Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: The Veranda
SERIES: Lavender Shores #3
AUTHOR: Rosalind Abel
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 235 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 25, 2017
BLURB:
Donovan Carlisle helps countless people in Lavender Shores with his skills as a therapist. It seems, however, that his ability to enable others to live their happiest life only works outside of himself. Donovan truly loves his life, but isn’t able to find a relationship that satisfies his heart’s craving. Maybe the problem is that the only man he wants is off-limits.
Spencer Epstein came to Lavender Shores to find himself. Instead, he married one of the local town beauties. He’d thought his prayers had finally been answered. Then, he met his pregnant fiancée’s brother. It turned out those answered prayers were just cruel twists of fate.
A decade later, after a divorce and crumbling of all Spencer thought was set in stone, he sees his brother-in-law at a masquerade sex party. He takes full advantage of the anonymity and acts on the desires he’s held at bay all those years. The problem is, those silent and frenzied moments didn’t satiate anything. The fire and heat between the two men only grows as secrets are uncovered and they must determine if the cost of their passion is too high.
REVIEW:
I don’t think it is a secret to anyone that I love this new series. I have even begged my husband to take me to visit the area on vacation. This wonderful book was a great addition to the series.
Donovan Carlisle is the therapist that we grew to admire from his work with Gilbert in the last book. I already knew he was a wonderful man and needed to have a fabulous partner that he deserves. Spencer Epstein is the newly ex husband of Erica, the horrible woman who made Gilbert’s life miserable. Oh, did I forget to mention that Donovan is also Erica’s half brother which makes him Spencer’s ex-brother-in-law! It turns out that both of these men have had a ten-year crush on the other without anyone knowing!
First off, both these men deserve the best after having had to live their lives connected to Erica! She is the prima donna princess of one of the town’s founding families and wields her nasty mouth at everyone. Seeing her come down a notch or two was greatly satisfying. I know the author tried to make her more human and all but she is such a nasty, vile piece of work that I still haven’t found it in me to forgive her.
I was thrilled to see Donovan get the man of his dreams. He helps so many people and is a genuinely nice guy. He deserves the best and that is Spencer!
But it was Spencer that stole my heart this time around. One of the phrases that sickens me is when someone is told by the church to “pray the gay away”! These holier and thou church people and their bigoted ideas make me sick. And sending a child for reparative therapy is just plain evil and wrong.
I am sure that both men, ten years ago, felt the rug pulled out from under them when they meet. Sparks flew but then they discover that Spencer is marrying Donovan’s sister and she is pregnant. What blows me away is that they each held the other as their perfect fantasy while going on and living their lives. Well I was thrilled that fantasies really can come true if you wait long enough. They truly were meant to be together and if anyone has a problem with it they can just bite it. And these two men are not only gorgeous but they tear it up in the bedroom!
I love these stories by Rosalind Abel and can’t wait for the next book so I can come visit Lavender Shores again soon. I highly recommend this series as a must read! They are that good. They will sweep you away and make you never want to return.
RATING: 
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