Title: One Step Further
Author: Felice Stevens
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: June 29, 2015
Alex Stern has it all; good looks, charm, a job he loves and everyone calls him a friend. He lives life to the fullest at a breakneck pace, in the city that never sleeps. But Alex is also a master pretender; not even his best friend sees the pain that Alex hides so well. Alex himself isn’t sure who he is or what he’s searching for, he only knows that he hasn’t found it yet.
As a veterinarian, Rafe Hazelton loves each animal that crosses his path; they don’t care if he stutters a bit or that prefers men. Their love is unconditional, but his life is still empty; they can only give him so much. New friendships convince him it’s time to break the wall of loneliness he’s hidden behind since childhood and discover what he's been missing.
Alex and Rafe forge a friendship that turns physical, and they both swear that the relationship will last only as long as the fun does. But when old heartaches come to light and secrets hidden for years are revealed, Alex and Rafe discover if they accept what’s in their hearts and take it one step further, the greatest reward is waiting for them in the end.
Foxy Rating = Four and a half Stars
*ARC provided by the
author in exchange for an honest review
I have been eagerly
waiting for this book to be released ever since I fell for Alex in
Memories of the Heart, which was Micah and Josh's story. So when the
ARC landed on my kindle I was doing the happy dance.
Alex is attending his
best friend, Micah's wedding to Josh when he notices the quiet and
unassuming friend of Josh, Rafe. He tries to make conversation but
the shy man retreats quietly into his shell. Life and soul of the
party Alex, shrugs it off and carries on regardless. But it is after
the newlyweds are off on honeymoon that Alex and Rafe cross paths
again. Looking after Lucky, Micah's dog, gives him an excuse to drop
into Veterinary Surgeon, Rafe's clinic.
Rafe has always been an
outsider looking in, whether this is due to his sexuality or his
stutter, he has kept himself to himself and been alone with his
sorrow. His parents never showed him any love and in fact have been a
stranger to him for the past decade or so. His love for his animals
is returned ten fold though and Rafe finds happiness in caring for
them. However he has also lusted after Alex from afar for over a year
but he knows he would never stand a chance with the hot and sexy
surgery nurse.
Alex can always be
found as the centre of attention, his happy go lucky and carefree
attitude lures people all around him. But then Alex is also hiding
his own sorrows and even his best friend Micah does not know his
deepest darkest grief he has held onto for the last fifteen years.
I loved the gradual
build up of the friendship of Alex and Rafe and how they both
unknowingly gave each other the greatest support. But what was even
more wonderful was the way the friendship turned into passion and
then ultimately love. I was instantly in love with both these
characters and felt the depth of their devotion and reliance on each
other. The chemistry was easily established and gave a whole new
meaning to hot off the kindle!
It was good to catch up
with Micah, Josh, Lucky and the grandmas who made a cameo appearance.
It was also good to see that Micah still had his grumpy ways but now
he had Josh to pull his head out of his backside!
There was plenty of
angst and sorrow to balance with the lust and passion to give an all
round satisfying read. I much preferred this book to Memories of the
Heart, as for me it didn't need to rely on the cheesiness of the fun
factor in the grandmas. Here is was more a less a two header and
didn't need any frills as the pairing were an engrossing story in
their own right. Lots of drama from their past lives and lots of the
happy feels coming through in the end and the epilogue. I am so happy
that Ms Stevens gave Alex his own book. I just knew he would be a hit
and he was. So well matched with Rafe too. I loved this book and a
definite must read. Four and a half stars.
Through his years of practice and experience, Rafe had learned to help and comfort, to step in when his expertise was needed, and step away when there was no hope left at all. What Alex didn’t know was that Rafe always held out hope for life, and though he might give the appearance of a man ruled by quiet and calm, in truth he was tenacious as a bulldog and refused to accept defeat.
So Rafe allowed Alex to sit in his moody silence until their beers came and they both took long, bracing swallows.
“Can I speak now?”
Alex shrugged. “Suit yourself.” That offhand comment led Rafe to believe Alex didn’t expect much from people or life in general. Perhaps he too had been disappointed by the people who should have always been there for him and weren’t.
“All my life I’ve been told I was different and that kids wouldn’t like me because of my stutter. When I realized I was gay, I knew my struggle only increased ten-fold. It made me retreat even more.”
Alex traced the lip of his beer bottle with his finger. “Yeah. I can understand that to an extent.”
So Rafe allowed Alex to sit in his moody silence until their beers came and they both took long, bracing swallows.
“Can I speak now?”
Alex shrugged. “Suit yourself.” That offhand comment led Rafe to believe Alex didn’t expect much from people or life in general. Perhaps he too had been disappointed by the people who should have always been there for him and weren’t.
“All my life I’ve been told I was different and that kids wouldn’t like me because of my stutter. When I realized I was gay, I knew my struggle only increased ten-fold. It made me retreat even more.”
Alex traced the lip of his beer bottle with his finger. “Yeah. I can understand that to an extent.”
