Title: The Closer You Get
Author: L. A. Witt
Genre: M/M Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1-60928-552-4
Length: Novel (394 KB)
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (November 15, 2011)
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Heat Level: Explicit
Reviewer: Artemis
From the Publisher: The virgin isn’t the only one with something to lose…
Self-described manwhore Kieran Frost is loving the single life. Two years after moving to Seattle, he still has his friends with benefits, Rhett and Ethan, plus a never-ending supply of gorgeous, available men wandering through the bar where he works. A relationship? Spare him the drama and heartbreak. He’s got no complaints about his unattached lifestyle.
When Rhett’s daughter introduces him to newly-out-of-the-closet Alex Corbin, Kieran’s interest perks up. After all, the quiet ones are always the freaks in bed. But Alex isn’t just shy and reserved. He’s a virgin in every sense of the word, having never even kissed anyone else.
Kieran is no one’s teacher, and his first instinct is to run like hell in the other direction. But his conscience won’t let him throw the naïve kid to the wolves for someone else to take advantage of. The plan is to introduce Alex to his own sexuality, pull him out of his shell, and then go their separate ways.
It’s the perfect, foolproof plan…assuming no one falls in love.
Product Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/the-closer-you-get-p-6532.html
About the Author: (from Amazon)
L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who, after three years in Okinawa, Japan, has recently relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a three-headed clairvoyant parakeet named Fred. There is some speculation that this move was not actually because of her husband’s military orders, but to help L. A. close in on her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who has also recently transferred to Omaha. So, don’t anyone tell Lauren. She’s not getting away this time…
My Review: I have read a number of L. A. Witt’s book in the past but let me say that this has got to be one of my favorites so far! I read it straight through in about 2 days and then when back and bought the book leading up to this one, The Distance Between Us. That one didn’t disappoint me either so I recommend buying both!
When we are first introduced to Kieran in The Closer You Get, he is a bit of a wild man and is having the time of his life bar tending at a popular gay bar and enjoying a wonderful friends-with-benefits relationship with his 2 best friends. Those two best friends, Ethan and Rhett are the subjects of the previous book and happen to be happily committed to one another while sharing some very sexy threesome moments with Kieran. Suffice it to say that Kieran knows his way around the bedroom.
As a favor to Ethan’s daughter, Kieran agrees to a blind date (of sorts) and ends up meeting Alex, a slightly shy and newly out of the closet young man who has just moved to the area from a very gay unfriendly town. Now that Alex is free to express his sexuality, he isn’t quite sure how do go about doing it. Kieran has LOTS of ideas but doesn’t really know how to handle an inexperienced virgin! He also doesn’t want to let Alex go! They come to a mutual agreement…Kieran will teach Alex everything he needs to know about being gay and there will be no falling in love!
There is a sweet getting to know you phase, hesitant explorations, passion when Alex finally starts to feel comfortable with his sexuality, and the eventual falling in love. Kieran lets Alex lead the way and in the beginning there are some insecurities, a few small mistakes, a LOT of sexual frustration and a whole bunch of really tender moments. There is also a bit of freaking out when the word ‘love’ gets thrown in the mix!
The thing I loved about Kieran is that he is really sweet. Yes, he gets around quite a bit and declares from the get go that he is only in it for the sex but he is a nice guy. I liked him…that is important to me in a main character!
Alex is shy but Ms. Witt does a great job of hinting at the devil inside…one that has had to hide his sexuality a little too long but who wants to come out and play! He does not always take a passive role in this relationship, even though he is clearly the less experienced of the two.
Overall, a wonderful story with characters I really enjoyed. The passion between them is amazingly hot but is well balanced by the tender emotions they clearly feel for one another. This is one that I will keep in my library to read again!