Rugged and conventional Callum Montgomery enjoys running Shady Pines hunting preserve, except for the secret that’s eating him alive. When his sister brings a date for a family wedding, he can’t stand the arrogant city slicker with the stick up his perfectly fine ass. He doesn’t understand his draw to Dean, who pushes his buttons at every turn, but he’d never dream of betraying his sibling over some lust fueled fantasy. Handsome and conscientious Dean Abbott is a research assistant in his university’s biology lab. When his roommate, Cassie, begs him to be her pretend date in front of her meddling family, he begrudgingly agrees to help. He doesn’t anticipate being enchanted by the countryside, the colorful cast of characters, or her sexy and brooding straight brother. When contempt turns to passion and leads to stolen moments in a sugar cane field, Callum can’t help longing for the kind of connection he believes he can never have. But not even the world’s most heart-melting kiss can bridge the vast philosophical differences between the men. Dean’s return to his urban lifestyle leaves him restless, his mind continually wandering to the charming setting that spoke to something missing deep inside him. Because you can take the city boy out of the country but you can’t make him forget the intriguing man he left behind.
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MY REVIEW
I am completely surprised by this one! There was so much I enjoyed about this book. From the entire cast of characters to the unique setting, The Deepest Blue seemed to come alive more and more as I read. I was consumed with Callum and Dean's story for the better part of the last two days, and I just fell in love with them. Their beautiful and heartbreaking backgrounds and the way they supported the most important people in their lives. Callum and Dean's connection was sweet, tender and encouraging not to mention rife with sexual chemistry. While there is nothing really new and surprising with the storyline here, Christina Lee did an incredible job outlining the love and care given and received by Callum's family. In recent reads, this has shown to be the most well penned family dynamic I've read. I truly adored the relationship between brothers Callum and Billie and was in awe of them as they supported and encouraged one another. It was a lot of fun watching Callum and Dean explore their attraction to each other. The tension between them early on was believable and exciting. While Callum is a country boy and Dean is the city boy, that's really where their differences end. They were both hot, intelligent and strong minded often finding themselves at odds with each other because of it. And damn, were they hot together. Their steam scenes were intense and passionate. I still feel like an amateur in the m/m romance genre but these were some of the most erotic m/m scenes I’ve read yet! I loved the country setting too. It was unique and original; I haven’t come across a preserve in my readings yet. Christina’s description of Callum’s land was rich and vivid and I could picture myself there riding the ATVs and digging in the cane field. I would have loved to have seen the ending a bit more developed. There were conflicts within Dean’s story that I would have enjoyed seeing flushed out, yet they seemed to be wrapped up with a paragraph or two. Also, for all the build-up between Dean and Callum for the first 85%-90% of the story, the ending felt inadequate and hurried. I actually thought to myself at 90% “it’s ending already? Where is the rest of the story?” However disappointed I was, I think it speaks to how well Christina was able to keep my attention and create characters I felt connected to. If you're looking for a sweet and sexy m/m romance filled with tender and heartfelt moments, The Deepest Blue should be your next read.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS IN THE ROADMAP TO YOUR HEART SERIES
The Darkest Flame Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks