Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The Falcon and the Foe

SERIES:  Single Dads Club

AUTHOR:  A.J. Truman

PUBLISHER:  Truman Books

LENGTH: 283 pages

RELEASE DATE:   January 24, 2022

BLURB:

Two single dads. One huge grudge. And one tiny tent.

It’s hard enough balancing two jobs with raising my son solo. Forget dating. I barely have time for laundry.

But when my son’s scouting troop The Falcons needed a co-scout leader, I couldn’t say no. There’s just one ginormous problem: the other scout leader Russ.

To all other parents, he’s #DadGoals, Mr. Sexy Widower who lords over the drop off line.

To me? He’s the bane of my picket-fenced existence – stuck up, anal (not in the fun way), and definitely the person who got me booted from the Parent Teacher Association. I can’t let him wrest control of The Falcons and have history repeat itself – no matter how hot he looks in his khaki uniform.

Thing is, the more we work together, the more I glimpse the caring man lurking under the cold exterior. Maybe he isn’t the completely wretched human being I thought.

We’d both sworn off romance to focus on fatherhood, and nothing’s going to change that, not even sharing a too-small tent in the wilderness.

Right?

The Falcon and the Foe is an MM enemies-to-lovers romance containing hot single dads, sizzling snarky banter, pitched tent puns, skinny dipping, and an HEA. It’s the first in the Single Dads Club series, but can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW:

Cal is the guy who is always running late and is barely keeping things together. His son Josh is 9 and he’s always been a single dad.  He move back to his hometown of Sourwood from NYC to give him a stable life.  He works a the local high end grocery and depends on his neighbor Edith and his friends to help out when he needs it.  When Josh wants to join the Flacons, Cal isn’t thrilled, but it’s the first thing Josh has been interested in for a long time and so he agreed.  But then he finds out that Russ is the leader of the Falcons.  Russ is his nemesis, having gotten him kicked off of every PTA event after a little run in on the Carnival.

Russ could not be more opposite to Cal.  He’s got a spreadsheet and a plan for everything.  His day is planned to the minute.  He’s a widower who hasn’t been interested in any other men since his husband’s sudden death four years before.  And his whole world is Quentin, his son.  He’s terribly controlling and also a nervous Nelly about anything with Quentin’s safety.  He’s got a lot going on with his work and the Falcons, but he’s doing OK.  But Cal just sets him off. He’s mister fun, mister always late, etc.

When Cal applied to be the co-leader, Russ tries to make it as hard on him as possible.  He overwhelms him with emails and manuals and certifications etc.  He really just wants Cal to give up.  But he does realize that Josh really wants to do this.  Cal for his part, is bent on showing Russ that he can be responsible AND fun.  Things start to go a little better and then there is a camping trip to plan and they make it there safely.

A mishap with one of the tents results in Russ and Cal having to share a very small tent.  And this is the catalyst for igniting the heat that has been building between them.  After almost being caught by the kids though, they head home without talking about it.  But of course they can’t really forget about it.

Russ can’t forget about the fun he had with Cal though.  And Cal certainly can’t forget the first sex he’s had in almost a decade.  While they act like leaders during the meetings, there is definitely something there that they are both interested in continuing.  The thing is what are they continuing as?  Friends with benefits?  Co-leaders with benefits?  They are so different and yet they seem to fit together so well.  Then there is the whole situation with their sons.  How will that work?  So much to do, so little time 😉

Well this is a super cute kick-off to new series from A.J. Truman.  It’s kind of an Odd Couple single dads who get together on the DL and try to keep their burgeoning relationship out of the line of sight of their kids and other parents.  I absolutely adored Cal from the get-go.  He’s funny and charming in a messy sort of way.  Russ is stuck in a rut and hasn’t gotten over the fear of losing his son after the accident took is husband.  He’s forgotten how to have fun and he’s always planning for any contingency.  The truth is these two opposites really balance each other out and give each other permission to let go and to take things more seriously when they should.  I was laughing out loud MANY times reading this book.  They are fun and funny and I loved watching them come together as a couple.  I can’t wait for the next book.  Highly enjoyable read!

RATING: 

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