Review: Just What I Needed
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 27, 2014
I had thought this was my first Riley Hart book, until I read through her catalog and realized that I had read at least three of her other books and loved them! I had just finished several books that had disappointed me (bad writing, bad editing) and one that was written very well, but was a bit too intense (repeated prison rapes). So I was specifically looking for something sweet and easy to recover from my last few adventures in M/M fiction.I thought this book might just fit the bill, and I wasn't disappointed.Ms. Hart writes well, and her fully-realized characters are engaging and complex. This is the story of two men, one of whom has never wanted to settle down, the other who is terrified of losing anyone he comes to care for. The plot is fairly obvious - it's about how the two men come together and fall in love. Just what I needed!There's no coming-out angst or anything like that, just the work, the triumphs and disappointments of building a relationship, especially one that includes a kid - the niece of one of the guys whose sister recently passed away from cancer.The two start out with a one-night stand, and then... nothing. In fact, Wes leaves Braden's bed right after sex, as soon as Braden falls asleep. They run into each other, some time later, mostly because they have friends in common. Well, you can guess most of the rest.There are some really emotional moments (at least they were for me), and those are all authentic - they ring true and never feel like manipulation. The dialog is totally believable, with a repartee that grows as their relationship grows, signalling progress without having to state it.I do recommend this book. There's nothing truly unique or inventive about "Stay", it's just a good read, and that's saying a great deal!