4.5 stars

I’m always happy when this author starts a new series. New characters to meet and fall in love with, and new situations to navigate. It’s always interesting and usually full of complex feelings and, ultimately, joy.

The premise of this series centers around a friend group of 40-something men who have been friends since college. One of their friends recently lost his husband and they are all in town for the funeral at the beginning of this book. Other than the widower there is one who took care of the deceased husband’s end-of-life treatment, one is in his final months in the military, and one comes home after his divorce and decides to stay to help out with his friend’s kids and figure out what he’s going to do with his life now that his own kids are grown.

Sean is the friend in the quartet who is recently divorced. He meets Denver at the local diner. Sean and Denver had an instant attraction, but Denver never stays in one place for too long and has never had or even attempted to have a real relationship. He can tell Sean’s a long-term type of guy so he warns him ahead of time that they can have a fling, but nothing more. And Denver fights his feelings, kicking and screaming the whole way, even though it’s obvious he won’t be able to leave Sean behind. The way their feelings steadily grew deeper and deeper and Sean’s comfort in finding someone who finally allows him to be his true self is beautiful.

What really intrigued me about this story is the way homophobia was handled. Many prominent people in town are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The mayor, doctors, first responders, etc. Sean’s dad is the fire chief and doesn’t seem to have an issue with anyone, yet Sean is afraid to come out to his family. He had a previous 20-year marriage to a cis woman and has two kids with her, so of course it would be a surprise to Sean’s loved ones. Yet surprise isn’t the only reaction. It portrayed the reality for so many people who have family who are fine with something “different”, be it gender, sexuality, race, etc., but once it’s their kin who expresses this “difference” they second guess their beliefs. It was interesting to watch Sean struggle to come out and his father’s progression in facing his own biases.

All of the characters in this story are fantastic. The kids are fun and quirky. The other first responders are friendly and supportive. I’m looking forward to all of their stories to be told. There is not much of the nurse or the military friend in this one, but I know they’ll be just as fantastic as Sean.