Miles was something special, and he was determined to see if they could finally have the missing piece in their almost completed puzzle.
I was so glad to see that what was once the short story, After, had been turned into a full-length novel! I read After last year and enjoyed it, but felt like it would benefit from getting all three men’s POVs because the dynamic between them was very interesting and complex, and it was kind of jarring to just be thrown into it during the short version of this story. I thought this expanded version of Miles, Emmett, and Cosimo’s story did a great job of explaining what each man needed and how they were able to get that from the other two.
The story ended up being much more of a slow burn than I expected based on the short story. But I’m glad it was. I appreciated getting a chance to understand the dynamics and needs of the characters before diving into the kinky stuff. BDSM, humiliation, and Daddy kink may not be my thing, but I understood why it worked for these guys. Cosimo had very specific needs that, over the years, Emmett had gotten used to fulfilling for him. But, there were things that Emmett needed, like being able to care for and dote on someone, that Cosimo was not great at giving. When they meet Miles, it’s as if he were the perfect puzzle piece they had been waiting for. Miles, who was used to being abandoned and treated poorly, secretly longed for someone to care for him and keep him. Which was a perfect match for what Emmett had to give. But I also enjoyed seeing them figure out what that meant for Miles and Cosimo and what they would ultimately be to each other. There was a lot of great communication throughout, and even when there were missteps, they would come together to talk about it. This was critical to making an arrangement like theirs work.
“You make sense Miles. You make a lot of sense here. And I can’t tell you how glad I am that you didn’t run.”
The whole Selene aspect was also interesting. She was a monster, and I had forgotten just how badly she treated Miles. I remember when I read After being confused how someone as awful as her came from people as decent as Emmett and Cosimo. I felt bad for the two of them as they wondered how things went so wrong, but I applauded their actions. Tough love isn’t easy, but sometimes it’s the only thing that works. Being that Miles was Selene’s ex added an interesting wrinkle to the dynamic, but I’m glad it didn’t cause too much trouble for them.
Anyway, I’m glad this story was expanded. I really enjoyed it, and I am glad that sweet Miles finally found not one, but two, people to love and care for him the way he deserves!
They could have lived like that the rest of their lives and never known that there was a piece missing.
Except now they had it. They had him.
And it was absolutely, completely, and utterly perfect.
The Book Boyfriend Addict 