When Brian “Brin” Schubert’s condo floods, he takes his co-worker up on the offer to stay on his crappy futon for a while. The last thing he expects is for his friend’s roommate to be the one guy he despises the most. The same guy who stomped on his heart senior year of high school. And by the looks of the girl on his arm, the same man who’s still deep inside the closet. Nicholas Dell never … never predicted that eleven years later, one of his greatest regrets would show up on his doorstep down on his luck. Nick has made some terrible mistakes—story of his life—and he’s been paying for them ever since. And if the guilt and shame aren’t enough, his first crush had to turn into one of the sexiest men he’s ever laid eyes on.
Nick and Brin have weeks to steer clear of each other. Weeks to avoid strangling each other. But when stubbornness leads to skyrocketing sexual tension, hate-sex doesn’t seem like such an awful way to work through their frustration. Except hate is a powerful emotion, especially when it’s turned inward. And in Nick’s case he’s been drowning in a sea of self-loathing for so long, he can’t see his way out.
As Brin reconnects with Nick, his perception of what really happened in their past begins to change. He’s finally ready to forgive him and take a second chance on the one guy who stirs him like no other. But Nick’s demons are complicated, heart-wrenching…demanding. So devastating, he might never allow himself true happiness—even with the one man who’s always owned his heart.
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Regret is the first book in the Under My Skin series, and is a fantastic second-chance romance. Brin fell hard for Nick when he was younger, but due to Nick’s ‘cowardice’ they broke up before things could really get started. Fast forward and Brin finds out that Nick is the roommate of his friend, where he will also be staying whilst his condo is put back together after a flood. Brin finds out he still holds a lot of resentment towards Nick, and feelings too. He is confused over what he feels, and gives Nick hell, who just seems to accept everything Brin throws at him. Brin becomes intrigued and is determined to find out more, as Nick continues to worm his way past Brin’s defences and into his heart.
This story is a second chance story, with a hint of enemies to lovers, and also an openly gay vs. closeted in the mix too. There is something here for everyone, and it is exceedingly well told. Although Brin can hold onto a grudge, he is also prepared to accept people have changed. It may take him a while, but he isn’t completely closed off to the notion. As for Nick, boy, that man really needs to have some therapy. I can completely understand the guilt he feels, but to hold onto it for so long, so strongly, well, it made my heart break.
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, this was a story that pulled me in and wouldn’t let go until I’d finished. Absolutely brilliant, and definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!
Christina Lee is definitely one of my favorite MM romance authors. This was an enemies to lovers story. Brin and Nick are thrust together for the first time in over a decade due to Brin needing a place to stay after a burst pipe in his place. They are stunned upon meeting again and Brin is still very angry due to a somewhat painful experience at the hands of Nick. My heart bled for Nick. He carried immense guilt and self-loathing for so long. With Brin back in his life, he is forced to really confront his past. At times I wanted to crawl through my kindle and comfort him. I loved Brin as well with his diva/prickly demeanor. This was a truly sweet romance with just enough heat to keep me entertained. The side characters were a definite plus. Elijah, Brin’s best friend and Nick’s roommate, was a favourite for me. Definitely can’t wait to get to know him better. I look forward to following this up with the rest of this series.
4.5*
Oh the angst and the heartache and the feels and the sorrow.
Do you ever want to climb into a book to let the characters know that everything is going to be alright? That as bad as things seem it will get better? I don’t think I’ve ever wanted that more than I wanted it with this book. I wanted to jump in there and hug Nick so tight and tell him he was going to be okay, that he deserved to be happy, and that life was meant to be lived. The guilt and remorse he felt, how my heart broke for him.
And Brin, he needed a hug or 2 himself, along with a little knock upside the head, if we’re being honest. I understand his hurt and anger, but in the words of Queen Elsa, he just needed to let it go. After so many years it wasn’t doing him any good to hold onto those feelings and I wish he had just let Nick apologize and explain when he first tried to.
I was just so completely tangled up in Nick and Brin. I needed them both to get it together so they could be together! The angst was just killing me. The slow burn, the tension…gah, these two!
And geez, it’s not like they were just dealing with issues between themselves, they both had family matters that were really weighing them down and needed badly to be resolved.
My chest was so tight reading the last 20% of the books, that’s when the tears really started. I’m glad I was reading at home and not at work! I loved that Brin and Nick were finally able to really open up to each other. Communication was so key in this story, and in the beginning it was sadly lacking. I was so happy with how things worked out, not just between them, but with their families as well.