Duo Review  by RO and KAT

 

TITLE: Perfect Blend

SERIES: A Dahlia Springs Novella

AUTHOR: Lee Blair

PUBLISHER: Bosta Books

LENGTH: 32k

RELEASE DATE:  July 31, 2023

BLURB: 

Moving on after a divorce sucks, especially in a small town where everyone’s all up in your business. And they’re always in my business, given that I run the only coffee shop in town. I miss having someone to come home to, but focusing on my work gives me a purpose and won’t end in heartache. I couldn’t have made it this far without my friend Bricker from the online queer divorce support group. We tell each other everything. Well, everything except the personal details.

When Mikey, my high school crush, visits Dahlia Springs to write a story about our Pride Festival, I share my apprehension and excitement about falling for someone again with Bricker. Funny, he’s in the same situation himself. I’m worried I’ll need Bricker’s support more than ever, because I’m falling for Mikey fast, and if he gets the promotion he’s expecting, he’ll be halfway across the country by next month.

But Mikey says he has feelings for me too, and he proves it by donning sequins and high heels to help me save our amateur drag night. I can’t ask him to give up his dream job, and everything I have is tied to Dahlia Springs.

I hope Bricker’s ready for all the messages I’m about to send him.

Perfect Blendis a low angst MM novella featuring friends to lovers, a secret online identity, and a swoon-worthy HEA. This is a standalone story set in Lee Blair’s Dahlia Springs universe.

**The story was previously posted as part of the MM Class of 2021-22 giveaway. This expanded edition includes several new chapters.**

 

RO’S REVIEW:

This is part of the Tap That Brewery series and I have to admit, I haven’t read anything else in the series.  I think I will have to, however, because Dahlia Springs and the inhabitants made me roll my eyes, smile and sort of wish my hometown had busybodies like some of these.  Sometimes it was over the top and sometimes a little creepy (dolls and doilies anyone?) but it was always fun.

The internet connection via Discord Queer Divorced support group, starts the book off and introduces Jack (Dave) finding anonymous support from the group, but particularly from Bricker.  Jack is able to really be honest about his divorce and his life because the group knows nothing about him personally.  He confides things to Bricker that he hasn’t told his best friend and I was glad he had that connection, especially when he starts to talk with Mikey.

I was initially rolling my eyes a little because a grown man called Mikey?  Even Izzy, an employee of Dave, questions “Mikey, huh?  A guy your age who still goes by that?”   But later you find out why and I was onboard with him staying Mikey for his whole life.

Dave and Mikey went to the same high school and Dave had a massive crush on Mikey.  Mikey moved away senior year and other than some Facebook comments, they haven’t communicated since then.  Until Mikey, a journalist, contacts Dave about covering Dahlia Springs Pride for his magazine.  Dave freaks out but agrees to help.

“Mikey had been in town for two days, and my high-school feelings from nearly twenty years ago were back with a vengeance.”

One thing I have to put out there – I adored that these guys were Lego nerds.  I have a couple of those in my family and outsiders don’t get the joy adults can gain from Legos.   “Lego shopping is your stress medicine.”  Ahh, so true.

As Mikey and Dave navigate through Pride with the whole town involved in getting them together, there are some bumps in the road.  One thing, Dave’s ex-husband, Travis,  lives in Dahlia Springs and continues to ask Dave to family events and public outings.  I appreciated that Travis wasn’t made out to be some big villain, merely an imperfect man who seemed to chase the wrong dreams.  It was made more difficult because Travis’ family are bigwigs in Dahlia Springs, and Dave feared “…left me feeling like I might alienate some of the major players in town.”

Despite the backdrop of divorce, this is a very low-angst, pretty happy story of two men reconnecting with the help of interfering neighbors. There is great trust and, thankfully, honesty instead of miscommunication.  I especially liked all the drag!

I absolutely loved the epilogue.  It was so them, so Dahlia Springs, and so perfect.

 

RO’S RATING:

KAT’S REVIEW:

Yippee! We get to know Dave and Mikey’s story!

Dave is finally getting above water. Paying back the loan for his coffee shop and getting his ex-husband’s debts under control took a lot of hard work. Thankfully he had found support online with Bricker from the divorced gay support group. And now Mikey, his high school fantasy crush guy, is coming to Dahlia Springs to do an article about their Pride Festival. But when chemistry starts to sizzle can Dave  and Mikey let go of their on-line support buddies and learn to let go and trust someone in person?

I have wondered about Dave every since Caleb set up his food truck next to A Whole Latte Love. I knew he and Mikey were a thing already a thing from Pitcher Perfect but had hoped we would eventually get his back story. This was more than I even hoped for. These two love-struck guys practically had hearts for eyeballs for each other. It was so cute to watch both men tip toe around the other, being what they thought was sneaky at their glances. I love that both Izzy and Bailey called Dave on it.

This was a short novella set just before Tap That Brewery opened up in Dahlia Springs and Caleb came to town. I just love this series. Author Lee Blair gives all the low angst/warm and fuzzy feels to small town Oregon life. She captures the essence of what those quaint towns are really like and I love to return to Dahlia Springs each and every time. And oh how I would have loved to attend their Pride Festival and watched the drag show!

KAT’S RATING:

 

BUY LINK: 

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