A Glamour Beginning

Often times, I read books because friends suggestion them.  I have one particular reading buddy who I love to discuss books with.  He and I both are Amy Lane fans, but occasionally, I come across a book that draws me in because if the title or author, even sometimes the cover art.  I don't want to say which of those three drew me to this book, but for those who happen to know me personally, I bet you can guess.  When I saw The Guy from Galmour by Skylar M Cates, I knew this was a M/M romance I had to read. And, I am so glad that I did.  The Guy from Glamour is part of Cates's "The Guy Series," which I'm eagerly starting the second book in the series today.

Description:

Anthony Carrino loves his big, gregarious Italian-American family, even if his sisters are interfering, and his dad, the local sheriff, knows everything going on in town. He’s happy as a middle school guidance counselor. Despite helping kids and their parents fix their problems, Anthony can’t manage to get his own love life right. If only everyone would stop calling him the “nice” guy.  

Dean Pierce doesn’t do relationships. A tough-minded military man, he is dedicated to his job as a Night Stalker, flying Chinook helicopters and not speaking much to anybody. He certainly doesn’t want to deal with a mess of emotions. But when tragedy strikes, Dean finds his hands full with his troubled niece, her irresistible guidance counselor, and a meddlesome family, which includes a rather large puppy.

The story of Dean and Anthony warmed my heart.  There were a few places where the book was predictable, I've read enough Amy Lane to now always expect the worse to happen, but Cates has a gentler way of dealing with the angst.  Sometimes she draws it out and it tugs at your heart strings, and sometimes your breath is taken away, but your confidence is quickly restored.  The Guy from Glamour has  a variety of twists and turns, but you can't help from falling in love with the loquacious Anthony or the stolid and silent Dean, mostly because we get  to read Dean's thoughts and know that he's just not used to expressing himself.

The book is also about a small town romance.  I've lived in small towns all my life, and whereas, I haven't yet found the love of my life, I do enjoy reading about those who do.  I enjoy books that make me feel good, and this book made me feel great.  I listened to it as an audiobook, as I often do on my drive to and from school, and the narration by Matt Baca was phenomenal.  I had no trouble keeping up with who was who, which some readers are not as good at conveying.  Also, usually I am content with listening only when I'm in the car, but I found myself continuing to listen once I got home and even listening some before I went to sleep at night.

The Guy from Glamour was a hit in my book.  I loved it, and I can't wait to read more from Skylar M Cates, who by the way, sounds like my kind of woman.  In her author's bio, she is described as a woman who "...loves a good romance.  She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day."  Now that's my kind of day!