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Hidden Affairs #1
Brazen Affairs
My entire life has been one steady plan after another.
Go to college.
Get married.
Have a successful career.
More than a decade goes by, and my entire world is rocked in more ways than one. Everything I thought I knew is ripped from under me in one fell swoop.
Then I meet him.
The enticing man behind the camera with the boyish grin and the charismatic energy that makes me question everything.
He was only supposed to be a means to an end. But what I got was so much more.
*Brazen Affairs is book one in the Hidden Affairs standalone MM series.
Go to college.
Get married.
Have a successful career.
More than a decade goes by, and my entire world is rocked in more ways than one. Everything I thought I knew is ripped from under me in one fell swoop.
Then I meet him.
The enticing man behind the camera with the boyish grin and the charismatic energy that makes me question everything.
He was only supposed to be a means to an end. But what I got was so much more.
*Brazen Affairs is book one in the Hidden Affairs standalone MM series.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2023
273 people are currently reading
1740 people want to read
About the author
Ashley James
30 books1,423 followersAshley James is a romance author who enjoys writing (and reading) LGBTQIA+ books. She is from Washington State—and no, not Seattle—and currently resides in South Carolina with her two kids and hairless kitties, Goose, Maverick, and Houston. Ashley is introverted and slightly (okay, majorly) awkward. She refuses to make this section sound like a tacky dating app profile, so she won't be telling you how much she enjoys music, how she thoroughly enjoys dancing and singing in her kitchen, despite not being able to carry a tune, and she won't be telling you about her love of toxic and broken fictional men.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
January 31, 2023
i am so mad. this goes beyond putting out there a bad or mediocre book. this author had the time to make a playlist for the book but not add trigger warnings?
if you want to read this, note that there are definitely some things that might trigger you: violence, threatening of violence, blackmail of outing someone, stalking, drugging someone, attempted sexual assault.
as if this wasn’t enough at the end there is the prologue of the next book, also no trigger warning present but it’s literally a (attempted, i’m assuming) suicide. (while also being medically incorrect but that’s the least important part)
why the fuck aren’t trigger warnings listed.
because not only there aren’t in the books. none of the arc readers thought of warning people.
i will literally start reading arcs because i’m SICK of this behavior.
i feel like i shouldn’t say anything else, but i put myself through all of that so i’m also going to talk about the book.
yes, there will be spoilers. also, this is some kind of rant because i refuse to waste time trying to make this review pretty.
it started okay. then we got immature characters (which is fine for the ones in their twenties, not so much fine for the one who’s thirty), constant drinking (boring as fuck) and constant sex (also boring as fuck after a while).
camden literally has a no kissing rule. okay christian grey. the rest of his personality is calling vaughn “old man”, drinking and having sex.
vaughn isn’t much better but he should go see a therapist for his anger and violence issues. he literally threatens to kill his ex wife and beats a person unconscious. dude calm down, you’re not in the mafia.
the masks literally killed every sex scenes. in my mind it was like a robbery gone wrong. i laughed a lot (not for the right reasons).
the unexpected threesome at 65% almost made me dnf. talk about uncomfortable.
vaughn and camden literally do nothing but have sex and drink. both alone and together. what an exciting romance.
the cliché of the cheating wife that is mean and tries to do everything to get back with her man is ridiculous and boring. dumb plot.
then we got to the stalker as if what i went through reading this wasn’t enough. then we got to the almost sexual assault and at that point i realized that i jinxed myself. it can always get worse.
at this point they’re still not together but then they kiss (i guess even christian grey learned to make love but i’m not sure i’ve never read those books), they fuck and we have the epilogue where surprise! they fuck.
i’ve just realized that the ex wife either didn’t follow through with her threats or she didn’t but we don’t know. i’m even madder now.
i just want to make clear that i’d rate this one star even if the tw were added.
and i think this is it, i’ve said everything. i might add something if it comes to my mind.
if you want to read this, note that there are definitely some things that might trigger you: violence, threatening of violence, blackmail of outing someone, stalking, drugging someone, attempted sexual assault.
as if this wasn’t enough at the end there is the prologue of the next book, also no trigger warning present but it’s literally a (attempted, i’m assuming) suicide. (while also being medically incorrect but that’s the least important part)
why the fuck aren’t trigger warnings listed.
because not only there aren’t in the books. none of the arc readers thought of warning people.
i will literally start reading arcs because i’m SICK of this behavior.
i feel like i shouldn’t say anything else, but i put myself through all of that so i’m also going to talk about the book.
yes, there will be spoilers. also, this is some kind of rant because i refuse to waste time trying to make this review pretty.
it started okay. then we got immature characters (which is fine for the ones in their twenties, not so much fine for the one who’s thirty), constant drinking (boring as fuck) and constant sex (also boring as fuck after a while).
camden literally has a no kissing rule. okay christian grey. the rest of his personality is calling vaughn “old man”, drinking and having sex.
vaughn isn’t much better but he should go see a therapist for his anger and violence issues. he literally threatens to kill his ex wife and beats a person unconscious. dude calm down, you’re not in the mafia.
the masks literally killed every sex scenes. in my mind it was like a robbery gone wrong. i laughed a lot (not for the right reasons).
the unexpected threesome at 65% almost made me dnf. talk about uncomfortable.
vaughn and camden literally do nothing but have sex and drink. both alone and together. what an exciting romance.
the cliché of the cheating wife that is mean and tries to do everything to get back with her man is ridiculous and boring. dumb plot.
then we got to the stalker as if what i went through reading this wasn’t enough. then we got to the almost sexual assault and at that point i realized that i jinxed myself. it can always get worse.
at this point they’re still not together but then they kiss (i guess even christian grey learned to make love but i’m not sure i’ve never read those books), they fuck and we have the epilogue where surprise! they fuck.
i’ve just realized that the ex wife either didn’t follow through with her threats or she didn’t but we don’t know. i’m even madder now.
i just want to make clear that i’d rate this one star even if the tw were added.
and i think this is it, i’ve said everything. i might add something if it comes to my mind.
![Profile Image for Lilly [Hiatus due to School] .](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1663899589i%2F10381707._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 31, 2023
Brazen Affairs was a great start to the Hidden Affairs series!
We have Vaughn, 33, recently laid off finds his wife cheating on him. Through an article, he learns about Camden, a popular masked sex worker who intrigues and pushes him into starting his only fan account.
Camden, 23, is a college student who started sex work to pay for his schooling. He comes from a rough past, and due to witnessing his mother in countless failing relationships, he does not do relationships. Heck, he has no kissing rule.
As far as he knows, Vaughn has seen himself as straight, so I enjoyed the slow bi-awakening and self-discovery. Camden, while his heart was closed off, not only took Vaughn in but soon had his own walls chipped away at.
