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Home #2
He Completes Me
Not even his mother’s funeral can convince self-proclaimed party boy Zach Johnson to put aside his flamboyant ways or even think about settling down. He is who he is, and no one can make him change. But when he meets Aaron Paulson, his brother's best friend, Zach has to step back and re-evaluate his perceptions of love and family.
Aaron insists he’s falling for Zach, but Zach is certain Aaron sees him as just another project—one more lost soul for the idealistic Aaron to save. Zach isn't broken; he doesn't need to be fixed. Aaron’s insistent, though, and Zach finds himself tempted. Zach wants to believe in happily-ever-after, but can he let go of his pride long enough to see Aaron's heart?
Aaron insists he’s falling for Zach, but Zach is certain Aaron sees him as just another project—one more lost soul for the idealistic Aaron to save. Zach isn't broken; he doesn't need to be fixed. Aaron’s insistent, though, and Zach finds himself tempted. Zach wants to believe in happily-ever-after, but can he let go of his pride long enough to see Aaron's heart?
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2011
103 people are currently reading
803 people want to read
About the author
Cardeno C.
58 books2,376 followersCardeno C. - CC to friends - is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.
Heartwarming Stories. Strong Relationships. Forever Love.
Website: www.cardenoc.com
Blog: (Shared Blog) https://gayromanceauthors.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @CardenoC
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Heartwarming Stories. Strong Relationships. Forever Love.
Website: www.cardenoc.com
Blog: (Shared Blog) https://gayromanceauthors.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @CardenoC
FB Profile: http://www.facebook.com/CardenoC
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carde...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6M...
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cardenoC/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 270 reviews
June 18, 2015
I think Cardeno C.'s books are not for me.
I have to say, there were parts of this book that I really liked.
1) Zach - Zach is a great character. I liked that he said whatever came to his mind- he was adorable, honest, and felt real to me. He cursed, he was unashamed about his sexual history, and he was self-confident. Honestly, he was one of the only reasons that I liked this book at all. He cut the sappy sweetness of this book and gave it some much needed spunk (pun not intended...). I also loved that he was an atypical MC: He was short (5'6" I think with And I have to love a guy who can rock a pink tank top!
2) The sex- Oh god, the sex. Damn some of these scenes were hot. I loved Aaron's oral fixation and Zach's response to it. Truly worth reading for those parts of the book!
However, the negatives in this book are just... huge.
1) Aaron- Where do I start! I have never seen such a sorry push-over of a guy. I honestly felt sorry for him for the entire book. When . He is also too perfect. I mean, amazingly hot, a great job, a true romantic, everyone loves him, he takes care of everyone... it is just not realistic. He literally doesn't show any flaws for the entire book (I'm not counting tiny bits of jealousy). It irritated me and made the book seem unrealistic.
2) Aaron and sex- Yes this deserves its own bullet point. Because it is ridiculous.
3) The insta-love- Never have I ever experienced such a ridiculous case of insta-love. I don't know why Cardeno C. didn't spend some time developing their romance. It was just wayyyyyy too much too fast for me. And I am a true romantic at heart. For example, I had sparks from the first night that I met my husband and I knew after 3 weeks of constantly talking to him on the phone and seeing him at every opportunity that we would get married. However, one night with a guy who is a jerk to you doesn't equal love. I'm not saying that Zach and Aaron weren't a good couple, they were, but the love out of nowhere was just too much for my tastes.
I can see why people like this book. It is very very romantic and has lots of hot sex. However, it just read all sorts of false to me. I don't think I'll be moving on in the series. The intro of Nate and Jake where Nate was like a zombie until Jake came home turned me off. Oh well.
I have to say, there were parts of this book that I really liked.
1) Zach - Zach is a great character. I liked that he said whatever came to his mind- he was adorable, honest, and felt real to me. He cursed, he was unashamed about his sexual history, and he was self-confident. Honestly, he was one of the only reasons that I liked this book at all. He cut the sappy sweetness of this book and gave it some much needed spunk (pun not intended...). I also loved that he was an atypical MC: He was short (5'6" I think with And I have to love a guy who can rock a pink tank top!
2) The sex- Oh god, the sex. Damn some of these scenes were hot. I loved Aaron's oral fixation and Zach's response to it. Truly worth reading for those parts of the book!
However, the negatives in this book are just... huge.
1) Aaron- Where do I start! I have never seen such a sorry push-over of a guy. I honestly felt sorry for him for the entire book. When . He is also too perfect. I mean, amazingly hot, a great job, a true romantic, everyone loves him, he takes care of everyone... it is just not realistic. He literally doesn't show any flaws for the entire book (I'm not counting tiny bits of jealousy). It irritated me and made the book seem unrealistic.
2) Aaron and sex- Yes this deserves its own bullet point. Because it is ridiculous.
3) The insta-love- Never have I ever experienced such a ridiculous case of insta-love. I don't know why Cardeno C. didn't spend some time developing their romance. It was just wayyyyyy too much too fast for me. And I am a true romantic at heart. For example, I had sparks from the first night that I met my husband and I knew after 3 weeks of constantly talking to him on the phone and seeing him at every opportunity that we would get married. However, one night with a guy who is a jerk to you doesn't equal love. I'm not saying that Zach and Aaron weren't a good couple, they were, but the love out of nowhere was just too much for my tastes.
I can see why people like this book. It is very very romantic and has lots of hot sex. However, it just read all sorts of false to me. I don't think I'll be moving on in the series. The intro of Nate and Jake where Nate was like a zombie until Jake came home turned me off. Oh well.
February 17, 2015
~3.5~
This review is for the second edition of this book, which includes a bonus chapter originally published in:
We first meet Zach and Aaron in Home Again, the first book of the series. They are an established couple by then. This book goes back in time and tells their story as filtered through Zach's first-person POV.
Because most of the stories in this series run parallel to each other, we meet Clark here before he reconnects with Noah. When Clark sees how lovey-dovey Zach and Aaron are, he decides he needs to return home.
But back to Aaron and Zach: Aaron falls in love with Zach the second he sees him, even though Zach initially pushes Aaron away and acts like a spoiled, thoughtless jerk.
Exhibit 1: The night the men meet, Aaron invites Zach to a party, only to have Zach Zach never apologizes, and Aaron takes care of him all night.
Exhibit 2: In the months they are apart, Aaron calls Zach every night and tells Zach he loves him at the end of every conversation. Zach never calls Aaron and never says "I love you."
Exhibit 3: Aaron doesn't dare ask Zach to be monogamous, even though it hurts his heart to think of Zach with other men. Zach isn't sleeping with anyone else but never tells Aaron that.
Bottom line: Zach is a selfish douche, and Aaron is the world's biggest doormat.
Zach's brother Dean and his wife Kimberly are good friends of Aaron's, and by good friends I mean: Aaron cleans their house, cooks their dinners, and watches their three children. Aaron moves to town to take over Kim's ailing veterinary clinic and works with NO PAY for months.
Conclusion: Aaron is like Jesus.
Wait, scratch that: Aaron IS Jesus, but with sexual prowess.
Granted, the balance of power shifts once Zach moves to be with Aaron and starts giving back.
I quite enjoyed the second half of the book and also the SEX; dear god, yes, I enjoyed that lots and lots.
There are so many explosively smexy times here: rimming, licking, sucking, fucking, biting. In all places. At all times. Aaron worships at the altar that is Zach's ass.
WWJD?
You would hardly believe Aaron was a virgin! *ahem*
The ending is blindingly happy, especially with the bonus chapter.
It's like a three-layer cake with icing and sugar sprinkles and cotton candy spun on top: SO DAMN FANCIFUL and SWEET, you just can't stop eating it.
This review is for the second edition of this book, which includes a bonus chapter originally published in:
We first meet Zach and Aaron in Home Again, the first book of the series. They are an established couple by then. This book goes back in time and tells their story as filtered through Zach's first-person POV.
Because most of the stories in this series run parallel to each other, we meet Clark here before he reconnects with Noah. When Clark sees how lovey-dovey Zach and Aaron are, he decides he needs to return home.
