Mr. Nice Guy

Suits & Sevens #3

by Isla Olsen

Tanner

When you’re staring down the barrel of half a century’s existence on this planet, you tend to think about things…

Like…maybe I should think about retiring? And I guess I could start crossing things off my bucket list? And should I get my colon checked?

Something I wasn’t intending to start assessing too closely at this stage of my life—or ever, really—is my sporadic, complicated, and rather inconvenient attraction to men.

Some people do yoga. Others bake. For me, the only surefire way to release all that tension and anxiety that’s always building up inside me is…well, I’m sure you can figure it out…

But that’s all it is. Stress relief.

Or, at least, that’s all it was. Until I met Deacon Stapleton.

Gorgeous, funny, and great in bed—it only takes one night for me to decide I want him to be my permanent stress ball.

But there are some problems…he’s too young; he’s too nice; and he doesn’t do casual flings.

Oh, and did I mention he’s my daughter’s kindergarten teacher?

Mr Nice Guy is book three in the Suits & Sevens series and features a billionaire silver fox and a rugby-playing kindergarten teacher. It can be read as a standalone. Tropes: billionaire, single dad, age gap, bi-awakening.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Audiobook, Gay

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2023

Reviews

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish)]

You know the books where the premise and the smut are great, but one of the characters just isn’t?

When I read the blurb, I’ve been sure I’ll love it: the filthy rich billionaire father of a girl with Down syndrome and her kindergarten teacher? Count me in.

But while Deacon (the teacher) is cute, and a genuinely nice guy, Tanner (the billionaire) isn’t it. He’s claiming to be straight, but needs to be fucked hard every few months for anxiety/stress relief. I mean - each to their own, right? But when - after persuading Deacon to go up after they accidentally end up in the same gay bar - he’s (uncharacteristically 🙄) down for a repeat and shows up at his daughter’s preschool, he doesn’t accept Deacon’s rejection (Deacon says that he doesn’t like hookups, and he’s looking for a relationship).

I just don’t feel comfortable with these two. While I don’t mind the occasional dub-con or even non-con when done well, the dynamics between these two feel wrong and unbalanced.

Dnf at 27% despite the hot sex scenes, no rating because I finished relatively early.

[m]

I skimmed from 85% but I’m going to count this as a DNF and not rate it.

I have really enjoyed other books by this author but this one was a mess. It started off rough, got a bit better, and then ended horribly.

Tanner is a billionaire CEO who likes to get railed by men when he’s *really* stressed out - but he’s not gay! 🙄 One night at a GAY bar, he propositions Deacon, his daughter’s kindergarten teacher who has had a long term crush on him, for a ONS.

This leads to a repeat, but Deacon doesn’t do casual and he refuses to be a “walking dildo” so they set up some ground rules for their arrangement and eventually find themselves in a sort of relationship.

I liked the dynamic at first - Tanner is a powerful silver fox but he’s the sub and sweet, patient 27yo teacher Deacon has a light Dom attitude in the bedroom. The smut overall was decently fun despite Tanner freaking out over the thought of getting jizz on his hand or touching another man’s body…. Y’know because he’s not gay?!

My main issue was this bit of drama:

“Deacon, come on—you can’t trust this guy.”

“Why? Because he’s still legally married to a woman he hasn’t seen for three years?”

It should be noted that Deacon learned this info from a 3rd party and was completely blindsided by it but then Tanner’s adult child went to Deacon and chewed him out for breaking up with his dad and not being more understanding??? So *Deacon* needed to go fix things?! Tanner probably says the words “I’m sorry” but there’s zero grovelling and everyone just accepts that he’s married and never said - like that’s totally okay. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Deacon came across like such a fucking doormat.

The adult son (Jazz) made me incredibly uncomfortable throughout the book with how frequently he talked about his, his dad’s, his friends’, and even once his grandma’s sex lives and desires.

“What? You think seventy-five-year-old women don’t get horny?”

And then the wife/ex-wife drama gets wrapped up in the last 3-4 pages 😑😑😑 What a disappointment.

I received an advanced copy for review - all opinions are my own.

