Rating: 3
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Series: Pippen Creek #2
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Tropes / tags: age gap, sexual discovery, small town
This started off really strong with a lot of tropes I love, but sadly there were a few things that bothered me further in.
I loved the first half of the book, the slow burn between Sutton and Jimmy was fantastic, and in my opinion it was needed considering their history and pasts. It was heavy on hurt / comfort, which is right up my alley, and I loved seeing how flirty and cocky Jimmy was. Sutton had the ability to see through him though, and knew that most of it was just a show to hide his vulnerability and hurt.
Sutton had an inherent need to protect and take care of people, and he’d always had a soft spot for Jimmy. Their dynamic and chemistry was great, and Sutton knew just how to take care of his baby boy that had been starved of touch and affection. I really liked their playful banter, and they were just so sweet together.
The story dragged a little for me in the second half though, and I felt like some things got a bit repetitive. There were some miscommunications that didn’t entirely work for me, and I felt like they just created unnecessary drama. The things that bothered me were mostly down to personal preferences though, and I really enjoyed most of the story and the characters. I would still recommend giving this one a try if you’re looking for a heartfelt small town romance with great hurt / comfort and a well earned HEA.
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph
The Secret Librarian 