Love doesn’t always look like you expect.
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.
First off I just want to say, "say it ain't so, this can't be the end of Russ and Stephen". Okay I got that off my chest😉. I have loved these two since Brigham Vaughn originally released their story in what was then called Equals and kept devouring their journey with each new entry in that series. In the past few months when she re-released them in The Peachtree Series, I once again fell in love with the pair all over again. Now we see the finale to their journey or at least until Russ and Stephen decide it's time to fill Miss Vaughn on any further adventures😉😉.
I always knew they would make a great parenting team, especially the way they helped young Evan out(if you have yet to read this series then you definitely to need go out and experience it because I won't go into who Evan is so not spoil anything). In Full Balance we get to see how they truly put their parental nature into play. I just love Austin and that the author made him a snarky teenager who in his own way reminds me a little of both Russ and Stephen, even though we never actually saw either of them at that age in real time but through other factors(again not spoiling previous parts of their journey) I think we got to know just, at least to some degree, what the men might have been like in Austin's place.
Too often in entertainment forms, snarky teenagers can be written/portrayed as over the top to the point you just want to . . . well give them some serious time outs and they become not very likeable because of it to the point you don't cheer for them, you don't care if they get their HEA/HFN(it breaks my heart when I read those stories but it happens). Brigham Vaughn does not do that with Austin. Are there times when I want to strangle him? Sure, but mostly I just want to wrap him up in the biggest Mama Bear Hug I possibly can so he never forgets that he is loveable and deserving of said love. His journey that brought him to Russ and Stephen's door will drag you through an emotional wringer but it's also very realistically told, not over the top, not melodramatic, just honest, heart-hurting, and again it makes me want to pull him into a hug and never let go. Having mentioned strangling Austin, truth is, there are times I want to strangle Russ and Stephen too but that's what makes Full Balance a compelling story.
Okay, so I feel like I may have already overstepped my normal "no spoiler" mantra so I'll stop here but just know that if you have been following Russ and Stephen, be it from the original Equals series or the currently re-released Peachtree series, then you don't want to miss Full Balance. If you have not been along for their ride, well what are you waiting for? Their May/December romance blossoms into a full blown love affair that has no age limit, has no end(even though this is actually the finale😉). You won't regret it. Full Balance is realistically and beautifully written tale of friends, love, family, and it's jam packed with heart.
RATING:
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 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.
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.
SMASHWORDS / PINTEREST / SCRIBd / B&N
EMAIL: brighamvaughn@gmail.com
Full Balance #3
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