This is my first book by this author. I’m glad I took the chance! Sometimes you just never know when you read a new to you author. But I was pleasantly surprised.
Overall this was an ok read. It was a fast read! I read it in one day.

I liked the characters. I wish it was a little more detailed in some parts. The instant love going on in this book was outa control! Case and Rawley meet then like a week later is when they actually get together. Rawley was an it’s all it nothing kinda guy! I wasn’t feeling that. I mean... especially since they didn’t really talk during that week. Rawley was pretty much avoiding Case.
I just thought it was a little over the top. And Rawley’s jealous/ possessiveness he had with Case.
It wasn’t overbearing but enough to be like why are you acting like that. It’s way too soon to be acting like that.

But even though those things bugged me. I still liked the story. I liked how Rawley dove right in with Case. He didn’t shy away from him. Or try to hide him.
Case I felt could’ve been a little more upset with certain situations that Rawley did to him. But I also liked how he was willing to change his life and give Rawley a chance. 

Overall this was an ok read.

3 Stars!

I have been trying to broaden my reading experience by choosing a lot of new to me authors. Kay Doherty is another one. 

I loved that the story was pretty much angst free. I really do hate a book full of angst. So this was a point for the author. The MC's were likable but I felt like the 'I love you' came too quickly for these men. I would have liked more character development as well. I feel like the author just gave us the surface of who they are and didn't take it deep enough. But both men had their good qualities and their not so good ones. But it made both characters relatable and human. I really did like them both. I'm also a sucker for the age gap trope, the possessive alpha types, and small town romances. So I thought it would be a hit for me. But it just fell short with some of my own issues with it and my likes and dislikes. Plus the ending felt rushed and ended quite abruptly. Wasn't happy with that. 

In the end it was an OK read. I'd probably read another book by this author. 

Happy reading dolls! xx

4 stars

Synopsis: Case is trying to leave his old life behind, so he heads out to his aunt's place. Along the way, though, his car craters, his phone has no battery, and Case is left walking down what seems like a deserted road in the middle of a heavy rain storm.
Rawley is the sheriff, and when he finds the abandoned car, he looks for the driver. When he finds him, Rawley is attracted to him, but isn't out in the small community. Rawley hasn't lived in town that long, and while he knows that he would be accepted, he doesn't really have any reason to come out.
Both Case and Rawley, for various reasons, are hurting from their pasts. Case feels as though he has been used by his boyfriends and his lifestyle, and Rawley lost his partner a couple of years earlier. At first, Rawley doesn't take Case seriously, because he is quite a bit younger, and had a lifestyle different from anything Rawley had ever thought of. Plus, Rawley doesn't know if he can really feel anything after losing his partner in the way that he did.

What I liked: that Rawley was intent on making changes once he got to know Case a little, but it wasn't for Case, it was because Rawley wanted to be more himself. Even though he knew that he had made mistakes and had let himself be used, once Case was done with all his boyfriends, he never went for the self-doubt. Case and Rawley were honest about themselves with the other person, so they each knew what they were getting in to. I also liked that Case could recognize quality in people, and that he appreciated it, whether it was for friendship or love.

What I didn't like: there was a lot happening in what felt like a very short amount of pages. I would have liked to have seen more exploration between Rawley and Case, and seen more of the relationship.

Overall impression: I enjoyed the story telling, and really enjoyed Rawley and Case. I would have liked to have seen more of the surrounding characters, but the story was well-written. There is a little angst, but it is not caused by crazy misunderstandings. This is a feel good book that reads really quickly.

