Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

Lukas has been crushing on his dad’s best friend, John, for years. None of the men Lukas has ever dated quite compare, but he knows being with John is just a fantasy. Not only is John a close family friend, he is also older, not to mention that he has always only dated women. But when Lukas has a plumbing emergency, John is the one he calls. A thank you dinner leads to the men spending more time together, bringing their friendship closer and affirming to Lukas how much he likes and wants John.

When Lukas and John both join Lukas’ family for a week vacation, Lukas knows being around John without giving away his feelings isn’t going to be easy. But when Lukas finally gets up the nerve to admit his attraction to John, he is taken aback to find that John shares his feelings.

John can’t believe it took him so long to realize how much he likes Lukas, and how hot he finds the man. As they explore their sexual and emotional connection, it is clear that things could get very serious between them. But John is Lukas’ father’s best friend, and they both worry about his reaction to their relationship. However, hiding what they are coming to mean to each other isn’t going to work, either. Now Lukas and John have to take a chance to share their secret so they can move forward together.

Laying Pipe is a super sexy, low angst, “dad’s best friend” story that I really enjoyed. The book opens with Lukas already crushing on John, but sure John will never feel the same way. The beginning of the story nicely lays the foundation of their connection, showing both the way John is a part of their family, as well as letting us see the men spend time together as friends. So when they ultimately begin exploring their feeling for each other, I felt enough of a sense of their relationship to make it work. It is clear that there is a spark between them even before Lukas confesses his feelings, and John is quick to jump right into things as he recognizes his own attraction. This book is super steamy and very sexy. The men spend a lot of time in bed together exploring their attraction and John’s first time with a man. John is the master of dirty talk and has a little bit of a dominant vibe, and so there is a lot of heat here that I enjoyed.

Lukas is 26 and John in his early 40s, so while this has the hint of taboo that John is Lukas’ dad’s best friend, Lukas is a grown man who is old enough to make his own choices. One of the things I really appreciated here is that Lukas is very good at speaking his mind and sharing his feelings. There are a few moments of misunderstandings as each man has some insecurities bubble over, but neither one lets them drag out. I really loved that Lukas just comes out and tells John how he feels about him, that he has a forthright conversation with his ex, etc. Not only do I appreciate good communication from my romance heroes, but it also showed that despite the age difference, Lukas is mature and more than ready to be in a relationship with John.

The conflict here focuses on how Lukas’ parents will react to their relationship, and there are a few other small issues the men must handle as well. But this story is pretty low on the angst meter. It is more about watching the men explore their connection and find their way to each other, rather than on a lot of external plot. I found there was enough to enjoy here that I didn’t miss having more going on with the story. It is just a really sexy, sweetly romantic book that was exactly what I was in the mood to read. I enjoyed this one quite a lot and can definitely recommend it.