Review: Friends to lovers story with an added bonus!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 28, 2013
3.75 starsWhen I saw that this story was about the Shane and Nick, I couldn't help get to it right away. After reading Friends or Lovers?  I was intrigued by what would happen next in their lives and I wanted to see what their journey was going to be all about.Now that Shane has returned from his 'honeymoon' he is clear on what he has to do - move out and move on. Easier said than done. When Shane tries to move out he is intercepted by Mark. His lover for the past 5 years, Mark is clearly not the person Shane thought he was. Now that he sees him in another light, he wants nothing to do with him but he knows that Mark will make his life hell simply because he can.Trying to move forward without having to resort to lean on Nick, Shane looks for a new job and a new place to live. In comes Brian. A handsome, business owner, Brian is an acquaintance of Mark's and is familiar with who Shane is. Propelled by a sense of duty to right some wrongs from his past, Brian is determined to help Shane out. Although attracted to Shane, he tries to keep his distance since Shane is obviously interested in Nick and also because he truly wants to be Shane's friend.Nick had not spoken to Shane since his return and now that he has, he is not happy with Shane's living arrangement. He wants nothing more than to make Shane his, but also knows that if he pushes to hard he is bound to lose Shane. He understands Shane's hesitations and need for more time, however, it doesn't mean that he will let him go.Sara York did a great job in bringing Shane and Nick's continuing story to the page. I enjoyed their easy camaraderie and honest interactions. This time around their connection shined through and made they coming together much more feasible to me.Shane continued to battle his feelings for Nick and his insecurities about what was developing between them. Meanwhile, Nick continued to provide his support and showed his love every moment he could. I was glad to see that they had grown as the story progressed. Shane became more sure of himself, while Nick seemed happier and more comfortable sharing his feelings. I loved their humor, their chemistry and their journey from friends to lovers.The addition of Brian as a secondary characters was well executed. He added the bit of angst necessary to make Shane's decision to move forward more attainable. I enjoyed the time Shane and Brian spent together and how their relationship flourished into a friendship. Especially when it came time for Brian to prove his loyalty to Shane. However, I wished that his 'story' would have been told separately. I think his past was glossed over when it did play a major part in shaping him into the person he was. His new relationship with Jamie felt rushed to me and not at all genuine. I didn't mind so much the 'insta-love' part of the relationship, but I didn't like how it was all wrapped up so easily either. Yeah, I like my drama and I think that with their combined past it would have made for a wonderful read.All in all, In or Out? was a wonderful follow-up story in Nick and Shane's journey from friends to lovers with an added bonus in Brian and Jamie's relationship. It had all the elements I've come to enjoy from the genre - interesting, complex and troubled characters, great range in emotions, chemistry abound and a touch of the sweet.I received this title from the publisher through Manic Readers in exchange of my honest review.