Easy Evenings (Mangrove Stories, #4) [Lazlo & Britton] by Mary Calmes

Yet another endearing story. I expected something else from both Lazlo and Britton though I'm not sure even what. Maybe because I didn't know what they have been through together and the depth of it before I started. 

We've met both MCs in the previous installments in the series. Lazlo Maguire is a laid back guy, well liked in the small town of Mangrove even if everyone knows that half the year he lives here selling his craft and half the year he is a high class rent-boy in the big city. Though most of no one knows his story (except for his 2 best friends) no one resents him or look down on him. Mangrove is truly his home, but up until now he had no reason to stop renting himself out. 



Now, a surprise visitor on his doorstep makes him stop. He truly has no other choice. You see, turns out he has a 3 years old daughter and once she is there to stay he knows he needs to provide a different environment, surely from the one he had back home with a mother and sister who EXPECTS him to provide for THEM through renting himself. YES, you've read right. Lazlo wouldn't have stopped for his own sake, but for little Kitty, he will. Things just needs to be settled lawfully first. 

That's where Britton Lassiter comes in.. When Lazlo and Britton had their relationship back in the city, Britton wanted Lazlo to stop but Lazlo wouldn't and he didn't explain why. He didn't want to be a "kept man" and he couldn't ask Britton to provide for not only himself but for his family as well. Britton was HURT by Lazlo so it's no wonder first thing he does after he meets Lazlo in Mangrove - his new residence as we've learned from the 2nd installment - is to file a restraining order against Lazlo. But when Lazlo needs his lawyer NOW and Britton's partner Mia Renaldi is out of town, he has no other choice but to ask Britton to help him out and when Britton learns Lazlo's REAL reasons for leaving him he is determined to get back the love of his life. 

I really enjoyed this one even if we had a little girl who did take a bit of space in the story. I would have loved for a longer story in this one simply because I enjoyed it so much. Britton and Lazlo's story is special and unique and I would have loved exploring the beginning of their relationship more though we did get a feeling of a whole story. It wasn't a "friends to lovers" like the previous ones and in a way it was because the trust Britton and Lazlo shared from the start made it possible for them to have something so very different than either of them expected. 

Rating: ★★★★★

E-Book Edition

77 pages

Read on: 4 Nov 2017

ABOUT THIS SERIES 

 

Mangrove Stories is a series of short Contemporary MM novellas by Mary Calmes. The novellas are mostly friendship turned to lovers in the small town of Mangrove. As the series progressed the community, and the characters from each novels reappear and makes us feel at home in the small sleepy town. I really enjoyed getting to know ALL of them, the MCs as well as the other supporting characters. 

It's a sweet comfort read really. Each novella is short but mostly feels like it tells a full story. It won't take you long to read neither of them and it would reward you with a stupid smile at the end. I found all of them to be endearing. 

Books:
1. Blue Days [Dwyer Knolls & Takeo Hiroyuki] (Published 5 November 2014) ★★★★★
2. Quiet Nights [Kelly Seaton & Cosimo Renaldi] (Published 9 February 2015) ★★★★★
3. Sultry Sunset [Hutch Crowley & Mike Rojas] (Published 15 May 2015) ★★★★★
4. Easy Evenings [Lazlo Maguire & Britton Lassiter] (Published 18 November 2015) ★★★★★
5. Sleep Till Sunrise [Essien Dodd & Roark Hammond] (Published 16 December 2015) ★★★★