Us

collecting my thoughtsokay, I can do this and sound rationalI read [b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] last year after ogling that delicious cover and seeing some really fawning reviews here on GR. I was not disappointed. One of my favorite reads ever. Period. So much so that I'd been reticent about reading [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] because the reviews were not as laudatory so why mess with perfection. In the end I took the plunge but waited to pair it up with the audio because [a:Teddy Hamilton 15007880 Teddy Hamilton https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] and [a:Jacob Morgan 3145556 Jacob Morgan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1493415553p2/3145556.jpg] are seriously awesome. Now I want to kick myself because I should've trusted [a:Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy 7737308 Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1402702789p2/7737308.jpg], they haven't led me astray yet and the release of the audio would've been a sweet reread. Next time.I can see why some people were not as gaga over part #2 of the series. Whereas [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] was the honeymoon phase of a romance, discovering each other and the feelings that transpire,[b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] is the story of how that love survives outside when the real world intrudes upon the bubble of unicorns and rainbows. The fact is that one can't exist without the other. As much as I loved [b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] at the end the guys were left in this fairytale world of perfection. A sweet dream that if not corrected could rob their story of truth and validity. [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] is how these young men learn to navigate adult life both in the professional arena and in a relationship. You feel for them because they feel quite alone and ill equipped to handle these things. They're hiding Wes' sexual orientation, waiting for the right time to “come out” but always in fear of being discovered. They don't socialize, have no friends, Jamie's family is in California, Wes has no family to speak of and the grueling schedule of a hockey season all add up to frayed nerves and insecurities. To make matters worse they are not communicating well which has always been their forte even before they were a couple and add to that Jamie becomes seriously ill. All is not lost and one of the underlying themes of the book is that there is more good, love, and friendship in the world if we only open our eyes and hearts. To the rescue comes the most unlikely hero, Blake Riley. Like a rube at first I thought I would hate him but pretty quickly saw the error of my ways. That man is awesome and so are most of Wes' teammates and Jamie's coworkers and teen players. I don't think this was wishful thinking on the part of the writers. I've seen this in real life. People surprise you. Happy surprises.I loved how the writers were not only content with fixing Wes and Jamie's relationship but also setting them on the path of satisfying careers and learning to let go or embrace things that may rub against the grain but that are part and parcel of healthy, loving, adult relationships. This was the coda we didn't think we needed. It makes the story whole and truer to life. Yes there are chapters that are like the dark night of the soul for both guys but overcoming them and working thru these issues, be they internal or external and coming out together and stronger is what makes you believe that these two will be walking around hand in hand 30 years from now.So did I like it? No. I. Loved. It.