Length: 260 pages
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
Blurb
Will Jason’s third time as a best man lead to first-time love for Vanya?
After fleeing violence in Moscow, student teacher Vanya Petrov winds up lonely in a run-down London hostel. At least visiting the Bond Street store where his roommate works lets him practice his English, but as Vanya's vocabulary expands, so does his isolation, especially when he sees happy couples planning their perfect weddings.
According to Jason Balfour, weddings are a waste of time and money. After all, he’s been best man for his brother twice already. Saying that a third marriage will end in divorce too leads to an angry ultimatum: to save his relationship with his brother, Jason must meet his fiancée, at last, and make a good first impression.
Jason’s need to dress to impress brings him and Vanya together. Language is no barrier to falling in love with the young and fragile Russian, and neither is their age difference. But Vanya’s bruised soul carries secrets that could rip them apart. As the wedding draws near, Vanya must confess, and soon, or risk losing Jason—his own best man in Britain.
4 Stars
I'll be perfectly honest, I'm not a fan of big age gaps in books. Truthfully, not being a fan is putting it mildly. I'm okay with a 7-10 year age difference, but 22 years is definitely a bit steep for me. But if you tell me the age difference and then go on with the story and don't mention it again, I'm okay most of the time, but this story reiterated the age gap over and over throughout the story. It was a major conflict not only between Jason and Vanya, but Jason's brother, Andrew, and his fiancée, as well. It's not just about personal taste, it really makes me uncomfortable, but I'll try to review this story on its merits, rather than the age gap.
Jason is having a tough time accepting his brother's impeding marriage to a woman who is 20 plus years his junior. When he stops in one of the shops on Bon street to kill some time while waiting for his brother to return his call he meets Vanya, who tries to help him pick out a tie. Assuming Vanya is a personal shopper, Jason seeks out his help to buy some new clothes so he can impress his brother's fiancée to try to mend the rift that's come between him and Andrew.
After the use of a gay hook-up app leads to an ambush by a group of vigilantes that leaves him nearly dead, Vanya, who is only 22, flees Russia for the U.K. in hopes of gaining asylum. But there are rules to follow during the waiting period, one being that you are not allowed to earn money. If you're caught you will be deported back to your country, but Vanya is in desperate need of money, so he agrees to help Jason, as long as he's paid in cash.
As the two men grow closer, one little white lie, along with some miscommunications, snowball and threaten to destroy the romance Jason and Vanya have begun to build.
I really loved Vanya and my heart broke for him after hearing his story. It was emotional and absolutely gut wrenching. I wasn't so sure about Jason at first, but I warmed up to him eventually, until the end when I wanted to absolutely throttle him. He was a complete ass to Vanya, and although I understand his reasons and they were valid, by that point I was attached to and wanted to protect Vanya, so Jason just rubbed me the wrong way. *slaps Jason and hugs Vanya*
The story is well-written and though Vanya's story was heartbreaking, it was also intriguing and informative. The characters had good chemistry, but the age difference got in the way for me. I absolutely loved Vanya's friends/roommates, Kaspar and Anna, not only were they great friends, but they were also an amazing support system for one another. This was my first Con Riley book, but it won't be my last. If age difference isn't an issue for you, recommendable!
*copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
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Author Bio
Injury curtailed her enjoyment of outdoor pursuits, so writing fiction now fills her free time. Love, loss, and redemption shape her romance stories, and her characters are flawed in ways that makes them live and breathe.
When not people watching, or wrangling her own boy band of teen sons, she spends time staring at the sea from her kitchen window. If you see her, don't disturb her—she’s probably thinking up new plots.
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