The Half of Us
By Cardeno C.
Published: October 10th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
Short-tempered, arrogant heart surgeon Jason Garcia grew up wanting a close-knit family, but believes he ruined those dreams when he broke up his marriage. The benefit of divorce is having as much random sex as he wants, and it’s a benefit Jason is exploiting when he meets a sweet, shy man at a bar and convinces him to go home for a no-strings-attached night of fun.
Eight years living in Las Vegas hasn’t dimmed Abe Green’s optimism, earnestness, or desire to find the one. When a sexy man with lonely eyes propositions him, Abe decides to give himself a birthday present—one night of spontaneous fun with no thoughts of the future. But one night turns into two and then three, and Abe realizes his heart is involved.
For the first time, Abe feels safe enough with someone he respects and adores to let go of his inhibitions in the bedroom. If Jason can get past his own inhibitions and open his heart and his life to Abe, he might finally find the family he craves.
Ellen’s Review:
Cardeno C. has become my go-to author when I want to read a sexy, beautiful m/m story that I know will be filled with heart, well-written characters and tons of emotion. The Half of Us is no exception. This is a hot, sweet and gorgeous story that I absolutely loved from beginning to end. Jason is hiding his loneliness behind a tough exterior and thinks he only deserves quick, one-night stands with nameless and faceless strangers. He feels guilty for breaking up his family when his wife divorced him, and has closed off his personal life from his kids. Even though his ex-wife told their kids long ago that their father was gay, Jase still feels uncomfortable forming any kind of lasting relationship with another man.
Abe thinks his hot night with Jase is just a one time thing, which is something he normally doesn’t do. Abe is a traditional relationship guy. But when they get together again, Abe thinks that maybe Jase will recognize that they are really meant for each other. These two have some SCORCHING hot sex scenes together and I absolutely loved watching Jase’s love for Abe slowly unfold throughout the story. Seeing Abe really care for Jase’s children also brought tears to my eyes. These two really made a family together, and that is the real heart of this story. Treat yourself to a fantastic, beautifully written and sexy story and read The Half of Us. You will love it!
(*ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.)
EXCERPT:
Jason nodded. “But later I got to thinking and—” He swallowed hard. “You can do better than me.”
“No, Jase, what—”
“You’re younger, better-looking, nicer.” Jason squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “What the fuck are you doing with a guy who’s closer to forty than he is to thirty, works all the time, has a bad temper, and to top it all off, has children with personal problems who need attention?”
“Tell me this,” Abe said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Do you want me to leave?”
“You should leave.” Jason slumped, curling in on himself. “I’d fucking run from me so fast I’d leave scorch marks on the ground.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.” Though Abe wanted to go to Jason, to comfort him, he didn’t for fear of being turned away. As it was, he worried about losing control of his emotions, something he doubted Jason would welcome. “Do you want me to leave?”
“Why would I want you to leave?” Jason said after several moments of silence. “Nobody would want that.” He straightened his posture and ran his gaze up and down Abe’s body. “You’re a wet dream come to life. The sweetest, most patient man on earth, like a damn angel. Until the clothes come off, and then you’re filthy and sexy and so damn horny you make my balls ache.” He rubbed his palms over his eyes. “Christ. You’d tempt a monk, Abe, and I’m about the furthest thing possible from one. No, I don’t want you to leave, but why on earth would you want to stay?”
Blinking back tears of happiness at Jason’s odd rendition of sweetness, but aching for the loneliness he saw beneath it, Abe took a step toward him and smiled. “Well.” He cleared his throat and closed the distance between them, stopping when he stood a couple of inches away. “You’re amazing in bed and you’re loaded.”
It took Jason a second to process that statement, and then he smiled from ear to ear. “Both very true observations.” He opened his arms, and Abe could see hope blossoming in his expression. “So you’ll keep coming around, even when my kids are here?”
Dreamspinner / Amazon / ARe / Paperback
Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.
Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”
Website: http://www.cardenoc.com/index.php#.U-Js0Tg-671
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CardenoC?fref=ts
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CardenoC/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CardenoC
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cardenoC/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4620386.Cardeno_C_
presented by :
