S.E.X. Review~ Footsteps of the Past by Felice Stevens

It was like in the movies: their eyes met from across the room and they fell in love.
Nine years later, Chess and André are the envy of all their friends.
But this is real life….and things are never what they seem.

Still waters run deep—the better to hide Chess’s ugly past. He’s worked hard to bury the troubled teen he once was and is living a life he never imagined possible. André’s love is a gift that makes him believe in second chances, and Chess is grateful for it every day. The only thing he wants is what André finds impossible to give: his time. Six months apart might be the breaking point, even for Chess.

One horrible night changed André’s life forever. Formerly a party boy of the Hamptons social scene, André buries himself in work for years until he meets Chess and learns to enjoy the simple things. He’s tired of being away from home all the time and ready to step down from his role as CEO of the family business, no matter how they try and pull him back in. But old habits die hard…and so do memories.

Photos from the past and present surface, shocking Chess and André out of their carefully constructed dream life. They are forced to face the unthinkable: the love they thought would last a lifetime may be on the brink of falling apart. Secrets are exposed, opening a Pandora’s box both men hoped would stay locked forever. Now Chess and André face the hardest question: do you ever really know the person you’re living with?

Footsteps of the Past was a beautifully written book by author Felice Stevens. Chess and Andre were already a couple in book 1, The List, of the Second Chances series, and I looked forward to their story. While the book is a standalone, I recommend reading The List first as the college friends’ lives were intertwined.

Each man in Footsteps of the Past had their own secrets, of which potentially could destroy their relationship. Ms. Stevens did not take their issues lightly and allowed the characters to grow as their story unfolded. At times, I may have found a bit of whininess, but that may have been more my perception and not the reality. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but for me there was something missing (although I can not put my finger on it). I loved the banter between the friend group and how they accepted new loves in their circle. I especially can not wait for Wolf and Spencer’s story.

As a fan of Ms. Stevens, I look forward to everything she writes.

Sexy & Sizzling

A four handcuff review

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2021 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.

S.E.X. Review~ The List by Felice Stevens

Oops. He did it again.
Elliot Hansen has a terrible habit of falling in love with every man he dates.
His friends have had enough and make a list of Elliot’s perfect man.
That V …
Those abs ...
Shouldn’t a boyfriend be more than the sum of his parts?
But when sexy detective Winston Rogers bursts into his bedroom to arrest a burglar, Elliot knows he wouldn’t mind checking one or two things off that list with him.

What if you had it all?
Five years after the death of his husband, Winston Rogers is single and determined to stay that way.
He throws himself into his job—the more dangerous the assignment, the better.
He can’t face another risk to his heart.
But then a routine arrest in his neighbor’s bedroom leaves Win searching for more than evidence as the man’s sweet smile and vulnerable eyes strike a chord inside him Win had thought gone forever.

Why not enjoy each other with no strings attached? Win and Elliot decide to make their own list.
Rule #1: Strictly friends with benefits.
Rule #2: No doing anything stupid like falling in love.
Rule #3. ...
See Elliot and Win ignore Rules #1 and #2.

Felice Stevens reduced this reader to tears with her new book, The List. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, The List left an emotional impact- a story of love lost, friendship, and love found.

Win and Elliot each had their own personal issues. Win, closed off from any future of love as he lived in the past with his husband’s death, with no thought of a prospect of companionship and love.

Elliot only wanted to be loved. Plagued by a past based on an unattainable goal, Elliot created his own family with his three best friends and jumped at the love-ever-after relationship soon after meeting a new man. For both men, a no-win situation dictated their lives, until a break in/attempted robbery brought Detective Win smack dab into Elliot’s bedroom.

I loved both characters and instantly felt the emotional turmoil they both retained. Ms. Stevens brought their characterization forward as she allowed them to write their own stories. The book was not forced, but real life, where not everything goes as planned and the HEA needed to be worked for.

As the men waded through their budding relationship, they learned so much about each other, but more importantly, they learned about themselves. Win realized that love could be found again, and Elliot found the will to face truths that plagued him all his life.

The secondary characters enhanced the overall story, and I cannot wait to see where Ms. Stevens takes them in future books.

A must read. The list may start out as a joke, but The List was the real deal.

Definite S.E.X.

A five handcuff review

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2021 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.