A charming Aww story. ( )

This is such a great little gem of a story! Set sometime in the Great Depression (as far as I can determine from the clues given but I am NOT a historian), it describes the life of a grumpy, rough PI who runs into a homeless hobo on the stairs to his apartment. What follows is a very romantic (but never sappy) love story as these two men slowly understand that their attraction is mutual.

Bruce is a typical gruff PI with an untypical soft spot for out-of-luck men with amazing blue eyes. In a sense he is timeless, men like him have been around for a very long time. His language and way of thinking do place him in the 1930s US, but his 'type' still exists today. I loved the opening scene which very quickly establishes what he can be like, and I really liked seeing him develop his 'soft side' without admitting it.

Jace is a great guy with some awful luck, due to an awful ex-lover. He loses his job, as so many did, when the bank he worked for as a clerk kicks him out. He never gives up, though, and does his best to survive by taking odd jobs. The solution Bruce finds for him made me chuckle, and the way Jace deals with Bruce's grumpiness was very funny.

I liked this story from the language to the characters, from the plot with its unexpected twist to the developing relationship between Bruce and Jace. If you like PIs who are nicer than they seem, if a historical setting is your thing, or if you simply want to read a romantic story about two men who have a very different Valentine's Day than they expected, this story is for you.




NOTE: This book was provided by Torquere Press for the purpose of a review on QMO Books.
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