tasteRating: 4.75 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Taylor is working out his two week’s notice at a job he hates because he’s finally sold the project he’s been working on for years and has made a fortune. But before Taylor goes, his presence is required at a team building weekend. He doesn’t want to go, and he’s kicking himself for agreeing to work out his two weeks. While waiting for the bus that is going to to take everyone into the Scottish countryside, Taylor feels like he’s being watched. He sees an older man staring at him, and Taylor feels an insane, intense, inexplicable desire for the older man, despite not knowing who he is. On the bus ride, the man introduces himself as Charles. It’s clear Charles knows the bigwigs at the company, but Taylor has never met the man before.

What is certain is that Taylor and Charles have a mutual and very intense attraction. Taylor keeps telling himself that Charles is not his type, but when Charles finally makes a move, Taylor bends to the man’s wishes. Their connection is strong, but Taylor is on his way out and he’s going to do some traveling. Taylor has a desperate need not to be tied down, and he feels like Charles might want that. Or that their potential relationship could make Taylor want to stay, and he’s been working his entire life to get out. Despite how well they click and how much they want each other, Taylor thinks he needs to walk away. And when Charles lets him, Taylor thinks that it’s over. Except Taylor can’t stop thinking about Charles and his need for the man. Now Taylor needs to figure out if there is a way he can have Charles and his dreams at the same time.

I’m going to start with my tiny quibble, and the reason that this story did not get a perfect 5-star rating from me. I could not, for the life of me, figure out why Taylor went on the team building weekend when he had one week left to his notice. He was not going to be working for the company anymore, so it made absolutely no sense that he would go on this trip. And so, I’ll admit that it bugged me enough to drop my rating that little bit, but overall I was able to run with the premise and enjoy the heck out of this book.

I’m a fan of this author, everything I’ve read of his has been a winner, and this story is no exception. I loved Taylor, his complexity and layers, and I love the way they were slowly revealed over the course of the story. This guy was so perfectly drawn that I found myself utterly understanding and believing him. He was real and relatable, and flawed and imperfect. And at the same time, had a strong will and commitment that had to be admired. It’s funny, because usually when characters cling stubbornly to their mindset and unwilling to budge, it irritates me. But with Taylor and everything he’s gone through, it just worked perfectly. And I loved his compromise at the end, I loved the way he moved forward at his own pace and in a believable way for him. Really, Taylor was one of the characters that I just loved from start to finish

Charles was his perfect counterpoint. The man was exactly everything that Taylor didn’t think he was attracted to, but I loved that he was drawn to the man nonetheless. I loved Charles’s confidence and boldness, and I thought it was perfectly fitting for his character.  He poked and pushed, and got under Taylor’s skin. But when he was going to go too far, he backed off. He was the perfect balance of patient and pushy. Really, I adored him as well.

So we had two fantastic MCs who had insane chemistry together. Seriously, guys, these two just sparked from the moment they locked eyes and it didn’t quit throughout the whole story. This story had a bit of a fairy tale feel to it, with the instant attraction and the way they swept each other off their feet. But there was a grounded element to it that made it feel like it was happening in the here and now.

Really, I just adored this story from beginning to end. I couldn’t put it down, and I read it quickly because I was dying to know what happened next. I know for sure this will be on my reread list. If you’re looking for a fantastic romance, with slightly broken heroes that have done their own saving and just need a little help over that last hurdle, then Taste in Men is absolutely the book for you.

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