Reviewed by Danielle
TITLE: Bernie
SERIES: Barista Boys #4
AUTHOR: A E Ryecart
LENGTH: 258 Pages
RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2017
BLURB:
“You fix the lives of others. The waifs and strays, the lost and broken, you fix them all, Bernie. But the life that needs fixing most of all is your own.”
Bernie Porter is a haunted man. He holds tight to the guilt that he was responsible for the death of the only one he’s ever loved, a man he vowed to protect and keep safe.
Every frightened and damaged kid who washes up at Barista Boys door, Bernie rescues each and every one – all because of the man he failed to save so many years before.
Emotionally and physically scarred, Jared Hastings survived a night of violence and madness that almost left him dead. As he emerges from the nightmare that threatened to destroy him, Jared’s determined to plunge head-first into a future that’s free from the horrors of his past.
A night-time street robbery, and Bernie and Jared are thrown into each other’s worlds. But as fast as Jared comes into Bernie’s life, he’s gone, leaving Bernie with the gnawing conviction he’s let something precious slip through his fingers.
Their paths cross again in a way neither could have foreseen. From their first tentative steps, the slow burn of their relationship gathers pace. But as dark histories are revealed, and souls and hearts bared, each man finally comes to understand they can fix not just themselves, but each other.
REVIEW:
After reading the first three books I was curious to read this 4th book which was about barista owner Bernie. While the books are stand-alones, I feel like I got the complete package and back story because I had read the whole series.
So for me it was easy to make the connection when there is talk about all the barista boys. Something I would suggest before you pick up this book.
This story was the kind of the perfect sum up of the series. It brought back everything and ended up being the most complete and emotional one of the whole series, in my opinion.
Bernie and Jared meet by accident and despite no follow-up there, life decides to interfere and when they meet again it is the start of something new? Or should I say difficult? Or something exciting? Take your pick!
I loved the pacing of their relationship, the way they came together slowly and intensely. However, just when you think there is some calmness coming in their relationship when Jared has been able to tell his back story to Bernie, author AE Ryecart throws in the heavy stuff…
How heartbreaking it is to read how past issues drive Bernie and Jared apart and as a reader I noticed myself begging to have them work it out quickly.
As mentioned before this fourth book in the series is the best in my opinion and not just because of the anticipation that it is Bernie’s story. The author did a fantastic job in writing a complete, thorough story involving a middle-aged man being given a chance to love again.
Kudo’s to the author for being able to pull this off in a series that is at its fourth book.
I would suggest to pick up the complete series and introduce yourself to all the barista boys.
RATING: 
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