Moving On: Ranier Family Book 4, Ashton Cade

Grief can be a sinkhole for some and for Trevor, this was never so apt.  Until a city boy in the body of a lumberjack shows him a different future.  Shane is immediately drawn to the reticent Trevor and his patience is going to play a central role to their romance.  But if Trevor can't let go and move on, the romance won't even get off the ground.

The grocery store meet-cute was adorable in its halting awkwardness.  From there the relationship's progression pretty much stopped.  But they get quite a few chances to get things right and I actually liked how long it took them to take things to the next level.  For Trevor to finally see beyond himself and his misplaced guilt it would have been disappointing as well as devastating if they had invested more than they already had.  Instead of rushing into something that was intensely physical before he was even close to understanding what he may or may not be in for, there was a lot of awkward come-ons, obvious avoidance, and learning about one another that went a long way toward getting him on the right path that would lead to Shane.

I didn't think the cause of Trevor's guilt was really all that bad, at least not in comparison with things I was imagining when all the hints were so vague and went on for far too long.  Understanding that guilt is sometimes irrational and accepting it are two different things.  While I may feel that his actions were a long-time coming despite being poorly timed, someone in his situation, given the events that followed, might feel exactly as he did.  What was frustrating about it was all the intimation of the action's severity over and over and over again as well as the bitter anger he reacted with when his family had the wrong idea about things.  Perspective, I totally get it, is where my issue was since I'm merely an observer to the story.  Other than that, I thought the story moved well, was well-written, and the characters were likable.

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