Rating: 3 stars out of 5
This book is the set up for the series and focuses on one of the five friends who make up a chosen family. Liam, Jackson, Wade, Everett and Drew all bonded over an outdoor trip that ended up in the emergency room for Liam, who happens to be extremely klutzy and accident-prone. These guys are very close and in each other’s business, literally, as they are all co-owners of V Wilderness Adventures. It is at a guided hike with Liam as the guide that Austin and Liam get to meet. Well, that’s sort of incorrect. Austin is a radiology tech and he knows Liam from his numerous trips to Urgent Care. Their initial hike ends that way as well.
The book is told in the back and forth first person point of view of Liam and Austin. Austin is not only a tech but he is the bass player in a band and invites Liam to come to the gig, which Liam, Drew and Everett go. Liam is in lust for sure and Austin can’t help but “…egged me on a little. Made me show off a little.” Also turns Austin turns into Austin McSlutterson, “Who apparently excelled in cheesy pickup lines.” Austin doesn’t swear, so we get a lot of “poop” and “fudging heck”, which was a little strange to me. There are also numerous occasions of “happy butt wiggles”, which seemed out of place for the age of these guys.
The first date of Austin and Liam is a campfire party with the five friends and I felt sort of bad for Austin. The five friends are so tight and have so many inside jokes and comments that it seems like it would be difficult, if not impossible, to break into this group and feel like a part of it. Austin asks a valid question, why does Jackson live in a tent? He gets a sort of non-answer (I like the outdoors) and because Austin is confused when Jackson is vague on purpose, Liam laughs at him and “Everyone else cracked up, too.” I couldn’t help but think Austin was excluded, even if Liam did give the “We all…didn’t mean anything by it.”
There isn’t a lot going on in the story other than the relationship and introducing the others. I definitely want to know Drew’s story because I think there is a big history there. We get to find out Austin has bigots for parents, which was sad. Otherwise, it’s just the guys getting to know each other and moving pretty quickly in the relationship department. I would have loved a little more depth to Liam and Austin and the story in general.
Cover art by Written Ink Designs shows Liam and Austin with a background of the forest. It fit the feel of the book pretty well.
Sales Links: JMS Books LLC | Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 112 pages
Published September 1st 2018 by JMS Books LLC
ASINB07GM1GLJQ
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesFamily Found #1
Liam O’Donoughue is happy with his life. He runs V Wilderness Adventures with his best friends, his chosen brothers, and gets to spend his days hiking in the gorgeous Adirondacks. What’s not to love? But when he meets Austin on a hike, he thinks he’s found something he didn’t even know was missing.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 