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With A Kick #1
A Twist and Two Balls
Eduardo Mancini is going to be a star of the London stage and screen. Or that was the plan. His alter ego Eddy March hasn't got further than the chorus and a bit part in a TV series. His parents aren't supportive, his agent can’t place his particular skills, and he's finding it hard to hang onto his young dreams. Things go from bad to worse when he's late for an important audition, hasn't got enough to money to pay the taxi fare, and is chased across the streets of Soho by the irate driver.
Eddy reaches what he believes is sanctuary - With A Kick, a store where ice creams are blended with alcohol and imagination, and where his friends can help him. But Nuri the taxi driver is persistent in his steady pursuit, above and beyond the money he’s owed. Despite their very different characters and background, Eddy and Nuri’s relationship goes from a complete unknown to a wary balancing act. There are still mistakes to be made, and hurdles to clear. And both of them have to admit that their life so far hasn’t gone the way they planned.
But maybe being caught by Nuri was just what Eddy’s career needed – both for his job and his heart.
Eddy reaches what he believes is sanctuary - With A Kick, a store where ice creams are blended with alcohol and imagination, and where his friends can help him. But Nuri the taxi driver is persistent in his steady pursuit, above and beyond the money he’s owed. Despite their very different characters and background, Eddy and Nuri’s relationship goes from a complete unknown to a wary balancing act. There are still mistakes to be made, and hurdles to clear. And both of them have to admit that their life so far hasn’t gone the way they planned.
But maybe being caught by Nuri was just what Eddy’s career needed – both for his job and his heart.
126 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2014
57 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
About the author
Clare London
147 books434 followersClare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.
All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!
Clare also writes as Stella Shaw and launched a new series of rent boy romances in 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
December 28, 2015
ESL jokes seem a touch passé at this juncture, do they not?
"eduardo" was waaaaaaaaaay camp and melodramatic; nuri a magical immigrant; the family had the flavor of a cut-rate My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
nowt in the way of developed conflict—which left only ethnic foreigner jokes, sex, and high-strung thespian panics.
not my idea of a good time, alas.
"eduardo" was waaaaaaaaaay camp and melodramatic; nuri a magical immigrant; the family had the flavor of a cut-rate My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
nowt in the way of developed conflict—which left only ethnic foreigner jokes, sex, and high-strung thespian panics.
not my idea of a good time, alas.
July 7, 2024
Again, a reported negative review "Your review of A Twist and Two Balls (With a Kick, #1) was brought to our attention for containing excessive content quoted from the book."
Let's try this again. Instead of reading the offensive quotes in my review, you can check out the highlights here Sully's highlights and notes from A Twist and Two Balls
Negative stars - This had a kick to it, that's for sure.
Pardon me, but this will be a ranty review that hit too close to home. Feel free to scroll past my negativity.
I'm appalled. This novella is full to the brim with horrific observations of a Turkish family, correcting ESL speakers' English, cataloguing who speaks English well, mocking non-native English speakers, smelling CUMIN on a man because, I guess because he's "foreign." The entire thing was disgusting. This is set in London. It was published in 2014. (That's not enough time back for a valid excuse, imo.)
Before I begin, I read plenty of books where the MC is an asshole, an unapologetic asshole, and does morally grey things. This book is not that. My criticism is about the pretentious, offensive behavior of a white MC with blonde hair who changed his name (stage name?) to sound Spanish, dyed his blonde hair to black to look more Spanish, and the opening scene is him deliberately and consciously trying to figure out the best way to rip off a taxi driver.
Now, if this were a dark romance with an asshole MC then I wouldn't blink an eye. But since this MC, Eddy, which I will be calling him, since I don't agree with Eduardo Mancini's attempt to be Spanish, is portrayed as a down on his luck nice guy. Nice guys don't run out of a taxi and shortchange the driver.
Eddy's personality is quite theatrical/melodramatic so I guess that is supposed to excuse his behavior?
He jumps out of a taxi (knowing he doesn't have nearly enough to cover the fare) not because he's embarrassed he doesn't have the money, he did it because of traffic and wanting to get to his audition on time. So if the traffic issue didn't come up (at which point he was 10-15 quid shortchanging the driver), one would assume he was going to split and leave the driver hanging for what, 20-30+?
He doesn't make it far, probably because he's daydreaming about plays, and the driver stops him. Now we get the fun experience of Eddy yelling "assault" when the taxi driver touched him.
Then, Eddy is on the run, and oh, how does he know his "dark-skinned" driver (Nuri) is on his tail? He smells cumin. Honestly.
Eddy is on the run and when a CUMIN-FLAVORED smell entered his nose, he turned to find the cabbie behind him. Because Turkish people smell like cumin.
I want to write a book where every time the MC bumps into an American they say stuff like, "I smell hamburger!" or "the smell of old McDonald's fry grease wafted my way, it must be the American again!"
Then during this disagreement with the ripped off taxi driver, Eddy noticed some Chinese men staring. He thought oh, the Chinese men will help him (from what?), but they seem to know his driver. Eddy wonders when this became a scene from a Hong Kong gangster film.
Then Eddy worries about the Chinese men starting a "rumble."
About that whole Spanish thing, Nuri asks what his name is and wants to know if he's Spanish because Eddy tells him his name is Eduardo Mancini. Eddy tells him he isn't Spanish.
Later Eddy/Eduardo decides to explain his name. He's not Spanish, he's never been there, he just thought it would sound more memorable. He also admits to dying his blond hair black to look more Spanish.
Okay. Moving onto ranking every person by their English proficiency, because that's normal? That's what I do when I meet people.
Eddy's observations after meeting Nuri's two brothers:
He was shorter and younger, with less of a beard, and the hair on his head shaved to a light stubble. His English was also much better.
“You say she’s very hot, idiot. Every day, your English gets more bad.”
“Worse,” Eddy said reflexively. (It's a reflex to correct a stranger's English?!?!??)
Then we get lovely conversations where Eddy refers to one of the brother's as Accent.
"Accent" isn't his name, but Eddy, despite being an actor who can memorize scripts, cannot remember two men's names, it's easier to separate them based on their English skills and whether or not they have an accent. LOL.)
Eddy meets Nuri's mother:
She smiled and greeted him in excellent English, her gaze flickering quickly over his face, as if searching for something in his eyes. (In excellent English! Gasp!)
Okay, so after meeting Nuri's brothers who were portrayed as bumbling idiotis because their English wasn't perfect, Eddy is invited to Nuri's family home for dinner. He then catalogues everyone's English level, acts out like the spoiled pretentious culturally insensitive twat he really is, becomes the sparkling center of attention despite making almost zero effort (and yes, I take issue with this. Why? Because a white person surrounded by another culture being the most important person in the room bothers me. Also combined with the other shitshows in this book, it just screams "problematic" to me. And I've witnessed this shit firsthand.), and then, then he insults Nuri in front of his entire family and causes a scene. A big one.
His agent is filing charges against him, Nuri offers to help him look at the legality of that claim. Eddy says:
“Let’s talk about this later, Nuri. I don’t appreciate my dirty laundry being aired in public.” (Nuri's family, the place he was invited to as a guest, is the Public?)
Eddy proceeds to be rude and brush off Nuri's offer of help with his legal matter in a condescending way in front of everyone at the family dinner.
Now the reader (and Eddy) find out Nuri has a law degree. That information is irrelevant, why would Eddy speak to him like that in the first place? But wait, it's not Eddy's fault, he didn't know the intelligence levels of his bf yet!
Eddy asks the important questions, like
“But why didn’t you tell me about your degree?” and "Did you want me to think you’d chosen to drive a cab for the rest of your life?”