But back to Aaron and Zach: Aaron falls in love with Zach the second he sees him, even though Zach initially pushes Aaron away and acts like a spoiled, thoughtless jerk.
Exhibit 1: The night the men meet, Aaron invites Zach to a party, only to have Zach Zach never apologizes, and Aaron takes care of him all night.
Exhibit 2: In the months they are apart, Aaron calls Zach every night and tells Zach he loves him at the end of every conversation. Zach never calls Aaron and never says "I love you."
Exhibit 3: Aaron doesn't dare ask Zach to be monogamous, even though it hurts his heart to think of Zach with other men. Zach isn't sleeping with anyone else but never tells Aaron that.
Bottom line: Zach is a selfish douche, and Aaron is the world's biggest doormat.
Zach's brother Dean and his wife Kimberly are good friends of Aaron's, and by good friends I mean: Aaron cleans their house, cooks their dinners, and watches their three children. Aaron moves to town to take over Kim's ailing veterinary clinic and works with NO PAY for months.
Conclusion: Aaron is like Jesus.
Wait, scratch that: Aaron IS Jesus, but with sexual prowess.
Granted, the balance of power shifts once Zach moves to be with Aaron and starts giving back.
I quite enjoyed the second half of the book and also the SEX; dear god, yes, I enjoyed that lots and lots.
There are so many explosively smexy times here: rimming, licking, sucking, fucking, biting. In all places. At all times. Aaron worships at the altar that is Zach's ass.
WWJD?
You would hardly believe Aaron was a virgin! *ahem*
The ending is blindingly happy, especially with the bonus chapter.
It's like a three-layer cake with icing and sugar sprinkles and cotton candy spun on top: SO DAMN FANCIFUL and SWEET, you just can't stop eating it.
July 16, 2011
Somewhere along the 53% i went into a sugar coma and this book sneaked in a star. I was too numb to put care, and just grateful that i no longer had to mentally try to torture the main characters.
The Good:
If you don't mind a sugary sweet story, with insta-love. Then this is the book, if not series, for you. The books in this series are like powder donuts; which i don't mind every now and then. The intake can be almost deadly though, so be careful how many you intake without something healthy in between.
Happy Ever After like we were told as children; think Cinderella with a twist! ^.^
Zach's snarky personality. It was refreshing from the other characters in the series.
The Bad:
More sex scenes than dialogue between the characters....Although maybe some would count the talking while having sex to be part of the dialogue? *snort*
Every time the main characters had a mushy/enlightening moment, the author needed to balance it with some sex right after.
Drama without any purpose for character growth, or even further the plot.
The Ugly:
Either Nikyta and i ended up on the twilight zone, or beware THE HEADCASE SCENE, around page 48-49. It was bad enough that the guilty party had some ridiculous justification for his actions. The fact that the author made the injured party a doormat; and then swept the whole mess under the rug like it never happened, just completely ruined my reading experience and left a bad taste in my mouth, that even the sugar couldn't mask.
Issues that were brought up in the story about secondary characters, suddenly disappeared half way through the book.
What i learned from this book:
The Good:
If you don't mind a sugary sweet story, with insta-love. Then this is the book, if not series, for you. The books in this series are like powder donuts; which i don't mind every now and then. The intake can be almost deadly though, so be careful how many you intake without something healthy in between.
Happy Ever After like we were told as children; think Cinderella with a twist! ^.^
Zach's snarky personality. It was refreshing from the other characters in the series.
The Bad:
More sex scenes than dialogue between the characters....Although maybe some would count the talking while having sex to be part of the dialogue? *snort*
Every time the main characters had a mushy/enlightening moment, the author needed to balance it with some sex right after.
Drama without any purpose for character growth, or even further the plot.
The Ugly:
Either Nikyta and i ended up on the twilight zone, or beware THE HEADCASE SCENE, around page 48-49. It was bad enough that the guilty party had some ridiculous justification for his actions. The fact that the author made the injured party a doormat; and then swept the whole mess under the rug like it never happened, just completely ruined my reading experience and left a bad taste in my mouth, that even the sugar couldn't mask.
Issues that were brought up in the story about secondary characters, suddenly disappeared half way through the book.
What i learned from this book:
February 10, 2013
Damn, this book blows Mary Calmes out of the water as far as fluff goes. I think there was maybe 1 (no 2) instances of possible angst due to misunderstandings/jealousy that lasted less than a paragraph. Whew. So, yes, it was sweet.
But, it was also hot. Damn these boys could fuck like rabbits. Over and over and over again. Pages and pages and pages of sex. Bad thing? Not necessarily. But the book definitely could have been 50 pages shorter, in my opinion.
Zach – he was such a dickwad in the beginning of the book with a HUGE chip on his shoulder. But the love of a good man really brought him around…and I mean REALLY…to the point you didn’t recognize his character any more by the end. What happened to his annoying sass? I didn’t miss it, but I was a little perplexed by the drastic change. But, for having to be in his head via 1st person POV, he’s kinda hysterical.
Aaron – geez louise…there’s a sucker born every minute. Hello doormat. He let EVERYONE walk all over him gladly. The hard thing is…he’s so freaking likable. Ok, yes, maybe too much so. But, annoying kindness aside, I have a bit of a crush on him. He’s easy to love.
But the ONE thing I just could NOT get past from the very beginning: this is the single worst case of INSTALOVE that I’ve ever read in a book and that alone made me want to scream “WTF? I’m supposed to believe this?” Yeah, for a book as long as this was, you’d think the author would’ve found a better way to write out this love story. Confusing and frustrating…
All in all, not horrible. Like not love. Sweet & hot & entertaining enough. Terrible cover. Will consider reading on in the series…but not completely sold…
December 31, 2018
I'm not going to lie. I wanted to kill Zach before I finished reading four chapters.
But keep going....because you know what? CC does it again. She brings these human, flawed, wonderful characters to life and I became utterly invested in seeing the turnaround in Zach's attitude and behavior (which he totally does - best redeemed character I've read in a long time). Also getting to see Aaron, who is honestly practically perfect in every way, actually being so well cared for (for a change) is wonderful. You need to see them get their HEA and I am so pleased with the way CC gets us to that point.
He Completes Me is tied with Walk With Me as my favorite in the Home collection series. Probably because, like Eli, Zach is snarky and wonderfully humorous. Seeing Zach grow from being a self-absorbed asshole to a loving, caring partner, while still retaining his snark, just makes me happy.
He Completes Me is told entirely from Zach's perspective, and though I wish I could get Aaron's perspective as well, Zach's humor and sarcasm is enough to keep me thoroughly entertained. Collins captures Zach and Aaron's personalities so well, he is just a pure pleasure to listen to. And my god, the sex scenes? We should have a SUPER-SCORCHER rating for them!
Each of the stories in the Home collection may be easily read as a standalone and you do not have to read them in any particular order. For me, one of the perks is getting to see characters I love from the other books in the series, like Jake and Nate (from Where He Ends and I Begin) and Eli and Seth (from Walk With Me) in particular, make appearances in the other stories - it's just a real treat.
This story just makes me happy.
RECOMMENDED!
Copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
*****************************************************
UPDATED for audio book Dec 16, 2014 (1st edition):
The audio version, with the exception of the chapter starts was excellent (only a few flubs). But that might be more because I love the story than the narration.
Read:
07/2014, 08/2014, 09/2014, 10/2014, 11/2014, 12/2014, 01/2015, 02/2015, 04/2015
Listened:
12/2014 (2), 01/2015 (2), 02/2015, 04/2015, 07/2015, 09/2015
February 28, 2013
First read May 2011
I was in the mood for a really sweet story, and this one definitely is!
Aaron was to good to be true,but hey it's a romance:)
**
I loved it the first time, so I'm doing a reread...we shall see...
Ok, I finished my reread..*sigh* I still love it, yes, I have a few niggels, but I am more than willing to overlook them for the warm fuzzies this book leaves me with!
