New Release Review: What You Make It by A.M. Arthur

14 July of 2018 by ButtonsMom2003

Reviewer's Rating: 4

4.0Overall score

A nice feel-good story.

What You Make By A.M. Arthur

Genre: Contemporary Romance, GLBTQ, MM

Released: July 9, 2018

Publisher: Briggs-King Books

Series: Belonging , Book 4

Synopsis

Can a Dom with a broken heart find what he needs with a single dad fourteen years his junior?

Micah Kelley’s life turned upside down when he discovered he had an infant daughter he never knew existed. A college drop-out and single dad with no support from his parents, he turns to his older brother, with whom Micah has a strained relationship. Living with Ezra and his partner gives Micah the freedom to admit he’s bisexual without the threat of their bigoted father’s wrath, while starting over and looking for work.

After losing his husband and sub to cancer, David Milano is stuck in an endless cycle of meaningless hookups and emotionless scenes with men he has no desire to see twice. But after an explosive encounter with a bratty, blond twink at a bar, David realizes he has room in his heart to love again after twelve years of grieving. When his unforgettable hookup walks into David’s office for an interview, David can’t think of a single reason not to hire him. Too bad their sizzling chemistry didn’t get the memo that Micah is now an employee and therefore off-limits. Micah didn’t get the memo either, and he’s intrigued by David’s style of BDSM. They begin a secret affair that gives Micah the freedom to explore new sides of himself, and it gives David a chance to open his heart again. But secrets have a way of coming out, and Micah has to put his daughter first. Always.

Even if it means losing the first person he’s ever truly loved.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This book contains mild BDSM elements including restraints, blindfolds, and spanking. While the story uses characters from other interconnected series of mine, this can be read as a standalone.

Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

A nice feel-good story.

I have a confession… I have read nearly all of A.M. Arthur’s books but I haven’t read the Belonging series. I wanted to say that because even though What You Make It is set in that world it stands alone with no problem. Do I wish I had read the series first? Yes, because that’s just how I am; I like to read series in order. Did I feel left out while reading What You Make It? Not really, but now I want to go and read the books about the 3 supporting couples who appear in What You Make It.

I really admire Micah. He’s a young adult with only one semester of college left when he finds out he has a daughter and that her mother is dying. How many young men would be willing to take on that responsibility? Throw in the fact that his wealthy family disowns him because his daughter is bi-racial and that just ups my opinion of him.

Micah finds a new family when he moves in with his brother and his partner. Their circle of friends welcomes him and Bree with open arms and offer all kinds of help including babysitting while Micah hunts for a job.

David and Micah hit it off in a club the night before Micah goes for an important job interview. But Micah has to leave before talking to David again. Both men are shocked when Micah shows up for his job interview and David is there as a partner in the company.

The chemistry between Micah and David just sizzles. I don’t know how they manage to keep their relationship a secret at work but they do – at least for a while. Both Micah and David almost seem too good to be true. I kept waiting for something really awful to tear them apart but it never really happened. It was a nice change to read a story without a lot of angst between the two MCs (main characters).

I think fans of the Belonging series will love this book, especially the epilogue.

♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Belonging Series

♥ Amazon US ♥ Amazon CA ♥ Amazon UK ♥

About Author

AM Arthur

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. A.M. Arthur’s work is available from Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, SMP Swerve, and Briggs-King Books.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Author Links

2018 4 Stars A. M. Arthur Belonging Briggs-King Books ButtonsMom2003 Contemporary GLBTQ July 2018 MM Review Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003 Romance Scorcher Series Single-Title What You Make It