4 Stars!

I’ve got to say that though I haven’t read a lot from this author, this is probably my favorite by far.

What happens when two seemingly straight best friends accidentally? explode together, having the best intimate experience ever? Only great things right?

Skipper simply wants to give himself all the stuff he missed out on as a child - good friends, reliable family, and holiday traditions, and Richie pretty much fits that bill. This is made all the more clear as these two navigate their new relationship status.

Richie is a bit stuck in life. He feels obligated to work for the family business, despite being harassed and unappreciated repeatedly. Skipper is definitely the best thing he has, and Richie’s not giving him up. He just has to reconcile some things first before he’s all in.

Thankfully low on the actual relationship angst - these two communicate! It was quite lovely to see how they smoothly transition from friends to lovers, becoming exactly what the other needs. Although there are some realistic doubts and fears that have to be resolved, they both realize that finally getting their happy ending is so worth fighting for.

I’ve got to say that this was also the smexiest Lane book I’ve come across. A very, very nice blend of twisty-lite feels and first time, hot explorations, all with a warm holiday backdrop! ( )

Quintessential Amy Lane here - intensely sweet characters, pasts (and presents) not wonderful, but it is the "surprise" gay that really got me. This pair's known each other for years, when finally, BAM. :) I've seen other authors try this and do okay. Lane's the best. Everything about this tale is intensely personal and messy and complex, and you can't help but pull for all the good guys and love the ending. I kept laughing. Couldn't help it! Delightful. ( )

Amy Lane has created many great characters over the years, but Richie and Skip are among the most surprising, unpretentious, lovable, devoted, and dedicated you will encounter. These are mid-20s guys caught in the middle of the divide between blue-collar and techie universes. It was a nice story...sweet with a lot of innocence. There was something tender and likeable about these two, how much they already cared about one another, and the wonder of their sexual attraction made them realize they can have everything they wanted...in each other. They are enough for one another. As the other half, as a new family. I wish the book had been just a bit longer. I wanted to see and understand more about each of the characters... their jobs...their lives in general...more about the team that obviously means a lot to both of them. We didn't really get a lot of their mutual time together off the field either. For myself, it would have given a better feel to both Richie and Skipper as well as Jefferson, one of the main characters appearing in the next book...which I have. ( )

When I think about this book, the word 'innocent' comes to mind. Not because either of the main characters are virginal - though this was their first time experiencing sex with a man - but because it felt so natural for these two friends to fall in love.

I found it unusual how fast and how easily they fell into bed. It's not what I would've expected. They basically got over the whole kissing, jacking off, sucking each other off and having anal sex in a weekend (okay it might have been two), and also falling in love in the process. So they weren't just fooling around with their guy friend and THEN realizing they are also in love. The physical and emotional part went hand in hand, in sync To me it felt natural.When they said the i-love-yous, that might be my favorite moment in the whole book, it was so sweet. :)

I actually started this book a month ago, but stopped right after the first chapter. I was really confused, because the author used a lot of names, sometimes the characters' first name, other times their last name. And I thought Scoggins and Richie were two different people. Coupled with the third person pov, I was really lost after that first chapter. Picking it up again I didn't have the same problem, weirdly enough. And they stuck to calling each other by one name, most of the time.

Also you don't have to wait for long for the story to get moving. We're jumping in right in the first chapter. ;)

Overall this is a light-toned, warm and pleasant story. I enjoyed it very much. ( )

3.5 ( )