“Family, friends, lovers,” Gus says. This perfectly symbolizes his complex and evolving relationship with Billy, the other leading man in Unforgotten. The book features a multi-layered, second chance love story with imperfect characters, a slow burn, and a redemption arc for Billy. Sometimes I crave a difficult story such as this because it evokes deep, powerful emotions. And fully realized, damaged protagonists – something Garrett Leigh is very skilled at creating – are like my romance catnip. I love to get sucked in and feel their pain.

Although Unforgotten is Gus and Billy’s love story, it’s also about familial love, overcoming deeply entrenched pain, and the dynamics between Gus, Billy, and his brother Luke. All three have bruised souls and convoluted ways of hiding their emotions. I was most drawn to Gus who seems to be most in touch with his feelings, but that may just be an appearance. Luke’s default around his brother is stone cold silence and scowling; Billy resorts to sarcasm, sneering, and isolation.

After Billy and Luke’s father died, Luke secretly joined the navy and left home at eighteen. Later their mother took off for Spain and deserted Billy. He never recovered and it was the beginning of a long history of dysfunction with his big brother. Meanwhile, Gus’ mom died and his sister, Mia – Luke’s girlfriend – abandoned her brother and moved to France. Luke was Gus’ best friend so he suffered that lost, as well. Billy’s life became a trainwreck. He ran with a rough crowd and did everything to avoid being a law-abiding citizen. Then he left town and drifted from one locale to another.

Now at twenty-four, Billy’s job at a scrapyard gets scrapped and suddenly he’s unemployed, homeless, and desperate, so he calls Luke for help. Luke and Billy can’t exist under the same roof, though, so Luke asks Gus if Billy can crash in his spare bedroom. Gus agrees and promises to look out for Billy who’s in a bad way. Luke offers him a job in his roofing company where Gus also works. Gus and Billy aren’t strangers, though. As an adolescent, Billy was obsessed with Gus for years. Then five years ago, they shared a kiss – Billy’s first ever kiss – and it cemented his thoughts that he was bisexual. But Gus pushed Billy away and the men haven’t spoken since that night. Neither has forgotten about the other or the kiss, though.

During the intervening years, Billy dealt with his pain through drugs, alcohol, theft, and fighting. Gus turned, in part, to meaningless sex as a coping mechanism – his way of escaping the noise in his head. He filled his nights with Grindr hookups, but they never quite alleviated his loneliness. Once Billy arrives, he becomes embedded in Gus’ head and it messes with his Grindr mojo. For Billy, sex is scary and was painful in the past. He can’t remember sex without being drunk and he’s intimidated by all of Gus’ experience.

Intimacy between the men is a slow dance beginning with lots and lots of kissing. It’s impassioned and loving and gentle. It progresses to sleeping in each other’s arms before anything more. Billy isn’t prepared to have sex yet, and Gus isn’t prepared for what might come after sex. He wants much more than friendship or a fling with Billy, but everyone he’s loved has left him or died, and Billy has a long history of not sticking around. Further, if it’s awkward afterward and Billy leaves, it will deny the brothers of a slowly improving relationship and Billy will lose the only security he’s had in years. The book nears the end dramatically with a traumatic event that leads to the men finally finding their way.

I’ve read every one of Leigh’s M/M novels and this ranks as one of my favorites. I’m confounded by why I seem to like Unforgotten more than the average reviews indicate. Because I read M/M romance exclusively, I didn’t read the previous M/F book, Forgiven, and perhaps that is the difference. Maybe the fresh look at these characters and their backgrounds have left me with a more positive outlook. Of note, I feel Luke is integral in Gus and Billy’s relationship. It’s possible the impact of Luke – whom I believe adds vital complexity – is more poignant because I’m experiencing him for the first time. Readers who were introduced to Luke in Forgiven may view his role here completely differently. At any rate, I don’t feel it’s necessary to read Forgiven. I highly recommend Unforgotten and hope you enjoy it as well.