The sex was hot! There is a lot, but they were super hot and steamy! I always love a good first-time gay/sexual awakening scene, and really Ashley James delivered on that front! While they have amazing sexual chemistry the romance takes time to develop, so I would say it is a slow burn in that aspect. I also loved the praising, and it was cute how Vaughn turned into mush whenever praised by Camden.
These two men are very different in personalities! I enjoyed the sunshine/grumpy dynamic and age gap. It was cute how they played and joked about it. Both men were frustrating as hell at points and wanted to shake them.
I’m so glad that Camden had friends who made him see what was in front of him because at times I felt so bad at how he was treating Vaughn.
I was hesitant about going into this story as, with most cam/OF stories, there could be potential sharing/threesomes/etc.
There was a little bit of a twist in the story that I didn’t really see towards the end.
Overall I enjoyed it! I am excited about Bodhi and Elias’s stories! If you like stories with opposite attract, grumpy/sunshine, age-gap, praise kink, high steam and slow burn-ish romance, this is it.
We have Vaughn, 33, recently laid off finds his wife cheating on him. Through an article, he learns about Camden, a popular masked sex worker who intrigues and pushes him into starting his only fan account.
Camden, 23, is a college student who started sex work to pay for his schooling. He comes from a rough past, and due to witnessing his mother in countless failing relationships, he does not do relationships. Heck, he has no kissing rule.
As far as he knows, Vaughn has seen himself as straight, so I enjoyed the slow bi-awakening and self-discovery. Camden, while his heart was closed off, not only took Vaughn in but soon had his own walls chipped away at.
The sex was hot! There is a lot, but they were super hot and steamy! I always love a good first-time gay/sexual awakening scene, and really Ashley James delivered on that front! While they have amazing sexual chemistry the romance takes time to develop, so I would say it is a slow burn in that aspect. I also loved the praising, and it was cute how Vaughn turned into mush whenever praised by Camden.
These two men are very different in personalities! I enjoyed the sunshine/grumpy dynamic and age gap. It was cute how they played and joked about it. Both men were frustrating as hell at points and wanted to shake them.
I’m so glad that Camden had friends who made him see what was in front of him because at times I felt so bad at how he was treating Vaughn.
I was hesitant about going into this story as, with most cam/OF stories, there could be potential sharing/threesomes/etc.
There was a little bit of a twist in the story that I didn’t really see towards the end.
Overall I enjoyed it! I am excited about Bodhi and Elias’s stories! If you like stories with opposite attract, grumpy/sunshine, age-gap, praise kink, high steam and slow burn-ish romance, this is it.
dnf
February 1, 2023DNF at 51%
Y’all have got to stop letting me buy this author’s books. They sound good, but I always have a hard time with them because the language is cringey and annoying and the characters are immature. This was just another one like it. I just didn’t like it. It was almost slow burn ish, too, because I was just getting to the sex stuff around half way through. I also rolled my eyes so hard when Camden said he didn’t kiss. Oh jeez. Also I was reading some of the reviews on this book and it apparently gets so dramatic, like kidnappers and stuff. Why was that needed? Anyway I’m glad I stopped when I did.
Y’all have got to stop letting me buy this author’s books. They sound good, but I always have a hard time with them because the language is cringey and annoying and the characters are immature. This was just another one like it. I just didn’t like it. It was almost slow burn ish, too, because I was just getting to the sex stuff around half way through. I also rolled my eyes so hard when Camden said he didn’t kiss. Oh jeez. Also I was reading some of the reviews on this book and it apparently gets so dramatic, like kidnappers and stuff. Why was that needed? Anyway I’m glad I stopped when I did.
February 1, 2023
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.***
Brazen Affairs is the first entry in the Hidden Affairs series. This series features forbidden age/gap romances. This entry focuses on Vaughn and Camden and it is one heck of a slow-burn romance. Vaughn is recently laid off from his white-collar job and discovers his wife has been unfaithful for over six months. He finds himself lacking direction until he stumbles upon the world of camming. He finds himself specifically drawn to one cam boy, Camden. They begin corresponding and you can tell there is a fun flirtation and chemistry between the two.
Camden, a senior in college, has been very successful with his camming career and decides to offer his guidance to Vaughn. They message back and forth and then eventually decide to meet up. This part of the story is when everything starts to really pick up.
Once Camden and Vaughn are physically near one another everything starts to heat up, they have great chemistry even if both are reluctant to admit anything about it. Camden and Vaughn work together, become attached and feelings grow from there.
Overall I really enjoyed this slow-burn romance and getting to see an exciting and fun new batch of characters. I was particularly fond of both of Camden's roommates who have such interesting stories that I cannot wait to see more of them.
Brazen Affairs is the first entry in the Hidden Affairs series. This series features forbidden age/gap romances. This entry focuses on Vaughn and Camden and it is one heck of a slow-burn romance. Vaughn is recently laid off from his white-collar job and discovers his wife has been unfaithful for over six months. He finds himself lacking direction until he stumbles upon the world of camming. He finds himself specifically drawn to one cam boy, Camden. They begin corresponding and you can tell there is a fun flirtation and chemistry between the two.
Camden, a senior in college, has been very successful with his camming career and decides to offer his guidance to Vaughn. They message back and forth and then eventually decide to meet up. This part of the story is when everything starts to really pick up.
Once Camden and Vaughn are physically near one another everything starts to heat up, they have great chemistry even if both are reluctant to admit anything about it. Camden and Vaughn work together, become attached and feelings grow from there.
Overall I really enjoyed this slow-burn romance and getting to see an exciting and fun new batch of characters. I was particularly fond of both of Camden's roommates who have such interesting stories that I cannot wait to see more of them.
February 1, 2023
I’m completely blown away. Did I abandon all my adult responsibilities to read this book? Yes, I did. Do I regret it? Nope. I may get extra excited when the plot revolves around sex workers. Especially written positively.
Here is what to expect
Biawaking
Coworkers to Friends to lovers
Age-Gap
Grumpy Sunshine
Amazing Chemistry
After Vaughn has a series of events, he finds himself what to do next. After reading an article, he looks up an only fans creator and creates his page. He reached out to Camden for guidance and help.
Brazen Affairs are well-written and a captivating read. Let's not forget the spice. Extra steamy, the author did not let me down. I would subscribe to their page.
As much as I love Camden and Vaughn, I love some side characters and can't wait for their books.
February 15, 2023
The contact lights my blood on fire, and just when I start to think it’s not possible for me to get any more turned on, he utters the two words that send me over the cliff of oblivion: “Come here.”
Brazen Affairs is the first instalment in a new series (Hidden Affairs) by the wonderful Ashley James. This is a less angsty read than her previous Deepest Desires series and standalone Kismet, but we are promised a series full of forbidden age-gap romances and Ashley certainly delivers with book number 1.
