Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings

Common Goal by Rachel Reid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love how Rachel Reid can take an oh so common trope and then give it a refreshing update to make it feel like you’re reading something totally new.

Here it’s a “fear over the age gap” between the two men making both wary and unwilling to admit feelings are developing.

And, in spite of the fact that a lack of communication is usually one of my most hated plot tension points, here it was absolutely believable.

We’ve met both main characters before. Eric is the goalie for book one’s Scott Hunter and Kyle is Scott’s fiance Kip’s friend and workmate.

Both have very real reasons for why the 15 year age gap between them is a stumbling block.

This is also, bizarrely considering just how hot and steamy it gets, a slow burn romance.

But it completely works. Eric is facing retirement and, a year on from his divorce, has been thinking about exploring his bisexuality.

Kyle has been badly hurt by an older, married man, and the fall out from that is still smarting seven years later.

What I loved most about this book was the powerful juxtaposition between the two men in bed – where Kyle lets loose on all his control needs and Eric is a willing participant – and in their daily lives which are very much an equal exchange of stimulation conversation between adults with so much in common.

It’s funny seeing from the outside what everyone else knows, that they are a perfect partnership if only they can get over themselves.

Rachel Reid skilfully weaves the tensions right past the annoying 75% plot point 😉 and almost to the very end before bringing things to a very satisfying conclusion.

#ARC kindly received from the publisher Carina Press via NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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