Despite feeling slightly unfinished I really enjoyed this book. Or maybe it’s just that it left me wanting more. I really liked both these characters and the story held my attention throughout. There’s really strong message here about health/life insurance and what’s right that I felt was really apropos for today’s current medical debates. This book is book is told in 3 parts and for once I didn’t hate the repetitive story line either.

Part 1: Red – Ben “Red” Dutoit is training to be an actuary. He’s got a great internship with a company and best of all it’s away from his home state of Minnesota and in gay friendly San Francisco. Finally he’ll be able to explore that side of himself without having to suffer too much abuse by the idiots of his hometown. Heck he’s even sorta dating one of the execs at work. He’s out and proud and everything seems to be going right. That is until his immediate supervisor ends up in the hospital after a heart attack and the downturn of the economy threatens his job. Still his head honcho boss, the son of the owner of the company is fighting for him to keep his job. He even puts in a gym at work to help people stay healthier. When the two of them start spending more time together working out and on the job Ben’s feelings start to change. Too bad Adrian’s straight.

Part 2: Blue – Adrian Sydney Sutherland IV secretly wants nothing more than to be able to go back in time to when he was able to travel Europe unencumbered with his then boyfriend. Having to take up the reins of the family business may have been what he was groomed for all his life, but it’s not his dream. Still he is the dutiful son and he will do as his father demands including hiding his “gay tendencies.” But it means that their company WILL keep offering high risk life insurance policies for those in need, most especially those who have HIV/AIDS. This is the one point Adrian won’t budge on. He knows what it means to have a loved one dealing with the disease. He may not have been able to help him, but he can do this. So he will live his life jealously watching those who can be open about who they are. Nothing’s ever threatened his straight façade though until one sexy redheaded intern unknowingly shakes things up and tosses Adrian’s safe little world on its head.

Part 3: Mix it on up – As one would assume the last half of the book deals with both guys together. I think the reason the whole repeated section didn’t bother me too much was because when Ms. Gayle was telling Adrian’s story she didn’t focus on all the same events that Ben’s story did. I felt like I was getting new information and not a regurgitation of the same info. Plus it’s only about half (maybe less) of the book. Of course after that it’s all togetherness building new material. Also that first half really deals with these two as business associates not as potential partners. Neither of them was seriously considering making a move. Ben had Jason and Adrian was deeply in the closet. There was an attraction of course, but not one that either felt they could ever act on. It was the getting to know you stage of any good relationship and gave time for feelings to develop unacknowledged.

I loved the slow build of this relationship. Both men, despite the age gap, had some growing up to do. In some ways Ben is the more mature of the two as he is comfortable with who he is. Adrian’s unwillingness to face down his father and fight for what he wants shows a little immaturity. Yet in the business world Adrian is the perfect model mentor for Ben to study under and grow and mature as a professional. The video they put together amused me to no end. There’s something to be said or watching two people fall for each other and each thinking there is no way they can ever act on it. It’s not all about the sex or the physical chemistry and is instead about real feelings they are developing for the other. The AIDS scare of course added a realness to the world and a fair bit of tension without taking this story too melodramatic or angsty.

Of course once we got to the point that Ben and Adrian discovered that the other had feelings for the other the heat index got turned WAY up! A bear in the woods up there in Minnesota would have had quite the show to witness. I also really liked the fact that despite the physical attraction and finally being able to act on it and release all that sexual tension it didn’t immediately solve everything. There were still battles to be fought and lost. There was still work that needed to be done.

Despite the page count this book flows really quickly and kept my attention and interest the whole time. I wanted these two men to figure out their own issues and find a way to come together. Adrian certainly deserves a little happiness in his life. I liked the fact that even though there was a third person involved in things there was no cheating and after everything that went on Jason does make his amends.

My only complaint about this book, as stated at the top, is it feels slightly unfinished, only because it ends so abruptly. I mean it just ends. I felt like I needed one more scene, or an epilogue to tie up a few loose ends between these two. They just found each other and are able to commit, but there are a lot of undiscussed issues. I would have loved to see them all resolved. One final sex scene does not a permanent relationship establish.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more by this author even though it doesn’t quite reach my favorites shelf. Really solid writing and a meaningful story will win me over any day.

