Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Felipe Suero is a cosplayer. He’s also a gamer, a costume designer, a college student, and a tollbooth operator for the state—a job he loathes. As soon as he graduates and gets a decent job he’s out of there. In the meantime, he attends conventions, making his own highly detailed costumes, flirts outrageously, and hangs with his bestie, Morris (A Little Side of Geek).
Trask Briscoe, silver fox, over forty, clean and sober for fifteen years, owns the Magick Den, a haven for gamers, and lives his life a day at a time, always thinking things through thoroughly before acting. He doesn’t date but finally gives in when the much-younger Felipe continues to ask him out for coffee. It’s turns out to be the best decision he’s ever made.
This is a May-December, very slow burn romance, complete with moments of humor and heartache. The author handled the aspects of addiction and recovery necessary to this story beautifully, being true to the twelve-step philosophy, while showing the heartbreak of failure. And family? Family is the heart of Felipe’s upbringing, and he still lives in an apartment he rents in his family’s sprawling complex. He’s surrounded by his parents, grandparents, and his sister, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Trask is not so fortunate, having been raised by parents who didn’t meet the definition.
Its difficult to even begin to cover everything this story encompasses. There’s the family of origin and the family of the heart. There’s the not-so-mismatched, older, quieter Trask dating the younger, energetic, outgoing Felipe. Trask calls him his “imp”—a perfect descriptor. The story is fun to read and yet it’s also serious. There’s no insta-love here. Instead, there’s a slow and steady movement forward, giving each man the opportunity to not only get to know the other, but also their friends and support group, and to make a conscious decision on how each can mesh their lives with the other.
If you are a fan of silver foxes, personable characters, age gap, slow burn, gaming, cosplaying, strong characterization, and solid writing, by all means read this story. Check out my review of book one and add that to your list as well. This can be read as a standalone, though reading A Little Side of Geek will make this experience so much better. After all, Felipe did have a secondary role in that story, and having the chance to watch him find his HEA was like adding the cherry to the top of the whipped cream on the sundae. Just yummy. Highly recommended.
The cover by Kanaxa features a young Latino man set against a golden background. It’s a good representation of Felipe, but would be so much better if he were wearing a costume! Nevertheless, it coordinates well with the cover of book one.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 290 pages
Expected publication: January 1st 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781644050088
Edition Language English
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