How Not to Wait and Break: Lovestrong Books 0.5 and 3, Susan Hawke

A snowstorm and a sexy night ignites a longing that lasts a decade and only a stalker after Shaw shakes Nick's head out of his...well, gives him a chance to truly see Shaw as the man he is and not the boy he was.  They've got a lot of chemistry together and it's clear there's more than lust, but a lot of time is between a moment and a lifetime.  They'll both have to be honest with themselves and one another if they've got any chance to make that moment become their life.

There was just enough background on these two men to give the short story enough depth to jump right into the steamy encounter.  The attraction is absolutely incendiary and the way they come together is all kinds of awkward and a little bit inappropriate, but the sparks between them are absolutely real.  While it's not the ideal first encounter, it gives us a very clear image of why it takes them a decade to do anything about it.

With the hints we've gotten over the course of this series already we can see there's a lot of unresolved issues and tension between Nick and Shaw.  What I enjoyed most was that they both came to the realization that they needed to grow on their own and come to terms with who they were outside of grief and the one night that changed their whole world in so many ways before they could have something real together.

The focus was kept on Shaw and Nick finding a way forward together amidst the crazy stalker issues and I appreciated that it stayed focused throughout.  Even with the potential awkwardness with Rick, there was no unnecessary drama or complications to distract from Nick and Shaw together and solving the crime that gave them their second chance.  The villain was kept predictable and simple, but not in a bad way.  By having a few names thrown around as possible suspects but the feeling that it was really one person kept the suspense at the same time as not drawing it out or making it unnecessarily complicated.  Shaw's pride and determination to maintain his independence didn't trump smart actions to stay safe and I can't fully express how much I liked and respected that about him.  It's a big pet peeve of mine when the "I have to do this myself/I can take care of myself" attitude smothers common sense.

The dreams were helpful for the individuals and ended up being really sweet moments, though I will say they felt a little out of place on the whole mainly because it didn't exactly jive with the overall feel of the story or any kind of spiritual-ish vibes from either Nick or Shaw up to that point.  The ending, though, was totally perfect for these men and the story was a really great way to showcase their happiness, it felt so right for the couple.  I really enjoyed getting the story of their second chance, finally watching them find their forever was worth the wait.

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Take one former SEAL with a healthy dose of regret… 

Nick St. Cloud is living with shame from the one time he let his lust override his sense of honor. He’s haunted by the memory of when he made love to his best friend’s eighteen-year-old son. The tragic accident that happened that same night has only compounded his guilt. A decade later, he’s doing his best to be there for Charlie’s son, but anything more than that just wouldn’t be right… would it?

Plus the younger guy who he’s tried to forget…

It’s been ten years. Ten long years. Does Shaw Michaelson feel bad about having seduced his dad’s best friend? Umm, maybe? Although he could’ve done things differently, Shaw can’t find it within himself to be sorry for the hottest night of his life with the one man he’s never been able to forget. The man he’s patterned every subsequent relationship after… yeah, Shaw totally has a type.

Equals a pair of men who deserve a second chance at a first time. 

The two men are living in an uneasy peace within the same small town and circle of friends, being careful not to let the other get close enough to open old wounds. All their walls fall when a stalker begins terrorizing Shaw, sending him running to the one man he knows will keep him safe.