A man betrayed The day Brett Payne turned eighteen, he attended a party that left him disillusioned, his trust shattered, and feeling betrayed by Tony Russo, his first love.Nearly fifteen years later, Brett returns to his hometown of Oleander, Florida to help his mother, who’s in the hospital. When chance brings Brett and Tony back together, it turns out that while sex isn’t off the table (or the … isn’t off the table (or the floor, or the shower, or the countertops), Brett isn’t sure he can truly trust the man who broke his heart.
A man rejected
Fifteen years after he was abandoned by Brett, Tony’s dreams for the future were smashed, one by one, until he’s forced to return to Oleander. Barely scraping by as a handyman, he’s hired, reluctantly, by Brett to make improvements at his mother’s house. Being near his first love awakens old feelings that Tony thought were buried forever, and he is irresistibly drawn to the stranger the years have turned Brett into.
A second chance at love
Together, Tony and Brett’s passion sets fire to both their lives and plans for the future. Past hurts are unburied, secrets are uncovered, and their lives will never be the same. For the first time in years, Tony feels he might have a future worth looking forward to, but only if Brett is willing to once again risk his heart.
Reunion is an extremely steamy standalone romance with HEA featuring two grown men who desperately need to find their way home, geographically misplaced waterfowl, and a town where just about anything might happen, and often does.
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Although Jacob appears in the first book, Reunion, I think this can be read/listened to as a standalone.
Jacob and Levi made a spirited pairing, with their arguments often turning into steamy encounters. Jacob starts out as a needy, but cold character, though when one factors in his family life, one gets a better understanding of why he is the way he is. Levi comes from a loving family. When both MCs get together, they pretty much can’t stand each other, but the more they got together, the more layers between them are peeled off, especially with Jacob showing a dominant side to Levi’s more submissive side.
Through the story, Jacob becomes more likeable and he and Levi find a balance in each other. Levi (and his family) act as a support system for Jacob, which gives him the courage to stand up to his family.
Michael Ferrauiolo provides a an entertaining accompaniment to the story – to be honest, he is the main reason I enjoyed the story! A very good way to enjoy this book.
When Brett’s mother broke her hip he had to return to his hometown of Oleander, Florida. He never expected that the handyman he arranged to do some work would be his best friend/boyfriend from high school Tony. There had been an awful incident on the evening of Brett’s eighteenth birthday and it had changed everything. They have been apart for fifteen years. Can they make peace with their pasts and have a future together? Michael Ferraiuolo did a wonderful job bringing the story and the characters to life.
God I loved this book so much! ALL the characters brought so much life to this whole little town. Tony and Brett were such a mess in the beginning, my heart ached for all they had to go through. But I just loved how little by little all the pieces of their hearts started patching themselves together.
The narration was superb as always, so much emotion, so much feeling, I was hooked from the beginning.
I cannot wait for the next books, I’m very hopeful we can get one for Levi, Jacob, Max, and even Calvin!
Lynn always leaves me with book hangovers and Reunion is yet another story that left me unable to pick up another book for many hours afterwards…
Brett and Tony’s chemistry was undeniable and vivid but tempered with the clear angst of their tortured past. Lynn has a beautiful way of slowly teasing out a story without it feeling like it drags on – if she moved the pace any quicker, the reader would likely drown in the emotions it brings. She is a masterful storyteller and Reunion demonstrates that beautifully.
I adored the small town dynamic, the development of the wider storyline with the wonderful cast of side characters and the graceful dance of the plot moving through the book while keeping us enraptured with every page.
Second Chance Romance.
Two tragedies, one night. Poor communication leads to the dissolution of a high school romance. After some of Lynn’s other books, this is very much a straight forward, vanilla romance. But Lynn Van Dorn still brings the heat.
There is so much about this book that moved me. Brett and Tony, high school sweethearts whose relationship came to an abrupt and bitter end on Brett’s eighteenth birthday, weren’t happy when they met up again as adults. Each man had so many personal demons to overcome. Their journey kept me interested and anxious to see how things would turn out for them. I enjoyed the secondary characters, especially Joanie and the flamingos. I was also a little in awe of a particular character who showed up near the end, and I hope he gets lots of time on page in the next book. This story has comedic moments, drama, tragedy, family, friendship, steamy sex, and lots of love. I recommend this, and I happily await more stories of lovers in Oleander.