*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+
Zane believes in love at first sight and he’s hunting for it so he can get married before his visa runs out and he has to return to New Zealand. Beckett prefers slowly getting to know someone; feeling hesitant after divorcing from his cheating spouse. When Zane needs a place to stay and Beckett offers up his spare room, they both feel a connection neither can resist but will love blossom before Zane must leave the country?
As a book nerd myself, I adored the banter between English professor Beckett and Zane, who isn’t familiar with literature and gets his words confused. I empathize with Beckett’s understanding and patience that not everyone knows what he’s talking about; which keeps Beckett from becoming unlikable and pretentious. This pairs well with Zane’s eagerness to learn so seeing them come together is believable and heartwarming. I really enjoy this series and look forward to the next one! 4 out of 5.
After his aunt passes away, Percy Friedman moves into her home. Even though she left it to him, Percy is intent on selling it not only because it makes him miss his aunt so much, but it is also located in the same cul-de-sac as his childhood nemesis, Callagahan Glover. But, As Percy settles back into the tight-knit community and gets to know Callagahan all over again, he wonders if running away is the best plan.
I enjoyed this “enemies” to lovers story. There is no real malice between Percy and Cal so when their relationship forms, it feels real and relatable. Their sarcastic barbs are funny, the main leads are charming, and even the side characters have plenty of personality without derailing the main focus. It’s a nearly perfect bit of fluff but since there’s no closure regarding Percy’s relative, Frank, I felt as if that bit was incomplete. Other than that, a great sweet and sexy romance. 3.9 out of 5.
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is rated 18+
Once childhood best friends Marco and Oscar are now back in the same town after Oscar fled years ago. Not knowing exactly why they had a falling out, it seems friends and families of both men are determined to get them to reconcile. But Marco’s emotional and physical scars run deep and his broken heart will not allow him forgiveness so easily.
The good: This book is a HOT second chance romance with great characters. I was on board the whole time; hoping Marco and Oscar would hash everything out and get their happy ending. I smiled, I blushed, I cheered for them.
The bad: I didn’t like how Marco was almost presented as the villain for being pissed off. Spoiler-ish talk here but Marco was horribly burned and scarred as a child in the same car accident that killed his mother and the same best friend who stood by his side through that mocked his scars and didn’t help when bullies held Marco down, forced his shirt off to expose those scars, then mocked him further. I mean, I get that they were kids when that happened and it is likely nobody else knows all those details now that Marco is an adult; but Oscar really hurt him and Marco is entitled to that pain. He shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for it; especially since he never got any closure for many years. That bugged me enough to feel the need to mention it.
This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story otherwise so this book gets a satisfied 3.7 out of 5 out of me.
Twins Theo and Leone have both lost their significant others to each other. Theo’s girlfriend and Leone’s boyfriend paired off and the twins decide to lick their wounds with school work and junk food; until their wedding invitation arrives in the mail. They both agree to show they’ve moved on by not only attending the wedding but choosing dates for each other. When Jamie Cooper applies to be their roommate, Theo thinks he’s perfect for his sister but finds Jamie so infuriatingly amusing that their friendship deepens to something more.
As far as “gay for you” romances go, this one does it right. I’ve read too many of these where the straight guy has all these icky feelings about another man’s naughty bits and has to get over that because he’s attracted to a specific man. Here, Theo had dated only women in the past and considered himself hetero but Jamie as a person, sparks his interest. Theo doesn’t stress about his orientation or how he can’t understand being sexually attracted to another male; all he knows is he adores Jamie. This makes their pairing all the more genuine and it was easy to get invested in what’s happening to them.
As for the rest of our cast of characters, they are all written very well so they feel real; flaws and all. The steamier scenes are placed perfectly within the narrative, despite the short courtship. You don’t get the sense Theo and Jamie tumble around randomly just because there hasn’t been a sex scene in a while. They make an adorable couple to follow on their journey and the ending is sweet and satisfying.
If I had a gripe, it would be some unexplored bits like Theo’s fear of water and you don’t get to know the ex’s very well. I thought the water would come into play in the climax of the story and other than Theo’s ex – Sam – being thoughtless, they don’t get much back story. Those are VERY minor criticisms and didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book.
If “gay for you” is your thing and you want a fairly lighthearted M/M romance, I recommend this. Theo and Jamie are just all around fun to read. 4 out of 5.
