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Book Description
I’ve spent my life doing the right thing.
Wanting him is the first thing that’s ever felt impossible to resist.
Remington Buchanan is the golden-boy firefighter everyone in town trusts with their lives. He’s wears a dimply smile that doesn’t seem to dim for anyone and makes me forget that he’s off limits. Because not only is he half my age, he’s also my son’s best friend.I’ve built my world on responsibility. On early mornings, hard work, and putting my family first. There’s no room in it for reckless desire. And yet, every time he walks into a room smelling like smoke and sunshine and looking at me like I’m more than just his best friend’s dad, my carefully built restraint starts to crack.
When he takes in a thirteen-year-old boy who just lost his whole world, I tell myself I’m only helping because it’s the right thing to do. Nothing more.
But late nights together in secret turn into shared glances and accidental touches that linger too long. The space between us grows heavy with everything I’m pretending not to feel.
Loving him would mean risking my relationship with my son. It would mean admitting that after years of playing it safe, I want something that could burn my whole life to the ground.
Wanting him feels like crossing a line I can’t uncross.
Because if this goes wrong, I don’t just lose him—I lose my son. My family. My quiet, comfortable life I’ve spent decades building.
But when Remington looks at me like I’m not too old, not too closed off—just his—I start to wonder if doing the right thing has kept me safe… Or just kept me alone.
Some things are worth the risk.
And this time, I’m not sure I’m ready to walk away from the life, and the love, taking shape right in front of me.
About Ashley James
Ashley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won't be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won't be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.
My Thoughts
The third book in the Moore Men series, Gentry by Ashley James, is a top-tier addition to the best friend’s dad trope, blending a touch of taboo with an incredible amount of heart. The story follows the age-gap romance between Gentry, a hard-working rancher who has spent his life hiding his true self, and Remington, a "golden retriever" firefighter who also happens to be Gentry's son’s best friend. Despite the decades he's spent playing it safe and staying in the closet, Gentry finds his carefully built restraint cracking under the weight of Remi’s dimpled smile and shameless, "Daddy Moore" flirting.
The plot takes a poignant turn when Remi becomes the guardian for Lukas, the teenage son of a fallen firefighter. Having lost his own father at the same age, Remi steps up as a devoted role model, and watching the two of them navigate their shared grief is one of the most authentic and moving parts of the book. As Gentry steps in to help with Lukas, the late nights and shared glances between the two men turn into a reckless desire that feels impossible to resist. For Gentry, loving Remi means risking his relationship with his family, but Remi’s unwavering devotion starts to make him realize that doing the "right" thing has only ever kept him alone.
Gentry is a delicious mix of a soft interior and a grumpy exterior, and his walls are slowly broken down by Remi’s persistent tenderness. Their chemistry is electric, sparked further when Gentry’s doctor recommends a pottery class for his hand pain, only for him to discover Remi is the instructor. The transition from secret, private lessons to a full-blown romance is handled with minimal drama and amazing communication. It is a refreshing, low-angst story that avoids the typical third-act breakup, focusing instead on how the couple and their extended family embrace one another—including Lukas—into their lives.
The narration by Stephan Bome and Teddy Hamilton is absolutely stellar, capturing the vulnerability and emotionality that make this story so powerful. Between the "single dad" elements, the cowboy setting, and the deep tenderness between the leads, this book is a standout winner that leaves you eager to dive into the rest of the series. It’s a beautiful reminder that some risks are worth taking, especially when they lead to a love that finally makes you feel seen.
Other books I've read by Ashley James HERE!!
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