There’s nothing like a near death car accident to open your eyes. Otto Proulx decides surviving was a sign; he’s being given a second chance to claim the life he wants to live. For the past few years he’s been hiding in the shadows, vague texts from a troubled ex-partner keep him at home along with his general lack of luck in the romance department. This is his last chance, he’s certain, this … time he’ll meet the man for him, the one he’s sure is out there somewhere.
Greg Trainor runs a specialty kite shop and helps his friends out when they ask. That’s the kind of guy he is, if somebody needs something, they call on Greg. He’s a big guy and no genius, but he’s dependable. So…yeah, when he sees a car precariously perched on the side of the road, he stops to help out; it’s what he does.
One night of passion leads to…several more and suddenly both men are searching around to define what they have together. Neither wants to scare the other off and neither wants to ask for more. Will the two men be able to set aside their fears and create a family together, trusting the elements are in their favor?
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Otto and Greg were engaging, loveable characters. The dynamic between them was so sweet, both wanting more but afraid of pushing. I enjoyed seeing them take the chance on love and getting their happy ending.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
Otto and Greg were awesome! Both the main characters were really lovable and I loved all the feels between them. Then there is a host of supporting characters that added another layer of awesome and hopefully, outlook to more MCs in the series.
The locatios, the characters, the plot and twists holding you by the throat. Great job Elle Keaton! 🙂
A great start to a new series.
Edited 9/30/19 to add my comments on the audiobook released Sept. 24, 2019.
I read and reviewed Trusting the Elements when it was first released as an ebook. I’m happy to report that I really enjoyed the story again listening to it in audio format.
This was the first audiobook I’ve listened to narrated by Steve Balderson and he was pretty good. His voice was easy to listen to after I got used to it. I did find that the narration was somewhat slow. I listened to this one at 1.25 speed and enjoyed it much more. It’s rare that I listen to a book at anything other than normal speed, but even my favorite narrator has done a couple where I’ve felt that I needed to increase the playback speed, so I don’t think this is a negative comment.
Below is a copy of my original review for the ebook when it was released in July 2019.
I loved Elle Keaton’s Accidental Roots series so I was really excited to read Trusting the Elements, her first book in the new Never Too Late series; I wasn’t disappointed!
This story is seriously hot! Our two MCs have what they both think will be a one-night-stand but it turns out to be much more. I really loved these characters; they are both a bit broken. Otto has a stalker ex-husband and Greg was left with no family after he came out.
Trusting the Elements doesn’t have the same level of suspense that her Accidental Roots books have but the tension created by Otto’s ex-husband gets pretty heavy. I loved the connection between Otto and Greg. While both of them felt something for each other after their first weekend, neither of them wanted to say it out loud. Otto doesn’t trust his feelings after the disaster of his relationship with his ex. Greg feels like he’s not smart enough for Otto and has a hard time believing that Otto really likes him.
I loved the secondary characters in this story, too, especially Blaine. I really hope he gets a book of his own. I almost forgot to mention that there are cute kitties and a lonely little girl that will steal your heart.
Note: If you are a subscriber to Elle’s newsletter be sure to read the free short story she wrote for Greg’s friend Dante who appears in Trusting the Elements; it’s hot! I hope we get to read more about Dante.
A copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
For almost half of this book I felt like something was missing,thinking to myself:”what,has Elle Keaton actually written a book without any suspense in it?” Because after reading the Accidental Roots series, I was convinced that she’s not capable of writing romance without some kind of danger to her characters’ lives.
And I was right. Only a few pages later,Otto’s stalking ex becomes more pushy, amping up his menacing messages. If you ask me,the ex situation ads that necessary, intriguing spice to the story,also because the threat wakes Greg’s protective instincts and makes Otto need more of his comforting presence.
It’s evident that Greg and Otto are for one another exactly what was lacking in their lives. After being repudiated by his parents for being gay,Greg thinks that he’s got nothing to offer,nothing that would make him worth keeping. Adding dyslexia to his insecurities and the belief that he’s not smart…it broke my heart to see how low of an opinion he has of himself. And sweet Otto,a hopeless romantic and believer in love at first sight…for the others, though. Because after all he’s suffered because his ex,now he has difficulties with trusting his first impressions and reactions.
They meet during a storm and agree to spend together as much time as possible during Otto’s four days weekend in Westfort. Passion ignites and it’s scorching hot, but it’s when Otto goes back to Skagit that they realize their connection is much deeper. Sadly,they are afraid of rejection and full of doubts …and good thing that they overcome them, because they’re the perfect match for each other and together they’re incredible.
Trusting The Elements is just as amazing as all the other books by this author. Certainly a bit tamer and less angsty, but absolutely charming. I was already captivated by the adorable, endearing Otto and Greg but then the author also threw in meddling friends,cute kitties and a lovely little girl…all of it got me absolutely in love with the story.
This is the delightful first book of a new series and I’m hooked. Now I can’t wait to see who’s next to find love in Westfort.
This book kept me coming back to read more, when I had to stop for work. Otto & Greg are a sweet couple that aren’t good with new people but find each other. We watch as they fall in love and of course the sexy times, there is of course some suspense that Elle is so good at.
As usual, Elle Keaton’s stories depict the Pacific Northwest in all it’s glory. So many elements of the story showcase the unique nature of the environment. This environment can be a bit treacherous sometimes which is what brings Otto and Greg together.
The romance and the main character’s personal lives both have some angst. The characters were interesting to get to know, and the romance develops as expected.
The narrator had pauses that didn’t seem natural, but the overall read/listen was decent.