But wait - Eddy's interpretation of being invited to Nuri's family dinner is to compare it to Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? 🧐
Oh, here's Eddy the unsolicited English fucking professor helping everyone out, Nuri is in the middle of a heartfelt apology and Eddy corrects his English. What an ass.
More mocking of language skills:
“Adem, you idiot. You make him sound like a Flintstone. He works in a club.”
But the cherry on this shitcake? Eddy, the fake Spaniard, whose family may or may not have "descended from gypsy circus performers" (yes, he said that too) is the entire reason Nuri followed up on his career path. Thank all that is holy that this little white thief came along to help out this Turkish family! White Savior much?
"He needed someone in his life to help him make that happen.”
I just cannot believe that not only would someone write this, that others think and feel this way. It's disturbing. I hate it.
Let's try this again. Instead of reading the offensive quotes in my review, you can check out the highlights here Sully's highlights and notes from A Twist and Two Balls
Negative stars - This had a kick to it, that's for sure.
Pardon me, but this will be a ranty review that hit too close to home. Feel free to scroll past my negativity.
I'm appalled. This novella is full to the brim with horrific observations of a Turkish family, correcting ESL speakers' English, cataloguing who speaks English well, mocking non-native English speakers, smelling CUMIN on a man because, I guess because he's "foreign." The entire thing was disgusting. This is set in London. It was published in 2014. (That's not enough time back for a valid excuse, imo.)
Before I begin, I read plenty of books where the MC is an asshole, an unapologetic asshole, and does morally grey things. This book is not that. My criticism is about the pretentious, offensive behavior of a white MC with blonde hair who changed his name (stage name?) to sound Spanish, dyed his blonde hair to black to look more Spanish, and the opening scene is him deliberately and consciously trying to figure out the best way to rip off a taxi driver.
Now, if this were a dark romance with an asshole MC then I wouldn't blink an eye. But since this MC, Eddy, which I will be calling him, since I don't agree with Eduardo Mancini's attempt to be Spanish, is portrayed as a down on his luck nice guy. Nice guys don't run out of a taxi and shortchange the driver.
Eddy's personality is quite theatrical/melodramatic so I guess that is supposed to excuse his behavior?
He jumps out of a taxi (knowing he doesn't have nearly enough to cover the fare) not because he's embarrassed he doesn't have the money, he did it because of traffic and wanting to get to his audition on time. So if the traffic issue didn't come up (at which point he was 10-15 quid shortchanging the driver), one would assume he was going to split and leave the driver hanging for what, 20-30+?
He doesn't make it far, probably because he's daydreaming about plays, and the driver stops him. Now we get the fun experience of Eddy yelling "assault" when the taxi driver touched him.
Then, Eddy is on the run, and oh, how does he know his "dark-skinned" driver (Nuri) is on his tail? He smells cumin. Honestly.
Eddy is on the run and when a CUMIN-FLAVORED smell entered his nose, he turned to find the cabbie behind him. Because Turkish people smell like cumin.
I want to write a book where every time the MC bumps into an American they say stuff like, "I smell hamburger!" or "the smell of old McDonald's fry grease wafted my way, it must be the American again!"
Then during this disagreement with the ripped off taxi driver, Eddy noticed some Chinese men staring. He thought oh, the Chinese men will help him (from what?), but they seem to know his driver. Eddy wonders when this became a scene from a Hong Kong gangster film.
Then Eddy worries about the Chinese men starting a "rumble."
About that whole Spanish thing, Nuri asks what his name is and wants to know if he's Spanish because Eddy tells him his name is Eduardo Mancini. Eddy tells him he isn't Spanish.
Later Eddy/Eduardo decides to explain his name. He's not Spanish, he's never been there, he just thought it would sound more memorable. He also admits to dying his blond hair black to look more Spanish.
Okay. Moving onto ranking every person by their English proficiency, because that's normal? That's what I do when I meet people.
Eddy's observations after meeting Nuri's two brothers:
He was shorter and younger, with less of a beard, and the hair on his head shaved to a light stubble. His English was also much better.
“You say she’s very hot, idiot. Every day, your English gets more bad.”
“Worse,” Eddy said reflexively. (It's a reflex to correct a stranger's English?!?!??)
Then we get lovely conversations where Eddy refers to one of the brother's as Accent.
"Accent" isn't his name, but Eddy, despite being an actor who can memorize scripts, cannot remember two men's names, it's easier to separate them based on their English skills and whether or not they have an accent. LOL.)
Eddy meets Nuri's mother:
She smiled and greeted him in excellent English, her gaze flickering quickly over his face, as if searching for something in his eyes. (In excellent English! Gasp!)
Okay, so after meeting Nuri's brothers who were portrayed as bumbling idiotis because their English wasn't perfect, Eddy is invited to Nuri's family home for dinner. He then catalogues everyone's English level, acts out like the spoiled pretentious culturally insensitive twat he really is, becomes the sparkling center of attention despite making almost zero effort (and yes, I take issue with this. Why? Because a white person surrounded by another culture being the most important person in the room bothers me. Also combined with the other shitshows in this book, it just screams "problematic" to me. And I've witnessed this shit firsthand.), and then, then he insults Nuri in front of his entire family and causes a scene. A big one.
His agent is filing charges against him, Nuri offers to help him look at the legality of that claim. Eddy says:
“Let’s talk about this later, Nuri. I don’t appreciate my dirty laundry being aired in public.” (Nuri's family, the place he was invited to as a guest, is the Public?)
Eddy proceeds to be rude and brush off Nuri's offer of help with his legal matter in a condescending way in front of everyone at the family dinner.
Now the reader (and Eddy) find out Nuri has a law degree. That information is irrelevant, why would Eddy speak to him like that in the first place? But wait, it's not Eddy's fault, he didn't know the intelligence levels of his bf yet!
Eddy asks the important questions, like
“But why didn’t you tell me about your degree?” and "Did you want me to think you’d chosen to drive a cab for the rest of your life?”
But wait - Eddy's interpretation of being invited to Nuri's family dinner is to compare it to Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? 🧐
Oh, here's Eddy the unsolicited English fucking professor helping everyone out, Nuri is in the middle of a heartfelt apology and Eddy corrects his English. What an ass.
More mocking of language skills:
“Adem, you idiot. You make him sound like a Flintstone. He works in a club.”
But the cherry on this shitcake? Eddy, the fake Spaniard, whose family may or may not have "descended from gypsy circus performers" (yes, he said that too) is the entire reason Nuri followed up on his career path. Thank all that is holy that this little white thief came along to help out this Turkish family! White Savior much?
"He needed someone in his life to help him make that happen.”
I just cannot believe that not only would someone write this, that others think and feel this way. It's disturbing. I hate it.
April 28, 2019
3 Stars
Once again, Joel Leslie delivers an enjoyable performance. I don't know if Nuri's accent was authentic, but I definitely loved how he narrated this cute story.
Eddy was hard to engage with at first, but he's an actor and a bit OTT...which I guess could be redundant to say? Once he started letting his walls down, started acting a bit more authentic, he was quite loveable. And Nuri's family is a HOOT. I loved how they didn't fit the stereotype typically ascribed to such a macho culture. Plus, Nuri...*sigh* what a romantic. Also, #POINTS! for being a big, hairy, strong bottom who is completely comfortable in himself and his life.
Despite the almost expected ending, I did like the way it was wrapped up.
Once again, Joel Leslie delivers an enjoyable performance. I don't know if Nuri's accent was authentic, but I definitely loved how he narrated this cute story.
