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nirwhen's review
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
nford15's review against another edition
5.0
great collection
another 10/10 read. great character development as usual and enough of a plot like. loving the collection !!!
another 10/10 read. great character development as usual and enough of a plot like. loving the collection !!!
endemictoearth's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Jason is a bit of a dick, but owns up to it and is called out on it. Abe is a little too pure, but I didn't mind their one night stand that grew legs and evolved. Great portrayal of an amicably divorced couple and that not all exes are evil.
elliebelle_'s review against another edition
4.0
3.5 über-fluffy stars
A very low-angst and cutesy romance with family dynamics.
I was hoping for a light read, and this delivered in spades.
Jason, 36, is a cardiothoracic surgeon who thinks gay men only want to mess around, and can't be in serious or exclusive relationships. His wife Angela divorced him 5 years prior when she thought their kids would be ready, knowing that he was gay and had been cheating on her for over a decade - I gotta say, she's a way better person than I would be. To be clear, no cheating actually happens in this book.
Abe, 26, is a high-school maths teacher who doesn't do hookups - except for this one time with Jason. He's so sweet and bubbly, I just wanted to give him all the hugs, and clearly Jason agrees because he can't seem to stop thinking about him!
Most of the plot conflict revolves around some issues Jason's kids are having and how Jason and Abe deal with it. The relationship between these two is very smooth sailing, and though Jason takes a little bit to come to terms with the concept of being in a relationship at all, he doesn't express any doubt about wanting to see Abe.
For me the cutest part was how Abe just discreetly moved in with Jason, who didn't even realise until a few months later that Abe never went "home". I mean, don't pull this crap with me in real life, but book life is different.
They get together early in the book, and have a lot of sex. The scenes are short and well-written but fair warning that if you're not keen on explicit scenes you'll be doing a lot of skimming.
A very low-angst and cutesy romance with family dynamics.
I was hoping for a light read, and this delivered in spades.
Jason, 36, is a cardiothoracic surgeon who thinks gay men only want to mess around, and can't be in serious or exclusive relationships. His wife Angela divorced him 5 years prior when she thought their kids would be ready, knowing that he was gay and had been cheating on her for over a decade - I gotta say, she's a way better person than I would be. To be clear, no cheating actually happens in this book.
Abe, 26, is a high-school maths teacher who doesn't do hookups - except for this one time with Jason. He's so sweet and bubbly, I just wanted to give him all the hugs, and clearly Jason agrees because he can't seem to stop thinking about him!
Most of the plot conflict revolves around some issues Jason's kids are having and how Jason and Abe deal with it. The relationship between these two is very smooth sailing, and though Jason takes a little bit to come to terms with the concept of being in a relationship at all, he doesn't express any doubt about wanting to see Abe.
For me the cutest part was how Abe just discreetly moved in with Jason, who didn't even realise until a few months later that Abe never went "home". I mean, don't pull this crap with me in real life, but book life is different.
“And he doesn’t live with me.” She smirked. Ignoring her, the clothes that occupied previously empty portions of his closet, and Abe’s toiletries in his bathroom, he said, “Anyway, it’s good with him. Really good.”
That summer he had added moving to his task list, but he was done with that and waiting for Jason to notice.
They get together early in the book, and have a lot of sex. The scenes are short and well-written but fair warning that if you're not keen on explicit scenes you'll be doing a lot of skimming.
gale_bruckner's review against another edition
4.0
It takes skillfully applied talent to write a convincing character who sleeps around but suddenly wants more. Jason and Abe's story is about more than a reformed bad boy. I loved learning about the nuances of who they are as people and what influenced them. I would have liked to see a little more of Abe unpacking his past with Jason. I loved the way everyone came together as a family, and that this challenged Jason's notion of the ways family's look and act. It might not be what he always pictured, but it's loving and beautiful.
jonetta's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on The Book Nympho
Quick summary
Heart surgeon Jason Garcia doesn't believe in relationships. After his divorce (when he finally had to acknowledge he was gay), he's only subscribed to sexual hookups, one-nighters as a means to reduce stress. That is until he connects with Abe Green, a sensitive man whose values and ideals are almost polar opposite of Jason's.
What I really liked
Abe! I just adored him. He was the perfect opposite of Jason, who at least had enough sense to recognize his special qualities and sweet nature. I also loved the strong family themes that were pervasive in this story...Abe's relationship with his family, Jason's with his ex-wife and children, and the new relationships formed when they became a couple. Jason wasn't all that likable for quite a bit of the story and I loved having my opinion of him evolve as he did. It was one of the strengths of the writing.
The bottom line
This transitions from steamy (off the charts) encounters to a relationship of substance that works on so many levels. Abe helps Jason find his way in the most unobtrusive manner. If there was any downside it's that some of the sex scenes almost eclipsed the story at times. No matter, though, as it is pretty hard to ever forget Abe.
