Review ~ Finley ~ Ella Frank

Finley by Ella Frank
Sunset Cove #1
Release Date: March 22, 2016
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease, 
#COYER
Goodreads

Synopsis
It's time to come home, Finn.
It's been seven years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle and bustle of Chicago's city life.
Since then, he's worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm Leighton & Associates, even when it's caused distance and isolation from his family and friends. But that's all about to change.
On his thirtieth birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope for. Something that was promised to him years earlier--a note. One simple sentence from the man he's never been able to forget.
Six words will forever change the course of their lives.
Brantley Hayes has it all. Or so he thinks. When he first made the decision to take a job down in Florida, his family thought he was crazy. But, after years of living in the quiet beach town, he finally feels a sense of community. He's surrounded himself with friends who are like family, has a job he loves, and owns a spectacular beachfront property that is his sanctuary.
Yet he still feels unfulfilled, as if a piece of the puzzle is missing, and he knows exactly which piece it is. On an impulse, he follows through with a promise he made years earlier. A promise to call home the one he sent away.
Nothing is as simple as it seems.
After years of separation, the former lovers are reunited, but Brantley wasn't expecting to encounter the high walls now guarding Daniel's heart.
Daniel may not be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the first step to healing is the note in his hand.

I gushed and gushed about Ms. Frank's Trust series so when I saw she was releasing a spin-off of sorts - another M/M - I immediately pre-ordered it. Even though, for me, Finley didn't deliver quite the emotion that Tate and Logan did, I was not disappointed.

Daniel Finley, Finn, left home seven years ago broken-hearted. He built a life for himself and his a successful attorney in Chicago now. But he's come home to Florida for closure. For that, he has to face the man that broke his heart. The man he's not been able to forget.

Brantley sent Finn away seven years ago in what he considered a selfless act - what was best for Finn. He broke his own heart in the process. But now Finn is home and he can't wait to see if there's still that something special between them.

Finn and Brantley broke my heart. Their love was so strong, so pure. It hurt that they'd been apart. I understood Brantley's actions though, and I admired him for them. I also admired that despite the fact he still loved Finn, he'd have put his own wishes and desires aside if Finn wanted that. Finn was understandably crushed by Brantley's actions. He thought he was coming home to put things to bed between them. But what they had was too powerful.

Ms. Frank tells their story via present time dual narration and flashbacks, which beautifully illustrated the development of their romance in the past and explained the depth of feelings the current romance was building from. It worked well for their story. She also introduced the cast of characters who populate this series - including the couple I believe will star in the next installment. They're delightful and I'm eager for their story. But I also think they're why I didn't feel the same level of emotion as I did in the Trust series - since we're not focusing on one main couple, the intense level of emotion wasn't achieved...at least not for me. That's not to say Ms. Frank didn't deliver the feels because she did. It was just different but no less enjoyable. I'm anxious to continue the series and hope to see more of Finn and Brantley around Sunset Cove.

By the way, Tate and Logan did make a cameo. Woohoo!!