Eddy was hard to engage with at first, but he's an actor and a bit OTT...which I guess could be redundant to say? Once he started letting his walls down, started acting a bit more authentic, he was quite loveable. And Nuri's family is a HOOT. I loved how they didn't fit the stereotype typically ascribed to such a macho culture. Plus, Nuri...*sigh* what a romantic. Also, #POINTS! for being a big, hairy, strong bottom who is completely comfortable in himself and his life.
Despite the almost expected ending, I did like the way it was wrapped up.
November 4, 2014
Just a warning, when you read this book, you will crave ice cream.
Just like that ice cream is a delicious little snacky, this story will give you the same kind of satisfying happy feeling. Eduardo Mancini has got some problems of his own making and lucky for him his bad luck takes a turn in the form of taxi driver Nuri. What starts off as a day from hell ends up being the best opportunity Eddy will ever get. And, make no mistake, as much as his stage diva self would like to be Eduardo Mancini, he’s really Eddy March and it isn’t until he can accept himself as Eddy with all his faults and fears that Eddy will ever be happy.
Eddy has big dreams of life on stage to the exclusion of reality unfortunately and his view of himself is holding him back from achieving any kind of success with his narrow minded view of what his life should be. It was really cute how he knew he was a bit of a ridiculous diva, but he held on to it like a shield and his attitude got him through some rough times. It’s also what catches the eye of the slightly intimidating Nuri. It takes some time for Eddy to understand that all the things that drive Eddy crazy about himself are all the things that Nuri is attracted to.
The attraction between the two of them is obvious and their personalities are perfectly balanced against each other. The natural progression of things is to meet the family and Nuri takes Eddy home to meet his. Nuri’s family is big, loud, loving and a little overwhelming to poor Eddy. Things started out well and because things were going too well, it was time to throw some angst into the story. Eddy’s diva takes over when he learns things about Nuri that were a surprise to him. The things he learned were actually all good things, but he was hurt that Nuri didn’t share more of himself sooner and he pitched a bitch-fit in front of the family. Woops. I wanted to throttle Eddy at that point myself much like Nuri’s mother did. To be fair, Nuri should have been more willing to share of himself, you can only be the strong, solid, and obviously too quiet character for so long.
The guys took a ride on the angst train, but it’s nothing too heavy and it’s reasonably resolved. Eddy has some growing up to do and thankfully he has his rock that is Nuri who’s got his back no matter what and Nuri has the firecracker that is Eddy to give him the kick in the ass motivation when he needs it. They also have their sanctuary, With a Kick, the ice cream shop that blends tasty frozen treats with alcohol run by his good friends, Lee and Patrick. I’m hoping the next story in the series is about them. They obviously have a story to tell! I’d also like a With a Kick shop to open up in my neighborhood ASAP.
This was a sweet little start to a feel good series that I would definitely recommend to cleanse your palate between more angsty and heavy reads. The characters were unique and I liked that they had flaws to keep them interesting and memorable. The end felt a little rushed as I would have liked to see more of them after they pulled it together, but hopefully they’ll make an appearance in book 2.
***a copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest review***
Just like that ice cream is a delicious little snacky, this story will give you the same kind of satisfying happy feeling. Eduardo Mancini has got some problems of his own making and lucky for him his bad luck takes a turn in the form of taxi driver Nuri. What starts off as a day from hell ends up being the best opportunity Eddy will ever get. And, make no mistake, as much as his stage diva self would like to be Eduardo Mancini, he’s really Eddy March and it isn’t until he can accept himself as Eddy with all his faults and fears that Eddy will ever be happy.
Eddy has big dreams of life on stage to the exclusion of reality unfortunately and his view of himself is holding him back from achieving any kind of success with his narrow minded view of what his life should be. It was really cute how he knew he was a bit of a ridiculous diva, but he held on to it like a shield and his attitude got him through some rough times. It’s also what catches the eye of the slightly intimidating Nuri. It takes some time for Eddy to understand that all the things that drive Eddy crazy about himself are all the things that Nuri is attracted to.
The attraction between the two of them is obvious and their personalities are perfectly balanced against each other. The natural progression of things is to meet the family and Nuri takes Eddy home to meet his. Nuri’s family is big, loud, loving and a little overwhelming to poor Eddy. Things started out well and because things were going too well, it was time to throw some angst into the story. Eddy’s diva takes over when he learns things about Nuri that were a surprise to him. The things he learned were actually all good things, but he was hurt that Nuri didn’t share more of himself sooner and he pitched a bitch-fit in front of the family. Woops. I wanted to throttle Eddy at that point myself much like Nuri’s mother did. To be fair, Nuri should have been more willing to share of himself, you can only be the strong, solid, and obviously too quiet character for so long.
The guys took a ride on the angst train, but it’s nothing too heavy and it’s reasonably resolved. Eddy has some growing up to do and thankfully he has his rock that is Nuri who’s got his back no matter what and Nuri has the firecracker that is Eddy to give him the kick in the ass motivation when he needs it. They also have their sanctuary, With a Kick, the ice cream shop that blends tasty frozen treats with alcohol run by his good friends, Lee and Patrick. I’m hoping the next story in the series is about them. They obviously have a story to tell! I’d also like a With a Kick shop to open up in my neighborhood ASAP.
This was a sweet little start to a feel good series that I would definitely recommend to cleanse your palate between more angsty and heavy reads. The characters were unique and I liked that they had flaws to keep them interesting and memorable. The end felt a little rushed as I would have liked to see more of them after they pulled it together, but hopefully they’ll make an appearance in book 2.
***a copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest review***
December 14, 2015
This is light and fun. There are a few twists, some character growth, and very little angst. Eddy the z-list actor meets Nuri, a cab driver, when he realizes he doesn't have enough money to pay for his cab ride. Eddy tries to fob Nuri off with the meager contents of his pockets and run away. But Nuri follows him...
Nuri is a wonderful guy with a great family - his brothers and their arguments about English usage are one of the charms of the book. I actually wasn't convinced that Eddy was good enough for him, but he seemed happy and that's what counts. A good story about dreams, family, and the value of determination. And ice-cream.
Nuri is a wonderful guy with a great family - his brothers and their arguments about English usage are one of the charms of the book. I actually wasn't convinced that Eddy was good enough for him, but he seemed happy and that's what counts. A good story about dreams, family, and the value of determination. And ice-cream.
September 16, 2024
I think I've read this one three times now, every time I need "ice cream on cover" for a challenge lol. Still, it works well every time. A Twist and Two Balls sets up the series nicely, and Clare London does a nice job with this opposites attract romance.
The audio version of the entire series is performed by Joel Leslie.
The audio version of the entire series is performed by Joel Leslie.
June 19, 2018
3.5 Stars
This is a sweet and yet realistically tart interracial romance yet around the boozey ice cream shop at the center of this series.
Nuri and Eddy get off to a very rough start. Eddy does not have the money to pay the Taxi fare.
Eddy and Nuri are very different men but they like and admire each other as Eddy finds himself again as a performer and Nuri shares more and more of his family and life with him.
There is a madcap feel to parts of this romance and in other parts its lush. Compelling love story.
This is a sweet and yet realistically tart interracial romance yet around the boozey ice cream shop at the center of this series.
Nuri and Eddy get off to a very rough start. Eddy does not have the money to pay the Taxi fare.
Eddy and Nuri are very different men but they like and admire each other as Eddy finds himself again as a performer and Nuri shares more and more of his family and life with him.
There is a madcap feel to parts of this romance and in other parts its lush. Compelling love story.
Read
February 25, 2015This story is a real bang for its length. Although it’s a novella, A Twist and Two Balls packed in more character development than many novels I read. A main thing I look for in a book is whether I get a sense of who the characters are right away. The very first scene in this gem of a story really delivered. Right away, I felt Eddie’s energy as he struggled to scrape together a career that simply wasn’t happening. He’d become so accustomed to the message that he wasn’t enough that he had become Eduardo in an attempt to create a buzz for himself.
Nuri is a fantastic compliment to Eddy. He’s centered and steady, and phenomenally perceptive. From the start, there’s a sense that he sees through all the set dressing an into the core of things. The intimacy between them is tender and touching. And yet, as is so often the case in real life, while Nuri's got 20/20 vision for what’s going on with Eddy, he’s less perceptive about what he needs for himself.
Nuri is a fantastic compliment to Eddy. He’s centered and steady, and phenomenally perceptive. From the start, there’s a sense that he sees through all the set dressing an into the core of things. The intimacy between them is tender and touching. And yet, as is so often the case in real life, while Nuri's got 20/20 vision for what’s going on with Eddy, he’s less perceptive about what he needs for himself.
August 2, 2018
Well this book was just charming! I adored the storytelling in this...and for a novella it had a LOT of story to it, it seemed much longer than the page count made me think it would be.
I loved Eddie and Nuri together. Nuri and his gentleness, his mannerisms were just swoon worthy and I literally LOLed at his family! Eddie was funny, over the top, and yeah a bit self centered so I’m glad he realized that and wanted to change for the better.
These two had great chemistry, some bumps along the road, and some awwwwww inducing moments. Really enjoyed this!
ETA: OH! and WOW, amazing narration from Joel Leslie! As always, he delivers a top notch story with accents, a variety of voices, and perfection. There's a reason why he's one of the best.
I received an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Eddie and Nuri together. Nuri and his gentleness, his mannerisms were just swoon worthy and I literally LOLed at his family! Eddie was funny, over the top, and yeah a bit self centered so I’m glad he realized that and wanted to change for the better.
These two had great chemistry, some bumps along the road, and some awwwwww inducing moments. Really enjoyed this!
ETA: OH! and WOW, amazing narration from Joel Leslie! As always, he delivers a top notch story with accents, a variety of voices, and perfection. There's a reason why he's one of the best.
I received an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2015
What a wonderful start to a new series! Anybody who knows me knows that my favorite trip EVER was to Turkey :) I LOVED Nuri and his family - reminded me so much of my time there. What a lovely country and people I got to experience. Of course Eduardo (Eddy) is quite the counterpoint to Nuri. But after a rather unique and surprising meeting, it turns out that these two complement each other quite well ;)
Nuri's family is a big part of this story. His mother, grandmother, siblings and their families all play a role in Nuri's life and then in Eddy's. They are encouraging and supportive of both men and their dreams. And they can be a bit pushy as well ;)
No spoilers from me on the plot, but what an enjoyable read! Looking forward to whatever comes next.
Nuri's family is a big part of this story. His mother, grandmother, siblings and their families all play a role in Nuri's life and then in Eddy's. They are encouraging and supportive of both men and their dreams. And they can be a bit pushy as well ;)
No spoilers from me on the plot, but what an enjoyable read! Looking forward to whatever comes next.
August 27, 2025
I did it for the group chat.
This was obscenely bad. The writing was beyond over the top, the only way I can think to describe it is to compare it to the infamous “Baby Kangaroo Tribbiani” plot from Friends. It read like the author desperately wanted us to know they were smart and knew lots of big words, not to mention to constant name dropping of classic literature, film, and theatre.
But more than that, it was horrendously racist. The book is full of offensive racial stereotypes, casually woven through the entire story. Even if the writing was better, it’s an extremely uncomfortable read and I’ll never pick something up by this author again.
I’m also fully convinced the cover is AI…
This was obscenely bad. The writing was beyond over the top, the only way I can think to describe it is to compare it to the infamous “Baby Kangaroo Tribbiani” plot from Friends. It read like the author desperately wanted us to know they were smart and knew lots of big words, not to mention to constant name dropping of classic literature, film, and theatre.
But more than that, it was horrendously racist. The book is full of offensive racial stereotypes, casually woven through the entire story. Even if the writing was better, it’s an extremely uncomfortable read and I’ll never pick something up by this author again.
I’m also fully convinced the cover is AI…
September 28, 2014
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.” ~ Steve Jobs
Little does Eduardo, of 'A Twist and Two Balls' by Clare London, know that not having enough money for his cab fare could lead to a new direction in his life. The cab driver, Nuri, is determined to get his fare and chases after Eduardo demanding that he be paid; but Nuri isn't pursuing him only for the money; he's attracted to Eduardo and wants to get to know him better. This gives him an opportunity to do so, which makes this cab ride very fortuitous for both men.
Eduardo knows he wants to be in entertainment, but acting hasn't worked out well for him. His parents are both performers—his father, a famous actor and his mother, a world renowned dancer. Neither of them give Eduardo the encouragement he needs, but he yearns to make them proud of him. Even his agent is putting him off by not giving him jobs. Eduardo is just not acting material, yet he doesn't want to give up; he can't admit that acting is just not for him. When Eduardo meets Nuri, he's at an all-time low. He's not expecting to find someone as gregarious, considerate, and as interested in him as Nuri is. He's a bit overwhelmed, but intrigued as well. Eduardo is an only child, with distant parents, so meeting Nuri's gigantic, close Turkish family is a little scary, but, at the same time, it is wonderful. The love they have for each other is amazing and the way they accept the fact that Nuri is gay and Eduardo as his boyfriend blows his mind. From the beginning, they treat him like a member of the family. They aren't pretentious. They are totally honest with each other and with Eduardo as well. He's not used to this kind of disclosure and it taken aback, but he is also delighted. They think Eduardo is funny doing his impressions of movie characters. Eduardo gets a new appreciation for performing, even though it's different from stage or movie acting.
Nuri starts out being a little scary, but when I realized his real motive for chasing after Eduardo, I began to admire him. From the beginning I saw the sincerity, love of family, consideration for other people, especially when I learned that Nuri had a law degree, but hadn't gone into practice because his family needs help and it involves having a flexible schedule which cab driving does. Nuri's family is everything to him, the most important thing in his life, even to the point of putting them ahead of his own desires. He doesn't tell Eduardo about his education at first and when a time comes where he can help Eduardo with the law, his motives are misunderstood; Eduardo takes it wrong and gets angry. He thinks Nuri is considering him inept at handling things himself. Nuri loses his temper which is so unlike him. After that, he stays away from Eduardo for a while, doing some soul searching and helping make things right legally, before proceeding with his relationship with Eduardo.
The characters’ imperfections are what give the story its flavor. I loved both Nuri and Eduardo. It was angsty and tense in places, yet humorous, charming, and witty in others. Nuri's family adds a lot of depth and character to the story. Being in their home is sometimes like being in a circus; it is confusing, but entertaining as well. I could feel the strength of the family flowing through their home. The theme, heavily woven throughout, reminds us that we should never giving up on our dream; if what we are doing isn't working, we shouldn't be afraid to reach out for something new. Life is too short to live with sadness and regret. I recommend this story to everyone who likes actors, humor, angst, large families, and never giving up on our dreams. Thanks, Clare, for the entertaining story.
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Little does Eduardo, of 'A Twist and Two Balls' by Clare London, know that not having enough money for his cab fare could lead to a new direction in his life. The cab driver, Nuri, is determined to get his fare and chases after Eduardo demanding that he be paid; but Nuri isn't pursuing him only for the money; he's attracted to Eduardo and wants to get to know him better. This gives him an opportunity to do so, which makes this cab ride very fortuitous for both men.
Eduardo knows he wants to be in entertainment, but acting hasn't worked out well for him. His parents are both performers—his father, a famous actor and his mother, a world renowned dancer. Neither of them give Eduardo the encouragement he needs, but he yearns to make them proud of him. Even his agent is putting him off by not giving him jobs. Eduardo is just not acting material, yet he doesn't want to give up; he can't admit that acting is just not for him. When Eduardo meets Nuri, he's at an all-time low. He's not expecting to find someone as gregarious, considerate, and as interested in him as Nuri is. He's a bit overwhelmed, but intrigued as well. Eduardo is an only child, with distant parents, so meeting Nuri's gigantic, close Turkish family is a little scary, but, at the same time, it is wonderful. The love they have for each other is amazing and the way they accept the fact that Nuri is gay and Eduardo as his boyfriend blows his mind. From the beginning, they treat him like a member of the family. They aren't pretentious. They are totally honest with each other and with Eduardo as well. He's not used to this kind of disclosure and it taken aback, but he is also delighted. They think Eduardo is funny doing his impressions of movie characters. Eduardo gets a new appreciation for performing, even though it's different from stage or movie acting.
Nuri starts out being a little scary, but when I realized his real motive for chasing after Eduardo, I began to admire him. From the beginning I saw the sincerity, love of family, consideration for other people, especially when I learned that Nuri had a law degree, but hadn't gone into practice because his family needs help and it involves having a flexible schedule which cab driving does. Nuri's family is everything to him, the most important thing in his life, even to the point of putting them ahead of his own desires. He doesn't tell Eduardo about his education at first and when a time comes where he can help Eduardo with the law, his motives are misunderstood; Eduardo takes it wrong and gets angry. He thinks Nuri is considering him inept at handling things himself. Nuri loses his temper which is so unlike him. After that, he stays away from Eduardo for a while, doing some soul searching and helping make things right legally, before proceeding with his relationship with Eduardo.
The characters’ imperfections are what give the story its flavor. I loved both Nuri and Eduardo. It was angsty and tense in places, yet humorous, charming, and witty in others. Nuri's family adds a lot of depth and character to the story. Being in their home is sometimes like being in a circus; it is confusing, but entertaining as well. I could feel the strength of the family flowing through their home. The theme, heavily woven throughout, reminds us that we should never giving up on our dream; if what we are doing isn't working, we shouldn't be afraid to reach out for something new. Life is too short to live with sadness and regret. I recommend this story to everyone who likes actors, humor, angst, large families, and never giving up on our dreams. Thanks, Clare, for the entertaining story.
NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 14, 2014
Poor Eduardo. Things just aren’t going very well for him. He’s on his way to an audition, in his audition clothes, and his taxi is stuck in traffic. He’s going to be late. Even worse, he doesn’t have enough money to pay the fare. The big bear of a driver isn’t amused and doesn’t let Eduardo get away with it. Let the pursuit begin!
Nuri, the taxi driver, is Turkish, calm, steady and really doesn’t want to be ripped off. He doesn’t dart out of the taxi willy nilly to chase down Eduardo. Nope, he calmly parks and follows. There’s something so steady about this guy, he just inspires you. There’s more to Nuri than meets the eye, as well.
For his part, Eduardo has so little faith in himself, the “wrong size, shape, age, color and skill set” to be successful at what he wants to do. He has friends, especially Lee at With a Kick (an ice cream shop that I’d love to try) and it is here that really his meeting with Nuri is official. And where the title comes in, which I loved. He shows some spark, though, such as when he puts Andy’s smartphone in her coffee. Good for you! He has nervous outburst that get him into trouble but he’s making progress.
While the story itself is focused on Eduardo and Nuri, the secondary characters of Nuri’s family make it even better. It’s close-knit, huge and sometimes so funny. The arguments between Adem and Sadi made me laugh, because it’s so “brother” of them. The story is sweet and lovely – it made me want to try raki. The family, they are just so splendid and so real.
Just as an aside, Adem and his huge crush on Penelope Cruz? My hubby would be right there with him, hoping for a glimpse. Romantic, sweet and made me smile.
Nuri, the taxi driver, is Turkish, calm, steady and really doesn’t want to be ripped off. He doesn’t dart out of the taxi willy nilly to chase down Eduardo. Nope, he calmly parks and follows. There’s something so steady about this guy, he just inspires you. There’s more to Nuri than meets the eye, as well.
For his part, Eduardo has so little faith in himself, the “wrong size, shape, age, color and skill set” to be successful at what he wants to do. He has friends, especially Lee at With a Kick (an ice cream shop that I’d love to try) and it is here that really his meeting with Nuri is official. And where the title comes in, which I loved. He shows some spark, though, such as when he puts Andy’s smartphone in her coffee. Good for you! He has nervous outburst that get him into trouble but he’s making progress.
While the story itself is focused on Eduardo and Nuri, the secondary characters of Nuri’s family make it even better. It’s close-knit, huge and sometimes so funny. The arguments between Adem and Sadi made me laugh, because it’s so “brother” of them. The story is sweet and lovely – it made me want to try raki. The family, they are just so splendid and so real.
Just as an aside, Adem and his huge crush on Penelope Cruz? My hubby would be right there with him, hoping for a glimpse. Romantic, sweet and made me smile.
December 29, 2015
I actually started reading this series with the titles from Sue Brown and I totally enjoyed them! This one is similarly enjoyable! I loved Eddy and Nuri and the chemistry between them and I loved Nuri’s funny brothers. Nuri more than anything else was just too dreamy. Gosh, how can a guy be so nice and all? Helping out your family and doing shit for strangers? I loved him! A
my clean-shaven Nuri :)
my clean-shaven Nuri :)
October 29, 2014
Maybe I'm a sucker for fluffy warm fuzzies, because I love this short story. Adorable and lots of humor. There's quite a bit happening, too.
July 4, 2018
3.5 Stars Overall
(Review for Book 1 & 3 Collection in Audio format)
This is my first time with a Clare London book, and with this audiobook, we actually get two novellas and two even shorter stories in this collection bundle which is really nice. Both of the main books are shorter cute novellas with a lot of humor added into them, and then the shorter stories at the end are an added fun bonus since we get to look back in on both couples. I really had fun listening to all of the books that were included. I especially liked the second book and the narration of the characters in that one. With a narration being done by the captivating Joel Leslie, his narration and accents for each of the characters in these books was great to hear, he does such a great job getting different voices and dialects across to sound amazing to your ear. Although there were a few times I struggled trying to understand Nuri & his family's accents (book 1) since they were so thick but that is more of an issue with "me" and not the narration itself. When we get into book two Joel’s narration really stands out especially for the part of Phiz, I really liked Phiz's character a lot and Joel Leslie is a genius when it comes to audiobook narrations and giving us the characters exactly how they are written.
~ A Twist and Two Balls ~
Eduardo/Eddy is a super overly dramatic (failing) actor, who can’t seem to find a job or be anywhere on time or have anything go right for him at all, he seems to have mostly just bad luck in life. He meets Nuri when he tries to run from paying Nuri for his cab ride. lol. Nuri is instantly drawn to Eddie and their connection is formed. They both have some baggage and past issues they have to work through regarding their jobs and family, but this book is really low angst and Drama. Well, besides all of Eddie's ridiculous self-made drama anyways. There is a good amount of character development and dialogue between all the characters. Nuri has a huge family, some of the names and what they each did, was kind of hard to keep track of but all of their interactions together were hilarious. There was a lot of information packed into this book for it being so short. Overall it was okay and I liked it.
~Bonus Book~
The first bonus book we get follows Eddy and Nuri around the holidays. Once again I was totally amused by these two men. Nuri's dialogue and how his brothers and he get all the phrases they say wrong will make you laugh. It’s almost like they do it to irritate Eddy, lol. Hahaaa. Omg. And Eddy is afraid of Santa and all the impersonators!?!? "The Santa gangs are stalking him" LMAO. It got a little odd at the end with the wishes and the weird Santa. But it was still a good addition and it was nice to re-visit this couple and get another look at their lives together.
~ Slap and Tickle ~
I liked this book so much more than the first one. Phiz is an awesome ball of energy who bounces nonstop off the walls. He makes me think of the bubbles fizzing in soda just bouncing and popping around with no rhyme or reason. Phiz's personality fully stood out in the forefront of this book. Bryan is the complete and total opposite, he's steady, stuffy, predictable and boring. The dynamic between Phiz and Bryan was great once they figured out what they both wanted and needed and how to give it to each other, and I ended up liking this story. I hated that Bryan's ex made him feel like he was not normal, less than he was and couldn’t be loved because of the things he likes. Phiz needs to have someone control parts of him, it helps calm the buzzing inside, and Bryan needs to be in charge in the bedroom. Phiz and Bryan are perfect for each other when it comes to the sexual aspect of their relationship, and they explore parts of some light-BDSM together becoming more comfortable with themselves and each other. But there was a struggle for them getting to that point in life and in their relationship, they definitely hit some bumps in the road along the way.
~Bonus Book~
Phiz is kind of insane *in a good way*... And I'm not quite sure how Bryan deals with his craziness…
(Review for Book 1 & 3 Collection in Audio format)
This is my first time with a Clare London book, and with this audiobook, we actually get two novellas and two even shorter stories in this collection bundle which is really nice. Both of the main books are shorter cute novellas with a lot of humor added into them, and then the shorter stories at the end are an added fun bonus since we get to look back in on both couples. I really had fun listening to all of the books that were included. I especially liked the second book and the narration of the characters in that one. With a narration being done by the captivating Joel Leslie, his narration and accents for each of the characters in these books was great to hear, he does such a great job getting different voices and dialects across to sound amazing to your ear. Although there were a few times I struggled trying to understand Nuri & his family's accents (book 1) since they were so thick but that is more of an issue with "me" and not the narration itself. When we get into book two Joel’s narration really stands out especially for the part of Phiz, I really liked Phiz's character a lot and Joel Leslie is a genius when it comes to audiobook narrations and giving us the characters exactly how they are written.
~ A Twist and Two Balls ~
Eduardo/Eddy is a super overly dramatic (failing) actor, who can’t seem to find a job or be anywhere on time or have anything go right for him at all, he seems to have mostly just bad luck in life. He meets Nuri when he tries to run from paying Nuri for his cab ride. lol. Nuri is instantly drawn to Eddie and their connection is formed. They both have some baggage and past issues they have to work through regarding their jobs and family, but this book is really low angst and Drama. Well, besides all of Eddie's ridiculous self-made drama anyways. There is a good amount of character development and dialogue between all the characters. Nuri has a huge family, some of the names and what they each did, was kind of hard to keep track of but all of their interactions together were hilarious. There was a lot of information packed into this book for it being so short. Overall it was okay and I liked it.
~Bonus Book~
The first bonus book we get follows Eddy and Nuri around the holidays. Once again I was totally amused by these two men. Nuri's dialogue and how his brothers and he get all the phrases they say wrong will make you laugh. It’s almost like they do it to irritate Eddy, lol. Hahaaa. Omg. And Eddy is afraid of Santa and all the impersonators!?!? "The Santa gangs are stalking him" LMAO. It got a little odd at the end with the wishes and the weird Santa. But it was still a good addition and it was nice to re-visit this couple and get another look at their lives together.
~ Slap and Tickle ~
I liked this book so much more than the first one. Phiz is an awesome ball of energy who bounces nonstop off the walls. He makes me think of the bubbles fizzing in soda just bouncing and popping around with no rhyme or reason. Phiz's personality fully stood out in the forefront of this book. Bryan is the complete and total opposite, he's steady, stuffy, predictable and boring. The dynamic between Phiz and Bryan was great once they figured out what they both wanted and needed and how to give it to each other, and I ended up liking this story. I hated that Bryan's ex made him feel like he was not normal, less than he was and couldn’t be loved because of the things he likes. Phiz needs to have someone control parts of him, it helps calm the buzzing inside, and Bryan needs to be in charge in the bedroom. Phiz and Bryan are perfect for each other when it comes to the sexual aspect of their relationship, and they explore parts of some light-BDSM together becoming more comfortable with themselves and each other. But there was a struggle for them getting to that point in life and in their relationship, they definitely hit some bumps in the road along the way.
~Bonus Book~
Phiz is kind of insane *in a good way*... And I'm not quite sure how Bryan deals with his craziness…
January 22, 2018
A short read but packed with flavour. I loved that this was more than two people finding love, but also finding things they didn’t even know they needed through their developing relationship. I laughed, I ‘aww’ed, writing you just can’t fault, and naked hairy men...very enjoyable.
February 14, 2019
A really sweet and charming book :)
September 2, 2021
3.5 stars
September 25, 2014
I don’t read a lot of contemporary genre romance but when I do, there are a few go-to authors on my list, and Clare London happens to be one of them, especially her stories that offer a touch of humor along with a lovely taste of England, which describes A Twist and Two Balls to a T.
Eduardo Mancini is a phony. Actually, he’s a struggling actor, but that doesn’t make him, or Eddy March—his true identity—a bad guy, really, even when he attempts to stiff his cabby on the way to an audition. When all is counted, what’s left in Eddy’s pockets adds up to little more than lint and the humiliation of having to do a runner before the cab driver catches on to the fact that Eddie’s shortchanged him. Which works… not at all.
Nuri isn’t about to let Eduardo get away with cheating him, and the big Turkish beauty chases Eddy all the way to his friends’ ice cream shop, With a Kick, where it seems the balance of his fare is the least of what’s on Nuri’s mind. This, as the saying goes, could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. If, that is, Eddy weren’t a little terrified of (and maybe a lot turned on by) Nuri, but hadn’t also missed his audition. Ah, but what would a good romance be without a little conflict and misunderstanding to start it off? That’s where Clare London begins building Eddy and Nuri’s relationship, on the foundation of that unfortunate turn of events, which, after a few more bumps along the way, turns out to be the start of something that promises to be truly wonderful.
I love a good romance-beginning-on-the-wrong-foot story, and that’s exactly what A Twist and Two Balls is. It’s a charming little tale that in just 66 short pages had me rooting for Eddy and Nuri as they struggled through the early fits and starts of getting to know each other, discovering the unexpected, and recovering from some missteps that happen when things don’t get communicated properly.
Eduardo’s evolution to Eddy is particularly charming, and A Twist and Two Balls is a fun story, short, yes, so don’t expect a lot of backstory where these two men are concerned. It’s engaging and I found I fell quickly enough for Nuri and Eddy that I can say, without reservation, this one was well worth the reading.
Eduardo Mancini is a phony. Actually, he’s a struggling actor, but that doesn’t make him, or Eddy March—his true identity—a bad guy, really, even when he attempts to stiff his cabby on the way to an audition. When all is counted, what’s left in Eddy’s pockets adds up to little more than lint and the humiliation of having to do a runner before the cab driver catches on to the fact that Eddie’s shortchanged him. Which works… not at all.
