Hot Mess Express (Spruce Texas Romance Book 9)

In this adventure set in the gay-friendly town of Spruce, Texas, former friends reconnect from their time in the Army. Cody, the subject of another entry in the series, has married the man who is now the pastor of the most popular church in Spruce. He was seriously injured, and Trey, now his husband and pastor, helped Cody recover despite his self-destructive tendencies. Their love story inspires and encourages Anthony, a lost soul struggling with low self-worth while showing signs of brilliant observation, who harbors resentment towards Bridger, the man coming to meet Cody and his new husband as he seeks renewal after two tours in the Army. Bridger is a man transformed by military discipline and life. He's devoted to his physical health and the regimen he learned in the military. Their first meeting at an unconventional gas pump, where Anthony accidentally gets sprayed with gasoline while giving Bridger directions, is far from charming, especially when Anthony harshly lashes out at Bridger, calling him an idiot. Later, Anthony becomes a recurring annoyance, showing up at the restaurant where he works and at other places where he takes on part-time or fill-in jobs. He aimlessly drifts through life with these temporary gigs. His anger toward Bridger for the gas incident fuels Anthony's desire to provoke him. Bridger perceives Anthony as the "hot mess" he labels himself, but also sees the potential for who he could become and recognizes the caring soul within him. Anthony…

I have read all the Spruce Texas and DreamWood Isle books. These books are some of my favorites! I read this one in a day because it was so good. I didn't want to stop reading it. I had to know what happened. Reading the books that Daryl Banner has written brought me into the world of romance novels. Even inspiring to try my hand at writing a romance novel myself. I love how all the books have the same characters and give them all a happy ending. This book is definitely worth reading and you won't regret it. I don't want to spoil anything in the book. All I can say is that it has the right amount of romance and spicy that I adore.

This is better than the last one. Lots of angst, which tiptoed up to the line of being too much, but stepped back. Great main characters. Plot was predictable, but still worked since the author is one of the best MM writers out there. We had met a lot of the secondary characters in previous books, and the new ones were just as great. Daryl has a knack for character development that few authors have. They're all interestinb, but not enough to overtake the main characters.