**
I have a horrible headache so I decided to give myself a present and bought a few of my favorites as audiobooks, unfortunately not all of them are available, but this one is and I enjoyed listening to it and I still think Aaron is a saint and Zach is a riot and it was great to be able to lie back and just listen to the story being told, the narrator did a good job of changing his voice enough that it was easy to follow who was talking.
I was in the mood for a really sweet story, and this one definitely is!
Aaron was to good to be true,but hey it's a romance:)
**
I loved it the first time, so I'm doing a reread...we shall see...
Ok, I finished my reread..*sigh* I still love it, yes, I have a few niggels, but I am more than willing to overlook them for the warm fuzzies this book leaves me with!
**
I have a horrible headache so I decided to give myself a present and bought a few of my favorites as audiobooks, unfortunately not all of them are available, but this one is and I enjoyed listening to it and I still think Aaron is a saint and Zach is a riot and it was great to be able to lie back and just listen to the story being told, the narrator did a good job of changing his voice enough that it was easy to follow who was talking.
June 21, 2017
Audible
3,5 stars.
I've noticed that I can better tolerate mainstream romance books if I listen to them instead of read them. In this case I don't have a feeling to spare my precious free time for something that I'd forget one week after I finished it. These books in audio format are a nice company for housecleaning and ironing.
It's my second audio book of this author and the second book in the series.
At first I was a bit disappointed when I found out that it was narrated by Paul Morey. He doesn't belong to my favorite narrators. And it took me some chapters to get used to his voice again. But I have to admit, he did a good job. I gave an extra 0,5 star for his trying hard to make the book -and mostly a huge numbers of sex scenes-less ridiculous and less eye-rolling than possible.
I really enjoyed this story that was free from angst, fear, misunderstandings and illogical behavior of the main characters. Believe me or not, but a book that has 300 pages of NORMALITY and not a single sign of the lack of communication between the MCs can be also very entertaining. Two guys that couldn't be more different than they are, met, fell in love and decided to be together. Totally sweet, full of sex and cliches but it did work for me wonderfully. I blame my post Christmas mood!
For all fans of it's-probably-too-good-to-be-true MM romance.
And of course for all fans of Paul Morey. :))
September 2, 2013
Does this story in any way resemble even the tiniest slice of real life? Hell no! Does it matter? For me, not one iota because sometimes I just want to read about a world where two people can take one look at each other and fall desperately in love in that split second, I want to lose myself in a sweet and sappy love story that defies all logic and I want to take a journey with the characters in stories like these because they shout out to the deep seated romantic in me that simmers below the slightly cynical me who tends to take precedence because I've seen too many " love " affairs in RL fail or putter out either because someone cheats, treats their partner like crap or just coasts along because they've got into that " every days the same" rut.
Don't get me wrong I know there are still strong loving relationships out there surviving the stresses of living in modern times but its very rare that fairy tale romances happen and in his or her way ( Sorry Cardeno I'm still unsure as to your gender ) Cardeno C gives us exactly that, with the couples he/she writes about and whatever bit of conflict they go through, you're guaranteed a fabulous HEA and who doesn't want one of those?!
We all have a bit of a scoff about insta love but I do also know that it can happen because it did to a friend of mine and its a true story that always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I think of it. This book made me feel all warm and fuzzy too and if that constitutes sweet and sickly then bring on more sugar like this because I absolutely loved it.
Personally I think the ' sweetness ' of this Cardeno book is cut by the snarky narrative and flamboyant image of party boy Zach, which again I loved because I like that type of voice but there's no doubt that apart from a few moments where you want to shake him for allowing himself to be used as a doormat by certain characters...Aaron is almost too good to be true. There are moments of wonder at just how perfect this man is but OMG! if a man like that had ever walked into my life I'd have shouted hallelujah, praised the Lord and took a leaflet! He's just gorgeous, kind, thoughtful, sexy in the sack, über romantic and the two of them together are Hot ! Hot! Hot!
Wow can this author write a sizzling sex scene or what? In every book Ive read of hers/his up to now I can't deny the palpable sexual tension and smoking chemistry and if you get that right then it's a keeper for me. I can see why they're not everyone's cup of tea but at the moment they're mine.
Next please!
Don't get me wrong I know there are still strong loving relationships out there surviving the stresses of living in modern times but its very rare that fairy tale romances happen and in his or her way ( Sorry Cardeno I'm still unsure as to your gender ) Cardeno C gives us exactly that, with the couples he/she writes about and whatever bit of conflict they go through, you're guaranteed a fabulous HEA and who doesn't want one of those?!
We all have a bit of a scoff about insta love but I do also know that it can happen because it did to a friend of mine and its a true story that always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I think of it. This book made me feel all warm and fuzzy too and if that constitutes sweet and sickly then bring on more sugar like this because I absolutely loved it.
Personally I think the ' sweetness ' of this Cardeno book is cut by the snarky narrative and flamboyant image of party boy Zach, which again I loved because I like that type of voice but there's no doubt that apart from a few moments where you want to shake him for allowing himself to be used as a doormat by certain characters...Aaron is almost too good to be true. There are moments of wonder at just how perfect this man is but OMG! if a man like that had ever walked into my life I'd have shouted hallelujah, praised the Lord and took a leaflet! He's just gorgeous, kind, thoughtful, sexy in the sack, über romantic and the two of them together are Hot ! Hot! Hot!
Wow can this author write a sizzling sex scene or what? In every book Ive read of hers/his up to now I can't deny the palpable sexual tension and smoking chemistry and if you get that right then it's a keeper for me. I can see why they're not everyone's cup of tea but at the moment they're mine.
Next please!
October 17, 2020
***audio narration review only***
I have had the pleasure of hearing not one but two different narrators' interpretation of this book (Paul Morey and ahem Alexander Collins). I cannot tell a lie. I loved them both. I will add this to my ever growing list of audiobooks that I will listen to over and over again.
re-listen: 12/1/2015, 12/14/2015
I have had the pleasure of hearing not one but two different narrators' interpretation of this book (Paul Morey and ahem Alexander Collins). I cannot tell a lie. I loved them both. I will add this to my ever growing list of audiobooks that I will listen to over and over again.
re-listen: 12/1/2015, 12/14/2015
December 2, 2013
3.5 stars.
First of all I don't like the cover at all. Those ugly covers are one of the reasons I've never read a story written by this author before. So He Completes Me was my Cardeno C. cherry popper. :)
-------
Aaron’s life is boring, sad, and empty. Always doing things for other people and never, never for himself... he is lonely, without hobbies, without a boyfriend and far from his family. He is waiting for the love of his life...
Flamboyant Zach Johnson is everything Aaron isn't. He's a self-proclaimed party boy and doesn't do relationships. He is who he is, and no one can make him change. But when he meets Aaron Paulson, his brother's best friend, he is tempted to believe in happily-ever-after.
The story is as sweet as honey and romantic. You never get a chance to not fall in love with Aaron and Zach. Of course the boys are getting their HEA, the sex is hot even if it's a little oral fixated. The supporting characters are... sweet. :)
I had some issues with the storyline, though. In the first half of the book Zach’s brother and sister-in-law, while good friends with Aaron, treat him like a doormat. Without any shame they let him care for their children, work as their personal handyman, buy their groceries and cook their meals. Hell, he even lives with them for a year because they are incapable of managing their life.
Zach points out again and again that their behavior is wrong. You can’t help but start to notice and dislike this as well. Strangely enough once Zach and Aaron are together miraculously all of these issues vanish into thin air and nothing is ever said anymore. That was...odd.
If you love to read a sweet romance with tons of hot sex this one could be the right one for you. :)
December 25, 2015
I normally really like the sappy writing of Cardeno C. But I didn’t like this.
This is the story about Zach and Aaron.
Zach is a small, obviously gay, cheeky guy, and loves to go out clubbing and have sex with a different guy every night.
And Aaron, sweet sweet Aaron. Aaron is big, confident, yet not as experienced as Zach.
I would have thought Zach would be the guy I liked less. I mean, he was an asshole at times. And he actually But I must admit, I liked him, a lot. What he did was wrong, but I could get over it. Cheating is absolutely a no go for me, but it wasn’t my main problem with this book.
