After a near-death experience, Matthew Hart comes back ready to find love--specifically someone to spend the rest of his life with. Which is something he's never really sought since the love of his life disappeared on him in high school without even saying a word. And when his father gives him a project to oversee an art commission for an important client, the last thing he expect is to find the artist is Jax Foster, the one who walked out on him all those years ago. But there is more to Jax's story than Matthew could even imagine, even if he tells himself he doesn't want to hear it. Being forced to work together on this project, however, might just be what both men need to start to heal and find that spark they both thought was long dead. This is one of those stories that you think is going in some obvious directions but sprinkles in some interesting surprises to really keep you interested. ( )

Finding the right person to share your life with is not always easy – and in Matthew and Jax’s case it proves to be exceedingly difficult. Not because they simply haven’t met, but because there are a few obstacles in the way that prove to be extremely difficult to overcome. First is the fact that they have history between them that gets in the way of their feelings. Second, there is the fact that Matthew is super rich and sophisticated and Jax, while a talented artist, sees himself as useless and inferior. And as if that weren’t enough, there are mysterious forces at work that are trying to keep them apart. The result of this exciting mix of elements is an emotional love story interwoven with business dealings and a fight for survival that had my heart beating faster.

Matthew seems to have it all. He is successfully running the family business, he lives in an exclusive penthouse, and his parents love and support him. Oh, and his personal assistant, Adam, has become a true friend over the years and will do anything to make Matthew happy. Including some matchmaking that had me laughing out loud. But back to Matthew – it is obvious to anyone but him that he is lonely, yet it takes a close encounter with a severe allergy attack to make Matthew see what is missing in his life. But the ingenious list of suitable potential Mr. Rights that Adam comes up with is not the solution – bad boy Jax, the man Matthew was in love with (and abandoned by) when they were teenagers is the one who still owns Matthew’s heart.

Jax is in deep trouble, and has been for years. Not due to any fault of his own, but because his father can’t control his gambling. And Jax is too loyal and good a guy to abandon the man who raised him, PTSD-caused difficulties and all. Jax never wanted to leave Matthew, and has been pining for him for years, but Jax’s self-confidence is almost nonexistent and he doesn’t think he is in any way suitable to be Matthew’s partner and equal. Hence, Jax thinks of himself as "Mr. Wrong".

The moment these two men meet again, Jax having been hired as an artist by Matthew’s father, it is clear that both men still love each other. They need to start talking about the past though, which is a lot more difficult than you’d think. There is a lot of pain on both sides, and the perceived inequality between them in terms of money proves to be a formidable barrier. Added to some family issues on Matthew’s side and new money problems caused by Jax’s father, yet again, and the budding reunion is almost over before it begins.

If you like reunions that succeed despite monumental problems, if you enjoy watching two men battle the forces that seem determined to keep them apart, no matter how much they love each other, and if you’re looking for a read that is as entertaining, exciting, and suspenseful as it is romantic, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I loved every second of it!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )