Title: For Better or Worse
Author: R. Cooper
Release Date: July 15, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★ / 5 Stars
Genres: Contemorary Romance
Rep: Demisexual Latinx MC, presumed gay LI
To the other firefighters in Montgomery, Javier is a quietly heroic figure with a reputation for staying calm and doing what needs to be done. To the small town gossips, he’s some kind of mysterious ladies’ man, despite how he hasn’t dated anyone in years. Truth is, Javier’s demisexual—it takes him a while to feel desire for someone, and most people don’t want to wait for that to happen. Tired of being hurt, he gave up on dating. He gave up with such determination that two years into spending nearly every free evening making dinners with his best friend, Jimmy, he’s only just realized that he’s in love with him.
Jimmy is noise where Javier is silent. He expresses his thoughts and feelings about every subject imaginable—except the reason he moved thousands of miles away from his family to start a new life in Montgomery. He spends his nights with Javier, cooking and jointly taking care of his rescue dog. If he’s noticed that he and Javier have been all but dating each other for the past two years, he hasn’t said, and Javier isn’t going to risk upsetting him by asking.
That is, until the very public romance between their fellow firefighter, Scotty, and school librarian, Cole, leads Jimmy to reveal more about his past. Suddenly, Javier has hope. If he has to change the minds of the entire town in order to woo his best friend, then so be it. He’s not someone to let a little fear get in his way, especially when it means a chance to make their date nights real.
Same universe as Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter
While it works best as a companion to HOTTIE SCOTTY AND MR. PORTER, I think you can still read this short story and relish in the unfurling of romance between Javier and Jimmy.
The main reason I read this is because I was on a roll reading everything contemporary I couldn’t get from R. Cooper and THEY DID NOT DISAPPOINT AT ALL. I loved everything so far but this one hits so close to heart, I wanted to especially thank the author for it.
Javier is demisexual. This might be my first time reading such explicit reference to a part of my identity I always knew was there but never explored it and kind of pushed it aside due to how confusing it felt.
The story picks up in the middle of a conversation, of a day, which makes it so much fun to try and decipher just who these characters are through their daily lives. I absolutely fell in love with Javier’s relationship with Jimmy because not only was it established but it was so natural and seamless.
The plot also revolves around the firehouse department in Montgomery being more accepting of the LGBTQIAP+ community by raising a rainbow flag. This makes for an interesting dynamic within the firehouse department but also with the main two characters. Told from Javier’s point of view, we get to see him not only work through his own newly found attraction and deep love for Jimmy but also Jimmy’s own past.
I find that this way of revealing someone’s past through another character’s point of view to be so tricky but Cooper successfully managed to relay both the sadness attached to Jimmy’s exile from his home and the joy he found in his friendship with Javier.
This book also is great in representing the way Jimmy works through his own ideas of coming out and how he’s been pining for Javier comes to the surface.
Things you might love in this book:
- Established friends-to-lovers
- Multiple coming-out scenes which are so freaking realistic
- Javier’s grandfather being allknowing
- The entire town (aka Javier’s family) rooting for him and Jimmy
- The Fire Dept.’s rule that Javier and Jimmy cannot cook together because they distract one another… and how they break that rule
- Jimmy’s dog!!!
- Cooking. Both are great cooks (JAVI RUNS A FREAKING BLOG.) and are so picky about who is allowed in their kitchens!
