REVIEWED BY CINDY
TITLE: Handle With Care (Dreamspun Desires #68)
AUTHOR: Cari Z.
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 194 Pages
RELEASE DATE: October 16, 2018
BLURB:
A fragile heart needs extra care.
Burned-out social worker Aaron McCoy is on vacation for the first time in years—boss’s orders. Road-tripping to his brother’s wedding with his best friend, Tyler, seems a fun way to spend the mandatory two-week leave, and they set out for Kansas—and a difficult homecoming.
Aaron’s mother was a drug addict, and his adorable younger brother was quickly adopted, while Aaron spent his childhood in foster care. As Aaron mends fences, Tyler hopes to show him that this time, he won’t be left behind to face his problems alone.
Aaron’s opening up to how right it feels to be with Tyler and to the possibility of taking the leap from friends to lovers. But along with the wedding celebration comes a painful reminder of the past. Aaron’s heart is still breakable. Can he put it in Tyler’s hands?
REVIEW:
Aaron is trying hard to make sure that the kids in need in his town have someone looking out for them, so that they don’t get stuck like he did. He works hard at his job, but at his life? Not so much.
Tyler has been waiting for Aaron to wake up and realize that Tyler wants to be more than just his best friend. It’s a good think he knows that good things come to those who wait.
This book is definitely right out of the “Harlequin” or “Boons and Mills” playbook and that’s absolutely okay. I love the banter and play between Aaron and Tyler, it’s sweet and funny but never fake or over done. They come across as what they are, best friends who already love each other, even if Aaron isn’t in on the secret yet.
Their road trip has a lot of funny moments, and it only makes the hard moments at Aaron’s brother’s house all the more heart-wrenching when they come.
My favorite thing is how Tyler manages to take care of Aaron without ever making him feel babied. There’s just enough snark to bring out Aaron’s backbone and that’s the best.
Aaron’s brother is a good guy with kinda terrible friends, but his fiancée is adorable and it’s good to see a strong, kind woman in a gay romance. I had a hard time warming up to his adopted mom, mostly because of Tyler but she’s a good character for this story.
There’s nothing overly angsty about the story, except for a few small moments that really are heartbreaking, but mostly it’s just a really sweet read. There’s nothing surprising about it, it goes exactly where it looks like it’s going, but if you need something to make you smile, this will definitely do it.
RATING: 
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