This is Camden and Vaughn's story.
Camden is a 23 year old college student, with a hugely successful camming career paying his way through college. He is full of light and sunshine, but he doesn't do relationships and certainly no kissing. It's all for the camera.
Vaughn is a grumpy, 33 year old married executive, who finds out on one awful day that he is out of a job and that his wife of 11 years has been cheating on him for 6 months. Like, walks in on her in the act type of finding out.
In his search for a way to earn a lot of money quickly, Vaughn comes across an interview with the masked Camden talking about his uber-successful sex work career online. One thing leads to another and Vaughn ends up meeting Cam to get some tips on starting up an online camming career.....which ends up with some online collaborating...and Vaughn starts to realise that maybe he's not as straight as he always believed he was. And maybe Cam isn't as anti-relationships as he used to think either....
So many great tropes to enjoy - opposites attract, age-gap, bi-awakening, first times, grumpy/sunshine - and of course the must-have HEA. This is high steam, with the physical attraction obvious from the start. The emotional connection is more of a yummy slow burn 🔥.
Cam's roommates will be featuring in the series too and from the snippets we get of Bodhi and Elias in Brazen Affairs, they are going to be even more red hot and forbidden, so I'm excited for those boys' stories too!
This is a steamy 4-4.5 star recommended read for me ❣️.
Brazen Affairs is the first instalment in a new series (Hidden Affairs) by the wonderful Ashley James. This is a less angsty read than her previous Deepest Desires series and standalone Kismet, but we are promised a series full of forbidden age-gap romances and Ashley certainly delivers with book number 1.
This is Camden and Vaughn's story.
Camden is a 23 year old college student, with a hugely successful camming career paying his way through college. He is full of light and sunshine, but he doesn't do relationships and certainly no kissing. It's all for the camera.
Vaughn is a grumpy, 33 year old married executive, who finds out on one awful day that he is out of a job and that his wife of 11 years has been cheating on him for 6 months. Like, walks in on her in the act type of finding out.
In his search for a way to earn a lot of money quickly, Vaughn comes across an interview with the masked Camden talking about his uber-successful sex work career online. One thing leads to another and Vaughn ends up meeting Cam to get some tips on starting up an online camming career.....which ends up with some online collaborating...and Vaughn starts to realise that maybe he's not as straight as he always believed he was. And maybe Cam isn't as anti-relationships as he used to think either....
So many great tropes to enjoy - opposites attract, age-gap, bi-awakening, first times, grumpy/sunshine - and of course the must-have HEA. This is high steam, with the physical attraction obvious from the start. The emotional connection is more of a yummy slow burn 🔥.
Cam's roommates will be featuring in the series too and from the snippets we get of Bodhi and Elias in Brazen Affairs, they are going to be even more red hot and forbidden, so I'm excited for those boys' stories too!
This is a steamy 4-4.5 star recommended read for me ❣️.
January 15, 2023
**beta review- more in-depth review included**
I. Fucking. Love. This. Story. I’ve read it twice and it’s not even out yet. Ashley never ceases to amaze me. Every story she writes pulls you in and you think it’s your favorite and then the next one comes out and that’s your favorite. I love that Camden and Vaughn are a couple you’ll want to read 45 more stories about. Okay I’m done for now bye ♥️
•••
”I’m going to kiss you, Camden. If you don’t want that, you better stop me now”
To say that I’m in love with this story would be putting it mildly. Camden and Vaughn are that soulmate shit that you want every story to be.
After Vaughn loses his job and catches his wife cheating all in the same day things are looking well, bleak. Vaughn finds someone who can help him turn it around. An OnlyFans creator. Maybe he won’t answer Vaughn’s request to help him start his own OF account or maybe he will and maybe it will change his life.
Camden Bain doesn’t do feelings. He doesn’t do kissing. He definitely doesn’t help new OF creators learn the business. But there’s something different about this one. So when Camden takes Vaughn under his wings sparks fly. What are these feelings and how do I make them stop? This man is everything he never knew he needed but how do you let someone in when you just don’t know how?
“I don’t know what’s fucking sexier… you railing me within an inch of my life or the fact that you, of all people, just cracked a joke.”
This story was so fun to read. Cam and Vaughn deserve every good thing in this world and I think that Ashley did an amazing job of bringing their story to life. It’s spicy, it’s emotional, and at no point do you really know what’s coming. It gives you the whole gambit of emotions and honestly that’s what I need in my books right now.
Overall these two are in my top 0.1% of fictional Only Fans creators.
⭐️4.75/5
🌶️4.7/5
I. Fucking. Love. This. Story. I’ve read it twice and it’s not even out yet. Ashley never ceases to amaze me. Every story she writes pulls you in and you think it’s your favorite and then the next one comes out and that’s your favorite. I love that Camden and Vaughn are a couple you’ll want to read 45 more stories about. Okay I’m done for now bye ♥️
•••
”I’m going to kiss you, Camden. If you don’t want that, you better stop me now”
To say that I’m in love with this story would be putting it mildly. Camden and Vaughn are that soulmate shit that you want every story to be.
After Vaughn loses his job and catches his wife cheating all in the same day things are looking well, bleak. Vaughn finds someone who can help him turn it around. An OnlyFans creator. Maybe he won’t answer Vaughn’s request to help him start his own OF account or maybe he will and maybe it will change his life.
Camden Bain doesn’t do feelings. He doesn’t do kissing. He definitely doesn’t help new OF creators learn the business. But there’s something different about this one. So when Camden takes Vaughn under his wings sparks fly. What are these feelings and how do I make them stop? This man is everything he never knew he needed but how do you let someone in when you just don’t know how?
“I don’t know what’s fucking sexier… you railing me within an inch of my life or the fact that you, of all people, just cracked a joke.”
This story was so fun to read. Cam and Vaughn deserve every good thing in this world and I think that Ashley did an amazing job of bringing their story to life. It’s spicy, it’s emotional, and at no point do you really know what’s coming. It gives you the whole gambit of emotions and honestly that’s what I need in my books right now.
Overall these two are in my top 0.1% of fictional Only Fans creators.
⭐️4.75/5
🌶️4.7/5
January 22, 2023
Tropes:
- coworkers/friends to lovers (sex workers)
- age gap
- bisexual awakening
- grumpy x sunshine, kinda
- opposites attract
After being laid off and his marriage taking an unexpected turn, Vaughan Drewitt finds himself in a hotel where he plans to drink himself into oblivion when he stumbles across an article about OnlyFans and sex workers.
One sex worker in particular, YourGayBestie, a college student with thousands of subscribers, catches his attention and after some internet stalking, Vaughn decides giving OnlyFans a whirl.
Camden Bain started his OnlyFans as a freshman in college to help offset his expenses, now he lives in a nice house with his two best friends and is a very popular creator on the platform.
