I really loved the first book in this series 'Misfits'. It's to this day one of my favorite books. I really enjoy Leigh's writing in this as well but wasn't as engaged in these characters as I wish I was.

I did really love Lenny, though. I feel like it's hard to not want to root for this character and want him to be protected after that opening chapter. Lenny is sort of femme and it wasn't super highlighted here. like he just was. About it!

There was a weird feeling I couldn't shake while reading through this that I can only contribute to Lenny having a stalker. Even when it's not at the forefront I'm wondering when the shoe will drop. But here's the thing I don't know if we needed a stalker subplot at all. Especially with how it's handled...

The sweet moments between Nero and Lenny were so nice. I just love the way Leigh writes romance. Like moments that really hit you. It was part of why I loved Misfits. Those I can't handle how great this is moments.

I think my big issue was the pacing feeling not great at times. Things being drawn out too much. That may also have to do with not being the biggest fan of Nero, though. Couldn't connect to his characters so maybe my issue was with getting through his chapters. I don't know.

Still enjoyed it and will definitely continue to read more from the author.

Nero's life has been just fine, all he does is work and sleep, but when friend Cass asks him for a favor, Nero's life gets turned upside down by a scared young man.

Lenny is hiding from a stalker, when Cass gives him a place to crash where he can hid and not be seen he jumps at the chance, but he doesn't expect Nero.

After a month of being together 24/7 Nero and Lenny have found a friendship that runs deeper into possibly more but first they both need to be able to talk about the horrors of their past, if they can do that they might find a happy after.

I love Garrett Leigh
Angsty warm and real is what I will say about most of her books.
This one was just ok for me, you win some you lose some

Thank you Netgalley and Riptide for ensuring I get to get lost in all your books

Whenever I review one of Garrett Leigh’s books I feel like I’m just, “She’s so amazing…she’s totally my favorite…I love her books…Like, ALL her books….gush, gush, gush…” HA! I truly do hope, though, that my fangirling doesn’t take anything away from the sincerity of my opinion. I’ve always called it like I see it. It just so happens that ninety-percent of the time I love the hell out of this author’s stories. And, Strays definitely falls into the loved-the-hell-out-of-it category.

When I heard Leigh was writing a follow up to Misfits, I was beyond excited. Aside from loving the characters, I completely loved everything about the whole Urban Soul universe; so, I was looking forward to reading about the latest ventures the guys were going to be undertaking. My interest was piqued even further when I realized who one of the main characters would be. Nero was certainly intriguing as a secondary character, but I have to be honest—I had nooo idea how in love with him I was going to fall.

Strays opens with our other MC, Lenny, at the police station, trying to get some help because he’s being stalked. Clearly this has been going on for quite some time, but the police don’t feel he has much of a case, and basically just send him on his way. The next scene is Lenny at work at Misfits, where he encounters his stalker again, and has a breakdown. Thankfully, someone comes to his rescue and gets him out of there. Oh, and that someone turns out to be Cass. Squeee! We get to see a fair amount—more than just the tiny cameos I was expecting—of Cass, Jake, and Tom in this book, which was fantastic.

Cass’s solution is to take Lenny to work with Nero at Pippa’s. And asks Nero to let Lenny stay at the apartment above the restaurant with him as well. Nero doesn’t know what’s going on, but it’s obvious that Lenny needs a place to lay low and, since he’s not going to turn Cass down when asked for a favor, he and Lenny are pretty much thrown together twenty-four-seven.

The character development and flow of the story are both fabulous. We are immediately immersed in both the restaurant world and the hell that Lenny has been living, as well as getting to know the stoic enigma that is Nero. After a bit, though, he’s a little too enigmatic for Lenny, who gets extremely frustrated at continually being shut out. Nero’s refusal to talk about his past is the main obstacle getting in the way of what they both know they have a chance of building together.

“…You think you can have everything I am while I only get a fraction of you?”

There was a moment, however, when Lenny realized he’d been pushing too hard…that maybe Nero had his reasons for not wanting to talk about what had happened to him. This line was too good:

“Nero was his rock, his port in the storm. How had he not seen that Nero needed sanctuary, too?”

