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crtsjffrsn's review
4.0
Micah Burke knows all about responsibility. He's been the head of his family since he was a teenager, and he's also the guardian for his teenage sister while also caring for their mother, going to college, and working a job. He doesn't have time for frivolous things--he barely ever has time to go out and have fun. And on one rare occasion when he goes out, he meets Sebastian and loses himself in a moment of what could be, only to be quickly reminded of his responsibilities. Their paths cross again, however, and Micah quickly learns that Sebastian seems like the exact opposite of him: he's an impulsive risk-taker who seems to just dance through life doing all he can to avoid responsibility.
And Micah may not be wrong. Sebastian comes from a wealthy family and has been largely left to his own devices in recent years. He is a thrill-seeker and might even admit himself that he can be a bit reckless. Although he's gone from guy to guy, mostly keeping things casual, there's something about Micah that he just can't seem to shake. He's determined to break through Micah's shell to get to it, and he just might break through a shell of his own at the same time.
If you can't tell from that little bit of summary, there is some definite angst in this book. It's not all sunshine and rainbows and smooth sailing. But while it will take you up and down as a reader, it's not all doom and gloom. This is assembled strong characters, a well-developed plot arc, and a compelling narrative--which is something i've come to expect from J. Leigh Bailey. You'll laugh. You'll cry. But you'll also be inspired.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
And Micah may not be wrong. Sebastian comes from a wealthy family and has been largely left to his own devices in recent years. He is a thrill-seeker and might even admit himself that he can be a bit reckless. Although he's gone from guy to guy, mostly keeping things casual, there's something about Micah that he just can't seem to shake. He's determined to break through Micah's shell to get to it, and he just might break through a shell of his own at the same time.
If you can't tell from that little bit of summary, there is some definite angst in this book. It's not all sunshine and rainbows and smooth sailing. But while it will take you up and down as a reader, it's not all doom and gloom. This is assembled strong characters, a well-developed plot arc, and a compelling narrative--which is something i've come to expect from J. Leigh Bailey. You'll laugh. You'll cry. But you'll also be inspired.
[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
bfdbookblog's review
4.0
this was my first read in this series - i didn't realize it was a book 2, but it can be read as a stand alone.
micah has been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life and he's starting to buckle under the pressure. he had to be an adult at a very young age and therefore comes across as an uptight, fuddy duddy. he works very hard all the time and really is just trying to survive. buried underneath all the crap is a pretty decent person even though the way he repeatedly mistreats sebastian is an area of contention for me. sebastian is an amazing young man that completely hides his real self behind the 'life of the party' facade. while he does like to have fun and enjoys living, deep down he's hurting. and he's so grateful to finally find someone who sees the real him but even though micah does see him, he hurts him several times before giving him a real chance which really bothered me. micah has every reason to be angry at the world but he doesn't give sebastian the chance he deserves for a long time. thankfully, he eventually comes around and give sebastian the credit he deserves. while both of these men do mature quite a bit in this story, they both are older than their years.
the cast of supporting characters is pretty great - sebastian's grandfather and the folks at the gardens especially.
definitely a good read overall and i'd love to read more by this author.
micah has been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life and he's starting to buckle under the pressure. he had to be an adult at a very young age and therefore comes across as an uptight, fuddy duddy. he works very hard all the time and really is just trying to survive. buried underneath all the crap is a pretty decent person even though the way he repeatedly mistreats sebastian is an area of contention for me. sebastian is an amazing young man that completely hides his real self behind the 'life of the party' facade. while he does like to have fun and enjoys living, deep down he's hurting. and he's so grateful to finally find someone who sees the real him but even though micah does see him, he hurts him several times before giving him a real chance which really bothered me. micah has every reason to be angry at the world but he doesn't give sebastian the chance he deserves for a long time. thankfully, he eventually comes around and give sebastian the credit he deserves. while both of these men do mature quite a bit in this story, they both are older than their years.
the cast of supporting characters is pretty great - sebastian's grandfather and the folks at the gardens especially.
definitely a good read overall and i'd love to read more by this author.
frothy's review
4.0
I enjoyed this. Bailey did a good job delineating the characters. One big issue I had in this book - 1 MC is looking after his quadraplegic mother. We don't get to meet her in the book. She is only referred to, and there are a couple of references to what the MC had to do to care for her (like getting her from her wheelchair to her bed). I was very conscious of this as I read the story, and it pulled me out of the book. We met the little sister. It was quite a strange reading experience. I did like the book, and will read more by this author. I hope she makes a better decision next time.
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