Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novella
Austin’s boyfriend broke up with him and he’s devastated. His sister convinces him to build the deck for his house he’s always talked about, but never tried. It’s not going well. Austin knows nothing about building anything, and he’s clueless. You Tube videos and how-to websites aren’t helping, so he heads to the town’s hardware store to see if he can get some assistance.
Roman works at that hardware store. He’s got experience in carpentry because he used to work with his father at his construction company. He was caught having sex with a man in a trailer on a construction site, so needless to say, he no longer works there. Roman’s always been a player, but when he and Austin set eyes on each other, they feel an instant attraction.
The day after they first meet, they wind up alone together because Austin’s well-meaning sister decides Austin needs a new door and Roman winds up being the delivery/installation man. The attraction is even stronger, and the two go out to lunch…and dessert, if you know what I mean (wink wink).
I liked this little novella. I don’t know what it is about construction/handyman stories, but I have a soft spot for them, and when the MCs in those stories talk dirty, forget about it, I’m sold. His Handyman is short, sweet, and to the point. Austin and Roman are attracted to each other. They quickly fall into bed, realize they’re perfect for each other, and live happily ever after. Oh, and they have a TON of sex, and that’s just fine by me.
Everything falls together nicely. Austin and Roman have a nice chemistry. Since this is a novella rather than a full novel, there isn’t very much time to give them a chance to really smolder before bursting into flames. They get physical the day after they meet, and have a relatively angst free journey to love. The background characters fit in well. I love Austin’s sister. She’s a hoot, and she obviously loves Austin very much and only wants what’s best for him. Others are only focused on for a short time, but they all fit their roles, from Austin’s jerk of an ex, to the horny younger man who works with Roman at the hardware store and wants to have sex with him.
That leads me to the one complaint I had, and it’s just a personal thing. Not everyone will have an issue with it, but I thought it was kind of distracting and it took me out just a little. At the beginning, the young man (Cody) solicits Roman in the locker room at the store. Roman tells him he’s not interested because he doesn’t want to make the same mistake as he did when he worked for his father. Anyway, Cody strips off and begins to masturbate in front of Roman, and Roman watches him do it. I didn’t have a problem with that. It was kind of hot, as a matter of fact. Fast forward to a major sex scene between Roman and Austin. Austin asks if Roman had been with anyone other than him, and Roman tells him about watching Cody masturbate, but he succintly tells him that was it. No sex. No blowjobs. Nothing. A page or so later, as Austin and Roman are being intimate, Roman tells Austin that “There is no competition. You win hands down every time.” I’m just not sure if I’m reading it wrong, or if it’s an inconsistency, but I felt like the conversation was implying that Roman did indeed do something with Cody, even though he didn’t.
Like I said, this may be just me, and it’s kind of ticky thing. It didn’t make me enjoy His Handyman any less. I was quite pleased with it. I sat outside in the fresh air with some music and an adult beverage and read it in about an hour, and it was a great distraction after a rough day. I’ve checked Lexie Davis’s Amazon page, and it looks like she writes a lot of menage with a woman involved. That’s not really my cup of tea, but I would be more than happy to read any future gay stories she may write in the future.
