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Review

“Stop fighting so hard… And just try.”

4 stars

I’ve been meaning to read this book for so long! It’s only my second foray into the world of m/m, and my first book by Ella Frank, and I was really impressed! I completely fell for Logan and Tate, their dynamic is sensational, and I love their story – funny, sexy, emotional and intense (and did I mention oh-so-freaking sexy!), this is a beautifully written love story, and I really enjoyed it.

Logan is the brother of Cole from Edible (book #3 of the Exquisite series, though you don’t have to have read that book first). He is a successful attorney, gorgeous, arrogant and completely filterless, and an absolute manwhore. Women or men, it doesn’t matter, he is up for anything with anybody, and he is well and truly captivated from the moment he walks into his local bar and spies the hot new bartender.

“So…I like to try a little bit of everything and everyone.” … “I’d like to try you.”

Tate is in the middle of ending his mostly miserable 4-year marriage. He is starting fresh, and on his first night at his new job his attention is caught by a good looking customer at the bar. Logan is totally shameless, and immediately starts flirting with Tate, but Tate is straight and plays it off as bartender/customer banter, but there’s something about the charismatic man that makes him feel things he hasn’t felt before.

From the very beginning, the dynamic between these two is absolutely fantastic! Logan is absolutely filterless, and his persistent flirting is shockingly blatant and had me laughing out loud. But Tate is just as direct, and their arguing and banter is gold!

“What do I need to get you into my bed?” Logan asked boldly.
Tate couldn’t help the laugh escaping his mouth at Logan’s directness. “A vagina?”

“Does every word that comes out of your mouth have to do with sex?”
Logan smirked… “Usually, eighty/twenty, but with you, it seems more ninety-eight/two.”

“Boundaries, Logan. I think you’ve crossed enough with me today.”
“We’ve also established that I have none.”

Logan is determined to get Tate into his bed, and one surprising but super-hot encounter is all it takes to start to crack Tate’s shell and start them both down the road to something that is going to change both of their worlds. Tate has never been with a man, and Logan is a manwhoring playboy, watching them explore what is between them and figure out what they want and where they want it to go is a fantastic ride.

“It’s like you expect me to flip a switch and just accept that everything I ever believed about myself has changed, and that I should be okay with that. Do you know how insane that is?”
“I do. But do you know what else is insane?”
“What?”
“That you still haven’t told me no.”

I love these characters! Freaking love them! Every moment between them is sizzling with intensity. The sexual tension is there right from the start (HOTTTT!!!), but what I loved about this story was the emotion. Obviously theirs is not a situation that a lot of us would be familiar with, but I enjoyed watching them go through it, I loved the way they handled it, and I could empathise with everything they were going through

“This is a big deal for me. You might be used to putting your dick wherever and whenever, but mine has only visited pussy, and I’m freaking out a little. So, would you hang on, and cut me some slack?”

I thought all that Tate went through, and his struggle to deal with it, was beautifully written. Being with another man is a completely foreign concept for him, and his journey from disbelief to curiosity, frustration, anger, and then slow acceptance was fantastic! And not only that, but he has to deal with the fact that Logan is a known manwhore – he’s changing his entire life for this man who may not hang around afterwards. It’s a terrifying situation! Everything that he goes through is realistic and full of emotion, and I felt everything right along with him!

And though Tate was making the bigger adjustment of the two, Logan also has his own issues to face. He’s been hurt badly in the past, and as a result he has avoided commitment. To be feeling what he is feeling about Tate, who has never been with a man before and may not stick around, is terrifying for him and I could absolutely understand that. And though he could have easily come off as being a heartless player, Ella Frank does an amazing job with him as a character, allowing us to see the joking, funny side of him, the blisteringly hot sensual side, and the damaged man with a huge heart who is terrified of wanting more. It’s a great mix, and I loved him!

Watching these two amazing characters them come together with openness and absolute honesty, and find their common ground was fantastic.

“Stop thinking so much. Tell me, what do you want?” Logan held his breath as he waited for Tate’s frank response.
“You. Everything else aside, I still want you.”

“So…what’s your truth, Logan?”
Logan stared at him so intently that Tate wondered what was going on inside his head before he replied, “I think you are.”

Their emotional connection is beautifully written, but just as important is the physical connection, and that is explored in explicit detail! Is there such a thing as too much sex in a book? For me, apparently… yes, because this one actually had me skimming. I know, it’s erotica, and I should have been expecting it, but whoa! Admittedly, sex is a HUGE part of their relationship given that Tate has been straight up until he met Logan, and everything he experiences is new and a sign of the growing trust between them. But it was incredibly detailed, and overly frequent, and though the author did a great job of mixing things up and keeping it from being repetitive, I found it a bit too much.

But balancing out the soul-searching and sexy time, they still joke and banter together, and the light-hearted fun is fantastically entertaining and just another part of their dynamic that I loved.

“If I die, I just want you to know that you have never looked hotter than you do right now, and that is the only reason I’m about to risk my life.”
Tate raised a hand, and before he shut the visor, he promised, “I’ll look even hotter in fifteen minutes when I’m naked. So, quit bitching, and get on the bike, Logan.”
“Fuck you,” he responded, climbing onto the back of the bike and clutching the leather waist in front of him.

The book ends with Logan and Tate in a good place, but on a little bit of a cliffhanger. There is definitely more story to be told, and I’m looking forward to continuing on with the series to see how it all plays out for these two.