Monday, October 15, 2018

Building Forever by Kelly Jensen


A new town, a new neighbor, and a new chance to build a forever.

Charlie King is doing fine. Sure, he’s a widower raising a teenage daughter who just got her first boyfriend, his book series isn’t writing itself, and he has a crush on his new neighbor—the guy next door. But everything’s just fine.

Simon Lynley is doing better. He moved to Bethlehem to fall out of love and rebuild his career. An affair with his neighbor isn’t part of the plan, but the attraction between them is too hard to ignore.

But when Simon’s ex follows him to Pennsylvania to reconcile, and Charlie’s life starts to feel like a video on repeat, everything comes apart. Charlie fears that he’s failing as a father, and Simon is a distraction he can’t afford. Meanwhile Simon doesn’t know if he could survive being left again, and he hasn’t come all this way to make the same mistakes. Despite their fears, it’s only together that they’ll find the strength to slay old foes and build the forever they’ve been waiting for.

Add to Goodreads –


Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Riptide Publishing



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

Okay. Wow. I wasn’t expecting this book – and I really loved it. This small town, slice of life romance is different in theme and tone than anything else I’ve read by Kelley Jenson. Simon and Charlie are slightly older and slightly jaded. When Simon moves in next door to Charlie, both men have a chance at a fresh start.

For me, it is the writing that makes this book special. The author’s careful observations make each character feel almost unnervingly familiar and relatable. I loved Bethlehem and I even loved some of the more peculiar characters in the town. The romance in this story builds slowly and while there’s a little bit of heat, this isn’t a terribly sexy book.

I don’t enjoy kids in romance, but Charlie’s daughter is an older teenager and I really like her relationship with her father. At the end of the book, her storyline is frustratingly predictable but for the most part I actually enjoyed the family dynamic in this story.

This is a gentle, quiet romance between two men who are both recovering from past hurts. I love that Charlie and Simon are both flawed, both a little bit unsure of themselves, and both a bit quirky in their own ways. There is a lovely, reassuring warmth to this book that I thoroughly enjoyed.


Avid Reader☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Charlie is a writer of science fiction. He has a teenage daughter who he's trying to raise, but feels like he's floundering. When a new neighbor moves in, Charlie is instantly attracted. However, because he's never had a relationship outside of his marriage, he's a little wary. Despite his apprehension, he wants to take this plunge with Simon.

Simon is wanting to create – let his artistic side out. When he was in his previous relationship, not only was he blind to his partner cheating, but he was in a lull in his job too. So, he picks up and starts over. He meets his neighbor in an awkward time but is instantly taken with him.

When their lives start to unravel, both will have to decide if they are worth the risk.

Overall, this was just an okay story for me. It took quite a while for me to actually engage in the story. The characters were well developed, but I just couldn't quite connect with them. It will be interesting to see if the daughter gets the next book, since her life has taken a giant turn, but I don't know if I would be okay if Simon's ex gets a story – he seems mean and petty. While this story wasn't quite what I expected, it was an okay, well thought-out story.



If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, cowritten with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram


http://riptidepublishing.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Building Forever (This Time Forever #1) by Kelly Jensen to read and review.

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