning speed, but that's EM Lindsey for you. Like, even their slow burns (which I suppose this is, based on when they actually get together) are kind of insta? At the same time, the honesty and vulnerability and trust between Peyton and Hudson when they first get physically intimate really sells the romance.

The disability rep is what makes this book stand out (note that I cannot speak to the rep from personal experience). Peyton is mourning how his changed body affects his sex life in the most drastic of ways -- he is a bottom who can no longer bottom, because his asshole is literally sewn shut -- but he also feels like he's supposed to be grateful rather than devastated, as if losing a core element of your sexual identity and pleasure is just another side effect that disabled people are supposed to shrug and bear. Hudson has committed his post-paralysis life and career to making sex toys designed for people with disabilities, but it has been a difficult journey -- not least when he was dumped by his ex for no longer being able to top him. They are both unapologetically sexual beings in a world that still, sadly, tends to treat people with disabilities as neutered or undesirable or undesiring.

So this leaves me loving the rep but wishing it was contained in a better story. There was just too much going on with all the side characters and stories and drama, and the writing wasn't up to the usual EM Lindsey standard, especially in Peyton's POV. A solid read, but not one I'll be going back to.

I got an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews, thanks! This is my honest review.

[Aubrey]

Nothing to Lose is incredibly heartwarming, but also incredibly heartbreaking. Peyton and Hudson tell their stories truthfully, and authentically. They don't shy away from the all of the truths of their respective disabilities, and the limitations and challenges that can sometimes come their way. Their lives have been changed in very permanent ways - but these changes never hold them back. Or, at the very least, they try not to let them.

Peyton is sunshine personified. And even though he shows that on the surface, he's hurting. He's hurting, and he's frustrated, and he's angry, and he feels like he's lost something huge. And some days he works through those feelings with ease, and other days he doesn't. And he accepts that living with Crohn's is a part of who he is. And while he's still finding his way to his new normal, he focuses on the good - his booming home baking business, his relationships with his brother and his best friend, and his grumpy new neighbour he's determined to win over with baked goods.

Hudson has been through hell. He's survived a benign tumour that injured his spine and left him partially paralyzed from the waist down. He's survived adapting to his new normal, through treatments and physical therapy, and he's survived a really shitty husband who left him right in the middle of it all. And he's survived the trauma of being raised by a narcissist. And despite all that, Hudson has come out on top. He has a successful business, a solid best friend who has his back, and a future ahead of him. But he's still who he's always been - a grumpy curmudgeon who doesn't need to make friends, no matter how enticing the baker's muffin's look.

And in true trope fashion, the sunshine sneaks in through the cracks in the storm clouds. Peyton and Hudson get to know each other better. They have very, very frank discussions with each other about living with their new abilities. And they learn to trust each other, and care for each other.

At this point, we all know I'm a sucker for a grumpy/sunshine slow burn romance. And this book has that. But it didn't feel like the main focus of the book. To me, the main focus was how resilient the human body can be, and how adaptable we can be to our new normals, new abilities, and new challenges and limitations when our bodies change in very big, very permanent ways. To me, the main focus of this book was that when your world gets turned upside down, you can move forward, adapt, and keep going. Taking the bad days with the good days, and just doing our best.

I do not relate to some these things. Yes, I have migraines. Yes, I have chronic pain. Yes I have good days and bad days and days where getting out of bed makes me want to have a mental breakdown. But I simply can't relate to the ways Peyton and Hudson have adapted their lives to their bodies. I don't know how authentic these experiences are. But they felt real to me. I felt what they were feeling. I was right there on that ride with them as they were feeling their feelings and expressing themselves.

And that's why I loved this book so much. I loved their individual journeys through their good and bad days, but I also loved their journey to each other. I loved that they got to know each other, and they had hard discussions, and they talked about the good days and the bad days together. I loved that they took their time finding their way to each other.

Honestly, I just loved it all. And I would read it all over again and again on my own good days and bad days, and all the days in between.

[Katriana]

Nothing To Lose was originally released as a newsletter serial, people who were subscribers to E.M.'s newsletter was able to read a chapter every week or so.

Now it's been officially released so everyone has access to it! Which I think is terrific.

"More than that, I miss what baking was to me. But I'm working on loving it again, and the fact that you're all still looking at this account means something. I don't know what my future will look like, but I feel like this might be the start to getting back one of the things I loved most and thought I had lost."

I edited that paragraph a bit, but the words I have above are ones I relate to the most. Before my own health went down hill, baking was my happy place. I'm trying to enjoy it again, but it won't ever be in the same way.

When I first read this in the newsletter I teared up reading it, just like I did while reading it this time.

'The earliest symptoms had started out in his late teens as chronic stomach aches which his parents said was just anxiety. That morphed into bloating and pain after his twentieth birthday, then weird outbreaks of cold sores first in his mouth - then moving his eyes of all places.'


I can relate a lot to Peyton. I've had abdominal pain and food sensitivities for years now and it just gets worse and worse. So I can relate to Peyton feeling grief over the fact that his body isn't what it once was and that is out of his control. To mourn the life you had at one point. I've been there, I'm still there actually.

Hudson was also dealing with his own struggles as well, not just with his body but also with the emotional warfare his mom put him through and she continues to try to put him through. Then! His ex Austin left him because he didn't like that Hudson couldn't do the same things he used to, that's seriously messed up! I don't know if I've ever disliked a character more.

