New Release Reviews ~ The Barkeep and the Bro: An MM Age Gap Romance by AJ Truman

Posted on by dusty273

I’m his boss. He’s my daughter’s ex-boyfriend. This has nope written all over it.

For twenty-five years, I’ve been in an exclusive, all-consuming relationship with Stone’s Throw Tavern, my family’s local bar.

I don’t need a boyfriend. What I need is a new bartender.

And what I get is Charlie, my daughter’s old college boyfriend, a guy who still acts like he’s chillin’ at the frat house. He was canned from his Wall Street job and escaped to small town Sourwood for a fresh start.

He knows bupkis about bartending, but he makes up for it with his cocky charm…and the tight shirts he wears, which secretly drive me wild. Now I’m making up excuses to hang by the bar during his shifts.

There’s a pile of reasons why I can’t cross the line with an employee. Especially this one. He’s twenty years younger than me, and I’m a foot taller than him. Even on a purely mathematical level, this can’t work.

And yet…

The growing heat between the fratboy and me burns like a shot of whiskey. I just need to keep my beer can in my pants, or else I could lose my business and my daughter.

The Barkeep and the Bro will serve you up a glass of age gap, size difference, boss/employee, grumpy/sunshine, small town romance goodness, garnished with humor and lots of heat. And it won’t even ask for ID. This is the third book in the Single Dads Club series, but can be read as a standalone.

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Q3PYBKT

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60241951-the-barkeep-and-the-bro

~ * ~ Jo‘s Review ~ * ~

5 Stars
This is part of the Single Dads Club series, and I think it is my favourite. It definitely works as a stand-alone, although I’d recommend the series as a whole; they’re great fun.
It’s the turn of Mitch, who’s married to his bar and being a dad to Ellie. Now that she’s grown up, he’s questioning his future. He isn’t expecting her ex to walk into his bar looking for a job, nor is he expecting him to be good or the feelings of attraction for the younger man. Charlie is painted as a lightweight, not taking things seriously. It is quickly clear that this isn’t the case, and the bar provides a place for him to reassess his life and what he actually wants.
I loved this pair. The banter, chemistry, and fun they get up to are just brilliant. The dual POV really lets us see into their heads. The author gives them time to get to know each other. They dance around the attraction, but it’s clear that they fit. When they do come together, it’s such fun and seriously hot. Mitch may not be convinced this is more than a fling, but it’s clear to Charlie that it’s more. Their HEA is heartwarming and left me with a big smile on my face.
An absolute must-read for me. Loved it.

***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.***

 

~ * ~ Annie‘s Review ~ * ~

5 Stars
Man, this series delivers great read after great read. I was really excited to start The Barkeep and the Bro simply because I always enjoy seeing the grumpy secondary character find that person that melts their icy exterior. However, this standalone proved to be even better than I expected – delivering loads of heat, some good humor, and a low angst romance that was easy and fun to read.

I liked Mitch in the previous books and found him equally likable in The Barkeep and the Bro. Charlie was a wild card I wasn’t really expecting at first. However, he quickly won me over. I loved his easy-going attitude, but he could be serious at times, and I loved seeing him develop throughout the story. I also really liked the premise for this age-gap romance. The men’s shared past connection with Charlie being Mitch’s daughter’s ex definitely surprised me, but the author made it work, and their easy chemistry made it hard to question them as a couple.

I really love that all three books in the Single Dads Club series have a lightness to them. The banter is excellent, and it made falling for Charlie, Mitch, and the new and old secondary characters so easy. I was also thrilled to meet some new characters that will be featured in a spinoff series set in the same charming small town as this series. If you are looking for low-angst, high heat, and great fun, this is a terrific book and an excellent series I will recommend again and again.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. ***