Reviewed by Louisa
TITLE: Eyes Wide Open 
SERRIES: Graves Brothers
AUTHOR: V.M. Sanford
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 156 Pages
RELEASE DATE: February 2nd 2018
BLURB:
Jason’s been in love with Spencer for most of his life, yet there he is, organizing Spencer’s bachelor party because Spencer’s getting married—and not to him.
Spencer wished he could marry Jason instead of Lydia. He’s loved his best friend for years, but he needs to do the best for his family and their vineyard. Knowing he’s doing the right thing doesn’t make it easy, though.
Jason’s family pushes him to confess his feelings to Spencer, and he wants nothing more, but he’s afraid Spencer will run the other way and that their friendship won’t resist the revelation. But when Spencer gets drunk during his bachelor weekend in New York and tells Jason he loves him, everything changes—or that’s what Jason thinks.
Jason doesn’t want to be the other man, and Spencer doesn’t want him to be. That means Spencer has a choice to make. Will he marry Lydia and help his family, or will he finally give in and choose Jason?
REVIEW:
Friends to lovers is a favourite trope of mine. It has all the good things, like two people have known each other for ages, family involvement, understanding, the shock of discovery that both men love each other, etc. etc. etc.. But Eyes Wide Open falls flat on these things, it just doesn’t carry the spark you would expect.
Jason is openly gay and Spencer is secretly bisexual. Spencer’s mother is evil, but he loves her. Spencer is afraid he will lose his family and the investment with the vineyard if he breaks up with Lydia. Spencer likes Lydia but doesn’t want to marry her, but he feels trapped. And if you don’t remember these facts, don’t worry, because the author has very helpfully told the reader the same things over and over again. I actually think the book would have been only half as long if the above things were only mentioned once or twice.
I do feel that this story could have used some more beta reading and editing. It has a really good concept, but it is so hard to get attached to the characters and the story. I really went into this book expecting to love it, it has so many things I like in a book – family dynamics, long term friends, complicated personal relationships and not to mention its set between a vineyard and construction sites.
The person I liked the most was Kenny, who appears to be the main character in book 2, so hopefully that will be a good read. Kenny was a bit of a smart ass (which I like) and he made things feel nice and real. But Spencer and Jason were flat for me. And I didn’t feel any spark, which may have been because of the fade to black sex scene.
The thing I like most about this book is the cover and Jason’s mum. Both I think were really good and made me want to keep reading.
Overall, it is an easy read, and would be good with a glass of wine. Just don’t go in hoping for lots of plot development or character development.
RATING: 
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