Rating: 4
Steam: 2
PoV: single, 1st person
Related to: The Rossingley series
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Tropes / tags: opposites attract, small town, forced proximity
I imagined how I’d feel if he were mine; how every morning I’d sneak from our toasty bed, reluctantly creeping out of his sleepy embrace. How precious that would be.
Second-Best Men was such a lovely and cosy story! I adored Rob and Evan and how their story unfolded. It started off with a little forced proximity caused by an accident and a snow storm, and I loved their interactions and chemistry right away.
Their relationship didn’t begin until they had a chance meeting a few months later though, and they both couldn’t resist the pull they felt for each other. The relationship was pretty fast-paced but didn’t feel rushed thanks to their instant bond and connection. They had so many sweet and funny moments throughout the story and I had a lot of fun reading it!
It was a bit of a redemption story for Rob, as he didn’t leave the best impression in To Mend a Broken Wing. While he didn’t always come across as the best person in his own story either, he felt guilty for his past and wanted to do better. I loved his flaws though, and how he turned out to be a big teddy bear under his grumpy surface. It was easy to see how lonely he’d been, and I adored how sweet and affectionate he was with both his animals and Evan.
Second-Best Men had a lot of sweetness, swoon and humour and I really enjoyed it! I love the setting and tone Fearne Hill continues to create within her Rossingley world, and this was a lovely little standalone addition to it.
“There is so much love bursting out of you, Rob,” he murmured into my neck. “Your petting zoo and I are drowning in it. And we love you so much in return.”
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph
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