In my attempt to cover some of the attending authors for this year's GRL,
I am reviewing
Leaning into Forever
by Lane Hayes !
BLURB
Geordie de la Rosa is a legend among wine lovers in Napa Valley. His ultra-fabulous style paired with a penchant for leading impromptu sing-a-longs has made him a star attraction at Conrad Winery. Co-owning a well-respected winery was never Geordie’s aspiration but he likes the niche he’s made for himself. He won’t deny that his job and his friends have helped ease his heartache and grief after the death of his longtime partner.
Levi Yeager excels at the art of reinventing himself. He’s been a minor league baseball player, a college coach and now a restaurant owner. The problem is he doesn’t know a thing about the food business. And when his chef quits unexpectedly, he’s afraid his new venture is doomed. But Levi isn’t a quitter. It may be the only thing he has in common with the beautiful, sassy man from the neighboring winery who agrees to help get his new business up and running. Neither man counts on their fast friendship or the wild attraction they feel for each other. However, they know they won’t stand a chance until they let go of the past and lean into forever.
REVIEW
My Rating - 5 Stars!
Leaning into Forever by Lane Hayes, Book #7 in the Leaning Into series, is a wonderful, emotional love story.
Geordie is one of those characters who hits you full force, as a consummate scene-stealer. As such, I have been longing for his story, despite knowing it would be a tough one.
After Geordie's partner, Mike, died, he's been spending the last few years barely living. Despite his suffering and the fact that he's constantly talking to his dead partner, he remains the dynamic personality, very femme, full of flair and showtunes. He is one of the sweetest characters ever, making me smile, cry and laugh, over and over again.
Geordie is one of those characters who hits you full force, as a consummate scene-stealer. As such, I have been longing for his story, despite knowing it would be a tough one.
After Geordie's partner, Mike, died, he's been spending the last few years barely living. Despite his suffering and the fact that he's constantly talking to his dead partner, he remains the dynamic personality, very femme, full of flair and showtunes. He is one of the sweetest characters ever, making me smile, cry and laugh, over and over again.
Then he meets Levi, a former baseball player, who's a strange combination of sexy and silly. Levi is everything Geordie needs, as he's sweet, patient, charming, and determined. Of course, Geordie is not looking for love, but he'll be hard pressed to pass up Levi, despite the fact that's he's been holding onto his past like a lifeline.
Together, Geordie and Levi are perfect for one another, as they become close friends. I love that they have fun together and are silly together, pulling Geordie away from his grief and helping him to start living again. Their story is a beautiful second chance at love for Geordie, helping him to finally accept that it's ok that Mike is gone.
I would be remiss to not mention the laughs inspired by the pink vespa and the font discussions, as the humor involved is ongoing and hysterical.
Lane's writing style is perfect, with beautiful descriptions, allowing us to feel the land, as well as the characters. She delivers this charming romance with humor, grace and emotion.
She also tackles many issues that we all need to remember:
- Don't take anything for granted, as you never know what will happen next.
-Sometimes life takes a detour that you aren't expecting, but can end up being a fantastic gift.
She also delivers some amazing quotes that we should all take heed of:
"Everyone should have the chance to live fearlessly at least once in their lifetime."
"We're always changing and if we're lucky, we learn along the way."
After waiting for this story, I am thrilled with it's delivery. I am left feeling extremely happy and content. I highly recommend Leaning Into Forever. And if you haven't read the other books in the series, do so and you will love them too.
Lane Hayes
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and won first prize in the 2016 and 2017 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.
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