Title: The Coincidence
Author: Felice Stevens
Genre: MM Romance
Release Date: March 21st
Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Nice guys always finish last, and Coby Epstein is sick and tired of being last. After his boyfriend dumps him, Coby vows to take it slow and not jump into another relationship, no matter what his ninety-five-year-old great aunt says. When Coby sees his ex has moved on, he goes on a series of disastrous first dates and swears off men, determined to be alone. His best friend disagrees and finds the "perfect man" for him online and arranges a date. The only problem? Coby has no idea what she’s done.
Since childhood, Eli Kaplan has been his father’s greatest disappointment, a fact he’s reminded of at every opportunity. For years, he’s struggled with the knowledge that dating women doesn’t work for him. A late-night confession to his brother changes everything and Eli realizes, maybe, just maybe, he can come out, find himself, and find love. Eli takes the plunge and creates a profile on a dating website, not knowing what to expect. One night he chats with an intriguing man, and despite his nervousness, they arrange to meet for coffee. No big deal. They'll probably never see each other again.
On the day of their first date, nothing could surprise Coby and Eli more than to discover that they live in the same apartment building, on the same floor. In a city of eight million people, coincidences don't get crazier than that. But as the two men begin to weave their lives together with cautious optimism and hope for a future, they find an even greater thread holding their families together—one born from the ashes of a final solution that couldn’t destroy their ancestors’ courage, leaving scars that remain almost a century later. Past lives torn apart can be pieced together by a future no one could have ever imagined, where love is more than fate or coincidence. It’s meant to be.
4.5 Stars!
I loved Eli! I will admit that I wasn't too sure at first because he's sort of, kind of in the closet, yet not, but he ended up being my favorite. He was so wary of coming clean to his brother and then his best friend, Mario, of even accepting that part of himself to well, himself, but once he started it was great to see him start to come out of his shell. Not that he didn't mess up, because he did by not trusting his instincts and hurting Coby in the process, but overall, he was a good, kind man. I absolutely hated his father and the way he put both Eli and his brother down every single time and I was very happy they presented a united front to him and even if his words and actions still hurt them, still stood up to him.
Coby was sweet and I felt bad for him that he'd come across such awful men like his ex, and because of that, it was understandable that he wasn't willing to jump in with two feet into a relationship with Eli, no matter if it was obvious Eli was a better kind of man than Stewart ever was. That doesn't mean that I wasn't frustrated that he kept Eli at arms' length. LOL
Eli and Coby were awesome together, they had amazing chemistry and the sex scenes were hot and passionate. But above all, I loved how well they balanced each other out and brought the best out in each other.
I adored Tante Fay, Coby's mom, Darren, Izzy and their little family and Mario, they were fantastic secondary characters. And while I wasn't a fan of Eli's parents, Felice Stevens managed to kind of redeem them in a very believable manner.
All in all, this was a lovely slow-burn romance filled with emotion and a whole lot of heart that you simply can't miss out on! Very recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
4 Stars
Coby was a sweet man even when he was so down after his ex dumped him and trying to date again turned into a dud. I liked how he wanted to take things slow when most want to dive straight into bed. His mom and great aunt were so awesome and I loved how accepting of him they were.
Eli had me wanting to try to put a smile on his face even when he didn’t feel like he could smile. His coming out to his brother made me happy that he could count on him despite what the rest of his family thought. I hated his father in the worse way and his mother was no better.
When these two meet and feel a connection, I was so happy! And when things start becoming clear about the past, I was shocked that it was so much more than I ever thought it could have been.
Everything about this story sucked me in from the very beginning. This is my second book by Felice Stevens but my first one of her solo projects and I have to say I am a fan. I was so impressed with how she wove this story together and kept everything locked in tight until she wanted it known that it blew my mind.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Felice Stevens has always been a romantic at heart. She believes that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner, Her characters have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love.
Felice has written over twenty books in the gay romance genre. Her books been translated into German, French and Italian. Her novel. One Call Away, part of her Soulmates series, was mentioned in Buzzfeed as one of the best “Out for You” gay romances of 2017.
Felice lives in New York City with her husband and two children. Her day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. She recently retired from the practice law and now daydreams of a time when she can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there are bound to be a few bumps along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.
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Thank you for the reviews!
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