Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  You can Count on Me

SERIES:  Christmas Daddies

AUTHOR:  Fae Quin

PUBLISHER:  self-published

LENGTH:  405 pages

RELEASE DATE:  November 4, 2023

BLURB:  

They say you should love thy neighbor, but I don’t think they meant it the way I want to love mine.

Miles “Rooster” Johnson: As a young single-dad with a teaching job, I haven’t had much opportunity to date. My son is my entire world, and though I would love to have a partner and someone to count on, the passing years have shown that it’s just not in the cards for me. So when the gorgeous lumberjack of a man—the same man that I’ve had a massive crush on since the moment we became neighbors—suddenly asks me out on a date, I’m completely blindsided. Trent could have anyone he wants. He’s charming, flirtatious, and outgoing—the exact opposite of my awkward, anxious self. I don’t know what he sees in me. All I know for sure is that I absolutely need to make this date go well.

Trent Montgomery: I know I have a playboy reputation in our small town, but there’s nothing wrong with playing the field. It’s worked for me so far, even if I have felt some discontent lately. My mama thinks I need to settle down and find someone nice. But she doesn’t understand that I’m just not ready. No matter how beautiful and tempting my neighbor Rooster is or how eager I am to get the silent mountain of a man to open up—no matter how adorable his little boy is, even when he’s threatening me at bat-point to take his daddy out on a date—I know I can’t be everything that they need. I agreed to ask Rooster out, but I think maybe I made a big mistake. All I know for sure is that I absolutely need to sabotage this date.

You Can Count On Me is a standalone slow burn Holiday MM romance with high heat, a HEA, and no cliffhangers. With a blossoming friends-to-lovers romance between a single father and his adorably flirty neighbor, together these two are warm, young, and tooth-achingly sweet. If you like funny stories with too many dad jokes, holiday magic, positive mental health rep, primal play, graphic steam, and the slowest, sweetest of all burns then read on!

REVIEW:

Miles is so riddled with anxiety.  As a big guy, the expectations of him have never meshed with his real personality.  He’s an art teacher who likes his job, but he has a lot of trouble with other adults.  He’s a single dad to adorable brave and smart son Bubba.  But when his neighbor Trent asks him out, well Trent makes him incredibly nervous.  So much so that he can’t even speak.  Their first date is a complete disaster.  Miles is devastated.

Trent is a “player” and is fine with his lifestyle.  He agrees to a date with his neighbor Miles “Rooster” to shut people up.  He’s tired of people judging him and especially his mother will back off if he gives this a chance.  But he’s not giving it a real shot.  Pretty quickly he feels bad though about how he reacted and he figures out that he really wants to make amends for that.  Bubba and Rooster become his friends.  He begins to feel really protective of them both.

When Rooster takes care of Trent when he’s sick, something shifts.  Trent feels like he’s always been on his own.  He has built walls between himself and well everybody.  From then on, he gets closer and closer with Miles and Bubba.  He realizes how much Miles needs friendship and support.  A disaster for Miles and Bubba push Trent to take over and act as protector to his guys.   And it’s time for a second date 😉

This was such a revelation and honestly I don’t think I expected the feels of this story.  I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but I don’t think that detracted and I’m now curious about that story 😉  Miles “Rooster” and Trent are opposites in many ways, but they find their way together in unexpected ways.

Bubba is such a smart and loving kid.  His hilarious bravado in pushing his neighbor and his pops together is the sweet kickoff to this book.  He only gets better from there.  Honestly loved this kid.  This is a very sweet and spicy neighbors to friends to lovers story.  It’s a well-written slow burn story about two men who were lonely in very different ways.  Trent has lived his life as a bit of a player.  He’s watched his family change – his brothers building lives and families and he feels like the odd man out.  He’s had a lot of sex, but never a relationship.  His large family maybe doesn’t understand him. His brothers and mother do have his back though 😉

Miles has a lot to overcome.  He’s not had it easy in life.  He loves his son so much.  He desperately wants Bubba to have a different life than he had.  He does his best to manage his anxiety and Trent is there for him. Bubba sees his loneliness and he wants him to be happy.  He sees that Trent is the one that can do it.  *so sweet*  Honestly, there is a lot in this book and though it’s long, it’s worth the journey.  I was rooting so hard for these two and their happily ever after.  Recommended.

RATING:

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