Easily my favorite in this universe so far! ( )

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

Russel Middlebrook is in his early twenties, living in Seattle with his two best friends from high school, and trying to figure out what to do with his life. Splitting his time between two jobs, neither of which he really enjoys, he feels a bit aimless. Everyone else seems to have figured out what they want from life, and while Russel knows he wants more than just random hookups and jobs that don't leave him fulfilled, he doesn't know how to solve his problem. After he saves the life of Vernie Rose while working as a lifeguard and she becomes a fast friend, Russel starts to see things differently. And when his high school romance, Kevin Land, shows up, Russle begins to center in on exactly what he wants.

I read and enjoyed the first series of Russel Middlebrook books. I found them meaningful and I enjoyed experiencing the development of Russel as a character. Although we've jumped ahead a few years with this installment, it's clear that this book is still in keeping with the style of the previous series and it seems part of the same world.

The story itself here is very engaging. It moves at a good pace (for the most part) and the overall story arc flows well. Russel's friends Gunnar and Min seem a bit more subdued here than in previous books, but that made sense to me as Russel is obviously more focused on himself in this book than he was in the earlier series.

I did find myself cringing just a bit at the reappearance of Kevin. While I definitely enjoy and understand a good second-chance-at-love (or in this case I think it's something like fourth-chance-at-love) story, it was just slightly disappointing to find Russel's life suddenly revolving around this same guy once again. I would have liked to see Russel develop some sort of meaningful connection with someone else to remind him that he, in fact, can do so (Otto was mentioned VERY briefly here with no real context--even just acknowledging that relationship would possibly have helped, I think).

That said, I do look forward to what Russel's big move brings for him in the next installment... ( )

Russel Middlebrook is 23, living on a houseboat in Seattle, and working two dead-end jobs, as a lifeguard and a bakery assistant. When he compares himself to his housemates he feels he and his life are lacking something.

I didn't realise this was part of a series - two series in fact. This is the first in a second series following the adult lives of characters who already had a YA series. I found the beginning and end of this book sweet and insightful, but the middle was rather preachy, giving the author's views on various issues in a rather heavy-handed way. When I was reading the middle I was close to deciding not to bother with the author's other books but the ending convinced me to give them a try - at least put them on the wishlist. ( )

This was one book I was looking forward to - I have known Russel since the first book, hence his return was welcome.

The problem with a book that skipped a few years of Russel's years was that it felt incomplete to begin with. What actually happened between Russel and Kevin? The narration was supposed to help but it felt more like a quick glance on the issues between them. Fans of Russel and Kevin were expected to accept the current situations they were in, without much detail.

I was expecting to read more about Russel and Kevin. However, it was disappointing to hear bits of Kevin here and there. And for the rest of the book, it was more like we had to deal with a 'lost' Russel. Kinda a downer to think that the lead of the book, who was gay, would be portrayed as someone 'lost'.

This book was missing the Kevin's part. I wanted to know what happened - between him, Russel and Colin but the book concentrated too much on Min and Gunnar, whom I was getting tired of. What the heck were they doing in the book? ( )