Review: The Girl Next Door by Amy Jo Cousins (Bend or Break #3)
Charles Carmichael grew up wanting for nothing. He went to a prestigious university and even had what one would consider a cushy job. But that wasn't enough for him and all it took was one offhand comment from one of his best friends, Stephany Tyler, to open his eyes. Saying goodbye to the luxuries in Boston he was accustomed to in order to take a job as a soccer coach for inner-city kids, Cash has traded in his Ferrari for a bicycle and lives in an shoebox apartment without any air-conditioning. His place isn't large enough to house guests, so when his nephew Denny Winslow suddenly shows up, looking to Cash to help him with his parents who don't believe that he's gay, Cash turns to his best friends and favorite gay couple, Tom Worthington and Reese Anders, who in turn, suggest that he meet up with Steph, who is also in Chicago.
Cash and Steph have history, and part of that history involved them being best friends with a whole lot of benefits that no one else had a clue about. Things ended when Steph fell in love with a woman, and while she and Cash remained friendly, the dynamic of their relationship changed. Now in Chicago and no longer in a relationship, Steph is happy to reunite with Cash, and soon, the two friends are back in the swing of things and are once again enjoying those extra benefits they once had. She makes it clear that nothing more can come of their friendship, but what Steph doesn't know is that Cash has decided it's time to finally put both their hearts on the line. He's ready for a commitment, one that doesn't involve casual hook-ups and keeping each other in the friend zone. But can Steph believe the playboy Cash once was is no more?
After two M/M stories, Amy Jo Cousins switches it up with The Girl Next Door, her third book in the Bend or Break series, featuring Cash Carmichael and Steph Tyler, both of whom were introduced in the first book, Off Campus, and were best friends to Tom Worthington and Reese Anders, respectively. Their story has a second chance romance feel to it mixed in with a friends to lovers touch. What Cash and Steph shared for a period of time in college was more of a friends with benefits relationship, and romantic feelings were, at best, at a minimum for the two. It takes more than two years for the Cash and Steph to see each other again after they both graduated from Carlisle College, and the fact that they're both in Chicago seems like fate. When Cash decides to fully pursue Steph, he decides it's time to go all in for her.
I've always had a soft spot for Cash. The guy was often the comic relief in Off Campus but he could also surprise you with his observations and advice. He doesn't think he's as smart as his friends are, but he actually is and it's often overshadowed by his energetic personality. His quick acceptance of his best friend being bisexual and in a relationship with a gay man made him a favorite in my book, and he never had anything negative to say about either one of them, or even Steph, who also happens to be bisexual. His decision to take in Denny made him all the more endearing, and while I adore Tom and Reese and they're my favorite couple, Cash is my favorite individual character because he rarely hesitates when his mind and heart are made up, ready to do whatever's necessary for the end goal of whatever it is he's planning to do.
There are a number of things that go on in this third book, namely, Cash and Steph's rekindled romance, Denny Winslow's coming out, and Denny's fledgling feelings for Rafi Castro. Denny's situation is what helps bring the four best friends back together for a reunion of sorts while trying to help the teen out and Cash's handling of it further proves what a great guy he truly is. Denny and Rafi's mutual crushes on each other help introduce a potential pairing, one that will be further brought to light in the fourth book in the series, Level Hands. In this third book, we have familiar characters who are a bit older and more mature but still retain the bond that made them such a memorable foursome in the series starter, and if you felt the sexual tension between Cash and Steph then, The Girl Next Door will satisfy your curiosity. 4.5 stars! ♥
Date Read: 21 November 2015
Learn more about Amy Jo Cousins.
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