This was really sweet. It took a little to get going as we figured out what had happened in the past to have Mort at odds with the Rochester family, but over time as we figured it out it led to a fulfilling story of redemption and coming home.

Mort left town a year ago, and in the process left the only family he really ever knew. No one knew why he left, but he couldn't stand to be away anymore. Coming home is what he needed to do, and he worked hard to regain the trust of all the family members-especially Felix. Felix had a crush on Mort for ages, but he tried to ignore it since Mort had been in love with his brother. It was a slow build for Mort and Felix to really come together and for Felix to realize that Mort was there for him, not Roch. By the time we got to the relationship part, the guys were all in and it was awesome. Great slow burn with true love guiding the way. I really enjoyed this.

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services ( )

It hurts me to say this, but I didn't like the book.
The beginning was rushed, I felt like we didn't even know any necessary information about the characters, but the romance plotline had already started.
It's all very unfortunate because I've been excited to read this book for a long time. ( )

This is a sweet romance about a bumbling young man who has pretty much always been in love with his older brother’s best friend. But there have been some things in the past that have left him bruised and a little heart-broken. Mort is the man that once captured Felix’s heart. The problem is that he left. Out of the blue, when Felix might have most needed Mort’s friendship, Mort left and he was gone for a year.

This is a complex story. Sunday slowly reveals the past in bits and pieces. There’s a lot going on in Felix’s family, not the least of which is his mother having a mental health challenge that seems to have rendered her very unsupportive to the family. Felix cares for his three younger sisters. He ferrys them around, he loves them, he laughs with them… and he loses his license one day while trying to get them to school. This is the point at which Mort reappears in Felix’s life.

Mort begins to chauffer Felix and the girls around. He’s always there… and Felix finds it challenging in light of the feelings he has always had for Mort. But, it’s not great when you’ve fallen for your older brother’s best friend, it’s not great at all. And Felix has seen things in the past that he can’t get out of his mind. Oh yeah, and Mort had feelings for Roch (said older brother).

What a mess! So, here’s the thing. I loved Felix. He’s a great character. He’s unapologetically loving with his family, he is a bit of a disaster when it comes to keeping his inside voice “inside”, and he’s funny. If you have ever attempted to “stop” feeling something you feel for someone, then you’re going to really get Felix. He’s trying his best to get over Mort for a variety of reasons. He’s seen in the past that Mort had feelings for his brother, Mort abandoned him, Mort doesn’t reciprocate his feelings.

I found the switching narrative a bit confusing until I got used to it. I felt as though the voices of the two characters were a little too similar. That being said, I loved knowing what was going on in both characters minds. It paved the way for me to get as invested in things working out as the characters were.

I’ve always enjoyed Anyta Sunday’s work and this is no exception; 4/5 stars from me. ( )