Rating: 3.75 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novella
Trent Thorne has been hiding for a long time. He’s a public figure as a country music star, but he hides in the closet. He thought he was in love with his close friend, but when he shares his feelings, the only thing Trent gets is outed. Trent has to get out of Nashville and takes his friend’s offer to hide out in the small town of Fate, Texas.
Trent is only in town for a few hours when he meets deputy police officer, Lance Nichols. Their first meeting is a comedy of errors, but the attraction is serious from the start. The men are on each other from almost the moment they meet, and both men are shocked by how easy and right it is so quickly. But Lance is deeply in the closet and has no intention of coming out in his small Texas town. Trent may have been forced out of the closet, but he has no intention of going back in. They are two men from two different worlds and Lance will have to decide if wants to go back to the life he knew before Trent stumbled into it.
Jess Bryant is a new-to-me author and this is also the author’s first m/m book. There was a lot to like here, but I will say that you have to be ready for insta-everything. I am completely fine with all things insta, but this may have been a bit too much in some areas.
Trent has a great career as singer, but it all falls apart quickly. Taking refuge in Fate, Texas was not in his plans, but his best friend, Lemon, who is also a chart-topping singer, offers him refuge. Trent and Lance stumble awkwardly upon each other the first night Trent is in town. Even though Trent is still reeling from being outed and his life exploding, and Lance is deeply in the closet, the men are on each other after only the most basic pleasantries are exchanged.
Their relationship then moves at an incredible speed from meeting, to tackling each other into bed, to the I love yous, all within a few short days. It was super fast. We are given a decent background on both men in a short time that includes their families and Lance’s womanizing ways as he tried to deny his entire life that he was gay.
The men have chemistry together and, for a shorter book, there were a lot of intimate scenes as both men enjoy not having to hold back during their intimate encounters. While the scenes were well written, it did take away from any relationship building and when the men were ready to make huge changes to their lives, with the help of a “Notting Hill” moment, it seemed more like a race to the finish. The author also has several m/f books set in the town of Fate and there were a few moments I felt like I should have been expected to know what had already transpired.
The ending leaves the men in a great place, but the repercussions Lance was afraid of at work and in town were brushed aside and the epilogue was given over to both Lance and Trent’s siblings and their own ending was rushed. Stay a Little Longer is marked as book one in a series and if there was more for either these men or additional characters, I would consider reading on. This book would work for a quicker read with several steamy scenes and especially if you like a relationship that moves at a highly accelerated pace.
