Reviewed by Amber
TITLE: A Diamond in the Mud
SERIES: Bromance #1
AUTHOR: Sterling Rivers
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 204 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 30th, 2016
BLURB:
They’ve always been friends. Do they dare to be more?
After a bad breakup, Alex Abbott is living with his parents and looking for a job. The best thing about being home is seeing his closest friend again. Going away to college didn’t diminish Alex’s attraction to Gavin Crawford one bit … but Gavin is straight, and doesn’t even know Alex is gay.
Gavin is tired of serial monogamy. For now, all his energies are going into his fledgling motorcycle shop. Reconnecting with Alex gives him a boost, as does the other man’s offer to help him with advertising. But when Alex confesses he’s gay, Gavin’s initial surprise is quickly overcome by curiosity … and other feelings it’s more difficult to put a name to.
Alex is relieved by Gavin’s acceptance, but becoming more than friends is fraught with danger. If he lets himself fall for the one man he’s always wanted, his heart will be shattered once Gavin goes back to women. Will Alex risk everything? And if he does, how can Gavin convince him that he’s not just playing around this time?
REVIEW:
You know what’s strange? All the elements I need for a remarkable story were here. We had friends to lovers, gay for you, unrequited love, angst, the whole 9 yards but this didn’t do it for me. This story wasn’t bad but the spark wasn’t there. I didn’t really get the total connection between Alex and Gavin. There was no question on how deep their friendship ran but the romantic connection lacked for me. I was disappointed on that because I felt since they were so close for most of their lives then the emotional/physical connection should have been out of this world, but it wasn’t so in that regard it did fall short.
Alex and Gavin have been best friends since childhood but lost contact with each other when Alex moved away for college. Unfortunately things in Alex’s life didn’t work out as planned so he has to move back home.
Gavin and Alex seem to pick up right where they left off in their friendship. Both men act like they’ve never missed a day in the others company.
An accident puts Alex and Gavin in close quarters for a long period of time and an attraction that Alex has always felt bleeds over to Gavin and both men need to decide where to go with those feelings.
Like I mentioned I’m not sure I truly believed Gavin and Alex romantic relationship. Gay for you is one of my most favorite genres but this was a little too easy.
The story was good. I liked the writing style of the author I just wished the emotional side was more developed between the characters.
Overall, this was just ok for me.
RATING: 
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