Rescued by Felice Stevens

 Ryder Daniels has spent the last year recovering from rejection: his parents couldn’t accept his sexuality and his lover chose drugs over his love. The only bright lights in his life are his younger brother and his rescued pit bull. But now his mother's punishment for his lifestyle has cut him off from his brother he loves so deeply. Devastated, he throws himself into the work of the Pit Bull Foundation he and his friends started.

Jason Mallory can no longer hide the dissatisfaction of his relationship with his longtime girlfriend. When her marriage ultimatum pushes him to break things off, he's determined not to jump into the dating scene. But when a group of injured pit bulls are found on his construction site, he can’t forget the guy who shows up to help.

After Jason adopts one of the dogs, he and Ryder become fast friends—until one night, Ryder lets down his guard and Jason recognizes his desire. Soon, they can’t deny the passion between them but will family differences and ugly prejudices keep them apart, or can they fight to prove that love is precious, no matter the flavor?

This is a sweet story of redemption and accepting one’s self.  I loved both Jason and Ryder from the beginning but was able to connect better with Ryder emotionally.  Both men are successful in their careers but are having trouble connecting with someone long-term in their personal lives. 

I loved how believable the circumstances in the book were.  It was so beautiful to watch two strong men bond over a mutual love and respect for rescuing Pit Bulls.  One of my favorite things about this book was how the author showcases different familial reactions to their son’s coming out as gay.  There are varying degrees of initial acceptance shown and some eventual reconciliations.  It was nice to watch Jason and Ryder’s relationship grow and strengthen through their trials instead of weakening and falling apart.  They chose to cling to each other whenever they were in doubt or hurting and that was beautiful and inspiring to see.

Overall this is a beautiful and angst-filled romance between two strong men.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who just wants to read a beautiful love story.

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