Reviewed by Tammy

TITLE: The Secrets in My Scowl

AUTHOR: A.E. Via

PUBLISHER: Via Star Wings Books

LENGTH: 311 Pages           

RELEASE DATE: October 28, 2016

BLURB:

Sparks ignite and tempers flare when a sexy, optimistic wedding planner, moves his business in across the hall from a jilted, divorce lawyer’s practice.

“Look smart ass. This is the last time I’m going to remind you about breaking sections of the lease. If there’s a next time, I won’t stop until you and your frilly, white wedding shit is thrown out of here. Do you got it?!” Wylde looked in Jacob’s pained eyes and answered in his deep voice. “Yeah, counselor. I got it.”

From high school, up until he became a successful attorney Jacob Snowden was convinced that love had it out for him. “Everyone left,” were the words he lived by. His mother, his high school sweetheart, his father, and his fiancé, all left Jacob just when he felt it was safe to let down his guard. Not any longer. Jacob was a determined man, set at keeping people at a distance. If his six-foot one, military-made body didn’t scare people off, his permanent scowl surely did. At almost forty, Jacob’s social life was non-existent, but he told himself his work fulfilled him. He helped people get out of their loveless marriages. Jacob Snowden was one of the best divorce lawyers on the east coast and was damn proud of it. So, imagine his disdain when a wedding planner moves into the suite directly adjacent to his… an insanely masculine, male wedding planner.

Wylde Sterling had made quite a name for himself in his hometown of Roanoke, Virginia, working for a wedding planner that catered to the elite. He was known for his charm and impeccable taste. Yep, he was incredible at giving couples the wedding of their dreams. But he wanted nothing more than to plan his own. After striking out in love more times than he cared to admit, Wylde decided to start his own business in a new city, hoping Richmond would give him a fresh start. Things started out wonderfully – until he started to piss off the angry divorce attorney next door. Wylde could see past Jacob’s mean scowl, knowing there was a reason for it. It was the man’s defence mechanism, his means of keeping people away. Everything in Wylde told him to stay away, but he believed Jacob just needed to meet a man who had been hurt as badly as he had.

Standalone gay romance that ends in a HEA and no cliff-hanger

REVIEW:

Where do I start?

The Secrets in my Scowl is a very emotional, incredibly well written story! You can feel Jacob’s pain in every word you read. You will need to keep your tissues handy!

The story begins on Jacob’s high school graduation day. Jacob Snowdon and his boyfriend Rick have both graduated and have scholarships to the same college. Rick has a full ride whilst Jacob only received a partial because of his father’s income. When Jacob tries to discuss the issue with his father the only hang he gets for his troubles is a punch in the face and kicked out of the house. When Jacob tries to explain to Rick that they’ll have to take a different, longer path to get where they want to go Rick tells him he won’t do anything different because he has a full ride scholarship that he’s not willing to jeopardize just for Jacob.

So, begins Jacob‘s ten-year journey to become a lawyer.

Jacob enlisted in the Navy as soon as he could, eight years of active duty later and Jacob is finally going to college. Over the next two years Jacob works his butt off with studies, meets Mark, a music professor and falls in love. When Mark asks him to marry him, it takes Jacob a bit to decide to say yes but then he arrives at Marks only to find him in the arms of another man! This just reinforces to Jacob that everyone leaves him, first his mother left when he was young, his father left him by turning to alcohol, his high school boyfriend left him when he couldn’t go to college with him and now, his fiancé has been caught in the arms of another man! The only positive thing to come out of the whole sorry episode is that Jacob gained a friend in Patrick Manning.

Seven years later and not only is Jacob the most successful divorce lawyer in Richmond he is probably the loneliest. Now that Jacob is almost forty he’s grudgingly acknowledging that being lonely is his own fault. Over the last almost twenty years Jacob has developed the habit of scowling. At first it was because he was so hurt and angry over being kicked out of his home by his homophobic father and losing his boyfriend the same day, then it became a permanent fixture on his face. Now, people actively avoid Jacob because of his permanently angry look. The only friend Jacob has is Patrick; over the years they’ve remained friends with benefits. Patrick visits Jacob every month or so when they have an itch to scratch and that’s it!

Wylde Sterling is the opposite of Jacob, Wylde believes in love, he knows there’s someone out there for him he just has to be patient. Wylde is a wedding planner who has decided to open his own business in Richmond. It just so happens that he has secured space directly across the hall from Jacob. The first time Wylde meets Jacob it’s because there are a lot of packing boxes in the hallway that Jacob tripped over. Wylde is intrigued by the handsome divorce lawyer and he’s determined to get to know him better. As they get to know each other Wylde realises Jacobs scowl hides a lifetime of pain. It takes Wylde quite a while to discover the secrets behind Jacobs scowl but when he does he Wylde makes the decision that he will always be there for Jacob. He can’t really do anything else, he’s fallen head over heels for Jacob!

Almost from the beginning of their relationship Wylde begins to soften Jacobs rough edges. Jacob can’t believe Wylde is going to stay with him, he keeps waiting Wylde to realise he’s not lovable and leave him so, he keeps a part of himself separate, until he can’t! Jacob is by now so used to everyone either avoiding him or being rude to him that it takes a while for their softening attitudes to register with him. People who would normally go out of their way to make life difficult for him are shocked when Jacob smiles or talks politely to them that they find themselves being equally as nice right back. When it sinks in that Wylde was right, that smiling or being civil to people is not a sign of weakness Jacob makes it his mission to become a changed man!

If there is nothing else you do today, you must get yourself a copy of The Secrets in my Scowl!! A.E. Via has outdone herself again. I don’t think I can rave about this story any more than I have or I’m going to give away spoilers!

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon

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