Merged review:

Despite feeling slightly unfinished I really enjoyed this book. Or maybe it’s just that it left me wanting more. I really liked both these characters and the story held my attention throughout. There’s really strong message here about health/life insurance and what’s right that I felt was really apropos for today’s current medical debates. This book is book is told in 3 parts and for once I didn’t hate the repetitive story line either.

Part 1: Red – Ben “Red” Dutoit is training to be an actuary. He’s got a great internship with a company and best of all it’s away from his home state of Minnesota and in gay friendly San Francisco. Finally he’ll be able to explore that side of himself without having to suffer too much abuse by the idiots of his hometown. Heck he’s even sorta dating one of the execs at work. He’s out and proud and everything seems to be going right. That is until his immediate supervisor ends up in the hospital after a heart attack and the downturn of the economy threatens his job. Still his head honcho boss, the son of the owner of the company is fighting for him to keep his job. He even puts in a gym at work to help people stay healthier. When the two of them start spending more time together working out and on the job Ben’s feelings start to change. Too bad Adrian’s straight.

Part 2: Blue – Adrian Sydney Sutherland IV secretly wants nothing more than to be able to go back in time to when he was able to travel Europe unencumbered with his then boyfriend. Having to take up the reins of the family business may have been what he was groomed for all his life, but it’s not his dream. Still he is the dutiful son and he will do as his father demands including hiding his “gay tendencies.” But it means that their company WILL keep offering high risk life insurance policies for those in need, most especially those who have HIV/AIDS. This is the one point Adrian won’t budge on. He knows what it means to have a loved one dealing with the disease. He may not have been able to help him, but he can do this. So he will live his life jealously watching those who can be open about who they are. Nothing’s ever threatened his straight façade though until one sexy redheaded intern unknowingly shakes things up and tosses Adrian’s safe little world on its head.

Part 3: Mix it on up – As one would assume the last half of the book deals with both guys together. I think the reason the whole repeated section didn’t bother me too much was because when Ms. Gayle was telling Adrian’s story she didn’t focus on all the same events that Ben’s story did. I felt like I was getting new information and not a regurgitation of the same info. Plus it’s only about half (maybe less) of the book. Of course after that it’s all togetherness building new material. Also that first half really deals with these two as business associates not as potential partners. Neither of them was seriously considering making a move. Ben had Jason and Adrian was deeply in the closet. There was an attraction of course, but not one that either felt they could ever act on. It was the getting to know you stage of any good relationship and gave time for feelings to develop unacknowledged.

I loved the slow build of this relationship. Both men, despite the age gap, had some growing up to do. In some ways Ben is the more mature of the two as he is comfortable with who he is. Adrian’s unwillingness to face down his father and fight for what he wants shows a little immaturity. Yet in the business world Adrian is the perfect model mentor for Ben to study under and grow and mature as a professional. The video they put together amused me to no end. There’s something to be said or watching two people fall for each other and each thinking there is no way they can ever act on it. It’s not all about the sex or the physical chemistry and is instead about real feelings they are developing for the other. The AIDS scare of course added a realness to the world and a fair bit of tension without taking this story too melodramatic or angsty.

Of course once we got to the point that Ben and Adrian discovered that the other had feelings for the other the heat index got turned WAY up! A bear in the woods up there in Minnesota would have had quite the show to witness. I also really liked the fact that despite the physical attraction and finally being able to act on it and release all that sexual tension it didn’t immediately solve everything. There were still battles to be fought and lost. There was still work that needed to be done.

Despite the page count this book flows really quickly and kept my attention and interest the whole time. I wanted these two men to figure out their own issues and find a way to come together. Adrian certainly deserves a little happiness in his life. I liked the fact that even though there was a third person involved in things there was no cheating and after everything that went on Jason does make his amends.

My only complaint about this book, as stated at the top, is it feels slightly unfinished, only because it ends so abruptly. I mean it just ends. I felt like I needed one more scene, or an epilogue to tie up a few loose ends between these two. They just found each other and are able to commit, but there are a lot of undiscussed issues. I would have loved to see them all resolved. One final sex scene does not a permanent relationship establish.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely read more by this author even though it doesn’t quite reach my favorites shelf. Really solid writing and a meaningful story will win me over any day.