The One Decent Thing

Santa Rafaela, Book 1

Everyone says kindness costs nothing. It's a lie. Kindness can cost you everything.

Sebastian

The only decent thing my high school bully ever did for me got him sent to prison. Aidan was a jerk, but he saved me from making the worst mistake of my life, and in return, my parents ruined him. Now that he's out, I'm determined to make amends. No matter what he needs, no matter how long it takes, I will make it all up to him. But first I'll have to figure out how to hide my attraction to my sexy, confusing new roommate.

Aidan

Saving him cost me everything. I have nothing and no one—except Sebastian. He's determined to make good on a debt I never asked him to repay. He's offering me money, a place to stay, and help adjusting to life on the outside. But all I'm really wondering is . . . who can save Sebastian from me—the desperate bisexual ex-con who probably wants more from him than he's willing to give?

Contains mature themes.

©2020 Eliot Grayson (P)2023 Tantor

The One Decent Thing Audiobook/Book Review

I am currently on a massive reading marathon, finishing a book every day for a month, and I have no plans to stop anytime soon. Lately, I have been diving into every romance story I can find, regardless of whether it is MM or MF. I just finished this one and it's a solid 5 stars for me. I was so hooked that I powered through the audiobook from 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM when I woke up during the night.

I will be the first to admit that I absolutely judge a book by its cover. If the cover art doesn’t grab me or the characters don't look interesting, I usually just scan the description and move on if that doesn't work. This cover, however, had me adding it to my library instantly. This guy is something else I must admit.

The narration was a massive part of why I loved this audiobook. Normally, I prefer dual narration for these types of stories, but this narrator was so talented that it wasn't even necessary. His range is incredible, for instance, when he says the chapter number, I knew exactly who was talking before he even mentioned Aidan or Sebastian. Being able to distinguish the characters that easily by voice alone made the experience so much better.

The themes in this story felt incredibly real. Knowing that people actually deal with these struggles in real life made me even more obsessed with the plot. My anxiety was peaking during the scenes where Sebastian was drugged by his own parents, and the situation with the therapist was just chilling. It gave me actual shivers, as this is one of my biggest fears. Aidan comforting Sebastian was so sweet and exactly what was needed to bring that tension back down.
I am not a big fan of constant spice every other chapter, and although this book had a lot, it didn't make me lose interest, like plenty other books have in the past month. I very much prefer a very slow burn where those moments only happen when the timing is right. The ending was so satisfying, seeing Sebastian's parents finally get what they deserved, and the epilogue was the cherry on top. This is definitely a story I will be revisiting in the future.

Such a great book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cried and laughed out loud. The authors perspective and depth of understanding in the unusual circumstances make this book an amazing read

Thoughtful and sincere

finally! another book that at least mentions cleaning and prepping prior to having anal sex. authors don't need to go into great detail, but this concept that a lot of authors have regarding m/m romance that anal sex is going to be just terrific without cleaning up beforehand, or, right after a big dinner is fairly ridiculous.
The premise to this book was sad, but I loved how the two main characters came together because of it. nicely narrated.

Aiden and Sebastian…

I enjoyed this one. I was invested in the characters and the story…I really wanted some resolution for what happens to Aiden and I got it! Chris Chamber did an awesome job on the narration.

I will say in the beginning, I was getting annoyed with Sebastian, but there’s growth, so it was worth getting through his initial awkwardness and kind of bumbling incoherence.

Aiden was rock solid throughout…great character!

Great book

Would love a part 2 and a little more spice. Reading the 2nd book now.