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Positive: In general, I do like Isla Olsen’s writing. My qualms with this story does not lie in the writing.

Issue: Lack of consistent plot. I am actually going to argue that there was not a plot in this book and no character growth either because of it. It was centered on one thing and that thing took over the whole book and diminished the potential of what the story could have been.

Issue: Sex focused. This is not steam. This is smut. Ain’t nothing wrong with it, but if you were looking for an actual plot—like I was, it throws you off. The whole book centered on sex. It was all about how Tanner has a need for bottoming and how Deacon is attracted to the parent of one of his students.

—The beginning of the book opened strong for me, but then Tanner’s son started talking about how tiresome and exhausting it was having to be the dominant top to a hook up of his. 🫤

You know, call me weird, but I do not find it comfortable to talk about getting dicked down in front of parents. I know, I know. How boring, right? 😐 I truly question why the author thought it necessary to include this? It didn’t stop there either! The grandma had no censor and Deacon’s friends had no tact. It really put me off.

Issue: Erasure. I loathe when authors cling to the whole “this character does not have a label. He’s straight” thing. Homie, Tanner isn’t straight. Also, straight is a label. The guy could have gone to a woman who likes a strap on. He didn’t. He went to Deacon for his needs/craving.

Issue: Pushover. Deacon was such a pushover. I won’t get into the full reason for this comment because spoilers, but I hate it when the character who didn’t do anything wrong is the one who has to grovel.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book.


*ARC provided by GRR and I have given my honest and voluntary review.

[Kaity]

Audio: 4 stars, Nick J Russo is great as always. Audio can be found on Everand.

Book: DNF @35%

Tanners a dick and Deacon deserves better.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me awhile to warm up to Tanner. His hangups would have chased me off, but Deacon was just perfect. He was almost too perfect. He had more patience and understanding than most people.

That being said, I loved the book. Isla’s writing just works for me. I just adore her stories and all the characters she coms up with. I’m certainly looking forward to Jazz’s story.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book in the Suits & Seven series that I've enjoyed so much.
Tanner is a billionaire with two older children and a little girl with Down Syndrome. His first wife passed away and he's separated from his current wife. His life is complicated and he's stressed most of the time, he's straight (or so he says himself) but he goes out to have sex with guys as a stress relief.
Deacon is Tanner's daughter's teacher, that's how they met but then they meet outside school again, in a gay bar and they start a sort of relationship.
This was a nice story with a very patient MC, Deacon, and a mature character, Tanner, that needed time to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't straight. Their relationship was very slow burn, their intimate moments were hot and sexy, but also emotional.
Deacon needed to have a connection with the other person and hardly did hookups. It was so selfless of him to give Tanner what the businessman needed, even though he longed for a deeper relationship. I thought they were amazing together, but Tanner's life was always getting in between.
It was a lovely story with great secondary characters. Kids always made novels much better, in this case Tanner's daughter made this book touching. Even Tanner's older children, especially Jazz, were great additions. I liked this book and can't wait to read the next one in the series.

[Aki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es war meh...

[MiaReadsMMBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm thinking I'm not the only one who feels like the wrong file was submitted to Amazon? This book ends so abruptly and is so full of grammatical and spelling errors that surely it's the wrong file? There are also some pacing issues and definitely some clear editing opportunities to significantly tighten the writing and storytelling...

Disappointed because the bones are there, and I think with some strong edits, Tanner and Deacon would be getting the story they deserve.

[Ines · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 20%

How tf do you go from „please dont tell anybody I was in a gay bar“ to tell them all your sex fantasies unwanted???
I really did not like Tanner and could frankly not handle all the editing mistakes in this one to continue.

[Sid · Rating 2 out of 5]

idk tanner is kinda unlikeable but deacon is the opposite so like...2.5 stars?? alas another mess of a book

[Bkwrm24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deacon and Tanner

3 Stars ⭐️

I'm generally a lover of all things Isla Olsen but I could not connect with Tanner and all of his hang ups. Just to clarify, I have read several "awakening" and mental health based books however, this one just left me frustrated. I hated the way he treated Deacon like a dirty secret most times and let's not get started on his adult daughter's entitled and disgusting commentary toward Deacon either. Just like the title states: "Mr Nice Guy", IMO a character as sweet, patient and lovable as Deacon deserved so much better. With that being said, I did enjoy getting a glimpse of all the other previous characters so there was that. I'm 50/50 in this recommendation, I think this is the type of book you will either love or not so much.

* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *

[Maithe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr Nice Guy is an MM book, single father/teacher, part of the Suits & Sevens series, it's my first read from this author.

I was really excited about this book, the whole single father/teacher thing, but, I didn't quite understand Tanner, it felt like he was kind of in denial about his sexuality, and Deacon was fine enough character.
It was ok read, I'm giving it 3 stats, it was entertaining overall.


I received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deacon & Tanner

These two seem like an odd match, but they're really a great couple. Though their story was a bit slow in some places to me, it was a good read overall.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of typos and errors in the first part of the book. Almost like they didn't do an edit on the first several chapters. Rest of the book was fine.

I didn't like these characters especially Tanner and really didn't think their relationship was healthy or equal for the majority of the book. Almost didn't finish. It was also really sex heavy and every conversation was sexual in nature. They almost never had a conversation without the word c**k being said. That is not how most people interact in a real relationship.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was entertaining and I read it in one sitting. I liked the plot and the sexy times and cute little Izzy. I think it deserved 3.5, perhaps 4 stars.

Why then, the 2 star rating?

Perhaps this is just a pet peeve of mine, but I'm getting quite cranky with authors purposefully skipping editing and proofreading. (I'm a lot more tolerant about it when it's someone just getting started or with a smaller reader base... but Isla Olsen is neither of those.) Especially after the formatting snafu of her last book, I have to admit I expected this book to be better. I found at least 30 errors and quite a few of them were things a basic spellcheck program would have identified handily. I know with the last book she didn't take the time to fix the formatting issues and went ahead with the book's release anyway, and now this time she seems to have skipped the proofreading. It's just frustrating. I by no means expect a book to be error free (and I'm not the kind of jerk who reports the errors to Amazon) but I do think it's reasonable to expect an author to hit spellcheck prior to publishing.

Aside from that, I thought the book was great. And maybe it isn't fair to dock it 2 stars for spelling and punctuation errors, but it's nonsensical to me to spend all that time, effort and money writing a book, buying a cover, etc.... and then skipping the parts that make your work polished and professional.

[Showarst · Rating 2 out of 5]

I REALLY disliked Tanner for half the book. Jazz (Tanner’s son) was pretty abrasive. When he confronted Deacon about breaking up with Tanner because Tanner was still married, he said some pretty cruel things. Just because you call yourself an asshole doesn’t mean you get away with being cruel and abusive.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received an ARC for this book)

Trigger Warnings include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, child with Down’s syndrome, death of a parent, child abandonment, mention of postpartum depression, internalized homophobia, homophobic thoughts and wording

I don’t normally post my reviews in this format, but I feel like I need to with this one.

Reasons why this is a five star read:
I understood Deacon’s swooning instantly. That single dad did a number on me from the start. Deacon is all kinds of sunshine, and I loved every second with him. I wasn’t expecting Mr Sunshine to have such a dirty mouth! It was obvious from the start that Deacon wanted to prioritize pleasing Tanner, even when Tanner wasn’t sure what he wanted. When they ended up at the same gay bar, their flirting made me melt. I loved Deacon with my whole heart, and became Mama Bear Protective over him. He has a heart of gold, and deserves the world. His strength was beautiful. There’s a slow, and genuine, build for Deacon and Tanner to properly find their place together.

Reasons why I only gave it four stars:
The first thing that took me out of the story was the added conflict of ‘someone’ being obsessed with wanting to buy up one of Tanner’s companies, which wasn’t even for sale. The second was a grown man avoiding divorce/his ex, for reasons I can’t list here. But the biggest reason was the internalized homophobia. Not because it existed, not because it was ongoing. But because of the way it unfolded. And because of it, I spent the majority of the book hoping that Deacon didn’t let Tanner in as easily as he did. While I understood it, Deacon deserved better than that. Tanner even confessed that he didn’t look at Deacon as any more than a body…that broke my heart. I felt icky reading a lot of Tanner’s inner thoughts, especially as he started to speak them outloud. This wasn’t my first time reading a bi-awakening. But it is the most demeaning one I’ve read. This is my own personal discomfort. Maybe other readers won’t feel so uncomfortable. The point in which we’re supposed to find understand and support Tanner came too late in the book. By then, I had already settled in my mindset. I should also mention that one of Tanner’s children gave me the icks to the point that I skimmed past her as if she didn’t exist.

The 3rd act came prematurely, which at the time I thought was great because that left plenty of space for important, very necessary things! Until the other issue that I nearly forgot about by then came in the form of a plot twist WAY too close to the ending, and then it was anticlimactic.

In summary, Deacon earned this book four stars. I think otherwise, it would have averaged three stars for me.

My Favorite Quotes:
• “I want you to fuck me so hard against this wall we risk breaking through it.”
• “Other guys are idiots if they get a look of that cock and don’t want to suck it.”
• “I can’t come in this beautiful ass, you can’t come on my beautiful face.”
• “Just so you know, I kiss the way I fuck.”
• “Stop moaning like a whore when I do it and I’ll give you a break.”
• “Look at me, beautiful. I want to see it.”
• “You’re everything I want. So as long as I have you, I’m golden.”
• “I want everything you have to give me.”
• “I can only think about what I would have missed.”

8/10 Dirty Birdy
6/10 Age Gap
9/10 Single Parent
8/10 The CEO Type

[Emily Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit I had my doubts when Tanner was only using his hookups with men as a crutch to relieve his stress and anxiety, but he really grew a lot in his relationship with Deacon over the course of the story. At the start, these two played up the forbidden love angle a lot, but after the first couple of times they hooked up that element completely disappeared from the story. The focus became much more about Deacon and Tanner learning to compromise in their desires and seeing how their boundaries slowly started shifting as their connection evolved into a full-fledged romantic relationship to match their hot as heck chemistry. I was a big fan of all the sexy bits in this story, because Tanner's begging and Deacon's ability to give him what he needed in exactly the right way was never something to shrug off, and on top of that every time they tried something new like kissing or touching and Tanner had his mind blown... just completely addictive to me. But also it was a little weird that Izzy disappeared from the whole middle section of the story. Maybe I was reading too much into the blurb, but I expected Deacon's job and Izzy to be a much bigger part of the book, maybe seeing how Tanner and Deacon juggled their relationship around parenting duties and the tricky fine line of parent and teacher seeing each other.... but no, none of that. Deacon's job was barely mentioned at all after the first few chapters, and Tanner's devotion to being a dad was mentioned but hardly ever on-page. While I was reading I was totally caught up in the unbelivable chemistry and the love angstiness, but looking back, I can't stop wondering why those details were missing, and I think it would have made the tense situation with Natalia mean more to me had I gotten to see more how important being Izzy's dad was to Tanner.

Aside from that, I really enjoyed the other aspects of the book. Deacon's friends were a riot, Tanner's adult kids were full of personality, and I enjoyed the way Drew and Sully's story intermingled with this one in little ways to keep the series connected. I found the relationship progression incredibly satisfying, with the romance starting slow but burning brightly by the time they reached the end, and the relationship angst thrown in at the climactic moment was just enough to put everything into perspective and force these guys to confront their feelings and realize they never wanted to go back to being single and alone. Though Deacon's profession was mostly absent from the story, I got to see a lot of Tanner's business dealings and mental health journey, both of which I found captivating. When the buildup of Natalia's situation finally resolved, I knew Deacon and Tanner had made it through their last hurdle before settling into a happily ever after. Now the only thing left for me to wonder is if Jackson and Skyler are gonna be a thing or not cause I was giving those two the side eye all story long and I'm still not sure what's going on there.