When a hunky anonymous newbie creator reaches out for some tips, Camden isn't sure what to expect, but the gorgeously uptight straight man that is Vaughn Drewitt is not it. The pair instantly hit it off and end up doing some collabs, but friendship isn't the only thing brewing between them.
Vaughn quickly finds himself catching feelings for the beautiful young man, and while Camden feels the same he's beyond hesitant to let Vaughn in. Despite how different Vaughn and Camden are, they just work. I loved how sweet and funny Camden was, and how quickly he was able to get Vaughn to loosen up and be in the moment.
The chemistry and tension between them was explosive! Their scenes together were so steamy! Plus I really loved the sex/sex worker positivity, and need more books like this asap! Can't wait for Elias and Bodhi's books either!
- coworkers/friends to lovers (sex workers)
- age gap
- bisexual awakening
- grumpy x sunshine, kinda
- opposites attract
After being laid off and his marriage taking an unexpected turn, Vaughan Drewitt finds himself in a hotel where he plans to drink himself into oblivion when he stumbles across an article about OnlyFans and sex workers.
One sex worker in particular, YourGayBestie, a college student with thousands of subscribers, catches his attention and after some internet stalking, Vaughn decides giving OnlyFans a whirl.
Camden Bain started his OnlyFans as a freshman in college to help offset his expenses, now he lives in a nice house with his two best friends and is a very popular creator on the platform.
When a hunky anonymous newbie creator reaches out for some tips, Camden isn't sure what to expect, but the gorgeously uptight straight man that is Vaughn Drewitt is not it. The pair instantly hit it off and end up doing some collabs, but friendship isn't the only thing brewing between them.
Vaughn quickly finds himself catching feelings for the beautiful young man, and while Camden feels the same he's beyond hesitant to let Vaughn in. Despite how different Vaughn and Camden are, they just work. I loved how sweet and funny Camden was, and how quickly he was able to get Vaughn to loosen up and be in the moment.
The chemistry and tension between them was explosive! Their scenes together were so steamy! Plus I really loved the sex/sex worker positivity, and need more books like this asap! Can't wait for Elias and Bodhi's books either!
September 1, 2023
Really enjoyed this one, my first from this author. There were a few bits I would have liked to have had closed out/clarified at the end but I still enjoyed it.
I adore Iggy Toma & Aiden Snow 🎧
I adore Iggy Toma & Aiden Snow 🎧
January 24, 2023
"I’m going to kiss you, Camden. If you don’t want that, you better stop me now."
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
POV: Dual, First Person
HEA: Yes
Spice Rating: 4.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Overall Opinion
I always get sad when I start an Ashley James book because I know that once I finish it, I'll have to wait impatiently for another one! She is an auto-buy author for me always, and from the moment it was announced she was doing an book focused around OnlyFans, I immediately started hyperventilating with excitement. In Brazen Affairs, we meet Vaughn and Camden, Vaughn having his life around him fall apart and Camden having an OnlyFans to help pay for college. When Vaughn jumps on the OnlyFans bandwagon and reaches out to Camden for help, sparks fly and well, lets just say rules are broken. In a first for an Ashley James book, the overall tone is lighter and the angst nowhere near as painful. Vaughn and Camden could not be more different in every way, but also could not be more perfect for one another, despite both having so many hang-ups on love and feelings. The spice as always was off the charts, and the character development was superb, building two amazing characters as both individuals and eventually as a couple. I devoured this book in one sitting and refused to acknowledge life outside of the story until I had finished. Overall this was another amazing book from a favourite author, a great beginning to a new series and enough steam to get anyone flustered! And can I just point out the cameo of Knox and Ashton was THE BEST!!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Sex Workers
❣️ Age Gap
❣️ Bi-Awakening
❣️ Praise Kink
❣️ Grumpy/Sunshine-ish
Trigger and Content Warnings: Attempted SA, sex workers, alcohol use, marital cheating (not between MCs) stalking, drugging, kidnapping.
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
POV: Dual, First Person
HEA: Yes
Spice Rating: 4.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Overall Opinion
I always get sad when I start an Ashley James book because I know that once I finish it, I'll have to wait impatiently for another one! She is an auto-buy author for me always, and from the moment it was announced she was doing an book focused around OnlyFans, I immediately started hyperventilating with excitement. In Brazen Affairs, we meet Vaughn and Camden, Vaughn having his life around him fall apart and Camden having an OnlyFans to help pay for college. When Vaughn jumps on the OnlyFans bandwagon and reaches out to Camden for help, sparks fly and well, lets just say rules are broken. In a first for an Ashley James book, the overall tone is lighter and the angst nowhere near as painful. Vaughn and Camden could not be more different in every way, but also could not be more perfect for one another, despite both having so many hang-ups on love and feelings. The spice as always was off the charts, and the character development was superb, building two amazing characters as both individuals and eventually as a couple. I devoured this book in one sitting and refused to acknowledge life outside of the story until I had finished. Overall this was another amazing book from a favourite author, a great beginning to a new series and enough steam to get anyone flustered! And can I just point out the cameo of Knox and Ashton was THE BEST!!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Sex Workers
❣️ Age Gap
❣️ Bi-Awakening
❣️ Praise Kink
❣️ Grumpy/Sunshine-ish
Trigger and Content Warnings: Attempted SA, sex workers, alcohol use, marital cheating (not between MCs) stalking, drugging, kidnapping.
February 1, 2023
I really wanted to like this but man there was so much ridiculousness!
Camden is a sex worker who doesn't kiss - all I ever think whenever I read this is a) Julia Roberts, and b) we all know as soon as the character decides to kiss they're magically in love - dude, it's not because you kissed!!
Vaughn was a strange character and I still can't really get my head around it. He was seemingly on the verge of a mental breakdown and his only thought was to make an OnlyFans account? He also didn't seem to enjoy his job at all so I really didn't understand the drama around trying to find another.
Blair was like a pantomime villain, all she was missing was a bunny to boil - did it never occur to Vaughn to change the entry code? Dude works in tech and he's concerned about security cameras for Cam's house, but never crosses his mind to secure his own house???
The friends were so closed off that I didn't really buy that the guys were even friends at all - too much time was spent clearly setting things up for their books, but because we didn't get to know them or really see any kind of relationship I can't say I care about their stories! If they'd been slightly more open I'd probably be intrigued, but both were basically whining about a problem but not wanting to talk about the problem - I was bored of that drama in secondary school, never mind 18 years later 😂
Overall disappointing - I did like Knox and Aston's very brief cameo though!
Camden is a sex worker who doesn't kiss - all I ever think whenever I read this is a) Julia Roberts, and b) we all know as soon as the character decides to kiss they're magically in love - dude, it's not because you kissed!!
