Men of Hidden Creek Season 2

 

  

Friends-to-lovers can sometimes be a tricky trope because there's a certain amount of history that sometimes needs to be altered in their minds to make their transition work.  In the case of Remi and Kris there isn't much of a friend history, it's more a new friendship with attraction as a new yet secret element under it.  I think this made their evolution easier to accept with the given timeline.  I absolutely love Remi.  He's a huge hottie with an even huger heart.  He has humility, passion, an adorable way of showing his feelings, and his groveling was absolutely perfect.  Kris was young but no less great.  His vulnerability and insecurity was center stage quite often but under the care of Remi's heart he gets a chance to bloom and truly thrive.  The drama was cohesive and quickly resolved.  While it was a bit predictable, it wasn't eye-rollingly so.  It was simple and effective to bring about the relationship conflict and Kris' chance to shine.  Such an absolutely sweet story!  4 stars.

FREE on KU!

When a case of mistaken identity and sisterly urging bring these two men together we get the makings of either a meet-cute or a meet-disaster.  Theirs was a bit of both.  I was honestly surprised when Grayson returned to see Andre.  The direction was not where I assumed it would go at all.  I did have a hard time with how much of a Debbie-Downer Grayson was most of the time.  Andre did a bit of that too, but it made it difficult to make the transition of fake to real for me.  The timeline wasn't an issue for me, it's just that I felt like there was something missing from Grayson's personal evolution to truly sell them together.  We see it in the epilogue, which is nice, but I really wish we got it throughout the story.  The resolution was sweet, hot, and very cute.  3 stars.

FREE on KU!

An almost-hookup opens Kyle's eyes to more than just a new start in a new town, it opens them up to a future he never saw coming.  It doesn't help that the sexy, understanding man who could play a starring role in that future is the arrogant doctor all his coworkers are warning him about.  I like that Wes is different around Kyle, that Kyle's competence and general demeanor are what draws Wes to him just as much as his looks and their combustible chemistry.  There's something absolutely real between them that I enjoyed watching grow.  What I did have a hard time with was Wes' arrogance.  It came off as him being an a-hole rather than just a cocky kind of arrogance.  Even after we get the reason for his impenetrable walls and attitude he keeps doing things that make me want to roll my eyes so hard they get stuck.  Without Kyle's persistence and determination Wes' cowardice and vulnerability would have won.  Together they change things for the better for Hidden Creek as well as themselves.  The steam was hot, hot, hot and their hearts, once opened and shared, were achingly tender.  There was so much to enjoy in this story.  3.5 stars.

FREE on KU!

Second chances are generally hard-won.  In the case of Jonah and Mitch it comes fairly easily.  There are some definite bumps in the road, but their journey to where they always dreamed and yearned for it to end was mostly sweet and uncomplicated.  With the help of the best grandpa in the universe Jonah is able to see that there's more for him in Mitch's gaze than just friendship.  Mitch knows he's always wanted Jonah and even though he knows his father would never approve, there's nothing that will stand in his way to have a taste of what he's been missing for the last ten years.  I do think that the story felt a little too "high school" or even "new adult" despite their ages and life experiences.  I would never believe I'd ever say this, but I think there was a bit too little angst in this story.  The familial conflict was built up so much that the conclusion of it was a let-down.  While I feel that the resolution was a little too perfect, I can't deny that these two men were meant to be together.  Their chemistry and their eagerness for one another is palpable and the love they shared was filled with so much warmth.  3 stars.

FREE on KU!

Between a shy CIA analyst and a John Doe that was shot and run off the road they should have an easy time figuring out who tried to kill him, right?  Between cautious attraction, unmistakable chemistry, and dangerous memories Ethan and Peter ride a roller coaster on their way to their own happily ever after.  Both men were captivating in different ways and together they were perfect.  I love that Ethan never made exceptions for Peter's looks in his mind or his words.  He was attracted to what he looked like before he knew Peter.  Now, that sounds pretty shallow, but when we read the lust at first sight in most books it's because someone is legitimately "media" hot rather than something like we have here or in Cardeno C's book, Not A Game.

I do wish I learned why Peter was so reluctant to hear compliments and praise.  Like, why was Angel a jerk in Peter's mind when he called him pretty?  Should I just assume his geekiness and lack of gym-trim physique contributed to a lifetime of bullying or belittling because kids can be utter a-holes sometimes?  Other than that, I loved Peter in Shield and was so very happy to get his story here.  Peter is so adorably geeky during his glorious moment on the crates.  If I didn't love him before, I definitely did after that.  Oh, also, I seriously want some Cheesecake Factory cheesecake right now...thanks, Peter.  4 stars.

FREE on KU!