Jesse’s Diner (Belen’s Review)

Title: Jesse’s Diner (Hope #2)
Author: Cardeno C.
Publisher: The Romance Authors, LLC
Release Date: September 29th 2015
Genre(s): M/M Contemporary Romance
Word Count: Approx. 30,000
Reviewed by: Belen
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Blurb:

Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.

Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.

Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another, all they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true.

When I heard this was being released next week I’ll admit I started wishing on a star. Because I really, really wanted to read this.

And then I was granted an ARC. Which just tells you wishes really do come true!

Jesse’s Diner doesn’t disappoint! It perfectly embodies the collection’s name by being about the hope between two men who aren’t perfect, but are perfect for one another.

Tanner is sweet, unassuming, and has had the BIGGEST crush on Steve for years. It turns out that his crush isn’t as one sided as he thought. What follows is a sweet courtship and romance that just melted me. I absolutely loved the elements in this, and several of the topics are hugely relevant and, I thought, handled beautifully.

Spoiler

Steve’s positive status not being met by automatic disgust or horror from Tanner was refreshing.

Though, honestly, I would have liked more time spent on it. Tanner Googles information for about an hour, and that it is all rainbows and kittens wasn’t very believable.

I’ll admit my biggest complaint is that I wanted more time with the guys.

Spoiler

Oh, and I want to know what was going on with the Sheriff’s phone call. Fingers crossed he’s up in book 3 of the series!

I loved it and can very easily HIGHLY RECOMMEND it!

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