Holding Out for a Fairy Tale

3.00 because I'm being generous. I like the idea of these characters but somehow the execution fell shortThis is book two in this series, which I didn't actually know was a series when I started, and somehow thought it was a shifter thing. [b:A Casual Weekend Thing 17796292 A Casual Weekend Thing (Least Likely Partnership, #1) A.J. Thomas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1365895931l/17796292.SX50.jpg 24893819] worked pretty well for me, I'm trying to finish series I've started, and I already owned this so it was a no brainer. Sadly it was ... underwhelming.Ray is Hayes's partner from the previous book., where it turned out he was flirting with bisexuality or coming to terms with being gay. He was also, allegedly, in love with Hayes but ended up having a one week hookup with Elliot, an FBI agent, which didn't end well, what with Ray's machismo insecurities. Eight months have gone by, Elliot has relocated to San Diego, and circumstances bring Ray and Elliot into the same orbit.The premise was good, I like Elliot very much, and the writing wasn't bad. I just couldn't warm up to Ray. I know his eccentricities are rooted in his need for separation and he has his reasons but I just ... dunno, was indifferent to him? I didn't hate him but I did find his cousin Alejandro a more interesting character and he's meant to be a villain. Not a good sign. It wasn't clear by the end if Ray has overcome some of his main issues with being gay or bi, to me they seemed pretty important as they weren't just a preference thing. The “mystery” wasn't so much a mystery as a business imbroglio that I didn't really care much about, and Ray's family issues were also left hanging. I know many families never come around to being accepting or understanding, and that's fine, it's a sad fact of life, but this wasn't really addressed one way the another. I guess the best way to read this is as a bridge between [b:A Casual Weekend Thing 17796292 A Casual Weekend Thing (Least Likely Partnership, #1) A.J. Thomas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1365895931l/17796292.SX50.jpg 24893819] and [b:The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise 25065285 The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise (Least Likely Partnership, #3) A.J. Thomas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425430843l/25065285.SX50.jpg 44749354], which picks up with Chris & Doug's story. On it's own? Meh