Book Review: Second Helpings by Charlie Cochrane

Title: Second Helpings
Author: Charlie Cochrane
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy provided via NetGalley
Published: July 21, 2014 by Riptide Publishing

Stuart Collins’s life might as well have ended a year ago when his partner died in a car crash. Even Stuart’s widowed father has found new love with an old friend, Isabel Franklin, so why can’t Stuart be bothered to try?

Then he gets a phone call from Isabel’s son, Paul, who wants to check out whether or not Mr. Collins is good enough for his mother. During dinner together, though, they end up checking out each other. Trouble is, Paul’s got a boyfriend—or maybe he doesn’t, since the boyfriend’s supposedly giving Paul the push by ignoring him. Or maybe Paul just wants to have his cake and eat it too.

Honesty with each other is the only way to move forward. But maybe honesty with themselves is what they really need.

Reviewed By: J9

In a Nutshell: Good enough read, if a bit dull.

The  Set Up: Stuart is still in mourning for his partner killed in a car crash when his father starts dating an old friend, Isabel. Isabel’s son Paul wants to discuss their parents’ relationship and the men click right away. But Paul has a complicated-maybe-ex-boyfriend and Stuart is still mourning his dead partner.

Why I Read This Book: I like books that have healing journeys in them and this synopsis seemed to indicate that.

What I Liked: Stuart and Paul are very much average men. They have jobs that are both time consuming and yet rewarding. They both want to build a life with someone but they can’t find that someone to settle down with: Stuart because his partner died and Paul because he’s lousy at picking men. I also like how the men communicate with each other with honesty and confusion—just like real life.

What I Also Liked: This short novel/long novella is set in the UK and I loved that. The food, the vocabulary and the setting were just different enough from a US set novel to make it interesting.

I also enjoyed Stuart’s relationship with his widowed father who is dating Paul’s mother. Stuart and his father really support each other and I like when they would have coffee and talk. Paul and Isabel’s relationship is a little less relaxed but it seemed realistic.

What I Didn’t Like: Honestly, this book was a bit dull. Paul and Stuart were normal guys with normal issues and the tension was bland. The sexual and emotional intimacy were exploratory in nature, which fit their relationship but as a reader made the read meh.

IMO: Second Helpings is decent enough read with its everyday leads in a gentle romance but it’s nothing that will stand out in the 500 books I read a year.

J9’s Rating:

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