Michael Robert is a romance novelist I discovered via Instagram thanks to randomly following a bunch of fellow writers. He's known for his LGBTQ romance novels such as The Bird Catcher, Letters: Books One and Two, The Ranch, among others. He was also one of several authors (Including his husband, Garry Michael) who wrote short stories in the anthology, Cruising.
I adored this story not only because of Michael Robert's beautifully descriptive writing but also because we should all have a rock like Trey in our lives.
Scroll down for my full review.
Timing is everything.
Suddenly, Last Summer by Michael Robert is a beautifully-written romance between two men who practically grew up together, separated for far too long, then came back to fall in love.
Trey waited, and it was so worth it in the end! :-)
Jordy was taken in by the Barnes family after his own parents died in an accident. He was best friends with their oldest son, Brock, but it was his younger brother, Trey, who was absolutely smitten with Jordy.
Before Jordy left for his final year of med school and knowing he wouldn't come back the following summer, Trey admitted he was in love with Jordy. Jordy, who swore never to cross the line of dating his best friend's younger brother, who was 17 at the time, dismissed the feelings but wished him well. He needed to concentrate on becoming a medical doctor.
Fast forward a few years, and Jordy's returning to the resort the Barnes family owns and operates. Jordy is no longer a 17-year-old kid, and Jordy, who always cared for Trey, is discovering how difficult it is to fight his feelings for the young man who has stolen his heart.
I love how Trey was the rock in this relationship. Jordy was a confident doctor but still easily swayed by Brock, who'd become even more of a jerk. Trey held the family together. He held the resort together. He stayed tried and true for Jordy. Jordy may have been slow on the pickup at times, but persistence pays off. He stayed loyal, no matter what.
Jordy's struggle took a while to overcome. When someone's in a bad relationship, it's easy to be gunshy. Michael Robert wove a great story of not only bringing the two men together physically, thanks to forced proximity, but also by letting them forge a more beautiful friendship based on something more than the little brother with the big brother's best friend. Jordy discovered Trey was the glue the resort and family needed. He never gave up - not on his family, not on his family's resort, and definitely not on Jordy. He never once wavered in his love for Jordy.
I can't tell happy it made me when Jordy finally realized his feelings for Trey were more important than his loyalty to his not-so-loyal best friend. I wish we all had someone like Trey to keep us grounded and let us know how valuable we truly are.
Side notes:
* Have a fan within reach. The steamy scenes were quite steamy. :-)
* There were some fantastic side characters - especially Trey's best friend, Skippy, who I'd love to see in another book. I would like to see Miller as well, and since he was in from out of town, the story possibilities are endless. (Subtle, aren't I?!)
* The evil side of me was well-fed in this book, especially when the bad guys in the story got their comeuppance.
* I love a good happy ending, and Michael Robert's books never disappoint!
* My fifth novel by this author after Letters Book One, Letters Book Two, The Bird Catcher, and The Ranch.
Swoon.
As always, my reviews can be found on Goodreads and other retail sites.
Take care, and happy reading!
- Heather
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