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Love, Lies, and Cryptids
One minute, Nico Juárez is enjoying the stability of their job as senior editor at Unified Theory Press, a publishing house specializing in books about the paranormal. The next minute, they're stuck with a terrible new boss and a clueless (yet uncomfortably cute) new assistant. Jasper Milton just wanted healthcare and to keep his sexy side-hustle a secret. Now he's faced with an adorable, yet prickly, supervisor and a company thrown into chaos. Nico and Jasper must team up to stay sane. Hopefully, they won't fall in love—or be squashed by Bigfoot—in the process.
299 pages, Paperback
Published June 12, 2023
About the author
M.L. Nolan
2 books9 followersM.L. Nolan lives in the Pacific Northwest and never sneers at a rainy day. They love cozying up under a big pile of blankets with tea, a bangin’ playlist, and a good kissing book.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 10, 2024
"He could live like a monk, if a monk were allowed to spend their day making paywalled erotic bedtime stories."
Thanks very much to the author and Booksprout for a copy to review! Love, Lies and Cryptids is on sale now.
This was a really cute slice of life, contemporary workplace romance set at a small publisher in Portland. Nico is a delightful nonbinary grump and editor extraordinaire, and Jasper is a plus size sunshine man with a huge patreon clientele for his steamy ASMR recordings. They meet when he takes a job because he needs healthcare - indeed, despite the title, it's a very grounded plot!
The minute the new boss came in, changing things without an ounce of management skills, and mainly running off of "vibes", I could relate. Who amongst us hasn't had an infuriatingly out of touch superior who makes everything harder because they don't understand the actualities of the work?
I admit, the chill pace and low-conflict plot slowed the book, and my interest waned as a result so my read took longer. But the pages are instead spent on exploration of a nonbinary character on the ace spectrum, a lifelike portrayal of some struggles I myself go through and I appreciated the representation immensely.
Once they get out in the field to prepare the cryptid podcast, they meet a resident Sasquatch expert whose introduction made me laugh out loud, and a water monster expert who is soon monologuing about the inherent eroticism of the giant squid. This last third of the book really picked up the pacing for me, and the romance was great. The pair was so soft and awkward. I also don't think I've ever read an intercrural scene before in published romance, which was steamy and unique.
The side characters were also memorable individuals. Overall a very good story! Four solid stars.
Thanks very much to the author and Booksprout for a copy to review! Love, Lies and Cryptids is on sale now.
This was a really cute slice of life, contemporary workplace romance set at a small publisher in Portland. Nico is a delightful nonbinary grump and editor extraordinaire, and Jasper is a plus size sunshine man with a huge patreon clientele for his steamy ASMR recordings. They meet when he takes a job because he needs healthcare - indeed, despite the title, it's a very grounded plot!
The minute the new boss came in, changing things without an ounce of management skills, and mainly running off of "vibes", I could relate. Who amongst us hasn't had an infuriatingly out of touch superior who makes everything harder because they don't understand the actualities of the work?
I admit, the chill pace and low-conflict plot slowed the book, and my interest waned as a result so my read took longer. But the pages are instead spent on exploration of a nonbinary character on the ace spectrum, a lifelike portrayal of some struggles I myself go through and I appreciated the representation immensely.
Once they get out in the field to prepare the cryptid podcast, they meet a resident Sasquatch expert whose introduction made me laugh out loud, and a water monster expert who is soon monologuing about the inherent eroticism of the giant squid. This last third of the book really picked up the pacing for me, and the romance was great. The pair was so soft and awkward. I also don't think I've ever read an intercrural scene before in published romance, which was steamy and unique.
The side characters were also memorable individuals. Overall a very good story! Four solid stars.
June 7, 2023
This book actually made me breathless. I told myself I would just read the first few pages while my computer updated, and then the next thing I knew, three hours had passed and I had read the entire thing in one go. It is so different from anything I have read before, and so tender that I can’t read certain bits without furiously blushing like a teenager. It is truly a treasure of a book.
June 18, 2023
Love, Lies, and Cryptids is a well-done queer romance that is perfectly balanced with reality, humor, and romantics-at-heart. Nico and Jasper's relationship blooms organically, despite Nico's grumpy stance that they don't want a romance. Nolan confronted the potentially problematic power dynamics with a relationship between a boss and their employee and has the more powerful character recognize and care about the imbalance. Jasper is both full of sunshine yet insecure, until he's in the right environment where he becomes the more confident of the two. This helps balance the potentially problematic situation of a boss/assistant relationship, as the power dynamics are naturally reversed in the relationship.
