I honestly couldn't get through this book. I got a little over halfway, before I realized I was really bored. The book is relatively plotless, and the main conflict is never explained. Why are Alex and Shane so hesitant to become an item? I don't get it at all. Theres no explanation, just useless build up with no character development. Maybe it gets better in the second half, but I'll never know and most of the audience probably won't get to that point either.

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
It’s the first time I read something by this author, and I realized that this was a second book in a series. Not only by searching but because it was obvious in this book, the story of the first one.
I liked this story, but it was difficult to read – not because I was boring or something like that, but because the author dragged their problems a lot, repeating them in each chapter and developing little the relationship of the protagonists. And only in the end has it improved – much better.
I felt that they deserved a little more development, help and support from each other, and there was little of that.
I love the fact that one of their worst fears did not come true, that in the end their family and friends could be a big support.
And now I am curious about the other too characters and their own story – Reid, the big brother, and Brian, the troublemaker. So, I’ll keep an eye on this author, for sure.

Enjoy reading same sex love stories and this is definitely one to read. The beginning of the story was a bit slow, I thought perhaps it was because I hadn’t read the first book, but no need to worry this book can be read on its own. Likeable characters and good story line. Overall a good read.

I love a good m/m romance, and there were definitely a lot of things to like about this one. The community and worries about having everybody in your business in a small town where everybody knows everybody felt very real. That said, the pacing of this book felt a little strange to me. A lot of the beginning I didn't feel like I had much investment in, because while I was being told that the protagonists had an on-and-off secret relationship for 17 years, it took quite a while to delve into any backstory. At the same time, I felt a little like I was dropped into the middle of a story with a lot of side characters whose personalities and relationships weren't fully explored. Because I didn't really know all of the characters, their relationships with each other (beyond just being friends/siblings who saw a lot of each other) felt underdeveloped.

I definitely got more into the story after the first 30% or so, but I was still a little frustrated by the ending. So many of their closest friends/family pretty much had the exact same reaction. I would have liked to see a little more variety rather than rehashing the same conversation with basically every character.

All this said, I am interested in this group and hope to learn more about them as the rest of the series comes out.

I was so beyond excited to read the second book of this series right after I finished the first one. I got even more excited knowing it was Shane and Andy's story, hence why I finished it one day!

To say I loved this book is an understatement. It was amazing and is one of my favourite books of the year. I need a physically copy once it gets released!! So much emotion is portrayed in this book and the emotion makes so much sense in terms of reality.

This is my second book from Alex Kelly and I've learned that their writing style portrays emotion so well that the reader feels what the characters are feeling too. The stories they write are very intimate and heartfelt and it's just a joy to experience.

If you're a fan of Red, White, and Royal Blue like me, then this book will definitely be a good choice for you. I think they're both amazing stories with portraying lgbtq+ characters and also have amazing stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the earc!

Oh how I loved this story!! I finished this story at just after 3am and I have zero regrets for the 3 hours sleep I will function on. This was a special read.

It was such a beautifully honest look at love in a small town. The slow burn, the angst, the longing looks - gah! I was hooked. The heartache that Shane and Andy go through was so raw it made my chest hurt. I adored both of them and desperately wanted their HEA.

Add in the fantastically rich supporting characters and I was a very happy reader. Will definitely be looking for more from this author.

I really wanted to like this but for some reason it just didn't click. The characters weren't developed enough or particularly likeable; I usually love a dual viewpoint but the chapters were short and uneventful yet the whole thing seemed to drag.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in advance.

I thought the relationship was cute and both characters were likable. I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I was going to.

I didn't really like the concept. I thought it was a bit unrealistic for 2021 because yes, people will ostracize you for being part of the lgbt+ community even today, but they have hid their relationship for 17 years. I feel like that is a lot of pain and suffering to go through when there would be plenty of people who would accept them. They are adults, and I found it weird that they chose to hide the relationship for so long. My opinion on this is if you love someone that much, you should reach a point where you don't want to hide them, and I thought 17 years was extreme in this day and age.

