Crucify my Love: Gay Book Reviews: [181-ENG] Review: Full Balance

Series: Peachtree

Volume: 3/?
Publisher: Two Peninsulas Press

Genre/s: Contemporary M/M Romance

Length: 108 000 words

Pages: -

Read in: English
Review copy format: epub

Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✮

Russ and Stephen's life together blooms each day as they are happily married. However, they need to give vent to the growing love they feel. That's why they help in the shelter, where one day Russ meets Austin, who completely changes our married couple's live. Russ and Stephen come to the conclusion that they want to become foster parents. This dream comes true at the perfect time, because Austin who's just a teenager needs someone to love him the most. The men take up the difficult task of restoring the boy's faith in people and unconditional parental love.

"Full Balance" is the third volume in the "Peachtree" series by Brigham Vaughn and thus our third encounter with the characters who quickly conquered our hearts. I must admit that when I started reading "Full Balance", I was full of concerns about what the author had prepared for her boys this time. The "Peachtree" series belongs to the group of stories that we read with bated breath, as we only want the best for the characters, the ideal life, and every reader knows that life is never perfect, and joy is intertwined with sorrow. Since Brigham Vaughn has made many readers addicted to Russ and Stephen's story, she can be sure that also this time the fans won't be able to put "Full Balance" away. And that's because the emotions in this book often reach their zenith and we really want to enter the world of the novel to take action, scold our characters or hug them. In a word, we want to help the characters find their happy ending.

However, "Full Balance" isn't just about Russ and Stephen. It is also the story of a young Austin who has to face the unfriendly world. There are many children like him, young, but experienced to a different degree by life, unable to find their place on earth, rejected by adoptive and foster families, in need of life stability and love, and I think this fact is really worth remembering. In "Full Balance", Russ and Stephen can change the life of this one soul, give the boy home and love he needs. In the world beyond the novel, the real one, the one that surrounding us from every side, we are the ones who can change someone's life as much as possible. It is not easy, especially since young people, like Austin, prefer to doubt that fate will smile at them, they are afraid of the pain of disappointment and rejection. I doubt this kind of attitude is surprising? However, Russ and Stephen show us that persistence and love can break even the thickest walls.

The third installment in "Peachtree" touches many very important topics, but the one I would like to mention is the beginning that flows from the inexhaustible source of love. It may have seemed to us that Russ and Stephen's wedding was the end of their story, but it was in fact just the beginning of their further lives, as we see ii clearly in "Full Balance". Moreover, it turns out that these two wonderful men still have so much love to give to others that there is another new beginning in their lives, which is also the beginning for someone else, for a lonely soul, thirsty for love. So I think that this volume, more than the previous ones, makes us understand that this is not the end, but only the beginning of the next stage in our characters' lives. Whether we see them again depends on the author. However, we know that their happy, loving life with its ups and downs goes on, we know that they continue to change the world for the better. So maybe now is our time to follow the example of Russ and Stephen and share the love we have in our hearts with someone.

To sum up, "Full Balance" is a novel that is not only an excellent, moving entertainment, but also fills us with energy and willingness to act, to follow our characters' footsteps and try to change someone's life for the better. To put it simply, it is a book that inspires. It is really worth reading and seeing for yourself how much it has to offer.

Headcanon: -

Fanfiction idea: -

AU idea: -

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Here's some more about:

Book Title: Full Balance (The Peachtree Series Book 3)

Author: Brigham Vaughn

Cover Artist: Brigham Vaughn

Release Date: 2020

Trope/s: May/December, age gap, hurt comfort, workplace romance, found family,

Themes: Marriage equality, family acceptance/homophobia, exploring light kink,

friends and chosen family, emotional baggage, established couple, adoption.

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Add on Goodreads

Love doesn’t always look like you expect.

Blurb

Russ Bishop and Stephen Parker have settled into wedded bliss.

They've moved into a spacious new condo, found professional success, and their connection in the bedroom is as sizzling as ever.

Neither of them ever expected to become parents but when their volunteer work at the Open Doors Shelter makes them realize how many LGBTQ youth are in desperate need of a home, they begin to reconsider.

After a snarky teenager named Austin comes into their lives, their future together will never be the same.

Buy Links

Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Excerpt

Russ let out a contented sigh.
“I swear it just gets better with time,” Stephen said.
Russ kissed him. “Me too. I had no idea married sex would be so good. If I did, I might have been more eager to get married when I was younger.”
Stephen chuckled.
“This is going to change, won’t it?”
Stephen slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him even closer as he studied his face. Russ’s expression was soft but there was a little edge of worry in his gaze.
“It will,” Stephen said, knowing he was talking about how becoming parents would change their sex life. He ran his thumb across Russ’s cheek. “We’ll have additional responsibilities and stressors. Much less privacy. But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It’ll be tougher but that doesn’t mean we can’t find some benefits along the way.”
“Like what?” Russ gave him a curious, inquisitive look.
“Like … it may bring us even closer.” He took Russ’s hand and brought his palm to his lips. “It may deepen our relationship further.”
“I like that.” Russ pulled him closer.
“I think going into this with our eyes wide open is our best chance of success. We need our relationship to stay solid so we can give whoever we bring into our lives the best, most stable home we can. Which means working together to solve problems.”
“Agreed,” Russ said.
“No running away.”
Russ gave him a wry grin. “Got it.”
“Hey that’s not just a reminder for you,” Stephen said gently. “I’ve pushed you away at times too. And I think this will probably bring up a lot of baggage we both have about the ways we were raised.”
“True.” Russ’s expression turned serious.
“So we can’t let that overwhelm us. Or come between us.”
“Absolutely.” Russ hesitated. “Are you excited about this at all though?”
“About the idea of becoming parents? Yeah, I am,” Stephen said. “I remember how satisfying it was to see Evan grow into himself and he was an adult and only with us for a month and a half. The idea of being able to watch that growth over years in someone who needs it even more … well that’s a challenge I never expected to take on. But I am excited about it.”
“Me too.” Russ grinned. “I am really looking forward to calling my sister and telling her she’ll be Aunt Addie.”
Stephen chuckled. “I look forward to that as well. Jeremy is going to be shocked. That should be fun.”
“We have a lot to look forward to, don’t we?”
“We do.” Russ pulled him in for a kiss and Stephen went willingly. “Thank you for making this a very happy Valentine’s Day.”
“You know, if someone had asked me five years ago how I’d feel about making the person I’m married to a father, I would have kindly assured them they were very, very confused,” Stephen said drily.
Russ’s laugh was loud and genuine. “I would imagine.”
“And yet …” Stephen couldn’t quite finish the thought. His heart was too full.
Russ smiled as if he understood. So Stephen leaned in to kiss him again. They had the whole night ahead of them to celebrate this happiness. Why not take the time while they had it?
Their lives were about to change in a very big way.

About the Author

Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time author. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

Her books range from short stories to novellas to novels. They explore gay, bisexual, lesbian, and polyamorous romance in contemporary settings.