Vaughn was a strange character and I still can't really get my head around it. He was seemingly on the verge of a mental breakdown and his only thought was to make an OnlyFans account? He also didn't seem to enjoy his job at all so I really didn't understand the drama around trying to find another.
Blair was like a pantomime villain, all she was missing was a bunny to boil - did it never occur to Vaughn to change the entry code? Dude works in tech and he's concerned about security cameras for Cam's house, but never crosses his mind to secure his own house???
The friends were so closed off that I didn't really buy that the guys were even friends at all - too much time was spent clearly setting things up for their books, but because we didn't get to know them or really see any kind of relationship I can't say I care about their stories! If they'd been slightly more open I'd probably be intrigued, but both were basically whining about a problem but not wanting to talk about the problem - I was bored of that drama in secondary school, never mind 18 years later 😂
Overall disappointing - I did like Knox and Aston's very brief cameo though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2023
This review really pains me and honestly I probably should’ve DNF so I wouldn’t rate it. Nothing really happened for the first 55% of the book and then the last 15% was a mad dash to the finish.
Vaughn was frigid and uptight. His weird sexual awakening was fairly inconsequential and vapid. We were provided absolutely no insight into him EVER having been attracted to or affected by any man at any point in his life. We just didn’t learn anything about him. Everything was very surface based. Even his interest in OF wasn’t compelling. There was never any build up or indication that he had any curiosity about gay porn. Also, all of a sudden he’s just in it and wildly successful with minimal effort. There were no frustrations or hesitations. Which didn’t make the fact that he lost a very well paying job dramatic.
Camden was annoying. He called Vaughn an “old man” 48 times in this book. 48 TIMES!! There was nothing cute or endearing about it. No one wants to be called old all the time. It was redundant. Also, Camden’s rationale behind not kissing was not developed or even interesting. Just that his mom had a lot of boyfriends and he didn’t want any meaningful relationships. So what? That wasn’t fledged out or expanded on. And what else was there to him besides OF – and the stupid mask. (another way this all felt so impersonal.) Camden also made no effort towards Vaughn. It was terribly one sided.
The sex in this book was unsatisfying. There was no emotional connection even at 95% when they finally kiss. It was so sterile and uninvolved. The thing that detracted from all of it was the fact that we learn nothing about either man and they never talk about anything at all. In fact, several times through out the book it was mentioned that they sat in silence or the silence was awkward. That never changed at any point in the book.
And the bit about his wife, Blair, cheating – he was never home and they also never talked about their issues. Then…AND THEN out of no where she became vicious and threatened to blackmail Vaughn. She also made a weird and unnecessary house call to Camden. Why did she have to be like that since it added nothing to the plot or characters other than completely demonizing a women yet again. To make it worse, the loop on this is never closed. She found out about his OF page, threatened to expose him, confronted Camden and then nothing…absolutely nothing.
Also, we’re thrown for a loop when out of nowhere Camden had a stalker. And that was all wrapped up in like one chapter. Then the epilogue jumped 3 years – and that was that.
Food for thought - What if Vaughn and Blair did love each other but were drifting apart. She tried to talk to him but he wouldn’t. He avoided her by staying at work long hours. She sought comfort from another. He’d been secretly watching this OF account wondering who this masked man was. He’d been sending messages as well. Then Vaughn set up an account and had been filming content to try to get other man’s attention. He still loved his wife, she was overwhelmed with remorse, but he was struggled with what he’d always known but wouldn’t acknowledge. What if Camden had been neglected or had been in an abusive relationship and didn’t want to open his heart because of his fears and past.
Vaughn was frigid and uptight. His weird sexual awakening was fairly inconsequential and vapid. We were provided absolutely no insight into him EVER having been attracted to or affected by any man at any point in his life. We just didn’t learn anything about him. Everything was very surface based. Even his interest in OF wasn’t compelling. There was never any build up or indication that he had any curiosity about gay porn. Also, all of a sudden he’s just in it and wildly successful with minimal effort. There were no frustrations or hesitations. Which didn’t make the fact that he lost a very well paying job dramatic.
Camden was annoying. He called Vaughn an “old man” 48 times in this book. 48 TIMES!! There was nothing cute or endearing about it. No one wants to be called old all the time. It was redundant. Also, Camden’s rationale behind not kissing was not developed or even interesting. Just that his mom had a lot of boyfriends and he didn’t want any meaningful relationships. So what? That wasn’t fledged out or expanded on. And what else was there to him besides OF – and the stupid mask. (another way this all felt so impersonal.) Camden also made no effort towards Vaughn. It was terribly one sided.
The sex in this book was unsatisfying. There was no emotional connection even at 95% when they finally kiss. It was so sterile and uninvolved. The thing that detracted from all of it was the fact that we learn nothing about either man and they never talk about anything at all. In fact, several times through out the book it was mentioned that they sat in silence or the silence was awkward. That never changed at any point in the book.
And the bit about his wife, Blair, cheating – he was never home and they also never talked about their issues. Then…AND THEN out of no where she became vicious and threatened to blackmail Vaughn. She also made a weird and unnecessary house call to Camden. Why did she have to be like that since it added nothing to the plot or characters other than completely demonizing a women yet again. To make it worse, the loop on this is never closed. She found out about his OF page, threatened to expose him, confronted Camden and then nothing…absolutely nothing.
Also, we’re thrown for a loop when out of nowhere Camden had a stalker. And that was all wrapped up in like one chapter. Then the epilogue jumped 3 years – and that was that.
Food for thought - What if Vaughn and Blair did love each other but were drifting apart. She tried to talk to him but he wouldn’t. He avoided her by staying at work long hours. She sought comfort from another. He’d been secretly watching this OF account wondering who this masked man was. He’d been sending messages as well. Then Vaughn set up an account and had been filming content to try to get other man’s attention. He still loved his wife, she was overwhelmed with remorse, but he was struggled with what he’d always known but wouldn’t acknowledge. What if Camden had been neglected or had been in an abusive relationship and didn’t want to open his heart because of his fears and past.
February 4, 2023
Well, to say I'm disappointed, would be an understatement.
I had been waiting for this book with baited breath since the moment, I heard about the tropes, but well :(
The only thing keeping me going was getting to see more of the side character's story and that is definitely not a good thing for a book I've waited for, for nearly 2 months.
Everything about this book, from the way the characters were portrayed to the plot was kinda flat. I was very conscious of the characters feeling extremely cardboardy and unreal while reading them, like Camden repeatedly refusing to fall in love, but never stating a reason why, and whenever people around him made jokes about him and 'Daddy', he'd laugh, interrupt them and then get back to texting said daddy with the goofiest grin on his face. Also said 'Daddy' makes me wanna put my head through a wall. Like, this dude just lost his job, has no source of stable income, found his wife of more than 10 years cheating on him with another man, is questioning his sanity while he tries a career route that can 'ruin his reputation forever', and all he can think about is TEXTING CAMDEN?? He just randomly decides to fly to another state to meet a kid who's making him question his-very-set-in-his-ways-straight sexuality, let alone the fact that he also rents a Mercedes everytime he comes to visit Camden. (That's pretty much the entire plot, if you count out the mandatory foil of the evil ex-wife and an abrupt disjointed action for the relief in the third half of the novel.)
