When Grant Davis stepped into the job of assistant director at Joy Universe, he knew he was taking on a challenge. The AD before him left a mess nobody thought could be cleaned up—but Grant loves nothing more than beating the odds. Over a year later, he’s convinced there’s something hinky going on. The solution: an independent audit. What he doesn’t expect is that the head of the audit team will … will be his old college crush.
Luke Durrant’s come a long way since he last saw Grant, the man he had a steamy night with back in college. He’s been married, divorced, has a successful career, and is now a parent. But one look at Grant brings all the old feelings crashing back.
With Grant’s job in Luke’s hands, two insecure kids, and a host of nosy coworkers, it seems like professionalism is the only option… but who wants that? Grant and Luke are willing to take the shot for a second chance at happily ever after.
And then Luke’s ex turns up….
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I hate reading first POV and present tense. It aggravates my soul. That being said, I greatly enjoyed this book. I adore Louisa’s characters and how she weaves intricate details through a story.
This one starts out with a bang with a little drama happening at Joy Universe. I love that we get all the familiar characters from the previous stories. I was invested in Grant and Luke before I’d really gotten too far into the story.
The kids were cute. Their side angst was handled brilliantly. I greatly enjoyed this romance. Highly recommend.
I really liked In Your Hands. This is a great story in the Joy Universe world. I thought Luke and Grant were great men and I thought their story flowed so nicely. I liked that they had history and how they dealt with. I thought the kids were realistic and I liked how they were integral in the story without taking over the romance. I also enjoyed seeing all the previous MCs back in this story to get a little catch up from them. I definitely recommend this book.
Another low angst treat in the series! The flow of the story was really good and I loved it from the very first page!
Interesting and unusual second-chance romance
Grant and Luke get a second chance at love in this well written romance. The story set up was creative and original – I haven’t read another one like it. It’s part of a series, but I haven’t read any of the others, and could follow along here just fine. I liked it well enough that I’m going to go looking for the rest of the series! There was a big helping of angst and drama, just because of the story and setup, but it was handled well. I really enjoyed the interplay between the characters, the supporting characters had a lot of personality, the main characters were sweet and relatable.
I’ve been curious about this series for a while and jumped at the chance to read this book. While I haven’t read the other books in the series yet, I plan to go back in the near future to do just that. I have a feeling that readers who have read from the beginning will enjoy seeing the previous couples show up in this one and will enjoy the interactions more than I was able to (for now).
Grant takes a big risk and goes over his boss’s head to ask the owners of Joy Universe to conduct an audit. He’s having problems that he can’t seem to sort out. When the owners decide to do as he suggests, they send in someone they trust: Luke. Luke is happy to temporarily move for the audit. His kids might do better with a change in location and the job is one that he likes. Grant and Luke get a surprise when they realize that they knew each other in college.
I loved the cast of characters. Luke’s teammates for the audit were great, as were Grant’s friends. I loved all the betting and subterfuge that everyone had going on to try to get Grant and Luke together. It was funny. I loved how Luke was with his kids and that Grant took them into consideration right away. These two worked well together, and I loved how they meshed and took care of each other and their family. Luke’s ex was a slime. I kinda wish he would have gotten a little more retribution for trying to push Grant out of the way, but I was happy to see Luke (with help from his family) realize just what he had in Grant.
All in all, it was a fun story with minimal angst and a wonderful cast of characters.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Holy hotness!! I’ve read several books by Louisa Masters, and In Your Hands is by far my favorite book written by her. I laughed, I cried, I yelled at the universe (in my head, I didn’t want to scare my family), and I might have cursed her a time or ten. But this book brings everything I love about books and throws it all together. It’s not rushed, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. It just is.
Grant and Luke have a pure love, and the roots can be traced back years. The characters are brilliant, and the way the author is able to weave the story together is perfect. I do wish there was more to the ending, but even that I can’t really complain about. I just love the characters too much to let them go so soon. Oh, and if Luke was in front of me, I would have slapped him at one point. Trust me, you will too. Read it to find out what I’m talking about.
Fabulous characters, a wonderful story, a plot that pulls you in and makes you a part of the story…this book has it all. 5 stars and I suggest you one-click it today.
In Your Hands is a delightful read. It is touching, sweet, sexy, and loving. The work has a nice flow, and the reason for Luke and Grant meeting again is handled in an interesting manner that kept my attention until it was resolved.
