Laugh Cry Repeat

Overall, I found this story well done. It was funny, light-hearted, heart warming and emotional. I struggled a bit to get going with the story as I couldn't quite tell what was going on with the two MC's who seem so incompatible. But then the story picked up speed and I found myself giggling, a lot, while reading this due to misadventures, miscommunications and pesky neighbors. The ending may have been a bit rushed but overall, I would recommend this story.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

I've never read a book by this author before, but one of the characters was a librarian so I had to read it! While both Wyeth and Deeze were interesting characters, I just did not connect with them at all and that truly did not let me immerse myself in their story. I think this story was supposed to be a hilarious tale, at least at first, and though I love humor in my books, for some reason it just didn't work that way for me. Maybe the comedy just felt too over the top, like it was trying too hard with all the ridiculousness? And, it's entirely possible that it's just me and my reading mood at the time. Maybe I could pick this book up at another time and love all the ridiculousness, so don't let my opinion scare you away from trying this story!

Wyeth was awkward, which I didn't expect upon the start of the story and his interactions with a library customer. The weirdness of that conversation was funny and weird. But, upon his meeting with Deeze, it just became weirder. Wyeth had a horrible dog (yeah, yeah, I know) that could have used some time in dog training school. Really, there are no terrible dogs, just terrible owners. So, Wyeth was the problem in how he allowed his dog to behave. The humping of everyone and everything, and the humor that came from the constant behavior wasn't funny after the first time. I really was not a fan of Deeze. The introduction to him and his internal thoughts about running, exercise, etc, just really annoyed me from the start. He was pushy, annoying, and a know it all. He seemed to think he was a comedian, and his behavior just really annoyed me and made me not find him funny but more grating.

This is not an easy, instalove story. The characters have to work for their HEA through the unpredictability of life. I wish I had loved, or even liked, these characters because I truly love stories with humor in them. Though I did like both men the further the story went, because it took me so long to connect to them, I just wasn't invested. I definitely think you should give this book a try because I truly think the issues with this book were mostly mine as a reader!

Rating: 3.5 stars

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ THREE & 1/2 - STAR ✩ REVIEW ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

> > Judging a Book by it's Cover < <
Two average men, fully clothed. Faded and pale coloration throughout. The title font is the strongest thing on the cover. Luckily, I somehow managed to look paste the dreary looking cover and found the synopsis to have some potential.

> > Looking Deeper < <
POV ~> Third-person

Before I was 10% into this book, I was unsure of my choice to read it. There are parts in the narration that seem to flip a switch for just one sentence, directed toward the reader, before resuming its standard overview narration. Also, and equally strange, were some of the odd word choices for the setting to be in California.
Wyeth was painfully awkward and I truly mean painfully and awkward. To make matters worse, he had the most obnoxious and ill-mannered mutt that he did not even TRY to control or teach better. Deeze was as obnoxious as the dog, except without the excessive humping. Rather, he was a pushy bastard that would not take "no" for an answer, thinking he knew what was best for Wyeth, regardless of Wyeth's wishes. I found, early on, that neither character was really to my liking with traits like that and, therefore, was not invested in their journey to an HEA. The story contains numerous detailed sex scenes that felt entirely too drawn out as well.
There were several points within this story that I was sorely tempted to file this one as a "DNF" but felt obligated to go on. I am happy to say that the back half was more tolerable. Deeze and Wy managed to become mildly likable. Some events unfolded that added some much-needed dynamics. Predictability was not an issue but there were several really random things thrown in that seemed a bit strange. The attempt at humor felt forced, too.
The conclusion was fairly solid and provided a satisfying enough conclusion.
Overall, this book was - obviously - not a good match for me. Not only did I not care for the early character traits, I felt that the story itself dragged along. This is not to say that it was poorly written, it was well-written and the secondary characters were enjoyable and entertaining.
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Rating: [R] ~ Score: 3.625 ~ Stars: 3.5

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⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review - nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