I really really disliked Aaron. He was such a doormat! He just wanted to love Zach and he would forgive him anything. Even cheating. He was so sweet I wanted to hurl.
I never felt his sexiness AT ALL. He just let everyone take advantage of him. And the crying… oh come on…. you are not a 12 year old girl. This quote is when Aaron and Zach have known each other for 2 days.
I was half-asleep when I felt his body shaking and heard him sniffling. He must have thought I was completely asleep, because he spoke quietly to himself as he clutched me and pulled me tighter against him. “ Please let me love you, Zach. Please just let me love you.”
This was a bit much, even for me.
And the way that Aaron immediately wanted to share everything with Zach (his money, his house)…. No, that is not a very healthy relationship in my book.
This was way too sweet for me, with an incredibly boring character who could not stand up for himself.
This is the story about Zach and Aaron.
Zach is a small, obviously gay, cheeky guy, and loves to go out clubbing and have sex with a different guy every night.
And Aaron, sweet sweet Aaron. Aaron is big, confident, yet not as experienced as Zach.
I would have thought Zach would be the guy I liked less. I mean, he was an asshole at times. And he actually But I must admit, I liked him, a lot. What he did was wrong, but I could get over it. Cheating is absolutely a no go for me, but it wasn’t my main problem with this book.
I really really disliked Aaron. He was such a doormat! He just wanted to love Zach and he would forgive him anything. Even cheating. He was so sweet I wanted to hurl.
I never felt his sexiness AT ALL. He just let everyone take advantage of him. And the crying… oh come on…. you are not a 12 year old girl. This quote is when Aaron and Zach have known each other for 2 days.
I was half-asleep when I felt his body shaking and heard him sniffling. He must have thought I was completely asleep, because he spoke quietly to himself as he clutched me and pulled me tighter against him. “ Please let me love you, Zach. Please just let me love you.”
This was a bit much, even for me.
And the way that Aaron immediately wanted to share everything with Zach (his money, his house)…. No, that is not a very healthy relationship in my book.
This was way too sweet for me, with an incredibly boring character who could not stand up for himself.
December 4, 2013
There is something about this book that grabbed me, sucked me in and wouldn't let me stop reading. It was sweet, it had a lot of sex, it had snark and there was a least one time where I wanted to smack each and every character.
I loved Zach's voice. He is snarky, and honest with himself (even when he is not being nice) and tells it like it is for the most part. He questions his ability to even maintain a relationship, much less uproot his life as he knows it and move back to the place he ran from as a teen. Then there is Aaron. He falls in love with Zach at first sight, lets himself get used as a doormat and is probably the nicest character in a book ever. There were times where I actually questioned his mental stability. I had a tough time liking Zach's brother and sister-in-law (Aaron's best friends) as I watched them use Aaron, although Dean grew on me in the end.
If you want a sexy, fairytale of a love story with minimal angst and drama and can overlook instalove this is one for you. I know I'll be moving onto the next book when I want something sweet and sexy.
(Although this is a "series" this is the first one I read and it absolutely works as a standalone.)
I loved Zach's voice. He is snarky, and honest with himself (even when he is not being nice) and tells it like it is for the most part. He questions his ability to even maintain a relationship, much less uproot his life as he knows it and move back to the place he ran from as a teen. Then there is Aaron. He falls in love with Zach at first sight, lets himself get used as a doormat and is probably the nicest character in a book ever. There were times where I actually questioned his mental stability. I had a tough time liking Zach's brother and sister-in-law (Aaron's best friends) as I watched them use Aaron, although Dean grew on me in the end.
If you want a sexy, fairytale of a love story with minimal angst and drama and can overlook instalove this is one for you. I know I'll be moving onto the next book when I want something sweet and sexy.
(Although this is a "series" this is the first one I read and it absolutely works as a standalone.)
June 11, 2014
I really enjoyed this story, it was definitely sweet and escapism at its best. The characters got to me, I loved Zach and Aaron. Despite the unrealistic feel of the story, i found myself immersed in this. Sometimes you just want to read something sweet and romantic and not go over it with a red pen and pick it apart. Granted some stories bother me so much that the red pen just comes out and I can’t help it. But I am a Cardeno C fan, I love his stories. And I have yet to read a book I didn’t get something out of.
The romance was sigh-worthy and the sex was plentiful…oh good god, was it plentiful! That's the other thing about this book, when a story has a lot of sex I end up skipping a lot of it. I am here to tell you my fellow readers I didn’t skip any of them here! Me likey!!
When I reached the last page of this story I was happy, and that’s all that is important to me. I will be reading the rest of this series.
The romance was sigh-worthy and the sex was plentiful…oh good god, was it plentiful! That's the other thing about this book, when a story has a lot of sex I end up skipping a lot of it. I am here to tell you my fellow readers I didn’t skip any of them here! Me likey!!
When I reached the last page of this story I was happy, and that’s all that is important to me. I will be reading the rest of this series.
October 14, 2018
He leído toda la serie y lo he hecho de forma desordenada en uno días según me interesaba una pareja u otra. Todas las historias tienen unas características comunes, la que más destaca es que lo que pasa no se lo cree nadie, los diálogos muchos son nefastos y el rolling eyes es contínuo. Pero, son entretenidos y están en KU, es lo mejor que puedo decir de ellos.
July 20, 2011
3.5 stars
I've been trying to think of a review for this book for a few days now but it's extremely hard for me. As with the rest of the series I've read, there are things I liked about the book and there are things I didn't like about the book. So, instead of just ranting like I've done with Where He Ends and I Begin and Love at First Sight, I'm just going to link to a few other reviews that cover basically what I want to say. So, check out Rossy's review, Gwengwel's review and Kassa's review. They do a pretty good job of summing the book up.
This has to be my favorite out of the series, though. Mostly because instead of the 'perfect', kind, sweet, loveable characters that were in the other books, this one actually has a character who is the complete opposite. Zach is brash, blunt, kind of emotionally messed up and an asshole. I liked him because of that. He doesn't give a shit what others think and when he feels hurt he reacts badly to everything, bringing forth all his asshole tendencies. He makes stupid decisions when he feels like he's being slighted in some way. That's why I liked the book. Of course, Zach ends up becoming mushy like almost every other character in the series but I liked him when he was a bastard while it lasted.
Unfortunately, Zach is also why I didn't like some of the story. He made some choices (that were stupid and idiotic, IMO) that put me off the book. Yeah, I still liked him but I didn't like how it was handled in the story. There were a few other things I didn't like about the book but if I stated all of them it'd look like I didn't like the story (which I did!) but my rant would totally contradict that statement.
Anyway, I read a few reviews before reading this one (Granted it was a while ago but I still read them) and in none of the reviews I read, nobody mentioned any of the things I had a problem with. Like for instance, THE HEADCASE SCENE (aptly named by Rossy) was never mentioned by any reviewer. Were Rossy and I the only ones who had a problem with it? (Btw, THE HEADCASE SCENE is the scene in the spoiler brackets above). But again, there were a few other scenes Rossy and I had a problem with and NO ONE stated anything about them. It was WEIRD! No one else had any problem with the story besides it being too sweet and too perfect? Argh. Maybe it was because Rossy and I decided to read the series back to back and because of that were overloaded with too much sweetness while other readers weren't so they didn't nitpick things from the book. I don't know but if you want to know what all we had problems with, check out Rossy and my comments on our Reading Progresses. I think we might have even been ranting about them on our Reading Progresses for Where He Ends and I Begin and Love at First Sight as well but I can't remember.
Overall, I think anyone who likes this series will like this one as well. Although, if you are one of those people who hate being blindsided by some things, I definitely advise you to check out Rossy and my comments. They tell all. (Gah, so much for not writing a long review! Damnit)
I've been trying to think of a review for this book for a few days now but it's extremely hard for me. As with the rest of the series I've read, there are things I liked about the book and there are things I didn't like about the book. So, instead of just ranting like I've done with Where He Ends and I Begin and Love at First Sight, I'm just going to link to a few other reviews that cover basically what I want to say. So, check out Rossy's review, Gwengwel's review and Kassa's review. They do a pretty good job of summing the book up.
