Nicci - TWLIB Reviews

Have you notice in Mary Calmes’ books, the characters are getting older. Yay! For that. Older characters need love, too!Professor Nate Quells spends most of his life making other people happy and being what they need him to be to them. Take his ex-wife, Melissa. She and Nate have one incident of folly leaving her impregnated. They marry. They make a home for their child but sleep in separate bedrooms. They are best friends for life. Nate is very much involved in raising their son.Nate is and always has been gay. He later falls for Detective Duncan Stiel, who is so deep into the closet you need a tractor beam to pull him out. To be with Duncan means Nate will have to step into the closet with him. They will never demonstrate in public their affection for the other. Duncan’s friends think Nate is just a close friend. Duncan has never visited Nate at his home, having Nate meet him at his place. Nate loses a part of himself to secrecy. Melissa hates the Nate that is with Duncan. Then one day Duncan calls it quits.Almost two years later at the beginning of Acrobat, Nate is still feeling the rejection by Duncan. The quintessential Nate still exists, spreading himself out helping others but how he feels about forming relationships has changed. He is cautious. He wants a man to want him and be willing to be a part of him. He wants a man willing to stand up and claim him in every aspect.Andreo Fiore is the typical dangerous muscle for the mob. Under the facade of this intimidating 28 years old Italian, is a man with a plan. He wants out of the mob. As the uncle and guardian to Michael Fiore, Dreo decides Michael needs a good role model and that is his job. Dreo has been in love with Nate for four years. He wants to stand proudly with Nate by his side. The only way he can accomplish his goals is by changing what he does for a living.Sixteen years old, Michael Fiore looks to Nate as the perfect father figure. When his Uncle Dreo comes home in total shock, he naturally turns to Nate for help. And wow, everything Dreo has worked for and the things Nate have been looking for, begins to converge into a budding romance story of two improbable mates.Nate and Dreo are far apart in terms of social class and status. Unlike other stories, Acrobat does not address the difference. Nate is the reason why. He sees people. Superficial stuff like materiality, money, position, and power are of no concern of his. He sees the individuals as they are, and boy does he ever see Dreo for the first time even though they lived as neighbors for the past four years.My one niggle about the story, the romance doesn’t start until midway of the book. The readers will spend time reading about Nate’s life with his colleagues at the university. I feel some of the scenes could have been devoted to developing Nate and Dreo.Acrobat brings together handsome Alpha male, Dreo, who overwhelms Nate with hot, sexy, seduction. Caution blows out the window. Nate lets the force of Dreo take him over and right along with Nate, the readers will experience a delightful romance that has the signature of Mary Calmes excellent characterizations.Highly Recommended.Originally posted at http://twlibreviews.com/2012/06/review-acrobat-by-mary-calmes/