*I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

**An ARC of this title was kindly given to me by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This was a sweet, pretty much angst free read. I liked Rawley a lot but would have liked to have seen his troubles with his past loss and PTSD visited more in the book. They were brought up, but to me they felt almost like an afterthought. Neither character was developed as well as I would have liked so that made it a bit hard to connect with them to be honest. Casey IMO was the more developed of the two but I still had so many questions about him when I was finished reading this one. He was also a bit younger in age for a MC that I usually gravitate to when deciding on a book to read. And this leads me to my biggest issue with this book...us readers are told from the start that one of the tropes of this book is age difference, May/December if you will. BUT...we are never actually told the MC's ages until the end of the book so it was REALLY hard to get behind the age difference part of the storyline. 
But, all in all this was a decent read. Not the best I've ever read, and not the worst. It falls in the middle for me. And if I'm being really honest it didn't rank lower in stars for me simply because I really liked the older of the MC's since I lean towards liking my MC's a bit older than the childish portrayals of MC's in their 20's by most authors. 
So, if you want a fairly quick, easy read with not too much substance this a good choice.

Holy Insta-Love, Batman! And holy magic dick, Batman!

I took a chance on a new-to-me author, because the blurb of this book was intriguing. Rich party-boy/man-whore seeks new life away from the six maybe-boyfriends who'd only use him for his money and runs to his aunt's house in small-town Clover City, where he meets older, grumpy, closeted sheriff, who's still nursing a broken heart  and carrying some massive guilt after his PD partner/secret lover died, back in Denver, during a domestic disturbance call gone very wrong.

I liked Case(y) initially - I could see that he was tired of being used and adrift, not sure of his way, and I hoped that he would find what he was looking for. He was immature to some extent (breaking up with his many boyfriends via text is just one example) and in desperate need of some direction in his life, something that would make it meaningful. But then, one of Case's ex-BFs tracks him down and instead of sending the guy back to where he came from, he puts him up in a hotel and pays the bill? Where was his spine? It's not like this happened shortly after Case's arrival - no, ex-BF shows up when he's already deeply involved with the sheriff. What gives?

Rawley, the closeted sheriff, is still mourning the loss of his partner, a death for which he blames himself, though he has built himself a quiet and mostly content life in Clover City. He's lonely, of course, even though he'd deny that if asked. Rawley takes one look at Case and wants. Grumpy sheriff wants the younger man, and after dragging him away from a barbeque to his house and sexy times, the sheriff is completely in lurve with the younger man, wants to keep him always, but also wonders if Case's man-whore past is not entirely a thing of the past. Jealousy is an ugly thing. 

There were some sweet moments too, and this book is entertaining. The plot flows well, I liked Case's aunt Sylvia (she was a sweetheart), and the townsfolks were nice too. 

Rawley just came on too strong sometimes, and I thought that the age gap was actually hindering them. Many times, Case acted like a doormat, and I wondered if he saw Rawley as a father figure too, instead of only a lover and an equal. Rawley had some hang-ups about Case's age as well and a bit of a dominant personality that, while it suited Case's character, was for me a bit too much. I like equality in the relationship, equal standing from a maturity perspective as much as possible, and I didn't get that here so much. 

Some of the plot points had me scratching my head, such as the rapidity with which Rawley stops grieving his ex-lover after meeting Case and their first bedroom encounter. Not only that, he also quickly gets over his guilt, a guilt that he's carried with him for two years and that he's worn like a shield to keep everyone out. Similarly, Case has one encounter with our grumpy sheriff, gets fucked through the mattress, and suddenly swears off anyone else's dick - never again will he have sex with anyone else, because... well, I guess because Rawley's dick is magic too. It's so magic, actually, that Case willingly puts up with Rawley's jealousy and distrust in his statement that he's done being a party-boy/man-whore and came to Clover City for that reason - to be done with that life. 

The ending felt a little too abrupt to me. I still had questions. What is the punishment Deputy Ted promised at the end? Is Jordan, the ex-BF, going to get that talk Case wants to have with him, and why, oh why is he still in town when the book ends? 

So, this wasn't a great read, but it did keep me entertained. Case and Rawley had some good banter going on, and while the relationship smacked of insta-love, they do get a rather nice HFN that will likely lead to a HEA, even if that must happen off-page. I could see Rawley open himself up to new beginnings and a second chance at love, and I could see Case find what has eluded him so far - someone who cares for him not because of what he can do for them, but for who he is. And don't we all want that, too?


** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book – Only You
Author – Kay Doherty
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 141
Cover – Nice!
POV – 3rd person, dual character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, MM, Romance


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **



WARNINGS: deals with issues of mental health and PTSD



The acknowledgments highlight an early warning that this book deals with the invisible illness that is PTSD. As someone with an invisible illness, though not PTSD or a mental health issue, the acknowledgment speaks to me in a way that promises to handle these issues with gentle awareness, compassion, understanding and, most of all, an intimate awareness of how debilitating and all consuming an invisible illness can be. That is before taking into consideration outside influences, such as other people's impressions and their treatment of those invisible illnesses, which can often be as debilitating and harmful as the PTSD itself.

.

Holy cow! That was an emotional rollercoaster and a half!

This is a new-to-me author and I'll definitely be giving Kay Doherty another go in the future. The writing was spot on, exactly my kind of writing style, and with exactly my kind of balance between description and dialogue.

With great attention to detail – well balanced, not over-done or exaggerated – the story began with a great set up of mood, location, atmosphere and characterisation, beginning the story with our all important introduction to Casey, on the day all his luck has run out. I loved that we were immediately in his head space and aware of his issues, without it being an info-dump. Then, when the POV switched to Rawley, I was thrilled. Dual POV is my favourite, especially when one of the MC's is a broody, grumpy sheriff!

Both these MC's have a past and a history that has left deep emotional scars, but they work so well together. I could feel the chemistry between them the minute they met, and that carried on throughout the story, growing and becoming solid. Saying that, however, I really loved how realistic they both were. Rawley and Casey accepted that they barely knew each other, that their feelings were based on lust and a physical attraction, and some deep seated need to be loved. It didn't stop them from being together, but I always knew they were going in with their eyes wide open. Each of them, at some point, considered the challenges and consequences – Casey's numerous boyfriends, Rawley's past, their age difference, how little time they'd known each other, Rawley being closeted in town, even the consideration that Casey might leave and go back to his numerous boyfriends. Though they often got swept up in the romance and the lust, neither of them ever forgot the bigger picture and that's rare to find in a romance novel.

What I also loved – but can't say too much about, because it would be a huge spoiler – is that even the MC's have to face the consequences of their actions. I'm talking about the end of the book, which is why that's all I'm going to say about it. It's great to see it happening, because it's real and logical and, sure, it may not be romantic, but the author sure made it feel right for the characters and the moment. And, in a way, it really was quite romantic, all for reasons I can't explain.

Were there any negatives? There were some minor editing issues, with a missing word in one or two places, but surprisingly very little for an early release/ARC copy. I did find that some of the early chapters had a flow/timeline issue that just didn't have the seamlessness of the rest of the novel, but those are all minor things and really didn't make an impact on my reading.

Overall, it was a fantastic read. It really lifted my mood with the perfect ending, despite the rollercoaster I'd had throughout. I loved everyone! Jordan was over the top. Trent was adorable. Aunt Sylvia was amazing! Jake and Ryan were brilliant. Ted is awesome! Everyone is awesome!!! In fact, I would absolutely love to read more about this little community, especially if Ted or Trent were to have a story of their own. Please????

In the end, I can only say that it was pretty perfect. From the chemistry, the characterisation, the plot, and the writing style, it all came together in a great book that dealt sympathetically with some very serious issues. It's a story of self-discovery, of healing, of emotional torment, of self-acceptance, of recovery, and of the realities of PTSD. But it's also a story about growth, love, change, and letting go of the things that hold a person back and stop them from moving on.

~

Favourite Quote

“The way his aunt was talking, Case had to wonder just how well she was acquainted with the sheriff. Uncle Ed had been dead for five years, but Aunt Sylvia was still fairly young and lively. If Case found out he was salivating over his aunt's newest, much younger love interest, he was going to dig his eyes out of his skull.”

““You don't stop loving someone just because they die, Rawley. You loved him then, you love him now, you will continue to love him for the rest of your life.”

This book was okay, nothing special. It had the usual flaws- Too much telling, not enough showing. Undeveloped characters, rushed relationships, and everything was overly dependent on sex, even while they were talking about how there was more to their relationship than sex. Overall, it wasn't the worst thing Ive ever read, but it certainly wasn't the best.

Only You had some potential and actually started off really good for me and then it completely derailed and was a bit of a mess IMO.

I love a irritable, but sexy sheriff so I was looking forward to this book.  I actually didn't feel like Rawley's PTSD played a big role in the book and expected it to have a bit more impact but the fact that it didn't was fine and didn't effect my enjoyment of the book.  As mentioned the book started off promising.  I felt the chemistry between the sheriff and Case(y) and loved the scene where Rawley pins Case to a wall during a town BBQ and then drags a very willing Case to his truck and then to his house where some pretty hot sex takes place.

Unfortunately Rawley kind of turns into an immature, jealous man when Case gets a text from one of his ex-boyfriends.  Case is also a pretty immature character who is basically a big ol' slut who is sleeping with six men back home until he wakes up and figures out that they are just using him for sex and money.  Although he's basically using them right back for sex.  He decides to change his life although not really seeing that as he starts having sex with Rawley within a week of meeting and the first time Rawley shows an interest.  There's quite a bit of cheesy dialogue (especially when Rawley answers Case's phone the morning after their first night of sex when he sees it's his aunt).  BTW - didn't really see why the previously closeted sheriff would answer the phone knowing that Case's aunt would know they spent the night together and the fact that she's a big gossip.  Although I could understand Rawley's jealousy a little bit when he sees the text he continues to throw jealous fits and demand that he be the only guy in Case's life (after just being together the one time).  

Case is an idiot at times.  The author continually brings up the fact that he has six boyfriends back home and was having sex with all of them (sometimes more than one at a time) for the past few years.  So Case breaks up with all the men via text (apparently he isn't mature enough to do it in person) and then one of them comes to visit him.  Instead of insisting that he means it and they are broken up he pays for a hotel room for his ex for a couple of weeks so he can stay near by.  I never understood this and it's never really explained except that it adds a little drama to the story by having Case's ex hanging around.

Rawley is also still dealing with the loss of his partner (both romantic and professional) when he was killed a year ago.  In the span of days Rawley gets over this and figures out he wasn't to blame for the shooting.  (Which reading the flashbacks seemed really strange and although I'm no expert on police procedure I'm pretty sure it wouldn't happen like that).  

Case and Rawley fall in love instantly.  This was a huge case of instant love and it didn't work for me at all.  Rawley is a jealous jerk who leaves town for a week and doesn't tell Case that he's leaving or why until he gets back.  Case tells Rawley he doesn't want to jump right into a relationship but wants to date but as soon as Rawley gets back from his week away he's admitting his love.

Finally, this book ends at a very bizarre point.  There's no real feeling that the book is over until you turn the page and realize that it is.  Definitely could have used an epilogue or at least a bit of a wrap up at the end.

So after a promising beginning the immaturity of the MC's and the instant love had me rolling my eyes and I this one just didn't really work for me.

I enjoyed this book, however it is not one that will stay with me for a long time. Just a good comfortable read. I enjoyed it and I am interested in seeing more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this story. You’ve got a young man looking to change the direction of his life so he heads to his Aunts small town and you’ve got this older man looking to start over after a tragic past also in the small town. They connect, fall completely in lust and then in love. The story has some bumps with twists and turns that add to the story.
But I will say, I felt like there were parts of the story left unfinished. Maybe a second book will be coming out to help tie up the loose ends. Also, there were several secondary characters that deserve a book of their own.

~2.5 stars~

So before I start criticizing the hell outta this book, I want to specify that I am not belittling the author's PTSD or their experience with it. I know that picking on Rowley's PTSD is pretty much like telling a person who has first hand experience with it that that's not how it works. So I'm not going to pick on the PTSD part too much, especially since I didn't feel like it was a big part of the book.

So the blurb is what drew me to this book, because I'm a sucker for a grumpy, testy, sexy as hell sherriff. Instead, I got an immature man-child who was prone to jealousy fits after the very first hookup with our other main character, Case(y). Things started out pretty promising, with some chemistry between the two men but not much availability on either of their parts. And then.... BAM! The MOTHER OF ALL FUCKING INSTA-LOVES!

The insta-love pretty much killed me! Rowley pretty much tackled Case (a week after he came in this town) during a BBQ cookout, drug a very willing Case to his truck ( cave man style pretty much, which worked for the grouchy sheriff) and then to his house, and proceeded to fuck him silly. So far so good, right? When Case's phone rings the next morning, the very closeted sheriff Rowley doesn't think twice about answering it, especially when he sees the caller is Case's aunt. Huh....then proceeds to tell her his intentions with Case are pure, that Case is special and...

“I am not using him, Sylvia. Not for sex and not for money. I brought him home last night because I had to be with him. I couldn’t stand another minute not knowing what it felt like to hold him or kiss him. He’s the most beautiful and vibrant man I’ve ever met”. 

Cheesiest and most ridiculous phone conversation I've ever come across. Hands down!!!

Case is a retired party-boy/man-whore. He's been juggling 6 boyfriends for the past 4 years, they only want Case for his money, and even after Case breaks up with them through text messages (because he's mature like that), they're still persistent as hell. I understand why Rowley is a little jealous, but all the talk about a serious relationship after fucking once killed it for me. And Case is a damn idiot! His ex(?) Jordan comes to see him, insisting they're still a couple, and instead of sending him on his way, what does Case do? Pays for a hotel room for Jordan for a two week long stay! Say what???

Of course after being in town for merely a week, Case's life is changed completely because of Rowley('s dick). Rowley is everything he never knew he wanted despite Rowley's immature jealous tantrums. *Can't stop this eyeroll even if I tried*

Rowley is still mourning the death of his partner Alex, who was shot and killed while he was responding to a domestic disturbance call together with Rowley. And don't even get me started on that whole scene, because it wasn't thought through. They're not partners on the force but they still respond separately/together even though neither one of them has a partner with them. The whole thing had me scratching my head in confusion, and while I'm no expert in police procedure, this didn't sound right to me. But I degress. After a week of knowing Case and sleeping with him once or twice, Rowley is finally done mourning and realizes he wasn't at fault for Alex's death. This truly was one of those rare and mysterious cases of pouring the grief through your dick kind of things. Or something like that, because nothing else makes sense.

After the promising begining, this book was a painful experience. Multiple times while reading this the words "chicks with dicks" were screaming in my head and that's definitely not a good thing.

I'm sure this book will appeal to some readers but unfortunately I wasn't one of them.

I really enjoyed this story. You’ve got a young man looking to change the direction of his life so he heads to his Aunts small town and you’ve got this older man looking to start over after a tragic past also in the small town. They connect, fall completely in lust and then in love. The story has some bumps with twists and turns that add to the story. 
But I will say, I felt like there were parts of the story left unfinished. Maybe a second book will be coming out to help tie up the loose ends. Also, there were several secondary characters that deserve a book of their own. 

Kay is a new author to me but I plan to check out some of her other work.

This was a cute romance. The plot revolves around two men, each with their own problems who happen to fall in love. Case has money and six boyfriends that mooch off him, while Rawley is working to forget his dead partner and trying to be in a place to be in a relationship. The mental and emotional issues are well developed, and the topics maturely handed. Case's exes are treated with as much respect as he can give them, and third parties attempt to give advice that feels real and supporting. On top of that, it's a pretty light, fluffy romance to read. Definitely recommend.