Funzee's Cozy Couch: ARC REVIEW : Better Place (Rainbow Place #3) by Jay Northcote

Title: Better Place
Series : Rainbow Place #3
Author: Jay Northcote
Publisher: Jaybird Press (self published)
Genre: contemporary m/m romance
Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh
Release Date: February 22nd 2019
Rating : 3/5 Stars

Buy Links : Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Universal Link

Joe deserves better. Meeting Dylan helps him see that.

After a recent redundancy, Joe takes a few months off to try and make it as a writer. His partner, Harry, is less than supportive but Joe is used to that after ten years together, just like he’s used to Harry’s controlling nature and his drinking habit.

Dylan, a server at Rainbow Place, is fascinated by Joe as he sits in the café and works on his laptop. His attempts to flirt are met with awkwardness at first, but gradually Joe opens up. Dylan is disappointed when he learns Joe isn’t single. As their friendship develops he begins to worry about the nature of Joe’s relationship, especially when he witnesses Harry’s behaviour in person. Abuse isn’t always physical, and Dylan knows that from experience. His concern helps Joe see his relationship for what it is, and gives him the courage to end things with Harry.

Free to act on their mutual attraction, Joe and Dylan dive headlong into something that becomes serious fast. Joe revels in the passion and intimacy he’s been missing out on for so long, but Dylan is worried that Joe is on the rebound. He puts on the brakes, knowing that they need to slow down to make this last. For this new relationship to work, Joe needs to show Dylan that he’s ready to move on from the past.

Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone and has a satisfying happy ending.

Maybe this is the hardest review I ever made this year because I have a huge dilemma when I wrote it. I have some issues with what had happened in this book that made me a bit in struggling to finish it.

I’ve known Jay for years and enjoying his works so much. Almost ALL the books I read always ended with 4 and 5 stars, but I need to admit that this book is not one of his best works and it’s hard for me to give this 3 stars but I think I need to be truth (at least) to myself and finally decided not to sugar coating my review this time.

I didn’t want to say much about what had bother me while reading this book, but the point is…you should completely ended your previous relationship clearly before you decided to hanky-panky with the new one. No matter how ‘believable’ the excuses that had been made to support the action, still it feels not quite right for me…

The saddest thing is… I’ve been so excited to read Dylan and Joe story but it ended not as what I expected. But even this one is not going well with me, still….there’s one thing that successfully drawn my attention and curiosity while reading this story. Yes! Lady GoGo! And I want to know more about this eccentric person.

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. Jay has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and he also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as Audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.