Reviewed by Anna Lynn
TITLE: Better Than Beginnings: A Better Than Good Short Story Collection
SERIES: Better Than Stories
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 382 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2020
BLURB:
Matt Sullivan knows he met someone special the night he spots the sexy man on the dance floor. However, he doesn’t know his life is about to change forever. First of all, Matt is straight. Okay, maybe not, but he doesn’t think falling in love and spending the rest of his life with a hotheaded, unapologetically fabulous diva is an option.
Aaron Mendez is confident, smart, and very comfortable in his skin. He knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. And though he might have reservations about falling for someone newly out of the closet, no one has ever looked at Aaron the way Matt does.
Navigating a relationship has its challenges, but both Matt and Aaron are willing to deal with difficult parents, holiday blues, and learning curves. They know their happy ever after is worth fighting for and that true love is better than good.
REVIEW:
This is the fifth book in the series but it follows some of the important events in the lives of our favorites Better Than Main Characters’ Matt and Aaron.
This collection of short stories let us peek into the lives of Matt and Aaron right after they became a couple. We can read about Matt’s graduation, about Aaron introducing Matt to his family, the Mendez. There are also the first Valentine’s Day they experienced together, Matt’s first Pride.
These events aren’t all roses, there were nervousness, uncertainties, awkwardness at times (mostly in Matt’s mind because he really isn’t very vocal about what he wants or what he thinks about certain things) but one thing is glaringly sure and I think the most important of all, the love they have for each other, there is so much love and that alone makes everything perfect in all their imperfections.
Important events like Aaron’s 30th Birthday, and how Matt’s simpleness and pureness would have landed him in big trouble if not for Jay, Aaron’s best friend. How seeing your LOVE dancing with a former lover could ignite such jealousy that you would have hit someone because of it. How both Aaron and Matt cope with their jealousies when they see each other’s exes. How Aaron, with all his sassiness, kindness and braveness, can also be vulnerable and insecure deep down. Especially when it comes to Matt.
Then we can see them have their first Christmas together as a couple in their new place. They are starting to make their own traditions and sometimes they are not in sync and that causes misunderstandings but Matt is learning a lot in the now more than four years they have been together as a couple.
But my most favorites short stories in this book are probably the last three. The proposal, how Matt expressed how much he loves Aaron and loving him more and more each day that passes. It was so sweet and poignant that I can’t help but cry. Then how much Matt trusts Aaron with regards to the planning of their wedding. How his heart feels like being squeezed whenever he sees Aaron so happy! How he realizes time and again that he is so lucky to have Aaron in his life and love him.
Matt and Aaron are two of my most favorite characters from Ms. Lane Hayes’ books and from this particular series. When you read about each character, Matt and Aaron are so opposite that you might think they won’t work but they do, they complement each other and they love each other so much that each of them is willing to compromise in order to make each other happy. Of course, there are bumps along the way, especially Matt’s Mom who really took her time to really be accepting of Aaron as Matt’s boyfriend/other half/LOVE OF HIS LIFE! But I guess these are the things that make a relationship stronger and more solid. As they slowly experience one important event after the other, these two are becoming more and more in love with each other.
I love all of it Ms. Hayes and thank you so much for allowing us a glimpse into the lives of Matt and Aaron after they say their first I Love You!
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