Crossroads (Skins #4) [Angelo & Dylan] by Garrett Leigh

This short novella is a closure to the series, though it contains the POVs of Angelo and Dylan all three couples are enjoying the holidays together at Joe's (and Harry's) Farm. The feeling is more settled, certainly for Joe and Harry but also with Rhys and Jevon. Angelo and Dylan needs to find a way to make their relationship work. Staying at the farm doing physiotherapy with Harry and in general living there makes a HUGE difference on his health and so he needs to find a way to talk to Dylan and explain it to him, hoping Dylan can make a future with him somewhere near the farm..

Dylan already realized Angelo's future is entwined with his and this is NOT something that is going to change, even if he sees the great influence the farm has on Angelo's health and it's underline meaning. So it's up to him to find a way to make a life there. With a bit of help from the guys he does find a way which suits him well and will enable them to chose their own path together.

Though it was nice seeing all three couples together the story didn't grip me AT ALL. I didn't like Rhys and Jevon's book so it's no wonder I felt very little for them in this novella. I had very little patience for Angelo and Dylan. Everything was ON THE TABLE, and yet they kept walking around it, being miserable, saying nothing to each other. They were focused on sex and alcohol (not only them, the other couples as well), which maybe can be expected spending the holidays together, but it just alienated me more - from the story, from the characters. I realize this is Garrett's try on giving a true HEA for all couples but I think it was totally unnecessary. Sometimes it's nice getting more of a couple, or just seeing them together in the end knowing it's going to be fine, it's going to BE a Happily Ever After, but here, I don't know, I feel like this wasn't necessary as a novella, it would have been FAR better if it was shortened into an epilogue within their own book.

Rating: ★★

E-Book Edition

109 pages

Read on: 28 November 2018

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

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) ★★★★★