Rating: 4 stars out of 5
When the world labels a man and judges them blindly, is it possible to ever find love?
Firefighter Eric is on the front line, battling the threat of nature’s destruction in the California grasslands alongside his CalFire team. Focused and calm, even in the direst of situations, he has a strong affection for his fire truck, loves his career, and has best friends he can rely on. All he needs now is love, but that seems to be impossible to find. At his friend’s wedding. Eric falls in lust at first sight with the shy, slim and sexy Brady, even if Brady isn’t the type of guy he usually goes for. What Eric longs for is an equal in his bed, not a smaller guy who might want Eric to role-play big strong firefighter every time they have sex. He wants to find someone he can be vulnerable with, someone who will love him for his soft heart and quiet ways.
Brady’s life plans grind to a halt when his niece and nephew lose their parents in a tragic accident, and he becomes a dad overnight. His Developmental Coordination Disorder rules his life, but he fights both DCD and the fears that chase him every day, to give Maddie and Lucas a home. Agreeing to go to a friend’s wedding is a decision he regrets long before he even gets there. But, he refuses to give in to his fear, even if he might do something that makes him a target for people’s comments and laughter. Meeting Eric, a huge man with a gentle voice and a flair for chivalry, he falls hard. Now, if only he can let himself get past his panic that Eric would never want someone like him, then maybe he could fall in love for real.
The second in the Single Dads series, Today is the story of firefighter Eric’s romance with Brady, from Ash’s (Single) parent support group. Again we have the mingling of the two closely entwined circles, Ash’s and Sean’s (now married). In fact, this story starts at their wedding, where Brady emerges from the safety of his home with his nephew and niece to attend. It’s our first look at him, his emotional state and handling of his developmental coordination disorder. I was not familiar with this disability until this story and I think RJ Scott does a great job in educating the reader about DCD through Brady (at least his level of it), his coping mechanisms, and his fears.
It certainly makes us understand the walls he raises along with the combined losses he has experienced to understand him as a man better. Eric as well telegraphs well as a believable person, his experiences as a firefighter, the stress and the physical pains all come across too. While the element of instant love (and lust) remains, the rest falls nicely into place.
If you want to read children with the ability to break your heart at times, RJ Scott can certainly write them. Realistic adolescence to struggling teen or preteen, haunted by the memory of losing their parents, needed to connect to a uncle with his own hurdles to overcome, and just the basics of childhood to fight through, all that emerges on these pages or through the tones of Sean Crisden who does a marvelous job of narrating the entire story and each and every character.
If you love listening to your stories as I have come to do, then this is one audiobook I can definitely recommend. The narration is lovely, the story and romance a delight. And at just a little over four hours the perfect thing for this busy holiday season!
Cover Design: Meredith Russell is just adorable and works for the branding of the series and characters. Love it.
Buy Links: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Audio Book Details:
Audiobook
Published November 12th 2019 by Love Lane Books Ltd. (first published August 23rd 2019)
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Single Dads #2
Length: 4hrs 29mins
Narrated By: Sean Crisden
Single Dad’s Series Audio
Book #1 – Single – Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 