Title: The Swap (Second Edition)
Author: Devon Rhodes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 26, 2016
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Page Count: 64
Reviewed by: Crabbypatty
Heat Level: 3.5 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Blurb:
When layoffs hit Jim LaRue’s company, his first concern isn’t for his own job, it’s for his friend and coworker, Tommy Graves. Tommy’s going through a bitter divorce, and he’s closing on a new home. Losing his job would mean losing the house—and the fresh start he desperately needs. Jim can’t let that happen to the man he’s secretly in love with, so he proposes a swap: his job for Tommy’s.
Now out of work, Jim reluctantly agrees to help Tommy remodel. He needs the income, but he can’t stand being a charity case—especially not when things between them start heading in a direction he hardly dared hope for. The strain drives a wedge between them, and a confrontation might spell the end of their relationship. (First Edition published by Amber Quill Press/Amber Allure, 2010.)
“The Swap” is a quick read about friends and co-workers Jim and Tommy. When the workforce needs to be reduced, Jim – who’s always had “a soft spot—hard spot?—for a certain blond machinist” – asks to be laid-off instead of Tommy. Tommy’s realization that he was attracted to men (or what is just Jim?) had been the death knell of his marriage, and he has just closed on a house that he hopes will be a fresh start for him.
Jim and Tommy quickly find themselves in the midst of a very steamy relationship as they work to renovate Tommy’s new home. I like how we get both Jim and Tommy’s POV throughout the story, but seriously these two men need to USE THEIR WORDS and communicate! The HFN ending feels way too rushed and hurried along, as Jim and Tommy still have a LOT of issues to resolve.
At the end of the day, I liked “The Swap” for its interesting plot. I wouldn’t mind having this story expanded to novel length and seeing how Jim and Tommy navigate a life together.
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