Falling Ember (Men of Fairlake #2)

Not sure what I want to read right now (reading slump mixed with mild seasonal depression). However, Romeo Alexander's "Men of Fairlake" has been on my TBR list for a while now, so I figured I'd start there. The second novel is "Falling Embers."

["One freak accident is all it takes to rip open the closet doors and threaten the peace I’ve fought my entire life to gain.

Isaiah Bently is everything I’m not. Rich and charismatic, with a smoking hot body earned through years of hauling people out of burning buildings, he’s the kind of guy everyone either wants to be or wants to be with.

So imagine my surprise when an on-the-job injury forces us together, and I’m faced with the realization that what Isaiah wants…is me.

His sweet, playful touches re-awaken a part of me I’ve spent my entire life trying to deny, and it isn’t long before the simmering attraction between us turns explosive. Behind closed doors, I give him everything he asks of me and more.

But secrets like ours never stay hidden for long. And when my lifelong tormenter discovers I’ve fallen hard for another man, I’m faced with an impossible choice. Bring my relationship with Isaiah out into the open, and risk losing everyone I’ve ever cared about…

Or turn my back on the only person to love me, all of me, exactly as I am."]

This book made me sooooob. For like 20-30 minutes I just had tears streaming down my face while I continued to furiously read. Fucking fictional characters breaking my heart. 

And broke it they did. It was such a sweet and slow burn and soft and spicy and perfect book. It healed your soul before leaving you wondering where humanity is heading only to make everything better again (with soup-filled bread-bowls on top--instead of whipped cream?--though Isaiah would probably loooove if we added whipped cream on top of Julian).

Trigger Warnings: firefighting action and on-the-job injuries, homophobia (including homophobic slurs), internalized homophobia, toxic families, alcoholism, mental health problems, mental abuse, physical abuse, economic abuse, blackmail, and more  

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