Romance on Aisle Sixteen—opposites attract amid the hammers and screws of the home improvement store.Gabe Mason became a father at seventeen, and his daughter, Ellie, is the most important thing in his life. But being the parent the courts demand means Gabe has given up most of his dreams—education, making furniture, a gay social life—to be a model dad with a steady, reliable job in a home … home improvement store. Life’s predictable until Jerry, a shy, eccentric guy in a hat and sunglasses, begs Gabe to oversee the renovation of his run-down mansion.
Gabe loves the house and the work, and Jerry’s pretty lovable too, but when Gabe discovers Jerry’s secret identity, he fears their passion could overturn both their lives forever.
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This was the most enchanting book I’ve read for ages. Characters that were sympathetic yet realistically human, decent and loving behaviour, yet there was plenty of challenge for them. A lovely romance and sexy times as well. Excellent prose, an entertaining read with wit and drama, I didn’t want it to end!
Home Improvement by Tara Lain is a sweet single dad romance that I just adored. Gabe Mason is a gifted carpenter but there isn’t a big market for custom furniture where he lives so he works in a home improvement store and makes do so his daughter can see her mother. I loved Ellie the daughter. She is smart, gifted and a terrific kid. It took me a bit to warm up to Jerry but by the end I loved him just as much as Gabe and Ellie. This story is guaranteed to warm the cockles of even the hardest heart.
I absolutely enjoyed getting to know Gabe and Jerry. The story was full of angst. Jerry was a shy man who wanted to be true to himself, but holy moly was he hiding a secret! Gabe was a single father trying to raise his teenage daughter, Ellie. Gabe was trying to work and save money for his daughter to go to college. Jerry bought a “fixer upper” and hired Gabe to work part time renovating it. It was a really good story, page turner. I didn’t put it down until I finished the sentence. I definitely recommend it….
I am voluntarily leaving a review form an ARC that I received from Gay Romance Reviews. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
What a charming, fun romance to read. I thoroughly enjoyed Home Improvement by Tara Lain.
Gabe and Jerry seem like they could not be more unsuitable for each other yet they are exactly what the other needs.
Add in that one is a single dad and I’m sold! Tara has such a wonderful ability to show the heart of her characters. As a reader you become invested in their HEA!
4.5 stars
Home Improvement was another amazing story by Ms. Lain. I loved Gabe and Jerry, and I think I fell the hardest for Ellie, Gabe’s daughter.
The sales person from home improvement and the reclusive Jerry really hit it off, and their sparks were strong and in all the colors of the rainbow. I enjoyed the fact that Jerry was hiding in Oregon, and how he and Gabe got to know each other – and develop feelings for each other – before it was known who Jerry really was.
I enjoyed Home Improvement so much! It’s a fantastic love story that’s so well written, it kept me intrigued for hours as Gabe and Jerry’s story played out! I loved how involved Gabe has always been in his seventeen year old daughter Ellie’s life, always putting her before himself in any and everything from the moment he became a father. Then he helps a strangely dressed shy man at work, with the most beautiful eyes he’s ever seen…Jerry’s terribly uncomfortable around people and living a double life. He’s purchased a incredible but very old home to fix up for his hideaway. He goes to the home improvement store and becomes intrigued with the very patient, extremely handsome man helping him. The moment Jerry meets Gabe and then later Ellie, he seems to finally know exactly what he wants in life. However it’s Ellie that gives them both the encouragement that’s needed to help them get to the sweetest HEA ever! This is my first by Tara Lain and I absolutely loved everything about her awesome story! I listened to the audiobook version of this story and thought narrator Kirt Graves did a outstanding, no a magnificent job with all the characters voices adding the extra chemistry, theatrics, and more bringing this truly fantastic love story to life!
I am a big fan of the single-father-falling-in-love trope, so I was already excited to read this book, and oh my, it did not disappoint! I have read a few of Tara Lain’s other books, and this one is by far my favorite. The story is so sweet with just the right amount of angst and drama to keep the plot moving, with some wonderful relationship development that really builds the romance. I thought the book was well written with prose that flowed easily.
