Nothing to Gain (Learning the Ropes #2) by E.M. Denning

 

Amazon Link  - Available in KU
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Kicked out of his house as a teenager, Brett McHale is feminine, fabulous, and living with his best friend. His job at a cafe comes with the world’s best boss and the only other thing Brett wants he’s unlikely to get because the men he’s attracted to never seem to feel the same.

Linden Jacobs is finally out of his too-small hometown. He’s away at college, he has a new set of friends, a crush on a hot guy. Everything he’s ever wanted.

Almost.

Everything in Linden’s life has changed, but he doesn’t know how to let himself have what he wants the most.

After meeting Brett and realizing his dreams could be within reach, Linden confesses his desires to explore his feminine side. What starts as an innocent friendship between two men bonding over lipstick and soft clothes becomes something Brett can’t breathe without.

Convinced Linden doesn’t feel the same attraction, Brett tries to keep his heart on lockdown, but he quickly learns that being femme isn’t the only thing Linden is interested in exploring. Brett wants to give Linden more than twinkle lights, but he’s not sure if he’s worthy of being Linden’s ultimate destination, or just a stop on the way.

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Nothing to Gain is a wonderful addition to the Learning The Ropes series. I seriously love this EM Denning book. 

Brett and Lindon make for a fantastic couple. They start as acquaintances, and easily go to friends and then more. But most of all, I love that they each love one another for who they are.

Both men have struggled with living authentically. For Brett, it got him kicked out of his house. His problems with his homophobic family are well established. Luckily for Brett, his best friend's family was there to take him in. He lives simple, having never gone to college, but enjoys the job he has. 

As for Lindon, his dad was great when he came out, but he's terrified to be his true self. Not only does he fear his dad's reaction, he also fears other's reaction. 

I absolutely adore the way Brett teaches Lindon how to embrace who he is on the inside. Brett's always wanted to be a femme boy, but fear held him back from doing anything about it. Brett knows all the makeup tricks and understands the clothes options that Lindon will like. It's all wonderful, with all the feels. And through it all, the two become close. 

Their story has lace, dresses, and makeup. It's all about accepting who you are and living authentically. It's about the encouragement to live for you, and not putting weight on what other's think. It's beautifully done. I'd try to pick one quote for you, but there are too many to choose from. The author seriously does a stellar job with this aspect.

My favorite part of it however is probably the twinkle lights. 

Their story is loaded with family issues at it's core. Brett is still struggling with his family, as his brother keeps calling him and trying to get him to come home. His struggles continue throughout and make for a large part of the story. And then there's Lindon's issues with his father, as he's terrified to come out to him as femme. I just wanted to hug Lindon and assure him that everything would be ok. 

Friendship is also a large part of the storyline. Brett has his best friend, but he largely keeps to himself. But with Lindon, he discovers a whole new group of friends and family. 

 

Nothing to Gain is a magnificent heartfelt tale. EM Denning will leave you delighted to have met these men and see them help one another grow. She combines plenty of feel good moments with a tender and sweet love story. It's definitely worth a read!