Leaning Into Always (Leaning Into #1.5)

Lane Hayes

Add to Goodreads
Released September 5, 2017
Buy Amazon (also Kindle Unlimited)

Life is good for Eric Schuster. He owns a highly successful tech company, has a great group of buddies, and he’s about to marry the man of his dreams. Eric is pleasantly surprised to find the transition from friends to lovers has been easier than he thought. However, after running into an overly friendly ex-boyfriend on an impromptu trip to their shared hometown, Eric realizes things are about to get complicated.

Zane Richards is a quintessential California surfer dude turned professional sailor. His laid-back approach has helped him navigate difficult times in his life. Eric may not share his easy-going mindset but Zane knows without a doubt Eric is the one. However, carving a future together may require confronting a piece of the past Zane thought he’d left far behind. Both men will have to decide if they’re willing to risk what they know for a chance to lean into always.

Leaning Into Always is the second novella by Lane Hayes that follows the pairing of Eric Schuster and Zane Richards. Taking place several months after the primary storyline found in Leaning Into Love, this sequel novella introduces a bump in the happily-ever-after (HEA) found in the first story. Perhaps because the romance was established in the first book, this novella left me feeling much more satisfied than the first simply because the story it contains was the right size to be fully developed within the confines of a short novella’s length. In fact, if you are more interested in external conflicts that take place in established relationships more than the development of the relationship itself, reading this novella as a stand-alone entry would likely work for you very well, because the author does a good job refreshing the reader on important information as it’s needed.

Here, Eric and Zane travel back to their Southern California hometown in order to visit their parents and work on closing a deal for Zane to find a new yacht for a man they once worried might cause problems for them because he is Eric’s business partner’s ex-fiancée’s father. As if those facts weren’t stressful enough for Eric, he’s less than excited to return home for another reason: he was a constant object of bullying growing up, so his memories of growing up there aren’t great, and Eric’s and Zane’s circles of friends had nothing in common. So when Zane informs him that an old high-school buddy of his will be helping with the search, Eric’s not thrilled to find out who the buddy is, especially when it turns out to be Dean, the guy who was Zane’s first same-sex experience. To make it worse, it looks to Eric like Dean’s interest is in doing more than just reminiscing about their past.

The fact that I chose to read Leaning Into Always is probably a surprise to my friends who know my romance likes and dislikes, as there are at least three immediate red flags about it that normally make me reluctant to read. First, it’s a novella—I already addressed how this turned out not to be a problem, yay! Second, it’s a direct sequel to a story in which the characters’ HEA has already been established. Although I’ve had pretty good luck reading books that fall into this category, I’m always worried when authors mess around with a HEA because I fear they’ll not reestablish it as well as it originally was or the new conflict will somehow tarnish what they have even after it’s been resolved. Third, depending on how it is developed, the romantic trope involving an ex who wants back into a now-taken character’s life is one of my least favorites.

Happily, none of these things turned out to be problems for me in this case, likely because the realistic level of drama found in Lane Hayes’s stories generally make them the sort and style that I like to read. In fact, even without the brief epilogue it contains, this novella does a better job, in my opinion, of establishing their HEA than the first novella did because the story here is a better conflict than that of the first story, thereby strengthening their bond in my mind. And it did so without skimping on the heat between the couple—it certainly did not read like a couple who had fallen into a rut sexually.

Put it all together and it’s clear why Leaning Into Always earned a full star higher rating from me than its predecessor. While I read the two novellas back-to-back, I have no reason to believe that the second would be any less enjoyable for someone who chooses not to read them that way. Looking at the pair as a set, though, I think it’s still lacking a bit in romantic development, but the addition of the second novella improves the story as a whole, and certainly makes it one I would recommend.

“Hmm. I want to drop this, but…I have one last question. What did you mean about ‘being from here?’ I know San Francisco is home now but this is a nice place too. I always thought it would be kind of cool to move back someday so I could—”

“No. No way. Never,” I replied emphatically.

I tried and failed again to make a getaway. Zane pounced on me and held me down, snaking his arm across my chest to keep me next to him.

“O-kay…where’s this coming from?”

“I can’t explain it. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“It sounds stupid.” I met his patient gaze, hoping he’d cut me some slack, but he didn’t budge and I had a feeling he wouldn’t until I spit it out. “Fine. I was teased pretty mercilessly for being a geek from kindergarten through high school. I never fit in. I wasn’t blond, athletic, or particularly charming. I was smart. Smarter than I appear to be now,” I huffed.

“Who bullied you? I’m gonna kick some ass. No one messes with my man,” he said, nuzzling my neck.

I chuckled, running my fingers along his spine. “Thanks. I told you it sounded lame. I’m a perfectly well-adjusted adult when I’m not here. And I’m actually pretty good when I come for quick family visits, but this feels different. It feels like I’m being thrown back in time and forced to hang out with the cool kids. Today was a great example. I made a fool of myself out there and I made you mad. Yeah, I was jealous but that was only part of it. I also wanted to prove I’d grown up a little and that I wasn’t the same sunscreen-caked dork who’d sit under an umbrella and read when he went to the beach anymore. I guess I still am.”

“You seem to be forgetting one major detail, Er.”

I traced the laugh-lines at the corner of his eyes and pushed his hair from his forehead. “What is it?”

“I like you just the way you are. I don’t expect you to change and develop a sudden passion for things I enjoy doing. Just be you. And if that means you’d rather finish a chapter lounging in the sand than jump in the water, that’s okay by me.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. It comes with the territory. I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life with you if I didn’t love all your weird habits,” he teased, pulling us both to sit up.

“Weird? Me? I bet you can’t name three weird things about me,” I declared as I sauntered toward the bathroom.

“I bet I can name ten. I’ll give you my list at breakfast. Jump in the shower while I call housekeeping and ask them to change our sheets.”

I stopped in the doorway and frowned. “Just tell them I spilled water on them or something.”

“Why lie? I’m going to tell them my boyfriend got jizz on my side of the bed and…”

I shook my head mournfully and turned on the shower to drown out his silly speech about being stuck with a messy lover and crusty sheets. I chuckled at his ‘put upon’ tone and called for him to join me before stepping under the spray. I stopped abruptly and backed up to look at my reflection. My cheeks were flushed, my eyes were bright, and my smile spanned my entire face. I was incredibly happy and if I said so myself, it looked good on me.

Eric Schuster is a successful guy. He’s part owner of a highly successful tech firm, he has a supportive family and a great group of close friends. But something is missing. Or maybe he’s reacting to his business partner and ex’s wedding news. He knows his former lover is making a big mistake but he also knows it’s time to move on. And hopefully avoid falling for another friend.

Zane Richards is an avid sailor and surfer with a laid-back approach to life. He firmly believes there’s a time and place for everything if you’re willing to take a chance. Like letting his best friend know he’s interested in being much more than friends. Eric has always been half in love with Zane but going from friends to lovers isn’t an easy sell for someone protecting his heart. Eric will have to decide if he’s willing to risk it all by leaning into love.