Nuri isn’t about to let Eduardo get away with cheating him, and the big Turkish beauty chases Eddy all the way to his friends’ ice cream shop, With a Kick, where it seems the balance of his fare is the least of what’s on Nuri’s mind. This, as the saying goes, could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. If, that is, Eddy weren’t a little terrified of (and maybe a lot turned on by) Nuri, but hadn’t also missed his audition. Ah, but what would a good romance be without a little conflict and misunderstanding to start it off? That’s where Clare London begins building Eddy and Nuri’s relationship, on the foundation of that unfortunate turn of events, which, after a few more bumps along the way, turns out to be the start of something that promises to be truly wonderful.
I love a good romance-beginning-on-the-wrong-foot story, and that’s exactly what A Twist and Two Balls is. It’s a charming little tale that in just 66 short pages had me rooting for Eddy and Nuri as they struggled through the early fits and starts of getting to know each other, discovering the unexpected, and recovering from some missteps that happen when things don’t get communicated properly.
Eduardo’s evolution to Eddy is particularly charming, and A Twist and Two Balls is a fun story, short, yes, so don’t expect a lot of backstory where these two men are concerned. It’s engaging and I found I fell quickly enough for Nuri and Eddy that I can say, without reservation, this one was well worth the reading.
September 11, 2014
4.5 STARS
I rarely rate a story this short any higher than 4 stars because I’d say nine times out of ten I’m left feeling that there isn’t enough depth or it’s too rushed or there’s just too much story missing. But with A Twist and Two Balls I didn’t experience any of those problems. I loved this story and I can’t wait to see what flavor comes next in this promising new series.
My full review of A Twist and Two Balls can be found at Love Bytes
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2014/09/1...
I rarely rate a story this short any higher than 4 stars because I’d say nine times out of ten I’m left feeling that there isn’t enough depth or it’s too rushed or there’s just too much story missing. But with A Twist and Two Balls I didn’t experience any of those problems. I loved this story and I can’t wait to see what flavor comes next in this promising new series.
My full review of A Twist and Two Balls can be found at Love Bytes
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2014/09/1...
October 24, 2014
A great story with lots of humour. I loved Eddy and his rather flighty mind and how his thinking kind of bounced around. Nuri's family kind of gave me hives. As an only with an only, huge families like that kind of make me panicky. :-) I did like how you got glimpses of their backgrounds that explained a lot about why they did what they did for a career and how it shaped them. Just a few lines that made so much sense.
A nice start to the series and having spent August in London it was fun to read about locations of places I'd been. I'm looking forward to more ice-cream stories. (although anything anise flavoured is a no-no for me)
A nice start to the series and having spent August in London it was fun to read about locations of places I'd been. I'm looking forward to more ice-cream stories. (although anything anise flavoured is a no-no for me)
August 29, 2014
This was so funny in a lot of places. I love the quarreling brothers, and the back story to Nuri which is unraveled a bit at a time. I am huge Clare London fan and this has all the usual Clare London touches, humour, angst, family (a huge turkish family I kind of lost track of!), and a lovely HEA. There are some British in-jokes but nothing that pulls you out of the story. I can not wait for book 2 which I understand is being by Sue Brown, and then book 3 which I hope is coming from Clare and that they are taking it in turns!
A very sharply written read which I loved. :)
A very sharply written read which I loved. :)
October 27, 2014
4.5 Review: A Twist and Two Balls.. What an odd book title and exactly why I chose to review this one for The Blogger Girls. The story is 66 kindle pages but it didn’t feel like a short story when it was finished. It’s written very well and the characters are so clearly defined that the reader should have no problem connecting with Eddy and Nuri.
Full review posted at The Blogger Girls http://thebloggergirls.com/2014/10/11...
Full review posted at The Blogger Girls http://thebloggergirls.com/2014/10/11...
October 5, 2022
So good.
Sweet & funny with a great cast of secondary characters and two gorgeous leads.
Only one question begs to be answered, where is this ice cream shop?
Audio available in collection. Fun narration.
Sweet & funny with a great cast of secondary characters and two gorgeous leads.
Only one question begs to be answered, where is this ice cream shop?
Audio available in collection. Fun narration.
January 21, 2016
3.5 stars
Read
September 13, 2014This book was reviewed by Donna for Love Bytes Reviews!
February 22, 2019
Sweet ice cream and booze (an audio review)
A Twist and Two Balls
I’m not a drinker and I still loved these stories. That being said, if you enjoy alcohol, the creative drinks concocted to go with the ice cream will make you salivate. A Twist and Two Balls had me consider drinking alcohol.
On with the story. As someone who tried her hand at acting and failed miserably, I was very much able to relate to Eddy March – or Eduardo Mancini as he’s tried to pass himself off as. Aside from one toothpaste commercial and one episode of a popular television series, he’s a bust. On his worst day yet, he winds up in a cab, and belatedly realizes he can’t pay his fair. Instead of trying to reason the situation out, he runs. Luckily for him, he has a strong and fast cab driver who chases him down – literally.
Nuri came to England from Turkey when he was a small child. He has a massive family, all of whom have accepted that he’s gay. They also adore him and his concern for them has him driving taxi all the time. He believes in a hard day’s work and so having someone literally run out on a fair has him annoyed…and intrigued. He wants to know more about this unemployed actor who has hideous stage frights and does amazing Star Wars impressions. (Shout out to Joel Leslie the narrator for the amazing mimicry of the SW characters.) Nuri is also impressed that Eddy can recite Shakespeare while drunk. Heck, I can’t even do it while sober.
Despite their diverse backgrounds and secrets Nuri is hiding, the two men hit it off and Eddy discovers there might be an alternate use for his talents. I found the happy ending very satisfying.
The bonus story for this couple in Nice & Snow. While the first story was entirely in Eddy’s point of view, this story is told from Nuri’s. It involves snow, kids, Santa, and the belief in miracles. It was a nice revisit, especially to see the extent to which the men’s relationship has developed.
Slap and Tickle
I related to both the men in this story. Brian is an accountant who likes order. I have studied accounting and like when things are a certain way. Phiz is a hot mess. More often than not, I’m a hot mess. So what happens when ordered life meets chaotic whirlwind? Love, of course. But that’s at the end, so I’ll go back a step. The two men literally run into each other in front of the ice cream store and while picking up the flyers Phiz has dropped, Brian notices they’re for a BDSM club. After prodding, he discovers Phiz is interested. Neither has been in a Dominant/submissive relationship before and I enjoyed watching it grow organically. Both men fall into their roles, but it’s Brian who has the most doubt. He’s inflicting pain on someone he’s grown to care about and has guilt associated with that. It’s Phiz who recognizes the dilemma and he says to Brian, “Of course I wanted to do it again. I was waiting for you to feel good about it.”
Aside from the D/s relationship, there is also an imbalance within the relationship because of professions. Brian is successful and accomplished. He’s saved carefully and has significant security. Phiz has moved from job to job, his clumsiness and inability to focus always winding up as a detriment. Only when he finds his true passion is he able to settle into happiness. I loved that he found fulfillment outside of the relationship as well as within it. Too often, people see themselves only in relation to the other person. I liked Phiz’ independent streak. The two men worked together as a couple and I was happy when they got their happy ending.
Snack Happy was the follow-up story for this couple. It takes place around Valentine’s Day and Brian says to Phiz, “you’re mine…my present.” And what a present he is. A little spanking scene and some extra loving for everyone involved.