What I really enjoyed was how it was clear the two characters wanted to be with each other, even if they chose to go at their own pace. Once Jasper's secrets came to light, Nico is forced to confront themself and their own expectations and boundaries to decide if Jasper's secrets were deal-breakers or not.
Set against an authentic Portland, Oregon and publishing house, the novel has a delightful, fleshed out cast. The owner of the publisher vanishes and the incompetent, over-confident son takes over, creating a chaotic storm that those who work at Unified Theory have to try to navigate. Nico learns they can rely on Jasper, even when their personal relationship seems just as chaotic as their professional one. The rest of the cast are all individuals and I found myself cheering for Evan, who finally says what everyone with a clueless new boss has thought about before walking out.
With a well-rounded cast featuring nonbinary and LGBT characters, each character feels natural rather than an attempt at inclusivity. There's also an adorably opinionated Corgi named "Lady," who is wonderful.
Love, Lies, and Cryptids is a low-angst, border-line romcom queer romance that should be on everyone's bookshelf as a comfort read.
What I really enjoyed was how it was clear the two characters wanted to be with each other, even if they chose to go at their own pace. Once Jasper's secrets came to light, Nico is forced to confront themself and their own expectations and boundaries to decide if Jasper's secrets were deal-breakers or not.
Set against an authentic Portland, Oregon and publishing house, the novel has a delightful, fleshed out cast. The owner of the publisher vanishes and the incompetent, over-confident son takes over, creating a chaotic storm that those who work at Unified Theory have to try to navigate. Nico learns they can rely on Jasper, even when their personal relationship seems just as chaotic as their professional one. The rest of the cast are all individuals and I found myself cheering for Evan, who finally says what everyone with a clueless new boss has thought about before walking out.
With a well-rounded cast featuring nonbinary and LGBT characters, each character feels natural rather than an attempt at inclusivity. There's also an adorably opinionated Corgi named "Lady," who is wonderful.
Love, Lies, and Cryptids is a low-angst, border-line romcom queer romance that should be on everyone's bookshelf as a comfort read.
June 14, 2023
What an incredible job M.L. Nolan does with crafting characters that feel real and relatable. The situations they're in never feel forced--by the narrative, at least.
The heat is smoking, the laughs are genuine, and the feels are so very real.
I devoured this book in one night, and I couldn't recommend it more to anyone who likes office romance, queer characters getting to be happy, and antagonists being delightful hate-sinks.
The heat is smoking, the laughs are genuine, and the feels are so very real.
I devoured this book in one night, and I couldn't recommend it more to anyone who likes office romance, queer characters getting to be happy, and antagonists being delightful hate-sinks.
June 23, 2023
Sleep is for the weak (and not for when you have a good book to read)
I’ve found that I only really forget that time exists and that I need to sleep when reading a book when I really enjoy. So, considering I didn’t go to bed until 3am multiple days in a row while reading this you can assume that I had a wonderful time!
This story is a really fun ride with a great balance between drama/angst and comedy. Nico is great as a character, their anxiety is palpable near constantly, and I loved watching them slowly realize that it wasn’t helping them and that they deserved to put themself first and have some happiness in their life. It was also lovely to see everyone around them (except Brent, Dick, and his insane posse) respecting their gender identity without question, apologizing when they fucked up, and defending the fuck out of them when they need to!
Jasper is a gem, just overall swell dude. I love that he also is kind but not spineless, he will stick up for himself when he needs to but he’s never cruel. The dynamic between Jasper and Nico is adorable.
Side note, Eddie may not be a main character but he has main character energy and I would kill/die for him. He’s hilarious (and so is his wife. I would also kill/die for her.)
I can’t wait to see what M.L cooks up next! I know I’ll be following their work for as long as they’re writing stuff!
In conclusion. I love it your honor.
I’ve found that I only really forget that time exists and that I need to sleep when reading a book when I really enjoy. So, considering I didn’t go to bed until 3am multiple days in a row while reading this you can assume that I had a wonderful time!
This story is a really fun ride with a great balance between drama/angst and comedy. Nico is great as a character, their anxiety is palpable near constantly, and I loved watching them slowly realize that it wasn’t helping them and that they deserved to put themself first and have some happiness in their life. It was also lovely to see everyone around them (except Brent, Dick, and his insane posse) respecting their gender identity without question, apologizing when they fucked up, and defending the fuck out of them when they need to!
