ARC REVIEW : Lord of a Thousand Steps (Love in Laguna #4)

BLURB

 To architecture student Ian Carney, family means everything. Taken in by his brother, Jim, when his father threw him out at eighteen for being gay, Ian yearns to create his own family with his boyfriend, Rico. But Rico’s in Mexico caring for a sick father, Ian hasn’t had sex in a month and a half, and his gorgeous boss, Braden Lord, CEO of the architectural firm Ian interns for, is looking better and better.

Braden’s life is chaos. Just out of the closet and going through an ugly divorce from his wife of fifteen years who’s trying to take custody of his two children, he desperately resolves not to succumb to a completely inappropriate attraction to Ian—even though his kids adore both the man and his crazy cat.

When Rico proves to be a snake in the grass and Ian exercises his powers of seduction, what starts as a “friends with benefits” fling turns into real life real fast. Can Ian give up his romantic dreams for an “old guy” who didn’t come out until he carried a mountain of baggage? It’ll only take a thousand steps.

 REVIEW

I finished this book with a happy smile in my face.
What a relieved! Along with Billy and Shaz's book, this one has become my favorite in the series.
I have met Ian Carney in Jim and Ken's story and wondered if Ian will have his own book with Rico?
Well he is. But Rico, the nice guy, turned up as a disappointment after there years of relationship with Ian. Then Ian met his new boss, Braden Lord. I didn't mind. At all.
Because Braden has a complete package that Ian longed to have. A family.
We knew Ian's story before, with his parents, and how Jim took him and Anderson Cooper (Um, yes...him. I mean the cat) into his home and live with him and Ken from that moment on.

But Ian still craved his own family he thought he will have with Rico, the asshole.
No.
Instead, he became seriously involved with his boss's boss boss boss life after all. With Anderson and two kids in tow, the life that he dreamed for, for so long. But it's not that easy it seemed.
There's some drama of course, but not over the top like Jim and Ken's story. That alone made me happy. The divorce, the sneaking and gotten caught, the Rico thing, the work. But I also met again with a determined Mama-san and her wedding plan for Jim and Ken.
The interaction between Mirielle and Anderson made me smile even laugh all the time. I really enjoying this book. Braden have great kids with him.
There's also tears here and there. I cried a bit after Ian's speech at the wedding ceremony. Pictured how lonely he was before he lived with his brother.
But he still need his own family.

This is a story, mostly about family. And I'm glad I read this book first, and can't wait for another stories from this series. Jo-Jo, maybe?
Overall, I loved this book. If you loved Billy and Shaz story, you'll definitely adore this one.

Highly recommended.


*ARC was given by Publisher for a fair and unbiased review. No high rating required.*

ABOUT TARA LAIN

 
Tara Lain never met a beautiful boy she didn’t love – at least on paper. A writer of erotic romance, mostly ménage and male/male, Tara loves all her characters, but especially her handsome heroes. A lifelong writer of serious non-fiction, Tara had the first novel she ever wrote accepted for publication in 2011. She’s now on book 27 and counting. After an exotic life of travel all over the world and work in television, education and advertising, Tara settled in Southern California with her soul-mate husband and opened her own small marketing business. She paints, collages, and started practicing yoga “way before it was fashionable”. Passionate about diversity, justice, inclusion and new ideas she says on her tombstone it will read, “Yes”.