Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Family According to Liam
SERIES: According to Liam
AUTHOR: V.L. Locey
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 139 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2021
BLURB:
The bonds of family aren’t regulated by blood. They’re defined by love and an open heart.
Bryn and Michael Mettler have lived a life that many can only dream about. The two men had a whirlwind romance and ended up happily married. Bryn played hockey for the Pittsburgh Ravens, and Michael worked at a job he loved in web design and writing a successful humor blog. They also doted on Mike’s nephew Liam as all good uncles should.
They’ve welcomed a new member into their small but loving clan. Made strides to heal a fractured past hurt. Traveled the world and settled into their new home and lives with great joy. The only thing missing was a child of their own. That absent piece is now here, and their lives are about to change in a million charming, unexpected ways.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the fifth book in this series and it is best read in order as each book builds on the events of the previous book.
This installment of this series is the culmination of Bryn and Mike’s building of their family They are still quite involved with Kelly, Mike’s sister and her son Liam 🙂 But now they are ready for a child of their own. And though the process is slower than they would like, they have made their decision and are just waiting for the state to go through their required steps to bring their new daughter, Bridgette, to live with them. She’s been through lot and is a bit reserved at first, but things go pretty well at their initial meetings. Neither man is particularly patient and since Michael is always a bit of a “fretter” this doesn’t help 🙂
Along side this new development, Kelly and her husband Adam are nearing the due date of their baby. Liam is not necessarily that excited and when his baby brother Lincoln is born, he is not enamored. Between his uncles’ attention on their new daughter and his mother and Adam’s attention on Linc, Liam is feeling a bit left out 🙁 This leads to him acting out a bit. The adults are all over it and it’s definitely understandable why he’s feeling neglected and shoved aside.
Finally along with the stress of the family stuff, Bryn’s in the playoffs and Michael and his coworker Jamie have had some changes at their work. And those work changes are not for the better. Their new “boss” is a real bigot – with constant digs and “jokes” about trans and gay men. Skip (of course he’s names Skip) is a jerk and the stress of putting up with him and his constant demands along with daily – and sometimes hourly – microagressions and outright insults – it’s getting harder and harder for Jamie and Michael to put up with it. Bryn keeps trying to convince them to leave and start their own business – catering to LGBTQ+ friendly businesses. But with the adoption looming and Brynn’s career winding down, is now the right time?
This is another lovely addition to this series 🙂 These guys are so adorable!! I just love Bryn and Mike and Liam and the family, and now there is a new character to love as well – Bridgette. I liked that things weren’t all rosy with the transition to Mike and Bryn’s home. Kids who have been in the system a while are not going to be terribly trusting to begin with. It was nice to see the progression of their relationship. I loved the very real portrayal of the first/long time only kid’s reaction to a new baby that does take a lot of attention and focus. I doubt there is any parent that can’t recognize this 😉 Another great thing about this series is Mike’s relationship with Jamie his trans co-worker. They have supported each other and their friendship is also a very good thing as Jamie doesn’t have a lot of family who are with him. I loved meeting Heikko – Bryn’s new teammate from Finland (go Suomi!) and his fascination with Jamie. I cannot wait to see where this goes 😉 This story is just a low-angst feel good progression to this wonderful love story between Mike and Bryn that gives us a glimpse into their married life and how they are doing. And as usual, this author continues to write believable characters and dialogue – particularly the kids 😀 I hope this continues for a long time to come. Highly recommended!
RATING: 
BUY LINK: