Missed Connections: I Swear to You, Sloan Parker
Rating: 4 Stars
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Gay Erotic Romance
Tags: Second Chances, Contemporary
Length: 120 Pages
Reviewer: Kazza K
Purchase At: Loose Id, amazon.com
Official Blurb:
When roommates Grady and Mateo give in to their growing lust, it’s the best sexual experience of their lives. But are they really gay? Is this just sex or something more? It takes time for confused Grady to figure that out, but once he does, he’s determined to have all of Mateo. Too bad tracking down brokenhearted Mateo proves impossible.
So what’s a horny gay virgin who wants only one man to do? Grady posts an ad online to encourage his friend out of hiding and into his bed. Once he gets Mateo between the sheets, he’s sure he can convince him that what they had together was no college experiment. But Mateo’s been hiding from something—or someone. Grady is determined to tear down all Mateo’s walls so he can find out what happened to him and help heal his wounds, and in the process show his best friend that he won’t run. Not this time. He swears.
My Review:
This is not a long e-book and the official blurb gives you a good idea of what’s in store. What I will add is that I classify Missed Connections more as a romantica – romance-erotica hybrid – as opposed to a (strict) romance.
Grady and Mateo have known each other since they were young. Mateo’s aunt and uncle raised him (barely) with Grady’s family being more like Mateo’s family than his own. Growing up, they shared many an occasion at Grady’s parent’s lake house.
They’d been coming out to the lake since they’d met in first grade. All through school they’d spent their weekends there…
Now, Grady and Mateo are at college and it focuses for a short while on their
relationship there. They are friends but they sometimes jerk off together in their room, nothing more. It’s only self-pleasuring, it isn’t a problem, right? Grady dates girls and for all appearances is ‘straight.’ But the jerking off builds to something more, a night together that Mateo wants to progress even further and Grady freaks out about and walks out on after.
“What if I want something more than what we’ve been doing?” His gaze narrowed in on Grady again. “What if I think you do too?”
Suddenly Grady couldn’t swallow. Breathing normally was also getting pretty tricky.
Skip ahead six years, Grady has been married, twice, and is living at the 
lake house that was the scene of his last time with Mateo. He has now allowed himself to come to the realisation that no one has meant to him what Mateo did, and he let that go. Grady puts a public Facebook status up stating that he wants to find Mateo, be with Mateo. When nothing comes from the Facebook status, Grady decides to add a craigslist message for Mateo, letting him know how he feels – that he wants to meet up with Mateo and give all of himself to him in the most emotional and intimate ways. They do see each other across a pride parade but Mateo takes off. However, Grady creates an opportunity to follow Mateo to see if he can explain to him why he wasn’t ready then. That he is ready now, has been for a while, and he’s never been with another guy. Mateo has some secrets that haunt him and once Grady sees the scars he pushes him bit by bit to open up to him. But Mateo is angry and guarded. Grady glimpses the old Mateo in there too. It is a matter of whether Grady can convince Mateo he is genuine and if Mateo can let him in again.
The reason I gave Missed Connections 4 stars over 5 stars is that it was a bit short for full story development and the bad guy arc was a bit rushed because of it. Riley, Grady’s brother, bugged me – he was crass in the beginning after Grady put up his Facebook message for Mateo, and I seriously wanted to lecture him.
Overall:
This is a quick and easy read about two men who missed their original connection and came together six years later to find it. About one person swearing to the other that they mean it this time and they now know who they are, and the other learning to trust that. If you like second chances, some sexy times, with a bit of drama added to your MM reading, then Missed Connections: I Swear to You is a nice, romantica MM that you can curl up with on the weekend for a few hours.
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I am always eager for Sloan Parker to put out a new one. I love friends-to-lovers stories. This looks like a nice one, with a bit of drama. As always, I love the quotes. Great review.
Yes, I like Sloan Parker too. I am looking forward to her sequel to More from Richard’s POV. I have ROL – Richard Obsessive Love.
🙂
The quotes, or the picture, hmmm????
The quotes AND the picture. Duh. lol
I love Richard too. I can’t wait to read his story. You know I adore Matthew.
🙂
Haha, quotes AND pics.
I know, you and a lot of other people love Matthew, but I am a Richard gal.
😀
That cover is hot. Yup, I’ll have the dude on his knees!
Done! He’s yours, Jay.
🙂