This has to be my favorite out of the series, though. Mostly because instead of the 'perfect', kind, sweet, loveable characters that were in the other books, this one actually has a character who is the complete opposite. Zach is brash, blunt, kind of emotionally messed up and an asshole. I liked him because of that. He doesn't give a shit what others think and when he feels hurt he reacts badly to everything, bringing forth all his asshole tendencies. He makes stupid decisions when he feels like he's being slighted in some way. That's why I liked the book. Of course, Zach ends up becoming mushy like almost every other character in the series but I liked him when he was a bastard while it lasted.
Unfortunately, Zach is also why I didn't like some of the story. He made some choices (that were stupid and idiotic, IMO) that put me off the book. Yeah, I still liked him but I didn't like how it was handled in the story. There were a few other things I didn't like about the book but if I stated all of them it'd look like I didn't like the story (which I did!) but my rant would totally contradict that statement.
Anyway, I read a few reviews before reading this one (Granted it was a while ago but I still read them) and in none of the reviews I read, nobody mentioned any of the things I had a problem with. Like for instance, THE HEADCASE SCENE (aptly named by Rossy) was never mentioned by any reviewer. Were Rossy and I the only ones who had a problem with it? (Btw, THE HEADCASE SCENE is the scene in the spoiler brackets above). But again, there were a few other scenes Rossy and I had a problem with and NO ONE stated anything about them. It was WEIRD! No one else had any problem with the story besides it being too sweet and too perfect? Argh. Maybe it was because Rossy and I decided to read the series back to back and because of that were overloaded with too much sweetness while other readers weren't so they didn't nitpick things from the book. I don't know but if you want to know what all we had problems with, check out Rossy and my comments on our Reading Progresses. I think we might have even been ranting about them on our Reading Progresses for Where He Ends and I Begin and Love at First Sight as well but I can't remember.
Overall, I think anyone who likes this series will like this one as well. Although, if you are one of those people who hate being blindsided by some things, I definitely advise you to check out Rossy and my comments. They tell all. (Gah, so much for not writing a long review! Damnit)
November 19, 2012
If you believe in kismet than this book is for you.
Being the cynic I am, it was Zach that saved me from needing an insulin injection while reading. Sure his snarky, jaded behavior is transformed by the healing powers of Aaron's love, but his mental commentary cuts through the syrup. I'd say Aaron is a complete Mary Sue, but he's way too delightfully naughty in carnal matters and besides it's like admitting you enjoy drowning puppies--he's too lovable to dis.
Favorite quote re: Zach
I kid you not, when Dean picked me up at the airport, he was all excited about how he’d been able to evade suspicion about our “surprise” and how Kim asked him blah, blah, blah, and he said blah, blah, blah. If you actually want me to fill in the blanks on this hopelessly boring information, you must be out of your fucking mind, and you clearly overestimated my capacity to give a shit about that sort of thing.
C., Cardeno (2011-03-20). He Completes Me (Home Series) (Kindle Locations 1976-1977). Dreamspinner Press. Kindle Edition."
Being the cynic I am, it was Zach that saved me from needing an insulin injection while reading. Sure his snarky, jaded behavior is transformed by the healing powers of Aaron's love, but his mental commentary cuts through the syrup. I'd say Aaron is a complete Mary Sue, but he's way too delightfully naughty in carnal matters and besides it's like admitting you enjoy drowning puppies--he's too lovable to dis.
Favorite quote re: Zach
I kid you not, when Dean picked me up at the airport, he was all excited about how he’d been able to evade suspicion about our “surprise” and how Kim asked him blah, blah, blah, and he said blah, blah, blah. If you actually want me to fill in the blanks on this hopelessly boring information, you must be out of your fucking mind, and you clearly overestimated my capacity to give a shit about that sort of thing.
C., Cardeno (2011-03-20). He Completes Me (Home Series) (Kindle Locations 1976-1977). Dreamspinner Press. Kindle Edition."
July 3, 2017
Original review 5/14/2014
Ok. I'll admit it. This book is pure sugar, but I loved it. I am a sap for sap...Let me start by saying that I wasn't sure I could like this book after meeting Zach. He wasn't likable to me. I didn't think that there was any way for him to redeem himself in my eyes, but somehow he did. I wasn't sure that he deserved the unfettered devotion that Aaron gave him. There are things that were done that I could NEVER have forgiven nor could I have gone on attempting the relationship. Somehow, Cardeno was able to make me love Zach in spite of his initial failings. I don't know how, but it happened. Aaron came across as a doormat for everyone. I didn't like that everyone seemed to take advantage of him, including Zach (at first), but somehow it because obvious that Zach wasn't going to allow that to continue to happen on his watch. I liked that. They both started to take care of each other. It was really nice to watch their relationship grow and evolve.
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re-listen to Paul Morey's audio verion 9/15/2016
Ok. I'll admit it. This book is pure sugar, but I loved it. I am a sap for sap...Let me start by saying that I wasn't sure I could like this book after meeting Zach. He wasn't likable to me. I didn't think that there was any way for him to redeem himself in my eyes, but somehow he did. I wasn't sure that he deserved the unfettered devotion that Aaron gave him. There are things that were done that I could NEVER have forgiven nor could I have gone on attempting the relationship. Somehow, Cardeno was able to make me love Zach in spite of his initial failings. I don't know how, but it happened. Aaron came across as a doormat for everyone. I didn't like that everyone seemed to take advantage of him, including Zach (at first), but somehow it because obvious that Zach wasn't going to allow that to continue to happen on his watch. I liked that. They both started to take care of each other. It was really nice to watch their relationship grow and evolve.
_____________________________
re-listen to Paul Morey's audio verion 9/15/2016
February 19, 2013
Wild & cynical. Dedicated & confident. Unlikely pair.
A painful childhood created walls of defense for Zach Johnson. He protected himself with sarcasm, liquor and meaningless sex. His bitterness taints any possibilities for genuine relationships. Returning to his home town for his mother’s funeral, he meets someone. His brother’s best friend, Aaron quickly shatters his armor and creates internal turmoil for Zach. He dreads this new desire, a craving for someone to fill the voids he has stubbornly protected in his heart.
Zach
I’ll be honest- I did NOT like pre-Aaron Zach.
Nope, not a bit. He was obnoxious, rude and self-absorbed. It is simply astonishing that Aaron could see the diamond underneath, and never gave up on him.
However, post-Aaron Zach was honest, reasonable and HILARIOUS. I found myself enjoying him immensely. There is no denying Aaron brought out the best in Zach and ‘completed’ him. Constant praise and endless affection mended Zach wounds and he was able to allow himself to love and be loved. He wanted to become a better man, better brother and uncle and better partner. I adored watching the transformation.
Aaron
Generous doesn’t even come close to describing him, the man is a saint. Always putting the needs of others before himself, he appears to ‘have it all’. His life is overflowing and yet, it’s empty. He believes he is waiting for someone, someone to finally take care of him. Once he finds this missing person, he will do anything and everything to keep him.
Their story was sticky sweet, and it sure wasn’t lacking in hotness either. The first half was challenging for me to enjoy, thankfully the second half was easier to love. The flash-bang love was unrealistic to say the least, but I got over it. The family dynamic was interesting. I could have done with a lot less Kim. I found her extremely conflicting. She was lazy, *crazy* scatterbrained, *crazy* ridiculous *crazy* and then terrifying? I didn’t see it.
The beginning was barely 2 weak stars for me, but then redemption came and I felt 4 solid stars for the better part of it. I’ll meet in the middle with 3. Will I seek more of the Home series? The jury is still out.
3 racy & revolving stars*
A painful childhood created walls of defense for Zach Johnson. He protected himself with sarcasm, liquor and meaningless sex. His bitterness taints any possibilities for genuine relationships. Returning to his home town for his mother’s funeral, he meets someone. His brother’s best friend, Aaron quickly shatters his armor and creates internal turmoil for Zach. He dreads this new desire, a craving for someone to fill the voids he has stubbornly protected in his heart.
