A to Z by Marie Sexton

A to Z by Marie Sexton

Zach Mitchell is stuck in a rut.  His college boyfriend left him ten years ago, but Zach still lives in the same apartment, drives the same car, and feeds his ex-boyfriends's ungrateful cat.  His Denver business, A to Z Video Rental, is struggling.  He has annoying customers, eccentric neighbors, and an unfulfilled romance with his landlord, Tom.  A combat boot-wearing punk with an attitude, Angelo Green was raised in foster homes and has been on his own since he was sixteen; he has never learned to trust or to love.  He doesn't do relationships so when Angelo takes a job at A to Z Video, he decides Zach is strictly off-limits.  Despite their differences, Zach and Angelo quickly become friends, and when Zach's break-up with Tom puts his business on the line, it's Angelo who comes up with a solution.  Together with Jared and Matt, their friends from Coda, Colorado, Zach and Angelo will find a way to save A to Z , but will they be able to save each other too?

Based on the first chapter I really didn't think I would like this book.  I stuck with it because I was trying to finish my Alphabet Soup reading challenge and I needed a Z...Thank goodness because I ended up really enjoying this book quite a lot.  Zach did not strike me as likable at first--he up front admits that he was lazy in his life choices and had repeatedly cheated on his long time ex-boyfriend.  But.  Then he starts his "relationship" with Tom and I started to feel badly that Zach would think so little of himself that he would accept the little that Tom gave him and be grateful for it, not to mention want more which so obviously was never going to happen.  I was so relieved when Angelo entered the picture because I knew it had to spell the end for Tom.  It didn't happen soon enough for me but that was okay--I think it needed to happen exactly the way it did for Zach to really understand how little credit he was giving himself.  

The best thing about this book was watching, and hearing as this book is written in alternating 1st person chapters, both Zach and Angelo evolve both in their relationship and as individuals who slowly come to realize their worth to others as well as to themselves.  From a decidedly unromantic beginning, Marie Sexton crafted a wonderfully sweet story about two men that I rooted for the whole time while always understanding why it took them both so long to get to their happy ever after.  What was so wonderful was watching the different stages their relationship went through.  I  knew that while each stage was necessary and if needed could work long-term that they both truly deserved the best of happy-ever-afters and even better, I got to see them get it.  

Reading Challenges
Alphabet Soup
I Love Library Books
Contemporary Romance

I borrowed this book from my local public library.