Well, what can I say? I just had to pick it up.

 

 

Even after the issues I had with the first book, Sno Ho, it just couldn't not follow up on how Boone and Wade were doing after their holiday fling ended. 

 

And I am glad I did. 

 

For one, I felt like it was all a little more settled, a little slower, a little less confusing this time around. There still were some situations that made me cringe, shake my head, and didn't make me laugh as much as it was supposed to. 

 

The big difference this time was that there weren't any huge WTF-moments with the MCs, nor did I feel like one of the them suddendly got a personality transplant for a couple of minutes. The writing was good and solid, everything flowed nicely and freely. Some of it was pure crack again. Boone is just Boone and will stay Boone forever. I guess, you either like or hate him. There isn't a lot of middle ground really. And Wade - the good Wade - is so sweet, you can't help but forgive him for his awful screw-up in the first book at some point.

 

What I couldn't get into were the family dynamics. Both parties of in-laws were just too much for me, and way over the top. Especially the interactions with the little kids drove me up the walls. They were... different (?) on a whole new level, sometimes even disturbing or downright awful. The population of Summit City and the busy-bodies were a little better, or maybe I just got used to their special brand of crazy. The new side characters were good though, I actually understoood them most of the time and they did make me laugh more often. Granted, the bis bang and the solution in the end were a little off the rocker, but I expected as much. I was prepared for all-over-the-place crazy and I got exactly that. 

 

Plus, Ethan Day has a way with the steamy scenes that is just... Phew. Plenty hot, a little dirty and raunchy, but always tender at the same time and with a little naughty cherry on top. 

 

It was good, I enjoyed it, and I'll probably never forget about it. But it also didn't rock my world to the core. All in all, it was different, sweet and sexy, so I'll give it 3.5 stars and that's that. 

Have you ever been embarrassed for loving a book? Not for loving any book, but for loving a certain book? I mean, I enjoy lots and lots of generic, simple, sticky sweet, unbelievable types of books. I do. 

 

Still...

I have NO idea how this happened...but this book wiggled it's way into my heart...BIG TIME.  


I went on a holiday reading binge this year. I read probably 20 stories in a couple weeks. And most were adequately entertaining. One that I found particularly enjoyable was "Sno Ho" by Ethan Day. I read the reviews how it was laugh-out-loud hysterical, and true, the banter between the MC's (Boone in particular) was pretty funny. And I liked the humor...unapologetic without crossing the line. But, what really drew me to the story was the relationship that was building between writer Boone & Olympic-gold-medalist-turned-ski-instructor Wade. Sure, it was insta-love. But there were real and often complicated emotions there, especially in Boone's head. And it drew me in. The ending, however, pissed me off...not a cliffhanger per se, but there's no way you can NOT jump into book 2 right away.

So I did. And whattaya know...it snuck right up on me and became an instant favorite. Now, before I go on, I need to explain that Boone is a writer and each chapter of Life in Fusion starts with excerpts from his book...you read Boone's character's journey. Well, you do if you don't skim it. I...skimmed it. Actually, I skipped all those parts entirely. So, with those out of the way, what remained was a book that just WORKED for me.

Boone & Wade are in a committed relationship after only a few weeks...but figuring out what that means and how to make it work. There's baggage. There are relationships (family, friends) to navigate. There's long-distance. There are all the challenges of a new relationship and hardly knowing one another. And there is love. And without completely knowing how it happened, I ate up ever morsel of this book (other than those parts I skipped) and it was SO SATISFYING.

The commitment and the feelings expressed through humor between Boone & Wade were even better in book 2. Less annoying and more endearing. And then there were misundertandings and hurt feelings and real adult "relationship stuff" that made me feel like I was having drinks with friends listening to them talk about their lives.

Boone's crazy parents cracked me up, yet won over my heart. Boone's best friend Gabe made me so angry, yet I related to him the most. Boone's incessant use of humor to deal with emotions became a familiar pattern that made it so much clearer what he was trying to avoid or mask.

And then there's Wade. Oh to be loved by a man like Wade. Controlling. Patient. Kind. Demanding. Loving. Strong. I want him. Or I want someone to love me like he does Boone. And I want to live in a glorious mountain home with spectacular views. :)

So yeah, this book did it for me. I'm as surprised as anyone...but I still smile as I think of it.

 

Note: the book does not work as a standalone. But book 1, Sno Ho, is a short holiday novella that you can finish quickly.

Another note: MLR Press consistently has sub-par editing/proofing in their books I've read from them. Yet, they charge $8.99, one of the higher prices, for their ebooks. It's frustrating and makes me grouchy.

 

Not quite as good as the first but I still had fun with Boone. He was as snarky and sarcastic as ever. Nothing really turned me off, but I think this book could have been cut to about half it's length. There wasn't really anything new or exciting going on. I loved Boone and the journey he took with Wade. Boone finally was able to move beyond his fears and feel secure with his relationship with Wade (well, as secure as Boone can be). Boone had me smiling with every witty comeback line, his never ending motor mouth, and his total acceptance of his slutty ways.

3.5As deliciously snarky as the first book. Boone is definitely a character that I love. This addresses what happens after the HEA, uprooting your life and upsetting your friends when you find love and find yourself leaving parts of your old life behind. I really felt for Gabe, a lot. The friendship between him and Boone was tight and seeing Gabe struggle with the changes was a bit heart-breaking. I want Boone to just kidnap him and move him to Summit City. I also want Tommy to find love! I found parts of this story a bit bittersweet. I could have done without the chapter bits of Boone's book which dragged me out of the story. Although I loved Wade and Boone together there were times that I found Wade's actions overbearing and manipulative, he's lucky that Boone found these quirks endearing. While I enjoyed this read and was glad to see how things worked out between the MC's I may have enjoyed it more had I not read it directly after the first in the series which was a lighter, sexier read. It suffered in comparison.

Day makes me laugh like few other authors can which I think is kinda weird because I'm not usually a fan of absurdity, but I can't help myself.This is an amusing story of love, doubts, and friendship. Sweet and irreverent, I laughed at things that I would probably disavowing to in polite company, but loved. As ridiculous as his male protagonists can be, I just can't not love 'em. Boone is OTT, snarky, and a delicious treat. Wade, well...he's just a treat--BIG treat.Favorite quote: "I did actually enjoy it, plus I made sure I picked off just enough vegetables to maintain my independence, making sure he understood I wasn’t going to be one of the converts to his demented, granola-boy lifestyle.--I admire Boone's fortitude and resilience in the face of Wade's sweeping personality.