Unforgotten by Garret Leigh. Hard to like the characters. They eventually mesh, but I had a hard time connecting with the story. I eventually stopped reading because I just couldn’t get into it. Sorry!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I received an arc from NetGalley for an honest review. I struggled to get into this book as the two main characters didn't have much chemistry. I eventually put it down and did not finish it.

When Billy comes back to town and needs a place to stay, he ends up in the spare room of an old friend, Gus. I liked the way the POV switches between Billy and Gus as they make slow moves towards a possible relationship. And I liked watching Billy navigate his relationship with his brother as they try to deal with each other. The pace was a bit slow and it took a while for them to start to get together. You learn a lot about Billy, but not as much about Gus. I could have used more backstory for both characters, but I did make it all the way through to the satisfying conclusion.

3.5 stars

So, I just finished this book today. I let it simmer for a bit. Trying to gather my thoughts for this book. I’ll be honest here. It was touch and go here and there. But overall, the story was ok.

Billy in the beginning was hard for me to get into. I had a hard time with his character. But once I read on…. I started see the subtle change in his character. Once he let his bad attitude drop. He became more likable to me.

Billy & Gus’s relationship was a little slow. They kept things open. They both thought if they didn't talk about what they were doing with each other, it wouldn't become serious. They both has issues with relationships. They didn't want to get hurt. They didn't want to get in too deep with each other.
But they were wrong. They both fell hard for each.

Mia & Luke… Mia was still unlikable to me. Her attitude never changed. Luke was still so standoffish. But warmed up later.

The ending was good. I liked how Billy & Gus opened up to each other and were able to move past their past to be with each other. Gus was so understanding. He knew how to take Billy our of his own head. I liked that.

*ARC provided by HARLEQUIN - Carina Press via NetGalley*

This is the second book in the Forgiven duology that pairs the Amour siblings and the Daley siblings. Book 1 was all about Luke and Mia, book 2 looks at their brothers Billy and Gus. I enjoyed the first book, but I loved the second. I devoured it in just 2 days!

Billy Daley is a screwup and everyone is better off if he’s not around. At least that’s what he tells himself. His big brother Luke took off after their father died, leaving him on his own, so he knows that’s true. So he’s stayed away from home for years, even after his brother came home, because he believes its for the best.

Gus hasn’t left town, even though everyone else left him. First his friend Luke took off, then his mother died and his sister took off, and Billy took off after they shared a kiss in an alley that he’ll never forget. And Luke came back, then Mia and he’s got a good relationship with them, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that he had to deal with a lot of grief and misery on his own… alone.

Both men have a lot of issues with self-worth, but they are both the absolute best men. Gus hides his loneliness in an endless supply of Grindr hookups and avoids relationships. Billy hides his pain (both physical and emotional) behind weed and alcohol. But Billy makes Gus want to take care of him, and Gus helps Billy see that he’s worth it.

Things are not smooth sailing with these two, tempers and the fear of being hurt keep them from being able to really open up to each other and they almost lose it all. But I adored both of their broken souls. I mean Billy bonds with a feral cat and makes him a pet, how can you resist that?

This duology was my first experience with the author, Garrett Leigh, and I look forward to reading more.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher {Harlequin Carina Press} through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I think of romance, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the feels and satisfies every romance junkies' heart. This is a perfect books to snuggle up with on any day. Something new and exciting.

I received a complimentary copy of Unforgotten in exchange for an honest review. I read this as a standalone without any issues. I really enjoyed Garrett Leigh's writing style. The storyline kept me engaged, and the interaction and snarky comments between Billy and Gus were the best. I'll definitely be looking for more from this author.

Second chance romance. Billy and Gus and a history, together and apart-- can they overcome their backstories and reunite? Garrett Leigh fills Unforgotten with steam and angst. The second book in this series it works well as a standalone story. I really would have liked more on Luke's story, that seems to play a lot in to the backstory drama. Maybe in book 3?

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Billy and Gus grew up together, always in each other’s lives. They even shared a sneaky kiss once. But family events forced the two onto very different paths.

Now Billy is back in town, and he’s staying at Gus’ place. They’re very different men, but the spark between is just the same.

