the one that got awayRating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Suffering from a debilitating migraine, David Carmichael calls his best friend, fellow journalist, Trace Jackson. And of course, Trace drops everything to pick up his friend’s medicine and take care of him. And when David falls and injures his shoulder, Trace has no qualms about moving into David’s house to take care of his friend for the next six weeks.

throwback thursdayBeing so close to Trace is unnerving, especially when David starts seeing Trace in a whole new light. He’s never been attracted to Trace. Not once. Being in such close proximity every hour of every day is messing with his head. For one, Trace is straight and the ultimate ladies’ man. But that doesn’t stop David’s mind and libido from going into overdrive when Trace is around.

Trace has never once been attracted to a man. The only explanation he has for the thoughts he’s having for David is that he’s spending so much time with him. Sleeping in the same bed doesn’t help. Then David comes out to him. Trace is a natural born flirt, but his words and actions toward David have him questioning his own wants and needs. Making his decision, Trace makes a move that throws David off balance, but now the fear of damaging their friendship is a real worry, not to mention their future and Trace’s reputation with the ladies.

Happy Throwback Thursday! Today’s TBT was recommended to me by a friend and I’m glad I listened, because, truly, you guys know how much I love a good OFY and friends to lovers story, right? This one is all about both without any hint of angst. It’s a lovely breath of fresh air and a sweet story. Have y’all ever had a new friend to the genre, or a friend who wants to try m/m but doesn’t know what to read? Well, this is the perfect book for that. It’s a wonderful, angst-free, heartfelt romance, a prime example of the reason I love this genre so very much.

So, I absolutely adore David and Trace. Seriously, these guys are perfect. I like most of all that there is no drama between them. David notices his best friend in a new light for the first time, and whereas it freaks him out at first, he eventually gives into the motto of look but don’t touch. I love Trace. The thing about Trace is, he’s this killer flirt, and I’m not sure if he even realizes he’s doing it half the time. And when he starts to see David as more than his BFF, he doesn’t run and hide. He analyzes those feelings and lets it happen. I love that these guys are so true to themselves. It makes their story that much more enjoyable.

I only have a couple quibbles with this book. One: the story drags in places. There were times I wanted to bang my head on the desk for the amount of time and useless pondering that was wasted. I almost felt like the authors were simply trying to add wordage instead of story. And two (and this is more of a personal preference): the abrupt changes of POV was a bit disarming at first and I found myself questioning whose POV I was reading at times. It was distracting.

All that being said, I still adored this book. It’s sweet and fun and pretty damn sexy, because we all know OFY is one of my all-time faves. It’s definitely a book I’d recommend to a newcomer, seasoned m/m vet, and hobby reader. This book spans the sweetness m/m rainbow. I highly recommend The One That Got Away by Rhianne Aile and Madeleine Urban.

A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.

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