Brave for You: Oahu Lovers Book 1, Crystal Lacy

Life can be comfortable and yet far from perfect.  An Hoang has a great life and while he's beginning to feel a yearning for a companion of his own, he's not ready or willing to risk the tentative truce he has with his parents or the amazing relationship he has with his niece.  Nate Ellison was doing his best for his little family until his wife disappeared.  Faced with a life as a struggling single father he holds himself partially responsible for their situation and isn't sure he can open his heart to someone to create a future when his present is still so uncertain.  Both men have their individual struggles and will need to open their minds and hearts to the possibility that they might finally have everything they've ever needed if they stick together.

The setting was described beautifully and accurately, which was a surprise.  Usually we get beaches and touristy spots but I was pleasantly surprised when distances, hikes, restaurants, and the weather was described so well.  There were also quite a few descriptions of food, culture, and just about everything else you could imagine.  Some descriptions are great but I felt that there were so many that I was getting lost in the details rather than having them bolster the story and not overwhelm it.  This made the story feel much longer than it needed to be.  So while they were beautiful and...descriptive, for lack of a better word, there were just too many.

As for the men themselves, I was more drawn to Nate than to An.  Both of them were interesting and while An was more complicated, it was Nate's confidence, sweetness, tenderness, acceptance, and eagerness that won me over.  There were a lot of little things that made me love him.  Such as the way he was so loving and patient with Neil and yet so honest with how he felt about Neil's various stages and temperaments.  And his honesty with An, not trying to dismiss or deny his attraction but to instead express his hesitance and what he felt he could handle at the time.  Being straightforward like that allowed the relationship to progress naturally, to build a strong foundation before adding intimacy to the equation.

This was definitely a slow-burn romance.  I didn't mind, actually, that it took them longer to jump into bed with one another.  It felt natural in the course of their relationship and the progression of the story.  And the reconciliation was more amusing than anything.  Unable to get a word in edgewise, Nate did the only thing he could think of and it was the perfect choice.  It was humorous, shocking, and confident.  While I have mixed feelings about the big family picnic at the end, I was glad that things worked out the way they did.  It was a sweet ending to a tender story filled with heartache, longing, friendship, chemistry, passion, and all the best things that build a lasting relationship.

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