by
Elian, a sexy restaurateur meets Martin, an equally sexy food critic. Will their past keep them from giving love a chance?
Restaurant entrepreneur Elian Whitman believes hard work and determination usually wins out in the end, but that theory is put to the test after meeting the handsome but reticent Martin Williams.
Martin knows better than anyone that relationships can fall apart when you least expect them to. After a nasty break-up he leaves his Texas home and restarts his life as a restaurant critic in Fort Lauderdale. Just as Martin is coming to terms with the belief that he’s going to spend the rest of his life alone, he comes face to face with the sexy Elian who throws his perfectly controlled world into chaos.
Despite the roadblocks Martin throws up, Elian is persistent, but is persistence enough to break through Martin’s thick walls and give them both a chance at love
- 1 To Be Read list
Publisher: Independently Published
Editors:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 5
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: 26-35
Protagonist 2 Age: 18-25
Tropes: Bad Breakup, Beach Romance, Fake Relationship, Love Can Heal / Redemption, Office / Workplace Romance
Word Count: 56546
Setting: Texas and Florid
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
“I liked them,” I said too quietly, then turned toward the group. “I actually liked them. They were sweet and accommodating and even understanding but …” I drifted off, then said to the woman next to me, “Pass me another beer. I plan to get totally wasted, ladies.”
They all cheered, but not as much as they had before. “Martin,” Kristine asked, “if you liked them, why did you leave?”
After a moment I replied, “It isn’t them; it was me. Actually, it was Peter, or at least his mother.” Everyone seemed confused, except Kristine, who just looked sad.
READ MOREI sighed then explained, “Peter is my ex. We were actually engaged to be married, at least for a few days. His mother was a psychopath who hated me. So, on Christmas Eve, she cornered me where Peter couldn’t hear and ripped me up and down, saying some of the nastiest things anyone has ever said to me. When I told him what she said, he broke up with me, telling me it was best that he understood what kind of person I was before we got married.”
Several of the women gasped. “Oh, honey,” Renee said and put her hand on mine.
“So, last night, I’m at this party and hanging out with these people, and they were all wonderful, but I couldn’t think of anything except that horrible woman. No amount of alcohol drowned out her hatred. So I ran. I’m a total chickenshit that ran away because I was being haunted by my ex’s evil mother. How pathetic is that?” I asked the group.
“Not pathetic at all,” Kenise, a woman I’d not met before tonight said in a Jamaican accent. “There is nothing worse than a man’s evil mother. My first husband’s mother was Lucifer himself wrapped in the cloak of a woman’s body. She terrorized me from the day we met until the day I cast her spawn aside. If anyone can haunt your dreams, Martin, it’s the mother of your man.”
The rest of the women agreed with her and each took turns sharing horrifying encounters with disapproving mothers. “We should all vow never to be evil mothers,” Kristine chimed in, and they all toasted the vow.
The night was exactly what I needed: we drank, danced, bar hopped, ogled men, then trash-talked them in general when we got back into the limo. I got way past drunk, and I wasn’t exactly sure when we got back home, but somehow, I’d been dumped back in my apartment and into my bed.
COLLAPSEDian Puspita Sari on Goodreads.com wrote:This was a great book about two men who met by chance. They decided to have a sort of fake relationship for business purposes, which, of course didn't end up staying fake. It was nice to see how sweet Elian was with Martin. This is the beginning of a great series.
Martin failed relationship made him jaded and wary about romantic relationship, comes Elian so persistent to pursuing him and what I like about Elian is, he's respected Martin's space, takes his time to win Martin's heart.
