Reviewed by Donna

TITLE: Taking Love’s Lead

AUTHOR: H.L. Day

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 257 Pages

RELEASE DATE: July 6, 2018

BLURB:

Zachary Cole’s new personal shopper is stunning in more ways than one. Gone is the staid, professional Jonathan. In his place is sexy, whirlwind Edgar, whose methods and lifestyle are less than orthodox. Still reeling from the experience, Zack can’t get him out of his head. He needs to see him again. Even if it does involve dragging his heavily pregnant sister and her dalmatian into his cunning plan.
Sick of being dumped yet again, dog-walker Edgar’s pledged to stay single and put energy into finding a career more suited to an adult instead. Zack might be extremely tempting…and just happen to pop up wherever he goes, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to change his mind. He’s got bigger priorities in life than a website designer after a brief walk on the wild side. His heart’s taken enough of a bruising. He’s not prepared to get dumped again.
Zack wants love. Edgar only wants friendship. Can the two men find common ground amid the chaos of Edgar’s life? Or is Zack going to find that no matter what he does, there’s no happy ending and he’ll have to walk away?

REVIEW:

This is my second book from H.L. Day and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The first book I read was Refuge, and for any reader familiar with that book, it couldn’t be more different from this. Refuge is all kinda apocalyptic death and aliens. Just from reading the blurb you can see that this book is definitely not that. Taking Love’s Lead is fun, funny and funky.

The story begins with both of our main characters getting dumped by their current boyfriends, Zack in a shock breakup from his live in partner of several years, and Edgar by his latest in a string of boyfriends who has had enough of his exuberant personality. Fast forward several years later and nothing has changed for our guys, who are still not having any luck on the relationship front, until Edgar tries his hand at being a personal shopper and Zack is confronted by a pink haired man who shakes him from his uptight work focused life.

I really enjoyed both of these characters and what the author did with them. Neither is perfect. Edgar, though bright and bubbly hides a lack of confidence and self worth by manipulating people and situations. He’s not malicious with it, but very deliberately pulls the strings of people around him to get what he wants. Zack is a pair of binoculars and a disguise away from being a full-fledged stalker. Once he Meets Edgar the first time he is determined to “accidently” meet him again, no matter what fake scenarios he needs to think up.

Taking Love’s Lead is a perfect combination of ridiculous antics, entertaining banter and deeper moments. Beneath the frivolity that is Edgar, there is a well of insecurity that he’s not enough to keep any man. And Zack has the difficult task of proving to Edgar that not all men expect him to change to make a relationship last. The author balances the serious with the fun in a way that I thought worked perfectly, and despite the overall lightness of this story, the author’s skill at tugging at a reader’s emotions was evident.

And if that didn’t sell you on the book…there are dogs. So many dogs that the author has taken the time to really include in the story. Dogs will always get my vote.

RATING: 

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