Title: What Matters Most
Series: Love in Xxchange 04
Author: Bailey Bradford
Genre: Contemporary/Cowboys/Western
Length: Novel (186pgs)
Publisher: Total E-Bound (22nd August 2011)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Sometimes it takes losing everything to find out what matters most.
Josh has a fondness for hot pink, penguins…and one wicked man he knows he shouldn’t trust. Nick is a confused, angry man, one who has been denied the opportunity to know his half-siblings, who was ignored and treated less than second best—until the fair-haired children fell out of favor with a resounding thud. Now Nick has something he isn’t sure he wants—a ranch left to him by a father who never cared for him, and a fascination with a certain hot-pink, penguin printed, scrub wearing nurse who makes his blood boil in a way no woman ever had.
But Josh left him hurting on the floor the last time he dared touch the man. Nick had never thought the attractive dark-haired man with the jewel-bright eyes would be anything other than a tool to spy on his half-siblings, but somehow, Josh has gotten under Nick’s skin, and Nick isn’t sure he ever wants it any other way.
But the choice isn’t just his, and it’s more than just their futures that are at risk… And Nick doesn’t know if he can get past Josh turning away from him once again, or if he can be strong enough to reach for what matters most…
Review: Josh is a nurse who will do anything to protect his family, even if it means keeping secrets from them. When he figures out the truth about Nick he is really not pleased. Nick wants to know more about his half-siblings but he can’t contact them directly so he comes up with a plan. A plan to get close to Josh and find out about them, his main problem though is he’s not gay.
I had mixed feelings about this at first when I learned that Nick was straight but the more we get to know him and how he was brought up and his reaction to Josh the better I felt about it. I felt really sorry for Josh and the way he was treated by his brothers, Justin and Nick. But Nick redeemed himself nicely though I can’t say the same for Justin. Josh had to go through a lot of angst before things worked out for him and Nick had a lot of soul-searching to do as well.
These two MCs had a lot of angst for different reasons. Nick because he only inherited as his father, Ian Calhoun, wanted to hurt his other two children, his mother’s attitude towards him and the stipulations in the will, when all he wants is to know his brother and sister. Josh because he feels used by Nick and he is also keeping secrets from Annabelle and Rory about who Nick is. We see quite a few misunderstandings on both sides before they eventually sort themselves out.
I would recommend this book to those who like strong characters, hot men, hot sex, angst and a well written story.