Small Town MM Romance Review – Tyler’s Guarded Heart – Cardinal Falls: Book 2
E.J. Stoll My rating: 4 of 5 stars | Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub
Overview
In small town mm romance, Tyler’s Guarded Heart, the main characters Tyler and Graham find one another in the small town of Cardinal Falls, navigating the awkwardness prompted by continually finding themselves in close working quarters after a hookup. They fall into orbit with one another.
Neither are quick to enter relationships for various reasons. But they can’t seem to get each other off their minds. Eventually, give into the inevitable, the unmistakable pull the other has over them, and figure out how a hookup can evolve into a new relationship and developing feelings.
Blurb
It was only supposed to be one night.
I learned my lesson about dating years ago. Since then, I’ve been perfectly happy hooking up with guys I find online or at a bar. It might not be romantic, but it works for me. Right up until my friends convinced me to try speed dating. The event was supposed to be a one-time thing, as was the hot guy I went home with after.
Except Graham is everywhere. Literally. Worse, he’s exactly the kind of guy I could fall for. He’s smart and caring, and, for some reason, he seems to genuinely like me. No matter how many times he flashes that winning smile at me, I’m sticking to my one-night-only policy.
The problem? The more I see him, the more I think I might be falling in love.
Tyler’s Guarded Heart is the 2nd book in the Cardinal Falls Series. While characters cross over between books, this can be read as a standalone novel.
Cardinal Falls
Tyler’s Guarded Heart is Book 2 in the Cardinal Falls small town mm romance series by EJ Stoll. The series centers around a group of friends all finding their true loves. While this is a common trope in the romance genre, I have to admit to loving it. I enjoy getting to know the characters as the series moves through each individual, and by the end, I feel like I am part of the friend group. It draws me in.
Tyler
Tyler is a purposefully closed book. He can’t shake the problematic trait, which has followed him since college. At times, Tyler seems reluctant to have the friends he does have. Sharing with friends fills him with panic. He suffers from anxiety and racing thoughts, some of which happen on the page. There are things he’s hidden away from his friends for fear that they won’t be his friends if they find out.
Tyler’s secrets land him at Sprouting Joy, a gardening non-profit that grows food, teaches children about gardening, and donates the food to local food banks and pantries. Tyler has volunteered at Sprouting Joy for the past few years.
What’s more, Tyler’s overwhelming need to keep himself emotionally closed off to everyone prevents him from getting into any relationships. He intentionally only hooks up with people and avoids all relationships beyond that singular interaction.
Graham
Graham is in Cardinal Falls to work as a temporary director for Sprouting Joy while the acting director has a baby. He travels the country doing this, stepping in as a temporary director whenever the top management of various organizations cannot do their job, for whatever reason.
His friend Steph has pulled Graham in to cover for her at Sprouting Joy while she is on maternity leave. But she has other motives as well. She pushes him into attending a speed dating event, hoping that he’ll meet someone and opt to settle down in Cardinal Falls.
Orbiting Each Other in a Small Town MM Romance
After Graham and Tyler meet (and hook up), they keep orbiting each other’s lives. Graham starts at the non-profit where Tyler volunteers. The non-profit hires the company where Tyler works for an important project. They can’t keep away from each other. And maybe they don’t really want to.
Conflicting Desires
Both characters suffer from conflicting desires. Tyler both pulls Graham in and pushes him away. He both wants a relationship and doesn’t want a relationship. He can’t decide what he wants. While Graham is in a similar state of mind. Graham thinks his job in Cardinal Falls is temporary, and so he’s reticent to jump into a relationship. As much as both of them say they are not looking for a relationship, they are horrible at actually sticking with those feelings. In one breath, they’ll say things have to stay casual. But in the next scene, they’ll be pining over each other. It’s a little tiresome, to be honest.
Tyler is really all over the place. He yearns to belong, but then pushes his friends away and keeps them as acquaintances. They don’t know his actual struggles. He wants a relationship and likes Graham from the start, but is desperate to tell himself he doesn’t. His therapist needs to push him a bit sooner than they do, because it takes him so long to let his walls crumble and let people in.
Transient
Graham also has conflicting desires and motivations. He wants to be more stable, establish himself, and eventually have a family. He knows he wants a relationship, but his job is what holds him back from jumping in. He’s been too transient the past few years to contemplate a relationship that will be over before it’s had time to develop.
Feelings
Feelings are inevitable, though, especially when the characters’ true desires are to be in a relationship. If either of them had any conviction about not being in a relationship, they would have been able to prevent their feelings. But both of them do want a relationship, even if they won’t admit it.
Let People In
Things happen, and I don’t want to spoil the plot too much, but something finally convinces Tyler that he needs to let people in and allow himself to have real friendships and a relationship. It’s like his life goes from black and white to color TV. What he was living was a facsimile of real life, and I’m glad he finally lets people in and unguards his heart.
Romance and Heat
Tyler’s Guarded Heart has high heat and sweet romance. It’s a continuing series, so readers will continue to learn more about the friend group and Cardinal Falls. I wonder which friend is next?
Reviews
I received a free copy of this small town mm romance via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming mm romance novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.
