The Virgin Manny (The Mannies, #1) [Tino & Channing] by Amy Lane

~sigh~ the sweetness! This book was EXACTLY what I wanted it to be. It's the sort of low angst, endearing, comfort read we all need at times. I was so frustrated with myself and my previous read, and frankly I had so much angst lately in my personal life this one was the medicine I needed. I gotta say though, I'm surprised it somehow sneaked up on me! I"m not sure how I just found out about it, but at least I'm updated on the next one to come on July. 



All Tino Robbins did that evening was help out his little sister and made a few deliveries of her homemade lasagna. She's only 18 years old but she already has quite a successful business of Italian homemade cuisines. On the doorstep of Channing Lowel he finds more than he ever hopes to find he just doesn't know it yet.. 

Channing Lowel recently lost his bigger sister and now he is living in her house, taking care of her 7 years old kid Sammy. Frankly, It's more than he can handle. He loves the kid with all his heart, and he's the only thing left of his sister, but it doesn't make things easier with the fact he is a business owner who worked at least 2 hours drive from his sister's house (now his own) and the horrendous house maid isn't helping either. Tino is a breeze of fresh air, arriving at his doorstep with a delicious meal but the almost immediate connection between Tino and Sammy makes him offer something Tino couldn't really refuse (though he tried). 

Tino was working hard at his BA, he wants to be a successful businessman but his student loans are a true burden. Channing offers to eliminate these loans if he could be Sammy's manny for the summer. Tino shouldn't refuse but he isn't assured by Channing's riches it makes him second guess the guy yet with every turn he sees there is SO MUCH MORE to Channing than money. First it's his big heart and this heart (with that body..) is more than Tino can resist...

Most of the book Tino and Channing circle around each other, not acting on their mutual desire. Channing wants a true relationship, he wants Tino to stay beyond the summer but he needs Tino to decide that on his own. Tino is insecure, Channing is rich, older in ten years and has his whole life planned out for him while Tino is this "kid" who just finished college and wants to do so much more and is afraid being with Channing and Sammy would take away his dreams. Yet as he comes to care for Sammy and Channing he realizes that when there's a will there's a way and in the end they find the best solution for the life they want to build together. 

This book, these two guys were SO SWEET together. This book, told solely from Tino's POV was mostly his accepting what life has freely offered him - a new family of his own. One that cares for him and cherishes him and doesn't judge him harshly as he tends to do. Sammy made the connection between Tino and Channing even more special and I also enjoyed the other supporting characters like Tino's family members and friends it gave this short novel a feeling of a lengthier one. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. How could it not be with two beautiful guys - inside out.  

Rating: ★★★★★

E-Book Edition

179 pages

Read on: 19-20 May-2017

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

The Mannies is a Contemporary / new Adult Romance series by Amy Lane. It's quite unique with each book on of our MCs being the Manny, for the other or for a close friend. The books are short and sweet. I wish with all of them they were longer and brought us simply MORE.

The first two books are "gen 1" with the 3rd and 4th with the kids we've met in the first two and have grown up since then to find their own Manny ;)

And I gotta say that though there are kids involved, IMO they don't take up a lot of page space interfering with the romance between the two MCs which I truly appreciated.

Books:
1. The VIrgin Manny [TIno Robbins & Channing Lowell] (Published 1 January 2017) ★★★★★
2. Manny Get Your Guy [Taylor Cochran & Brandon Grayson] (Published 1 July 2017) ★★★½
3. Stand By You Manny [Sammy Lowell & Cooper Hoskins] (published 1 May 2018) ★★★★
4. A Fool and His Manny [Dustin Robbins-Grayson & Quinlan Gregory] (Published 17 July 2018) ★★★★★