Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The Barkeep and the Bro

SERIES:  Single Dads Club

AUTHOR:  A.J. Truman

PUBLISHER:  Truman Books

LENGTH: 274 pages

RELEASE DATE:   May 25, 2022

BLURB:

I’m his boss. He’s my daughter’s ex-boyfriend. This has nope written all over it.

For twenty-five years, I’ve been in an exclusive, all-consuming relationship with Stone’s Throw Tavern, my family’s local bar.

I don’t need a boyfriend. What I need is a new bartender.

And what I get is Charlie, my daughter’s old college boyfriend, a guy who still acts like he’s chillin’ at the frat house. He was canned from his Wall Street job and escaped to small town Sourwood for a fresh start.

He knows bupkis about bartending, but he makes up for it with his cocky charm…and the tight shirts he wears, which secretly drive me wild. Now I’m making up excuses to hang by the bar during his shifts.

There’s a pile of reasons why I can’t cross the line with an employee. Especially this one. He’s twenty years younger than me, and I’m a foot taller than him. Even on a purely mathematical level, this can’t work.

And yet…

The growing heat between the fratboy and me burns like a shot of whiskey. I just need to keep my beer can in my pants, or else I could lose my business and my daughter.

The Barkeep and the Bro will serve you up a glass of age gap, size difference, boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance goodness, garnished with humor and lots of heat. And it won’t even ask for ID. This is the third book in the Single Dads Club series, but can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW:

Note:  This is  the third book in this series and while technically it can be read as a stand alone, it does contain major spoilers for the previous two books and I think the series is best enjoyed read in order.

Mitch Eckers is a guy with two things he really focuses on – his family bar and his daughter Ellie.  He lives alone – as he has for over 20 years and every bit of free time toes to his bar, Stone’s Throw in Sourwood.  It’s where he grew up and where he’s stayed.  After his shotgun marriage was over, he ended up putting all his time and energy into the business and making sure his daughter has the opportunities he didn’t get.

When he’s down a bartender, literally the last person he would expect to see applied.  Charlie “good time” Porterfield, Ellie’s ex shows up in need of a job.  Reluctantly Mitch ends up feeling sorry for the guy and gives him a shot.   What he also doesn’t expect is the chemistry and attraction that he feels for Charlie.  I mean isn’t the guy straight  But as time goes by, it becomes clear Charlie is perhaps something other than straight.  Maybe it’s living with Amos, his gay friend, but Charlie isn’t as freaked out by this potential bi-relationship game changer.

There are quite a few obstacles in their way though.  First their is the age gap.  Mitch assumes that Charlie is still just the good time guy.  He soon comes  to realize their IS something going on and that Charlie isn’t what he’s always assumed. Mitch however does have to be convinced to get out of his own way 🙂

I think this is my favorite of the series (and yes, I know I said that last time 🙂  Mitch is just such a grumpy bear who has decided against finding happiness for himself.  But as he watches the rest of the Single dads pair up, it is admittedly getting harder and harder to keep watching.  Charlie for his part is hilarious and also he seems pretty level headed – not at all what Mitch expects.  Almost immediately Mitch feels something for Charlie but denies it.  There is plenty of Truman’s hallmark humour here hat keeps the story rolling along.   I loved the Charlie didn’t freak out about being attracted to a guy.  And the ending?  *chef’s kiss* perfection!  Do yourself  a favor and read these books of men evolving into who they are supposed to be 🙂  Absolutely delightful series and highly recommended 😀

RATING: 

BUY LINK: 

Amazon