Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Ames Bridge Series
Blurb
Brad Watson is back in town for his twentieth high school reunion. However, the celebration of long-ago days is the last thing on his mind. He’s there for one reason: to finally tell Pax how he feels.
Pax is shocked to learn Brad is not only gay but also interested in him. Dating a man in Ames Bridge isn’t as simple as it sound, though. In order to make a relationship work, both men will have to bolster their courage and alter their expectations.
*This book is an expansion of a previously published short story titled Open to the Past. Over 35,000 words have been added.*
Excerpt
A knock on the shop door drew Pax’s his attention; probably his assistant, Cindy. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d forgotten her key, and no one else would be dropping by this early. Microfiber duster in hand, he twirled his way past the worktables and unpainted pottery pieces.
He sang along with Madonna as he reached for the doorknob, and froze—Brad was grinning at him through the front window.
Heat rushed to Pax’s face. For a moment he contemplated racing over to turn the music off, then walking calmly back to the door as if the last few seconds had never happened. Could he convince Brad his earlier appearance was a hallucination?
Brad placed his hand against the window and peered in. “Is this a bad time? I know I’m really early.”
“Um…no. Just a sec.”
He would open the damn door, talk to Brad, and generally behave like a respectable adult. That’s what would happen.
With a deep breath, he turned the knob and stared, openmouthed, unable to form a single word. Was Brad even more gorgeous than he’d been two years ago? At eighteen he’d been the hottest boy in school, but now with his dirty-blond hair showing hints of gray, he was even better. His T-shirt stretched taut over his biceps, and his jeans fit like they were tailor-made for his muscular thighs. But the thing that made Brad even more desirable now was how relaxed and happy he seemed. In high school he’d always been restless, as though he were uncomfortable in his gorgeous body, despite having it made as far as anyone else could tell. Pax wondered what had changed.
Pax looked up at Brad and realized he’d been caught giving him a blatant once-over while he stood in the doorway. “Um… Where are my manners?” Fled in the face of his insanity? “Come in. That is, if you’d like to.”
“I would.” He smiled, showing off the dimple in his left cheek.
Pax wanted to run his tongue across it. Instead, he made a dramatic show of bowing and sweeping his hand toward the interior. “Enter, sir.”
Brad laughed and stepped inside. Pax shut the door behind him and locked it, hoping Cindy would be late so he’d have time to show Brad the gallery without anyone else there.
“Is it ’80s day?” Brad asked.
Pax needed to accept that he would be blushing the whole time Brad was there. “No, I was just cleaning, and this music motivates me.”
“Let me know if I’m keeping you from something. I woke up early, and I was anxious to see you.”
Anxious to see him? Him? Pax’s knees threatened to give. Was it possible…? No. Just because Pax had spent far too many hours fantasizing about Brad saying he was gay or bi, that didn’t mean it was going to happen.
3.5 Stars
Paxton and his older brother, Rob’s best friend, Brad, have always had a crush on each other, but neither is aware their feelings are mutual or that the other is even gay. Brad and Paxton both moved away after college, Brad to Chicago and Paxton to Savanna, but after Rob’s sudden death, Pax moves back home to help his parents get past their loss. Fast forward two years and Brad has returned to their small consecutive town for his 20th high school reunion, with a plan to finally win over the man he’s pined over for all these years.
This was a good story, and it’s well-written. It started off interesting, but the author lost me somewhere in the middle. I think the story was dragged out too long and the progression of Pax and Brad’s relationship was too slow. The build-up was good, but I eventually came to a point where I just wasn’t invested anymore and then after all that build up the story ended rather abruptly.
Still, the characters were likable and they had heaps of sexual tension and chemistry. The storyline was intriguing and I’m sure plenty will absolutely love it. Recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
The Past Comes Home is Book 2 in Silvia Violet’s Ames Bridge series. You could probably read this book as a standalone but the town where the story takes place and most of the characters appeared in Book 1 so it would be more enjoyable to read this in the appropriate order.
Paxton figured out at a young age that he liked boys thanks to his crush on his brother’s best friend. Pax graduated and moved away from his small town but when his mother had health issues, he ended up moving back. He has an art gallery and teaches art to students and anyone else interested. He has a good life. Paxton is taken by surprise when he hears from Brad who’s coming back to town for his high school reunion. It’s been two years since Pax’s brother’s death and two years since he last saw Brad. Brad is ready to see if there’s anything between him and Pax. The last words he and his best friend shared were him being warned away from Pax. But Brad is ready to settle down and can work from anywhere.
I really liked Paxton and Brad’s characters, though I was frustrated with Paxton’s hot/cold routine. He’d wanted Brad for years and when given the chance, he tried to push him away. That behavior really seemed to come from nowhere and just didn’t make any sense to me. I felt like it was just used to create some type of angst in the story. Instead, it seemed to make the story drag a little and made me lose a little interest in it.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and I loved getting to see a little bit of Beck and Cal and how they’re doing.
Rating: 4 stars
Author Bio
Silvia Violet writes fun, sexy stories that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. Silvia's stories include sizzling contemporaries, paranormals, and historicals. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, taking long walks, curling up with her favorite books, and spending time with her family.
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