Title: One Good Man
Series: Book 4 in the Impressions Series
Author: Talia Carmichael
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella (116 pages)
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (October 11th, 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Reviewer: Eli/Mandingo
Blurb: When a man who has lost his belief that there are any good men meets a man who sees inside his hidden depths, he’s unsure what to do…
Gabriel Simmons loves his work at Vaughn Choppers. Building custom bikes and restoring cars is his passion. He has a knack for it and for bringing out their hidden depths. The man he meets while doing a favor for his boss and friend tests him, drawing him out of his shell. He wants to find out what makes Mace tick. The man resists him yet looks at him as if he wants all Gabe has to give. Gabe is more than willing to take him up on the offer he sees in his eyes. But first, he needs to get Mace to verbalize his desires.
Mace Hutton is being driven daft by a man who is nothing like any other man he has been attracted to. Gabe is a danger to his hard-fought plan to keep free from entanglements. The contrast of his big bear of a man size and his gentleness makes Mace long to feel Gabe’s touch. He can’t take the chance…yet Mace cannot get the man out of his mind. He’s been burnt enough to know there are no good men out there. Or have his assumptions been wrong? Is there one good man who is just right for him?
Purchase Link: https://www.totallybound.com/one-good-man
Review: If you are a gearhead, you will love this book. There are lots of great descriptions of cars and renovations and all the things that gearheads like. This serves to create the connection between Gabe and Mace. In betwixt and juxtaposed within all the gearhead information, there is a story about trust and acceptance. I’m never one to recommend shorter, but I think that this could have been more effective had it been shorter. Yes it would mean cutting out some of the car discussions and some information that didn’t move the story forward.
I loved the interaction with some of the secondary characters, especially Gabe’s family. Mace’s mother, Susan, was also a key secondary character and both Gabe’s and Mace’s interaction with her was well written and pivotal to Gabe and Mace’s HEA.
The development of the relationship between both men is believable and you do feel that both men want to be together, but that there is something holding them apart, ergo Mace. The final conflict is understandable and comes so late in the story, but that must be resolved quickly to lead to the HEA and so it seemed a little rushed rather than being something the reader could anticipate. However, the author had already set up the reader to want to root for the couple so all’s well that ends well. So grab a beer and some pretzels and you’ll be ready to enjoy this ride.