Reviewed by Lesley

TITLE:  All That Matters

AUTHOR: Felice Stevens

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 318 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 20,2024

BLURB:

Nico Andretti knows one thing is true: Love is for fools.
Being a tour bus guide in Times Square isn’t his dream job and he yearns for more than living in his mother’s basement apartment, but life is tough in the big city.
At least the men on the bus are eye-candy galore, and they’re one and done. Why bother with seconds when you’ll only get hurt? And Nico knows hurt—he’s got a father he’s never met and an ex who broke his heart and shattered his self-esteem.
Then Dr. Ford St. Claire takes his tour, and Nico enjoys his own personal sightseeing of the gorgeous older man. In a twist of fate they meet again that evening and share drinks, confidences, and a night of flirting. Now Ford is gone for good. Home to Florida.
Until he shows up the next month.
And the next…
It’s just a fling.
Right?
But the more time they spend together, the more Nico realizes being broke doesn’t matter. Nor does the distance between them. What matters is how Ford makes him feel—loved, appreciated, and respected. And Nico is determined to give Ford the one thing his cheating ex couldn’t—a loving family.
When secrets and scandals threaten them both, their love is put to the test. Maybe they’ll crash and burn…but Nico doesn’t think so.
All that matters is finding their forever. And doing it together.

REVIEW:

Nico Andretti has been bitten badly in his love life. Despite the love and support of his big Italian family his self-confidence has been damaged by a rich guy he thought loved him. He does have his job as a tour guide which kind of pays the bills. He spends his evenings helping in the family restaurant or out with friends but that isn’t enough to make him feel complete.

After a betrayal by his former lover, who is also the co-owner of their dermatology clinic, Dr Ford St. Claire has nothing left in life besides his work. His ex’s public betrayal has cost him everything else. He goes to New York for a medical conference and on the spur of the moment decides to take a tour of the city and gets on Nico’s bus.  After meeting again that evening he and Nico begin their journey together, one that will help both men heal and prosper.

The two main characters have both been shaken by what has happened to them. (I think damaged is too strong a word and I don’t like the connotations associated with it.)  Nico has no career, money or direction at the start but is rich with family. Ford has the career and money but has nobody to love or support him.

I enjoyed reading this book, it was well written and the characters were well developed with us getting to know them and their motivations as the story progressed.

There is a wide cast of side characters. The good guys including Nico’s Mum, auntie, cousins and friends and the bad guys being Fords ex-boyfriend and his new bit. These side characters added depth to the story with some of them having their own small stories as well throughout the book.

The storyline around Nico’s mum and father and their history wasn’t one I had read in the MM contemporary genre before so that was refreshing and added a bit more depth to his mum’s background.

The one unfortunate side effect of reading this book is that the voice in my head has a very bad version of an American Italian Bronx accent.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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