Zach
I’ll be honest- I did NOT like pre-Aaron Zach.
Nope, not a bit. He was obnoxious, rude and self-absorbed. It is simply astonishing that Aaron could see the diamond underneath, and never gave up on him.
However, post-Aaron Zach was honest, reasonable and HILARIOUS. I found myself enjoying him immensely. There is no denying Aaron brought out the best in Zach and ‘completed’ him. Constant praise and endless affection mended Zach wounds and he was able to allow himself to love and be loved. He wanted to become a better man, better brother and uncle and better partner. I adored watching the transformation.
Aaron
Generous doesn’t even come close to describing him, the man is a saint. Always putting the needs of others before himself, he appears to ‘have it all’. His life is overflowing and yet, it’s empty. He believes he is waiting for someone, someone to finally take care of him. Once he finds this missing person, he will do anything and everything to keep him.
Their story was sticky sweet, and it sure wasn’t lacking in hotness either. The first half was challenging for me to enjoy, thankfully the second half was easier to love. The flash-bang love was unrealistic to say the least, but I got over it. The family dynamic was interesting. I could have done with a lot less Kim. I found her extremely conflicting. She was lazy, *crazy* scatterbrained, *crazy* ridiculous *crazy* and then terrifying? I didn’t see it.
The beginning was barely 2 weak stars for me, but then redemption came and I felt 4 solid stars for the better part of it. I’ll meet in the middle with 3. Will I seek more of the Home series? The jury is still out.
3 racy & revolving stars*
February 8, 2013
2.75 stars
It got more than 2.5 because I liked it more than I liked book 1 in this series, Home Again . But honestly, overall, it was just... meh.
Things I Liked
-Zach's job as a chef.
-Aaron's job as a vet.
-The house/clinic they buy together, and their business plans for the future.
-Zach's narration includes, on occasion, some truly hilarious one-liners that kind of sneak up on you at unexpected moments.
-Zach taking care of Aaron, because when you give THAT much of yourself to others, you need some nurturing in return. And in that sense, I thought they were a good pairing.
Things I Didn't Like
-INSTALOVE. Big time. I can buy instant attraction, but this was, like, DEEP LURVE. And it wasn't really believable, IMO.
-Atrociously ugly cover art.
-Zach's narration was annoyingly and unnecessarily belligerent. To the audience. For example, "What? That non sequitur doesn't make sense to you? Clearly, that's because you haven't seen Aaron's dick." I mean, he says shit like this CONSTANTLY.
-Zach pulled the Dick Move I hate - . Granted, he does this pretty early, and gets over his shit. But it still pissed me off.
-Aaron was just way too big of a martyr. I mean, he was TOO good to be a truly enjoyable character. He fell flat, despite his sweetness.
-I thought Zach and the other in-laws were sooooooooo rude during that whole meeting-Aaron's-family scene. His mother may have been talkative to the point of dull, but she was kind and well-intentioned. Uncalled for asshole-ishness.
-To be honest, I think Cardeno C. writes like a 14 y.o. Twific author.
I will probably be skipping the rest of this series.
It got more than 2.5 because I liked it more than I liked book 1 in this series, Home Again . But honestly, overall, it was just... meh.
Things I Liked
-Zach's job as a chef.
-Aaron's job as a vet.
-The house/clinic they buy together, and their business plans for the future.
-Zach's narration includes, on occasion, some truly hilarious one-liners that kind of sneak up on you at unexpected moments.
-Zach taking care of Aaron, because when you give THAT much of yourself to others, you need some nurturing in return. And in that sense, I thought they were a good pairing.
Things I Didn't Like
-INSTALOVE. Big time. I can buy instant attraction, but this was, like, DEEP LURVE. And it wasn't really believable, IMO.
-Atrociously ugly cover art.
-Zach's narration was annoyingly and unnecessarily belligerent. To the audience. For example, "What? That non sequitur doesn't make sense to you? Clearly, that's because you haven't seen Aaron's dick." I mean, he says shit like this CONSTANTLY.
-Zach pulled the Dick Move I hate - . Granted, he does this pretty early, and gets over his shit. But it still pissed me off.
-Aaron was just way too big of a martyr. I mean, he was TOO good to be a truly enjoyable character. He fell flat, despite his sweetness.
-I thought Zach and the other in-laws were sooooooooo rude during that whole meeting-Aaron's-family scene. His mother may have been talkative to the point of dull, but she was kind and well-intentioned. Uncalled for asshole-ishness.
-To be honest, I think Cardeno C. writes like a 14 y.o. Twific author.
I will probably be skipping the rest of this series.
August 5, 2017
Zach's a little bit of a jerk in the beginning, it took me a minute to actually get into liking him. Especially when he went to that party with Aaron and ended up with other people....That part was hard to get passed... I loved how thoughtful Aaron was though, and he just took care of him afterwards, even though it had to have really hurt him...It was heartbroken, I totally fell for Aaron then...
It was a little easier to understand when we found out all he'd been through in his life at the hands of literally every person who was supposed to care about him in his life. But, I still hated it for Aaron. He put up with so much from Zach in the beginning, I was so glad when he opened up and gave all of himself of Aaron.
Aaron, he's so sweet. Everything about him just exudes goodness.... he's amazing with Dean's kids, and his wife and his friendship with Dean. There wasn't one thing I didn't love about Aaron, he's that amazing.
Patient and generous and seriously, the sex with him after they moved in together was really hot!!!
I love this series and I loved the charecters. Another great read!
It was a little easier to understand when we found out all he'd been through in his life at the hands of literally every person who was supposed to care about him in his life. But, I still hated it for Aaron. He put up with so much from Zach in the beginning, I was so glad when he opened up and gave all of himself of Aaron.
Aaron, he's so sweet. Everything about him just exudes goodness.... he's amazing with Dean's kids, and his wife and his friendship with Dean. There wasn't one thing I didn't love about Aaron, he's that amazing.
Patient and generous and seriously, the sex with him after they moved in together was really hot!!!
I love this series and I loved the charecters. Another great read!
November 10, 2013
This was cringe inducing. I have come to the conclusion that Cardeno's books are not for me. I usually love all things sappy and have a high tolerance for cheese, but this was just too much. I couldn't take the insta-love and the constant soppy decelerations of feelings.
On to the next.
On to the next.
August 13, 2017
Will write the review tomorrow... time to go to bed!
May 28, 2011
He Completes Me is the second book in the Home series. The first, Home Again, I pretty much hated entirely (1 star), but thankfully you don’t have to read Home Again to understand He Completes Me. In fact just pick up this one if it sounds interesting to you. HCM is a better book by far but it still suffers from second half malaise as the tension drains from the book to be replaced by sex scene after sex scene with no real purpose. It’s romantic to be sure and a very strong HEA with some adorable characters so that may be enough for some readers.
The first half of the story deals with Zach and Aaron as they initially get together. Zach meets Aaron on a trip home to attend Zach’s mother’s funeral. Zach hasn’t been home in years and he’s apprehensive to connect with the older brother he never really knew. When Zach and Aaron meet, the sparks immediately fly. They spend two days together where Zach freaks out due to his issues with commitment and Aaron patiently supports and waits for Zach. This is followed by four months when Zach is in LA and they talk on the phone every night. Finally though the two get together, blend their lives, and live happily ever after. This is roughly the halfway mark in the book and the remainder is made up of lengthy sex scenes and the details of how the two are going to be so happy.
The book starts off very well with Zach as an adorable and very engaging narrator. He tends to talk to the reader a lot with asides. He explains his emotions and thought process much better to the reader than he ever does to Aaron but it only starts to run long towards the end of the book. Here Zach tends to internally answer the question for the reader, then repeat the answer almost verbatim to Aaron. This causes definite repetition to the writing and story and does get tiresome towards the end of the 300pg novel. Yet Zach manages to stay charming most of the time. Initially Zach is filled with insecurities, doubts, fears, and concerns. It seems like he won’t ever get out of his own way to finally be happy while Aaron comes across nearly perfect. He’s selfless, giving, caring, incredibly patient, generous, but he’s also deeply lonely and needs Zach just as much as Zach needs Aaron. This dynamic really makes the relationship works and shows some nice depth to both men.
