Reviewed by Danielle

Title: Who I Used To Be

Series: Firsts & Forever Series #12

Author: Alexa Land

Publisher: Self Published

Length: 327 Pages

Release Date: August 23, 2016

BLURB:

Zachary’s life is careening toward disaster.

At just 24, he’s had to do whatever it takes to survive, including selling his body, and the ways he’s found to escape from his bleak reality are destroying him.

On one of the worst nights of his life, Zachary meets TJ, a broken man with demons of his own. A former drug addiction and time in prison took him from his son Trevor at a young age and left TJ crippled with guilt. He thinks he can help Zachary though, not that he wants to be helped.

It takes hitting rock bottom for Zachary to reach out to TJ, the one person he thinks will understand. Neither is expecting the attraction that flares between them, not with their substantial age difference, and certainly not while drowning in a sea of pain and regret. In the process of healing, both begin to discover so much more than they ever dreamed possible.

But does love stand a chance between two lost souls who are convinced they’re damaged beyond repair?

Who I Used to Be is the twelfth book in Alexa Land’s best-selling Firsts and Forever series, but each book is written to stand alone, so jump in anywhere. This gay contemporary romance is approximately 113,000 words in length. It contains explicit language and graphic sex and is intended for adults only.

REVIEW:

It is always something to look forward to when  I know a new book in this series is coming. And boy was I looking forward to Zachary’s story. So the minute it was there I jumped in and started reading.

Surprise…this wasn’t anything like what I was expecting…let me tell you that.

As always the writing of Ms. Land is fabulous and the way she knows how to work this whole expanded family and friends is amazing. I have to admit sometimes my head overruns with all the names and for the first time I needed to quickly look up the family tree at the end of the book, to make sure I had all the characters right in my mind 🙂

Zachary’s book tells a whole new different story, and as I said I was surprised for sure. He caught my attention in a previous book and it was good to finally see his story being told.  Yet I don’t know. I kind of struggled for a bit on this one. It could be because I totally didn’t see what went down in this story coming, or the love interest for Zachary was totally unexpected. I found out that I am not particularly a fan of a May/Dec trope, and despite that I didn’t get an age gap feeling in this story and the love match turned out perfect for both man involved , it just didn’t push all my buttons so to speak.

As always I read it in one go from start to finish as the writing and the Firsts and Forever storyline enthralls me to no end.  I cannot deny I am already plotting in my mind…thinking who’s story will come next? Sawyer, Allistair(Six), Gabriel and I so hope to read Elijah’s story one day. I’m not a fan of YA but definitely of NA, so I am open to begging to see and read Josh and Darwin’s story! Ooh and not forgetting Colt now that Elijah seems to have moved on and we still have River and…………..well you get the picture right? 😀

So despite my different feelings on this story, it doesn’t mean they are bad just different and unexpected.

I will let you make up your own mind on this latest installment in this fantastic series. I for one am already (im)patiently waiting to see when Ms. Land will give us the next one 🙂

RATING:

BUY LINK:

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