The stories were great and I loved it was Joel Leslie who brought them to life. You just can’t go wrong when he narrates a book and combined with Ms. London’s humour, I highly recommend this collection.
A Twist and Two Balls
I’m not a drinker and I still loved these stories. That being said, if you enjoy alcohol, the creative drinks concocted to go with the ice cream will make you salivate. A Twist and Two Balls had me consider drinking alcohol.
On with the story. As someone who tried her hand at acting and failed miserably, I was very much able to relate to Eddy March – or Eduardo Mancini as he’s tried to pass himself off as. Aside from one toothpaste commercial and one episode of a popular television series, he’s a bust. On his worst day yet, he winds up in a cab, and belatedly realizes he can’t pay his fair. Instead of trying to reason the situation out, he runs. Luckily for him, he has a strong and fast cab driver who chases him down – literally.
Nuri came to England from Turkey when he was a small child. He has a massive family, all of whom have accepted that he’s gay. They also adore him and his concern for them has him driving taxi all the time. He believes in a hard day’s work and so having someone literally run out on a fair has him annoyed…and intrigued. He wants to know more about this unemployed actor who has hideous stage frights and does amazing Star Wars impressions. (Shout out to Joel Leslie the narrator for the amazing mimicry of the SW characters.) Nuri is also impressed that Eddy can recite Shakespeare while drunk. Heck, I can’t even do it while sober.
Despite their diverse backgrounds and secrets Nuri is hiding, the two men hit it off and Eddy discovers there might be an alternate use for his talents. I found the happy ending very satisfying.
The bonus story for this couple in Nice & Snow. While the first story was entirely in Eddy’s point of view, this story is told from Nuri’s. It involves snow, kids, Santa, and the belief in miracles. It was a nice revisit, especially to see the extent to which the men’s relationship has developed.
Slap and Tickle
I related to both the men in this story. Brian is an accountant who likes order. I have studied accounting and like when things are a certain way. Phiz is a hot mess. More often than not, I’m a hot mess. So what happens when ordered life meets chaotic whirlwind? Love, of course. But that’s at the end, so I’ll go back a step. The two men literally run into each other in front of the ice cream store and while picking up the flyers Phiz has dropped, Brian notices they’re for a BDSM club. After prodding, he discovers Phiz is interested. Neither has been in a Dominant/submissive relationship before and I enjoyed watching it grow organically. Both men fall into their roles, but it’s Brian who has the most doubt. He’s inflicting pain on someone he’s grown to care about and has guilt associated with that. It’s Phiz who recognizes the dilemma and he says to Brian, “Of course I wanted to do it again. I was waiting for you to feel good about it.”
Aside from the D/s relationship, there is also an imbalance within the relationship because of professions. Brian is successful and accomplished. He’s saved carefully and has significant security. Phiz has moved from job to job, his clumsiness and inability to focus always winding up as a detriment. Only when he finds his true passion is he able to settle into happiness. I loved that he found fulfillment outside of the relationship as well as within it. Too often, people see themselves only in relation to the other person. I liked Phiz’ independent streak. The two men worked together as a couple and I was happy when they got their happy ending.
Snack Happy was the follow-up story for this couple. It takes place around Valentine’s Day and Brian says to Phiz, “you’re mine…my present.” And what a present he is. A little spanking scene and some extra loving for everyone involved.
The stories were great and I loved it was Joel Leslie who brought them to life. You just can’t go wrong when he narrates a book and combined with Ms. London’s humour, I highly recommend this collection.
August 16, 2018
A Twist and Two Balls is the first book in Clare London's With a Kick series.
With A Kick is a appropriately named ice cream shop that serves it's ice cream with alcohol. It is Eddy's safe place, as they owners are fantastic, and the whole atmosphere lends itself to some great, entertaining moments.
Eddy and Nuri have one of the best meetings as they get off to an unusual start, that is equal parts funny and unexpected.
Eddy's life is floundering when we meet him. He's stressed, as his dreams of being a successful actor aren't panning out and he's struggling to stay afloat.
Nuri is fantastic, as he's so honest, calm and blunt. His family is one of the most entertaining families I've had the pleasure of reading, as they are also blunt, honest, and funny. Their scenes are wonderful and irresistible.
One charming part of this story is the ongoing Shakespeare quotes that add great humor to the story.
I am absolutely charmed by Nuri, as he always puts his hand on top of Eddy's hand, even at the beginning. It is such a simple thing that is just super charming and sweet.
My favorite thing though is how Nuri's family chaos helps to relax Eddy, as he actually is able to be happy and feel mischievous with them, instead of his usually stress.
In the end, Nuri and Eddy are great together. They both help the other to realize that a change needs to be made, and they grow perfectly together.
I definitely enjoyed A Twist and Two Balls, the first book in the With a Kick series and look forward to reading more from this Clare London created world.
With A Kick is a appropriately named ice cream shop that serves it's ice cream with alcohol. It is Eddy's safe place, as they owners are fantastic, and the whole atmosphere lends itself to some great, entertaining moments.
Eddy and Nuri have one of the best meetings as they get off to an unusual start, that is equal parts funny and unexpected.
Eddy's life is floundering when we meet him. He's stressed, as his dreams of being a successful actor aren't panning out and he's struggling to stay afloat.
Nuri is fantastic, as he's so honest, calm and blunt. His family is one of the most entertaining families I've had the pleasure of reading, as they are also blunt, honest, and funny. Their scenes are wonderful and irresistible.
One charming part of this story is the ongoing Shakespeare quotes that add great humor to the story.
I am absolutely charmed by Nuri, as he always puts his hand on top of Eddy's hand, even at the beginning. It is such a simple thing that is just super charming and sweet.
My favorite thing though is how Nuri's family chaos helps to relax Eddy, as he actually is able to be happy and feel mischievous with them, instead of his usually stress.
In the end, Nuri and Eddy are great together. They both help the other to realize that a change needs to be made, and they grow perfectly together.
I definitely enjoyed A Twist and Two Balls, the first book in the With a Kick series and look forward to reading more from this Clare London created world.
March 17, 2024
heartwarming💜
If you like a short story that will make you smile, has adorable main characters, a lovely romance and plenty of humour then nobody does it better than Clare London. It’s always very difficult to capture a reader with a novella but she does it regularly and is the queen of short stories.
Eduardo is an aspiring actor, struggling to make ends meet, with a crap agent who thinks that he should get a bar job, who takes a cab to an audition, realises half way there that he hasn’t got enough money for the ride and so gets out and makes a run for it.
He doesn’t bank on the driver giving chase! Nuri is a sexy Turkish guy with a lovely personality who is chasing Eduardo for more than the cab fare. They go to With a Kick, an ice cream shop that Eduardo frequents that specialises in ices laced with alcohol to see if he can borrow money from his friend Lee and Nuri makes his intentions to get to know him better very clear.
An enjoyable read.
If you like a short story that will make you smile, has adorable main characters, a lovely romance and plenty of humour then nobody does it better than Clare London. It’s always very difficult to capture a reader with a novella but she does it regularly and is the queen of short stories.
Eduardo is an aspiring actor, struggling to make ends meet, with a crap agent who thinks that he should get a bar job, who takes a cab to an audition, realises half way there that he hasn’t got enough money for the ride and so gets out and makes a run for it.
He doesn’t bank on the driver giving chase! Nuri is a sexy Turkish guy with a lovely personality who is chasing Eduardo for more than the cab fare. They go to With a Kick, an ice cream shop that Eduardo frequents that specialises in ices laced with alcohol to see if he can borrow money from his friend Lee and Nuri makes his intentions to get to know him better very clear.
An enjoyable read.
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