Unfortunately the story falls apart once the two are together. Zach remains a likable narrator and his internal musings and quips are pretty cute. Unfortunately the story loses its driving focus though. The two are together, in love, and all of Zach’s problems and fears are gone under the light of Aaron’s love. So there is no tension and no conflict. Nothing can make Zach doubt their love. Nothing can taint how in love they are. They touch each other constantly, have sex all the time, and profess their love and happiness. The remaining story is just the various detail scenes as Zach finds work, they look for a house, have sex everywhere, meet Aaron’s friends (there’s a built in third book between Seth and Eli or Nate and Jake right there) and other day to day things. This isn’t necessarily bad for those that like slice of life details but it almost feels like a second book tacked onto the first. It’s such a shift in both character development and tone.
There are also a few issues brought up and ignored. There is Zach’s step father who abused him growing up that randomly shows up in the later half of the book for no real reason. There are early warning signs littered heavily in the first half that Zach’s brother and sister-in-law, while good friends with Aaron, seemingly take advantage of him. There is never any resolution to this problem, which is really glaring. Zach points out enough times that the behavior is wrong that the reader can’t help but start to notice and dislike this as well, yet once Zach and Aaron are together and in love, nothing is ever said anymore. Instead all of these issues are pushed aside because I guess nothing matters once you’re in love.
The writing overall is pretty clean and easy to read. The pages fly by pleasantly enough and I would have been more engaged if there had been fewer sex scenes. When they come so quickly and frequently (no pun intended, except they do both) with no further progression to the story or characters, my eyes start to glaze over and become bored. For those readers more invested or happen to like quite a lot of explicit sex in their sweet romance, then the plethora of erotica may not bother them.
Overall the story as a whole can be described with Zach’s statement after sex “it was sweet and loving and, well, nice.” For anyone looking for that kind of story, this may satisfy. For me it falls in between. It’s not fabulous but it’s not horrible either.
The first half of the story deals with Zach and Aaron as they initially get together. Zach meets Aaron on a trip home to attend Zach’s mother’s funeral. Zach hasn’t been home in years and he’s apprehensive to connect with the older brother he never really knew. When Zach and Aaron meet, the sparks immediately fly. They spend two days together where Zach freaks out due to his issues with commitment and Aaron patiently supports and waits for Zach. This is followed by four months when Zach is in LA and they talk on the phone every night. Finally though the two get together, blend their lives, and live happily ever after. This is roughly the halfway mark in the book and the remainder is made up of lengthy sex scenes and the details of how the two are going to be so happy.
The book starts off very well with Zach as an adorable and very engaging narrator. He tends to talk to the reader a lot with asides. He explains his emotions and thought process much better to the reader than he ever does to Aaron but it only starts to run long towards the end of the book. Here Zach tends to internally answer the question for the reader, then repeat the answer almost verbatim to Aaron. This causes definite repetition to the writing and story and does get tiresome towards the end of the 300pg novel. Yet Zach manages to stay charming most of the time. Initially Zach is filled with insecurities, doubts, fears, and concerns. It seems like he won’t ever get out of his own way to finally be happy while Aaron comes across nearly perfect. He’s selfless, giving, caring, incredibly patient, generous, but he’s also deeply lonely and needs Zach just as much as Zach needs Aaron. This dynamic really makes the relationship works and shows some nice depth to both men.
Unfortunately the story falls apart once the two are together. Zach remains a likable narrator and his internal musings and quips are pretty cute. Unfortunately the story loses its driving focus though. The two are together, in love, and all of Zach’s problems and fears are gone under the light of Aaron’s love. So there is no tension and no conflict. Nothing can make Zach doubt their love. Nothing can taint how in love they are. They touch each other constantly, have sex all the time, and profess their love and happiness. The remaining story is just the various detail scenes as Zach finds work, they look for a house, have sex everywhere, meet Aaron’s friends (there’s a built in third book between Seth and Eli or Nate and Jake right there) and other day to day things. This isn’t necessarily bad for those that like slice of life details but it almost feels like a second book tacked onto the first. It’s such a shift in both character development and tone.
There are also a few issues brought up and ignored. There is Zach’s step father who abused him growing up that randomly shows up in the later half of the book for no real reason. There are early warning signs littered heavily in the first half that Zach’s brother and sister-in-law, while good friends with Aaron, seemingly take advantage of him. There is never any resolution to this problem, which is really glaring. Zach points out enough times that the behavior is wrong that the reader can’t help but start to notice and dislike this as well, yet once Zach and Aaron are together and in love, nothing is ever said anymore. Instead all of these issues are pushed aside because I guess nothing matters once you’re in love.
The writing overall is pretty clean and easy to read. The pages fly by pleasantly enough and I would have been more engaged if there had been fewer sex scenes. When they come so quickly and frequently (no pun intended, except they do both) with no further progression to the story or characters, my eyes start to glaze over and become bored. For those readers more invested or happen to like quite a lot of explicit sex in their sweet romance, then the plethora of erotica may not bother them.
Overall the story as a whole can be described with Zach’s statement after sex “it was sweet and loving and, well, nice.” For anyone looking for that kind of story, this may satisfy. For me it falls in between. It’s not fabulous but it’s not horrible either.
November 21, 2015
The Blogger Girls
4.5 Stars Audio => 3 Stars for the ebook for a 3.5 star total (rounded up)
Review – Audio: I totally enjoyed Alexander Collins’ narration of He Completes Me. This is only the second audio book I’ve listened to where the narrator actually performed the story instead of just reading the lines. His moans and groans during the love scenes are worth the price of the audio book alone, and there were a few times where I had to look around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him. He did an amazing job of keeping the characters separate, and l will definitely be looking forward to more of his work. I would give Alexander Collins 4.5 stars on his performance alone.
Review – Book: I am a big sucker for Cardeno C books, but every once in a while I come across one I love and want to drop kick at the same time. He Completes Me was that book. I loved the non apologetic Zach and his lover, the innocent but sexy, Aaron. However, I was completely left gritting my teeth with the totally unbelievable insta-love and “deep feeling” that they felt for each other after one day. One day? Come on, insta-lust, maybe, but definitely not love and deep feelings. That just didn’t work for me, but I did everything I could to suspend belief and move on. Which was very hard when Zach’s brother and sister-in-law gave him a load of crap for breaking Aaron’s heart after only knowing each other two days. Grrrr, I hate when a small segment of a story affects me so much that it ruins my high. Fortunately, the rest of the story helped me get past that little peeve.
Many people will think of Zach as a cheater, but the fact that he had sex with other guys before ever being in a relationship with Aaron is not cheating. So that didn’t bother me at all…even though one scene did break my heart. Aaron was too much of a good guy where Zach’s family was concerned. I know Zach muses internally that his sister-in-law was a nut, but to me she was a user and an inconsiderate basket case. The fact that she thinks it’s okay to invite someone for breakfast and then expect them to make that breakfast is just too cringe worthy for me. I just wished that Zach said something, just musing that they were family and you accept your family the way they are just didn’t fly with me. Family is actually the first to call you on your BS.
I know it sounds like I didn’t like a couple of scenes, and it’s true, and even though I needed to comment on them, they were not bad enough to take away my pleasure from listening to the audio book. The blooming relationship between Aaron and Zach was sweet and sexy. We get to see them go through the long-distance relationship status to moving in together. Once Zach accepts that Aaron is it for him, he puts his past slut puppy ways away. One of the biggest issues the guys fight over is money. Maybe it’s just me, but I would love to find a man I loved, and who loved me in return, who had enough money to allow me to freeload (as Zach puts it). Apparently men need to carry their own weight, lol, not me.