The audiobook was narrated by Kirt Graves who did a great job. Kirt voiced each of the characters perfectly and consistently. The performance was done with just the right amount of energy that kept the audiobook engaging without overdoing it. The audiobook production was well done and overall was a great listening experience.
***Audio Review***
Cute, cute, cute! Another new to me MM author, Home Improvement by Tara Lain, was fantastic! Narration by Kirk Graves on audio, and it was perfect. I am a huge fan of Kirk Graves, and he hasn’t disappointed yet!
What I loved:
Gabe.
From the outside, most people would stereotype him as a straight, man’s man. Gabe is so much more than a flannel-wearing single Dad with a teenage daughter who works at the home improvement store. I just adored his sweet and nurturing demeanor, and he’s fiercely loyal to those he loves.
Jerry.
Oh, Jerry. Shy, quiet, Jerry. He was a tougher nut to crack at the beginning of the book. I wasn’t sure where to land on him just because he is so introverted. But by halfway through, I knew I loved him and these two together.
Ellie.
Gabe’s daughter is the daughter you dream of. Smart, happy, still a kid but not wholly innocent. Such a big supporter of her Dad. I loved the relationship between Gabe and Ellie and eventually between Jerry and Ellie as well.
Overall.
I smiled through the entire book. Home Improvement made me laugh, sigh, gasp, and cheer for the two heroes. So fun, so romantic. Plain and simple, it’s a wonderful read.
Stars 4 ½
Home Improvement is the first that I’ve read by this author. It won’t be the last.
I found this to be sweet and sexy, well written, low on angst, and an all-around good read.
It did not take me long to “solve” the mystery of Jerry, but I still enjoyed watching the others figure it out. He is a complex character, but lovable.
Gabe was easier to get a feel for. His character, back story, and situation in life was easier for me to relate to, and I found myself rooting for him early on.
I do not know much about renovations, so I can’t speak to that, but I liked the visual the author gave me of the finished product. Throughout the book, the other descriptors did the same, allowing me to picture the characters in their environment as they moved through the different scenes.
I enjoyed this. I look forward to more from this author.
Gabe was a young father who gave up his dreams to raise his daughter at age seventeen. He has such a wonderful relationship with his daughter is was great to read. The ex-wife was a crazy woman who I didn’t care for but anyways. Gabe was an awesome dad!
Jerry was a little strange until you got to get to read more about him. He was down to earth and genuine a little complex but endearing.
This was a wonderful story I definitely recommend!
When he stepped in for a coworker, to help a strange customer, Gabe had no way of knowing that his life was about to change.
This is a story of two mismatched men, who deserve to find love, but haven’t allowed themselves the opportunity. For Gabe, his daughter has always came first, and he’s not about to change that. This book is about unexpected possibilities, with very little angst, and a lot of happy moments you will find yourself grinning over.
The characters are very likable. I can sympathize with Jerry and his social discomfort, even before his true identity is revealed. Gabe really is a very good guy, and I was really rooting for his much deserved happiness. Their chemistry was electric, their conversations flowed easily, and their connection felt genuine. Tara Lain did a great job writing the story and developing the characters. I really enjoyed it. I started it late at night, and lost a lot of sleep because I couldn’t put it down. I recommend starting it during the daytime, because I believe you will have the same experience!
***I voluntarily accepted an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***
Amazing!!!
There’s a reason I’m a big Tara Lain fan. She’s highly versatile in many MM sub-genres and consistently delivers great stories. And the characters… wow they are lovable. Gabe is a sweetheart and a great dad. Jerry is totally adorable even when he puts on the Jet persona. And who wouldn’t love Ellie? Smart, beautiful, hard working, and considerate she truly brightens the read. Long time fans know what I’m saying and new readers will definitely be joining in too once they finish this one.
Sweet, steamy M/M romance but beware of Paparazzi!
Gabe Mason is a hard-working 33yo and devoted father who has given up a lot to make life for his beautiful and talented daughter Ellie the best he could make it. Although he suspected that he was gay, he wanted his baby to have what he hadn’t had…good parents so he became a father at 16yo. His wife Tiffany didn’t take to married life so well. After their divorce, Ellie chose to live with her father.
