Parker Paperback – April 16, 2021

His characters and the family and friends around them are, as always with his books, a delight. Glad to know we'll see the other brothers up close too in upcoming books.

Content Warnings: mentions and depictions of intimate partner violence, mentions of self harm (cutting), mentions of sexual assault, mentions of drug/alcohol abuse, depictions of drug/alcohol abuse, depictions of anxiety/panic attacks, depictions of homophobia, graphic violence, on -page sex.Hello yes, I absolutely love it here in the Jack Harbon stan section, thanks for asking. 4.5 stars, no question. Thank you Jack for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.I loved this. I picked up Parker expecting it to be a hot, steamy, m/m romance with pining and angst and while yes it is all of those things, it is also a story about discovering new sides of yourself, learning to love yourself, escaping abuse and self doubt, and putting yourself first even when it feels like the last thing you should do. We all deserve to be a bit selfish and Parker and Trey teach one another that throughout this book.We meet Trey on one of the most difficult nights of his life: the night he escapes his abusive relationship and boyfriend. With the only the clothes on his back, his dog Yoshi and a backpack with just one of his sketchbooks, he disappears desperate to start over and find someplace safe, wherever that may be. He can’t rely on his friends for putting them in danger so for now he’s on his own…until he’s not. He meets Whitney Wolffe, who offers to give him a place to stay after giving him a metaphorical kick in the ass. He’s hesitant to accept the help, scared of being a burden, but he does it because he clearly needs it.Enter Whitney’s oldest adopted son Parker Wolffe. Parker is as tough as they come. Tall, muscled, covered in tattoos and rocking a man-bun, he’s no stranger to his mom bringing home “strays” as he calls him. It’s how he ended up with her just like his 3 brothers after him. What he doesn’t expect though is to find this fragile younger man who is clearly running scared from something or someone. He doesn’t expect Trey’s presence to effect him so much, but suddenly he’s experiencing feelings for another man for the first time and they’re more intense than anything he’s ever felt before. Not only is he attracted to Trey, which throws him off kilter, but he’s protective as hell over him. They both need someone and soon they realize maybe what they’ve been looking for is each other.Listen, Jack gave us growth, angst, love, sex, drama, and feels with this one okay! It’s so much more than a romance. We get an in-depth look into what it’s like trying to heal yourself after putting up with trauma and abuse and how none of that is easy. Both Parker and Trey have demons to face and while they can see the worth in each other, sometimes it’s extremely difficult for them to see it in themselves. Nothing changes overnight and that’s what I love about this. Trey’s life isn’t suddenly sunshine and rainbows or perfect because he’s found Parker. Parker isn’t suddenly cured of his savior complex because Trey tells him to stop taking on so much responsibility. Developing healthy habits and communication is a process and we follow them every step of the way.Also, I was absolutely tearing up and in my feels reading this so that was fun.

This is definitely my fave Jack Harbon book by far and I’m gonna need the rest of the series to come out ASAP! Jack, how about book 2 is May? 👀 No I really enjoyed this book and the MCs had really good chemistry and the smut was *chefs kiss*. I also liked that each character had their own set of problems that they needed to work through and they felt fully developed. I don’t have much else to say bc I just really liked it and I ate it up. Please support Jack and read it and leave a review! He really did something with this book and deserves all the love! 😌

** spoiler alert ** Parker fixes things, Trey is on the run from an ex. Parker doesn't understand the attraction. Will Parker give them a chance? Will Trey be able to overcome his past?Have to say I loved these two together. I loved how Parker was this big guy, but really was a complete softy and determined to do whatever he could to help those he loved. I didn't blame Trey for his way of thinking because abuse can take its toll, but loved seeing him stand up for himself when it counted. Good read!

Wow, this book is super angsty and an absolute emotional rollercoaster! I was certainly expecting something a lot lighter, and while I wouldn’t say this is a dark romance, some of the themes can be tough to read.The last thing Trey needs after escaping his abusive partner is to be caught stealing by a white-haired old lady. But when she insists he returns the item and then get in her car, well, he doesn’t have many options. Whitney has a history of adopting “strays,” so her oldest one, Parker, shouldn’t be surprised to find a strange man in his mom’s house. But after their meet disaster, Parker can’t get Trey out of his head – and neither can Trey ignore the super hot guy sleeping just upstairs. But they’ve both made enough mistakes in their lives, and could getting involved be one more?“I just…want to help. I’m bigger than most people. I know more about s*** that needs fixing than most people.”Parker’s the oldest of the Wolffe brothers and the fixer. He’s the one who moved in with Whitney when she needed assistance, and he’s the one who takes care of all the little jobs around the house, from fixing a bathroom sink to decorating for a birthday party. He’s the responsible one, the one who’s always there to help, and while he’d deny that he takes too much onto his broad shoulders, anyone else with eyes can see that that’s true. Parker’s always considered himself heterosexual, so all these new feelings about Trey are confusing.“You’re safe here. You keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, and you’ll only be stressing yourself out for no reason. Don’t let him take your peace from this house too.”Trey is a different story. After years in an abusive relationship, he’s not sure how to deal with people who seem to want to just help him (and his adorable dog), no strings attached. But slowly, Parker’s kindness and strength start to draw him out. I loved watching Trey blossom with Parker and Whitney’s help. Parker especially encourages Trey to pursue his art dreams – specifically, he wants to be a tattoo artist, which is lucky as Whitney has some skill in that area. And it’s not just Trey who benefits in this relationship. They both are operating under a miasma of guilt and misplaced responsibility – Trey for the abuse he suffered from his ex, and Parker for, well, everything. Getting Parker to take that step back and leave some time for himself is something that only Trey could have done.“I know you probably feel like you’re damaged goods, but you’ve seen me work. Anything broken can be fixed. I don’t quit, I don’t give up, and I don’t care how f****ing long it takes to make you feel better again.”I loved the Wolffe brothers – and mama Whitney – and how they’re a family even when they’re screwing up. I absolutely adored the heck out of Whitney, who may be frail but still rules her boys with an iron fist – and wields a tattoo machine as well. But, I still didn’t really love this book, and I think it’s more of an “it’s not you, it’s me” situation. For one, some of the content warnings hit a little too close to home for me. And it’s not that I think they were badly done, but some of the events that happen later in the book involving his ex were hard for me to read.Overall, I’d give this 3.5 stars. If you’re looking for lots of angst and lots of emotion, and don’t have a problem with the content warnings, this is definitely a good bet.I received an advance review copy of this book from BookSprout. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.