Review: Leaning Into Forever by Lane Hayes

Title: Leaning Into Forever

Series: Leaning Into: Book Seven

Author: Lane Hayes

Length: 261 Pages

Category: Contemporary

At a Glance: I am a huge fan of Lane Hayes and her deft use of quick wit and turn of phrase. Her books always flow well, and they are a treat to read. Yes, I recommend it. I recommend the whole series!

Reviewed By: Carrie

Blurb: Geordie De La Rosa is a legend among wine lovers in Napa Valley. His ultra-fabulous style paired with a penchant for leading impromptu sing-a-longs has made him a star attraction at Conrad Winery. Co-owning a well-respected winery was never Geordie’s aspiration but he likes the niche he’s made for himself. He won’t deny that his job and his friends have helped ease his heartache and grief after the death of his longtime partner.

Levi Yeager excels at the art of reinventing himself. He’s been a minor league baseball player, a college coach and now a restaurant owner. The problem is he doesn’t know anything about the food business. And when his chef quits unexpectedly, he’s afraid his new venture is doomed. But Levi isn’t a quitter. It may be the only thing he has in common with the beautiful, sassy man from the neighboring winery who agrees to help get his new business up and running. Neither man counts on their fast friendship or the wild attraction they feel for each other. However, they know they won’t stand a chance until they let go of the past and lean into forever.

Review: Who among us hasn’t been waiting for Geordie’s story? Well, it’s here, and it’s as fabulous as the man himself. We’ve been waiting, those of us reading this series, to see what kind of man Hayes would pair him with. Geordie’s very self-awareness meant that his counterpart would need to be able to stand on his own. He would need to be able to handle his own page time and be a character that had as much depth as the one we have lived with and worried about for several books now. I think Hayes hit it out of the park with Levi.

Geordie needed grounding with a solid character who could take all his uniqueness and not back down from it or ask him to change. He would be the first to tell you that he put the “queer” in being queer. How many men do you know could come through a door into a crowded tasting room in a winery and burst into show tunes? His outfits, his mannerisms, his speech patterns, and his very persona scream a man who isn’t willing to compromise who he is or wants to be for your personal sensibilities. Oh, but underneath the “show” is a vulnerable man who has a backbone of steel, who loves deeply and forever, is fiercely loyal, generous to a fault, and quietly introspective. Only Geordie can sit in a garden having a conversation with his dead lover, complaining about his blue velvet shoes. And his telling Mike about Levi… tissues will be required.

Levi Yeager is reinventing himself. Being able to show the world the man he is on the inside is new for Levi. A product of professional baseball and the sports world, he is finally ready to step out and let the world know that he is gay, and he’s good with that. No, he will never be a stereotypical gay man, but that doesn’t diminish his sexuality. Buying a diner was a crazy idea, and he’s in way over his head, especially when his chef and business partner backs out on him. The bright spot on his horizon is the winery close by and the amazing man he found who owns it and works there. Levi has never met someone quite like Geordie, and he is instantly drawn to the flamboyant man with the shadows in his eyes. Levi becomes Geordie’s anchor, starting with friendship and becoming so much more through laughter and steadfastness.

The banter is pure Lane Hayes. The imagery surrounding the winery and restaurant, even the herb garden, are drawn and described in such detail I feel like I have been there. I also appreciated that Mike was an integral part of this story without taking it over—his presence was a whisper, a touch. Geordie’s grief could have overwhelmed the story and become the focus, but it never does. His grief is treated with respect, but we are met with a man who is finally ready to move forward. Geordie’s memories of Mike didn’t go away, they became incorporated in his new relationship and that was heartwarming to see.

Geordie is in all the books of this series, but I would suggest reading Leaning Into the Fall before this one, as it gives you an introduction to Geordie’s history at the winery while covering important plot points in his storyline. I am a huge fan of Lane Hayes and her deft use of quick wit and turn of phrase. Her books always flow well, and they are a treat to read. Yes, I recommend it. I recommend the whole series! I am so glad Geordie and Levi got their HEA, and thanks, Lane Hayes, for sharing it!

You can buy Leaning Into Forever here:
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