Everywhere with You

Will and Sam realized they were in love during the summer, and it was wonderful for the both of them. After sharing such happiness, reality came along, and they had to go back to separate colleges and be away from each other for an entire semester. As expected, they are ecstatic to see each other on winter break.
As happy as they are being together, things aren’t all moonlight and roses on the home front. Will’s mother is still not on board with his sexuality. She’s convinced it’s a phase. Along with that, Will and Sam realize they only have a finite amount of time before they have to part again in January, and Sam’s not even sure he’s worthy of Will’s love and wonders if he’ll leave him for someone else.
To relieve the family/college pressure, Will and Sam decide to spend the New Year’s holiday in Chicago. Big city life is certainly different than farm life in Wisconsin. They soak in the museums, the culture, and the thriving gay community Chicago offers. Through it all, they are more and more convinced they should be together, and their relationship becomes even more intense.
How will they manage to overcome Sam’s insecurities and long periods of being apart? Turns out, there may be a way after all.
I had the pleasure of reading the first story in the Just Like That series last month and loved it, and I was so excited to see the sequel was available. I just had to know what Will and Sam were up to because I missed them (even though it had been pretty much right away). I was not disappointed with this sequel, Everywhere With You.
Will and Sam have been away from each other doing their best to keep up with their studies and only speaking on the phone or Skyping. The separation is painful for both, so their reunion was joyous. I had a smile on my face through most of the book. It was a little distressing to see Will’s previously close loving relationship with his mother being put under stress because she can’t seem to get over his being gay. However, I loved these boys so much, I was rooting for them the whole way no matter what.
Will and Sam are completely lovable and their chemistry is fantastic. The author put a lot of heart into them, and into the book itself. Now, I think it’s only fair to let you know there is a LOT of sex here. I joked with my husband the book may well have been titled Will and Sam Have Sex in Chicago…and Everywhere Else (not that it would have been a problem for me). I know that’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but not only were the sex scenes nicely written with just enough detail, they were hotter than hell. Also, as this is a story about two men who wanted each other and deprived themselves for so long, they were playing “catch up.” They were taking the time to learn about each other’s bodies, what they liked, what they had always wanted to try, but most of all, they were cementing their loving relationship by letting the other know they belonged together.
As in the previous book, there are several background characters that are relevant to the story. Greg is a new friend the boys meet in Chicago. Not only does he take them under his wing, he helps them get out of what could have been a really nasty situation. Another new friend, Kevin, is the nephew of Mrs. Hillson (who, as you may remember, is the caretaker/manager/housekeeper/guardian of Sam and his brother Michael…who we also get to meet). Sam and Will play matchmaker with Greg and Kevin, and a new relationship is born. Aside from them, the families of Will and Sam are back, and there’s a cute cameo from Sarah Miller, the young lady Sam’s mother kept trying to set him up with. All of these characters are important to the story on the whole, but they aren’t intrusive. I would say Greg and Kevin are imperative to helping Will and Sam learn more about each other than they already did, and if there will be future installments in the series, I believe they’ll continue to be part of Will and Sam’s life.
Another thing I really liked about Everywhere With You is there is no real angst. I mentioned Will and Sam get into a bit of a bind in Chicago, but it cleared up relatively quickly. The issue between Will and his mother is always there, but it’s not a primary concern, and yes, Sam has a bit of a crisis of insecurity about their love, but Will is there right away with reassurances (and calling Sam an idiot a few times). There was never a point where I wanted to skim until the next chapter.
The ending was wrapped up beautifully. I’m going to call it an HFN because there may be a solution to the boys’ separation. I most certainly hope the author will give me what I want most…a beautiful HEA for Will and Sam. I’ve grown very fond of (or even close to) them. They’re become one of my favorite couples because of their sweetness and their pure love.
I highly, highly, highly recommend this book. It will make you feel warm and sappy (and maybe a little more than turned on). It’s very nearly perfection.