I loved how much Lenny grew over the course of the book, and how much strength and confidence he gained from working with Nero. I also loved where he ended up, work-wise. So many cool opportunities under the Urban Soul umbrella! 😀

Strays was a great follow-up to Misfits; I think it’s obvious that I loved it. I was enthralled cover-to-cover (speaking of the cover…guhhhhhh…so gorgeous), and adored Lenny and Nero together. And, the ending was fantastic!! It wrapped the story up beautifully, but also left me wanting more. I want so badly for there to be another book in this series. I hope Garrett Leigh has something up her sleeve!

As always, Leigh's work is enjoyable and well written! I didn't connect with this one as much as the previous, or their other work, but it was lovely to go back to a familiar world and get to know characters who appeared in the previous book. I recommend it.

I'm just going to jump right into my review. I feel the synopsis give all the information you need to know about the characters.

It took me a minute to remember all the characters in this book. It's been 2 years since I read Misfits. I had to skim read it to just refresh my memory. But once I did... it all came flooding back. And I remembered all the characters. And how much I loved them and the book!

This book was most definitely a slow burn. By the time I got to the 50% mark.... I was struggling a bit. I was having a hard time paying attention. Nothing seemed to grab my attention. There was a lot of shop (restaurant/cooking) talk. Which I get... but, this book needed to be more balanced.

Nero and Lenny were taking things so slow. I'm not saying I wanted a sex fest. But I needed something more. Then we have the suspense part of this book. We get a little bit of it in the beginning. But I also felt things needed to speed up a bit with that too. By 60%... I kept wondering where is this all going. Nero still hasn't opened up. He's super grouchy and moody. Lenny's character is just there. And we get a lot of restaurant talk and food talk.

Nero was so hot and cold. I wish there was a little more to him. I was having a hard time connecting with both MC. I say once I passed the 80% mark it flowed a little better between them. But I felt like that was too late in the book.

Then we have the whole thing with Lenny and his stalker. It all felt a little anti-climactic. I wanted more from it. We get something of it in the beginning. Nothing really at all in the middle. Then a rushed ending to it.

Overall... this wasn't a bad read. I just wish there was a little more emoticons between them early on. And maybe a little more build up on the sexual attraction too.
I enjoyed reading about Cass, Jake, & Tom. I loved how they looked after Lenny and Nero.

Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Riptide Publishing via NetGalley
Genre: MM Contemporary Romance
Part 2 of a series

My Strays Review . . .

Reading Misfits was my first foray into Garrett Leigh and I loved it. After that I try to gobble up anything by Garrett Leigh. So, when I found out Strays (Urban Soul #2) was coming out I squealed out loud.

In Misfits we meet the grumpy Nero. And in Strays we get to see behind his gruff exterior when he falls for the very beautiful Lenny Mitchell.

For Nero he lives and breathes the restaurants and he thinks he's content but when Cass convinces him to help out one of their employees his whole world changes. Instantly Nero is drawn to Lenny but he doesn't act on it because his mm side of him has been unexplored.

"Fussy, are ya?" Lenny snorted. "Nah, mate. Just misunderstood."

Lenny's hiding out and finds safety in the realm of Nero's world. Lenny is fascinated with Nero and slowly gets to know more of him the longer he stays.

It takes awhile for Nero to finally give in, but once he does, the fall was beautiful.

"I love this, though. You're beautiful without it, but I couldn't stop staring at you tonight. You ain't no wallflower, mate. You're like . . . a pink dandelion."

However, its not always easy loving the very gruff Nero.

"That's because he's Cass's long-lost twin. It's these East End boys. They think no one will ever love them like their nanas did, so they throw everything back in your face like you don't love them to the moon and back. You just gotta keep on keeping on, mate. He'll fall when he's ready."

Nero, once he falls, he falls. And it's so worth the wait.

"I didn't know I needed you until you found me, but I do need you, so much, Lenny. . . ."

