House of Cards

If you are a fan of the “hurt/comfort” angsty brand of romance, House of Cards will be right up your alley. You've got Calum, who flees an abusive relationship without money, job or self-esteem, and Brix, a friend Calum hasn't seen in four years, who comes from a family of smugglers and is dealing with illness and secrets he can't share with anyone. Calum is desperately grateful to Brix for giving him a home and a job, while Brix is trying to take care of Cal and his other employees without letting them realize how much he is struggling. I couldn't help wishing the two men would just sit down and talk to each other instead of agonizingly angsting in private, but that wouldn't have been true to their personalities.

I wasn't terribly interested in the tattoo art that both men excelled at, but the other shop employees added a little more color to the story (and one is slated for his own book later this year). Plus any MC who is dedicated to rescuing and re-homing chickens them deserves his own happy ending.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.