Ami's Hoard

For those who’ve read Lane Hayes’s debut book, Better Than Good, you might remember Jay and Peter as Aaron’s friends. In that book, we know that Jay and Peter have been partners for five years. This is the story of how they met...

I found this story pleasant to read – the romance was pretty straightforward, with a slightly teeny tiny Harlequin vibe to it. What do I mean by that? Well, Jay was a likable guy, very loyal to his friend, liked to jump to conclusions (he thought Peter was straight and had a girlfriend or wife). He also rambled a lot when nervous. While Peter came as this handsome bossy project leader who Jay crushed at first, until Peter seemed to be nitpicky on what Jay was doing, and frustrated the hell out of him. That was a common Harlequin style – at least to me.



Lane Hayes writing had this ease to it and I found myself enjoying Jay and Peter as they embraced the “friends with benefit” route, smiling along when Jay was nervous, worrying for Jay when – as how the this kind of arrangement usually ended in traditional romance – Jay realized he was falling for Peter and wanted more than just being f*ck buddy. The ending was, well, if you read your Harlequin, it was also in familiar territory. But you won’t hear me complaining. It was just RIGHT, it made me happy and that was more important..

There was a cliché plot though, that Peter’s unwillingness to commit had something to do with his Catholic mother who shunned him when he came out, that he disappointed her as a son. This kind of answer was something I found as "a lazy way out". Even if we didn't really get the mother's perspective here, after reading this genre for years, I was tired of having female portrayed as the villain, either as girlfriend, spouse, or mother figure.

However, in overall, this was a really good, light, entertaining contemporary romance. I would love to read more of this ‘series’. Maybe next book will be about Jack (Peter’s ex)?

PS: Personal pet peeve, yes, the "baby" endearment *sigh*. My issue not yours, I know. Still, need to be said (since this space is my review space and some things I need help to remember)