Like, WHO DOES THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE A JOB???
There were other issues as well, but I think I've spent enough time going about a book that I thought would be it, but didn't even remotely scratch the surface. The 2 stars are for the okayish sex scenes.
WAIT READ THIS, IMPORTANT!! TRIGGER WARNING⚠️⚠️: Off-page (previous) sexual assault, almost sexual assaulted, stalking, excessive drinking, drugging, violence. I don't get why the author doesn't mention this in the very beginning of the book...
I had been waiting for this book with baited breath since the moment, I heard about the tropes, but well :(
The only thing keeping me going was getting to see more of the side character's story and that is definitely not a good thing for a book I've waited for, for nearly 2 months.
Everything about this book, from the way the characters were portrayed to the plot was kinda flat. I was very conscious of the characters feeling extremely cardboardy and unreal while reading them, like Camden repeatedly refusing to fall in love, but never stating a reason why, and whenever people around him made jokes about him and 'Daddy', he'd laugh, interrupt them and then get back to texting said daddy with the goofiest grin on his face. Also said 'Daddy' makes me wanna put my head through a wall. Like, this dude just lost his job, has no source of stable income, found his wife of more than 10 years cheating on him with another man, is questioning his sanity while he tries a career route that can 'ruin his reputation forever', and all he can think about is TEXTING CAMDEN?? He just randomly decides to fly to another state to meet a kid who's making him question his-very-set-in-his-ways-straight sexuality, let alone the fact that he also rents a Mercedes everytime he comes to visit Camden. (That's pretty much the entire plot, if you count out the mandatory foil of the evil ex-wife and an abrupt disjointed action for the relief in the third half of the novel.)
Like, WHO DOES THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE A JOB???
There were other issues as well, but I think I've spent enough time going about a book that I thought would be it, but didn't even remotely scratch the surface. The 2 stars are for the okayish sex scenes.
WAIT READ THIS, IMPORTANT!! TRIGGER WARNING⚠️⚠️: Off-page (previous) sexual assault, almost sexual assaulted, stalking, excessive drinking, drugging, violence. I don't get why the author doesn't mention this in the very beginning of the book...
Read
February 1, 2023I’m not really sure how to rate this book because something felt very OFF and the more I think about it the more I feel confused about everything.
So atm I’m not gonna even rate it. LOL
I couldn’t put this book down. The plot was something totally new and interesting to me. Most of the time with reading mm I feel like certain tropes have been done time and time again but this book was completely fresh. I have read sex worker characters and it’s usually something I avoid because I’m just not interested but two guys with an age gap and OF/porn ? Well that’s interesting… sign me up!!!
.
.
.
Spoilers below
I honestly didn’t get why these two were really interested in each other. I felt like they rarely talked or had any type of chemistry what so ever. Outside of the porn.
Vaughn kept hoping on a plane randomly to see Cam? Uhh ok
The bitchy ex wife / female character? And not following through with her threats was ???
I saw who the stalker was a mile away ’Tim’ he seemed weird right off
A drugging ? Almost sexual assault??? Probably could have had a TRIGGER ON WARNING ⚠️ for readers
The sex scenes weren’t hot and I ended up skimming them throughout the book. The thought of imagining these two getting sexy with ski masks ? Yeahhhh … hard pass
Also found the roommates annoying.
The sulking and hinting at the future books with their drama idk it felt weird to let the reader know what the other two characters deal was right off the bat. They also seemed very immature and I felt right off how the maturity level was different between Vaughn and Cam so I’m sure I’ll feel the same with their books
Idk idk idk lmao
So atm I’m not gonna even rate it. LOL
I couldn’t put this book down. The plot was something totally new and interesting to me. Most of the time with reading mm I feel like certain tropes have been done time and time again but this book was completely fresh. I have read sex worker characters and it’s usually something I avoid because I’m just not interested but two guys with an age gap and OF/porn ? Well that’s interesting… sign me up!!!
.
.
.
Spoilers below
I honestly didn’t get why these two were really interested in each other. I felt like they rarely talked or had any type of chemistry what so ever. Outside of the porn.
Vaughn kept hoping on a plane randomly to see Cam? Uhh ok
The bitchy ex wife / female character? And not following through with her threats was ???
I saw who the stalker was a mile away ’Tim’ he seemed weird right off
A drugging ? Almost sexual assault??? Probably could have had a TRIGGER ON WARNING ⚠️ for readers
The sex scenes weren’t hot and I ended up skimming them throughout the book. The thought of imagining these two getting sexy with ski masks ? Yeahhhh … hard pass
Also found the roommates annoying.
The sulking and hinting at the future books with their drama idk it felt weird to let the reader know what the other two characters deal was right off the bat. They also seemed very immature and I felt right off how the maturity level was different between Vaughn and Cam so I’m sure I’ll feel the same with their books
Idk idk idk lmao
January 31, 2023
Golden retriever boi Camden Bain FTW
February 3, 2023
I'm a little surprised at how good this was! It kept me up reading LATE which definitely pushes it up a notch from 3.5 to 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
These tropes can be tricky alone, much less combined:
Age gap
Sex worker(s)
GFY // Bi Awakening
Grumpy/Sunshine
Trash-bag ex wife (for all intents and purposes)
But when combined well?? Hoo boy 🔥🔥🥵
Vaughn: At 32 years old the bottom suddenly falls out - career, marriage, everything that defined his life all gone one one day. Finding himself at rock bottom he goes down an internet rabbit hole and finds out just how innovative the online work-from-home ... community ... has gotten! He stumbles over Cam's channel, makes a somewhat impulsive yet inspired decision, and takes a leap of faith that puts him firmly in Cam's orbit.
Camden: 22, paying his way through college - sex is fun, transactional, and has given him financial agency. Emotions are carefully held at a distance. Vaughn stumbles into his world and slowly rearranges his reality despite Cam's best efforts to Not Get His Heart Involved.
Highlights:
~ Cam's maturity re: the sexual exploration and understanding that this was a big leap for Vaughn. Sometimes with these stories there can be a slightly predatory feel to the whole straight-guy-in-porny-land/gay-for-pay situation, but I really give Cam credit. He was definitely delighted to introduce Vaughn to his world and more than happy to be a hands on tour guide. He didn't hide for one second that he was VERY into Vaughn, but never was he out to TURN him. When Vaughn started to figure out that his train ran on more than one track, Cam was there to help him figure it out in a healthy and (mostly) realistic way. It did still happen a little quick - I love me a Vers guy especially a newbie, but there's a certain amount of time and introspection that (generally) feels necessary for this kind of life-changing lightbulb moment to process properly. This man was going through A LOT... just saying.
