Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Danny Doormat
AUTHOR: Rowan McAllister
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 243 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 30, 2020
BLURB:
It’s time to wipe his feet of the idea that he’s not good enough to be loved.
Danny Dorfmann is dependable, no matter what’s going on in his own life. So when widower Asa needs a sitter for his dog, Minion, Danny is the natural choice. Besides, Danny’s had a crush on Asa—a hot architect who’s way out of his league—for years.
Asa is just climbing out of his grief over the loss of his husband and trying to reclaim his life. Love and dating aren’t on his radar, but as one favor turns into another and he spends more time with Danny, romance sneaks up on them.
Friendly adventures gradually turn into something deeper, but a manipulative roommate and interfering family and friends want to douse the slow burn building between Danny and Asa. To keep the chances of a happily ever after going, Danny will have to take a stand—and to hold on to the man of his dreams, he’ll have to stop letting everybody walk all over him.
REVIEW:
Danny Doormat is a cute book, as are its main characters, Danny and his love interest, Asa, whose husband died two years ago. Asa is one of a group of friends that includes Danny’s brother Derek, Lane, who is a jerk to Danny, and a fourth friend. When Asa needs a dog sitter for abused and rescued Minion, he asks Lane who promptly foists it off on Danny.
See, Danny always does the nice thing even when it’s a great inconvenience to him. Derek and Lane view him and treat him as a doormat – someone who allows themselves to be pushed around or treated badly, always giving in without complaint. I view Danny a little differently, as more of a kind individual who wants to help others but doesn’t necessarily recognize it might be detrimental to himself. In this case, he wants to help Asa, whom he’s had a crush on for many years. There’s a side plot involving Danny’s roommate from hell. I must say, it does qualify as a bit of a doormat situation.
Danny is estranged from his family who can’t stop with the “I told you so”. He dropped out of college, works a dead end job, and barely makes ends meet. He tries so hard to be independent and doesn’t confide in anyone about his struggles. He’s so used to people (aka family) expecting the worst from him, and he just can’t hear that he’s lived ‘down’ to their expectations again.
When Asa returns from his trip, Danny continues to watch Minion when Asa works long days. The men grow closer and Asa gets to know the real Danny without the prejudiced put-downs from Derek and Lane. I love that he sees Danny through fresh eyes. Asa, though, is at a crossroads, thinking he’s probably ready to move on from his grief and start living like his husband would’ve wanted him to. His friends have mixed opinions, however, particularly with Danny involved.
The book poses two thought provoking considerations. First, when is it too soon to move on when grieving the loss of a loved one? How do others’ expectations impact that decision? The second concept pertains to living your own life versus giving in to the pressure to take another path in accordance with your family’s expectations. These expectations weigh heavily when you’re viewed as a fuck-up. But what if you view your life choices as learning experiences rather than mistakes?
Rowan McAllister is a new-to-me author and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed how both Danny and Asa grew as individuals as well as together. I did grow tired of a few too many instances of “Are you okay?” “I’m sorry” and “You can talk to me” in the dialogue. Also, the epilogue is disappointing as its only three weeks in the future. The ending qualifies as a HFN since Danny and Asa have only been together a few weeks. I do, however, recommend Danny Doormat as a cute, entertaining read with very likable main characters.
RATING: 
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