Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Xavier

SERIES:  Single Dads of Gaynor Beach

AUTHOR:  Gabbi Grey

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  241 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 12, 2023

BLURB:

Xavier

When my wife died five years ago, leaving me alone to raise our three young daughters, only my duty to them and my work as a psychiatrist kept me from losing myself in grief. I did my best to be a good father through the darkest days, but now I can see I’ve been distant and cold. Things need to change. I’ve pledged to my daughters that I’ll start doing better. Be more involved. Show them what a great dad looks like. If that means soccer practice, violin lessons, and sitting through a dozen dance recitals, then I’m all-in.

Zed

Pliés, pas-de-deux, cheerleading practice, and enough tutus to last a lifetime— how is this my life? I’m a fisherman up in the Bering Sea. In the offseason, I travel through Alaska and, on rare occasions, drop in to see my sister and her four sons in Gaynor Beach, California. This year? She’s laid up with an injury. Suddenly I’m running her dance studio, and I’m a fish waaaay out of water. Then I meet another guy who’s equally uncomfortable. He’s working so hard to be a good dad, and I keep hoping he’ll notice me. Except, when my sister’s healed and fishing season starts, I’m out of here. Right?

This gay romance is a slow burn, mid-angst, age-gap, opposites-attract, instalove story with a fisherman who needs the ocean, a counselor who needs therapy, three young girls in need of love, and a found family that’ll change their lives forever.

REVIEW:

Xavier is a psychiatrist and a widower with three young daughters.  His wife passed away 5 years before and he’s struggled.  He had a nanny/housekeeper that he thought was doing right by his girls, but when she takes off after winning the lottery leaving the girls alone, he finds out differently.  How can he have been so blind?  He’s buried his own grief in work and he feels like he’s not doing enough for anyone – his family, his patients and certainly not himself.  He has not ‘moved on” at all.  With the nanny gone, he’s got to find someone else to help with the girls – the oldest of whom is going into High School and the youngest who is only 6.  The 9 year old is taking dance lessons and he’s got to get her there.

Zed is a commercial fisherman who has come to Gaynor Beach to help out his sister.  She has 4 boys and a dance school to run.  Sadly a car accident has left her with two broken legs and no way to get to/from the dance studio.  She needs Zed to take over her duties there.  Zed hasn’t had an easy life.  He spent several years with Cee, his sister, growing up before his parents showed back up and took him back.  They weren’t any kind of parents though and when he left at 18, he immediately got to work on fishing boats.  He is waiting to join a crew in Alaska, but he can’t let down his sister.  She’s been there for him and it’s his turn to step up.  His first day a the dance studio, he makes a rather bold proposition to the good doctor who is there with his daughter Nicki.  Xavier is quite surprised!

The next week, when Xavier is out with his daughters in a last summer outing before school starts with the new nanny/housekeeper, they run into Zed.  He ends up joining them for some fun. He’s really good with the girls and Xavier is shocked by his attraction to Zed. He ends up coming home with them.  They have a nice dinner and Zed even helps Xavier out with some house stuff that he hasn’t gotten around to.  Xavier hasn’t had anyone in this house for a long time and it feels good.

Zed doesn’t do relationships though.  He’s been rather rootless his whole life – never thought he was worth anyone staying around for since even his parents didn’t want him.  He’s always looked at each season as it’s own discrete timeline.  No connections, no strings.  But he’s realizing how much he’s missed with his nephews and his sister.  It’s clear she’s like to know him better.  And then there is Xavier and his daughters.  The younger two appear to be getting pretty attached to him.  And if he’s going to be leaving in a couple of months, he needs to be realistic and not get too attached either.  Ah, but the best paid plans.

When an unwanted character from Xavier’s past shows up, well things get really interesting.  Zed is there to help Xavier with the initial threat.  But then things get more fraught when this character threatens Xavier’s family.  Zed and other save the date and Xavier is beyond grateful.  But are they on the same page?  Will Zed forego the next fishing season and put down roots in Gaynor Beach?

I really enjoyed this story.  On paper, these two guys are nothing alike.  They shouldn’t work.  But they do 🙂  It takes Xavier a bit to finally get out of his head. Zed is a sweetheart – a real teddy bear.  I loved how great he was with all the kids in this story.  Cee is his cheerleader who wants him to be happy.  Xavier’s daughters are adorable.  His colleagues are supportive.  The whole group comes together when the chips are down and support these guys.  It’s a bit angsty at times but nothing too desperate.  I loved the cameos from other couples in this series, particularly Joe, Alec and Kevin 🙂  There is a love happy ending as well.  I was happy to see these men overcome their obstacles and create a happy family.  Highly recommended.

RATING:

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