Book Title: Can’t Say Goodbye
Author: Eden Finley
Release Date: January 25, 2023
Genres: MMM Romance
My rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Synopsis:
BRADY
Our quick hellos are followed by drawn out goodbyes.
What started out as one fun night turned into a regular thing none of us ever planned for.
I can’t walk away from Kit and Prescott. Kit is the stern nurturer I need. He’s the caretaker, the solid presence. Prescott enables my wild ways. He’s someone I can have fun with. They couldn’t be more perfect for me.
But come graduation, I have to move across the country, and geography isn’t our only obstacle. Being in a relationship with two men isn’t good for my public image, my brother’s NFL career, or the media frenzy that surrounds my famously queer family.
We have a plan to meet up once a year, but with every reunion, every brief visit, we fall deeper.
There has to be a breaking point, something that will end it for us, or soon it will be impossible to say goodbye at all.
My Review:
As soon as I read Football Royalty, I knew that I had to read Can’t Say Goodbye ASAP. While I definitely loved Peyton and his relationship with Levi, I couldn’t help but be pulled into Brady’s orbit every time he was on the page and wonder what was happening behind the scenes. For those of you who want to read Can’t Say Goodbye but haven’t read Football Royalty, I’d highly suggest it. While it’s not necessary, I feel like there’s a bit of context that adds just a tad more depth to Brady’s feelings for both Kit and Prescott, especially in the beginning of the book when the events are overlapping.
As for Can’t Say Goodbye, I absolutely flew through this book! I read it in a day because I had to know what happened. I knew it would have a HEA, but this one was definitely angstier in getting there than Eden Finley’s books usually are. Even so, that didn’t diminish my enjoyment. There was just the right amount of angst mixed in with the tender and spicy moments to really balance the story out. The situation Brady, Prescott, and Kit find themselves in is not one easily navigated, so I felt that added angst was the only way to make the plot believable, and it worked well.
Lately I’ve been reading more and more poly books, and I have been loving them! Can’t Say Goodbye is no exception. Brady, Kit, and Prescott were just as swoon-worthy as I was expecting. Their dynamic was a lot of fun, too. Prescott and Kit already knew each other really well, and Kit was secretly pining over Prescott, so Kit would frequently use his threesomes with Prescott and someone else as an excuse to get close to him, but when Brady enters their world, everything changes. Brady is the missing puzzle piece for Kit and Prescott. The two can’t seem to shake him after their first night together, which then leads to several more nights, and then to years together.
Can’t Say Goodbye takes place over a decent span of time since it handles a long-distance hook-up/relationship between the three of them, who aren’t in the same place as each other. Even though a lot of moments are skipped over because of this, there was still plenty of development towards the three’s relationship. Their growing feelings were evident with every night they spent together, till you could practically taste the tension.
While this is definitely a steamy read, I absolutely loved the tender moments between the three of them. Kit is the one to take charge normally, while Prescott is more laid-back and sarcastic. Meanwhile, Brady is quite the drama queen, and requires both Kit and Prescott to keep him under control. Even so, sometimes these carefully structured roles would melt away in the face of certain situations and feelings, and they would each know exactly what to do and say to comfort each other. It was so sweet!
While the first 50% of Can’t Say Goodbye is just as good, the last half had me completely hooked. One stressful incident had me on the edge of my seat until I knew the outcome. This particular plot line led to some of my favorite scenes, too! I won’t say anything more because of spoilers, but trust me when I say that you’ll love it.
Aside from Brady’s relationship with Kit and Prescott, I also adored the family and friend dynamics! At this point I’ve read so many books featuring these crazy guys and their families from Fake Boyfriends, to Franklin U, and now to this one. Even so, I’m still not over the familial scenes! Each time, they have me dying with laughter and grinning so wide my mouth hurts.
Overall, Can’t Say Goodbye, while not quite what I was expecting, was such an engaging read. It had me hooked from page one, and I couldn’t put it down till I’d finished. I loved Brady, Prescott, and Kit, and all their interactions. I’m hopnig Eden Finley writes more poly relationships in the future, because this is one of my favorites!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Purchase it at: Amazon
Check out my last blog post: The Severed Thread (Author Interview)