“That’s my point. You can understand it to an extent, but not really. I’m not saying this in a spiteful way.” It was so important to Rafe to make Alex understand where he was coming from. “You’re a big, good-looking man with a great personality. Everywhere you go, you make friends so easily; people gravitate to you naturally. It’s a gift, if you think about it.”
“I have many gifts,” said Alex with a wink and smiled for the first time since they sat down. Rafe wasn’t fooled.
“You’re deflecting,” he stated, and like Rafe knew he would, Alex stopped smiling, his mouth thinning to a tight line. “Don’t get angry with me.”
“I’m not. I’m only wondering when you decided to appoint yourself as my therapist.”
“I have many gifts,” said Alex with a wink and smiled for the first time since they sat down. Rafe wasn’t fooled.
“You’re deflecting,” he stated, and like Rafe knew he would, Alex stopped smiling, his mouth thinning to a tight line. “Don’t get angry with me.”
“I’m not. I’m only wondering when you decided to appoint yourself as my therapist.”
Rafe pinned Alex with a stare and a raised brow. “When someone sticks their tongue down my throat, it’s a signal to me that maybe we’ve gone beyond a handshake and a ‘Hi, how are you.’”
Alex stared at him for a moment, then his eyes creased with amusement and he started to laugh. He didn’t stop, even when the waiter arrived with their food.
Rafe folded his arms and glared. “I’m not finished. You make friends easily but it’s all on the surface, isn’t it? I bet people don’t ever really get to know the real you, do they?”
Once again, Alex stopped laughing, only this time it seemed he’d had enough. “I don’t have to listen to this shit.” He looked around for the waiter. “I’ll get my food to go.”
“That’s what you always do, don’t you. Instead of talking about things, you make a joke or run away. It’s easier to run away.”
As Rafe spoke, Alex’s face grew dark with anger. Now that he’d started talking, Rafe couldn’t stop; the words spilled like water rushing from a dam.
“I know what it’s like. My reason is obvious. I spent almost my whole life hiding behind a wall of silence. But what reason do you have to play the class clown all the time? People would like you no matter what.”
For a moment Alex stared at him, then smiled a real smile, the first all night. It kindled a glow in his deep blue eyes.
“Do you realize something?” He leaned forward and Rafe swore he could feel the warmth radiating from Alex’s body across the table.
Caught up in the moment, Rafe couldn’t look away. The sounds of the pub faded in the background, including the music, which unfortunately had gone from ’80s retro to modern day rap. “Wha-what?” His mouth tasted dry even with the beer he’d drunk.
“You barely stuttered, not at all until now.”
Alex’s large warm palm slid over his own hand and gave it a squeeze. “That’s great isn’t it? You must be getting more comfortable with me.” A wide grin broke across his face. “Guess that tongue down the throat action worked for something.”
Alex stared at him for a moment, then his eyes creased with amusement and he started to laugh. He didn’t stop, even when the waiter arrived with their food.
Rafe folded his arms and glared. “I’m not finished. You make friends easily but it’s all on the surface, isn’t it? I bet people don’t ever really get to know the real you, do they?”
Once again, Alex stopped laughing, only this time it seemed he’d had enough. “I don’t have to listen to this shit.” He looked around for the waiter. “I’ll get my food to go.”
“That’s what you always do, don’t you. Instead of talking about things, you make a joke or run away. It’s easier to run away.”
As Rafe spoke, Alex’s face grew dark with anger. Now that he’d started talking, Rafe couldn’t stop; the words spilled like water rushing from a dam.
“I know what it’s like. My reason is obvious. I spent almost my whole life hiding behind a wall of silence. But what reason do you have to play the class clown all the time? People would like you no matter what.”
For a moment Alex stared at him, then smiled a real smile, the first all night. It kindled a glow in his deep blue eyes.
“Do you realize something?” He leaned forward and Rafe swore he could feel the warmth radiating from Alex’s body across the table.
Caught up in the moment, Rafe couldn’t look away. The sounds of the pub faded in the background, including the music, which unfortunately had gone from ’80s retro to modern day rap. “Wha-what?” His mouth tasted dry even with the beer he’d drunk.
“You barely stuttered, not at all until now.”
Alex’s large warm palm slid over his own hand and gave it a squeeze. “That’s great isn’t it? You must be getting more comfortable with me.” A wide grin broke across his face. “Guess that tongue down the throat action worked for something.”
I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending just around the corner. I started reading traditional historical romances when I was a teenager, then life and law school got in the way. It wasn’t until I picked up a copy of Bertrice Small and became swept away to Queen Elizabeth’s court that my interest in romance novels became renewed.
But somewhere along the way, my tastes shifted. While I still enjoys a juicy Historical romance, I began experimenting with newer, more cutting edge genres and discovered the world of Male/Male romance. Once I picked up her first, I became so enamored of the authors, the character-driven stories and the overwhelming emotion of the books, I knew I wanted to write my own.
I live in New York City with my husband and two children and hopefully soon a cat of my own. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.
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