A MelanieM Review: Behr Facts (Foothills Pride #3) by Pat Henshaw

Rating: 4.25 Stars out of 5

Big, burly CEO Abe Behr is dismayed to discover someone—possibly a family member—is stealing from Behr Construction, which primarily employs Behr relatives. Abe takes the unprecedented step of hiring an outsider, likeable CPA Jeff Mason, to go over the books and help find the culprit. They are drawn to each other as they talk to workers, including Abe’s two younger brothers and their shifty cousin.

Since he has sacrificed romance all his life to build the business, Abe’s surprised by his feelings for the handsome Jeff. He’s even more shocked when they are confronted by bigotry in the Sierra Nevada foothills community, which is being inundated by gays moving from the San Francisco area. As he and Jeff get closer, Abe must come to grips with coming out to a family and community that aren’t very tolerant. Fortunately, being the head Behr helps him find his footing and grab onto love when it bites him.

Pat Henshaw takes us back to her Foothills couples and increasingly integrated community with her latest release, Behr Facts.  With Behr Facts (Foothills Pride #3) by Pat Henshaw, another terrific story, this marvelous series just added another wonderful layer of depth, community and love.  All in 92 pages.

Pat Henshaw took the fact of gay flight during the recession from the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento into the Sierra Foothills and created this series.  As noted in the author’s forward that’s how FLAG (Foothills Lesbians and Gays) was formed.  As with any influx of newcomers into a old established and conservative community, integration does not always go smoothly.  And each  book has dealt with not only a couple finding their way to each other and their place in the new FLAG community being established but the reactions, both good and bad from those already in place.

Each story has also served as an introduction to the next couple and story in the series so in Redesigning Max (Foothills Pride, #2), we got our first glimpse of Abe Behr, CEO of Behr Construction, a family owned business having its own problems as well as CPA Jeff Mason.  The second story gave us just enough of a taste that we knew we had to know more…of Abe and Jeff.  What Pat delivered was touching, wonderful, moving and felt so right that 92 pages just wasn’t enough.

The characters of Abe and Jeff were just so right, Henshaw gave them just the normal amount of flaws,  human imperfections and endearing traits that you just loved these men, together and apart. Abe who has pushed his sexuality into the closet to be what he thought the family needed him to be.  Henshaw was able to convey the quiet pain that Abe carried with him at all times making us hurt for him.  She also managed to show the layers to Jeff without lengthy descriptions. We wanted this couple to succeed from the very beginning.

Their romance?  Ah, that was  conducted with a warmth, and affection and so much heart that I wanted to be sitting under that tree with them, listening to their conversations, watching them grow close together.  How did the author manage to make that happen in such a short time and still let it feel so real?

The drama that swirled around Abe, his extended family and the financial disaster in the making at the construction company also felt authentic and believable.  I just wish the author had given herself and the couple more time to work things through as throughly as you would expect Abe and Jeff to be in their business affairs.  The backlash and the hate?  Unfortunately, that was all too real as well.

Had this been a longer story, a little more filled out, than  this might have been close to perfect rating.  As it is, I loved this story.  The series too and I can’ t wait for more. The Foothills Pride series is a gem and should be on all lovers of contemporary romance.  I highly recommend this and all the stories in the series.

Cover artist Angsty G did a wonderful job with this cover.  I think it conveys the characters perfectly.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 92 pages
Published October 28th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634762700
edition languageEnglish
seriesFoothills Pride #3