Blank Spaces Series: Toronto Connections #1
Author: Cass Lennox
Pages: 284 (Paperback)
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: July 9, 2016
Source: For Review
Purchase: Amazon•TBD (affiliate link)
Absence is as crucial as presence.
The decision to stop dating has made Vaughn Hargrave's life infinitely simpler: he has friends, an excellent wardrobe, and a job in the industry he loves. That's all he really needs, especially since sex isn't his forte anyway and no one else seems interested in a purely romantic connection. But when a piece is stolen from his art gallery and insurance investigator Jonah Sondern shows up, Vaughn finds himself struggling with that decision.
Jonah wants his men like his coffee: hot, intense, and daily. But Vaughn seems to be the one gay guy in Toronto who doesn't do hookups, which is all Jonah can offer. No way can Jonah give Vaughn what he really wants, not when Jonah barely understands what love is.
When another painting goes missing, tension ramps up both on and off the clock. Vaughn and Jonah find themselves grappling not just with stolen art, but with their own differences. Because a guy who wants nothing but romance and a guy who wants nothing but sex will never work--right? Not unless they find a way to fill in the spaces between them.
Blank Spaces was so cute! And it was my first Romance involving an Ace character! Vaughn has his dream job, his own place, but no one to share it with. He’s fine with that since he’s sworn off dating. It’s easier for him to be single rather than have to explain to his partner that he doesn’t like sex. Meanwhile, Jonah can’t get enough sex, and he’s completely dumbfounded when Vaughn doesn’t fall for him. Does he really just want to hang out as friends? It’s a bit more complicated than that.
The romance in Blank Spaces was absolutely adorable! It’s a kind of hate to friends, friends to lovers tale. Vaughn and Jonah don’t quite get along at first. Not just because Jonah is investigating the insurance claim put in by the gallery Vaughn works for. Jonah thinks Vaughn is hot, but probably a rich snob. Vaughn thinks Jonah is full of himself, and not to mention he’s “threesome guy” at a club that they both visit. However, thanks to a pushy friend, the two start hanging out, bond over video games, share some steamy kisses, and ultimately figure out who’s been robbing the gallery!
Speaking of the gallery robberies, the mystery plot of Blank Spaces wasn’t the greatest. It’s quite obvious from the beginning who has been stealing the paintings from the gallery. No one accuses this person, but at least Vaughn and his partner at the insurance firm were suspicious. I loved how it brought Vaugh and Jonah together though, and it helped bring them closer together at multiple points in the story. Thankfully, the mystery is mostly in the background once the romance starts blossoming.
My favorite part of Blank Spaces (other than the adorable romance, of course) was the discussion of open relationships. I know that a lot of people don’t agree with them, but I am a firm believer in them. Well, I’m a firm believer in any kind of relationship as long as everyone is on the same page and consents. Vaughn knows what his limits are when it comes to physical relationships and he understands Jonah’s need for more than he’s able to give. He opens that line of communication and that’s wonderful! I do wish we had gotten to see their relationship in action though. There is one brief mention in the epilogue, but I did want more.
Blank Spaces was a really sweet Romance, and it’s a coming out story. Vaughn doesn’t know about asexuality at the beginning. He just knows that everyone around him is obsessed with sex and he’s not. It’s something he learns about and his whole world lights up. I loved how open and honest he was with Jonah once he finds this out about himself.
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