I absolutely LOVE this series and this author. Strays was beautiful and heartfelt. I loved it from beginning to end. The evolution of Nero was a pleasure to watch and how could we not love this story when we get more Cass, Tom & Jake.

4 . 5 Strays are always welcome thumbs up!

Post goes live 26 JUNE

I have to say - I wasn't 100% sold on this book. I liked the blurb, but the story itself didn't draw me in. It took me several times to get into the story and it was at the point of me telling myself to finish reading it.

Lenny was a good character. He isn't one of my favorites, yet he was still a good character. Leigh did a great job at making Lenny a character that is dealing with a stalker. I was so able to feel the fear that Lenny had throughout the story that I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Nero was a different story alltogether. I just couldn't connect with him at all. I had no desire to. Granted, I wanted to find out what had happened in his past, but I just didn't like him that much to be honest.

The part of this story that I really wanted to know more about is between Tom, Cass, and Jake. (Which I do have to say that I haven't read book 1 of the series which is apparently about how those 3 ended up together. But had nothing to do with Lenny and Nero's story so it's not required to read before this book.) But this book did make me want to go back and read their story.

Overall though - this just wasn't a good read for me. But if your a fan of Leigh's books then you may enjoy it more than I did.

So well done. I couldn't wait to read this one (and that cover!!!), and it didn't disappoint. The characters were well balanced against each other. They worked to save each other, and it felt natural and realistic. I don't want to spoil anything, but loved this one!

This book struggled to hold my attention. Partially because Nero wasn't a key character in Misfits and therefore I didn't feel as emotionally invested in his life or him personally. Lenny's character on the other hand I did care about and I can't explain why him and not Nero. Lenny is an adorable minx of a man who is struggling with a stalker who is driving Lenny crazy - quite literally. And so Cass suggests that Lenny live with Nero while the stalker situation is taken care of. And some sexy hijinks ensue. ;)

What I did like about the story is the romance between Lenny and Nero. Nero is a loner who's gruff and grumpy and has kind of an attitude with everybody. And Lenny is a cute and cuddly guy who just wants to jump Nero and lick him all over. :) I liked how their relationship developed. There was a lot of "fade to black" when Lenny and Nero are kissing and in bed, which frustrated me because I wanted to read every second between these two men.

This book has an entirely different feel to Garrett's other writing and I don't know why that is. It simply is. With Garrett's other books (What Remains; Slide; Rare; Rented Heart) - I had a hard time putting them down. I didn’t have that problem with Strays.

On a whole, I enjoyed this story; it was cute and had some good points. Fans of Garrett Leigh and Misfits will want to read this story. I do recommend this one because as I said, overall I enjoyed it.

Strays is a sexy little romance with a slight hint of danger. I needed a mini horror break but wasn’t in the mood for hearts and unicorns and this one came through for me.

Nero splits his time working at several restaurants. His life consists of waking, prepping, cooking and sleeping and he likes it that way. He’s grumpy and a workaholic and his routine keeps him from thinking too hard about anything – especially about that awful thing in his past. His grumpiness keeps most people at arm’s length which is just fine by him. When his boss (who he owes) asks him to take in a stray named Lenny his routine is about to get all kinds effed up.

“Keep Lenny close, if you can. Don’t let him be scared.” What the fuck did that mean?

Lenny is on the run from a persistent, super creepy stalker whose last letter to Lenny included Lenny’s own blue painted toe-nail clipping (ugh). The cops won’t help and he has no family support so when his kind boss finds him a safe place to land and a new place to work, he doesn’t turn down the offer. Had he known he was going to be holed up with such a prickly dude he might’ve reconsidered.

As Nero shows him the ropes, the two become friends and Nero (who is bi) finds himself wildly attracted to Lenny and quickly gets used to him being around. Wherever Nero is, Lenny is but their fast friendship and obvious adoration of each other might not last if Nero continues to keep his guard up even when it comes to Lenny. And, of course, there’s that nasty stalker . . .