Gabe met a weird shy guy at his job at a home improvement store. There was mutual attraction but nothing was acted on. When the guy returns on the second day, he begs Gabe for his help. Because Gabe is such a sweet man, he agrees to at least see what the guy might need. Wow…just Wow! This story was just getting started. Why is the guy acting so weirdly? Does Gabe help him?
Great story! Because the reader knows Jerry’s big secret, we want the truth to come out but not hurt anybody in the process. There is an underlying plot dealing with his ex-wife and custody. There are homophobes, connivers, a beautiful run-down old house and two of the sweetest men who deserve an HEA. Ellie gets the Best Daughter award for maturity and humor. Her advice to her father is perfect!
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through Gay Romance Reviews and it comes highly recommended. I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could. Spectacular ending too…
I really enjoyed this sweet, warm, unlikely romance. Jerry and Gabe are both incredibly sweet, although it was hard to reconcile the almost mousy attitude of Jerry in the beginning to the self-assured lion that came out with his brother later. That said, he was adorable in every way. The book starts with a little bit of mystery, but the reader can figure out what’s going on long before Gabe does. However, the quality of the characters and the story progress was more than enough to keep me reading to see how it would all work out. Ellie was a definite breath of fresh air. Her maturity , obvious care for her father, and sharp intelligence were delightful.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
Since I discovered Tara Lain’s books some months ago, I’d been reading her amazing stories, book after book. Now the story of Gabe an Jerry is one of the best I’ve read. It had an interesting plot, well-written characters with a lot of chemistry and charisma (especially Ellie’s) and few angst situations that kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time… Really, I started reading it and couldn’t stop until the very last page. A sweet love story… just perfect to take a break and enjoy… Loved it!
I received this book from Gay Romance Reviews and I am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion
Gabe’s way to see Jerry made me laugh, because it had one constant description for almost half of the book: weird and cute. At the beginning, Jerry was the weird and cute guy on isle sixteen, looking for ten doorknobs. Then he was the cute and even weirder guy who entrusted his home’s renovation into Gabe’s hands, to ultimately became all of the above with the added effect of being a constant feature of Gabe’s thoughts.
Gabe had no idea who Jerry was, although the author made it pretty easy for me to figure out his identity almost from the beginning. Being in on the secret made witnessing their interactions more interesting. They were completely adorable together, both shy, awkward and undeniably besotted with each other. I was curious to see how Gabe would react to the revelation of Jerry’s roch star status, especially when Gabe and his daughter Ellie got involved in a media circus.
The odds seemed against their relationship, but fear not, of course there’s a happy ending…an incredibly romantic one that made me swoon. So, if you’re looking for a story that’ll keep a smile on your face from beginning to the end, Home Improvement is the book you need.
Don’t you just love it when the good guys come out the winners?
And how about when the bullies and users end up losing?
After being the front man of a rock band for years, Jerry just wants a home and a family. Buying a decrepit house in a small town in Oregon is the first step in declaring his independence. Finding an answer to his loneliness in aisle 16 of a home improvement store is a very happy coincidence! The relationship between father and daughter is heartwarming. Everyone needs an Ellie in their life.
Of course we have to have some angst…a religious fanatic with an ability to control a woman searching for her own happiness, a brother/promoter looking out for himself and the paparazzi inventing their own story for a ‘scoop!’
You’ll love this sweet romance with wonderful characters and a location worth visiting!
Home Improvement by Tara Lain is a contemporary m/m romance with a single dad theme with a secret mystery. I love love loved this story – sweet and fun with just a touch of angst. Jerry and Gabe are fantastic characters who had me glued to their lovestory. I finished this book smiling and happy.
I was looking for a comfort read and Tara Lain is a go-to for me. Her stories make me feel happy and warm.
This is such an amazing story. I love Gabe and Jerry! Gabe is such an amazing dad to Ellie even though he had her when he was a kid himself. The Jerry I just wanted to wrap up in a hug. He is so shy and awkward but has a secret. This is such a sweet story and I love that it’s a friends to lovers slow burn romance. I just couldn’t stop reading.