State of Us Book 2: Crossing Arizona by Bree Wiley

 

State of Us Book 2

He was my home when I had nowhere else to go.

Xed

Matty's the only person who ever mattered to me. Since we were seven years old, he's been my rock, my anchor, and the light guiding me to safety when the world got too dark.

Then Hannah was born, and she became the glue holding us in place. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours—a life we built with our together.

Until Matty made a choice that shattered it all. Now, I’m adrift, trying to figure out if I can forgive the man who promised me forever but left me behind.

Matty

I swore I’d always protect him—Xed, my best friend, the person who knew me better than I knew myself.

When Hannah came into our lives, I made another promise: to do everything in my power to keep them both safe.

But protecting Hannah meant making an impossible choice, one that tore me away from the only man I’ve ever wanted.

I made a mistake. Now, I’ll do whatever it takes to put the pieces back together…if I can keep from falling apart in the process.

Crossing Arizona is a full-length best friends-to-enemies-to-lovers MM romance containing themes and situations not intended for readers under the age of 18. This story features a queer awakening, black cat/golden retriever MCs, first times, and a guaranteed HEA.

This is book two in the State of Us series. It may be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed after "Finding Delaware" to avoid spoilers.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227838600-crossing-arizona

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

Matty and Xed’s story has arrived and it is one emotional rollercoaster. These two have been through a lot and it takes them a long time to get their happy ending. It’s a very hard earned journey. Xed has known for a long time he was in love with his best friend, Matty. Through the years, they have been inseparable. Through every up and down, the good times and bad. They take steps forward just to take some back. But Xed’s heart officially breaks when Matty takes his daughter Hannah, the one he was basically raising with Xed, and tells him they are leaving to work things out with Hannah’s mother. A year later, Xed is a mess and Matty’s wedding is in a few days. But there is so much more to this story than we know. Matty knows Xed is everything to him but his fear keeps him back and another secret of how they ended up where they currently are. But things have a way of coming out and it may just save him. But even then, it may not be enough. These two go through a lot! We get pieces of the past mixed with present day that helps us understand who Xed and Matty are. These poor guys have been through a lot and it takes them a long time and a lot of self care before either are ready for one another. But it’s a beautiful ending for these two when they finally make it there. I legit couldn’t put this story down, I read it in one sitting. And I still have a lot of questions about some of these other characters! Really hoping this isn’t the end of this series! 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.