Terrifying teacher and baking Big Brother give teen Connor the support he needs🌈

3.5+🌟stars
I found the arc of the plot of this MM romance/family novel good and the minutiae of the characters' daily lives realistic. The author is not a bad writer, though he never passes up the chance to use lots of words when less would do the job just as well.

For me, this story would have been more enjoyable if shorter. Had I liked Spencer more, I might have wanted to read long passages about him. But Spencer repeatedly demonstrated that he was an immature jerk! Yes, he had a traumatic background when he became a single parent in his early teens. But he's now an adult in his late twenties with a 14 year-old to support. He's a high school teacher who focuses on texting and playing games on his phone when he should be teaching. He gets a kick out of terrorizing his students with fierce looks and essays, essays, essays (then complains about all the time it takes to grade them). His picky eating habits are similar to a six year old's, and he pops off accusing people without letting them get a word in. Tim, his son's recent college graduate, Big Brother friend, may think he's cute, adore his nerdy side and love Spencer's aggressive protectiveness of his bullied son, but I was not won over.😒

There's a current of abuse and coercion running through the story that paints a sad picture of the vigilance of our institutions of learning against bullying, assault and sexual abuse. Sad, probably true, but hopefully not as prevalent as here where all of the main characters have been directly impacted.

Thanks to Ninestar Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

I am new to Dan Wingreen's books and this one was a fantastic introduction. This is a well-written, humourous, touching novel about two men, one of whom has a teenaged son and the way they meet... and become more.

Spencer is a single father of a young teen named Connor. Connor is quiet and a bit withdrawn and when he agrees to go to a youth center he is assigned a "big brother" - Tim. Tim is a volunteer. He's fled school after refusing to have sex with a Professor got him threatened and he's broken up with his boyfriend. Once the three of these characters are together, a lovely, long and winding tale begins as they all get to know one another.

There are a few really significant themes going on in this book. Spencer is a young father. He became a father when he was fourteen. years old. He's grown into his role,  but it wasn't always easy. His son, Connor is his pride and joy. But what I truly enjoyed was the relationship between the two of them. They certainly don't have a perfect relationship and that made me incredibly happy. Their conversations, battles, and arguments were so realistic that I was instantly invested in both of these characters. Wingreen. has done a wonderful job of presenting some of the trials of being a young parent, living with a teen who struggles with being social, life in general!

One of the other issues that is so well written in this story is about bullying. Connor is bullied at school, probably for being different and shy. But when it turns physical it becomes a huge obstacle for Connor and his Dad to overcome. bullying is a horrendous thing for any young person to deal with... anyone at all for that matter. In this novel, Wingreen does a fantastic job of presenting the ongoing frustration and long term effects of bullying. It can be really insidious and difficult to prove when it comes down to it. Connor struggles as he's a character on the cusp of adulthood. Spencer must fight his urges to take things into his own hands and try to protect his son at all costs.

What I really enjoyed in this story was the way the characters were so fully developed. Really, there are three main characters in this book. The POV may only shift between the adults, but it's clear from the beginning that Connor is a great character as well. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the way these three souls got to know each other.

Of note in this book? I absolutely loved the dialogue and texting between Spencer and Tim. It was equal parts hilarious, touching and entertaining. It's been a while since I have read "getting to know you" conversations with such delight.

There are a lot of heavy issues in this book, but the lightness shows through as well. It's real and great. Highly recommend this one.

Dan Wingreen is a new-to-me author, and I’m very happy I chose to give him a try, because I wound up loving this contemporary romance.

What brings Spencer and Tim together as a couple originally is their shared concern for Spencer’s son Connor; he’s being bullied in school, so Spencer signs him up for the Big Brother program Tim participates in. I appreciated the focus on family in the book, with the relationship between Spencer and Connor being as important to the story as the romance between Spencer and Tim. Spencer and Connor reminded me somewhat of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, actually, in that they are close enough in age to be friends as much as parent and child. (If you’re wondering how a 28-year-old gay man wound up with a 14-year-old son—well, it involves alcohol and young Spencer trying to prove he was straight. The night obviously didn’t turn out as planned.)

Spencer and Connor aren’t quite as funny as Lorelai and Rory, but there’s still a lot of humor in the story. Spencer is sarcastic and awkward, with a tendency to say whatever he thinks, sometimes to hilarious effect. I wasn’t expecting a book that was laugh-out-loud funny at times, so that was a nice surprise.

I liked both Spencer and Tim, and I loved them together as a couple. Tim often refers to Spencer as adorable, and he really is charming in all his awkward glory. Tim is six years younger, but unlike Spencer, whose social life got put on a back burner because of Connor, Tim has been involved with a fair number of guys. He winds up taking the lead a lot, and the way they interact is super cute. When the rather lonely Tim is welcomed into Spencer and Connor’s family, it’s very sweet. And while the romance is slow burn, the reader eventually gets some genuine heat, too.

I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary romances with a focus on family life.

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

A beautifully written book that has been written with tact and sensitivity. Full of characters who are instantly likeable and very easy to relate to. The story takes you on journey full of love, laughter, self discovery and fair bit of angst, all which take you on the wonderful and enlightening journey with the protagonists of the novel. Well worth a read, it's one you can be so consumed by that you read it in one or two sittings.

I loved this book, it was adorable and I loved all of the characters. A perfect mix of light angst and fluff. Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the review copy.

Adorable, sweet, funny, heartfelt and romantic are just a few of the words that will come to mind as readers watch Tim and Spencer navigate through the first blush of love.