**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 I had mixed feelings about the relationship in this book. I enjoyed it by the time I got to the end, and I appreciated the development to Tanner’s character and understanding of what he wanted and needed, but it was hard to read about the way he was treating Deacon at the beginning. (Maybe I’m being too judgmental, but it seemed extremely objectifying and not the way I want anyone to treat another human being. To be fair to Tanner, he’s up front about what he wants and why, and Deacon does make the decision to stay tangled up in it. But it felt like for large chunks that they were really not getting what they wanted/needed from one another and/or making themselves unhappy trying to give the other person what they wanted.)

On more of a pet peeve level, I didn’t love all the casual explicit discussions of sex that clearly make other people uncomfortable. I understand that some people are more open than others, but I would think it’s common courtesy not to deliberately make friends and family uncomfortable with details that they have indicated they don’t want to know. I guess that’s funny for some, but it just seemed rude and insensitive to me—and it happened multiple times with multiple characters!)

I was a little surprised that the “big upset” between Tanner and Deacon got turned around on Deacon, but that was mostly Jazz’s opinion, and I think taking into account Tanner’s anxiety and triggers is important. I felt like they both had some valid points about the revelation, and I felt like Tanner was also very apologetic about his part in it (maybe even more in his head than out loud, but it seemed like they both really saw how they could have done better and genuinely regretted hurting one another). I was happy with the resolution, although I would have liked Tanner to reach out.

There’s definitely a lot of preoccupation with identity labels, but I feel like that’s a relatively common way for people to try to understand their identity. (Learning you’re maybe not what you thought you were or what you used to be is bound to cause confusion.) I much preferred Tanner and Deacon’s relationship once they really got to know one another and weren’t only having sex. (I liked the little touches like the video game night.) I would have enjoyed spending more time with Izzy (who is awesome and so adorable), but especially the way Tanner’s personal relationships are set up, I get why that wasn’t practical for most of the book.

I liked how ultimately supportive friends and family are, and I did see these two being happy together, it just took a lot of work to get there!

I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.

[Linda Reads Audiobooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, read because it's the wonderful Nick J. Russo narrating. Pretty much 'nuf said.

I almost didn't read this because some people were saying they had a hard time warming up to Tanner or even that he was a d*ck. I'm so glad I did read it! I found Tanner to be a very sympathetic character, struggling with severe anxiety and some pretty hard knocks delivered by life. I thought he was wonderfully human and very appealing from page one and throughout the book.

I also almost didn't read it based on the summary and the age-gap aspect. Age gap isn't always my favorite trope, but in this case, Olsen didn't shy away from it, made it realistic, and it worked! Their relationship was one of equals, and it was really touching how Tanner admired Deacon's wisdom and valued his support. There was obvious mutual respect. Their relationship was absolutely wonderful, and any issues they had were entirely circumstantial, and resolved quickly enough so that they weren't too painful. I've developed a very low tolerance for angst, and I did just fine.

The plot was interesting and almost exciting, considering that there were no car chases or hostages (I kid, but you see what I mean). There were wonderful side characters who added to and were necessary to the story without being a distraction.

The steamy bits were very, very steamy, because dang, she can write steam, and because they were rooted in the characters, not just sex. One review I saw said it was just smut (or similar word). I disagree. Yes there were a lot of steamy bits, and they were very hot, but they weren't gratuitous, not just "hey, let's get naked and insert tab A into slot B." They grew more and more emotional as the story progressed, and for all the steam and explicitness, they were really pretty touching for the most part. And hey, some just-plain-because hotness is a good thing, too, and there was that. Ennahoo, it was a very satisfying read, start to finish. Deacon was an absolute doll, Tanner was beautifully flawed and doing his best through his anxiety, and their relationship was about as sweet and lovely as I've seen.

The story was also really interesting in the way it coincided with the plot of the previous story, Mr. Big Shot, from completely different points of view, casting the characters in a completely different light. It was super cool. If you're on the fence, go for it and read this wonderful story!