Lenny is an open book and easily shares his past hurts and life with Nero and finds Nero’s crabbery amusing. He’s vibrant, artistic, sassy and used to be the life of any party. Now he’s afraid to look outside. Nero doesn’t know what to make of him and all of these feelings he’s stirred up.

Nero hung up and stared at his phone screen, wondering why Lenny’s voice twisted his insides so much. He’d started walking again while they’d talked, but he drifted to a stop now, feeling somehow . . . lighter? What the actual fuck? Nero was used to trudging through life under a cloud of temper and sarcasm, his only shield between him and a world that had fucked him over more times than he could count, not spinning giddily because of the way a bloke he hardly knew said his name.

Ah, poor Nero is a goner.

I really enjoyed this book and both of the main characters. Nero is young but very much like a crabby old man and he does not care.

"Sorry I screeched at you.”

“Don’t be. I’m a dick.”

He’s like many people I’ve met in real life and I can easily picture him as an old guy screaming at brats to get the hell off his lawn. His thoughts, his cursing and his whole way of dealing with people were very real and often funny to me. People are annoying and Nero doesn’t hide his annoyance with them. The romance builds naturally out of friendship and doesn’t suffer from the dreaded insta-lust/love thing that drives me insane. Together they are lovely and somehow their very different personalities work together.

This is book 2 in the "Urban Soul" series and there are appearances by characters from a previous book but it stood on its own just fine. I hate mid-series books that don’t make sense unless you’ve read them all and this isn’t one of them.

I may even seek out the first book now.

Strays is one of those stories that stays with you long after you are finished reading it. The writing is spare, even a little gloomy, but the characters are so realistically and finely drawn that I couldn't help but fall for them. Nero is a grumpy chef who has a new roommate and employee, thanks to his boss and friend, Cass. When he sees Lenny sleeping on his couch, he isn't quite sure what to make of the younger, smaller man. Lenny used to be a flamboyant, brightly lit young man who was a dancer, but his light has been dimmed thanks to an ever persistent, creepy stalker whom Lenny can't shake and the police can't seem, or won't, to do anything about. So, Cass, takes over and arranges for Lenny to go to Nero.

As Nero and Lenny live and work together, they strike up quite a friendship. Their friendship is one of those beautiful things that is wonderful to read: it starts out with just hanging out, getting to know each other on the surface, but feelings are roiling about underneath. Lenny starts to brighten up, lighten up Nero's grumpy façade, but there's still something he's not telling Nero, and there are a whole bunch of things in Nero's past that he's not telling Lenny. Still, their slow burn relationship is on its way and they fall for each other, hard. This is Nero's first time with a man, and he's confused for a couple reasons. He dreams of bottoming, but at the same time he's a pretty dominant top. Lenny is just attracted to Nero and will take him however he can get him. Their intimate scenes aren't plentiful, but Strays isn't really one of those burn hot and fast kind of stories, it's the slow, slow burn with few details that stay with you. So if you're looking for lots of erotic scenes, Strays isn't the book for you. However, if you're looking for a story with heart and substance, then I highly recommend you read Strays, it's well worth the time and money.

A slow and gentle romance, but a bit too slow for me.

I really loved the setting for the story - London and reading about areas of the city that are familiar to me. The story is a good follow up to book one in the Misfits world and it can also be read as a stand alone. I also enjoyed the creative and innovative restaurants that the characters worked in and having the characters from book one in this story was also a nice way of continuing their story, seeing where the three men were in their relationship.

I thought the pace of this story was a bit too slow and low key for me. It really focuses on the barriers the Lenny and Nero have to overcome before they can really be together. If you like a gradually developing relationship then this is the one for you.

The characters do come alive through the writing though. The author really knows how to develop her characters in such a way that they easily come to life in the imagination of the reader. Lenny with his quiet confidence and energy and at the same time fear and vulnerability, and Nero with his silence and moods and his reluctance to reveal his inner world to Lenny.

I thought the slow pace of the romance went really well with the growing love, the tension and feelings between the two men, the frisson of fear from a stalker, all set against the busyness of restaurants, creativity and a world city.