I discovered Elle Keaton last year through FB and since then I’d been enjoying her wonderful stories. Now Otto and Greg’s story had a very interesting plot, with some angst situations and a bit of danger, while they fell for each other. An enjoyable romantic book to spend a nice time reading it. Simply amazing!
4.5 stars
Heat Level: 4
Narration: 4
Thrill, lust & love! What an adventure!
Sometimes what you need and aren’t looking for finds you anyway and it’s even better than you imagined! This is how I felt about Otto & Greg’s story. They find each other at the perfect time and while there’s a lot of steam, a good amount of angst and a far bit left unsaid they have a connection that draws you in and keeps you wrapped up in their lives for the whole ride!
With an ex determined to cause trouble Otto and Greg must fight for what they want and admit their feelings for each other. I loved the small town elements and deep issues addressed in this book. My heart broke along with the characters but also healed and fell in love too. A truly enjoyable read/listen by Elle!
Now I did have a few notes on narration. This narrator is new to me and he did a really good job with the character voices, including Otto’s adorable sass and excelled at the personalities of the side characters such as Blaine but I felt the overall narration was a bit dry and uninspired, an unenthusiastic read along. It wasn’t bad, just noticeable when compared to the inflections of the character voices. I think this might be a case of the story carrying the narration since this is a such a great story. I understand narrators are all different, would I listen to him again? Yes I would, it was just a weird contrast to listen too.
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This was my first Elle Keaton book and I liked it a lot. The story with Greg and Otto was terrific. Loved the plot and storyline. I wanted a little bit more connection between the two men. A little more emotional description. Kites, kittens, sex toys and forgiveness-a definite recommended and fast read.
This was cute overall. I didn’t refresh myself with the blurb before reading, so the beginning made me wonder if there was some kind of paranormal theme going on. There wasn’t, it just read like something was coming. Otto and Greg met and got along really well, and I liked their relationship development. I did thing the situation with the ex was a bit weird with Otto not reporting or saying anything initially, but I guess sometimes things just happen that way. The resolution to the ex situation luckily happened quickly, but it also seemed to easy. There seemed to be a side story with the neighbors as well that sucked us in to wanting to know what was going on, but that kind of fell to the wayside and seemed to just get wrapped up in the epilogue as an after thought. I would’ve liked a little more with that.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this story. The characters were great, and I’d like to read more about some of the secondary characters in the book.
I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by the author
This is the second Elle Keaton book I’ve read.
I really like her characters. They are very human, not entirely perfect and somewhat flawed. I really like the fact that both main characters in this venture were small business owners. And I absolutely loved that while Otto owns the sex shop, it’s Greg that persists with pun-based names.
Some of the characters from the Accidental Roots series are mentioned in passing, which establishes this series as being in the same universe. Which I really liked as it means there is a chance to glimpse at some of our past favorite couples.
My heart bleeds for both Otto and Greg; they both have past trauma and self-esteem issues.
If I had a complaint, it would be that we don’t see Greg meeting Otto’s friends in Skagit.
Full disclosure, I received a copy of this work from the author in exchange for my complete and honest review, which I have given.
With a lot of sweetness, sexy times, and a little angst and drama, this story kept my interest till the end. From the start where Otto has a car accident and he meets Greg, who is all kinds of caring and helpful, I was invested in their relationship. There is an instant connection between the MCs and they fit together perfectly, as they soon discover… Although they both feel the intense connection, it takes a bit of time for them to finally admit out-loud that what they have is more than a simple weekend hook-up. Despite this, it’s still a pretty low-angst read and somewhat feels along the line of insta-love. I’m definitely a fan of this kind of relationship if written well and here it definitely was. The hesitation to define the relationship and the hurt they’d both been through in their respective pasts felt real and believable.
The majority of the drama comes from the escalating texts and messages Otto is receiving from his creepy, stalkerish ex. I didn’t feel like this pulled the story away from Otto and Greg’s relationship at all; rather, it provided a good platform to bring them together. Greg is an absolute sweetheart who owns a kite shop (I mean, really, that sounds awesome)! His concern for Otto was endearing and when you add the kittens Otto discovers in the mix, I was swooning real hard.
I highly recommend this book as it’s a sweet, relatively low-angst and beautiful story. Otto and Greg are gorgeous characters who help lift each other up, and together they find their way to a heartwarming HEA.
[I kindly received an ARC from the author, and in exchange, am happily leaving my honest review and recommendation.]
What do you get when two emotionally broken, and jaded men meet when Greg rescues Otto from a near fatal car accident? You get a fantastic, grab-you-by-the-feels, totally awesome, powerful, smoldering, and totally awesome tale guaranteed to pull you in from the very first page. Greg and Otto seem to have absolutely nothing in common, but slowly grow into being perfect for each other. I really enjoyed reading this marvelous gem, and can’t wait to see what happens next.
This was a nice story about two nice guys who were both a bit lost but found their way to each other on a rainy night. I enjoyed watching this relationship grow, both Otto and Greg were sincere and mature and had been unlucky in love and life in different ways. I loved that Greg owns a kite shop, I’d love to visit one and fly a kite on a beautiful day.
I thought the story went off track a bit with Otto’s ex. There was also a dramatic episode towards the end with someone in Greg’s life that seemed unnecessary. I liked the story between the two men and all of this other stuff pulled me out of that.
Both Otto’s and Greg’s friends are interesting characters and it was good to see them have support from people who cared about them. There is a bit of insta-love but I felt like it was written in a believable way. I just really liked Otto and Greg.
ARC given by author in exchange for review