(I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review)
Quick summary
Heart surgeon Jason Garcia doesn't believe in relationships. After his divorce (when he finally had to acknowledge he was gay), he's only subscribed to sexual hookups, one-nighters as a means to reduce stress. That is until he connects with Abe Green, a sensitive man whose values and ideals are almost polar opposite of Jason's.
What I really liked
Abe! I just adored him. He was the perfect opposite of Jason, who at least had enough sense to recognize his special qualities and sweet nature. I also loved the strong family themes that were pervasive in this story...Abe's relationship with his family, Jason's with his ex-wife and children, and the new relationships formed when they became a couple. Jason wasn't all that likable for quite a bit of the story and I loved having my opinion of him evolve as he did. It was one of the strengths of the writing.
The bottom line
This transitions from steamy (off the charts) encounters to a relationship of substance that works on so many levels. Abe helps Jason find his way in the most unobtrusive manner. If there was any downside it's that some of the sex scenes almost eclipsed the story at times. No matter, though, as it is pretty hard to ever forget Abe.
(I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review)
whitneydr's review
2.0
Cardeno C. is one of those authors I’m on the fence about. I don’t particularly like or dislike them, but I’m always wary of getting their books. I read “Where He Ends and I Begin” some time ago and while I can’t remember what it was about, I do remember I wasn’t a fan. Since then, I’ve kind of been gun shy about getting another book by Cardeno.
"The Half of Us" was a miss for me too. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but it was on the cusp of something good and just didn’t get there. There were almost 190 pages and I didn’t feel like much of a story was told and there were a lot of missed opportunities for character development. The whole book was really just a string of sex scenes tied together with a flimsy story. We get told what Jason and Abe do together off page, but see the sex on-page and that just didn’t sit well with me. I would’ve loved to see their valentine’s day date.
Speaking of the sex, I wasn’t a fan of that either. More specifically, I wasn’t a fan of the dirty talk. I’ve yet to read a book where dirty talk isn’t cringeworthy and full of secondhand embarrassment. If I wanted back sex talk, I could watch actual porn for that.
Jason’s family dynamic should’ve been explored more, or left out completely. What was the deal with Donny? He was angry and potentially a danger to himself and others, but we’re never told why. And with Kristin, were we not going to know who she was going on a date with? I surely hope her date wasn’t a college student, not when she’s 15 years old. I wouldn’t be okay with it if it were my daughter. The conversations with the wife (when not discussing child-rearing) seemed forced to me.
Cardeno C. claims they like to put “awwwws” in a story, but I didn’t get any of that in this book. And they might be an author that everyone loves, but me.
2 stars
"The Half of Us" was a miss for me too. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but it was on the cusp of something good and just didn’t get there. There were almost 190 pages and I didn’t feel like much of a story was told and there were a lot of missed opportunities for character development. The whole book was really just a string of sex scenes tied together with a flimsy story. We get told what Jason and Abe do together off page, but see the sex on-page and that just didn’t sit well with me. I would’ve loved to see their valentine’s day date.
Speaking of the sex, I wasn’t a fan of that either. More specifically, I wasn’t a fan of the dirty talk. I’ve yet to read a book where dirty talk isn’t cringeworthy and full of secondhand embarrassment. If I wanted back sex talk, I could watch actual porn for that.
Jason’s family dynamic should’ve been explored more, or left out completely. What was the deal with Donny? He was angry and potentially a danger to himself and others, but we’re never told why. And with Kristin, were we not going to know who she was going on a date with? I surely hope her date wasn’t a college student, not when she’s 15 years old. I wouldn’t be okay with it if it were my daughter. The conversations with the wife (when not discussing child-rearing) seemed forced to me.
Cardeno C. claims they like to put “awwwws” in a story, but I didn’t get any of that in this book. And they might be an author that everyone loves, but me.
2 stars
bfdbookblog's review
4.0
***Audiobook Review***
The vocal performance was good - distinct voices for and great emotions behind each character.
This is only the 2nd book in this series I've listened to and I didn't care for Asher in book 1 but liked how open he was with Jason in this story so that was a plus.
Jason started the story as a closed off, gruff, over the top alpha that was really just out for a good time. Abe was the exact opposite - fun-loving, spirited and mostly a relationship kinda guy. They are a pretty good balance for each other and I liked how much Jason opened himself up to Abe without too much angst. There was some family drama which was handled well and a great part of the story.
This is definitely a book I recommend reading or listening to.
The vocal performance was good - distinct voices for and great emotions behind each character.
This is only the 2nd book in this series I've listened to and I didn't care for Asher in book 1 but liked how open he was with Jason in this story so that was a plus.
Jason started the story as a closed off, gruff, over the top alpha that was really just out for a good time. Abe was the exact opposite - fun-loving, spirited and mostly a relationship kinda guy. They are a pretty good balance for each other and I liked how much Jason opened himself up to Abe without too much angst. There was some family drama which was handled well and a great part of the story.
This is definitely a book I recommend reading or listening to.