I'm so glad these two eventually got together, they are great for each other and compliment one another excellently. I thought it was frankly adorable that Peyton adopted Ginger;(the stray cat) she was an adorable feature. I also loved the side characters! Eli, Rain and Linden, I really hope they get their own stories at some point. I would love that! I've said this before and I'll say it again, E.M. knows how to write characters that you can connect with. It's extraordinary!

I don't have Crohn's but I think this was such a wonderful representation of what it's like to not only grieve your body from before, but also trying to accept how your body is after. Even if you don't have Crohn's, but have had severe stomach pain, or have had a mass in your spine or anything that has changed the way you live, this is a wonderful book to read!

'They never had to face themselves in the mirror and say aloud, "This is never going to change. This is your reality now," just to let those words sink in. '

The next paragraph I'm going to have here is one I, and others I'm sure, can relate to.

'It was never, ever feeling like he had control and knowing there was no cure- there was only management.'

*I received an early copy of this book and this is my honest review.*

[Sophie Reads Stories]

I really love EM Lindsey’s writing and how sensitively they deal with characters’ disabilities as well as mental health struggles. Their characters always feel like real people, dealing with real-life situations in very real ways. Their struggles are never exploited for plot points or to create inspiration porn for readers, and their HEAs are never rose-tinted, "his love saved me" HEAs, but rather two (or sometimes multiple) characters falling in love while struggling and supporting each other.

Payton’s Chron’s disease is not something that I was familiar with before reading this book. And, while Hudson has a spinal injury that has been covered in Lindsey's previous works (though not this specific spinal injury), the focus was on both men's struggle with adapting to the way their bodies now work and how it affects their sexual lives.The disability representation was done (as always) so sensitively, and the sex positivity from both characters was incredibly satisfying to read. I know not everyone is comfortable with being a sexual being, but it was so refreshing to read a story where BOTH main characters share this trait.

Hudson and Payton’s story is a classic grumpy/sunshine neighbour story, with Hudson being an undeniably grump with a capital G (as well as an initial jerk to Payton) and Payton so sunshiny you will need glasses. While reading their story, you quickly learn their reasons for being this way. You also learn that Hudson finds doing the Grump thing 24/7 not only exhausting, but also not who he really wants to be. You also learn that Payton’s sunny demeanour is due to his people-pleasing tendencies, which he is working very hard to unlearn. In the end, both men change just enough to keep the grumpy/sunshine dynamic that I love so much while learning healthier ways to be with each other and other people.

I also loved the fact that Payton is a baker (I just love bakers in stories) and that Hudson has a sex toy company with a disability rep. That is not something that we read about often.

As with all of Lindsey’s books and characters, I learned something new regarding living with a disability, and I am always thankful for that. My mother suffers from a genetic eye disease and slowly losing her sight, and Lindsey's books have helped me understand that there are so many assisted devices and tools available to help her live a full and love-filled life with her illness.

I read this knowing very little about the characters or their stories but knowing that if Lindsey wrote it, I would love it! And I was right.

[Woodatsi]

This is author is known to me because of her emotional stories. She doesn't shy away from taking on heavy topics such as disability, and here she does it again. In this story we have two MC's who've both endured health problems and have each found a way to lead their lives in the best way possible.

Peyton is a baker, he used to have his own little bakery but he had to close down his business due to suffering from Crohn's disease which led to a major surgery. He now has a stoma and is finally coming to terms with that and ready to start up his live again. He decides to take up his baking but is doing it from his home and posts his pastries on his Instagram. He gets so much response that he can start doing deliveries again.

Hudson is Peyton's new neighbor. After ending up in a wheelchair, his husband left him, and that has made him into a grumpy man. He's the founder of a company that develops sex toys especially for disabled people He's working with some close friends. All he wants is to be left alone, but deep down he longs for someone who loves him just as he is.

When both men meet, it sure isn't love a first sight. But bit by bit they get to know each other and their relationship grows into something deep and loving. Both men are there for each other, support one another and it was great to see how that made them stronger.

I loved everything about this book and I hope that the lovely side characters in this book also get their story.

*I kindly received a copy of this book by Gay Romance Reviews and these are my honest thoughts.*

[Nancy Lockett]

I really love this authors writing and how they realistically portray individuals with physical disabilities. Hudson, a grumpy recently divorced man who owns a adaptive sex toy company, moves in next door to Peyton, a sunny baker. They each have had severe changes to their life. Hudson due to a benign tumor on his spine with resulting changes in mobility and sensation, and Peyton due to Crohn's disease and recent having a stoma surgery. They are each navigating their new normal and are leery of dating again due to fear of how others will react to their body. This is a bit of a enemies to friends to lovers story. When Peyton realizes he has a new neighbor, he bakes him some cookies but Hudson just wants to be left alone and sends the cookies back with a mean message. Peyton keeps trying with different baked goods until finally Hudson cracks. They end up bonding over the changes in their lives and soon realize how attracted they are to each other and their relationship soon becomes physical. The sex scenes are adapted for each characters needs but are fire level steamy. Society tends to "neuter" and treat people with disabilities a bit like children. I like how this book shows that those with disabilities are still multidimensional people with physical desires and still want and deserve a loving relationship with a partner. This author's books are always a must read for me, and I highly recommend this book.