The story is told from both the MCs POV which was perfect in this one. We needed to understand them both and I gotta say it wasn't easy. We've technically met Dylan Hart before in Garrett's only MF novel "What Matters" (written as Gracie Leigh). His relationship with his best friend Sam turns to be more than he can handle now that he realizes he can never get more than a threesome with him and his girlfriend Eddie. Thing is, Eddie and Sam are soulmates and he feels like an intruder, nothing more. Not knowing how to deal he shuts both of them off and goes to a kinky sex club to blow some steam.
Angelo Giordano life couldn't be more miserable. He used to be a successful dancer but after being diagnosed with an illness he finds himself back home, barely able to get up off bed in the morning yet needing to do it so he can run his father's failed coffee house. His debts are all over the place and his mother refuses to sell the place which only piles more debts. Everything is closing in on him and with his body failing him again and again he can't see any future. His only escape is a kinky sex club he used to work in before he left for the states for his dancing career.
Dylan and Angelo meet in discrete room. One that suppose to be safe enough to be who you want to be without having the consequences of meeting the other person ever again.. yet something happen in their first encounter and when they accidently meet in Dylan's work things get confusing fast. Angelo behaved like a dick, but Dylan is genuinely intrigued by the guy, enough to try and pursue him. Yet Angelo has enough on his plate, besides a bit of sex as his other alter-ego "Angel" he isn't ready to reveal his secrets to anyone. Even his family doesn't know anything about his current medical situation.
Dylan offers Angelo a friendship and through it, somehow Angelo confesses. It's not easy for Dylan to learn everything that Angelo is dealing with but he truly wants to pursue a relationship with him even if they started off with mostly a physical relationship, playing games at the club where they can be whomever they want to be. But little by little things change for both of them and so decisions needs to be made.
What I really enjoyed though was even though you'd expect Angelo to be the more "needy" one because of his situation, Angelo proved that he sees Dylan enough to take care of him as well and not just fall into the role of 'the one in need'. For me, it was really important seeing how much EACH of them impacted the other's lives. They both changed and grew through falling in love with one another.
This one was a tender loving story, but don't be fooled.. it also had quite a lot of kinky sex sprinkled in (mostly at the start). Really enjoyed this one. Yet something was missing for me. At the moment I haven't a clue what it was. But it left me at times too impatient. One last thing I want to add, I've read Angelo's "diagnosis" on Garrett's facebook group and actually I wish I hadn't. It would have given a different sense to the story learning it all as Dylan did, which is why I haven't written a word about what Angelo is dealing with.
You should try this one, it's quite unique not only in what Angelo is dealing with but also the way their relationship was building somehow backwards.
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Rating:
★★★★★ |
E-Book
Edition |
244
pages
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Read on:
30-31 January 2018
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ABOUT THIS SERIES
Skins is a Contemporary MM Romance series by Garrett Leigh. There's a connection between all the characters - from co-workers to friends and family - in this series, but they only come together all 3 couples in the 3rd installment.
All three couples find themselves in the end at the same place - Whisper Farm - ran by Joe Carter. Each couple, even each character is dealing with some kind of issue - mental or physical. I liked the way Garrett deals with these kind of issues. Truthfully, these characters feel so much genuine exactly because of that. They are like "me and you". They struggle, they fall, and they rise again and in the end they find the HEA we are all hoping for.
While I enjoyed the first installment (Dyan sounds familiar? we've met him in "What Matters"), for me the 2nd installment was the best. The third kinda closed the series nicely with all of them coming together, realizing they have all known each other one way or another, and yet it was too depressing for me. We were gifted another short novella to make a better HEA for all three couples, spending the holidays together. Sadly it too didn't grip me. We got another novella of Joe and and Harry (HURAY) taking the next step in their relationship. It was a sweet revisit.
"The Sex Coach" takes place in the same farm with the appearance of all couples only a few years later. It's sold as a stand-alone but I feel like people who haven't met any of the characters might get a bit confused. It's actually my favorite out of all of them.
Books:
1. Dream [Dylan Hart & Angelo Giordano] (Published 23 January 2018) ★★★★
2. Whisper [Harry Foster & Joe Carter] (Published 1 May 2018) ★★★★★
3. Believe [Rhys Foster & Jevon Campbell] (Published 26 June 2018) ★★½
Books:
1. Dream [Dylan Hart & Angelo Giordano] (Published 23 January 2018) ★★★★
2. Whisper [Harry Foster & Joe Carter] (Published 1 May 2018) ★★★★★
3. Believe [Rhys Foster & Jevon Campbell] (Published 26 June 2018) ★★½
3.6 Cherish [Harry Foster & Joe Carter] (Published 1 January 2022) ★★★★½
4. Crossroads [Dylan Hart & Angelo Giordano] (Published 20 November 2018) ★★
- The Sex Coach [Toby & Cole Maguire] (Published 8 October 2020) ★★★★★
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