There really isn’t much in the way of angst and it was a little too fluffy for me, but it is still an enjoying read and a guilty pleasure. Nothing deep and profound, but sometimes it’s nice to just allow myself to relax and listen without expectations.
4.5 Stars Audio => 3 Stars for the ebook for a 3.5 star total (rounded up)
Review – Audio: I totally enjoyed Alexander Collins’ narration of He Completes Me. This is only the second audio book I’ve listened to where the narrator actually performed the story instead of just reading the lines. His moans and groans during the love scenes are worth the price of the audio book alone, and there were a few times where I had to look around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him. He did an amazing job of keeping the characters separate, and l will definitely be looking forward to more of his work. I would give Alexander Collins 4.5 stars on his performance alone.
Review – Book: I am a big sucker for Cardeno C books, but every once in a while I come across one I love and want to drop kick at the same time. He Completes Me was that book. I loved the non apologetic Zach and his lover, the innocent but sexy, Aaron. However, I was completely left gritting my teeth with the totally unbelievable insta-love and “deep feeling” that they felt for each other after one day. One day? Come on, insta-lust, maybe, but definitely not love and deep feelings. That just didn’t work for me, but I did everything I could to suspend belief and move on. Which was very hard when Zach’s brother and sister-in-law gave him a load of crap for breaking Aaron’s heart after only knowing each other two days. Grrrr, I hate when a small segment of a story affects me so much that it ruins my high. Fortunately, the rest of the story helped me get past that little peeve.
Many people will think of Zach as a cheater, but the fact that he had sex with other guys before ever being in a relationship with Aaron is not cheating. So that didn’t bother me at all…even though one scene did break my heart. Aaron was too much of a good guy where Zach’s family was concerned. I know Zach muses internally that his sister-in-law was a nut, but to me she was a user and an inconsiderate basket case. The fact that she thinks it’s okay to invite someone for breakfast and then expect them to make that breakfast is just too cringe worthy for me. I just wished that Zach said something, just musing that they were family and you accept your family the way they are just didn’t fly with me. Family is actually the first to call you on your BS.
I know it sounds like I didn’t like a couple of scenes, and it’s true, and even though I needed to comment on them, they were not bad enough to take away my pleasure from listening to the audio book. The blooming relationship between Aaron and Zach was sweet and sexy. We get to see them go through the long-distance relationship status to moving in together. Once Zach accepts that Aaron is it for him, he puts his past slut puppy ways away. One of the biggest issues the guys fight over is money. Maybe it’s just me, but I would love to find a man I loved, and who loved me in return, who had enough money to allow me to freeload (as Zach puts it). Apparently men need to carry their own weight, lol, not me.
There really isn’t much in the way of angst and it was a little too fluffy for me, but it is still an enjoying read and a guilty pleasure. Nothing deep and profound, but sometimes it’s nice to just allow myself to relax and listen without expectations.
March 27, 2011
I picked up this book as soon as I finished Home Again by this same author. We get just a sneak glimpse of Zach and Aaron in Home Again. I knew then that I wanted to know their story. Zach is a crude mouthed, flamboyant bar/bed hopping bundle of energy. He hasn't ever had any real ties since he was 8 years old. He also has no filter between brain and mouth and what comes out of his mouth, wow! He likes him and his life just as they are, that is until he meets Aaron. Aaron is a sweet, selfless, mountain of a man who has been waiting for his true love his whole life. It will take patience and a whole lot of love for Aaron to get past Zach's hard exterior. I mean the man is sweet and loving and perfect but even Zach sees him as a cheezy sap well sort of.
I normally don't like first person books, nor is it one of my favorites when the author speaks to the reader through their book. No I mean literally talks to you. More like telling you to get over it and shut the fuck up. I don't think I've enjoyed being told to fuck off more than I did when Zach told me to. I had a lot of awww moments, sighing and plenty of laughs in what is in this readers opinion a perfect balance!!
Favorite Quote
"Didn't think I had it in me, did you? Well, Ha!"
"I'm very well-fucked this morning, Kim. Thanks for asking."
Hated part: That it ended and I have to wait for the next one!
I normally don't like first person books, nor is it one of my favorites when the author speaks to the reader through their book. No I mean literally talks to you. More like telling you to get over it and shut the fuck up. I don't think I've enjoyed being told to fuck off more than I did when Zach told me to. I had a lot of awww moments, sighing and plenty of laughs in what is in this readers opinion a perfect balance!!
Favorite Quote
"Didn't think I had it in me, did you? Well, Ha!"
"I'm very well-fucked this morning, Kim. Thanks for asking."
Hated part: That it ended and I have to wait for the next one!
May 17, 2015
Normally, I'd read a book like this and then I'd write a review dripping with venom ... all my pet peeves are contained in this book/series ... super willies, insta-love, gay stereotyping ... you name it, and this series has it ... BUT ... I have to confess that I love this series ... and probably, Cardeno could write almost anything and I'd forgive her ... I don't know why this author can get away with it but she can ... I feel a bit guilty recommending these books because it is so far removed from what I normally enjoy and recommend, but if you're feeling a bit hypoglycemic and need a sugar overdose, these books/series will do it for you.
October 9, 2016
This book turned me off relatively quickly and I just could not recover. It also has probably the fastest insta-love I've read; one day and that day was a funeral no less. Aaron was too much of a nice guy that it was so not believable. Who falls for a guy who . . .
I didn't believe in the chemistry between Aaron and Zach so I don't think I read through any of their sex scenes. This book was way too long and I just wasn't interested. I skipped whole chunks of it. In the end it just wasn't worth my time.
I didn't believe in the chemistry between Aaron and Zach so I don't think I read through any of their sex scenes. This book was way too long and I just wasn't interested. I skipped whole chunks of it. In the end it just wasn't worth my time.
December 24, 2017
4 Stars
It took a while to get past me hating Zach for being an ass and wanting to slap Aaron for being so weak. And at one point I was reading this thinking their relationship was a co-dependent train wreck waiting to happen. But then...well, character growth! Both of them! And it wasn't instant perfection (they each still have some things to work out) since CC developed the story through months of phone calls, texts and Skype.
We didn't get to see much how all of this affected the more than slightly irritating Zach's bro and sis-in-law (forgot their names)...but wow, hopefully choosing to be a SAHM means she learned to cook and whatnot since Zach and Aaron have a lot to manage now.
It took a while to get past me hating Zach for being an ass and wanting to slap Aaron for being so weak. And at one point I was reading this thinking their relationship was a co-dependent train wreck waiting to happen. But then...well, character growth! Both of them! And it wasn't instant perfection (they each still have some things to work out) since CC developed the story through months of phone calls, texts and Skype.
We didn't get to see much how all of this affected the more than slightly irritating Zach's bro and sis-in-law (forgot their names)...but wow, hopefully choosing to be a SAHM means she learned to cook and whatnot since Zach and Aaron have a lot to manage now.
April 23, 2022
It's been years since I read this book. Long ago I gave it five stars because it was a fresh read to me. I liked the heroes and enjoyed the story Zack told.
I just reread it and although I liked it, I didn't as much as I once did. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but there are times I wanted Aaron to kick Zack to the curb AND I definitely wanted them both to tell Kim and Zack's brother to f-off. (Honestly can't Kim do anything her herself without Aaron.. ugh!!!)
I gave it five stars years ago and I'm not changing my rating. I loved it then and I stand by what I once thought. Now, it's more of a three and a half to four star read for me. I still enjoyed it. I'm glad a read it again, it's just interesting how time (and my picky mood) will change my view on my favorite reads.
I just reread it and although I liked it, I didn't as much as I once did. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but there are times I wanted Aaron to kick Zack to the curb AND I definitely wanted them both to tell Kim and Zack's brother to f-off. (Honestly can't Kim do anything her herself without Aaron.. ugh!!!)
I gave it five stars years ago and I'm not changing my rating. I loved it then and I stand by what I once thought. Now, it's more of a three and a half to four star read for me. I still enjoyed it. I'm glad a read it again, it's just interesting how time (and my picky mood) will change my view on my favorite reads.
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