Books 1 & 2 of The Men of Riverside series by Serena Yates
Men of Riverside explores the lives of a group of men who all share a high school in the fictional town of Riverside, Texas. Not all of them know they are destined to be couples. Some of them believe they are only friends.
Circumstances and life separate them, sometimes for several years. But luck, determination and love will help them get the reunions they deserve.
Reading Order:
- Finding Elliot (book #1) – in this review
- Rediscovering Adrian (book #2) – in this review
- Understanding Mark (book #3)
- Saving Zeke (book #4)
- Forgiving Jason (book #5)
- Loving Vincent (book #6)
- Convincing Landon (book #7)
- Helping Harry (book #8)
Finding Elliot by Serena Yates
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
The Blurb…
After five years of forced separation David was determined to find Elliot again but what he gets isn t the closure he was hoping for…After yet another unsatisfying one-night stand David Lear decides it’s finally time to find his former lover Elliot Watkins. He needs closure before he can move on. He is still angry at the man for never getting in touch after his parents moved away when David and Elliot were caught kissing at age seventeen.Elliot Watkins has never forgotten his first and only lover David but lives under his father’s scrutiny, too afraid to come out before he gets access to his trust fund when he turns twenty-five. His fiancee Patricia Hobart constantly nags him and he wants nothing more than to live his own life and to become an architect.Falling back into each other’s arms is relatively easy. But will Elliot be able to free himself from his father’s influence? Will David be able to forgive his lover and have the patience to wait until Elliot is ready?Reader Advisory: This book is the first in a series linked by theme and characters appearing in more than one book. The stories, while they can be read on their own, are best read in sequence.
So what did I think?
I enjoyed this story which tells the tale of David finding Elliot. David and Elliot were in love as teenagers but separated when Elliot’s father catches them kissing and moves Elliot away. Years later, David decides to find the man that he has never stopped loving. He is looking for answers and closure.
I found Elliot a little hard to warm to. I thought him cowardly and his explanations for the separation didn’t seem to justify his actions. It is only further into the story that his behaviour becomes better understood and more acceptable.
The only element of the the book that I didn’t really like was the level of power wielded by Elliot’s father. (view spoiler) seemed a bit overdone and had a lack of realism.
On a side note, usually you get a bit into a book before encountering the first sex scene. Not in this book! This one launches straight in and the first line is David coming! No build up here!
3.5 stars
Rediscovering Adrian by Serena Yates
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Blurb…
What happens when the past you’ve been running from finally catches up with you?For the past five years, Peter Adams has convinced himself that his one and only true love, Adrian Shrader, never really cared. Peter has dedicated his life to becoming a private investigator, more determined than ever to keep his memories, and his feelings, locked away. But when a near fatal shooting causes a brain injury, he’s about to discover that his past is anything but behind him.Adrian Shrader disappeared in the hopes that his best friend and lover wouldn’t lose the only family he’d ever known. Aware that Peter’s mother threatened to remove Peter from his sibling’s lives, Adrian’s spent the past few years wishing there was a way to right this wrong. When he hears that Peter is seriously injured and in the hospital, Adrian rushes to his side. Will they be able to rediscover love? Or will history repeat itself?Reader Advisory: This book is the second in a series and the stories, while they can be read on their own, are best read in sequence.
So what did I think?
This was a relatively short story that tells the tale of Peter and Adrian being reunited many years after Adrian had left Peter.
In some ways it is very similar to the first book, teenage boys separated but never forgetting their first love, but in others it is different. The first book had David seeking Elliot who had been taken away by his father. In this book, Peter is not searching for Adrian but finds himself reunited after an accident. The first book focused on the current day and told a little about the David and Elliot’s history. However it is nice that in this book, there are many flashbacks providing a view of Peter and Adrian’s teenage relationship.
This book contains the usual lack of communication and incorrect assumptions being made by the men which caused their separation in the first place and gets in the way of them making immediate amends.
It’s a quick story that cover quite a bit. My main issue with it was the lack of reality in a couple of aspects. Adrian leaves his job to be with Peter and they seem to take but up again with relatively little discussion. Also Adrian clearly forgets all about his brother for weeks even though the last time he saw him he was clearly in trouble. Adrian is regretful but it seems too little too late. I assume the next book is Mark’s story.
To find out more about Serena Yates and her books, visit her website.
Buy the Men of Riverside Series from Amazon.