The secondary characters are well placed and supportive of the storyline. I haven’t read the first two books in the series, but I have plans to do that soon since meeting those characters in this book piqued my interest.
The backstory given for these guys is just enough to bring me closer to them without over-explaining everything. I like that.
I appreciate that the children aren’t portrayed as little angels nor as little terrors. I like the happy medium the author landed on.
Watching Grant and Luke become closer was lovely to see, and their relationship progressed pleasingly. Their passion is strong, and their HEA satisfying.
I look forward to more from this author.
I randomly picked up this series when the first book came out and I’m so glad I did. If you need feel-good, low angst romance with older men, then these are the books for you. I loved the first two books. Loved them. But this third book is my absolute favorite. It’s hilarious and sweet and hot and so much more. All of the side characters are fantastic – lots of cameos from the previous books. The park staff members are hilarious. The children are written well and realistically. And the plots in each books are strong and interesting, this one especially! I personally really love the audit storyline.
And again, the main characters are older! I believe they’re in their late 30s. This is a fun story of two men reconnecting, emphasizing the fact that sometimes time and distance and maturity make a bond stronger. Their chemistry is FIRE, and they’re as passionate together as they are sweet.
These are the only books of Louisa’s that I’ve read so far; I definitely plan to read her backlist!
This third book in the Joy universe series lives up to the standards set by the previous two books. While the story is independent I’d strongly recommend reading these books in order as characters from the first two books play important roles here plus he world building that takes place helps in understanding the setting and story arc better.
The MCs in this book are Grant, an Assistant Director at Joy Universe (a major theme park/resort that is obviously supposed to make us think of a certain mouse) and Luke, a business consultant who works for Joy Inc, the corporation that owns Joy Universe. Luke is assigned to do an audit of JU after Grant requests one because he knows there are problems, particularly in his division, but he can’t go to the Director because he’s part of the problem. However once Luke arrives they are shocked to see each other as they had a one night stand in college that never developed further even though they both had crushes on each other.
The story is sweet and like the previous two books sucks you right into the world that Masters has built. There is humor that works well along side the serious business issues that need to be addressed. Unlike the previous two books the MCs don’t start off at odds. In fact their relationship develops nicely. There are family issues to be dealt with and some baggage that both Luke and his kids are carrying.
The crisis moment is realistic and therefore all the more painful though it could have used better explanation as to why it was occurring from the antagonist’s perspective. It is so emotionally painful for several parties that it is tear inducing. The resolution is sweet and the ending upbeat and hopeful.
I would have liked to have seen more on page action in the conflict that got this all started…that looked like a really good build up that was going to be part of the story and be very intriguing and then it was just done and anti-climactic. Same with the MC’s dealing with the antagonist at the end of the book. Guess I just wanted some more on page fireworks.
I am really enjoying this series and I hope there is more to come.
**I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion.**
Second chance at happiness and love for Grant and Luke. Their connection was immediate years ago but circumstances got in the way. 2nd meeting and the connection is still there. Love the kids, the family the revisit to JU. I think this is my fave in the series.
This story was particularly exciting because Luke came back into Grant’s life with two kids in tow. So, it wasn’t only a matter of the two men trying to see if they worked as a couple, but also of Grant forming a bond with Mila and Jordan. Obviously, it wasn’t easy, and hey had to find their way around enough obstacles. The kids were charming, Grant and Luke amazing men, and it was fun to see them eventually click together as a family unit.
Also, visiting the Joy Universe is always a delight. I can never have enough of its people, their interactions and how they care about each other.
Recommended.
Another fabulous fairly low-angst, lovely read from Louisa Masters, and a great addition to the Joy Universe.
I snorted hard so many times, I sniffled, and my anxiety spiked, but the author brought me down nicely without me panicking too much, making this the perfect afternoon escapism.
Grant and Luke, the fabulous characters we get up close and personal with in this steamy novel, are brilliant characters to follow. They’re entertaining and three-dimensional. The story moved along with perfect pacing and how the narrative evolved was a real treat.
“In Your Hands” was a little angstier than the author’s norm, but not so much that my heart was threatened–which was a relief. Instead, the plot shift was superbly crafted to ensure the relationship development was natural, ensuring readers are left with a swoon-worthy HEA.
I can’t wait for more in this universe.