Made For You
by Anyta Sunday
Series: Love & Family #2
Publisher: Anyta Sunday (self-published)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): May 1st 2019
Tropes: friends-to-lovers, slow burn, age gap, found family
Genre: New Adult, light-hearted contemporary gay romance
Subgenre: Contemporary gay romance, friends-to-lovers, age gap (May-December)
Links
Synopsis
Ben wants to find a new home.
Twenty-four-year-old Ben McCormick is the primary caregiver for his brother Milo after their parent’s death. A year into the job, he’s totally got the hang of it. Mostly. Sort of. Not at all?
Defeated and thoroughly chastised for his lack in parenting skills at teacher-parent night, Ben slumps away with the resolve to finally get his life sorted: be a better role model, and sell their parents’ house for a fresh start.
But first, he needs to spruce up his house to hit the market. He’s no DIY king, but Milo’s hot-as-hell woodwork teacher is…
Jack wants an old home to fix.
Thirty-nine-year-old Jack Pecker is waiting for the home of his dreams to come on the market in the summer. What better way to wait the interim months than working on a small renovation gig?
Only trouble is, the gig is for the McCormick brothers. And working in close quarters to red-haired Ben McCormick won’t be easy. Not with the attraction that simmers between them. Attraction Ben makes no effort to hide.
But Jack’s professional. Dating a parent is highly discouraged at Kresley Intermediate, and he’d never cross the lines…
Ben and Jack. Two guys searching for a home – a home that might just be where their hearts lead them.
~ - ~ - ~
Set in New Zealand, Made For You (Love & Family #2) is an MM gay romance featuring two guys at very different places in their lives – but both finding out they are looking for the same thing.
Can be read as a standalone.
Excerpt
When I return, Milo has turned around, finally facing Ben. “I don’t want you to sell the house.”
“Look, it won’t happen immediately. But it will happen.”
“It’s not fair.”
“Not got the memo yet, bucko? Life isn’t fair.”
They stare at each other. I don’t want to break their moment, but a twig snaps underfoot.
Milo spots me and his body jerks with surprise. “Mr. Woodpecker?”
I cut Ben a look, and he pauses to smirk before turning his chin toward Milo. I think he might tell him to cut that sh*t out.
“Mr. Woodpecker holds your Fanta ransom.”
Or not.
I’m close to putting an end to this stand-off and barking orders. If Milo were my kid, I’d have his ass in bed by now, no media for a fortnight.
Not my kid. Not my kid.
Ben reads my face and his expression shutters. “F*ck. We’re pissing off your teacher. How much will it take to get you down?”
He pulls a wallet from his back pocket.
“Fifty,” Milo hollers.
“Five.”
“Forty.”
This is not actually happening. Ben’s parenting is unorthodox at best.
“Ten.”
“Thirty-five, and not a dollar less.”
“Fifteen, and you shower before bed.”
Milo leans over the edge and reins in his shout. “Do I have to do my hair?”
Ben looks like he’s about to give into a frustrated laugh. The poor guy is damp and muddy and miserable, and Milo needs to quit it.
I catch Milo’s gaze and hold it. It might not be my place, but I have to do something for Ben. My voice is steady and commanding. “Get your butt down here, boy. Or I’ll have you cleaning the class bins all week.”
“Fine. Fifteen bucks. I’ll do my hair.” He lowers a ladder and I brace the sh*tty thing as he climbs down.
Ben crowds close behind me, a block of warmth at my back. He lets out a breathy ‘thank f*ck’ at my nape that feels a lot like brushing up against an electric line that definitely shouldn’t be crossed.
Carra's Review
If you’re a fan of slow burn romances, you’ll want to be putting this one on your TBR list. As much as Ben flirts and pushes, Jack steadfastly holds him off over and over again. Not because he doesn’t want him, but for propriety’s sake. Because not only do we have the age gap thing going on here (about 16 years), but Ben is the caregiver for his younger brother who is a student in one of Jack’s classes. And Jack is really, really good at standing his ground (but you know sooner or later…).
Given Ben’s circumstances, I think he’s doing a pretty good job of taking care of his brother Milo. Milo is a smart kid, and a crafty little negotiator—and like most kids sees and understands more than adults give him credit for. Ben is responsible and you can see his brother means everything to him…even when Milo’s being a smartass.
Though at first I didn’t feel that spark between Jack and Ben, as things began to slowly unfold I could feel them growing closer first as friends until finally giving in to more (but you’ll be waiting a while for that!). Between them and Milo, you could almost visualize a family bond growing as the story progressed. It was sweet and meaningful, and that slow burn means you won’t even see a kiss for quite a while—but the story didn’t need it until it did finally occur. That delay just helped emphasize that building bond.
Made for You was a solid 4-star read for me, and I’d recommend it to any M/M romance fan. While it’s the second book in this series and characters from the first book show up here in supporting roles (and Jack is introduced in book one), this can absolutely be read as a standalone. Even though physical intimacy doesn’t make an appearance until very late in the book, the sexual content and adult language do make this story one for readers 18+.
About Anyta Sunday
A bit about me: I'm a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.
Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.
I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.
My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Thai.
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