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 5 out of 5]

old post reposted


Why read books on my TBR list when I can read books that literally came out today?? Here's Isla Olsen's third novel in her Suits & Sevens series: "Mr. Nice Guy."
["Tanner
When you’re staring down the barrel of half a century’s existence on this planet, you tend to think about things…
Like…maybe I should think about retiring? And I guess I could start crossing things off my bucket list? And should I get my colon checked?
Something I wasn’t intending to start assessing too closely at this stage of my life—or ever, really—is my sporadic, complicated, and rather inconvenient attraction to men.
Some people do yoga. Others bake. For me, the only surefire way to release all that tension and anxiety that’s always building up inside me is…well, I’m sure you can figure it out…
But that’s all it is. Stress relief.
Or, at least, that’s all it was. Until I met Deacon Stapleton.
Gorgeous, funny, and great in bed—it only takes one night for me to decide I want him to be my permanent stress ball.
But there are some problems…he’s too young; he’s too nice; and he doesn’t do casual flings.
Oh, and did I mention he’s my daughter’s kindergarten teacher? "]

Good news! This book didn’t make me cry OR go into an anxiety spiral!

The communication in this one was on point. Lots of talk about consent and boundaries and needs/wants/desires. Yes, there was that pesky third act almost break up, but—ha—they had someone knock some sense into them.

This book takes place right near the middle/end of the first book in the series (“Mr. Big Shot”) and during the entirety of the second book (“Mr. Right Now”). Which was really cool to see some of that, also confusing because I couldn’t remember their third act almost breaks ups/drama.

Trigger warnings: anxiety disorder, special needs children, and more

#mrniceguy #mrrightnow #mrbigshot #suitsandsevens #suitsandsevensseries #loveandluck #loveandluckseries #islaolsen #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[DD · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was not one of Isla’s slam dunks, but it was still pretty good. Also not the best of the series. It got the rating from me that it did because it was still full of great banter and Isla’s humor, which is some of my absolute favorite. Deacon and Tanner’s story wasn’t at all what I expected. The first at least one-third of the book is cold and has very little heart. The biggest surprise for me was Tanner. The way he views his sexual encounters, along with himself, seem quite callous, mechanical. Even when liking the person enough, like Deacon. When he kept begging for Deacon to just get in him while Deacon is trying to explain sex means more to him than that….it just made me like Tanner less and feel sad. Tanner was just not getting it! And despite all of that, they can’t stay away from one another. The time line was a bit wonky, I wish there would have been more reminders about what had already happened in the other books since their timelines coincided. So, if you can, read them all in a row. I kept feeling lost and kind of like the skip button would get pushed and I’d miss something. It seemed like something was missing throughout the whole book. The dynamics(family, work, friendships) had all felt off. Especially when they are usually so good in her other books.

The sexual chemistry was explosive. And the eventual relationship the main characters fall into is sweet. It was great to see all the other characters again. Izzy was a great addition, I wish there would have been more of her. I really did like the book! I swear! It was just bigger to explain what I didn’t, and especially because I usually have zero issues with Isla’s book. So don’t skip, it. Even if it isn’t something you really like, at the very least, it’s a step in the series that shouldn’t be skipped.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Nice Guy is the new book in the Suits & Sevens series, this is Deacon and Tanner’s book! I love Isla Olsen books and this was a great addition!! I love Deacon, he is definitely Mr Nice Guy always wants to to take care of Tanner or make him feel better, but he isn’t always a nice guy just wait until he is with Tanner in the bedroom and he turned into a dirty talking guy, hot AF! Tanner was really in a complicated situation, an older guy who just wants to hook up with guys to de-stress because of his anxiety. character took me a bit longer to warm to, he had a lot going on, and I could understand his anxiety, when he sees his daughter’s teacher one night at the bar he wants him and Deacon agreed because of his crush on him. At first both are conflicted with the one night stand because Deacon is a relationship guy and he is looking for something more that Tanner is willing to give and Tanner isn’t into guys… or so he thought! Lol…they relationship is complicated but once these two spent more time together they can’t stay away from each other, they sorted through their issues and finally are together and they are so good together!!

I liked the we get to know more characters of this serie, I love Skylar and Jackson, and at the same time we get to see a little of the story between Drew and Sully form Deacon and his friends perspective. This was an age gap, teacher/billionaire romance! and don’t forget the dirty talking, these two were hot AF!!! I can’t wait for more of this serie!!!

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were plenty of things about this story I liked and enjoyed. I’ll start with the chemistry between Deacon and Tanner, which is strong, particularly in its physical dimensions, and has lots of opportunities to shine over the course of the story (steam is very much a feature, not a bug, sometimes at the expense of cogent plot development, even). I also want to give a shoutout to the author’s writing style: they do banter well, and there’s often a nice blend of wit and sweetness in the way they depict main characters’ interactions. There were also, at least for me, a number of rough edges. The plot takes some twists and turns, and things get resolved either super easily or not really at all. There was a supporting character whose penchant for oversharing/sticking their nose in grated in a big way (looking at you Jazz, the most deeply unlikable not-ostensibly-a-villain I’ve seen in a while). I also did not enjoy that Deacon, who was literally blameless for Tanner’s lack of honesty about something fairly major, gets the lion’s share of pressure/condescension/blame for the requisite drama from other characters— that’s gross, and unfair (yes, I know life isn’t fair, but I would like the dynamics of a relationship in a romance novel to not include the “why can’t you be more understanding” thing, as it’s ick). Overall, there were things I loved, and things I decidedly didn’t, so I’ll go 3.5 stars here, rounded up to 4.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Sarah H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good

Tanner & Deacon were definitely slow burn but it was understandable because Tanner needed to work through his attraction to Deacon especially because of his anxiety disorder. For me, Tanner was a difficult character to love mostly because of how his anxiety disorder was explained & dealing with it myself (though undiagnosed) made that difficult for me, though I did really enjoy his outlook & relationship on/with his older adult kids, especially Jazz & his absolute adoration of Izzy. I did enjoy the Friendsgiving at Spencer’s & liked that Sully cared enough about Deac to bring Charlie over & how that conversation was the key to getting the divorce finally. Loved his MIL Beth from his first marriage & how forthright of a character she was & also that she put Piper in her place too. Deac was an easy character to love & I’m not entirely certain exactly why, but his empathy was definitely a disservice to him in every aspect & I was a bit surprised to not see him seek help on page. Nonetheless, I’m glad Deacon got his story despite my issues with it.
I am excited that Jackson & Skyler’s story is the final one & I am intrigued to see how their story plays out.

It’s unfortunately not 5 ⭐️ because of how the 3rd act breakup resolved didn’t actually have a legitimate apology on Tanner’s part as well as the whole actual issue being glossed over by Deacon because Tanner really did need to fully apologize & the more books I read that think ‘sorry’ mitigates the issue is a negative reflection on the author IMO.

[Moni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Nice Guy is a fun addition to the Suits & Sevens series and while it could be read as a standalone, many of the great side characters are from the previous books.
A lot is going on in this book, but it’s also a fun read, you won’t even realize you're already at the end. Give me a dirty-talking, bossy Kindergarten teacher any day … especially if he is more than capable of holding his own against a successful billionaire. Gorgeous Deacon cannot say no to single dad Tanner’s proposition, even though he really should not mingle with his student’s father. When Tanner asks for a repeat of the sexy evening they spent together, Deacon is hesitant. There are a good number of red flags when it comes to Tanner … he is older, supposedly straight, and comes with emotional baggage and some mental health issues. Deacon has the patience of an angel to gently guide Tanner through all his hang-ups, he is so sensitive to give Tanner what the man needs. But I liked how Deacon was also not afraid to ask for what he needed emotionally. There were times when I just wanted to smack Tanner but luckily he came to his senses at the end. There are, as always, meddling family members and lots of friends with witty jokes, great banter, and some seriously hot scenes to prove that this unlikely couple might just work perfectly.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

[Manon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deacon has a problem - the crush he is developing for the silver fox dad of one of his kindergarden pupils.
When they meet at a bar and hook up, trouble is at the horizon. Tanner uses hook ups as a stress relief and Deacon wants a realtionship.

I must admit, I really didn't like Tanner at all for quite a while in the book. He comes over as a fairly self-centered guy when it comes to him and Deacon. Yes, his life is a stress disaster with too much going on but Deacon really needed someone else.

The book is fairly hot in the description of their hook ups but it feels like there is no real story or chemistry developing between these two. Even when Tanner agrees to try more, it's still a hot scene after hot scene.

I also think that Deacon forgives Tanner for hiding a fairly big private secret far too easy.

Tanner's change in attitude is nice, he starts to become more of a partner and less of using Deacon. It feels quite too easy in the last quarter of the book though.

I had hoped for a bit more Izzy-scenes, single dad stories are one of my favourites and a big part of picking up this book but I really miss it here.

The storyline confused me a bit, this book starts where the story in book no. 1 ends and it rund parallel to book no. 2.

I am not sure this is a book I would re-read again.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ some parts of this book were really enjoyable but others were just so rough…so it’s really a mixed bag.

The levels of consent in this book are thru the roof and should definitely be applauded.

Tanner’s character’s starting point definitely had some ick factor, but the characters development was there so I can understand why he needed to start out the way it did.

But the fact that Deacon is turned into the “bad guy” in the third act breakup and it wasn’t Tanner doing any groveling whatsoever was absolutely a miscarriage of justice, especially after Deacon had been bending to Tanners wants & needs for the entire book.

Also the “forbidden” aspect of this romance is pretty tame considering it’s hyped as a single dad/teacher romance. And you cannot convince me that in any circumstance a BILLIONAIRE would not have taken the villain ex wife to court immediately and seen who ran out of money first.

I definitely think this cannot be read as a standalone, as there are so many character appearances from books 1 & 2, and the plot happens concurrently with the plot of book 2. I also think I would’ve enjoyed it more on audio which is how I read the first two books, and sometimes it’s easier to let’s things slide when you aren’t seeing them on page.

*I received an arc of this book, all opinions are my own*

[Shellfish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous read!

I loved this book.
Deacon is a great character, sweet, compassionate, understanding, and he knows exactly who he is. Tanner on the other hand is a mess. He's gaurded closed off, confused, strong , and a great dad. I love Tanner he is a brilliant character. He's my favorite. I love how he's so rigid with his beliefs in the beginning but he's also willing to move forward in a different direction even though its extremely difficult for him. He goes towards how he feels not how he thinks which is so hard for him and that is how he grows and changes with out even realizing it.

I have not read Sullivan's book yet, even though it is the one before this one. I'm definitely going to read it and I hope he can redeem himself in my eyes because right now I don't like him very much.
All of Isla olsen's side characters are always so well written. I just always immediately get a sense of who they are, even when they are not on the page very often. I so love that about her writing.

Once I started reading I had a hard time putting it down. It was so good for me. I saw that some people said it was a bit slow at first. I didn't feel that way at all and I think its because tanner was such a complex person and he had so many rules for his sexuality. It kept me guessing from one page to the next what was going to happen.

[Babara-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A SWEET, STEAMY AGE GAP GAY FOR YOU!

This is the first book in the series I am reviewing and all I can say is it is a very complex book which showcases anxiety and different spectrums in the LGBTIQA+ community which may offend some readers…

Anxiety is a very powerful emotion and the only crutch Tanner Grimsay has to combat it is by impersonal penetrative anal sex hook ups, but that does not make him gay right?

Labels- what are labels when you are in denial of being maybe a bit asexual with a dash of demisexual regarding your sexuality?

That is depicted in this sweet, complex story when Tanner decides to approach his daughters kindergarten teacher Deacon Stapleton for a hookup that turns into so much more!

The author showcases the origins of Tanners anxiety with humour and a little angst and his personal growth and acceptance regarding his attraction to a man beautifully!

The support and patience that Tanner gets from Deacon regarding all his issues in and out of the bedroom is truly inspiring but every nice guy has a darker kinky side…

“I love that you’ve been so incredibly patient with me and sensitive to my needs”

But Tanner only does hookups and Deacon only does relationships so this is how their story begins with a hookup….

I look forward to Skylars story next!

I voluntarily received an ARC from GRR for an honest non biased opinion on this book.