Reviewed by Larissa & Kat

 

TITLE: Jilted: Jaren

SERIES: The Foster Brothers Book 1

AUTHOR: Nora Phoenix

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH:  262 pages

RELEASE DATE:  March 4, 2022

BLURB: 

USA Today bestselling author Nora Phoenix kicks off a new contemporary gay romance series with the story of a tattoo artist who finally has a shot at winning the heart of the one man he never thought he could have.

Years of pining.

Years of keeping his distance.

Years of lusting after Jaren, the one man Reid couldn’t have.

Because Jaren is straight.

Worse, he’s engaged to Reid’s sister. In other words: he’s off limits. Impossible.

But a day before the wedding, she calls it off, leaving Jaren with nowhere to go.

So what’s a man to do? Well, offer Jaren a place to stay, of course.

A shoulder to cry on.

A bed to sleep in.

And maybe someone to share that bed with?

Jilted is the first book in The Foster Brother series, a contemporary MM romance series about four men who chose to be brothers. It has hurt/comfort, found family, bisexual awakening, first time gay, and a guy who finally realizes that what he wanted most was right in front of him the whole time.

 

REVIEW by KAT:

A fabulous new book that is bound to be a fantastic series about 4 found brothers who came out of the terrors of the the children’s foster system to rise above bonded together as adults.

Jaren has survived, with the help of his Foster brothers, his youth and now is a successful accountant. He has it all…a gorgeous fiancé he is marrying in a few days, a classic mid-century modern home that was featured on one of those reno shows on tv, and a great job at this fiancé’s father’s prominent law firm in Seattle. He is also able to help out his younger found brothers that helped him out first. Life is pretty darn fantastic until Bridget’s brother shows up the day before the wedding at his hotel to drop the bomb..the wedding is off and Jaren needs to get his things out of her house soon. Oh, and it looks like he’s out of a job to boot! World’s suckiest day ever! Now he’s homeless, since Bridget insisted he pay the $40k he made from the sale of his condo, on the lavish wedding she needed. Reid has had a crush on his sister’s fiancé from the moment he laid eyes on him. Her very straight boyfriend! Now he’s drawn the short straw and delivering the bad news. When fed up Jaren drops the bomb of his life story Reid knows he has to pick up the pieces his sister left shattered no matter how hard being around his dream guy is. But is straight guy really all that straight after all?

Jaren’s life story would gut anyone. He has been one of those throw away kids all his life. If it hadn’t been for Nordin, Hadley and Lagan he probably wouldn’t have survived his youth. And he definitely wouldn’t be the successful accountant he was today. Those found brothers were his lifeline and so much stronger than blood!

I must say, I really appreciated that author Nora Phoenix took the time that was necessary for Jaren to accept and trust Reid. Insta-love/lust just wouldn’t/couldn’t work with his story. Jaren was a person that took time to adjust to new circumstances. And trust would be a long, hard journey for him. He had survived his youth but had deep, long lasting scars that had resulted. Heck, he never even trusted his fiancé to share those parts of himself! Rushing that would have ruined the story. And I must say, not only was Reid perfect for Jaren, but he had the patience of a saint to wait like he did. But he did it willingly, not even knowing if his love would ever be reciprocated. And I loved that. He saw the real Jaren and encouraged him to come out from behind the mask. But on Jaren’s timeframe not his own.

I truly enjoyed watching this story unfold and the level of love and trust that emerged. This was a well crafted story that truly embraced Jaren and his needs to bloom and grow from beneath the ashes of his childhood tragedy. I am really looking forward to each of the Foster Brothers stories. Stories of found love and acceptance by a group of boys that found the strength to battle and survive what was thrown at their young lives. And of continued love in a bond that grows stronger as they mature and find each of their special someones. Fabulous start to a fantastic series that grabs hold of your heart and won’t let go!

RATING:

 

REVIEW by LARISSA

Nora Phoenix’s Jilted: Jaren kicks off her new The Foster Brothers series centering on four brothers who met in a foster home when they were kids. Through their created found family, they survived the experience and have supported each other ever since.  These are four men who have no one other than each other. Yet, they’ve crafted successful lives for themselves through determination, persistence and a stubborn refusal to let their crappy childhood circumstances shape the entire trajectory of their lives.

Jaren’s story is up first.  He’s an (ostensibly) straight guy who’s been dating a wealthy girl, Bridget, for years and they’re engaged to be married.  When the story opens, it’s the evening before the wedding – a luxurious, expensive wedding dictated by Bridget’s extravagant choices.  But for a few personal possessions, Jaren sold everything including his apartment to kick in $30K to pay for the wedding.  They were moving into a new house (that she bought), and Jaren finally feels settled with a well-paying job working for her father.  

Jaren’s beyond excited and happy until Bridget’s brother Reid shows up at his door to deliver the bombshell that Bridget has called off the wedding.  It takes Jaren completely by surprise.  He thought they were happy.  So while he’s reeling from the news, he can’t understand why which leads him to embrace the familiar refrain he’s had on loop since his childhood:  He’s not good enough to make anyone love him and want to stay.  In one fell swoop, everything Jaren has worked for goes up in flames.  He’s lost his fiance, has no place to live, has no savings left, and loses his job (for Bridget’s father) as well.

Reid rides in on his white horse to help Jaren.  Reid has been in love with Jaren since they first met but has kept his distance to “survive” the heartbreak of seeing Jaren and his sister together.  Inexplicably, Jaren finds himself attracted to Reid even though he’s never been attracted to a man before.

Ms. Phoenix is a talented writer who carefully crafts her stories, constructing intricate plots, emotionally complex relationships between her leading men, and puts a great deal of thought and research into her subject that she then channels into her stories.  Her White House Men series is a perfect example of this, as is her Ballsy Boys series (nice Easter egg), which she co-wrote with K.M. Neuhold.  Jilted: Jaren is a complete departure from that, in my opinion.  

Jaren and Reid have chemistry, but I didn’t feel particularly connected to either of them.  That’s notable because one of Ms. Phoenix’s strengths is character development.  The book contains only a loose framework of events rather than any particular plot.  And within that framework, what transpires strains credulity.  Jaren and Reid’s relationship lacks authenticity.  It just felt too simple, lacking the complexity we usually get from Ms. Phoenix.  Additionally, Ms. Phoenix fell into the same “talky-talky” dynamic I noticed in her Forty-Seven duology.  Lots of introspection and lengthy dialogues that have a level of transparency to them that just didn’t feel real.  

Overarchingly, the story felt over the top to me.  Too easy, too fast, too saccharine, too convenient.  I am certain I am in the minority in this viewpoint.  Admittedly, my reaction may be driven to some extent by my inability to refrain from comparing it to Ms. Phoenix’s early books that utilized structure and style that I found highly successful and enjoyable.  Jilted: Jaren is an easy, low angst read, though, so you can easily give it a try without losing much if you end up concurring with my viewpoint.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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