Title: Secretly Dating the Lionman
Series: Cowboys and Angels 02
Author: Sue Brown
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (200 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-64080-651-1
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (27 Nov 2018)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 4.5 Hearts
Reviewer: Prime
Blurb: Can a man burdened with family drama find his way into the arms of a happy-go-lucky stripper called Lionman?
Cris likes a drink at Cowboys and Angels bar after his shift at the strip club—until one night when a trashed young guy named Mikey tries to kiss him. He’s not Cris’s type, but Cris is good enough to see the kid home safely. There he meets Mikey’s handsome older brother, Bennett, and there’s an immediate spark between them.
But Bennett might not be in a position to start a relationship, let alone with the carefree Cris. He’s trying desperately to hold his family together, with a younger brother who’s running off the rails and hostile parents who will never accept not just one, but two gay sons.
When Cris is unexpectedly fired and Bennett’s family drama escalates, they turn to each other for support. But can a shoulder to lean on develop into something much closer, something they both deserve?
Purchase Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Review: Secretly Dating the Lionman is the second book in Sue Brown’s series, Cowboys and Angels. I’ve become quite a fan of Brown’s writing, particularly after her Island Medics series and her contributions to Dreamspun Desires. I find the characters so relatable and easy to sympathise with, I also love the romance, which isn’t insta-love and is sometimes a slow burn.
The world of the Cowboys and Angels series is based around the world of a city bar called Cowboys and Angels, which is owned by Gideon, whose story kicked off the first book in the series. While the second book starts the story of a new couple, there is some subtle background information which we are given back in book 1 which would make it easier to understand both MCs.
The Lionman in the title of the story is the stage name of a popular male stripper, whose real name is Cris. He first went to the red neck bar Cowboys and Angels for a gay speed dating event, which had seen bar manager Dan and the bar owner Gideon get together. Though Cris didn’t end up with a boyfriend he got a good friend in Dan after the speed dating event. In the months since that meeting, Cris now frequents the bar to relax after he performs on stage at a local strip. He is wildly popular with the audience, but his shifts are being less and less frequent. One night at Cowboys, another man who is 1) deeply closeted and 2) another attendee of the speeding dating night, Mikey, kisses Cris. But Cris is a good guy and not interested in Mikey. So instead helps the drunk guy home.
This is how Cris meets Bennett.
Bennett’s brother, Mikey, is a dominant second character throughout the book, as it is his antics/influence that seem to be bringing Bennett and Cris together. Mikey is troubled and this book is just as much his story of his struggles as much as it is Cris and Bennett’s romance. I like that we get to see Mikey’s story resolve but I have to say I am interested in Mikey’s own dive into the world of dating and love.
Bennett means well, he only wants what is best for his little brother and is very protective of him. His intentions are good, but he is aggressive and rather rude when dealing with Cris. Bennett is under pressure to keep his family and their business going – his parents are very traditional and so Bennett has accepted that he cannot be himself as an out gay man, free to date whom he pleases. At the same time he knows his brother is gay too, and wants to protect him at all costs. However, Mikey’s behaviour is spiralling out of control – making him seem more childlike than adult, or perhaps that is how Bennett sees his brother. Despite his attraction to Cris, who is the complete opposite to Bennett, he believes that Cris is one of the people that he needs to shield Mikey from.
This was a totally enjoyable book, one that I enjoyed more than I did the first book in this series. Though Cris is a stripper, this is no Pretty Woman or some such thing. Cris is realistic, smart as hell and is true to himself. And while Bennett is smart as hell in his own right, he has a lot of learning to do while being the over protective older brother that he is. Both MCs are strong, but they have a lot to learn and they just might find out that they are even stronger together.
Though I just need to end, OMG, I think I had Mumford and Sons playing on repeat in my head at every reference of Cris’s stage name, Lionman.