Title: Here For You
Series: Sunshine and Happiness, #1
Author: Skylar M. Cates
Narrator: Paul Morey
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 7 hours and 35 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (07-17-2015)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Blurb: Cole Gannon arrives in the seaside town of Ocean Vista to work as a bartender and finally find a place to belong. Determined to make a home for himself, Cole lives happily with his four colorful roommates, whom he considers brothers. The only problem is Cole’s attraction to Ian Stark—a guy all wrong for him. He wishes he didn’t keep running into the sexy lawyer.
Ian knows Cole is attracted to him, but the younger man keeps him at arm’s length. It only makes Ian more determined to be with Cole and learn all his secrets. But while Ian has built a successful law practice, he hasn’t done too well with relationships.
When a sudden and devastating tragedy occurs, it shatters Cole’s world and throws Cole and Ian together in unexpected ways. In an instant, everything between them changes forever.
Product Link(s): https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6753
http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Here-for-You-Audiobook/B011S473LA
Reviewer: Tams
Review: Life is a thread connecting us. One pull and it all unravels.
After being basically abandoned by his mother in his youth, Cole Gannon has always longed for a family. Together with his four roommates, he has finally found the family atmosphere and love he always wanted. Then tragedy strikes and threatens the foundation of Cole’s nuclear family. The one person that wants to be a shoulder for Cole to cry on, to lean on, is the one person Cole has spent the last several months pushing away.
Ian Stark has been enamored with Cole since the first day he saw him at a BBQ his intern Brandon invited him to. Brandon is Cole’s best friend and one of the four roommates. He is also slightly smitten with Ian. It’s this conflict of interest and Cole’s devotion to Brandon that stop him from acting on his mutual attraction to Ian. That is, until Brandon is hurt and the only person Cole can think of to find solace with is Ian.
As Cole and Ian grow closer, Cole’s little family drifts further apart. While Cole has always been the glue holding them all together, Brandon was the roots that kept Cole grounded. Without him, Cole is confused, lost and hurting. Cole is torn between two worlds he wants to merge that refuse to blend.
This was a dark and emotional story. There were a lot of tears and anguish, but there was also love, beauty and hope. The little bit of angst that dotted the story was not only necessary, it was well done. Cole is in pain and confused about the rift growing between him and the three remaining roommates.
How fucked up is it that life hands you the man you have always wanted, wrapped up in a pretty little bow, but demands such a hefty price in return. Ian is steadfast and loyal though, forever patient with Cole and his mood swings and random outbursts. The story was a series of ups and downs and learning that while life is brutal and demanding, there is beauty in hope and love.
Narrated by Paul Morey and I just loved the voice he gave these characters, he truly brought them to life. Ian is a high power attorney, sort of a no nonsense kind of guy, and Morey captured that with his gruff, no arguments tone of voice. Oh but when Cole was on one of his tangents, Ian became soft-spoken and tender and it made him that much more endearing. Cole was sort of flighty and a bit air headed, Morey gave him an easy-going lighthearted tone. When push came to shove and Cole got upset though, you could hear the anger and pain in his voice. Fantastic job on telling the story.
If you like slightly angsty but still adult stories with one of those hard-fought happy ever afters, then this is the perfect book for you. I can’t wait to start the next book, and I so hope that Mark and Thomas get a story at some point.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *