Title: By The Numbers
Series: Southern Charm 02
Author: Nicole Dennis
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (219 pages)
ISBN: 9781784300319
Publisher: Totally Bound (May 29th, 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Cat
Blurb: Can a scruffy carpenter and a neurotic accountant find middle ground?
With permission to begin construction and repairs on the Southern Charm, Sullivan ‘Sully’ Tarleton can’t wait to start bringing the old hotel back to new life. He and his crew jump on the teardown until he overhears his friends talking about picking up the accountant at the airport. Volunteering since he needs to head that way, he doesn’t know the changes this accountant will bring to his life.
Suffering from severe OCD and additional issues after growing up with a hoarder parent, Chandler Braddock prefers to keep his surroundings neat, perfect, organized, and minimal. A reason he enjoys working with numbers. They always balance out, match up to others, and are able to be tracked. Often refusing to leave his New York office, he gives in when his best friend, Samuel, requests his presence in Florida. But what will happen when he’s met by a sexy, but very messy carpenter? And will he be able to give up his orderly life for such a man?
Purchase Link: https://www.totallybound.com/by-the-numbers
Review: This is the Second Book in the Southern Charms Series. I think in order to really understand it you need to read them in order. There are a couple small ongoing storylines and the major storyline of the renovation really does connect the series, plus if you don’t read the first one you won’t know too much about the other characters.
In By the Numbers, Chandler has agreed to come to help Samuel organize the mess of files and help figure out what the big financial issues are, especially why the restaurant is in the red when it’s always a sell-out. Chandler has extreme OCD, claustrophobia, germophobia, asthma, anxiety, panic attacks, you name the neurosis the poor man probably has it. Though he knows it will be physically and emotionally draining on him, he does it for Samuel. He is a great friend, though I was a little miffed at how Samuel wasn’t quite as accommodating and considerate to Chandler since Chandler was really doing such a big thing flying there, accepting a ride from a stranger, not having a kitchen to prepare his own food etc. This was a major step for Chandler and I adored him for it.
What isn’t there to like about Sully. A big, sexy construction worker with a heart of gold, considerate, thoughtful loving, sexy as hell. Oh yeah, he is my kind of man. Where can I get a Sully? I loved how he caught onto Chandlers issues so quickly and was so kind and considerate to help him.
The ongoing storyline is still good though, I was hoping some things from the last one would be addressed and tied up in this one. I do like the ongoing renovation and can’t wait to see the outcome of the beautiful Southern Charm. To me she is a character as much as the people are.
I really, really liked this lot. I absolutely loved Chandler. I swooned over Sully and I actually loved his campy gay t-shirts. My only real issue is that once again there was a smaller plot that to me wasn’t ever addressed. I can’t say much more about that without spoilers. I truly love this series and can’t wait to see what happens with Reece in the next one and how the Southern Charm is progressing!
If you like ongoing series, beautiful locations, lots of sexy unique men, OCD, campy t-shirts, construction workers, a fun, sweet contemporary romance with lots of characters and the hottest hand-jobs I’ve read in a long time, plus some sweet sensual man-sex, this is definitely for you. Oh! Don’t forget the yummy food!