Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Finding The Right Forever
SERIES: Sheltered Connections #2
AUTHOR: RM Neill
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 72K, Pages N/A
RELEASE DATE: March 7, 2022
BLURB:
One has no time for love.
The other is desperately seeking acceptance.
Only together can their hearts be made whole.
Owen
For the last seven years, I’ve been married to my job because it’s easier than dealing with the angst that comes with relationships. I was only looking to grow my business, now I’m stuck dealing with a baker whose sunshine and lollipop outlook proves to be a monumental pain in my butt. Friends say I need to learn to have fun, and Parker could be the one to teach me. The more time I spend with him, the more I feel they may be right. Now, I want forever, but I don’t know how to ask for it.
Parker
I was only looking for a place to start my career as a baker. Somehow, I ended up with a boss who is as hot as he is grumpy. I should be focusing on my baking, and build security based on my own success. Instead, Owen is fast becoming my sole focus. My longing for acceptance, to heal the scars from an abusive past, have led me to an impossible choice. Do I pursue my dream job… or dream man?
Finding the Right Forever is the second book in the Sheltered Connections Series. This book involves themes of hurt/comfort, grumpy/sunshine, and a spandex elf suit. Laugh-out-loud humor, spur of the moment kitchen shenanigans and two men too stubborn to see what’s in front of them make up this 72k word story. Ridiculously horrible singing is included.
REVIEW:
Parker is a singing, butt wriggling, talented pastry chef, with dreams. But you know what they say about the overly happy? They’re usually hiding something sad. Owen is a grump who’s forgotten how to laugh. Does one have the attributes the other needs to be happy?
Finding The Right Forever is the second in the Sheltered Connections Series. Like book one, it, too, is told in the first person. It is also a tale where I felt unsure what to say in my review. The reason is, on the one hand, the story is a huge heart-warming, wholesome journey. On the other, it is so similar to book one in its formula that nothing was a surprise. I feel like it’s the curse of the sequel as it will always be closely compared to the original.
Parker and Owen are adorable. The boys and the extended cast are shining examples of what is good in this world. The backdrop of their journey automatically pulls at the heartstrings – an LGBTQ shelter, a pet shelter, a rescued, scene-stealer of a cat called Cheddar, Christmas, and one of the main protagonists has a poor dating history and low self-esteem.
When Parker gets a job at The Screaming Bean, he bakes while he sings badly and wiggles his butt. These elements begin as an annoyance to Owen. However, as Owen gets to know Parker, his view changes, and they begin a journey to their HEA. In the pursuit of getting Owen to smile, as cute as some of Parker’s kitchen antics are, my RL hospitality day job calls commercial kitchen regulations into serious question. In many countries, his antics would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. Buuuut, this is fiction, and for Parker to act differently would partially remove several huggable moments.
There are some crossover characters from book one, but the story can be read as a standalone. And, if I were reading this story without having read its predecessor, I might be marking it higher, as I wouldn’t be getting that Deja-vu sensation. I feel awful for saying this, but because I had a good idea of what was to come, and that this story is low angst, I struggled to stay interested. I felt bad for Owen and Parker because they deserved good things to happen and for their story to be heard. Owen’s realization of his feelings and his personal journey was delightful.
For me, as loveable as Parker and Owen are, and some of the settings they experienced – charming. Finding The Right Forever didn’t quite flow as seamlessly as book one. Also, there is a strong Christmas theme, and in March my heart isn’t as openly committed to the season as it would have been in December.
But, looking at the story from another perspective – Finding The Right Forever is two men wrapped in a duvet of a story – one gets in cold, in need of warming up, and the other wriggles a lot, aching for strong arms to sink into. So, if you’re in need of a hug, or want to read a story about good people, finding their HEA, then this belongs on your shelf.
RATING: 
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