I really liked the set-up of this book - family drama, moody boys, sexual tension, unspoken feelings, and a judgy cat.

A winning recipe!

This is very much so a character-driven story - all of the focus is on Gus and Billy, and on their respective siblings, Mia and Luke. What a tricky web that family is.

This isn’t an overly angsty book, at least not by Garrett Leigh’s standards, but it’s definitely heavy on the family drama and dynamics. That being said, Billy and Gus were still pretty cute from the get-go.

Their relationship grows very naturally, and it’s easy to see how well they fit together. Whether the two were trading insults, working, attempting to cook, or trying to ignore the growing heat, the connection between them was obvious.

Sure, both have some unresolved issues with their families, but the shared experience made it easier for Gus and Billy to address their problems. They’re adorable once they finally give in to the tension between them. Years worth of longing paid off!

Where the book took a bit of a left turn was the second half.

so. much. miscommunication.

Or lack of communication, more accurately.

Both men just jumped to one inaccurate conclusion after another, and it all seemed to snowball into the perfect storm. I was a bit miffed, and just not as invested for a while.

Luckily, the big resolution set it all to rights. And everyone accepted their responsibility. Growth is amazing to see.

Even better, the happy ever after was perfect. Overall, I quite enjoyed Billy and Gus’ story!

4.5 Stars

Billy Daley is a bit of a mess. He's a drinker and he's had a lot of life struggles, including with the law. He tries to stay away from his home town of Rushmere, because he's always been considered a "bad seed" by...everyone, including the cops. He did serve a piece of time for battery, but he's out and on his own these days. Unfortunately, he's just lost his job and he has no home, cash, or really anyplace to go. His older brother Luke has offered him work in the roofing business that Billy should share in, if he were that kind of bloke--to do regular partnerships and business that is. Anyway, Billy knows the difference between charity and homelessness, so he's willing to accept the former to prevent the latter. He crates up his misbegotten (literal) junkyard cat and a broke down pedal bike and hoofs his way to Rushmere, where he's going to bunk up in his childhood neighbor's home, with Gus, his once-crush and now-grown childhood neighbor.

Gus Amour is the younger brother to Mia, Luke's fiance. He's been working as a roofer in the Daley family roofing business for years. And, he loves Luke, especially now that he and Mia have gotten their messy life straightened out. That means he's willing to put up Billy in his home, even if it brings up bad memories of a kiss gone wrong, and Billy being difficult. Gus is barely able to pretend his not attracted to Billy, once he cleans up, that is. But nothing can, or should, happen between them now, right?

This is the second book in a duology, the first being the reconnection romance of Luke and Mia. These two are kindling and a match, with all the sparks and conflagration they set off. Billy is more subtle than his brother, stubborn but stalwart. Mia, Billy and Luke left Rushmere while Gus held down the homesteads, so to speak, so Gus is afraid to upset anything, thinking he might trigger another exodus that will leave himself isolated yet again. But Billy is more than the brawling behemoth he seems, with a heart for animals that would do St. Francis proud.

There is a slow burn here as Billy reveals his own attraction to Gus, which is stronger now as they cohabitate, from when they were kids and neighbors. But, there's also conflict. Is it okay for them to get serious, knowing that Luke and Mia's relationship is tumultuous, though currently solid? How will Billy adjust to living under the legal and social microscopes of the cops and residents of Rushmere? I loved how this all came together, with Billy living such a clean and sober life, facing his many challenges head on, in his usual brusque, bull-in-a-china shop manner. And Gus is a remarkable guy, in general. So loving, dependable and forgiving. He just wants to have a stable family situation, and he's willing to fight for the respect Billy deserves, even if Billy won't. Luke is a decent guy, whose personal problems often overshadowed his brotherly love, but he's determined to make things right with Billy after their long estrangement. He's not sure how to do that, but he's willing to listen to Gus about Billy's needs.

