Darwin Michaels is living his dreams in the Mile High City. While Denver offers the perfect job, scrumptious dining, and whirlwind dating options, Darwin is losing hope he’ll find love—until he sets eyes on Cody Russell.Cody has just accomplished his life’s goal—get the hell out of Kansas. In one fell swoop, he lands a job at Hamburger Mary’s and gets a newfound family. All that’s missing is … missing is someone special. But when Darwin shows his interest, Cody is sure it’s too good to be true. After all, what can Darwin possibly see in the high school dropout serving him nachos?
As Darwin falls in love, Cody struggles to realize his worth. When his past threatens the fragile life he is building, Cody spirals into a moment of dark desperation. But Darwin is determined to show Cody that love and family and home are there for him… if Cody can accept what is offered.
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This was such a cute story. I don’t even know where to start. I loved all the characters in the book, except fir Cody’s parents. They can take a flying leap. Brandon Witt does a great job with character development that you forget these aren’t real people. I want to plop down at the bar and talk to the bartender while Mandonna puts on her shows. I want to sit at a table and order a big plate of nachos as well! To think that the actual restaurant is a real place makes that chance more of possible reality than dream. The story follows Darwin and Cody from when they first meet to a few months after. It’s the first in a series, but can be read ad a standalone. Although, as good as this book is, you’re gonna wanna read all four books in A Mary’s Boys series. They come with low angst and a lot of lovely, huggable characters included.
***I voluntarily accepted an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews. My review reflects my own thoughts and opinions***
Darwin and Cody both come from small mid-western towns and end up in Denver looking for a fresh start. If you read Then the Stars Fall by Brandon Witt, then you already met Darwin’s parents and heard his backstory. It was absolutely lovely to see Darwin get his happily ever after. While there were very dark issues that occur in this book, it was a much lighter theme from other books I’ve read by this author. I’m excited to see the other books that come out of this series.
Expertly written, touching love story with wonderfully authentic MC’s who struggle(d) with mental health issues, which I think is depicted in a convincing and sincere manner. Cody and Darwin fall for each other after a sweet meet-cute, and while part of their connection is definitely adorable and romantic, a kind of sadness also hovers over the story as Cody struggles with depression and low self-esteem, as a result of his upbringing. ManDonna and the team at Hamburger Mary’s make up a great cast of secondary characters, a family bringing light and warmth to Darwin’s and Cole’s lives. Only novella-length, but definitely a story that grabs your attention and wreaks havoc on your heart. Recommend!
Cody recently works at Mary’s. He comes from a small town and his dream is to be where he is and be happy. He meets Darwin at work and it is instant attraction. Darwin is tired of hookups and is ready for more. Will these two get together and make it work? I loved the family feeling going on at Mary’s. They are one big happy gay family.
Darwin and Cody were adorable characters who I fell for right away in this sweet, sexy, emotional romance. Darwin was young, but he was in a great place in his life. Now that he was looking for love, he found himself smitten with waiter Cody.
Cody was a bit younger, and he was just experiencing life as an independent gay man. There were still a lot of issues that Cody needed to deal with, and Darwin provided some of the stability he needed. Of course, love isn’t the cure for every problem we have, and Cody and Darwin had to go through a very upsetting time. I loved them and rooted for them, and I was very satisfied by the end of this book that the two would be happy and healthy together. I will be reading the rest of this series soon, and I hope to see more of Cody and Darwin as others at Hamburger Mary’s find their own loves!
This was a really cute story with some heavy dialogue. Thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Darwin and Cody. They were both equally sweet characters who had their own conflicts in the past. Cody had a harder time letting his past haunt him. Cody eventually let go of the past with Darwin’s help. I loved all the side characters in his story and can’t wait to read more about them.