I found this a long read that I had to keep coming back to.

I've read and enjoyed other books by this author but this one I struggled with!

Whole parts of this story could have been removed and it would not have affected the storyline at all including the character Skyler. He really didn't seem to be needed at all. It just seemed to drag for me

BUT I did like Bishop and Edison and their relationship with each other and their families. Each of them has insecurities but they are stronger together.

This is why I ended up giving the book 3 stars. ( )

Should have been shorter. ( )

I was 100% sure I'd left a comment about this book. I've just read its successor which is about Bishop's father, Mike, the spitting image of Bishop and only 16 years older.

It was the seemingly unlikely pairing of Bishop and Edison that made this a charmer. Edison, an accomplished but lonely man is attracted to Bishop who is doing the landscaping at his place of work. It is so touching how Edison, who is relatively clueless, loses his heart to Bishop, and Bishop isn't far behind in falling for Edison. This time around, he is going to do everything differently. Edison is a keeper.

And in the background is the love of cooking (Edison) and gardening (Bishop) - so domestic! ( )

Yet another tender MM novel - it's definitely an attribute of these novels. Delightful is the word that comes to mind, as Bishop walks you through the growing friendship and love affair between Bishop, ex con and illiterate, who catches a break when he meets the kind hearted but lonely Edison. They are unlikely bedfellows, no pun intended, but the way they kind of rescue each other is so heartwarming. Haven't read an A. E. Via book I didn't enjoy, nor for that matter, a Tor Thom narration that didn't delight. ( )

Another great read in the M/M Romance genre. This story had me hooked from the beginning because the two main characters were quite unique and very interesting. There was great chemistry between them and I thank A.E. Via for that!

Let's start with Bishop. He did five years in federal prison for a crime he didn't commit and is back out and working for his father at a landscaping company. Bishop is a terrific character. He's rough and yet open-minded and emotional. One of the most interesting things about Bishop is that he isn't able to read or write but still has a love of stories. His father was very young when Bishop was born and wasn't prepared to be a parent. As a result of his upbringing, Bishop was raised to think that street-cred and toughness were more important than school.

Once reunited with his father, Bishop finds himself with a new relationship. His father is attempting to support him in the way he should have when he was a kid.

The other main person in the story is Edison. He was raised by his gentlemanly father... to be a gentleman. But, his world is small. He goes to work with colleagues who don't really show any interest in him then he goes home and disappears into the world of books. He is constantly body-shamed by a bully who he supervises at work but he puts up with it. He's uncomfortable with the way he looks and lets that undermine his confidence when it comes to standing up for himself.

Honorable mention to Trent. He is Bishop's childhood friend and is hot-tempered and fiercely protective of Bishop. The two men have a wonderful friendship. They're expressive in their own deranged ways, they're funny and they are as close to being brothers as two men can be.

Bishop and Edison end up together in spite of the fact that they are from different worlds. Edison is open to Bishop's differences and grows fond of him very quickly. I loved the way Bishop thought of Edison... the way he thought his boyfriend was beautiful, the descriptions of Edison's body were beautiful and loving.

They make a lovely couple. Edison reads to Bishop, Bishop insists on acting like a gentleman to prove that he cares about Edison, they spend more and more tie together and inspire each other to make changes. There is growth on both sides of the relationship and it's really well written. I really enjoy reading characters who grow and change throughout the course of a story.

As much as this book is about love, it's also about redemption. Edison and Bishop both have things in their pasts, things in their present that they must overcome. Everyone in this book is really working on "something"... and it's a lovely journey. My hope is that this is the first in a series because there are a lot of characters in this book I would love to know more about!

4 stars from me! ( )