Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The kiss Principle
SERIES: Hazardverse Sidetracks
AUTHOR: Gregory Ashe
PUBLISHER: Hodgkin & Blount
LENGTH: 233 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 11, 2024
BLURB:
Keep it simple, stupid.
After spending his whole life taking care of his family, Fernando Lopez is ready for simple. His younger brothers have grown up and moved out of the house. His mom is stable—or as close to stable as she’s ever going to get. He’s even got a shot at his dream job if he can just play his cards right.
Everything is going great until one morning, Fer finds a baby in his kitchen. And not just any baby—his brother Chuy’s infant daughter. With Chuy nowhere to be found, Fer finds himself back in the role of caregiver.
Determined not to let the new arrival disrupt his plans, Fer hires a manny to help him, and he gets more than he bargained for. Zé is sweet, patient, and…hot. Which is definitely not something Fer was prepared to deal with. Worse, Zé seems determined to show Fer that simpler isn’t necessarily better, and that there are some things in life worth fighting for. But for Fer, saying yes to Zé might mean saying no to his family—and Fer has never said no to his family.
REVIEW:
Well it has been quite a while since I read any book in this series/side stories universe. In full disclosure, I did not read the entire First Quarto series which is sort of a spinoff of the Hazard & Somerset stories and set in Missouri in Wahredua at the college there, but I don’t think it detracted from the enjoyment of this book. This story is pretty separate from that with the exception of Auggie as Fer’s younger brother. If you’re interested in his story, then you can read that series, but honestly it’s a lot darker than this book. For Mr. Ashe, this is definitely one his less angsty reads. Do not take that to mean no angst – but I would put this more in the melodramatic than real angst category. Certainly Zé’s situation is pretty angsty which is revealed over the course of the story. Fer’s life with his addict brother, his narcissistic mother and then a baby who has been left in his hour is far from calm. He’s got decisions to make and people to take care of. I completely identified with his oldest child syndrome behavior. He has to make sure everything is OK. He’s been parentified basically his whole life – which is really abusive. He hasn’t been able to become the person he should be because he’s always taken on the burdens of his entire family. And at some point, they are happy to let him do it. It happens in a lot of families.
Zé has his own issues. He’s suffered some of the same fate which he finally reveals to Fer as they get closer taking care of baby Igz. She is the catalyst for their relationship since Fer needs help with a newborn. The backstory on this infant is tragic – which we finally discover a long way into the book. Not really much of a surprise and something that is far to common sadly. Zé cares so much for Fer but he’s terrified and he’s already lost everything once. He’s really determined to be independent to his own detriment. He recognizes that Fer is being taken advantage of, but Fer isn’t able to see a way out.
When things really crash, both men have to face the truth. What is going on now isn’t working. Fer has to make some changes but no one can force him to do that. He is going to have to face things and make the changes and set the boundaries and stick to them. It will not be easy. I really loved how these two both grew in their understanding of what a future could look like that would mean they could be happy. And despite the obstacles, these are two smart and stubborn guys who will make it work. Recommended!
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: