Doing Love Right

Beach Duo #2

by Diana DeRicci

Trust when life knocks you to the ground and things look their worst, Fate has something better in store. RJ Sommers has been dumped, his best friends have just tied the knot, and the final nail—his roommate’s lover just arrived from Texas to sweep him off his feet. Life just loves laughing at RJ. That is until Julian arrives. Julian has been watching RJ, waiting for the chance to meet the vibrant entrepreneur. When RJ’s beau leaves for greener pastures, Julian takes the chance to crash a party RJ planned. When finding him in the crowd turns more into a rescue mission, Julian does what’s necessary to keep the other man from becoming a victim of an over-zealous suitor. Discovering himself along the way through the love and support of his friends, RJ opens himself up to more than just the love of a new boyfriend. When he thinks life doesn’t like him anymore, something bigger and better than he’d ever dreamed is in store. If he can survive Julian’s persistence, his friend’s interference, and the loving affection of one yellow lab, he just might find more than he’s ever known his entire life.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Family, Medical, Erotica, M M Contemporary

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2011

About the author

Diana DeRicci is the sexy, flirty pen name of Diana Castilleja. A romance author at heart, DeRicci’s writing takes you into a saucier spectrum of sensuality and sexual adventure, where a happily-ever-after is still the key to any story.

Diana lives in Central Texas with her husband, one son and a feisty little Chihuahua named Rascal.

Reviews

[Betryal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a heartwarming story with an amazing HEA ending. You don't want to miss out on reading this one.

[Ami · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could like this better ... but something just doesn't click with me from the beginning. Maybe because I think what Julian does is pushy and creepy (no matter what he says, he STALKS RJ). Then RJ is a bit overdramatic sometimes for me. AND, the ending is a bit rushed, from RJ being so anti-kids to suddenly willing to adopt.

[leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtful and touching story. RJ is thirtysomething, bereft and directionless after his artist lover abruptly leaves him for a wealthy patron with the right connections. People have been leaving RJ all his life, from boyfriends to the father he never knew. Now, his mother is demented and dying.

Julian, a pediatric hospital volunteer, has been watching RJ's unhappiness from afar, waiting his moment. They've met only briefly, but Julian can't get RJ out of his head, and now that RJ is single, Julian can't resist the temptation to make a move.

I liked the way the MCs fit together. Julian is a born nurturer. His single-minded obsession with RJ bordered on creepy in the beginning, but the story acknowledged this. RJ's past has made him too wary to even fully understand what Julian dares to offer him, and the novel takes the time to get RJ past his issues in a believable way.

The boys are hot together, but this story is more about emotion and family than sex. The characters from the previous book in the series are a pleasant addition.

3.5 stars

[Julesmarie · Rating 1 out of 5]

My rating on this one is 100% personal taste (yes, I know that's what reviews ARE, but I usually try to be more objective... i just can't with this one) and may be slightly more vehement than some of my other reviews.

One of my favorite things about having discovered M/M books is that I haven't had to slog through books about people trying to pressure each other into having--or even WANTING--children. And if it had been indicated anywhere in the blurb that this book would break that streak for me, I never would have opened it. Honestly, what kind of audience would you be writing for when you write about one gay man pressuring another into having children? Are there people out there for whom that is enjoyable to read? (or perhaps that was why it was left out of the blurb?)

Ugh. RJ told Julian on their very first date, as soon as Julian said how much he wanted children, that he himself did not, and that it was apparent they were headed in different directions and that they should not pursue anything further. He laid it right on out there.

But because Julian's been stalking RJ for over a year now, he has too much invested already to back down, so he takes advantage of the emotionally-fragile RJ (who remains emotionally fragile through the whole book, it seems, reeling from one tragedy to the next) by offering "comfort" as he begins to manipulate things to create his image of a perfect life.

What makes me madder is that RJ's sudden and miraculous change of heart at the end is supposed to come across as the final step in his healing process. Poof! All of his childhood trauma is healed now because he can see himself being a father! NOOO! All it proves is that he was emotionally vulnerable and was preyed on by a selfish, manipulative bastard who took advantage of him during a time of weakness.

This book might actually have ruined this whole series for me, even. Because all of these books are about these supposedly super-close friends who are always there for each other. My question is how these "friends" could sit back and watch RJ get taken advantage of like this without stepping in somehow. My abusive ex-husband was showing signs of the manipulative bastard he really was even before we got married, and I still wonder if anything might have been different if one of my friends had pointed that out to me. Probably not, because I was determined he was the love of my life. Probably like RJ became determined that adopting a child really WAS his decision.

I'm appalled that a book like this can be marketed as a romance. I guess in a world where Fifty Shades of Grey can be a bestseller, anything is possible, huh?

[Charlie Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this fast-paced story down. I had to keep turning pages, even while alternating between tears and grins.

RJ's life is tough, there's no mistaking that, but some of the choices he makes doesn't make it any easier. This guy has never truly learned to trust anyone. The first step in his forced evolution is waking up with a stranger, Julian. Good thing the man is kind, nurturing, and only wants to take care of RJ. But RJ doesn't know how to let Julian in, and while learning, makes some pretty big mistakes along the way.

Julian has such a huge heart. He volunteers his time, spending several hours every Friday with traumatized, healing children. He sees RJ's inner pain, and strives to help, not an easy task with RJ's affinity for pushing away anyone who tries to get too close. RJ pushes Julian's patience and understanding to the limit.

This is a masterfully written tale of healing old hurts, finding love and acceptance, and opening one's self to the possibilities of the future. The characters are well written and developed, making it easy to relate to them, hurt along side them, and celebrate their triumphs. I eagerly await Diana's next tale!

[Leaundra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one and even though I wanted to shake RJ, I actually still enjoyed him the whole book, he was very lucky to have Julian:-) Now Julian was a gem and he was the biggest sweetheart and so patient and sweet with RJ.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one, I loved.

It starts off immediately (as in the very next day) after "The Charlie Factor". I finished that one yesterday so I was really happy to see this book take up immediately after.

It starts off with RJ waking up the day after Josh and Laurence's wedding and reception with Julian in his bed. Julian's stalkerish behavior kind of creeped me out early on. It kind of went beyond just interest in someone. I can honestly say that that had me thinking right off that I was not going to like him or the book. Thankfully I was wrong on both counts. Yes, it was still a tad on the creepy side but I got over it and ended up falling completely in love with Julian's character. I liked RJ okay too... for the most part. I could see where he was coming from so I didn't judge him too badly. Thankfully the author didn't make him out to be a complete jerk. He had a lot of redeeming qualities and he was willing to give Julian a chance even if he was terrified of getting hurt again.

A lot more happens but I'm not going to do a long, drawn out review about them. I will say that it is a very good ending to the series. I was very pleased with how it ended. I admit to being a little teary toward the end... everything just came together so well. My only complaint would be that Josh and Laurence weren't in it much (at all?) I was late to this series so I didn't start with book #1 as some folks did. I started with #0.5 with Josh and Laurence.

Overall an excellent book. There are a few things that I may have been iffy about (the stalking thing) but I got over them. I really enjoyed this series and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series focuses on a group of friends. In this book, RJ gets his happy ending.

In the last book, The Charlie Factor, we found out that RJ had been dumped by his boyfriend Toby. He runs a successful business but is despondent as he watches his friends find their soul mates.

At the wedding of his good friends, he is 'rescued' by Julian. I wasn't 100% sure what to make of Julian at first - should I really like Julian or should I think he was a strange stalker? I am not quite sure of the relevance of Julian's obsession with RJ and why this was written into the story but as the story progressed it was obvious that Julian was a really good guy.

This story does a wonderful job of blending the romance elements with important messages about family, love and acceptance. It continues the theme introduced in The Charlie Factor, looking at the beauty within, not the outward appearance with a lovely focus on children.

3.5 stars

[Lelyana's Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2,5 stars*

It was an okay read, with one of MC was annoying AF. I dunno what Julian saw in RJ in a first place. For a guy like him, it won't be hard to find someone who adored him, not rejecting him all the time and still can't move on from his past love.
RJ was childish. I have no love for him. And I don't understand the stalking Julian did in the past for him. He's not that worth stalking for, Julian.
Maybe that stalking that made RJ big headed and very sure whatever he did, Julian won't mind?
Good thing that one time Julian pissed off taught him a lesson. But Julian was also too lame to RJ.
Maybe that's love? *shrug*





Okay, book. Let me move on.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is going to be short and sweet, but yay for seeing Charlie and Greg again :)

Here's RJ's story and it's a good one. This takes place the day after Lawrence's wedding from Charlie and Greg's book. RJ ends up in bed with a stranger. Only RJ isn't a stranger to him... yeah, RJ acquired a stalker, named Julian. It was kind of creepy and also kind of hot.

Julian is a natural care giver. He wants to take care of everyone and he's so good to RJ. He made my heart melt. Never pressuring. Always saying/doing the right thing. He was just...there. It was beautiful, even for a stalker ;)

I absolutely LOVED them together and I wanted more.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sequel to The Charlie Factor, although I think I did enjoy the first book more than this one (I'm a sucker for a cute dog, not so much kids haha) but I still enjoyed the writing and the storytelling in this one. I thought the "stalking" was more funny than creepy, but I'm glad it wasn't made into a huge deal. I really enjoyed it and look forward to what this author comes up with next!

[Gwengwel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julian IS creepy.

[Mrsgeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it vey much in spite of RJ being more than a bit annoying at times.

[Phaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

2015 Re-read:

I find it interesting that over the years my memory of this volume has been a lot fuzzier than for book one.

It’s still nice.

Julian is rather endearing, once you get past his stalker-creep tendencies. On that note, why do people in books usually find it necessary to strip a drunk person entirely naked in order to “make them comfortable” or to “make sure they’re okay”? And why does this so often include stripping down to their skin themselves and getting into bed with the passed out person? I mean, argue as much as you want about this, but waking up naked next to a naked stranger counts as one of the more traumatic among life events. Why’d you wish to inflict this one someone? Particularly if you do not plan to be an all-out sleaze ball and take advantage of them further?

But anyway, I was pretty happy with his part in the story, contrived as it seemed.

Over time, though, things just felt more angsty than not, due to RJ’s lack of emotional output and all the brakes he put on. It made the reading a little depressing, to be honest, even knowing that it’d end in perfect bliss.

Even RJ’s resolution just came about out of nowhere, in between scenes, really. So he had months to arrive at that point? That’s cool, but it still feels abrupt to read it like that.
Overall I found it difficult to really connect with RJ.

And then there’s Tiffany. Sadly she is nothing more than an idolized, child-sized prop to this story. We’ll just have to take everyone’s word for it that Julian loves her so much and that RJ, even though only seeing her twice, felt so very drawn to her. I did not really see this.

Well, in the interest of further honesty, I am not having a good few days so my grumpiness might be an influence here as well. But there you go.

Oh and because I seem to already be in a complaining mood, here’s something that bothered me in both of the first two books: The author frequently uses “minutes” when she clearly means “seconds”. It makes for some strange situations when I picture people standing there for at least two minutes, staring at each other silently in the middle of something entirely different.


2011 Review:

So this turned out to be a follow-up to another book I read a while ago. With new protagonists, that sort of follow-up.

On the whole this book matches the author’s usual style of having one guy with trust issues and another who is determined to win him over. Luckily we were spared the big heartbreak this time.
On the other hand, there were lots of emotionally draining situations along the way and the entire story skipped ahead several times. Including the epilogue, which is set a year later, we’re talking maybe nine months here. This isn’t totally unusual, especially for real ‘development romances’, but here it was more that it skipped ahead a week, then a few months, then a few weeks again, then several months, &c.
Still, it wasn’t that disruptive.

So yeah, this was a nice enough read. More internal angst than happy-happy, but the ending is all of the latter so that’s just the kind of book this is. :3

I think the author’s getting a handle on her pronoun use, too. I hardly got confused anymore about who the ‘he’ taking action was supposed to be.

Gotta admit, though… In comparison to the book I finished before this one (Accidentally In Love) the sex didn’t really sizzle. But I want to note that this might be unfair because that one really sizzled. XD

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is the follow up to The Charlie Factor and is RJ's story. RJ gets really drunk at Josh and Laurence's wedding and wakes up "the day after" with the brother of a former wedding client. RJ barely remembers the reception and certainly not how he ended up in his bed with a stranger. For Julian's part, he's been wanting RJ since his sister's wedding and has waited for nearly a year and a half to make his move. This comes only a couple of months after RJ has been dumped by his boyfriend Toby and he is feeling particularly vulnerable/down. Julian is a pediatrics nurse and a natural care-giver. RJ treats Julian rather badly at first, but he runs into Julian at the hospital while seeing to his dying mother, he does apologize and they decide to try again.

The rest of the book covers the ensuing months when RJ's mother declines and he learns that the story he has been told about his father and his mother are total lies. Julian encourages RJ to explore this new relationship. In the meantime, RJ is afraid to commit to Julian because he knows Julian wants kids and RJ doesn't feel like he is at all father material. Julian pushes RJ and he ends up moving in with him.

Charlie and Gregory and Josh and Laurence are also in this story. Charlie and Gregory are living with RJ for a while after relocating to CA.

Despite the angst, this is very much a feel good story with a nice ending.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about Julian who has been stalking (sort of) RJ since he organized his sister's wedding a year ago. Finally RJ's boyfriend has left and Julian rescues a very drunk RJ at his friend's wedding from ending up a slave in some guys dungeon. RJ has a million reasons why they can't be together and that he sucks at relationships and doesn't want kids, most of them stemming from a childhood with an alcoholic single mother. Her imminent death from cancer forces him to contact his father whom he was told did not want to contact him, but it seems there were plenty of lies to go around.

I thought Julian was a bit too much on the side of "I don't want to rush you", thus nothing ever happened until he clued in that if he waited for RJ to move things forward they'd never move. But I liked that the adoption didn't just happen overnight and they say how difficult it was to get through. So if you are in the mood for a sweet romance it's a good choice. Definitely read Charlie and Greg's story first as this story starts immediately after and they live with RJ for 99% of the story so they are always around.

[Tracy~Bayou Book Junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written better than the 1st book. I loved the story line of book one better, but the writing of book 2 is better. It was flowed better. ( let's count how many times I can type "better" in a review!)

This book picks up where book 1 left off. It is the morning after Josh and Laurence's wedding and RJ is woken up by Greg's dog. He got plastered at the wedding and doesn't remember a whole lot of what happened the night before. He definitely doesn't remember the strange naked guy in his bed.

I liked RJ, but Julian kind of creeped me out. He stalked RJ for a year. RJ and he don't really know each other, but he us already using the term of endearment "babe"? Not cool. Julian was pushy and overbearing. I would have loved it so much more if the world have met under different circumstances.

I loved getting to see more of Charlie and Greg! I am looking forward to more from this author. This is my 2nd book by her. It seems her books are getting better with each one she writes. I will keep trying them.

[Chancey "Does not give out 5's like candy" Knowles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but definitely not as good as the other 2 I've read in this series (at least for me). I really loved Glitter. I liked Charlie. It was the last part of this book that saved it for me. I thought the differences about kids was handled well with POV's & reasonings explained along with the factors that caused this to change. I did feel Julian was way too overbearing in many things but thankfully not this. I would have liked to know more about RJ's dad's occupation. We know he's super rich with powerful friends that are connected, but not a hint of how (e.g.; mob, silver spoon, tech genius etc...???). I also felt the ending was rushed but still satisfying. The 1st half made me extremely uncomfortable in many ways from character actions / reactions to some word over use. I'm not sorry I read this book, but I definitely had a lot more issues with it than the rest of the series.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sequel to The Charlie Factor. We see Charlie and Gregory, characters from the first book, although the focus is on R.J. and Julian. A very nice story about different things that two lovers want in life. Julian is a nurse who loves children, while R.J. does not want to have anything to do with them. This is a m/m romance, so we can guess how it ends, but it is the journey to the end that makes this book worths reading. It's an emotional book that made my eyes blurred several times.

[Tamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a little bit of a hard time relating to RJ. He seemed to be so much into himself... how everything affected him, how would he deal with things. It took me a while to see that it was all his insecurities that were getting in his way. Luckily Julian stuck it out and made sure that RJ came back to the real world when RJ really needed a wake up call.

Recommended
=============================
1st read - Sept 24, 2012
2nd read - Aug 4, 2016

[Lisa J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first two books in this series much better (Glitter, being my favorite.) Julian was a straight up stalker. There was no build-up to this couple, and R.J. seemed like he was on the rebound. R.J.'s flip on the conflict at the end was also not explained adequately. These two were not ready for this major life step.
It was nice to see Charlie and Gregory, but where were Laurance and Josh?

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why in the world would Julian ever want to even bother with RJ? The whole plot felt forced. I like visiting with the characters from earlier books, but otherwise ... eh. I never understood how Julian became obsessed with RJ from only one meeting and then waited over a YEAR to have a chance with him. RJ's character was flat and it felt like the conflict that was resolved in happily ever after was really really forced.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in a very entertaining series. There are 4 books out now and they are all worth the time. (The 4th book "Popping the Question" is a free read on the publisher's website.)

Very entertaining writing and the characters are all very lovable.

I would recommend reading the books in order. They would not be quite as good stand-alone.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good m/m romance about a wedding planner, recently dumped, who wakes up after a party to discover a strange man in bed with him... a strange man who know an awful lot about him. This would've been better without the near-purple prose during the sex scenes.

[Eyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this one. Julian could have been kind of creepy. He did kind of stalk RJ; however, he's such a sweet guy that I can overlook that. Also, there's an orphan, so it gets points for that. Yeah, I'm sappy.

[Silkeeeeeereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another decent, enjoyable, cotton candy read from Diana DeRicci. The two main characters were sweet, there's lots of hot sex and the small conflict ends up in a pint sized princess that you can't help but to be glad good things happen for. 

[Anke · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Much better than the Charlie book :)

[Gaa-chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Janna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story and the characters so much and I needed my kleenex for all the happy tears at the end.