~ The chemistry and sexy times were 🔥🥵🥵🔥 I really felt the fire between these two and enjoyed every minute of the discovery; they both had sexual and emotional lessons to learn from one another and the way they grew together (😏 you know what I mean, get out of the gutter...) was really beautiful. And hot. Holy cannolis.
~The whole bit about Cam's hang-ups around kissing ... loved it. Not the hang-up, but the way he processed his way though that and Vaughn smashed the proverbial glass canister he had his heart in. #swoon ❤️❤️❤️ I know this doesn't work for everyone but I thought it was perfect for this character.
One drawback: Despite the above-mentioned maturity around some important things, there were others that weren't handled as well. There was a lot of dumb young boy idiocy - the drinking games, the way he at times put down Vaughn's higher end/more mature lifestyle but disguised it as banter/teasing, the way he acted a bit childish and overly stubborn at the end when wrestling with his feelings and keeping the blinders on about Vaughn's intentions. The near the end was wild but completely realistic given the pool Cam was swimming in. I didn't feel like it was a shock-plot-device and I really liked the way it served as the catalyst to finally alchemize the romantic side of their relationship and give them some perspective. There was a little bit of realistic angst and struggle as they tried to figure out how their lives were going to fit together and came to terms with the FEELS but I really liked that there was never a truly extended Great Misunderstanding. If you've known me for more than 5 seconds you know I have very little patience for that lol.
Ultimately, there's something so... *chef's kiss* about someone truly discovering how to be loved.
Camden needed Vaughn's maturity, dedication, and love so much. He needed to be seen and boy did Vaughn see him clearly. And Cam was really, truly, everything Vaughn never knew he needed either.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mini gripe of almost no consequence: I will say I thought Camden/Cam was a little on the nose for the name of someone who is a Cam Boy... but eh it could have been worse.
These tropes can be tricky alone, much less combined:
Age gap
Sex worker(s)
GFY // Bi Awakening
Grumpy/Sunshine
Trash-bag ex wife (for all intents and purposes)
But when combined well?? Hoo boy 🔥🔥🥵
Vaughn: At 32 years old the bottom suddenly falls out - career, marriage, everything that defined his life all gone one one day. Finding himself at rock bottom he goes down an internet rabbit hole and finds out just how innovative the online work-from-home ... community ... has gotten! He stumbles over Cam's channel, makes a somewhat impulsive yet inspired decision, and takes a leap of faith that puts him firmly in Cam's orbit.
Camden: 22, paying his way through college - sex is fun, transactional, and has given him financial agency. Emotions are carefully held at a distance. Vaughn stumbles into his world and slowly rearranges his reality despite Cam's best efforts to Not Get His Heart Involved.
Highlights:
~ Cam's maturity re: the sexual exploration and understanding that this was a big leap for Vaughn. Sometimes with these stories there can be a slightly predatory feel to the whole straight-guy-in-porny-land/gay-for-pay situation, but I really give Cam credit. He was definitely delighted to introduce Vaughn to his world and more than happy to be a hands on tour guide. He didn't hide for one second that he was VERY into Vaughn, but never was he out to TURN him. When Vaughn started to figure out that his train ran on more than one track, Cam was there to help him figure it out in a healthy and (mostly) realistic way. It did still happen a little quick - I love me a Vers guy especially a newbie, but there's a certain amount of time and introspection that (generally) feels necessary for this kind of life-changing lightbulb moment to process properly. This man was going through A LOT... just saying.
~ The chemistry and sexy times were 🔥🥵🥵🔥 I really felt the fire between these two and enjoyed every minute of the discovery; they both had sexual and emotional lessons to learn from one another and the way they grew together (😏 you know what I mean, get out of the gutter...) was really beautiful. And hot. Holy cannolis.
~The whole bit about Cam's hang-ups around kissing ... loved it. Not the hang-up, but the way he processed his way though that and Vaughn smashed the proverbial glass canister he had his heart in. #swoon ❤️❤️❤️ I know this doesn't work for everyone but I thought it was perfect for this character.
One drawback: Despite the above-mentioned maturity around some important things, there were others that weren't handled as well. There was a lot of dumb young boy idiocy - the drinking games, the way he at times put down Vaughn's higher end/more mature lifestyle but disguised it as banter/teasing, the way he acted a bit childish and overly stubborn at the end when wrestling with his feelings and keeping the blinders on about Vaughn's intentions. The near the end was wild but completely realistic given the pool Cam was swimming in. I didn't feel like it was a shock-plot-device and I really liked the way it served as the catalyst to finally alchemize the romantic side of their relationship and give them some perspective. There was a little bit of realistic angst and struggle as they tried to figure out how their lives were going to fit together and came to terms with the FEELS but I really liked that there was never a truly extended Great Misunderstanding. If you've known me for more than 5 seconds you know I have very little patience for that lol.
Ultimately, there's something so... *chef's kiss* about someone truly discovering how to be loved.
Camden needed Vaughn's maturity, dedication, and love so much. He needed to be seen and boy did Vaughn see him clearly. And Cam was really, truly, everything Vaughn never knew he needed either.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mini gripe of almost no consequence: I will say I thought Camden/Cam was a little on the nose for the name of someone who is a Cam Boy... but eh it could have been worse.
July 31, 2023
this was weird, idk. some content warnings would have been nice. spoilers don't bother me and even though i can handle anything thrown at me regardless of whether i'll like it or not, i still don't necessarily like going in completely blind. wasn't a fan of the threesome, wasn't a fan of the attempted sexual assault, wasn't a fan of the weird ex wife threatening to out the mcs.
Vaughn is 32, straight, married, and working some kind of corporate job that i honestly didn't pay attention to because he gets fired in the first chapter of the book. he returns home from his shitty day to find his wife in bed with another man. shitty day quickly turns to the worst day in his life. he spends a week holed up in a hotel room with alcohol. during this time he stumbles across sex work; specifically only fans. he finds a user, YourGayBestFriend, and his interest is piqued despite the fact he identifies as straight.
Camden is 22, YourGayBestFriend, and living in another state with a couple roommates doing the sex work thing to pay his way through college. there's big talk about how he doesn't kiss and doesn't do feelings and he's overall sort of obnoxious but i didn't hate it. Vaughn catches his eye after a few interactions and seeing his content. when V asks for help, Cam accepts and invites him over to assist him/collab with him.
their relationship is weird. i liked their interactions and chemistry, but i guess i was confused by Vaughn most of all. he sort of dives right in to the feeling aspect of things after they start hooking up. if he was a true virgin and younger than what he was, i maybe could've bought in to the whole thing, but this is a man who spent 30 years believing he was only attracted to women and fresh off a divorce. just seemed unlikely to me that he'd recognize his urges so quickly and without much hesitation in acceptance of them. despite Cam's adverse reaction to the feelings confession, they still manage to stir some shit up with the ex and a stalker.
