Daybreak by Kate Hawthorne

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Title: Daybreak
Author: Kate Hawthorne
Series: Vino and Veritas #12
Published by: Heart Eyes Press
Release Date: May 10, 2021
Format: eARC
Pages: 202
Genres: Romance, LGBT, Contemporary
Source: Heart Eyes Press
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2021 COYER Spring, Lenoreo's 2021 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:

Blurb:

When a sunny young musician gets stranded with a grumpy mechanic during a snowstorm, a lack of heat is the least of their problems…

Liam Luckett is on an adventure. He's dropped out of his Master's program without telling his overbearing parents and set off on a road trip across the country. Armed with little more than his guitar, he’s looking for his best life. He never expected his car to break down in the middle of nowhere Vermont with a huge storm pending, leaving him stranded and at the mercy of a hunky local mechanic.

Jasper Cunningham is in a holding pattern. Three years after the death of his husband, he still hasn’t moved on. A hot, younger stranded tourist is exactly the sort of complication this mechanic has been avoiding. But he also can’t leave him in the snow. He brings Liam home and lets him sleep on the couch. The air is heavy with more than snow, and when the power goes out, the two men become closer than either of them expects.

Every silken note Liam sings on that guitar thaws Jasper’s heart a little. Suddenly, Liam’s itchy feet aren’t so eager to move on. When their feelings get too big to ignore, the bond they’ve formed is tested. Will daybreak leave them going their separate ways?

This opposites attract, hurt/comfort romance features a grumpy widower who is only soft for one specific blue-eyed musician, a remote farmhouse, a friendly dog, and enough snow to knock the power out until love catches fire.

My Review:

I received a free copy through Heart Eyes Press in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3.5 stars — I really enjoyed both Jasper and Liam, but I will admit I wanted more from their story…

Jasper was a lot more grumpy and disgruntled than I had been expecting.  I knew he was going to be exceptionally standoffish and closed off, just from the peek we’d seen in Unguarded (which you by no means need to read to enjoy this story).  But at times he was harsher with Liam than I was expecting.  He’s lucky that Liam took it in his stride most times.  I appreciated seeing another view of someone struggling with grief.  But outside of the above, I don’t think I could really tell you that much about him — his hopes and dreams and all that shiznit.

I was expecting something different from Liam as well, given the blurb.  I expected the music to play a much more integral role in many ways, and it was there, but also somehow in the background.  I’m kind of an impatient reader, so I will admit I had a hard time waiting to find out his whole story…I would have been happier with more sooner.  I got a bit more of who Liam was, but still not as much as I would like.

The story really was focused on their burgeoning relationship, and all the pitfalls therein — especially when neither were looking for a relationship.  I definitely enjoyed them together, but I wasn’t shipping them hard like other couples.

I really enjoyed Liam’s relationship with his BFF Manny, he sounded like a delight.  On the other hand Jasper’s friendship with Devon was a complete mystery to me — I don’t get their dynamic AT ALL.  LOVED seeing the peeks of other V&V characters, most especially Tai and Emmett.  And obviously I found Gus to be an absolute delight.

I seriously have no idea why I had such a hard time connecting with this one, other than to say I wanted more fleshed out I guess.  *shrugs*