Title: A Better Man (The Men of Halfway House #1) Main Characters: Matthew Doner & Julian Capeletti Author: Jaime Reese Genre: Contemporary Romance Length: 210 pages Publisher: Romandeavor Date of Publication: January 16th 2014 Story: Matthew Doner is starting over. After a five-year prison term that alters every aspect of his life, he receives a bequest from his aunt with the stipulation that he use the money to make things right. Breaking free of the long-standing role he’s played and inspired by the few who support him, he decides to create a safe place where people like him can find purpose and start a new life. Julian Capeletti likes challenges. He is confident, brash, stubborn, and just what Matt needs. Desperate for work after a downturn of luck, he accepts the job to renovate Matt’s crumbling building. Over the course of a year, romance simmers between them as they restore the house. But there’s a bigger renovation that must take place in their hearts. To become better men, they need to learn to trust each other even with secrets and painful memories they fear may rip them apart. Me and this book: I really wanted to read a new series, one that I’d get lost in while reading. And even though this has currently two book with the third book in the making, I think this series was one of those precious gems. .Just the theme of the book caught my eye immediately, a couple of people trying to heal from the wrongdoings of the world and put them in one place? Hell yeah. Review: Julian Capeletti needed work, he needed the money to pay his rent. After being told that he has to leave if he wasn’t able to pay, Julian went to the one thing that would help him solve his problems, the newspaper ads. With having been a handyman as a background, he skimmed through the classified and targeted on a plea for help. “Handyman Wanted for Repairs” it said, from someone named Boner, it said. Believe it or not, Julien was both curious and desperate enough to actually go for it. And Matthew Doner was that guy. Matthew has just been let out of his five years in prison months ago and he wanted to start a new life. Five years in prison wasn’t easy and Matt can vouch for that. He has secrets that he will take to the grave and he would go through all the trouble to keep it hidden. Having lost a lot of important people in his time in prison, Matthew had decided he wanted to make a change in his life as well as others like him. That was why he wanted to build a Halfway house, for the so many people who want to live a good life in society once again. He wanted this project to be a bridge for others, a place for them to go home to, a place to change. But that ain’t going to happen if this beat up building of his wasn’t up and running before the inspection a year from now. He too was desperate. Julian and Matt started off as somewhat just an employee and an employer, an employee and an employer who loved to pull each other’s chains that is. The attraction was undeniable for the two, with both of them trying to push and pull each other in. The slowburn present between them was so palpable that it will get the readers either eager or frustrated waiting for the dramatic sex/romance scenes. For me it was both. But it didn’t matter, the sex was super hot. Though this book went through the course of a whole year to develop, the tingling attraction between Matt and Julien never dwindled but it only intensified. Having to spend every day together, the building attraction was hard to miss. The climatic drama part of this book was so infuriating and enraging that I was this close to going on to a full on rampage. You know when the author gives you that sudden sense of security, you know something is about to go down hard. And that part really frustrated me to no end, I wanted to rip apart those people making problems to my two MCs. And they call themselves family?! Gosh, I hate /love/ that. Plus points for the author for making me so into the story that I had to remind myself that those secondary characters aren’t real and I wouldn’t be able to physically rip them apart. One thing I would like to comment on was the way Matt behaves, I mean, he spent five years in prison right? He should have been a bit more tough or manlier than he portrayed. Because it seems to me that he’s a little too gentle to my liking compared to a guy who spent five years in prison. But maybe it’s just me. Most of the people who read this really didn’t mind that but I kinda did. Nonetheless, I recommend this book for those who want to read something with a full story. There were a lot of past stories and people from both the main character’s lives that became a part to their decisions in the present and it was exciting reading about them all. Getting to the part of finally answering the multiple questions that will go through the reader’s heads will be worth the while. And besides, I don’t know why but I absolutely love the name Julian Capaletti. Capaletti. Capaletti. Capaletti. I just love saying that name. |
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about meJust another M/M book lover who has lots to say. archives
February 2016
"Without a doubt, there was no place, nothing as exotic or rare, as that moment right there with him. Never again could I claim miracles didn't happen." |