Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Brave for You

SERIES: Oahu Lovers #1

AUTHOR: Crystal Lacy

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 306 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 27, 2018

BLURB:

Less than a year after moving to Hawaii, construction foreman Nate Ellison’s wife leaves him and their infant son for another man. Months into single-fatherhood, Nate meets Andrew “An” Hoang and is slowly drawn into An’s life. Through An’s friendship, he finds himself finally enjoying his new home in paradise.
An Hoang hasn’t had a real relationship in years. With his pediatrics practice and a niece to care for on his days off, he doesn’t have the headspace for more than a simple roll in the sack. But when he meets Nate—who just happens to be the gorgeous construction worker he encountered in the lobby of his apartment building—something about Nate makes it impossible for him not to care. When Nate needs An’s help with his son, An doesn’t refuse.
What happens when Nate’s past and An’s old-fashioned parents interfere just as the two men begin to fall for each other? Will they find the means to be brave and give their love a chance to flourish?
A sweet and steamy slow burn M/M romance set in Hawaii.
This story is a HEA story with NO cliffhangers. Subsequent books in the series will feature new main characters.

REVIEW:

When I saw that there was a new book about my island I had to jump at the chance to read it. It is always a risk when an author writes about a place that I love and know well personally. This time it was a great choice!

Nate Ellison has had a pretty rough go of it. He and his wife moved to the island of Oahu, Hawaii to be closer to family and friends a year ago. He thought he had it all…good job, his wife and best friend since college, and a brand new beautiful baby boy, Neil, that his wife had just given birth two a couple of months ago. All was going great until one day his life leaves a note that she has meet someone else and just leaves! Nate packs up their three bedroom home and moves closer to his sister He has always been very close to Amy and her girlfriend, so the closer move to hem so they can help out with Neil made sense. All is going okay. He is starting to adjust to his new life when he unexpectedly meets one of his neighbors, who turns out is a pediatrician in his son’s doctor’s practice. Sparks fly between these two men and one night, after An helps him out with an emergency, the two men drink a little too much and a very sexy and arousing kiss happens. Nate has known that he had been attracted to both men and women since he was younger but was happily married and comfortable in his life until Olivia left. Now he is questioning everything. When his sister finally lays it all out for him he realizes that he must at least give it a try with An. But what will happen to the happy couple when An’s conservative and homophobic Vietnamese portents and Nate’s absentee wife interfere?

There were several things that rang very true to me that this author is from my island. First is that she chose real restaurants and local hiking spots that she had obviously visited. I totally get where Nate was at as a Mainland transplant. Island life is a completely different style of living. It is a blend of so many different cultures and traditions so it takes a bit to become accustomed too it. Add in that, since he relocated there only one year ago, he has a new job that takes a lot of time and commitment, a brand new baby boy, and the biggest, most drastic change, his wife ups and vanishes, leaving him with their small baby with no notice. An’s willingness, at his own personal expense/sacrifice of his building desire for the new dad, to take Nate and his son Neil, along with his pretentious young niece Dai, to finally discover the local hiking places and then a meals at their favorite places was endearing. I have to admit that many of the local restaurants they visited were new to me and I can’t wait to try a few of them out. Some of them were even located somewhat close to my west side of the island. They sounded really good and I have been googling them for more info.

I loved how both of these men were so focused on each other but made the kids such a priority in their lives. Also how much they cared for their extended families. I loved how Nate’s family was so accepting and generous with their love and support. I understood that An’s parents were transplants from their native Vietnam and they were older and very conservative. Their need to “save face” when An came out was not surprising. An’s difficultly with his parent’s not accepting who he was so he just sheltered them from it (at great personal sacrifice) wasn’t surprising after how they had finally reconnected. An’s care and love for his young niece was wonderful. He provided a positive and loving father figure when his sister has been left to raise and care for her daughter alone. Nate just did what he had to do to make his son feel loved and cared for when his wife abandoned them.

The one part I did have difficulty with was Nate’s wife Olivia. She stated that she had PPD and that is why she abruptly disappeared. What bothered me was that they had researched postpartum depression while she was pregnant and were prepared for the possibility. Yet, as informed as she was, and yes, this appeared to be a severe case, she hid it from Nate until she was desperate. And, true, he was extremely busy with his new career and trying to provide a stable home for his family. However, she chose to hide it instead of seeking the help that they had researched and prepared for in case it did happen. And it appeared that she was close to Amy also so she had someone to take it out with. Her just disappearing seemed a bit too “convenient”. Plus what happened in her life, when she was missing, was a bit unbelievable. I do believe that their marriage was in a state of crumbling long before the move and pregnancy. They seemed to have blinders on to what had been happening. I was elated to see Nate take a stand when she returned and was confident in what and who he wanted. He was kind and compassionate but still firm in his decision.

 All in all, I really liked this book. It did a great job of showcasing Oahu’s diversity and attraction. Although the wife’s angst was a bit weak and somewhat disappointing, on the whole I really loved the dynamics of An and Nate, Nate’s internal struggles what what he wanted and who he was, and both men’s devotion to their families and friends. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

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