Maybe This Time by A. M. Arthur

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As a regular at gay hotspot Pot O Gold, Ezra Kelley avoids his tangled emotions with the simplicity of one-night stands and attachment-free hookups. Until the night bartender Donner Davis picks him up off the floor after a misunderstanding and too much tequila. Ezra can't remember the last time someone was…nice. It's more than he deserves.

Witnessing his lover's death two years ago has Donner trapped in a holding pattern; living in his sister's basement, working at the Pot and flirting with the customers. He's not above spending a night with the gorgeous Ezra, but love is not in the cards. That's more than he's ready for.

A passionate night leads to a connection neither man expects, and they take the first steps to something that looks like a real relationship. But Ezra's been running from himself so long he doesn't know how to live any other way. And Donner can't risk his heart just to lose everything again. They'll both need the strength to let go of the past if they want to get it right this time.

Review:

As a bartender, Donner knows the regulars at Pot O Gold pretty well.  He’s had his share of one night stands with the patrons.  So when Ezra Kelley (the guy who picks up someone new every visit) flirts with Donner, Donner isn’t opposed to accepting an invitation if Ezra is still interested at the end of the night.  But Ezra gets distracted with another regular and Donner later finds him on the floor of the bathroom recovering from slight altercation that could have gone much worse.  By the end of the night Donner DOES go home with Ezra.  But only to make sure he gets there safely.   

Ezra is a little floored by Donner.  A guy that Ezra considered a possible one night stand became a knight in shining armor.  Not only did he help him home after a scary night at the bar that sent him into a panic attack, he also showed up the next day to bring him ginger ale and make sure he was doing alright. 

Fast forward to another night at Pot O Gold.  Ezra is hanging out with his friends Ale and Jamie (from Just One Thing) .  This time, Ezra DOES bring Donner home.  And, of course, sparks fly.  Each of them sees the possibility of a relationship.  Which would be great if both of them weren’t terribly gun shy due to their previous relationship experiences; Donner because he lost his partner to a violent crime and Ezra because his last long term relationship ended when his ex didn’t want to deal with Ezra’s emotional baggage.  Each of these men needs to face their fears and their pasts before they can move on to the next step of having the relationship they desperately want to have with each other.

I enjoyed reading this because chemistry between Ezra and Donner is engaging and hot.  A. M. Arthur has a knack for writing some seriously sexy scenes.  There is definitely magic between the characters.  Both in and out of the bedroom. 

If you are a fan of New Adult and gay romance, Maybe This Time might just be for you.

Nat

No Such Thing by A.M. Arthur

*** ½

Twenty-two-year-old Alessandro Silva knows that returning to tiny Perch Creek to help his foster mother was the right thing to do. With no degree and a delinquent's reputation, he's lucky to have landed a job waiting tables. But not everyone is happy he's back, and the only thing keeping his move home from being a total bust is his boss's hot brother.

Jaime Winters spent most of his life watching the world go by, first from a series of hospitals and then from behind big stacks of textbooks. Studying is easier than facing the fact that years of heart failure means he's still a virgin at twenty-three. Until the new waiter in his sister's diner awakens desires he'd long ago given up on.

The last thing Alessandro wants is to fall for someone as fragile as Jaime. And Jaime may have a new heart, but he's scared of what giving it to another person would mean. Their no-strings-attached, instructional approach to sex keeps emotion safely at bay, until a secret from Alessandro's past forces them to confront their feelings in the present...



Review:

After the death of his faster dad, Alessandro moved back to his hometown to help out his foster.  Heading out in search of a job – most likely bussing or waiting tables at one of the local chains – he stumbles across a HELP NEEDED!!! sign.  Not Help Wanted.  But Help NEEDED.  He’s thoroughly amused with the wording (and the !!! that follows) and decides to inquire.  The owner, Shannon, hands him an apron and tells him that his interview is to work the shift and see how he does.  Alessandro is always up for the challenge and he needs a job.   At the end of the shift Alessandro has not only landed a job but he has also met Shannon’s very cute brother, Jaime.

Thanks to a genetic heart condition, Jamie missed out on the “normal” teen experiences.  That includes dating, kissing…you get the idea.  He is in great health now due to the heart transplant he received.  He’s working for his sister part-time, earning a degree and ready to finally take a dip in the dating pool.  Enter Alessandro.  When he first meets Alè at his sister’s café he’s instantly attracted.  And when he runs into Alè again later that day, he is absolutely head over heals.

But Alè doesn’t do relationships.  And when he finds out that Jamie has zero experience in dating and sex he is agrees to “educate” Jamie with no strings attached.  But, of course, that doesn’t work out for either of them.  Soon they are both dealing with a stronger attachment than either of them ever anticipated.  And to complicate things, there are a number of people in their small town that are hell-bent on making things difficult and dangerous for both Alessandro and Jamie.  

I found the romance between Alessandro and Jamie to be perfectly paced.  Never once did I feel their growing emotional relationship was being rushed.  It was completely believable and sweet.  And the other side of their relationship?   Wonderfully steamy.  *fanning self vigorously*.  This book may contain one of the sexiest scenes in m/m romance I’ve ever read.

The only issue I had with the story was that I had a hard time suspending my disbelief with actions that Alessandro and Jamie made towards the end of the book.  The actions were explained away but it was still a bit much.  But it didn’t take away from the fact that this was a solid and enjoyable story that I would recommend to my fellow m/m romance lovers.

Nat