Genre: Contemporary
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Lucy
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About The Book
CC Bridges has a new MM contemporary romance out: Better Latte Than Never. And there’s a giveaway.
Finn’s love stories always end in death.
He’s made millions writing as author Morgan Heart and his fans can’t get enough of his tragic love stories. But a bad breakup results in a killer case of writer’s block, and Finn needs to try something drastic to fix it, like. . .going to a coffee shop to write. There’s got to be a reason it’s a cliche, and in his world, cliches sell.
He shouldn’t be flirting with the hot, younger barista. He shouldn’t be using said beautiful barista as another character to kill off in his new book. And he sure as hell shouldn’t be getting his heart involved, especially since he’s still keeping his real identity secret.
Working at his aunt’s coffee shop is a temporary thing. . . that’s been going on for eight years now. One day soon Enzo is finally going to make it big with his art and move on. But when Finn walks into the cafe – confident, mature, put together, everything Enzo is not – he can’t help developing a huge crush, even if Finn is a customer.
As their relationship deepens, Finn’s deceptions and Enzo’s insecurities threaten to undermine everything they are starting to build together. If they can each confront their inner demons, then Finn might be writing a happy ending for the first time in his life.
Better Latte Than Never is an m/m age gap, coffee shop romance featuring a slow burn attraction that grows steamier than an espresso machine.
Warnings: Mention of partner betrayal, death of character’s parents in the past
The Review
The excellently written blurb drew me in, and Better Latte Than Never did not disappoint.
Finn has been writing stories with sad endings for so long that he’s convinced that it’s the only way that love could possibly end. Then he walks into Aunt Rosa’s Café for the first time, and finds himself an uninvited guest for Enzo’s surprise birthday party. It’s an adorable take on the meet-cute, and starts the budding relationship off well.
After ending his dreaded writer’s block, Finn quickly becomes obsessed with Enzo as his muse. Likewise, Enzo finds new inspiration for his artwork, along with a new resolve to do everything he can to make his art successful.
There are so many things to love about this novel, beginning with Enzo and Finn. When an author gives me characters who seem real, with ordinary concerns and sincere flaws and foibles, I get totally drawn into the story. I love age-gap stories too, and this one is done well. Finn is successful in his career, has a few years on Enzo, and takes jaded to new levels.
There are enough details given that I can draw a mental picture of the characters’ appearance, how the café might look, and the neighborhood they’re in, but they don’t bogging me down with unnecessary information that bores me out of the story.
The pacing was excellent – I was engaged throughout the story, hanging on every word, and flipping (electronic) pages as quickly as I could. The dialogue was natural, witty, and perfect for the characters.
Better Latte Than Never is a delightful, low-angst read with so much goodness packed into a well-written story. It’s cleverly written, with excellent flow and pacing, great dialogue, and adorable characters.
This was my first CC Bridges novel, but I’m determined it won’t be my last.
The Reviewer
I’m an avid reader who loves pretty much all genres except math textbooks. As a kid, my parents exposed me to everything from fairies, hobbits, and dragons to the biographies of interesting people around the world, interspersed with poetry, plays, and music. Into adulthood, I spent a lot of years with my nose buried in various textbooks. Now, I read whatever grabs my fancy.
