We were a puzzle made of two pieces, and when we fit together, all the sharp edges of life seemed squared off, blunted.
Tal Bauer
You & Me
Format:
ebook
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Landon Larsen is the envy of all the dads in Last Waters, Texas. He’s cool, confident, and put together. He and his son—the high school’s all-star quarterback—have the perfect father-son relationship. He’s such a Super Dad, it’s almost sickening.
Landon’s son and mine are best friends and—of course—Landon is the football Team Dad. And though I know nothing about football, Landon convinces me to volunteer to be closer to my son. Volunteering might give him and me a chance to rebuild what’s broken between us. Now I’m spending all my free time with the team—and with Landon—and the more we’re together, the deeper our friendship grows. My son is opening up, too, little by little. I think I’m getting him back.
There’s just one giant problem.
I’m head over heels for Landon.
I’ve never been attracted to men in my life… until him. Landon draws me in without even trying, and the harder I fight this, the deeper I fall.
Crushing on my son’s best friend’s father must be my biggest parenting failure ever, but I can’t get enough of Landon. Falling for him puts each fragile moment I’ve rebuilt with my son at risk. What would he think if he knew I craved his best friend’s dad? I’m playing with fire, but I can’t turn off these feelings Landon has unlocked inside of me.
Of course, a guy like Landon could never fall for someone like me. It’s pointless to even imagine we could be something together.
So why did I just kiss him?
Point of view:
1st person. Entirely from Luke’s perspective.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
This was amazing. I love single dad romance and this was double that. I was a little worried when I realized this was entirely from Luke’s perspective – but it works because this is truly Luke’s book. As much as it’s a love story, it’s also Luke coming to terms with his wife’s death and betrayals, his fractured relationship with his son, and his realization that he’s in love with his best friend who is a man.
Luke & Landon’s relationship is pretty much a low angst slow burn. I loved the evolution of their friendship to lovers. They were perfect for each other.
I shed so many tears as Luke and his son Emmet tried to find their way back to a relationship as father and son versus housemates that barely speak. They are both hurting so much after the death of their wife/mother bit for entirely different reasons.
I also admit to laughing a lot. Partially because I grew up in Texas and the backdrop of Emmet & Bowen (Landon’s son & Emmet’s best friend) life as football players and Luke & Landon as boosters was so spot on. There’s also a lot of fun banter between all the characters.
The ending and epilogue were perfection as was the blending of these families. I’m sure this is going to be a book I read over and over again.
About the author:
Tal Bauer is an author of gay romantic suspense/thriller novels.
The world needs more gay heroes, gay love stories, and powerful women kicking ass. I try to write those stories. With a background ranging from law enforcement to humanitarian aid, my stories are global in scope and with diverse characters in all roles. My goal is to help normalize gay characters as action heroes and to bring to life strong, dynamic, holistic women in all of my novels.
You can connect with Tal Bauer here:
My Favorite Quotes
Being a parent is like driving a car without brakes. You grip the wheel and hold on tight, pray you don’t crash too hard. – You & Me by Tal Bauer #MM #Romance #SingleDad #SlowBurn #KindleUnlimited
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The dreams I’d had twenty years ago didn’t fit. Now, I was a man defined by my relationships with other people: Riley’s widow and Emmet’s father. – You & Me by Tal Bauer #MM #Romance #SingleDad #SlowBurn #KindleUnlimited
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Being around him was easy. Effortless. As natural as breathing. – You & Me by Tal Bauer #MM #Romance #SingleDad #SlowBurn #KindleUnlimited
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I pushed a little drawl into my voice. Every Texan can. – You & Me by Tal Bauer #MM #Romance #SingleDad #SlowBurn #KindleUnlimited
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We were a puzzle made of two pieces, and when we fit together, all the sharp edges of life seemed squared off, blunted. – You & Me by Tal Bauer #MM #Romance #SingleDad #SlowBurn #KindleUnlimited
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Rellim Reads 