Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Ever since Ian started teaching an art class at Bennett House, he can’t help but notice a shy teen that reminds him so much of himself. Ian remembers what he life was like before Bull and how much he struggled, and he can’t help but feel a kinship to Dillon Young and want to help him.
Dillon lived with his mother and her abusive boyfriend until his grandmother finally was able to rescue him from that horrible situation. But his grandmother lives in a senior living community and she is not technically allowed to have Dillon there. Not to mention, her legal claim on Dillon is tenuous and Dillon lives in fear that his mother is going to try to drag him back into her life. When Ian and Bull take an interest in him, Dillon is wary, as he has learned that good things don’t happen to him and he fears getting too attached could lead to disaster.
Ian and Bull have always put each other first and, despite their incredibly close circle of friends, they never thought they would want to open up their life to someone else. But Dillon has captured their hearts and all they want to do is help him feel safe and loved. Now the men must figure out if their is room in their lives and their hearts for a teen in need, and find a way to keep him safe and protected.
Our Reason is the eight book in Jessie G’s Sizzling Miami series and the third book focused on Bull and Ian, following For a Reason and Their Reason. I have really enjoyed this series, and this couple in particular. While the series is very ensemble driven, Bull and Ian have always felt like a cornerstone to the group. Bull, in particular, sort of helps lead this found family and is a steady presence in all their lives. Bull and Ian have always been so deeply committed and are each other’s number one priority. So one of the interesting dynamics here is whether they want to open up their lives to someone else, and what the implications of that is for their relationship. I think Jessie G does a nice job giving us this consistency in their relationship, but also showing them growing and expanding as they consider whether they can bring Dillon into their lives.
This book is a a little different from the others in the series because while it is focused on this couple, the story is really shared with Dillon and he gets POV chapters along with Bull and Ian. This makes sense given that Dillon is 16 and getting his view on what is happening in his life is important. Especially because Dillon can give us backstory on what happened to him that he may not be ready to share with the men. That said, I did feel I missed a bit of the connection between Bull and Ian and wished for a little more time with them in their relationship. I also felt like there wasn’t nearly enough interaction between Bull, Ian, and Dillon. Dillon is kind of skittish at first and so the men keep their distance. But even as they are at the point of essentially becoming guardians, we never really see them share their feelings with him or even really talk to him about what they are thinking in terms of bringing him into their lives. Much is made of the fact that the men can read each other so well they barely need to speak, so they sort of announce decisions to the lawyer without communicating with each other or Dillon. But I kept feeling like I wanted to see more of them talking to Dillon, opening up to him about what they wanted to do, getting his feelings, etc, outside of this formal legal setting.
I also feel like we get left with things a little bit open ended here in terms of what happens with Dillon’s family. The story seems to end and then there is a follow up section with hints about what is going on in terms of them facing some penalties for their actions. Maybe this is a teaser for an upcoming book? We reach a point in the story where it seems like they are facing some risks from Dillon’s family, that there is going to be a big fight, that something will happen with them, and then it kind of gets resolved quickly with nothing really happening here. So I would have liked to see that develop a little more.
That said, this is a really warm and sweet story that I enjoyed. I like Bull and Ian, and Dillon is a great character as well. I enjoyed the parallels between Ian’s past and Dillon’s life and how the men reach out to help him. The story is fairly short (just over 100 pages), so this is mostly a chance to reconnect with Bull and Ian and see them opening their lives up to Dillon. We catch up a bit with some of the other gang, but mostly this one centers around Bull, Ian, and Dillon pretty exclusively. So I enjoyed this story and it is a nice addition to the series.
