Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

Archie Jones and Zach Lorrimer have been together since they were teenagers. They credit their relationship success to bringing in anonymous hookups to keep things fresh and new. No strings. No names. No repeats. Everyone’s happy, right?

Everyone but Archie… For Archie, these hookups stopped being fun a long time ago. Forced to kick these guys to the curb before the sweat even dries, he’s had enough. He wishes that he was enough to keep Zach happy. Zach, however, thinks that he will never be enough to keep Archie happy.

Terry Franklin isn’t a hookup, but his presence could destroy Archie’s and Zach’s relationship. Where Archie sees a threat, Zach sees a kindred spirit. Despite Archie’s insistence that Zach keep Terry outside their bed and their lives, Terry becomes a lifeline that Zach refuses to let go. Can Archie’s and Zach’s relationship survive?

This is the second book in the Urban Love series and can be read as a standalone. Though Archie and Zach were minor secondary characters in the first book, this story focuses solely on their relationship. For readers of the series, Rick and Matt from the first book play a strong secondary role.

Readers should know that this isn’t a light-hearted romance story. It is gritty and real. Archie and Zach have been bringing in anonymous hookups for the last few years to spice up their relationship. While it initially started out as fun, it has left both of them feeling as if they aren’t enough to satisfy each other. In essence, their relationship has disintegrated around them as they’ve forgotten how to communicate outside of the bedroom.

When Zach meets Terry, the hot barman, Archie is adamant that he is not to be part of their lives – in or out of the bedroom. Yet, Zach and Terry have a connection that is too strong to ignore. Both carrying around baggage from their childhoods, they are kindred spirits who have the power to help each other heal. Zach knows that his relationship with Terry can destroy his relationship with Archie, so he begins to keep their friendship a secret. He also keeps secret what the two of them are doing together because he knows Archie won’t be happy about it either.

This was the type of story that has you reaching for tissues one minute and then wanting to just reach in and grab these characters and shake some sense into them the next. Initially, I wasn’t a fan of Zach because he comes across as childish and volatile, whereas Archie comes across as the even tempered one…only as the story goes on, I found myself sympathizing with Zach and realizing that Archie has some issues that he needs to address.

Terry isn’t your typical villain, especially considering he isn’t the evil boyfriend snatcher that Archie thinks he is. Though he plays the role of the fun loving barman, his back story had me conflicted because I so much wanted to see him get a happy ending.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised that I really liked this story. I will admit, I was leery considering I am not a fan of open relationships/threesomes and I really wasn’t a fan of the opening scene in this story. Yet, despite this, I found that I was hooked! If you love an angsty romance story, you are going to love this. Highly recommend!