Stevie‘s review of Knit Tight (Portland Heat, Book 4) by Annabeth Albert
Contemporary Bisexual Romance published by Lyrical Shine 12 Apr 16

Every so often, I come across a story whose premise is so intriguing on a personal level that it makes me forget all my rules about not jumping into a series partway through. On that point, I have a sneaking love for knitting stories, particularly where a craft group is also involved. This story had all that in its favour, along with a pair of heroes who started out in unconventional family situations – another plus from my point of view – one of whom was completely happy with being bisexual. Yet another plus, not that all books live up to their initial promise, of course.

Brady is a top barista, but even he finds Knit Night at the café a little too much to handle: all those forceful women insisting on rearranging the furniture to suit their group’s dynamics, not to mention the complicated orders some of them insist on – and woe betide the trauma if a drink gets spilled over someone’s latest project. He’s resigned to working the shift, however, since he needs all the hours he can get in order to raise his younger siblings and maybe one day afford a bigger place for them all to live in. Then a new man joins the knitting group, and Brady finds he likes working that shift after all.

Evren was brought up by his aunt and her partner – the owners of a local wool shop – after he came out to his very traditional parents and they threw him out. He’s carved a successful career as a knitwear designer, but now he’s returned home to care for his aunt (her partner having died some years earlier) as she undergoes treatment for cancer. Evren and Brady are attracted to each other from the start, but their intensive family commitments and Evren’s caution regarding dating bisexual guys – after bad experiences in the past – initially keep them from getting together.

I like the slow burn of this romance, and the way the guys’ respective dependant families were accepting of a new potential relationship for each of them. I also like the snippets we get of Evren’s knitting blog and the very realistic issues both Brady and the eldest of his siblings face after being forced to take on parental responsibilities when not fully adults themselves.

This story worked very well as a standalone, although I’d like to go back and read the previous parts of the series at some point. My one issue with it was the slightly rushed ending, where we were told how the various remaining difficulties had been resolved rather than getting to see everything involve in sequence at its own pace.

Grade: B

Summary:

One of Portland’s hottest young baristas, Brady is famous for his java-topping flair, turning a regular cup of joe into a work of art. Every Wednesday—aka “Knit Night”—hordes of women and their needles descend on the coffeehouse, and Brady’s feeling the heat. Into the fray walks a tall, dark, and distractingly handsome stranger from New York. His name is Evren, and he’s the sexy nephew of Brady’s sweetest customer, the owner of the yarn shop down the street. He’s also got a killer smile, confident air, and masculine charm that’s tying Brady’s stomach in knots. The smitten barista can’t wait to see him at the next week’s gathering. But when he tries to ask Evren out, his plans unravel faster than an unfinished edge. If Brady hopes to warm up more than Evren’s coffee, he’ll have to find a way to untangle their feelings, get out of the friend zone, and form a close-knit bond that’s bound to last a lifetime…

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series: