Reviewed by Ro
TITLE: Ethan
SERIES: Salish Sea Society #2
AUTHOR: Leigh Jarrett
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 261 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 16, 2024
BLURB:
If he feels the same as me, he knows where to find me
Ethan
Lucky in love, I’ve had three blissful relationships over the past twenty years. Although none lasted, I maintained friendships with all my former partners.
But why can’t I find my forever guy? Someone who can share in my passion for friends and family. And be there for me when the inky darkness envelops my sunshine.
There was one—our age gap never mattered to me. And I was so sure, he and I felt a connection, but then, without a goodbye, he was gone.
I can’t shake him from my mind. My heart aches for him. I could track him down, but I already asked him to visit me when I bumped into him six months ago. I’ve left the decision up to him.
It feels like he might be my forever love, but I’m going to have to trust the universe on this one.
Ethan is an honest hurt/comfort romance about a member of the Salish Sea Society, a group of four best friends. This novel takes place on the rugged coast of Pacific Canada and is a story about how age is simply a number and how trust forms the base of enduring love between two men at very different stages in their lives.
REVIEW:
This is the second book in the Salish Sea Society series, Ethan’s story. I absolutely loved the first book, with Noah and Brody, so I was really excited about this next one. However, some things about this one didn’t work well for me.
This is an age-gap, second-chance romance between Ethan, the bakery owner, and Daniel, an older man who had been married to a woman and has two children, nearly Ethan’s age. He and his ex-wife get along really well, having just grown apart and realizing they weren’t in love any more. As stated in the blurb, Ethan and Daniel had met previously and Daniel ghosted. Six months ago, they ran into each other at the grocery store, and Ethan invited Daniel to visit the bakery. Every weekend for six months Daniel gets ready to visit Ethan and every weekend he chickens out. When Daniel finally gets up the courage, they reconnect at the bakery.
Once Daniel and Ethan start getting to know each other it comes out that Daniel is a virgin when it comes to men. He’s never been with one. Neither Daniel’s ex-wife, nor his children, or his friends for that matter, know that he is bisexual. This aspect got me a little, because Daniel absolutely does not seem like he’s new to being with a man. At all. Just a heads up, there is also a Daddy kink, I guess I should have seen it coming with the age-gap but I didn’t.
Both of them
I couldn’t figure it out, did they end before on a bad note? I admit I was getting frustrated about how they actually met, as each is seriously pining for the other. The back story to that had me questioning it.
Daniel’s son, Derek, is gay and married to a man. His “coming out” is exactly how everything should be in a perfect world. “He brought his first boyfriend home to meet us when he was fourteen. Didn’t even give us a head-up that he was queer. Just…Mom. Dad. This is Justin, My boyfriend.” How I wish that everyone got that.
Ethan suffers from depression and it cost him at least one relationship (Marcus) so he is leery about telling Daniel about it. Normally, Owen, another of the Sea Society foursome and Ethan’s best friend, cares for him during these times. When Daniel is faced with an episode of Ethan’s depression, he is there for Ethan and I loved that. “I didn’t deserve anything that good. I’d been naïve and stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” Depression tells you so many things that aren’t true.
There is a lot of back and forth for both of them about the age gap, even as they both were okay with it and accepted each other as is until someone mentioned it. Then it was a problem. There is also a scene towards the end where Daniel is taking all the blame for something yet I felt like Ethan started it, so WTH?
One small quibble – “heroin” is misspelled as “heroine”. I even checked to see if it was spelled differently in Canada, but it is spelled heroin. This comes into play at the homeless shelter, where Ethan brings leftover bakery. Lucas, the addict Ethan sees, is so real of a character and unfortunately his backstory can happen all too quickly, to anyone.
It was lovely to see the Salish Society men again, especially Noah and Brody, who are now planning their wedding. I adore Brody so much. But I was shocked at this tight-knit, always supportive group and how they reacted to Ethan and Daniel. I was downright pissed about it. “You love him” Liam said, but you might want to rethink this relationship.” Like, what??? Especially coming from Noah, who has a boyfriend with a disability and had nothing but support about it. “What are his last ten years going to look like? Will you become his caregiver? …Do you want to tie yourself down like that?” Yes, Daniel is in his 50s, and Ethan is 15 years younger, but you’d think he was 93 and Ethan 23, the way people were acting. From the Salish Sea Society (who honestly should have been better) to Daniel’s ex-wife, to Daniel’s major bitch of a daughter, the reactions were not good. I actually rolled my eyes when Liam has a problem, and Ethan tells him, “No, one will judge…no matter what you did.” Because I felt like they were judging and judging hard. . I felt like Ethan forgave his friends for their judgy, horrible reactions way too quickly. That was absolutely not the Salish Sea Society I met in the first book.
Daniel had a very traumatic childhood, and his mother is now suffering from dementia. There are some aspects of that relationship that I also questioned. The dementia aspect was spot on. It’s so devastating how much a loved one’s personality changes with dementia.
So I liked parts of this and other parts not so much. I am looking forward to the next book, which I am thinking will be Liam’s.
RATING: 
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