Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Sultry Sunset
Author: Mary Calmes
Series: Mangrove Stories #3
Heroes: Hutch & Mike
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 78 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: May 15, 2015
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.
When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.
Review:
When Mike came to Mangrove a few years ago, Hutch and him bonded almost immediately. With Hutch giving him a job and offering him a place to stay, they’ve became the best of friends and while Hutch knows Mike is straight, that doesn’t stop him from noticing how attractive the man is. But when Mike finally wakes out of his stupor and starts sleeping with all the eligible women in town, Hutch chalks it up to Mike finally moving on with his life… but what will happen when Hutch finds out the real reason for Mike’s screwing around?
This was such a cute story! I loved how it started with Hutch coming to a little girl’s rescue and then just goes from there. It was adorable to see how much Hutch was a pillar so to speak in town and how much of a knight in shining armor he could be. Mike was a bit of an enigma but I loved that he was so tuned into Hutch and how he became so confident and carefree as the story progressed.
I liked this one but it wasn’t my favorite in the Mangrove Stories series. I felt like Hutch and Mike’s story didn’t actually start until about at 70%. Up until then it was a lot of description of Hutch’s life but only a few short spots with Mike in it. I was a little disappointed in that because I wanted to actually see more of the bickering and bantering that they supposedly did often instead of just being told about it. Add to that, I thought there were a lot of unnecessary fillers in this one, more so than usual.
In the end, this was still a cute, entertaining story that I really enjoyed. I liked Hutch and Mike as characters and when they finally got together was an awesome moment. I wish more of the story had been focused on ‘them’ instead of everything else with barely any ‘couple’ time in the book. But as it is, I’m still looking for the next story in the series!
Overall Impression: I liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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