Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

Ryan Alback has almost everything he’s ever wanted: a successful acting career, a dog who adores him, great family and friends, and a life outside the closet. The only thing missing is a boyfriend—but Ryan’s been burned by Hollywood relationships before, and he’s not eager to try one again.

 

Jason Santos has almost everything he’s ever wanted: a fulfilling career teaching middle school, a house in a city he loves, and parents who support him in every way. Too bad he can’t seem to forget the ex-boyfriend who rejected his marriage proposal.

 

When a talk show host launches a dating contest to find Ryan a boyfriend and Jason accidentally wins, neither of them expect anything to come from it. Yet somewhere between a disastrous massage and a mud sinkhole, they both start to wonder if this date could be more than just a public relations stunt. But before they can move into the future, they’ll both have to learn to let go of the past.

 

I enjoyed this story quite a bit.  Ryan was hurt by a previous lover and since hasn’t looked for love again and spends his life with a few friends and his dog.  Jason has spent the last year trying to get a nonprofit off the ground and ignoring his personal life.

 

Both of these characters have others who want them happy and look out for them.  How putting someone in a national dating contest without their permission can be a good idea I don’t understand.  I will admit that it is very unlikely that Ryan and Jason would have met otherwise but that someone thought this was the way to do it is beyond me.

 

We get to see both of these characters’ thoughts and feelings through their own points of view.  Ryan is so scared of trusting anyone and letting someone in he lives alone with only his dog for company most of the time.  Seeing him hurt himself by pushing others away is quite sad, he has to learn to that not everyone wants to use him.  Jason pretty much hides behind his job and nonprofit to avoid getting hurt again in his personal life.  I hated seeing him be hurt when Ryanmakes assumptions based on past experience.  Both of them have to learn to trust, but it takes both of them making mistakes before it can happen.

 

Cover art by LC Chase is adorable and we get a nice visual of the characters.

 

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon | B&N

 

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages

Published: February 20, 2017 by Riptide Publishing

ISBN: 9781626495364

Edition Language: English