Title: Just In Time
Series: Just Life, #3
Author: EE Montgomery
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (108 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (6 Feb 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts
Blurb: Mark Mendelson’s life is close to perfect: he has good friends, a successful business, and a solid reputation in the jewellery industry. He fought hard to get what he has after nearly losing it all fifteen years ago, when his then boyfriend, Cole Porter, stole his designs.
When a handsome man enters Mark’s store to request a commitment ring-a design Mark made specifically for Cole-Mark wants nothing to do with him. All he can think about is his rage at Cole’s betrayal, something he thought he’d dealt with long ago. But Mark’s would-be customer, Dr. Liam Watson, returns to the shop, thinking Mark might provide some answers. For years Liam has tried to convince his cousin Jon to leave Cole, who abuses him.
As the relationship between Jon and Cole disintegrates, a fragile new one forms between Liam and Mark-but Mark can’t move on until he confronts Cole once and for all.
ISBN: 9781623803391
Product Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3556
Reviewer: Prime
Review: This is the third book of the Just Life series.
As with the previous books it is really good how the series takes the whole “just a life being lived” sentiment to heart. However, this time the tone of the book is very different. It looks a bit more to the darker side of life and delves into the past of some seriously unhealthy relationships.
We get to meet up with Daron and Rebel, along with their respective boyfriends, from the first couple. However, the story here is centred on Mark, a jeweller. He has a lot of history with his friends, particularly Rebel and his boyfriend Jeremy, but he also has a dark past in the form of an abusive and thieving first love. But in all that he wants to find “the one” and live happily ever after.
So this is when we get to Liam, a doctor, and in general quite an interesting sort of character. He’s got a few secrets he’s reluctant to expose. He is a rather sketchy character and even sketchier is the not very romantic relationship going on between the good doctor and Mark.
Seriously, the limit of their sex life is some jerking off and a blow job, which I think is a good practical demonstration of what I’m trying to show is missing. There is certainly an attraction between the two characters but any romance between them is very much underdeveloped.
Which leads me to conclude that the real let down with this book, for me, is that the story between Mark and Liam was so incomplete. I am certain, like with Rebel and Daron’s stories, more will come out in the next book. However, I still feel as though there is a lot missing from their story to properly tie up the loose ends of this book.
Like the second book, I like it well enough but there are a lot of details that are missing. The story is fast pace but it leads me to ask the question, is it too fast?
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *