Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  First Priority

AUTHOR:  Este Holland

SERIES:  Priorities

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  183 pages

RELEASE DATE:  October 15, 2019

BLURB:

Adam:
Meeting an A-list movie star like Truman James wasn’t part of my life plan, but neither was temporarily living with my bully of a stepbrother. Being hit on by said celebrity definitely hadn’t been planned. Beating my social anxiety wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, and avoiding the stubborn actor was even harder, so when I was thrust into the spotlight, there was only one thing I could do… Run.

Truman:
From the moment I set eyes on Adam Hendrix, I was enraptured. His sweet demeanor and pretty-boy looks captured my heart from the start, and I refused to let Adam get away. When the paparazzi began to swarm, I did the only thing I could to protect Adam… I whisked him away to a place no one could get to him. I let my guard down and showed Adam the real me. The one only a few people in the world know. But will it be enough to make him stay? Will I be enough to make him happy?

REVIEW:

Initially, I thought I’d hate this book. Spoiled movie star, Truman, was so vile toward Adam in the beginning that I thought him irredeemable. But he softened and a different side of him emerged before too long. I thought if Adam can forgive him, so can I. The two meet at an Oscars after-party populated by entitled actors and industry types. Truman is beyond rude and obnoxious, and Adam continually shoots down his advances. What begins as a game of wanting-what-he-can’t-have soon gives way to Truman becoming genuinely charmed by Adam. Adam, with his candor and lack of pretense, is otherworldly, a true alien in Truman’s jaded, crass world of the Hollywood elite, where often people like Adam are summarily snubbed and dismissed. 

I said I initially thought I’d hate the book. How wrong I was. I loved it! 

Much of the book takes place in Ireland and author Este Holland creates an enchanting world: 

The rain slowed, but a heavy mist hung in the air. I gave Adam my jacket when he shivered. He breathed in and smiled at the rolling hills and cloudy sky. “The air is so fresh here. Is that a sheep?” he asked with a gasp. He pointed to the side of a building, and sure enough, a young man in a wool coat and carrying a long stick stood there with the animal.

Her descriptions engage multiple senses, as when she describes the multi-layered scents in the pub and the varied colors of the bricks in the wall and floor, the faded rugs, and the drinks spilled on the bar. Characterization is solid, too. Of Truman’s Irish aunt:

She was a large woman with a shelf-like bosom, full of life and laughter. Her hair, once black like her son’s, wild with curls, was tucked up in various pins and barrettes.” 

Holland could’ve simply said, “She was a large woman with curly gray hair,” as a lesser writer might. One method employs a few basic descriptors, the other brings to life a fully-realized character, vivid in our mind’s eye. A little extra effort creates a great difference in the reading experience so I appreciate Holland’s attention to detail.  

First Priority has a handful of appealing secondary characters, American and Irish alike. Speaking of those characters, there’s an interlude – a short chapter, really – exactly halfway through the book starring Truman’s PA, Riley, and his best friend, Daniel. (Truman and Adam aren’t present at all.) Their complicated history becomes apparent when Daniel is temporarily living in Truman’s home and he and Riley clash. This is clearly a setup for a future book in the Priorities series, which I look forward to. Daniel sounds sexy AF and Riley shows fabulous snark potential. 

Later on, there’s a second intermission, as Holland calls it, involving Truman’s cousin, Brian, and Adam’s friend, Jay, who “meet” on a video call between Adam and Jay. It’s infatuation at first sight for both.  Jay seems to have a dark and depressing past to uncover. Holland gives us just enough about Brian and Jay, and Riley and Daniel, to hook us. A very clever plot device. 

On a side note…Holland won me over as a devoted reader because of one simple thing: sea salt and sexy soap. I am so tired of the men of MM romance describing their lover’s smell as a ridiculous combination of unusual ingredients. Say, soap made from moist lichen, fermented dragonfruit peels, and the powder from crushed Nigerian topaz. Or shampoo derived from the vapors of Greenland glaciers mixed with Peruvian swallowtail feathers and a touch of mustard seed. No guy (or woman for that matter) would know the complicated and crazy smells some authors concoct. Which is why I love how Adam describes Truman’s scent: SEA SALT AND SEXY SOAP.  Simple, vague, relatable, normal. Period.  

By the end of the novel – actually well before – the now patient and gentle Truman completes his redemption arc and the plot moves on to two villains out to ruin the couple. The love story continues to intensify quickly, but naturally, and both characters continue to grow throughout the book. The epilogue occurs two years down the road and is simply perfect. The verdict: First Priority is a well-written story with great world building, interesting characters, a very enjoyable plot, strong chemistry, the perfect amount of steam, and a satisfying, heartwarming ending.

“Would I be so lucky to have this for the rest of my life? Because it was becoming clearer with every passing hour that this was what I wanted. He was my happy ending.” 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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