The stalker angle was a bit too predictable but the restaurants, ice cream, and London? Fab.

Copy provided by Riptide Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is my first Garrett Leigh's book and definitely wouldn't be my last. I admit that I purposely avoid Book 1 Misfit because I'm still very much a prude who can't read a story that involved three-way relationship. Luckily, Strays works well as a standalone and I have no problem getting to know the previous characters too.

Lenny is supposed to be a flamboyant guy with pink hair and loves dancing. But having a stalker for almost a year really put a dent to his emotional well being. Thanks to his Samaritan boss, Lenny got a new job in a kitchen and a place to hide himself from the outside world even though his new mentor/roommate is a grumpy ass and uncommunicative jerk.

Nero is quite a hot chef that I envisioned terrorizing the kitchen ala Gordan Ramsey style. I had a thing for grumpy ass, thus Nero is definitely hitting all the right buttons for me. I supposed his stellar personality trigger all the angst in this story. I'm dying to know all his secret and dark past that he hide from everyone else. No one seems to know the real Nero. But there is one person who is persistent enough to break through his barrier and uncover the man who puts everyone at arms length.

The story was told in a melancholy way with a hint of gloom and sadness. Lenny and Nero are two lost soul in a city going through life without much motivation nor happiness. The pacing for the first half was rather slow, but I do appreciate the slow burn romance between these two men. The second half did pick up the pace though and when we finally break through Nero's emotional barrier, everything just seems to click into place.

Lenny and Nero are definitely the underdogs that deserve all the great things in life although they might think otherwise, especially Nero. I'm happy to see them embracing their friends and a positive future together. I wish I could see them operating their food truck. Next book, maybe?

For the life of me, I can't figure out why I've only read 3 books by Garrett Leigh because every single one I've picked up has blown me away. Even though it's been almost exactly 2 years since I read Misfits, the first book in Leigh's Urban Souls series, it didn't take me long to remember exactly why I liked it so much. It also didn't stop me from wanting to pick it up for a reread. Those 3 books have also proven that this author has a talent for taking broken characters and putting them back together, only to rip them apart again. *sigh*

Nero liked spreading himself thin. He floated from job to job within the Urban Souls brand with little or no down time. He also considered himself straight, but curious maybe? His attraction to Lenny made him reevaluate a lot about himself. Lenny was the polar opposite of Nero as far as personalities go. He was friendly and normally outgoing, until his stalker kept him constantly looking over his shoulder. Pairing him with Nero was a crazy idea, but evidently Cass knew what he was doing.

Speaking of Cass, one of my favorite parts of Strays was the time readers got to spend with him as well as Jake and Tom. I loved those guys, which is one of the reasons why I'm seriously thinking about a re-read of Misfits. The other is the way that they take care of their own, whether the recipients want it or think they need it. I'm not sure if there are any other books in the future for Urban Souls, but I do know that there are quite a few other Garrett Leigh books that need to be added to my TBR pile. Stay tuned. ;)

'Strays' is the second book in Garrett Leigh's 'Urban Soul' series and while it was very different from the first book it was every bit as good. You could probably read either of these books as stand-alones but seriously? Do you want to miss out on any of the yumminess that is 'Urban Soul'? No, trust me you don't.

Nero is Urban Soul's main chef and he's Cass's best friend. He's been with the company for years and when Cass calls him and ask him to take on an apprentice, saying no isn't even a consideration in his eyes. What he doesn't count on is his apprentice being a beautiful young man that stirs feelings in him that he'd long ago abandoned.

Lenny's scared and he quickly realizes that when he's with Nero, he feels safe. These men are drawn to each other but for their own reasons they're also hesitant to act on their mutual attraction.

Because of his past Nero's sure that love and happiness are not for him. He doesn't deserve them. Lenny's running and hiding from a stalker and he's living under a dark cloud that leaves him too afraid of hoping for anything.

