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Length: 71,000 words
Blurb
"I hated that I was like this, but after years of trying to work through it I was beginning to feel like I'd never be normal." ~ Cody
Hiding the fact that I was in love with my best friend Isaac used to be the most complicated part of my day, until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger named Jonah sent my life into a tailspin. Scars from my past have stopped me from giving in to my desires for so long, but I'm done being afraid. I want both men. I just don't know if I'll be able to trust that anyone can love me.
"I knew it was a bit messed up, but there was no jealousy or envy when I thought of my men together." ~ Isaac
I've loved Cody for as long as I've known him, but have always held back because of his past. Then I met Jonah and I knew there was no way I could choose between them. I want it all-the man I've loved for so long, and the one I'm quickly falling for. It's not going to be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is.
"I wanted to believe it was all true, but I couldn't push aside the fear that I was just a distraction until the two of them got together." ~ Jonah
After having my heart broken I never thought I'd find love again. I wasn't looking for anything real, and then I met not one, but two men I can't resist. Isaac and Cody are everything I ever wanted but didn't know I could have. I want to believe the three of us can work, but a part of me can't get past the fear that I'll be the odd man out, again.
*This is Book 2 of The Den Boys series, but can be read as a standalone - no cliffhangers.
Excerpt
“So, start with Insidious?” I asked Cody as we flopped on his small couch.
“You’re evil.”
“What? We’ve seen it so many times you should know when the freaky parts happen. I could have said I Spit On Your Grave.”
“That movie was messed up, not scary.” Cody shook his head and took the beer I held out to him. “I’m never watching that one again.”
“True, how about The Grudge?”
“Fine, but I swear to god, if you change my ringtone to that creepy moaning noise, I’ll never speak to you again.”
I grinned and opened my computer to cue up the movie. We might be able to joke about that incident now, but at the time it had been anything but funny.
The first time we’d watched it together we’d only been friends for about a month. I’d waited until Cody had fallen asleep then downloaded the moaning sound the demon character made as his ringtone. Then I’d snuck into the bathroom, blocked my number and called his phone. We’d been at my place that night, and he’d flipped out.
I’d felt terrible at how badly I’d scared him. I’d thought he’d get a good laugh out of it and that would be the end of things, but he’d been so freaked out he hadn’t been able to sleep for hours.
That was the night I’d learned a little bit about Cody’s past, and why he hadn’t handled the joke well. It wasn’t so much the ringtone that had scared him, it had been waking up in my bed alone, scared and disoriented.
It had taken a few more months for Cody to open up and tell me more about his past, and every time he told me something new my heart broke a little bit more for him. Even now I’d learn about something he hadn’t told me yet, and I’d wish I could take away his pain.
The more time I’d spent with Cody, the more I’d realized that he was an incredible person. He wasn’t just sweet and kind, he was caring and fiercely loyal. He was also beautiful.
At five-nine he wasn’t short, but with his slender build and cherubic face he seemed so much younger than twenty-one. His big blue eyes were wide and expressive. He wore his blond hair shaved close on the sides but long on top, so it was constantly falling over his forehead and brushing the tops of his cheeks if he didn’t continuously push it back. Everything about him was so beautiful it was almost painful, and it hadn’t taken me long to fall in love with him.
If he’d been any other guy I would have asked him out on a date, and gotten to know him as a romantic interest instead of as a friend.
Carra's Review
This story had my attention with the blurb that gives 3 different characters’ points of view—M/M/M is a favorite of mine, as long as all of the characters in the relationship have plenty of depth and are all given equal attention in the story. The author did a great job of this with Cody, Isaac and Jonah—none of them were shortchanged, and getting to see everything from all three points of view gave so much more insight into their relationship, emotions and feelings.
You can’t not feel for Cody. He’s been through too much in his young life, through things that no one—especially a young child—should ever have to go through. It’s very hard to read about his past (be warned it can be a trigger for some readers, please read the trigger warnings at the front of the book before you start to read), and my heart was breaking for him hearing about it.
Isaac’s past was nothing like Cody’s, though he does have family issues that will draw your sympathy. I loved how patient and caring he was with Cody, you really can tell just how much he loves him and wants him to heal. He’s willing to set aside his feelings to help Cody, even if it means not being together in the way that he would want.
Jonah has had a really good upbringing with a large, loving family. Being drawn to both Cody and Isaac, and having them both reciprocate is like a dream come true for him—though he’s just waiting for it all to evaporate based on his assumptions that the two of them won't need him in the long term. I was a tiny bit frustrated with him assuming things instead of talking to them, that kind of formed a little disconnect for me with him just accepting that he wouldn’t be with them for long.
The chemistry between all three men—as separate couples and as a threesome—is blatantly obvious, and is beyond scorching hot. Their physically intimate scenes are sensual, erotic and frankly quite stimulating for a reader. And they all are compatible emotionally as well—something that helps contribute to Cody’s healing. A lot of their interaction does concentrate on the physical, and on Jonah and Isaac helping Cody to become more comfortable with physical intimacy.
I really enjoyed this story, though at times Jonah's thoughts toward what would eventually happen in their relationship frustrated me. I would have liked to see a bit more development of their relationship beyond the physical to be able to see more of the emotional side of things grow between them. Healing Him was a 4-star read for me, and while it is part of a series it can definitely be read as a standalone…though I do recommend reading All In to get Blaze and Galen’s story. This book is meant strictly for readers 18+ for adult language, mentions of trigger topics involving a young child, and explicit sexual content.
Author Bio
A.T. Brennan, who also writes under the name Mandie Mills, is a romance and erotica author. A native of Ottawa, Canada, she enjoys picking up and moving from city to city every few years. A former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, current entrepreneur and freelance writer, she enjoys spending her days working on her many projects and her nights writing and not getting enough sleep. Currently she lives on Canada's East Coast with her family, both two- and four-legged. She enjoys collecting books and exploring the different sides of romance and romantic expression in her works.
You can visit her at www.mandiemillsauthor.com, or on Facebook at A.T. Brennan Author, and also at Author Mandie Mills.
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