Forced to leave home as soon as he finished high school, Bailey McCreedy’s focus has been on earning enough money to survive. All he needs is a roof over his head and to keep his small mobile lending library running. Books are Bailey’s escape, and he loves to share the joy of reading with those who don’t have access to them.Tom Brooks’s upbringing is very different to Bailey’s, with a loving … loving family, a good education, and a high-flying job—that is, until things came crashing down. Tom opens a coffee shop, struggling to build his business and reluctant to accept help, operating under the misguided belief that he must pay penance for his sins. Watching Bailey work with the street kids opens Tom’s eyes to the reality that accepting help is not a sign of weakness, and that he is so much more than his past mistakes.
But as Bailey falls for Tom, with his charming manner, obvious care for others, and group of successful friends, Bailey’s own sense of self-worth threatens to tear them apart. In the face of intensifying challenges, he’s reluctant to confide in Tom, afraid he’s not good enough.
A bright future will require Bailey to heed his own advice—people aren’t defined by their failures or inability to live up to the expectations of others. It’s time for Tom to pay it forward, and Bailey needs to accept the help and love that Tom offers.
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Loved this Nic Starr book as I do all her writing. Great characters. Bailey and Tom have wonderful chemistry and this is a sweet romance to enjoy.
Bailey and Tom were both likeable and relatable characters in this sweet and sexy romance. Each had rocky situations in the past that made them slow to trust completely, and I enjoyed watching them begin to let their walls crumble enough to let each other in. There were a few times I felt frustrated with Bailey in particular, but I do think his actions and feelings were realistic for his situation. Mostly, I wanted to hug him and remind him that Tom was wonderful and that he deserved someone wonderful in his life.
The friends who supported both men were fun and interesting, and I look forward to learning more about them as the series progresses. I also hope to get to know more about the street people who visited Bailey’s book exchange. This was a strong book one, and I am excited to see more happy endings for this lovely group of people.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2591634232
I loved Pay It Forward. It’s title really tells it all and I loved the themes throughout the story. I thought Bailey and Tom were great characters and had interesting stories to tell. Their romance was so sweet and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was clear that friends were an important part of their lives and I thought the secondary characters really added to the story. This was a book I gobbled up and read as fast as I could. It was great and I definitely recommend. And I can’t wait to read the next book in the Giving Back series.
ARC Received for an honest review
This is my first Nic Starr read, and I can guarantee you that it won’t be my last.
Bailey and Tom’s story is sweet and beautiful and full of hope. We have all had those times when life keeps kicking us when we are down, and we can only hope to find someone like they did to lift them back up.
I loved that even though they came from such different backgrounds, they really do fit each other.
The middle did drag a little bit for me, however it did not stop me from reading. And the last 25% of the story was wonderful.
Friendships play a big part in this story, and in our lovelies lives. I loved Tom’s friends from the minute they walked in the door of his coffee shop, and I love love loved how they were trying to get him to accept their help. I understood why he was reluctant, but I wanted to shake him and say “let them help”.
I was away from home whilst I was reading this book, and I have to tell you, I became very anti-social as I sat with friends, Kindle in hand, as I needed to know where this story would lead me.
A big thing that I loved about this story is the location. Being set in my home town of Sydney just makes it so much enjoyable to read (especially when they are going to watch my beloved Swans play).
I was totally enamoured with this story, and I can’t wait to see where this series takes us in the future.