Reviewed by Becca

TITLE: Promises (with prequel Meant to Be)

SERIES: Coda #1

AUTHOR: Marie Sexton

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 224 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2019

BLURB:

Can a man who loves his small hometown trust it to love him back?

Jared Thomas has lived in the mountain town of Coda, Colorado his whole life. He can’t imagine living anywhere else. But Jared’s opportunities are limited—the only other gay man in town is twice his age, and although Jared originally planned to be a teacher, the backlash that might accompany the gig keeps him working at his family’s store instead.

Then Matt Richards moves to town.

Matt may not be into guys, but he doesn’t care that Jared is. A summer camping and mountain biking together cements their friendship, but when Matt realizes he’s attracted to Jared, he panics and withdraws, leaving Jared all too aware of what he’s missing.

Facing Matt’s affair with a local woman, his disapproving family, and harassment from Matt’s coworkers, Jared fears they’ll never find a way to be together. But for the first time, he has the courage to try… if he can only convince Matt.

**Meant to Be**

Jared has simple goals for his freshman year of college: make friends, lose his virginity, come out, and maybe fall in love. He doesn’t anticipate getting caught between his friend Bryan and Bryan’s flamboyant ex. Through the awkwardness, Jared learns love doesn’t always mean sex and the most meaningful connections might have nothing to do with romance.

REVIEW:

I want to say I’ve read this book before. I had those deja vu moments while reading it but I don’t remember the whole book. So, if I had read it before, I’m glad I revisited. And on a side note, I know for a fact I’ve read the next book and it’s just as good. This is just a great little series. It has its ups and downs. Hard times and times to make you jump for joy. The characters are great (with the exception of one in particular, but I guess you need a bad guy.) All around, just a great book.

Jared would love nothing more than to be teaching right now. After all, it’s what he went to school for. But his heart is in Coda, with the mountains and trails. And small town Coda has no room for gay people like him. It’s not all bad, but there are still quite a few that avoid Jared like the plague. Plus, he tired of the gay=pedo mindset, small minded people seem to want to adopt. So, yeah, he’s lonely too. He and one other man he knows of is gay. Until Matt strolls into town. They hang out and start to get to know each other, and when the question comes up, Matt is adamant he’s gay. But he’s getting grief from the other cops on the force so tries to date some woman. But he’s miserable. The more he gets to know Jared, the more he wants to be with him. But he’s ashamed. He’s not supposed to feel this. With all the touching Matt does, it’s making Jared crazy but he’s trying his best to be patient. But sometimes life just gets too much when too many things are pressing down on you. And it’s a ticking time bomb. It will be a toss up if they can make things happen or stay away forever.

\Being a parent, I have to say, there are times I absolutely loathe other parents. The way the treat their children. It pisses me off so bad. Matt is so confused in this book. He’s been browbeaten into  thinking love is wrong between two men. Even though he’s had desires before. But he had to put it all on lockdown. Because of his family, his job. Everyone wants something from him except no one wants to ask what he wants. He wants to be happy. And the more he is around Jared, the more he is. Even if it’s just as a friend. It’s hard to come out of that closet when you get constantly beaten down for it.

Jared is just as bad. Being a gay man wanting to teach, you have these stupid morons associating being gay with being a pedo. And he’s horrified. He just wants to teach. But people have to ruin it. And he’s scared to death to get the job he wants because of it. It’s terrible the way people think.

As far as Meant to Be, it’s a good prequel of how Jared came out and met Cole and the whole shebang. It’s good. It also explains why Cole is the way he is in some ways.

I recommend you guys getting this if you haven’t. It’s an excellent book.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

dreamspinnerpress

amazon