Malcolm Kavanagh and Owen Watson are now in a solid
relationship but can they live happily ever after? In CITY
MOUSE, the second book of a duology with Amy Lane and
Aleksandr Voinov, readers get the first chapters of Malcolm
and Owen's life together. Right off the bat, they are
experiencing life's struggles. Malcolm is overworked and
doesn't like the fact that he cannot spend as much time as
he would like with Owen. Owen is working at a new job that
pays a peanut amount of money and is adjusting to his new
life.
Lane and Voinov put everything they are best at in this one
book. Witty, easy to read writing brings out the playful
side of Malcolm and Owen that transcends into the sex
scenes as well. Both explorative and intense, the sex
scenes are abundant and memorable, making CITY MOUSE a lot
more sexier than the first book.
What's new is the angst that Lane and Voinov have
incorporated. While I could feel for Malcolm and Owen's
internal struggles, I don't feel as if they were explored
enough and, as a result, the resolution felt too swift in
the end. I didn't get the sense that the trouble was
properly solved by the end of the book.
There is a fun crossover with Voinov's Garden Market series
where Malcolm goes with a friend to the high-end brothel
where we see cameos of some side characters.
For a sweet and witty romance with a touch of angst, CITY
MOUSE is a great story of learning to love.
A magical weekend, a breathless declaration, a happy ever after . . . Right? Wrong. When Malcolm Kavanagh took his first step toward emotional maturity by declaring his love to Owen Watson, that was just the first chapter in their story. Anyone who’s ever been in love knows that happy endings take a lot more work than that. One problem: Malcolm has never been in love. He doesn’t know the rules of a relationship and isn’t confident enough to trust that his is real. He learns the ropes by sharing his life and his flat with Owen, but relationship boot camp proves a challenge. Everything is a struggle, from accepting Owen’s low-status job to putting his boyfriend above his personal trainer. Luckily, Owen knows a little more about relationships, and labors patiently to survive the first six weeks of their life together. From the art galleries of Cambridge to the tawdry majesty of the Dominion theatre, Owen adapts to England while Malcolm adapts to the whole human race. Maybe, if Owen is patient enough and Malcolm learns to give, the two of them can make it past Relationship Armageddon to a real happy ending.