Title: Acrobat
Author: Mary Calmes
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (248pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (7th May 2012)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4 ½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Forty-five-year-old English professor Nathan Qells is very good at making people feel important. What he’s not very good at is sticking around afterward. He’s a nice guy; he just doesn’t feel things the way other people do. So even after all the time he’s spent taking care of Michael, the kid across the hall, he doesn’t realize that Michael’s mob muscle uncle and guardian, Andreo Fiore, has slowly been falling in love with him.
Dreo has bigger problems than getting Nate to see him as a potential partner. He’s raising his nephew, trying to leave his unsavory job, and starting his own business, a process made infinitely more difficult when a series of hits takes out some key underworld players. Still, Dreo is determined to build a life he can be proud of—a life with Nate as a cornerstone. A life that is starting to look like exactly what Nate has been seeking. Unfortunately for Dreo—and for Nate—the last hits were just part of a major reorganization, and Dreo’s obvious love for Nate has made him a target too.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2914
Review: Nathan is an English Professor who has decided to head back into the dating game a year and a half after his last relationship. But, he never once thought that his neighbor, Dreo could fit that role. Dreo is very interested in Nate; he’s known him for four years and has had many chances to observe Nate. and now he makes his move, but it isn’t perfect, as the life that Dreo is trying to get out of suddenly explodes around him.
Well, here we are with another feel good story from Mary Calmes, and I wondered if Ms. Calmes could really continue to give us her wonderful stories, with her great characters (you know the ones), one character is wonderful, loveable, and is a rock to all around him and the other one who is strong (alpha), silent and just what the other MC needs. Well it’s a resounding YES she can. Nate isn’t in the first blush of youth, he’s 45 and has already had his family (fully explained, but it involves a drunken night and doing the right thing). He’s being encouraged to get into the dating game by his ex-wife, but the guy he is interested in is 32 and he thinks the guy is too young for him. Enter Dreo who is 28 and is his neighbor and has his 16yr old nephew living with him. Okay, I’m not explaining any more than that because my fingers will fall off.
So, we get a lot of background about both Nate and Dreo, and we see how Nate gets drawn into Dreo’s life without really realizing it. And we also see how Nate usually moulds himself to be what a person expects, but with Dreo he doesn’t get the chance because Dreo already knows what he wants and that’s the Nate he has seen for the last four years. We don’t see Dreo’s working life, just the very fringes of it, as Dreo is getting out, so don’t be expecting loads of mob trouble. The trouble they do get is after Dreo leaves the life behind him and is from a source who hates gays.
We have an interesting mesh of people in this one, and obviously we have sparking hot love, ex-boyfriends, wannabe boyfriends, loving friends who adore, a manhandling alpha male, a touch of angst and a hospital visit. There wasn’t as much angst as I am used to in this Mary Calmes, but it didn’t affect my love for the story… Nate just wasn’t an angsty person and he seemed to be able to calm those around him. Dreo *sigh* Dreo was just everything a guy (or girl) could want, a take charge kinda guy, but he had a slight vulnerability about him *sigh*.
So, all I can say is that I have to recommend this to those who want a feel good, happy ending, leave you with a warm feeling, type of story.