Gathered Up (Portland Heat #4-6) by Annabeth Albert

This is the second half of the Portland Heat series. The first two books in this one were WONDERFUL. Each one felt like a REAL full length novel, some dealing with more difficult stuff. I'll say that the third one wasn't "it" for me, but I still say it's a deal getting all of them. Also you might feel differently about the last one..

I actually think the first two novellas in this one were my absolute favorite in the series. Number one goes to Hollis and Sawyer's story. As usual you'll get my full thought bellow :)

This was a great series of short novellas. I say give it a go. You can buy them as two bundles (like I did) or individually.


Knit Tight [Brady & Evren Demir]  ★★★★★

Loved Brady and Ev. We've met Brady in the previous installment, the barista working at "People's Cup" (the coffee shop Chris used to own). While he seemed like the sweetest guy, I thought he was just a "board skater" and nothing more but turns out he has a much more complicated life - at the age of 23 raising (together with his 18 years old sister) their 3 half siblings after their parents died in a car accident a year before. It's not easy and though Renee (the older sister) is helping, she is just a teen herself.

Evren and Brady meets on the regular "Knit Night" Wednesday (the yarn enthusiastic extravaganza in "People's Cup"), turns out he is Mira's nephew, who came to help her out due to recent illness. As Mira, the owner of the local yarn store, is Brady's favorite customer he is sad to hear she is sick but he isn't sad he gets to see more of the sexy Ev.

At first Ev is a little weary of the bisexual Brady, but it doesn't take him long to realize there is much more to Brady than his sexuality. Also they both have VERY little time. Brady taking care of the kids and working as much as he can and Ev taking care of Mira with frequent doctor/clinic visits due to her cancer. Friendship, more on the phone than anything else, is all they can manage and yet it's somehow almost enough with how much it helps them both.

Brady and Ev's friendship which little by little turned more sexual and naturally more serious as they became involved - boyfriends - without even thinking about it was a treat to read. There was something truly endearing about the two of them together. The little they got from one another yet they made is so much more with longing and hope. Ev was always ready to help Brady out, but Brady got less from the reserved Ev who found it hard to share his burden but in the end, even though it was hard for him to articulate his need, Brady was there by his side and from there it was obvious they are now a family, and family cares for one another.

You wouldn't believe this is actually a (not so short) novella with the story we got in this one. LOVED IT!

132 Pages. Read 5 October 2019.


Wrapped Together [Hollis Alcott & Sawyer Murphy]  ★★★★★

THIS is my favorite novella in this series! Yeah, there's one more but I'm somehow already certain and it's not only because it sort of my favorite turf (friends to lovers). Hollis and Sawyer has known each other most of their lives, it started in school when two sets of twins became best friends - Char and Hollis with Sawyer and Tucker. Now, nearing their thirties, Char and Tucker are married with a small kid expecting their own twins and yet though everyone seems to expect Sawyer and Hollis get together they mostly "play" the enemies who simply can't get along. Mira (Ev's aunt from "Knit Tight") would have enjoyed getting to see these two truly turning into a coupe but they needed far more than just a hug as she predicted.

Hollis have loved Sawyer since the first time they met. But the overly introverted Hollis just didn't know how to deal with the overly extrovert Sawyer. Also, him moving from interest to interest (hobbies as well as partners) didn't help and while Sawyer was ALWAYS trying to include Hollis in his life and the lives of their siblings, it wasn't working. Hollis was too afraid to act on his feelings.

Things changed for the worse 3 years ago when Hollis and Char's parents died in a skiing accident. For Hollis is was even more heart breaking. He felt responsible, he felt empty. He didn't know how to be happy after that. He just couldn't and no matter how much the people around him TRIED to help him resume his life he sank even deeper into himself.

This year Sawyer decided to change the game. He offers an innocent bet but Hollis already knew it will amount to nothing good.. Hollis knew Sawyer wanted to make him enjoy the December holidays like he used to, but what he didn't realize was Sawyer has another ulterior motive, one he should have pursued years ago. Hollis was TRYING to hold himself back, but with every hour they spend together, drinking sugary drinks or kissing, his resolve was slowly breaking. How could he resist FINALLY having the love of his life?

The interaction between these two left me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading this novella. Like the previous ones, though it's short, I truly feel like we've got a whole story. I love the "friends to lovers" turf and especially the one that lasts for years and years and though Sawyer and Hollis weren't exactly best friends, the whole time, they were still always connected, and always trying to ignore what was there all along beneath the surface. As we only got Hollis' POV it was easier for me (an introvert myself..) to see what was so difficult for Hollis, why what Sawyer seem to want from him didn't really appeal to him. I think it's something a lot of introverts share - the annoying habits of extroverts to try and change them into "more social" when really we don't want it OR need it. It took Sawyer time to realize that himself. He wanted Hollis to be happy, but he wasn't offering Hollis what would make HIM happy. He was using what he HIMSELF wanted/needed. It was beautiful seeing these two build something REAL together, that made them BOTH happy.