It's an interesting and immersive read that encompasses family drama and budding romance in a way I hadn't predicted. I only read this book from the duology, but I felt that it was fully enjoyable as a standalone. Expect a huge situation in the climax, where Billy is a hero, unexpected by the side-eye society of Rushmere but not to his nearest and dearest. He and Gus have a love that builds deeper and stronger than either anticipated. I so enjoyed it. Definitely recommend.

This is another author that I’ve had good luck with, and that continues with Unforgotten. This is the second in a series, but the books are companion novels so I never felt like I was missing anything that big. Unforgotten is about Billy Daley and Gus Amour. With nowhere else to turn, Billy comes home after running away from his past pain for years. He’s not comfortable living with his brother, so he becomes roommates with Gus, his brother’s best friend and employee. It just so happens that Billy and Gus have kissed before…and neither of them can forget it. Obviously, it doesn’t too terribly long before the sparks are flying again. Billy’s not as experienced as he seems though, and he doesn’t want to lose Gus’ friendship. As for Gus, he’s so used to using sex to numb his pain, he doesn’t want to unintentionally hurt Billy.

These two have been through a lot and neither are terribly great at sharing their actual feelings. Billy acts out and Gus buries his emotions so he can always be the steady one. Living, and working, together brings them closer together and eventually they have to be open and honest if they want any semblance of a relationship with each other. Overall, this is a character focused book. It’s a romance, but it’s also about family and coming home again. It’s definitely one I’d recommend; I read it really quick!

In a strange turn of events, Luke turned out to be my least favorite character in Unforgotten, while he was my favorite in Forgiven. Go figure – it’s usually the other way around. He eventually redeemed himself, but I had a hard time at first with his attitude toward his brother. *sigh*

I adored both Billy and Gus, even though I felt like knocking their heads together more often than not. Neither one of them wanted to admit that the kiss that they shared when they were practically kids meant as much as it did. So much that neither one of them ever forgot it and no one else quite measured up.

Even though Luke didn’t quite trust Billy, he still didn’t want to see him get hurt. Gus had reputation as a player. Billy knew it too, but what neither Billy or Luke understood was that once Gus had Luke under his roof, he had no desire to go in search of anyone else. It was crazy because there was no way that Billy felt the same way, right?

Billy and Gus spent most of Unforgotten circling around each other. Everyone saw their growing attraction toward each other, except them. It was as frustrating as it was sweet. I just wish they weren’t so hard headed, but then sometimes it takes almost losing something before you realize that you had it all along. So yeah, I loved spending time with these totally broken characters as they slowly helped put each other back together. Which seems to be a Garrett Leigh specialty. ❤

3 stars

So it seems this series is just not for me.
There is just so much drama and angst I can deal with and this series has it all. And as much as I loved Garrett's books I cannot connect with this books.
If you want a dramatic and angsty series with a lot of family dynamics and slow burn romance, this might be for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series and I didn't read the first one. It does well as a stand alone book but the two characters featured in book one (Luke/Mia) also play a significant roll in this book so I might have enjoyed this one even more if I had read the previous book. Both of our MC's are also secondary characters in the first book so again I may have gotten even more background on the characters had I read the first book. However, even not reading the first book I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

This book revolves around Gus and Billy - two lonely men who have managed to mess up their lives (Billy more than Gus) and are struggling. Gus is the "one who stayed behind" when everyone else left. He has locked his emotions behind a smile and uses Grindr hookups to pass the time. He has one real friend and that is Luke (his sister's boyfriend and Billy's brother). Billy has been in and out of trouble since his dad died and his brother left for the Navy. He has a quick temper, a past with drug use, an inability to really take care of himself, issues with his brother and he's homeless and jobless when he moves back to his home town.

While both of these guys have issues they also have a softer side. Billy even though he can't always feed himself still manages to adopt and take care of a cat that he obviously loves. Gus is the rock for Luke and Mia and wants to take care of Billy from the very beginning.

The romance is a slow but steady build with some fantastic UST. They were so sweet together but it wasn't easy going by any means. Gus doesn't want his relationship with Billy to effect the rebuilding of Billy's relationship with his brother Luke and Billy doesn't think he deserves Gus. There is a bit of hot and cold and of course some miscommunication since neither of these men are used to talking about things or opening up to anyone. But through it all there are some emotional, sweet and wonderful moments that keeps you rooting for these two to make it work.

