Review: The Half of Us by Cardeno C.

Title: The Half of Us by Cardeno C.
Family Series Book Four
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic, M/M, Romance
Length: 206 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author

Summary:

A Book in the Family Series

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.

The Review:

The Half of Us by Cardeno C. is an extremely hot but achingly sweet romance between two very unlikely lovers. Old and new fans of the Family series are going to LOVE this fourth installment where a one night stand unexpectedly leads to love. It can be read as a standalone story, but I recommend the entire series.

Jason Garcia is a divorced doctor with a demanding practice who uses sex as a way to de-stress. After a difficult day in the operating room, Mr. One Night Stand picks up cute, friendly, sweet Abe in a local bar. Now one time hook ups are not the norm for Abe, but it is his birthday, so he decides to indulge his attraction for the smoking hot stranger. Somehow their one night turns into two nights, then three and before Abe and Jason know it, they are spending all of their free time together. Their relationship builds slowly over several months and challenges Jason’s long held beliefs about home and family.

Insta-lust is what initially draws Jason and Abe together, incredibly hot, satisfying sex is what keeps them coming back to one another, but in the end, love is what binds them together.  Now what makes The Half of Us so fascinating is how they make their relationship work since they are complete opposites.

Jason is in his mid thirties, arrogant, bossy and carrying a lot of emotional baggage.  Abe is in his mid twenties, open, talkative and comfortable in his skin. Jason does not understand why he is so drawn to Abe but he does not fight their attraction. He is not very self-aware, so he does not really recognize what he feels for Abe. Fortunately, Abe is in touch with his emotions and more importantly, he is good at reading people. He gets exactly what their relationship means and he quietly moves into Jason’s life and his heart.

Now, let’s talk sex because there is LOTS of it in The Half of Us. Jason has a high sex drive and he does not believe in denying himself. He is passionate, demanding and pushy and Abe is pretty much his for the taking. Jason is firmly in control and he brings all of Abe’s deepest darkest fantasies to life. Their sex scenes are scorching hot with lots and lots of dirty talk, but there is also a emotional connection as well.

The Half of Us by Cardeno C. is a wonderful, angst free love story that is sexy and sweet.  The characters are appealing, the storyline is engaging and the lack of conflict is refreshing. There is substance to the plot and the characters evolve throughout the story. It is an absolutely fabulous addition to the heartwarming Family series that I absolutely loved.