Eli’s Promise

Title:  Eli’s Promise  (The Bar Next Door: Book 2)

Author:  Lissa Matthews

Publisher:  Samhain Publishing

Length:  89 pages

Rating:  B List

Quad Shot of Love

Blurb:  Time and distance have a way of sneaking up on feelings thought long buried.

The Bar Next Door, Book 2
Five years ago, Eli held the hand of his dying lover and made a promise he never intended to keep. Find someone new to love? Be happy? Fat chance. Eli’s happiness died that day. He’s doing well to put one foot in front of the other, much less risk his heart again.

The only thorn in his side is Asa, part-time waiter at The Bar Next Door, who can’t seem to take a hint.

After years of carrying more responsibility on his broad, cowboy shoulders than most people twice his age, Asa knows what he wants when he sees it. Eli. Shadows haunt the gorgeous older bartender, who also happens to be one of Asa’s bosses, but Asa doesn’t care about potential complications. He only wants to banish Eli’s ghosts—and bring Eli back to life.

Persistence, a little impatience, and Asa’s very wicked mouth go to work on Eli’s grumpy, prickly defenses. But Asa may have to block the door to love with his foot—or his heart—before Eli slams it in his face.

Warning: Beware of stubborn cowboys, sticky bar floors and hot sexy showers, eavesdropping cooks and well-meaning friends, Irish whiskey, and a young man who doesn’t understand the word no.

Review: A fast and dirty ride full of emotion, friendship and lots of steamy sex.

Eli is still healing from the shattering of losing his long time lover. He doesn’t believe that he can allow himself to feel for another that way again, never risk that kind of damage. Unfortunately, for his plans of staying cold and indifferent, a gorgeous young man who won’t listen to his protests comes to work in his bar and slowly drives him insane with lust and before he knows it, with love.

Asa is so sexy, stubborn and resilient. He refuses to accept that Eli is as cold and hard as he would like everyone to believe. He sees past the harsh words to the desire and need for him that Eli cannot hide. I loved how he took charge when he needed to and how he pushed Eli towards healing and acceptance.

The heat just kept building between these two. With lots of arguing and eventually an inability to keep their hands off of each other these two finally find the happiness that they both deserve, in each others arms and sometimes even in a bed. I enjoyed spending time with these sweet and sexy men and watching them fall in love.

Reviewed by Nina