Release Day Review ~ Love You So Hard by Tara Lain

Release Day Review ~ Love You So Hard by Tara Lain

Title: Love You So Hard

Series: The Love You So Stories

Author: Tara Lain

Release Date: April 6, 2018

Category: Contemporary

Pages: 77

Dreamspinner  Amazon

Craig Elson’s life has hit rock bottom. Even though he’s one of the best strategic planners around, a more confident guy takes credit for his work, and despite being a good-looking man, he suffers insults from the slimiest creep at the bar. Taking care of his beloved mom, who has Alzheimer’s, uses all his funds, leaving him in a plain, depressing car… and a plain, depressing life.

Until he sees gorgeous grad student Jesse Randall and his T-shirt that reads “I Would Bottom You So Hard.” The message seeps into Craig’s soul, and he asks Jesse to teach him to top.

Jesse’s had his eye on the quiet hottie who comes into the coffee shop, and he’s more than eager to perfect his tutoring. He sets out to get Craig a new job, a new apartment, and a new life so far outside plain and depressing that it’s unrecognizable.The problem is, Craig loves his lessons—and his teacher—too much to want to graduate. How can Craig reach the top without losing his sassy bottom?

First Edition published by Love Has No Boundaries, June 2013.

Second Edition published by Tara Lain, October 2013.

4 stars!

This story is a light, sweet novella.

Craig Elson starts his day at a cafe, hoping to see the gorgeous man that usually comes in. Jesse Randall is friendly with the cafe owners and sometimes wears a shirt that proclaims, “I Would Bottom You So Hard." Craig catches his glimpse of Jesse and then hurries off to work where he expects to get a promotion and the start to a better life for himself. The promotion goes to someone else, a man who is confident and passes Craig's ideas off as his own. Rather than stand up for himself, Craig feels like a failure and takes some days off to rethink his life. He recognizes that he needs a change, but he's unsure what and how to do so. The next day is when his life takes the turn he doesn't expect. While at his favorite cafe, Jesse shows up in Craig's favorite shirt and talks to him. When Jesse talks about tutoring people at the university, Craig blurts out that he needs a tutor; he wants to learn to top.

Surprisingly, Jesse is on board with being Craig's tutor, not just to learn to top, but also to change up other aspects of his life. 

I liked both men. Craig is a nice guy, very smart and good at what he does, but he lacks confidence. He's wonderful with his mother who has Alzheimer's, but has no life outside work. Jesse is full of life and easily liked. He takes Craig under his wing, even though he's younger than Craig, and helps him find his confidence. Seeing Craig become more confident was wonderful to see; his boneheaded move with Jesse after a job interview was something I wanted to smack him on the head for. Thankfully, he took action instead of falling on his old habits.

The pace at which these two move forward seems unrealistic, but the story is fun and one that many fans of Tara Lain's books will enjoy.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***