Needing Your Love by Lynn Burke (Pippen Creek Book 2)

Returning to Pippen Creek, we get a second chance age-gap romance that has been years in the making...

From the blurb:

A Small-Town Age-Gap Gay Romance by USA Today Bestselling Author Lynn Burke

When my ex-wife left me financially ruined a decade ago, I became suspicious of everyone and swore off relationships. But pure temptation in skin-tight jeans, a crop top, and lip gloss has shown up in our small town, making me question that commitment.

Jimmy Riley was always getting into trouble as a teenager, and as Pippen Creek's chief of police, it was my responsibility to step in when his need for attention spiraled out of control.

And now?

Behind his façade, he is still broken, starved for connection, and desperate for praise, calling out to my desire to nurture. But he is also dead set on getting into my bed, raising red flags by using every manipulative tactic in his arsenal.

I can't deny the attraction I feel for him, but he has lied too many times for me to trust him with my jaded heart.

Will my walls hold firm against the tide of his insecurities that threatens to overwhelm me? Or will he find the courage to be honest and give us both the chance for fulfillment we both crave?

Heather's Review:

While Jimmy has been crushing on Sutton for years, absence has allowed Sutton to view Jimmy with fresh eyes - adult eyes instead of through the lense of a child/teen he helped.  As with the last book, this story crosses over with the Elite Escorts MM series, with just a tiny cameo, and a few things to unpack from Jimmy's time away from Pippen Creek...

I truly enjoyed this story - the contrast between Sutton's feelings for young Jimmy and his different, but still protective feelings for adult Jimmy... as well as the way Jimmy's need to feel safe and secure resonated from the past but was truly grounded in the present.  It can be tricky with age gap romances that start with a childhood crush, but Lynn handled this story in a way that truly gives these two men a chance to get to build a current relationship...

I love the side characters, the found family and support, and the truly beautiful HEA that emerges from Needing Your Love.

I look forward to more stories from Pippen Creek!

You can find Needing Your Love in paperback, hard cover and e-book and it's available in Kindle Unlimited:

Lynn’s direct store: https://authorlynnburke.com/products/pc-02

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/4lb1zYY
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/4gg7Nnn
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DVHX1ZHG
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/4hfsh0T