The Brewer and The Bartender by Hannah Heyward

Heather says, "I had the chance to pick up my first Hannah Heyward book as an ARC and enjoyed getting to know Derek and Leo - The Brewer and The Bartender... "

From the blurb:

I was never supposed to see him again.

Derek:

I always hoped to meet my dream man the old-fashioned way. Instead, here I was at thirty, and all I had under my belt was a lifetime of bad first dates, being stood up, and getting ghosted. See, once most guys realized that the brewery owner was secretly an introverted chemistry nerd, they bolted.

As it turned out, Leo wasn't most guys.

We met at a club, and our connection was instantaneous. For the first time in my life, I felt like someone saw things in me that I’d never even seen myself. And when Leo popped back up in my life again? Those last few embers of hope I’d long extinguished began to flicker again.

That was, until Leo seemed to not want to have anything to do with me.

So why can’t I stop provoking him?

Leo:

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had just two goals in life: get out of Leighton, and open my own restaurant. I accomplished the first at eighteen and was so close to the second I could taste it. But when one bad decision at my old restaurant resulted in not only getting fired but having to move in with my brother, I thought I’d hit rock bottom. Starting over at thirty-four in Leighton was about the lowest things could get.

Until I ran into someone I thought I’d never see again. Someone who made me seriously rethink my one-and-done rule. There was just one problem, though.

I couldn’t risk another job, even for someone like Derek.

So why can’t I stop thinking about him?

The Brewer and The Bartender is the second book in the Leighton series. It is an 88k word MM romance featuring inappropriately named cocktails, awkward mornings after, a little beer and Cajun food, and a lot of “extracurricular activities."

Heather's Review:

The Brewer and The Bartender was a fun read with interesting characters and good worldbuilding.  Although it is second in a series, I read it as standalone and feel that I didn't miss anything.  It's a small town romance that starts with a hook-up and continues despite baggage from both characters.  Leo especially seems to lean into his drama, but the angst wasn't too bad. It was a fast and easy read and while predictable was a great way to spend an afternoon.  If you're looking for a book to relax with, I recommend checking this one out.

Rating: 4 Stars