Review: Hardwood by K.M. Neuhold
SYNOPSIS:
I’ve spent forty-four years of my life telling the world I’m a carpet man. Is it too late to admit to myself and everyone else that deep down I’m really all about the Hardwood?
It took me over thirty-five years to admit to myself that I’m gay, another seven to find the courage to say it out loud to anyone else, and exactly thirty seconds to develop a massive crush on my daughter’s music teacher. It’s really not my fault, have you even seen those cute bowties he wears?
After everything it’s taken to get here, am I going to work up the nerve to come out to my ex-wife and my best friends? Am I ready to shake up my comfortable, simple life and take a chance on Watson? Or am I going to throw a wrench in my own chance for happily ever after?
REVIEW:
Ev and Watson were sticky sweet. This story was more so about Ev’s journey to coming out. Some parts were utterly unbelievable, more on that later, but for the most part the man struggled. And it got to the point where I wasn’t sure they were going to get a happily-ever-after but in the end, Ev saw the light.
So the communication breakdown which is the culmination of Ev’s inability to come out to anyone he has known for a substantial amount of time was over-the-top. His guilt and inability to truly be with Watson till his ex-wife knew had me feeling all kinds of ick. There were a lot of moments where it felt like Ev was prioritizing his ex and her feels over Watson and that rubbed me the wrong way. My heart also ached for Watson and how Ev essentially shoved him back in the closet.
In terms of things I liked, Watson. He was absolutely adorable, in his fluffy, nerdy way with his pet hedgehog as his trusty side-kick. I adored Ev’s relationship with his daughter and how he truly stepped up as a parent. I especially liked how his daughter was so construction savvy, it was a cute quirk to add on but had me smiling every time it was mentioned. Ev and Watson had plenty of steamy and tender moments but I just wished it was better balanced with some communication. Maybe shave off Ev’s big step out of the closet and give Watson and Ev a little more time to bask in that relationship glow? Overall a good read but could have used a little finessing a lot less Val (Ev’s ex wife).
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