Jasper is a gem, just overall swell dude. I love that he also is kind but not spineless, he will stick up for himself when he needs to but he’s never cruel. The dynamic between Jasper and Nico is adorable.
Side note, Eddie may not be a main character but he has main character energy and I would kill/die for him. He’s hilarious (and so is his wife. I would also kill/die for her.)
I can’t wait to see what M.L cooks up next! I know I’ll be following their work for as long as they’re writing stuff!
In conclusion. I love it your honor.
June 12, 2023
This book is easily one of my favourites of all time. Every word of it had me giggling, grinning, and blushing like crazy.
Nico is a character that is so dear to me - demisexual, nonbinary, (and adorably grumpy & anxious) he's everything I never thought I would get to see of myself in a fictional character.
Nervous, gentle, and with the voice of a (very naughty) angel, Jasper is his perfect complement, and watching them fall in love and go on a completely bizarre adventure is nothing but a delight from start to finish. They're two lovable, hilariously imperfect people who grow into a sweet relationship as equal partners, and there's nothing I love better.
This book is populated by a cast of memorable secondary characters, some of whom I love more than anything and some of whom I would enjoy repeatedly squirting with a spray bottle. Everyone adds something special to the story as our heroes journey from their publishing office in Portland to the eerie, massive cabin where they're *definitely* nothing supernatural happening, right, Bigfoot? Nah, that's definitely a bear.
Nico is a character that is so dear to me - demisexual, nonbinary, (and adorably grumpy & anxious) he's everything I never thought I would get to see of myself in a fictional character.
Nervous, gentle, and with the voice of a (very naughty) angel, Jasper is his perfect complement, and watching them fall in love and go on a completely bizarre adventure is nothing but a delight from start to finish. They're two lovable, hilariously imperfect people who grow into a sweet relationship as equal partners, and there's nothing I love better.
This book is populated by a cast of memorable secondary characters, some of whom I love more than anything and some of whom I would enjoy repeatedly squirting with a spray bottle. Everyone adds something special to the story as our heroes journey from their publishing office in Portland to the eerie, massive cabin where they're *definitely* nothing supernatural happening, right, Bigfoot? Nah, that's definitely a bear.
June 13, 2023
Omg omg I love this book so much!
I think the best part for me was Nico. As a nonbinary ace type person, you don’t really see yourself in romances (ever, I’ve never read a book like this before), and it was just so good and affirming! There are people out there who love people like me! It’s a possible thing! It might look like this! I don’t have to change who I am to find love and companionship! It was done so very well. It wasn’t all about the gender and sexuality, and it was never in spite of it. It was about the developing romance and how the characters fit together, like all good romances, and then it gave some lovely modelling for how to be sensitive and loving in various situations. The prose and plot were clear and flowed well, the secondary characters were amusing and often caricatured, and the humour was tender and vivid. I laughed out loud frequently! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance, and particularly to ace or nonbinary people and their allies. (I did receive a free eARC in return for writing an honest review of this book. I honestly adored it.)
I think the best part for me was Nico. As a nonbinary ace type person, you don’t really see yourself in romances (ever, I’ve never read a book like this before), and it was just so good and affirming! There are people out there who love people like me! It’s a possible thing! It might look like this! I don’t have to change who I am to find love and companionship! It was done so very well. It wasn’t all about the gender and sexuality, and it was never in spite of it. It was about the developing romance and how the characters fit together, like all good romances, and then it gave some lovely modelling for how to be sensitive and loving in various situations. The prose and plot were clear and flowed well, the secondary characters were amusing and often caricatured, and the humour was tender and vivid. I laughed out loud frequently! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves romance, and particularly to ace or nonbinary people and their allies. (I did receive a free eARC in return for writing an honest review of this book. I honestly adored it.)
January 18, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I especially appreciated how grounded both the characters and the plot feel. Jasper and Nico are very relatable and real, their relationship feels natural. I especially appreciate how they approach a relationship with thoughtful purpose. Both these characters are wonderfully brought to life by the author, and the book (while maybe a bit long) has a really engaging style which I loved. I love grumpy sunshine stories and this is a unique one, especially in how dimensionally both Jasper and Nico are written. I liked the hopeful and realistic ending, it was very true to this couple. Really, we all can try to be less difficult in our relationships!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
July 4, 2023
The number of times I absolutely YELLED reading this book! Perfect for fans of JonMartin/The Magnus Archives who wished for the office romcom without the angst of the eldritch horror hanging over their heads.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews