Persistent

Adrenalin #3

by Michele Lenard

Blurb:

Some thrills you chase. Others blindside you in a red plaid skirt and combat boots.

Axel – It was probably a little stalkerish to follow him to this office and pin him up against the wall before knowing his name, but in my defense, red is my favorite color.
And he made it look so good I found myself tempted to try eggplant for the first time.

Besides, it’s not like I was the only one looking.
He’d been not-so-discretely ogling me all afternoon, I just made the first move.
And the second.
And pretty much all the others until tragedy struck his hometown and he sought me out for comfort.

I knew after that first night one wouldn’t be enough, but when he turned to me in his moment of need, I was done for.
Too bad forever is the one thing Lennon doesn’t believe in.
He’s spent years building a life he controls—running his restaurant, protecting his heart, keeping everyone at arm’s length.
And me? I’m a professional dirt biker with no fixed address and no idea how to stay still.

We don’t make sense.
Not on paper. Not in real life.
But when he’s in my arms, nothing’s ever felt more right.

He thinks our timing’s all wrong.But I think I finally found the place I want to land—and the man I want to stay for.

This spicy queer romance features a workaholic who channels David Rose’s fashion sense – and emotional neurosis; a daredevil who thrives on challenges – including his first-time attraction to a man; A+ dirty talk; stolen underwear; a restaurant that functions as part therapy space, part relationship bootcamp;and a quirky small town that’s got that nowhere-on-a-map vibe, but somehow becomes the place where people find themselves and fall in love.

*****

Review:

Persistent is all slow burn, with just a little bit of angst at the very end. It’s definitely not for everyone, her late in the third act breakups thing, but it works for me. I enjoy the interaction between the two, how they slowly go from hookups to something much more, and how they don’t let their issues ruin everything for them.

Axel is absolutely the best. Kind, caring, and supportive. He shows up again and again, proving that he’s in the relationship. I do wish he’d done a little more to communicate his plans to Lennon instead of … testing him, I guess. I get it, he wants to know where Lennon stands but a conversation would maybe have helped their issues later on.

Lennon is fabulous too. I love how confident he is in himself as a person, comfortable in his skin and persona, but also guarded due to his family issues. Which are totally understandable. And with some help from his friends, plus Axel’s, he does figure things out eventually.

Just like the other books in the series, Persistent is a good mix of steam & feels, with relatable characters and good pacing & plot. This series is all about the delightful found family/small town charm & satisfying HEAs and I’m looking forward to where she takes us next.