Lantern Star Books, $2.99, ISBN 978-1005819965
Contemporary Romance, 2021
Scott Taylor’s childhood friend and housemate Marvin has moved away, as the guy is getting married and therefore he needs more space. Our hero is tad nervous about looking for a replacement housemate, as he’s openly gay and he isn’t keen on navigating through potential assholes that don’t approve of him liking what he does.
Fortunately, Marvin has arranged for a replacement to move in, without informing Scott because such surprises are always the best.
Tall and muscular, with blond hair, loose and floppy on the top. I instantly recognise him as Marvin’s older brother and my teenage crush: Cole.
Cole Miller has just gone through a messy divorce. I’m sure everyone will be shocked as to the reason why. Not only is Cole aware of Scott’s sexual preference, surprise, he’s also into the same thing, so shagging will commence in 3… 2…
It’s Gotta Be You is a simple story in that regard. Guy meets guy, guy yeets guy, they decide that they are going to be together forever, the end.
It’s probably too simple, because the skid marks on the page caused by the author taking short cuts can be tad too obvious. This isn’t a long story, so the author skips a few steps along the road to romance by having Scott crushing on Cole since forever. Cole immediately drops blatant hints that he’s all for getting a leg up for the giddy up because that’s what guys do in real life: blab all their issues to people that they have just properly met since five minutes ago.
There is nothing to test the sincerity or strength of the professed love and affection here. It’s just two guys meeting and bumping uglies within eight chapters, quickly done with so that the author can move on to the next story.
Thus, I don’t have much to say about this one. I can’t say that reading this had been a painful experience, but it’s also a completely forgettable one. Perhaps folks looking foe a simple read about two guys just smoothly sliding into one another will have a better time with this one, who knows.
On my part, though, I find myself wishing that there’s something more here to whet my appetite. Perhaps an emotional conflict, something to give some layers to a relationship that proceeds way too quickly and smoothly to be fully credible. I also wish that I hadn’t been so easily seduced by the hot guy doing that sexy pose on the cover into thinking that I may be getting a hot read here. Stock photos of hot guys can be such a menace sometimes, I tell you.
At any rate, me and It’s Gotta Be You, we clearly aren’t meant to be in any long term manner.
