Book Reviews

Book Blurb

It’s time for Austin Beier to grow up. His car is falling apart, his roommates are less than ideal, and he’s just been fired for the umpteenth time. His love life hasn’t evolved past bathroom hookups at his favorite clubs. Forced to borrow money from his father yet again, Austin is walloped by an epiphany—he needs someone to mentor him into maturity. And who better to teach him how to be an adult than Ben, his father’s office manager? Cute in a nerdy sort of way and only a few years older than Austin, Ben is a master of organization and responsibility. But as he gets to know Ben better, Austin learns that whether you’re eight or twenty-eight, growing up is never easy.

 

Book Review

This is such a funny, cute, and yet very thoughtful and romantic story, I don’t even know where to start. I’ll admit the title made me curious, and reading the blurb had me smiling. But then, as I got into the story of poor Austin trying to figure out how to grow up (at the age of twenty-eight, no less!), I was impressed by the lighthearted tone that still managed to communicate a rather serious situation. Well, not nuclear-war or apocalypse kind of serious, but personal-issue kind of serious. And as the story progressed, and I got to know Austin better, I really felt for him – and Ben! But I also kept smiling and uttered quite a few “awwws” by the end of it. Absolutely wonderful!

Austin is, um, I would probably call him a “late developer”. Not in the sense of his sexuality, knowing how to find a good party, or what to do to find a hookup for the night. No, Austin’s issues focus on figuring out how not to mess up his life. Consistency, work ethics, or dedication to the same person for more than a few days are not things he is good at. When I made his acquaintance in the first chapter, I thought he might be a college student, maybe twenty, trying to deal with being away from home for the first time. Then it emerged he is twenty-eight, and while he is a great guy who knows how to have fun, he has no plan for his life, not even a decent car to his name, and friends who don’t exactly sound supportive.

When Austin realizes that he will have to grow up if he wants to stop having to borrow money from his father, he knows he needs a plan. And a mentor with a lot of patience. Ben, his father’s thirty-two-year-old office manager, is just the guy, and Austin and he embark on an adventure into “teach me what I need to know” that may begin with Austin learning how to be more adult about his life, but it doesn’t stop there. I loved how both men learn from each other, and how even the drama that emerges when Austin realizes he wants Ben to be more than a mentor ends up teaching them both a valuable lesson.

If you like stories with a lot of humor that still carry a seriously hopeful message about the value of responsibility, if you find out more about two men who seem to be total opposites, and if you’re looking for a sweet, funny, and cute romance between guys who need and deserve each other, but take a while to get the message, then you will probably like this novella as much as I do. I totally adore it!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 97 pages/31161 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	18-March-2015
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/grown-up-by-kim-fielding-2715-b