Made for You — Anyta Sunday

TITLE: Made for You
AUTHOR: Anyta Sunday
GENRE: Romance
AGE RANGE: Adult

SYNOPSIS:
Twenty-four-year-old Ben McCormick is the primary caregiver for his brother Milo after their parents’ death. Defeated and thoroughly chastised for his lack in parenting skills at teacher-parent night, Ben slumps away with the resolve to finally get his life sorted: be a better role model, and sell their parents’ house for a fresh start. But first, he needs to spruce up his house to hit the market. He’s no DIY king, but Milo’s hot-as-hell woodwork teacher is…

This guy. How did I ever not have him in my life?

This was my first Anyta Sunday read, and I immediately can recognize why her work is so well-loved, because this was an absolutely precious slow-burn and I loved these characters to no end. Ben is such a soft little sweetheart, Jack is so wholesome and caring, and Milo — bless his little reckless heart, this kid deserves nothing but good days ahead of him.

I’ve never read a romance story that featured a kid this heavily, but Ben’s little brother Milo is definitely front-and-center in the whole tale, and I enjoyed that a lot. He offers a little bit of drama and tension, but mostly, he allows for a syrupy sweet family bond forming between the three of them. As a parent, nothing meant more to me in the entire story than when Jack finally accepts how much he wants to play a role in Milo’s upbringing and to be there for the kid, no matter what.

There’s a lot of angst in this story and it’s a really healthy, pure depiction of an age gap romance (Ben’s 24 and Jack’s 39), so if you’re a fan of either of those elements, this is definitely going to be the book for you. This was also probably the least steamy m/m romance I’ve ever read: it’s definitely there in the end and there are a lot of jokes made throughout the whole thing, but if you like your slow burns to truly feel slow, this one’s for you.

Finally, I loved how real and authentic these characters felt! They bicker, they argue, they joke, they make up stupid nicknames for each other and play board games and go on legitimate family outings. It’s not all drama and tension; there’s a lot of domestic scenery going on that’s so fun and soothing. This was just a really solid, comforting read and I can’t wait to pick up another Anyta Sunday title.

Thank you so much to the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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