Lovers, Losers and You (Sunshine and Happiness #2)

Title: Lovers, Losers and You (Sunshine and Happiness #2)
Author: Skylar M. Cates
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date:September 11th 2015
Genre(s): Contemporary
Page Count: 220
Reviewed by: Ele
Heat Level: 5 flames out of 5
Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5
Blurb:

How can you lose one dream and still find another?

Owen King is a lonely history teacher who wants to be braver. So when Owen learns about the deceased brother he never met, he breaks free of his safety net and risks answers. Despite his loving, adopted family, Owen wonders if there are missing pieces inside of him. Visiting the seaside town of Ocean Vista, where his brother lived and died, will be no vacation.

Andrew Teagan wants to be a winner. After being dumped by his last boyfriend, Andrew is through letting others dictate his life. To prove that dreams are possible, he’s going after his ambitions full force. Having signed on for a cooking reality show, Andrew’s ready to make his small café into a sizzling success.

When Andrew aids Owen on the beach, what starts off as an act of kindness turns into a hot temptation. But can a sweet budding romance survive when the time comes for Owen to leave town? Both men must learn to trust each other if their love will conquer the miles between them.

was one of my favorite books this year. Scratch that, it was one of my all time favorite MM books and a category of its own. So, the bar was set high and I was excited and wary at the same time about the second book. I’m happy to report that Skylar M.Cates did not disappoint.

is exactly how the second installment of the series should be. Sweet, full of romance and steam. So very hopeful but with this undercurrent melancholy that never goes away.

We met Andrew in the first book. He is the owner of the café where the gang used to hang around. Despite family problems and his mother always trying to discourage him, Andrew thinks positively and wants more and dreams big. That’s why he decides to take part in a reality cooking competition.

Owen is a teacher. He came to Ocean Vista to know more about the brother he ‘ll never get to meet. He has a wonderful family and a job to go back to. And then he meets Andrew.

Their connection is special and can’t be ignored. It’s not love yet, but it’s not just lust. They only have two weeks together but it’s enough to know they want more. I loved the fact that these two fought to be together. They never gave up on each other despite the turmoil around them; difficult decisions regarding Owen’s job, people comparing him to Brendan all the time, Andrew’s troubled teenage siblings and the distance on top of it all…it would be so easy to push each other away. But they never do.

“And I won’t lie to you, even if I lie to myself. I’m confused and fucked-up a lot of the time. But not about you. You’re the bright light, the sunlight. When everything else is so difficult, you’re what I crave.”

There is also passion and steam. Just because their relationship is so sweet, it doesn’t mean that the sex can’t be intense. And believe me, intense it was. Extra points for the steamy Skype sessions!

I have to say that this show’s detailed description made me feel like I was watching Top Chef! Without taking too much space, it totally put me in the spirit of the competition and left me rooting for Andrew’s team!

One of the things I loved in Here for you, was the sense of brotherhood in this group of friends. As expected, things are not going well for the Ocean Vista gang.

Marc is angrier than ever and fights with everyone. His friendship(?) with Tommy is at crossroads. I think this book prepares us for their story, since it’s the first time we gain some insight into their relationship, and I can tell, it will be a heartbreaking one.

River broke my heart. He is so detached from everyone and everything and nowhere near healed. I cannot wait for his story.

But, I was happy to see the overenthusiastic Cole and Ian trying to keep him grounded, as always, still going so strong.

Like I said, there is always this undercurrent melancholy, but how realistic would this story be without it? And above all, this is a love story. Owen comes to Ocean Vista to connect with his past and Andrew tries to create a better future for him and his family. What they got was so much more.

This is a series very close to my heart and I can’t wait for the next installment. I highly recommend it. If you decide to give it a go, I would strongly advise to start with the first book of the series, .

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