"Call it a Coincidence," by Nathaniel Scott

Gay (MM) Romance

Book Blurb

Isaac has a fear of letting people in. He’s been hurt too many times in the past from those close to him and he’s decided he was done with it. His life of crime has only cemented his belief that he’s better off alone. Then he meets James. James is best friends with his sister… and it turns out he’d mugged James a couple years back when James was a teenager. Luckily, James is quick to forgive and forget.

James has struggled to feel as though he really belonged ever since his parents died. He got passed from foster home to foster home until he landed with his adoptive parents. They're great, but he carries with him a fear of them tossing him out to the next home so he does what he can to help out and not be a bother. He follows in his adoptive dad's footsteps to become a cop, only to fall in love with the criminal who mugged him when he was a teenager. He knows there's more to Isaac than the cold criminal front he puts on and he's not going to stop until he gets to see beneath the act.

Isaac’s sister has decided that James and Isaac would be perfect for each other and she doesn’t hold back in helping them find their way to each other. But these guys have their work cut out for them if they want their chance at their happily ever after.

My Review

I’m shook, y’all. For real. This week’s read left me feeling some kinda way. Call it a Coincidence by Nathaniel Scott is one of those reads where I found myself at a complete loss for words as I turned off my Kindle. I also went immediately to the author’s Twitter page and found myself heaving a huge sigh of relief when I saw him mentioning a sequel in the works. Because, yes, I need more. Much, much more.

I try to focus on the positives in my reviews, as I believe the purpose of a book review is to show other readers where they’ll find joy in a particular read. I don’t aim to tear authors down or nitpick, because really… it’s impossible to make everyone happy. If you’re looking for a problem, you’ll find it. However, I would be remiss not to mention one thing about this read that came as a struggle for me. I fear if I don’t, it might be a deterrent to some readers, and I absolutely do not want to see that happen.

So, okay, here’s the thing… there are some editing errors and tense issues. It bounced unintentionally between past and present tense, which at first, is a bit distracting. If I hadn’t been reading this for my blog, with the intention of doing a review for it, there’s a possibility I might have DNFed. And, folks? I would have missed out on one helluva story had I done so. Yes, there is some room for growth in the craft department, but this author has the concept of plot arc and character development on lock.

As writers, I sometimes feel we lose the ability to truly pleasure read. We always have our editing hats on, so little mistakes can make us cringe and pull us from the narrative. However, after the story got rolling—and I’ll admit, there are several time jumps, and it wasn’t until the author settled into the present that I really started digging my readerly claws in—I became obsessed with this book. The characters are so lovable, and the plot is so deep and beautiful. The heart of this story just, oh man, it squeezes so much raw emotion from you. It had a very satisfying HEA, so when I went trolling the author’s Twitter, it wasn’t with any real hope of a sequel. But there’s just this driving need for more. Giving up Isaac and James at the end of the story felt like I was losing friends, and that panicked me enough to send me searching for hope. Which, I found! Because the author claims the sequel is in the works! Yaaasss!!!

I would recommend this story to anyone who loves gay romance, but also to anyone who enjoys a good, quality, gripping plot.

So, what are you waiting for? Call it a Coincidence is available for your immediate reading pleasure. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited!