Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella
When Con makes the split decision to take an injured student in his kindergarten class to the emergency room, his life is flipped upside down. He had his reasons: the school administration was out of the office, Lizzy was screaming her head off and refused to take an ambulance, and her father was unreachable by phone. But when her usually cool as a cucumber father, Wes Callahan, shows up at the hospital yelling at Con, Con is taken aback. With the final jab of “What kind of normal grown man makes a career out of hanging around little kids?” Con’s life changes unimaginably.
Returning to the school to pick up his belongings, Con is confronted by Miss Andy and Miss Bea, the school administrators. Fired. Officially fired for neglecting the safety of a child, but given the excuse that he didn’t follow school policy, which doesn’t exist to begin with. The icing on the terrible cake and what cut him to the bone was the fact that they alluded to Con being inappropriate with students.
With only enough money in his savings to cover another month’s rent, Con is on the hunt for another job. Not that it will be that easy for a man to find a job in early education without references. Down on his luck and depressed, he’s happy to see his former teaching partner, Pip, who informs him that the staff of Sunshine Cottage Preschool and Kindergarten is protesting his dismissal. Pip also tells him of her confrontation with Mr. Callahan and his seeming contriteness.
When Pip invites Con out to have a going away part of sorts, Con is surprised to find himself face to face with Wes Callahan. Even more surprised when Wes asks him out, especially since he thought Wes was homophobic and hated him. It’s a bad idea to go out with Wes—he knows it—but that doesn’t stop Con from agreeing. And for the second time in as many weeks, Con’s world is turned upside down again.
Everything I Know is a short, sweet, angst-free read by one of my all-time favorite authors, Josh Lanyon. This is a story of a misunderstanding and how it affects Con’s life. We meet Con on what becomes the worst day of his life and is only made worse by veiled threats and vague rumors. But Con, in all his sadness and fear, accepts his lot and does his best to move on despite the obstacles in his way. Then in walks Wes Callahan—father extraordinaire, successful businessman, and deceptively gay man. Wes is not at all what Con thought. In fact, he’s attentive, giving, and caring, but none of that gets Con his job back, no matter how hard Wes tries.
Their story is one of misunderstandings and unlikely attraction. I love that their relationship isn’t easy given the way Con loses his job and the struggles he has afterwards, coupled with the ex-boyfriend from hell who never goes away and their age difference. The obstacles they face and how they overcome them, or don’t in some cases, makes their relationship and their feelings believable. The relationship here is a quick, almost insta-love, but with a realistic foundation. It’s sweet and frustrating and utterly rewarding, which is probably what I love so much about it.
Like every other Lanyon story I’ve ever read, this book is so well written and captivating. It’s easy to see the characters, their stories, their surroundings, even their emotions through the beauty and ease of this author’s words. I was quickly pulled in to this story by the intense emotion in the beginning and held captive by Con and his journey.
I loved this novella. The characters are lovable and so precious. This story is sweet. I would not hate to see them again down the road. I definitely recommend Everything I Know by Josh Lanyon.
