Title: Walk With Me
Series: Home 07
Author: Cardeno C.
Genre: Contemporary, Humor
Length: Novel (224 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-62798-547-5
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (7th February 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: When Eli Block steps into his parents’ living room and sees his childhood crush sitting on the couch, he starts a shameless campaign to seduce the young rabbi. Unfortunately, Seth Cohen barely remembers Eli and he resolutely shuts down all his advances. As a tenuous and then binding friendship forms between the two men, Eli must find a way to move past his unrequited love while still keeping his best friend in his life. Not an easy feat when the same person occupies both roles.
Professional, proper Seth is shocked by Eli’s brashness, overt sexuality, and easy defiance of societal norms. But he’s also drawn to the happy, funny, light-filled man. As their friendship deepens over the years, Seth watches Eli mature into a man he admires and respects. But when Seth finds himself longing for what Eli had so easily offered, he has to decide whether he’s willing to veer from his safe life-plan to build a future with Eli.
Purchase Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4708
Review: This story is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Seth is about to start his new job as associate Rabbi when he meets his boss’s son Eli, Seth is blown away by the blatant flirting of the younger man and quickly shuts him down. Eli has had a crush on Seth for years and starts a campaign to make Seth his but he soon realizes that he would rather have Seth as a friend than drive him away with his blatant sexual come-on’s and a lasting friendship forms. Seth tries to ignore his attraction to Eli but finally has to face what he feels, but can he give up a future that could be for the future that Eli offers.
This is the last story in the Home series and we bid a fond farewell to the guys of Emile City with this brilliant story of Eli and Seth. Within the first ten pages of this book, I was already chortling and I realized this was going to be a cracker of a book and that Eli and Seth were going to leave a lasting impression. Eli is only eighteen when he makes it clear that he has set his sights on Seth, being knocked back (repeatedly) takes time to sink in and he finally settles on friendship but as time goes on and his feelings mature the childhood crush develops into full-blown love, but he won’t risk his cherished friendship no matter how much he now loves Seth. Seth struggles with his feelings for Eli and has to do some serious soul-searching, it is a long time coming, but just as he decides to start his own campaign for Eli, a secret is revealed that shocks Eli to the core.
I adored this story, watching as Eli grows into an incredible man who cultivates his friendships with care and holds on to what is most important to him by holding back on his feelings was incredible, Eli is an astonishing character who develops wonderfully throughout the book. Seth is a wonderful character who is sure of who he is… until he meets a grown Eli who makes him question everything he thought about himself, we watch as Eli admits truths to himself and explores what he has discovered about himself and we pause with breath held as he struggles with his choice to act on his feelings. Eli and Seth has an exceptional friendship that we have the pleasure of seeing evolve, and when it finally evolves into a relationship it takes our breath away.
I have to question myself as I write this review as to whether it is tainted with the poignancy I feel to be saying goodbye to the Home series, but then I think about the incredible characters, the wonderful dancing of friendship and love, the amusing disastrous weddings, the flashes of painful young love and the solid storyline that draws us deeper into Eli and Seth’s story and I know that Cardeno C. wrote another perfect story and my rating is well deserved.
I recommend this story to those who love brilliant stories that have you smiling and grinning, that leave you aching for the young man who had to wait years to finally get his man, that draws you in as soul-searching is conducted and doubts are examined and a beautiful relationship is fulfilled.