The story was well-written and the characters were interesting, but I did fail to really immerse in this story. May just be the setting and personal preferences.

A passionate complete love story that has friendship, relationship, and kinship along with wit and humor. And a happy ending I loved. I'd recommend this to any romance junkie I know. Can't wait to read more from this author.

This fourth book in the series was a disappointment for me. I was glad to finally get "Stuart's story", but it just really didn't fit with the CalPac Crew theme. Sure other characters were mentioned, especially with MC Phillip being (previous MC) Brad's brother, but the linking (of the stories) felt forced. I felt like C. Koehler was fighting with the story he wrote, versus the one he wanted to tell, versus the series.

Most of the early part of the book is Phillip's story and the family business. Phillip and his personal issues coincide with taking over the family legacy. Stuart is more of a side story. And speaking of Stuart, we never get much of his Cox'n role or closure on an offer he receives.

The last part of the book was a great story in itself. I think I would have preferred Koehler to have just focused on that. I felt all this build up with the Sundstrom business and then the author just kind of switched to a different story.

One good scene with 'the Crew' in the water would have benefitted the book greatly.

Will we find out what happens with Phillip and Stuart and their sudden life changing situation? I guess only time will tell.

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

This is the fourth book in a series, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone. We have met both of these characters in previous books, but this is their story.

Philip Sundstrom is the eldest of the Sundstrom brothers, with Brad being the younger. Brad was the MC of the second book in this series, and we have seen him in the other stories as well. Philip was the enigmatic brother who seemed kowtowed to their domineering and homophobic father, but we are now seeing the truth behind that facade.

Philip was the beleaguered son, "learning" the business of Sundstrom while really being shut out of any and every real decision, but Philip played a long game, acquiring knowledge and allies as he awaited his shady father's downfall. It happened to come at the cost of Brad's boyfriend, Drew, who was bashed by Daddy's cronies. Philip found out and had his abusive, snaky father incarcerated--and he also got full ownership of the company, in the process. Philip wants to root out the board members who were loyal to his dad--and might be actively sabotaging his CEO position--and he's also mature enough he wants a secure relationship instead of rattling around his big, empty childhood home. Unfortunately, his long-term girlfriend hadn't got the memo that they were exclusive, and that was the end of that. Philip is bisexual, not that he's made any overtures to a man in a long time. That's why it's a bit shocking that he's so turned on by the ginger bagger at the specialty grocer, Stuart.

Stuart Cochrane has just graduated college from CalPac University and is due to matriculate into medical school at UC-Davis in August. He shares an apartment with his boyfriend and a fellow crew member, Jeremy, whose highborn English mother has been an unpleasant advent in his life. Stuart grew up in rural Pennsylvania, with parents who take "Jesus Freak" as a badge of honor. He literally ran away to Sacramento to attend college on the scholarship for crew, where he was a champion coxswain. Stuart is diminutive in size, but not opinion or voice, and he's quite tired of Jeremy's callous and wasteful immaturity. Being nearly destitute has trained Stuart to be incredibly frugal, and shun charity. So, when Jeremy makes an ultimatum that would cost him thousands, Stuart is happy to see him head off for England on a summer break that ends their relationship. And, that's when he meets Philip.

Philip is a fixer, but while he has money he is sensible about it--for the most part. And he's sensitive enough to Stuart's pride that he doesn't try to press his financial advantage, at least at first. They end up dating, which causes a little conflagration as Philip comes out, but much less than one might expect. The book is set in the time period around 2013 when marriage equality was still a fight in the courts, and not the rule of the country at large. Stuart has never really considered being married, because it hasn't been accessible to him as such, and he's still young with big plans for his career. Meanwhile, Philip is going all in on Stuart, and on the people he suspects of conniving against his leadership at work. There are several issues at risk, including a development that seems to have been built in an area rife with toxic waste. The legal ramifications are high, and as all of this is percolating to a head Stuart's phobia of wealth and privilege get stuck with. He's prideful to a dangerous and self-destructive degree, but once Philip arrives--thanks to mutual friends who reach out--Stuart is more than sorry for his earlier scorn. These guys are so used to being on their own it's hard to lean on one another, but Stuart has need to lean more frequently, and this bring shim shame. He'd already had a pretty low self-esteem thanks to his parents, but his money struggles only reveal the deep-seated class prejudices Stuart has. And, what he has to get over if he's going to salvage what is left of his battered family.

I really enjoyed this story, though I felt it kind of took a long time to get to the larger action moments. What I mean is, Philip was investigating his board in June, and doesn't resolve anything there until January--despite constant machinations and discovery of damning evidence. Over the nearly 6 months of their acquaintance Stuart's growing loathing of financial security seems excessive and childish. He has no capacity to manage his exponential debts, and hates that Philip is not only able, but willing, to wipe it all away just to ensure Stuart isn't burdened. Every one of Stuart's friends tell him he's being unreasonable and childish--and he's also considering this himself--but he cannot stop turning into a giant ridiculous brat when Philip pays for these rare and extenuating extravagances. It was almost pathological, honestly, and I was overjoyed that he FINALLY got down from his high horse in time to save his family and his relationship.

This is the fourth story in the series, but there is plenty of detail to fill-in any gaps for readers picking it up out of sequence. It will be a bit of a spoiler though, if one wants to go back in time, as the previous love stories have some level of exposure in this book. I'm always a little thrown by the deep references I encounter in this series, considering how well-read that I am, but it's always fun to learn a new 78-point Scrabble word, or two. The younger characters read as way older, and sometimes Philip and Stuart read as way younger--but it was fun that they acknowledged this as demonstration of their infatuation. There are some dark moments, and the death of several secondary characters leading up to the final crisis. In all, I'd read on if another book comes out.

In the fourth entry of the CalPac Crew series, Koehler finally gets to Stuart's story. In a pleasant surprise, his romantic interest was (spoilers) not heavily foreshadowed in the previous entries. It's still a character we've seen before, yet there's some fun in seeing two characters get to know one another here. It gives a story that could have been very by the numbers this deep in a series some well-deserved breathing room. The story does solid work in terms of taking risks with the plot, while still keeping things true to the characters. There should be enough of what fans loved to leave them satisfied while providing any new readers context to get acclimated.