This book is full of hurt/comfort, family dynamics, a slow burn romance all set in a small town with its own dynamics.

Garrett Leigh has really drawn me in with the Forgiven series. Forgiven, the first book was a second chance romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. But, Billy and Gus, they both had me at hello. They were total opposites who meshed perfectly together. Their love story was sweet and pure with a few bumps in the road. Those bumps is what brought them together and what could have torn them apart. They persevered, faced their fears and faced the truth staring both of them in the face.
Garrett Leigh writes very diverse and entertaining characters. In Forgiven, she gave us Mia and Luke. One gruff and the other outgoing and easy. In Unforgotten, we have Gus who has had his problems and needed to own up to them and move forward. Then there is Billy who is just afraid to love or commit. Four very different characters that are all inner-twined with each other. This intrigued me, made me look at the story in a different way. And the stories themselves were totally different but you could see where they intersected and how Forgiven enhanced Unforgotten. This made Unforgotten a very interesting read. I thoroughly enjoy the way she brings her stories and characters to life in her books. She mixes a bit of intrigue with the romance, a little angst and drama and then gives us a beautiful HEA that we totally expect from her.

A second chance romance, Unforgotten is book 2 in the Forgiven. I enjoyed this story, Gus and Billy were believable characters and storyline was engaging. I will read more by this author

I usually go into this author's books knowing to expect wonderfully well-written and complex characters but this time...not so much. Billy and Gus didn't really draw me in, the best part of the story was the cat. All in all an okay read.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by NetGalley*

Unforgotten is the second book in a duology, the first of which follows a MF romance. While there’s significant character overlap for these two books as they involve siblings, I had no difficulty reading Unforgotten as a standalone. It’s no secret that Garrett Leigh is gifted when it comes to stories about flawed or broken characters with difficult pasts. Unforgotten is another testament to her talent at creating complex histories and personalities that unfurl over the course of the book.

I enjoyed the pairing of Gus and Billy right away. There was an immediate palpable connection between the men beyond just a lust-driven attraction. I especially liked how they were able to unlock certain aspects of one another as they created a long-lasting relationship. And I appreciated that Gus and Billy weren’t who the reader would expect at first when it comes to the physicality of their relationship considering Gus is quiet and steady and Billy has had a more reckless, wild past. I liked that there was a bit of a mismatch in their sexual appetites. It made the romance different and showed just how much these two were willing to consider their partner’s needs.

Between the characters, romance, and a pretty heavy dose of angst and lingering issues Gus and Billy struggle to address openly, Unforgotten should have been an easy 5-star read for me. Though I liked it and was really happy with how the book ended, I never completely sunk into the story or romance and I’m not quite certain why (despite mulling it over a week or so after finishing the book). I think this very well may be a case of too much drama, some consistently unresolved issues, and possibly just me reading Unforgotten when I wasn’t in the mood for quite this level of angst. Even so, I think if you don’t mind family drama that bleeds into relationships and some complicated pasts, Unforgotten is undeniably a well-written, good romance worth checking out.

This was a really good second chance romance, it had a lot of angst, something I'm not a big fan of, but it worked OK between Billy and Gus.

I really loved these two guys, both had issues, Billy more so than Gus, but they both had to work through them to get to their second chance.

Billy has really struggled, first as a teenager and then after leaving town. He trusts no one and thinks no one trusts him or truly wants him around. The chemistry and relationship between Billy and Gus were great when they weren't having misunderstandings.

I loved Gus's sister, Mia, she was a strong character and not afraid to say what she thought. Billy's brother Luke, had plenty of issues of his own to work through when it came to his relationship with his brother, learning to communicate with each other was a big hurdle to overcome, but necessary if Billy is going to hang around for good and not run away again.

I didn't read the first book, Forgiven, in this series, but after enjoying Unforgotten I would like to go back and see how Luke and Mia get together.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Carina Press for a digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.