These's mild kink in this one (mostly bondage). I'm not usually that patient with BDSM. But in this one it worked well for me, especially with the realizations both men came from their experience together. Even though it was what Hollis KNEW he enjoyed, he didn't have the right partner in the past, being with Sawyer was a TOTALLY different. Sawyer on the other hand didn't even know it's something he'd enjoy but he found he loved it with Hollis as it worked for him because it was Hollis and everything he felt for him.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

127 Pages. Read 5 October 2019.

Danced Close [Todd & Kendall Rose]  ★★★

This was my least favorite in the series. I just couldn't connect with either character. While Todd was just 22 years old to Kendall's 28 - they BOTH felt immature and IMO not ready for a relationship. It wasn't just their insecurities, it was their INABILITY to share ANYTHING real. I mean, Todd did tell Kendall a bit about his past - living on the streets, using drugs and finding himself HIV positive (remember him from the funeral Robbin and Vic attended in "Baked Fresh"?). But besides this big reveal I felt they both tried to expose as little as they could to the other person and when they actually needed to TALK about what they wanted, what they felt, they kept silent for all the stupid reasons.

While Kendall was a colorful person in everything he did and say - at least toward the outside world, it's obvious he isn't sure about himself and his gender-queer identity.  He was obsessed with his need to BE whomever he wants not being judged because others couldn't handle him showing a feminine side while being OBSESSED with being "in charge", sort of "man enough" to actually BE a dominant man. See, I could find a person (or a character in a book) like this to be truly intriguing and also inspiring. Someone who is confident and in charge but could also rock a more feminine side. That takes a sort of courage but also personality the sort Kendall sadly lacks. I didn't "buy" his dominant side, it felt completely fake combining with his total and absolute insecurity. He felt like he was ACTING who he WISHED he could be but isn't in real life. I know it sounds mean to say it this way but hearing his thoughts and seeing his mannerism simply didn't work. 

There's a story there somewhere.. It's Kendall offering Todd to be his dancing partner when he sees him randomly dancing to music in a wedding venue he organised (Todd being the delivery guy to the bakery Vic now co-owns). He NEEDS a dancing partner for an upcoming event but sadly his partner had to leave to help a family member. Dancing with Todd turned out to be much more than he expected and it doesn't take long for both of them to want more, yet both are not ready for a serious commitment (!). Spending time together makes them change their mind even if actually saying it out loud is even more difficult.

This was a total miss for me. I liked a lot of the motives in this one and the possibilities these two characters had but in "real life" they both disappointed me. 

132 Pages. Read 5-6 October 2019.

Rating: ★★★★★

E-Book Edition

407 pages

Read on: 5-6 Oct 2019

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

Portland Heat is a Contemporary MM Romance series by Annabeth Albert. It contains 6 novellas (and a few short free editions). The books can be bought each on it's own or in two bundles containing the first and second three books in the series. The additional short novellas in between are all free reads.

The stories focus on local businesses in Portland. While some of the characters are connected generally these novellas can be read as a stand alone though I do recommend getting the two bundles and enjoying ALL of them!

* Bryce and Clark from "Waiting for Clark" (not related to Portland Heat) along with Chris and Lance from "Delivered Fast".

Books:
Bundled Up - 1. Served Hot, 2. Baked Fresh & 3. Delivered Fast (Published 19 January 2016)
1. Served Hot [Robert "Robby" Edwards & David Gregory] (Published 3 March 2015) ★★★★
2. Baked Fresh [Vic Degrassi & Robin Dawson] (Published 14 April 2015) ★★★★½
3. Delivered Fast [Chris O’Neal & Lance Degrassi] (Published 26 May 2015) ★★★★★
3.1 Cranky Christmas [Chris O’Neal & Lance Degrassi] (Published 6 December 2015) ★★★★★
Gathered Up - 4. Knit Tight, 5. Wrapped Together & 6. Danced Close (Published 5 December 2017)
4. Knit Tight [Brady & Evren Demir] (Published 12 April 2016) ★★★★★
4.1 Knit Quick [Brady & Evren Demir] (Published 10 February 2017) ★★★★★
5. Wrapped Together [Hollis Alcott & Sawyer Murphy] (Published 6 December 2016) ★★★★★
5.1 Waiting for Candy * [Bryce Weyland & Clark Kenmore] (Published 17 October 2016) ★★★
6. Danced Close [Todd & Kendall Rose] (Published 14 March 2017) ★★★
Review of all three Novellas - 3.1 Cranky Christmas, 4.1 Knit Quick & Waiting for Candy