Someone Worth Saving, Ruthie Luhnow

4.5 rounded up!

Reed was so young in so many ways. I loved learning about him through Brady's eyes, the vulnerable, naive, and broken Reed that just needed love. He broke my heart with how little he knew about taking care of himself and how little genuine, unconditional affection he understood. Reed wasn't just a spoiled brat, he was misguided and had no healthy outlet for his frustrations and needs. Seeking attention when he could and having no real guidance left him in an untenable situation where his mother's only recourse was to send him off to somewhere he wouldn't be seen or heard from for a specific amount of time. What seemed like a curse was a blessing in the end because he found family. He found love and acceptance and, the best part, change.

Change isn't easy for anyone, really, especially when that change comes from somewhere and someone you were determined to loathe. Reed isn't sure what to make of the people he's forced to live with so he acts like an adolescent instead of a contrite adult who needs to rethink his direction. With the patience of at least four saints his aunt and her ranch care for Reed in the most fundamental ways allowing him to see that life is more than money, cars, sex, and rebellion toward the parents who ignore his existence for as long as possible. I really love the community and how they all begin to accept Reed for what he is and support him in what he should become. But there's not just the new mother figure in Reed's life, there's someone else that will be the catalyst and safe-haven for all Reed's biggest changes.

Brady isn't exactly keen on Reed at their first, second, or even fifteenth run-in, but finds that Reed is the kind of person that grows on you the more you give him space, quiet, and education. Unfortunately for Reed, their attraction seems one-sided and with all the baggage each one carries, it's a good thing that it takes quite a long time for anything romantic to develop between these two men. Brady and Reed are no stranger to abandonment but how that fear manifests is different for each of them. Throughout the story both men deal with that in very different ways and neither way brings them closer to one another...at first. They're sweet, awkward, and frustrating in equal measure as their romance plays out. Tons of feels that draw you in and keep you firmly invested in their outcome.

This whole book was really enjoyable to read, start to finish I loved these men in all their flawed ridiculousness and tender realizations. Both men draw you in and make you feel for and about them. Family isn't perfect, we're all flawed, and love wins. Wonderful cast of characters and a ton of feels for this slow-burn romance with a well-deserved HEA.