Like in the previous book, Only in His Dreams, Only for Him is a classic office affairs romance. And as in the best office affairs, the two men involved apparently are not good for each other, but then they are perfect, like missing pieces of a puzzle. Barnaby is a flamboyant gay man who, I think, hides his insecurities behind makeup and flashy garments; he was orphaned by mother even before he was able to remember her, and he has an estranged father. He was raised by a loving grandmother, but as often happens in these cases, he was sheltered when he was young, and maybe the first experiences with the big bad world were not good. Nothing tragic, but for sure Barnaby tends to search reassurance, and to build a safe haven like the one he left. Barnaby is like a wonderful paradise bird, showing off all his beautiful plumage to attire the perfect mate to build the perfect nest where to live happily ever after. And like a paradise bird, Barnaby is high maintenance, non in the monetary meaning of the word, but in showing affection and attention.

Nathan is one of the partners of the lawyers firm where Barnaby works as PA. He is also the man Barnaby pointed out as a different type of partner, a private life partner. When he thinks that his colourful plumage is not drawing in the “prey”, Barnaby tries to change his exterior look, to be more similar to conservative Nathan, but he hasn’t realized that it’s not his look that worries Nathan, but everything in Barnaby. Barnaby is too shiny, too friendly, too much for someone “boring” like Nathan.

Without even realizing it, Barnaby does exactly the right thing to catch Nathan, instead of waiting for him to do the first move, Barnaby almost forces Nathan out for a date and then for a hot weekend of sex. In the privacy of his house, and probably playing on an home field, Nathan reveals a domineering side that is exactly what Barnaby needs; all right, it’s cheap psychology, but I think that Barnaby needs a fatherly figure in his life, and even if Nathan has not the age (he is not so much older than Barnaby), he has the look, and even the cool attitude. Even when he is maybe a bit too harsh with Barnaby, I think that he is exactly what Barnaby needs, if he was too easy a conquest, Barnaby would loose soon the interest.

Again Shawn Lane wrote a nice and sweet novella, very romantic, something that I think could appeal to a female target, but even to that young gay men that can easily identify in Barnaby, and even in Nathan, how many geeky guys out there are dreaming of finding a Barnaby for their own?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602727805/?tag=elimyrevandra-20