Review: Great sequel... fresh, fun and sensitive
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 30, 2013
I very much looked forward to this sequel of the steamy BDSM novel, The Square Peg, and am happy to say it exceeded my expectations. I loved this sweetly romantic, growing pains story; it was humorous, hot and poignant in equal measure. The romance was beautifully paced, providing exquisite jolts of anticipation as the two lead characters navigate the introspective path of unfamiliar emotions to learn about, find, and conquer true love.Vincent, the hot, tattooed, yoga practicing, Mexican, Goth bartender from The Square Peg, lives a Zen-like life. He paces everything in his life methodically, carefully examining all the pros and cons of his choices to make the best decisions for his chosen lifestyle. He keeps his life uncomplicated, tries to answer questions truthfully, and is tolerant and compassionate toward others. He likes tattoos and piercings and has plenty of both; all of which only add to his allure. His enigmatic hotness doesn't go unnoticed by those that frequent The Square Peg, but anyone who asks him out, quickly learns: Vin doesn't date, nor does he do hookups, in fact Vin is celibate. He's in love and is hoping for a chance with the dude he's jonesing for, Riley, a person he hasn't seen in five years. No, as hot as Vin is, no one will get any attention from him unless they are looking to purchase a drink. If you want attention, a date, or even a quickie, Patrick, Vin's closest friend, the enthusiastic waiter who brings your drink to you, he's your guy.Patrick is fun; he's colorful, he's cute, and with his endless variety of hair and eye colors, he's never boring. Patrick's a snappy dresser and has a peppery retort to every comment sent his way. Sure, he's a little dizzying if you talk to him too long, but that mouth knows its way around a cock and he's pretty, easy come easy go. Of course he believes in a Mr. Right...but how are you going to find Mr. Right unless you sample a multitude of Mr. Right Nows?These two opposites are best friends, have movie nights even, and offer each other support when the need arises. When Riley suddenly appears in The Square Peg, Vincent finally has a chance to be with his dream boy and Patrick is all for it, comparing the two men's romance to a fairy tale. Inspired by his friends' successful love strategy, Patrick decides to clean up his act, go celibate even, for surely there is a prince charming in his future as well?There were so many choice moments in this story, so many delights for me to discover. The depiction of dream boy, Riley, was terrific, bringing to my mind very real men whom I have met in my travels. I loved the internal examination each character put themself through as they attempted to better their lives. Seeing Shane and Ben (from the first book) through the eyes of Vin and Patrick was very amusing and beautifully showcased the differences between the twenty-something versus the thirty-something mindset. Okay, um, the "Hot" scene was not humorous, and had me yelling at my Kindle for the two leads to be brave and...  "Do something...say something..." with a huge grin on my face. I loved Vincent, as what's not to love about a gorgeous, long-haired, golden-skinned, tattooed Goth, who likes to take things slow? But for me, the real surprise was Patrick. What an adorable, lovable, determined little twink, he turned out to be. This is an excellent series; I sure hope I haven't seen the last of this crew and all of the supporting players.Thank you, Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow, for creating these great characters and their stories, which I know I will read again and again. "Invigorating, Witty, Tasty"