Book Review: A Restored Man by Jaime Reese

Title: A Restored Man
Series: The Men of the Halfway House, Book 3
Author: Jaime Reese
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: bought
Published: February 17, 2015 by Romandeavor

Cole Renzo thinks his greatest challenge is to behave for the remainder of his term at Halfway House. Until he meets his new boss, Ty Calloway, a man who ticks off every box on Cole’s list of interests.

A sought-after restorer and customizer of exotic and collectible cars, Ty had enough confidence to command what he wanted in life, until one fateful night changed everything. Almost two years later, he’s slowly rebuilding his life with great control. He’s defied the odds and works tirelessly to be the man he once was—but he still feels broken.

Cole’s candor and unfiltered personality awaken Ty’s barely-remembered desire to greet each new day with a smile, while Ty’s unwavering acceptance of Cole’s quirks and brash humor makes Cole feel as if he fits in for the first time in far too long. When a nemesis threatens Ty’s personal restoration and the things he holds dear, Cole is determined to protect their relationship, even if that means sacrificing everything he’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ty will have to let his guard down, surrender control, and admit he needs Cole first, even if that puts himself at risk of breaking beyond repair.

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Reviewed by: Crissy

Why I Read This Book: I’ve been a fan of the Men of Halfway House since day one. It was hardly even a decision that I would get this book as soon as it came out. Plus Cole. I’ve wanted his story since he first showed up.

In A Nutshell: This book is a keeper. A definite re-read. This book is full of fun and sweetness and even a little bit of angst. I loved it all.

What I Liked: Cole and Ty. It’s almost enough for me to say how much I love them and be done with it. These guys are so perfectly flawed in a way that is completely beautiful. What makes this story so wonderful are the characters’ journeys to finding themselves and one another. They both have hang ups and trust issues. But by working their ways through them, they find the proverbial light at the end of their tunnel. Not only that, but they stand on fairly equal footing, outside Cole’s issues with the law. They may have a power exchange in the bedroom, but in every aspect of their lives they are equals—strong, flawed, imperfect yet perfect men.

Cole is probably the best character in this series, in my opinion. I love a character who tells it like it is. For Cole it’s not so much logorrhea as it is blatant honesty. He doesn’t have a brain to mouth filter. His biggest problem is pausing to think—which is made apparent. Add to that his past and what put him in jail, the kind of man he is, and they person he wants to be for his family, and Cole is pretty much perfection.

Ty is the more delicate of the two, but he has a backbone. His story is more painful, so to me, his hurdling the barrier that stood between him and Cole was so much more powerful. Ty, for all of his sweet meekness, is horribly broken and I love the transformation he makes into a strong, confident man after he meets and gets to know Cole.

What I Also Liked: There’s so much to love about this story, not the least of which are the secondary characters and cameos from previous books. The interaction with Matt and Julian is primary and I have to say, as a lover of this series since the beginning, I adored Cole’s relationship with Julian the most. So much that it brought me to tears more than once. It was so great to see them again. Although Hunter and Cam aren’t present in this book, their memory and Hunter’s car is front and center a few times for Cole. But it’s Aidan and Jessie who stole the secondary character spotlight for me. Gah! I cannot wait for their story.

Outside of the characters, and obviously this story is very character drive (wonderfully so), the underlying action, drama, suspense story is fabulous. Number one, you can never go wrong with fast cars and hot guys, and this author does a bang up job with both. Then tension, temptations, and villains are added to the mix and the story had me on the edge of my seat.

In My Opinion: This book is all wins. I loved everything about it. Cole and Ty add so much to this series, yet set their own mark on the world of The Men of Halfway House. I am dying for the next book and crossing my fingers for Aidan and Jessie.

Also, as a side note, A Restored Man is the third book in the series but can definitely be read as a standalone if you’ve not given in to the temptation that is this series. Although I do recommend all three books. They are that good.

Memorable Moments:

"That boy is crazier than a two-peckered billy goat but he's got a heart of gold and a sweet tooth for you."

"If he was going to hit me again, he would have done it already. I think he's warming up to the idea of me being his future brother-in-law."

"I don't think there's enough liquor in the world to soften that blow," Aidan mumbled.

Cole smiled. "I think you have a hair fetish."

Ty's cheeks heated. He turned and walked toward the door, pausing as he held the door knob in his hand. "I think I have a Cole fetish," he said before exiting his own office.

Crissy’s Rating:

Reviews for other books in this series:
A Better Man, Book 1
A Hunted Man, Book 2