This installment in the series (which could 100% be read as standalone) is another deep dive into love deferred or denied. I loved the ending to this book - but up until the second half I really wasn't sure how much more angst I could take! Both Shane and Andy are very much in the closet - for different reasons. Andy is scared that being gay will cause him to lose everything - his friends, his brother, his business. He took on a lot of responsibility from a young age. Raising his brother, saving a failing family business that was the sole source of support for their family, and falling in love with a younger man (16 to his age 21). He really had absolutely no one to rely on. He also has so much guilt its amazing he is functioning at all. Shane has stayed in the closet because of Andy and because he really didn't feel his family would understand. Now after 16 years, both of them are at a tipping point.

I felt so badly for Andy and everything he has been through - I really wanted to get the poor guy some therapy and maybe sleeping meds. I also felt for Shane - because he really was trying to figure things out but had kind of reached a stasis and couldn't move forward or back. They are both stuck.

The thing was - I think them being stuck went on too long. I got frustrated with the level of angst and anxiety and lack of forward progress. Once they started moving forward - I really started to enjoy the book. The other issue I had was the lack of understanding both Shane and Andy's family had for them not sharing what was going on. They all made it 100% about themselves (with the exception of Ellie and Alex). When someone comes out to you - being mad they didn't tell you is never the right choice. You can feel that way - but you need to understand that this is something different for every person and for many people it isn't something they are EVER ready to be public about. And that is ok - piling on guilt about not trusting or lying really isn't helpful. Love, understanding, and being thankful they finally did feel safe enough to talk to you is the much better response.

Overall - I liked this - but didn't love it. I'm still interested to read more about this gang of friends and family! It sounds like Reid is going to need to take over the company for his dad and that should make things very interesting!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

This was a refreshing M/M read. While I think that it's hard to understand why this relationship would be hidden in this day and age, I can see why that would still happen in a small town. There are also those individuals who still don't feel comfortable coming out. With that said, I do think this romance is geared more towards female readers, and there is nothing wrong with that.

The characters in this book are likable. It's kind of sad that not all relationships are accepted at this age and day. It's heartbreaking but realistic unfortunately. But the characters really shine. It's a heartwarming and lovely romance. :)

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This just wasn't for me. It was melodramatic and kind of out of touch for 2021. We have the two love interests Andy and Shane who are 5 years apart and live in a small town of less than 200 people. They have been secretly together for over 17 years, since Shane was 16 and Andy was 21... yeah. They have known each other forever, so I'll let that slide. But this whole "oh no we musn't ever let them know." and "I don't love you (but I secretly do). I just push you away because we would never be accepted." thing is so played out in that it really needs to die out. 20 years ago, sure it would still be acceptable. But 2021? That trope needs to be let go already. Too much drama that really didn't need to happen. I mean, for 17 years?

This book was definitely intended for female readers, and not actual gay people, I feel. But hey. I am also a woman, but that is what I felt about it.

It's hard to write a review on this without mentioning how refreshing it is for there to be a mature contemporary romance with M/M representation. This story was heartwarming and heartbreaking, because these characters are so easy to love, but them coming to terms with the fact they have fallen for eachother in a harsh and unforgiving town where everyone knows everyone was difficult. There is a lot of tension building as Andy and Shane are so afraid to be together or be discovered for who they really are the tone is rather somber for most of the book. There is a lot of soul searching and inner monologue, and getting to know these two on a deep, personal level. Sometimes the writing style broke the fourth wall which I thought was cute and unique and gave a wink to the reader. I will say that some of the plot development aside from the main romance felt a little insubstantial, I didn't feel as interested as I should have been. Also, the side characters sometimes gravitated so close to the MCs that it felt like their purpose was just to push the narrative along rather than exist as believable characters with their own stories.

Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend.