Review: You Never Know by Mary Calmes

You Never Know by Mary Calmes

Publication Date: July 21, 2017

Page Count: 212

Published by: Dreamspinner Press

Source: purchased

Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Hagen Wylie has it all figured out. He’s going to live in his hometown, be everybody’s friend, explore new relationships, and rebuild his life after the horrors of war. No muss, no fuss is the plan. He’s well on his way—until he finds out his first love has come home too. Hagen says it’s no big deal, but a chance encounter with Mitch Thayer’s two cute sons puts him directly in the path of the only guy he’s never gotten out of his head.

Mitch returned for three reasons: to raise his sons where he grew up, to move his furniture business and encourage it to thrive, and to win Hagen back. Years away made it perfectly clear the young man he loved in high school is the only one for him. The problem? He left town and they have not talked since.

If Hagen’s going to trust him again, Mitch needs to show him how he’s grown up and isn’t going to let go. They could have a new chance at love… but Hagen is insistent he’s not reviving a relationship with Mitch. Then again, you never know.

To be honest, I really didn't like this book. I think I've read enough Mary Calmes to know what to expect, but I thought this was shallow and pointless. There was a ton of meaningless dialogue that just went around in circles. I hated that Hagen's 'flashbacks' were always right in the middle of a conversation. He would zone out while he recalled the past, then have to be literally snapped back to the present and the conversation he was having. That grew tiresome.

Not much really happened in this story. I was at 60% and it was still the same day. Hagen spent most of this book with Ash, so when Mitch showed up I was ready for the story to move along already. But then I realized that Hagen and Mitch had no present day knowledge of each other, so everything they were feeling was from their shared history as teenagers, and not based on adult reality.

This book was just not for me, which I found disappointing because I freaking adore her Marshals series. I'm hoping to find something else of hers to read that can bring me the same joy as Miro and Ian.

I read a book with the same general premise - teenagers in love, one goes away for 15 years and then returns - except the Common Law Series by Kate Sherwood is far, far superior to this book.

My Rating: 2.5 Stars