It takes time and being together constantly to wear away at the barriers these two men are hiding behind. When Lenny's circumstances change he starts to reach out and try to build something with Nero but Nero's walls are high and they're solid. Lenny's got his work cut out for him...

"What do you want me to say?"
"I don't care, but don't ever say nothing, Nero. Silence is too loud."

Still talking and opening up doesn't seem to be in the cards with Nero and Lenny is left wondering how they'll ever be able to make things work and how could he possibly leave when Nero keeps asking him to stay...

"...Because as addictive as the warmth of Nero's embrace had become, what did it mean if his arms were those of a stranger?"

It's a slow burn between these two and sometimes it feels like one step forward and ten steps back but little by little Lenny starts to break through and Nero slowly realizes that he needs to open up and share some of himself with Lenny. If he wants them to have a future together...

"I get that, 'cause I feel the same in reverse, I s'pose. I'd forgotten how to see colour before you came along and trashed my living room. You even brightened up my food."

Hey, come on now that's some poetry right there coming from a chef. Plus once you get reading this book you realize it's a very Nero statement.

In a nutshell these two men have embedded themselves in my heart. I loved them. Every moment spent in their world felt real. There was love and warmth and laughter but there were also moments of heartache, frustration, anger and uncertainty.

In the background of all this we are given moments of Tom, Cass and Jake. It was so awesome to have these three back even the little bit that we got was enough to make me smile and just like in the end of 'Misfits' we were gifted with another Urban Soul restaurant this one was called 'The Stray Tiger' and it specializes in pizza...seriously PIZZA!!! I feel like I'm being teased here because damn! gourmet pizza is totally one of my favorite food groups and I love tigers...they're a close second...ok, third to dragons and panthers...I want to go eat at an Urban Soul restaurant really these places sound incredible so...who wants to join me?

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is definitely my favourite read of the year so far – and I will be going back to read the first in the series as soon as I get a chance. Even though I know the outcome I am sure that the journey will be worth it, in fact I am not sure how I missed it in the first place. But back to Strays...

This is one of those wonderful books which will demand that you keep turning the pages, because every word matters and at no point do you want to stop... there is a great mix of tension, passion, and the development of a deep and meaningful friendship.

The environment in which these men work is essential to this story. Urban Soul is restaurant business owned by three men who live and work together, and who place great importance on their staff. One of them finds Lenny breaking down due to his stalker and asks Nero, their top chef, to look after him. Having worked in the industry myself, I know that such philanthropic behaviour is rare, but makes for a good plot. It was fun for me to be back in that world, and it is really well described. It is the perfect place for these two damaged people to meet and get a chance at making a good future together. I will say no more, as it is for you to enjoy fresh.

I cannot wait until the next book comes out, because this series is fabulous.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I love Garrett Leigh’s books and I can’t stop fangirling over her Urban Soul stories. This second book is the story of Nero, Urban Soul’s slightly snarly kitchen manager, and Lenny, the young waiter he is charged with protecting. I loved Nero from the moment he was introduced in Misfits and I was thrilled to read his story.

As always, Garrett Leigh’s men are tortured souls. When we first meet Lenny, he is terrified and hiding from a stalker. However, it is actually Nero’s heartbreaking past that prevents the relationship between the two men becoming truly intimate. As a couple, these two are perfect together – the med student turned go-go dancer is a sparkly contrast to the surly, almost silent chef. The chemistry between them is a beautiful slow burn and the sex is unbelievably hot.

Beyond the angst fuelled romance, I absolutely love Garrett Leigh’s London in these books. In a genre dominated by American writers and settings, Leigh’s British English is a joy to read. The dialogue feels natural and I love the familiar phrases and references. I smiled when even Lenny struggled with one of Cass and Nero’s Cockney references. London’s many diverse neighbourhoods are celebrated in both of the Urban Soul books and I love the way the many restaurants are matched to individual neighbourhoods. Urban Soul’s many variations on slightly pretentious hipster food are instantly recognisable – these books make me hungry!

Sexy, sweet, and angsty, I loved this story so much. It probably works as a stand-alone novel but readers should really start with Cass, Tom, and Jake’s story in the first book, Misfits. This is such a wonderful series!


Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
As Misfits was the first of Garrett Leigh’s novels I read (and loved by the way), I was ecstatic when I learned the author had written a sequel, thus creating the Urban Soul series. Being that Urban Soul is their company, it’s not surprising that Cass, Tom, and Jake have significant roles in Strays, but it is not a continuation of their story – at least not directly. Rather, it is the story of two of Cass’s strays – Nero and Lenny. If you’ve read Misfits, you will likely remember Nero and rest assured, he’s just as cantankerous this time around. Well, he is until Lenny triggers his protective instincts, along with his bisexuality. If you haven’t read Misfits, no worries as Strays can be read as a standalone; with that said, I do recommend Misfits as it was an excellent read.

Our introduction to Lenny is sad, frustrating, and frightening as we begin with him trying to get the police’s help with his stalker – a stalker he has no proof of because, like many victims, fear caused him to delete or destroy the evidence of his stalker’s attempts to contact him. Lenny is at the end of his rope and when his stalker tracks him down to his job at Misfits, his world comes crashing down around him. Fortunately for Lenny, Cass has a weakness for strays and helping out those in need, so Lenny soon finds himself working in the one unbranded Urban Soul restaurant under the watchful eye of Nero. Although Nero initially bristles at the idea of taking on an untrained assistant and unwanted roommate, he soon finds that Lenny’s presence soothes him. Something about the young man calls to Nero in a way he’s only experienced once before – with Cass. As the men work together and live together, their lives become entwined and they become vital to one another – so much so that neither can imagine going a day without the other in it, even if there are no declarations of love. Yet things come to a head when Lenny’s stalker is apprehended and the cloud that has hovered over him clears, making Nero’s cloud more ominous. Unlike Lenny, Nero refuses to talk about his past and this drives a wedge between them as Lenny feels like Nero doesn’t trust him. And how can you have love without trust? When Lenny finally breaks down Nero’s walls and learns of his brutal past – scars and all – Nero finally realizes that what Cass and the others have tried to tell him for years is true, that he deserves a life filled with love and a chance to be happy. But he and Lenny both must shake off the ghosts of their pasts before they can have a future together.

Leigh never fails to impress me with how complex her characters are and how their complexities – their flaws, their pain, and their joy – make them seem so real. Lenny was, for me, an easy character to love. He is a happy and vibrant young man whose light is dimmed by a force outside of his control, yet he tries to stay positive and find joy in life where he can despite being the target of a stalker. He is a wonderful complement to the grouchy Nero, a man who wears his past like a pair of lead shackles, a man who has devoted himself to Urban Soul out of loyalty to Cass and the need to stay so busy that his memories can’t suffocate him. I will admit that Nero’s past was far worse than I imagined and certainly not the usual “broken man” scenario. It explains so much about him, yet makes the man that Nero has become that much more impressive because he could have easily scoffed at Cass’s help all those years ago and taken a darker path in life. I loved watching how Nero and Lenny became so wrapped up in one another, enmeshed in one another’s lives, even though they didn’t mean to. Of course, that made their conflicts more painful to witness because I was so invested in them as individuals and as a couple, hoping that these two damaged men could find peace and happiness with one another. Although the author took me on a rather unexpected and exciting route, she eventually delivered me to an ending even better than I had hoped for. Strays was a delightful expansion of the Urban Soul series and I sincerely hope that the author has more in store for this extended family of misfits.

“I can't fix what I don't understand.”

Strays tiene como protagonistas a Lenny y a Nero. Por un lado, Lenny vive en un ambiente de miedo por culpa de un acosador a quien no logra detener. Mientras Nero es un hombre que siempre esta trabajando, no confía en las personas y tiene un pasado lleno de secretos oscuros. Lenny conoce a Nero cuando su jefe le ofrece un refugio para protegerse de su acosador, este lugar es junto a Nero. Poco a poco mientras viven y trabajan juntos, ambos establecen un vínculo que va más allá de la amistad, sus vidas se transforman, pero aun existen secretos y horrores escondidos y ambos saben que deben confiar plenamente en el otro para poder tener un futuro juntos.

Strays ha sido una grata sorpresa. Es la primera novela que leo de Garrett Leigh y me ha gustado bastante. No he leído la precuela de esta novela, pero se pueden leer por separado y entender muy bien la historia y a los personajes antiguos.

Trama: Podría parecer un poco cliché, pero en realidad, es muy interesante. Fue lo primero que me llamo la atención y no me ha defraudado. No tiene increíbles giros inesperados, pero es bastante amena. Posee sus dosis adecuadas de drama y suspenso, pero nada innecesario o tedioso. Además es ágil de leer y los diálogos son bastante elocuentes.

Personajes: Son lo mejor. Lenny ha sido mi favorito por su actitud más extrovertida, sincera, original y creativa. Me trasmitió muchos sentimientos, incluso el terror de tener un acosador detrás de ti, sin poder detenerlo, sin saber que hacer, sin la ayuda ni de la policía. Me agrado desde el inicio y creo que su personalidad era perfecta para alguien como Nero.

Él, por otro lado, me enamoro. Nero podría parecer frío, serio y esquivo, pero realmente es un hombre hermoso y protector y sensible. Es cierto que tiene sus propios demonios del pasado, que no quiere compartir con Lenny, pero eso no quiere decir que no apoye a Lenny siempre, se preocupe por él o lo proteja.

Romance: Me gusto que no fuera insta-love. Me gusto que al inicio no hubiera ni romance. Me gusto que avanzara lentamente, sin apresurarse. Lenny y Nero comienzan simplemente como compañeros de apartamento y colegas en el restaurante. Su relación era un poco difícil y cerrada, ambos inseguros, reservados, y con sus propios problemas y secretos, pero luego ambos van cediendo. Lenny comparte sus miedos y da el primer paso para convertirse en amigos y, posteriormente, en amantes.

Disfrute de las escenas en las que estaban juntos, incluso solo de sus conversaciones, porque juntos tenían mucha química y sus encuentros estaban marcados de tensión. Su relación no es exactamente sencilla, pero si simple y auténtica. Sus sentimientos comprensibles. Además tuvieron escenas emotivas y me siento satisfecha con el final.

En resumen, consideró a Strays como una historia bastante interesante, tiene un romance tierno, momentos muy emotivos y personajes increíbles.

Nero was exactly as I remembered him from book 1. He’s constantly grouchy and not really someone you’d want to be around. But by getting his POV, it becomes clear that his standoffish-ness is the result of the emotional walls he built over the years.

Lenny slowly works his way under Nero’s walls. Nero begins taking care of Lenny without even realizing it. He makes sure that Lenny eats more than just sugar, and does what he can so that Lenny feels safe.

For his part, Lenny’s experiences with a stalker have a big psychological impact on him. Anything outside of the restaurant's walls become dangerous. The only person Lenny trusts, the only one he knows is really on his side, is Nero.

As the weeks pass, the two slowly fall for each other. They ignore what’s growing between them at first, but eventually something has to give.

Garrett Leigh doesn’t do particularly steamy scenes, but the few sex scenes between Lenny and Nero were definitely hot. And there was an underlying sweetness to them.

The big stumbling block in their relationship is that Nero finds it hard to open up. He won’t tell Lenny what his childhood was like, or where the scars on his body came from. Lenny gives everything to Nero, but Nero finds it difficult to reciprocate.

Readers find out what Nero’s story is the same time Lenny does in the last quarter of the book. I thought that was a good move, because it left me in as much suspense as Lenny was.

When the truth finally came out, I felt Nero’s pain. But what’s also obvious is his hope and how much he heals because of the love that Lenny gives him.

The happy ever after takes a lot of work, but Lenny and Nero get a brilliant ending.

This book has a good amount of angst, but it’s also incredibly sweet. If you’re looking for a contemporary MM romance with strong themes of comfort/healing, I’d recommend ‘Strays’!