One Night by R.J. Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Blurb…
Liam Wade is facing the biggest change in his life since marrying his best friend, Janelle, and adopting her daughter. Janelle has long since passed on, losing the battle to live a few days after her daughter is born, leaving Liam a father, in need of finding a mother for his daughter Emma. He’s rich, successful, and Leigh is the perfect, approved, wife for him. Before he settles down to give his daughter the best family he can, he wants one week away, to think. Just to make sure that he can leave half of himself hidden and marry without love, because Liam has one big problem in all of this — he’s gay.
Micah Adamson is the owner of a vineyard in Rochester NY, and has yet to find the partner he knows is out there for him. he believes in love and wants forever, and one day he knows he will find his ‘forever’ man. He attends a wine festival in Santa Monica, seven nights in a beautiful hotel on the beach.
Micah wants to show that love between two men includes affection, understanding, and can be forever. Will he make Liam see sense?
So what did I think?
This was a enjoyable story: well-to-do corporate lawyer, single dad, winemaker, vineyards, meddling (in a good way) siblings, cute kid, finding life’s true purpose, happy ending!
Liam and Micah meet at a conference and there is instant attraction. They spend some time, a meal and one night together. I didn’t particularly like Liam’s response to Micah sexually (demanding force and to be taken hard) and he is obviously very uncomfortable with his own sexuality.
“All Liam knew at the very end of it, sated and finally sleepy again, he wanted more, even though with Micah’s clear need for gentleness and affection, the other man’s gay was clearly as broken and inappropriate as his”.
Micah doesn’t want casual and short term. He has a secure home, life as a winemaker and a loving family. Liam is looking to build a family for his daughter. Liam doesn’t believe that a real relationship is possible with a man.
“Could it be possible that it didn’t have to be just sex between two men, that there was a man out there for him that could give him what he craved? Love, affection, and a family?”
I enjoyed the gentle approach that Micah takes with Liam and the eventual sacrifice (maybe not quite the right word but he is giving up a lot of his past life) that Liam makes to follow his heart.
To find out more about R. J. Scott and her books, visit her website.
Buy One Night from Amazon.