Cam acts kinda stupid. i suppose it's his age but that makes it even more unbelievable to me that someone ten years his senior found him attractive lol. i will say i wasn't a fan of the mild victim blaming in his internal monologue after he's attacked, even if he did act kinda recklessly once finding out he was being stalked. that rubbed me the wrong way.
the spice was good, there wasn't a lot of banter but it was cute enough. i guess i'm stuck somewhere between 2.5 and 3. didn't love it, didn't hate it. it's fine? i only read this to get to the third book anyway so no harm no foul
Vaughn is 32, straight, married, and working some kind of corporate job that i honestly didn't pay attention to because he gets fired in the first chapter of the book. he returns home from his shitty day to find his wife in bed with another man. shitty day quickly turns to the worst day in his life. he spends a week holed up in a hotel room with alcohol. during this time he stumbles across sex work; specifically only fans. he finds a user, YourGayBestFriend, and his interest is piqued despite the fact he identifies as straight.
Camden is 22, YourGayBestFriend, and living in another state with a couple roommates doing the sex work thing to pay his way through college. there's big talk about how he doesn't kiss and doesn't do feelings and he's overall sort of obnoxious but i didn't hate it. Vaughn catches his eye after a few interactions and seeing his content. when V asks for help, Cam accepts and invites him over to assist him/collab with him.
their relationship is weird. i liked their interactions and chemistry, but i guess i was confused by Vaughn most of all. he sort of dives right in to the feeling aspect of things after they start hooking up. if he was a true virgin and younger than what he was, i maybe could've bought in to the whole thing, but this is a man who spent 30 years believing he was only attracted to women and fresh off a divorce. just seemed unlikely to me that he'd recognize his urges so quickly and without much hesitation in acceptance of them. despite Cam's adverse reaction to the feelings confession, they still manage to stir some shit up with the ex and a stalker.
Cam acts kinda stupid. i suppose it's his age but that makes it even more unbelievable to me that someone ten years his senior found him attractive lol. i will say i wasn't a fan of the mild victim blaming in his internal monologue after he's attacked, even if he did act kinda recklessly once finding out he was being stalked. that rubbed me the wrong way.
the spice was good, there wasn't a lot of banter but it was cute enough. i guess i'm stuck somewhere between 2.5 and 3. didn't love it, didn't hate it. it's fine? i only read this to get to the third book anyway so no harm no foul
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2023
Holy Hotness!! 🥵🥵
Once again Ashley James wrote an amazing story.
Vaughn and Camden don’t joke around for sure 🔥🔥🔥🔥
They couldn't be more different: Vaughn is controlled, and serious; Camden is carefree and extroverted. Dispite the difference they mingle together in a way that surprise them first.
I loved Vaughn more, because of his openness; while i wanted to shake Cam 'cause seriously man?! How can you not see what is in front of you?! 🙈🙈
I've come to really appreciate Ashley's style because she give me everything I want from a book, and this one is no different: it's full of steam, banter, denial, love 😍
and a few twists just to drive you crazy 🙈
The only thing I can "complain" about is the fact that I would have liked few more chapters, before the epilogue, about them living their love openly.
Even so, Brazen Affairs is the perfect entry in this new series and i'm eager for more.
Bodhi and Elias gonna be tough nuts to crack and i can’t wait !!
😂🙈😤😂😍
Once again Ashley James wrote an amazing story.
Vaughn and Camden don’t joke around for sure 🔥🔥🔥🔥
They couldn't be more different: Vaughn is controlled, and serious; Camden is carefree and extroverted. Dispite the difference they mingle together in a way that surprise them first.
I loved Vaughn more, because of his openness; while i wanted to shake Cam 'cause seriously man?! How can you not see what is in front of you?! 🙈🙈
I've come to really appreciate Ashley's style because she give me everything I want from a book, and this one is no different: it's full of steam, banter, denial, love 😍
and a few twists just to drive you crazy 🙈
The only thing I can "complain" about is the fact that I would have liked few more chapters, before the epilogue, about them living their love openly.
Even so, Brazen Affairs is the perfect entry in this new series and i'm eager for more.
Bodhi and Elias gonna be tough nuts to crack and i can’t wait !!
😂🙈😤😂😍
January 30, 2023
Ms James is an extremely talented writer.
She has a tendency to create characters and stories that are captivating and mysterious, thereby pulling you in and compelling you to want to know more.
Vaughn and Camden’s story is no different.
You can feel all of their internal struggles as they navigate through them towards figuring out their growing feelings for each other.
The chemistry between them was on-point - they gelled well and were really hot together…🔥🔥
I loved their HEA – it felt perfect for them and spoke volumes of their growth... 🥰🥰
Most of all, I loved the positive representation that sex work / workers got in this book... 💗💗
All in all - a great read and definitely recommended... 💙💙
She has a tendency to create characters and stories that are captivating and mysterious, thereby pulling you in and compelling you to want to know more.
Vaughn and Camden’s story is no different.
You can feel all of their internal struggles as they navigate through them towards figuring out their growing feelings for each other.
The chemistry between them was on-point - they gelled well and were really hot together…🔥🔥
I loved their HEA – it felt perfect for them and spoke volumes of their growth... 🥰🥰
Most of all, I loved the positive representation that sex work / workers got in this book... 💗💗
All in all - a great read and definitely recommended... 💙💙
May 11, 2025
I read the KU and audiobook versions. The audio is perfection. Not sure how it would’ve hit if I had read it only. But the narrators nailed it. Aiden Snow? 🔥 🫠
This book has a lot of what I’m loving right now: OF, Crazy exes, cheating, revenge against horrible ex, strong take no shit leads. What’s not to love? Vaughn was amazing. I love how he knew what he wanted and just went for it. If Camden asked him one more time he was sure 🤣 he’d have lost it.
Are there flaws? Sure. But we are not going to talk about those right now. ::scoots them underneath a rug::
This book has a lot of what I’m loving right now: OF, Crazy exes, cheating, revenge against horrible ex, strong take no shit leads. What’s not to love? Vaughn was amazing. I love how he knew what he wanted and just went for it. If Camden asked him one more time he was sure 🤣 he’d have lost it.
Are there flaws? Sure. But we are not going to talk about those right now. ::scoots them underneath a rug::
August 13, 2025
Audiobook Read
Book 1 in the Unexpected Series
MM Romance
Bi-Awakening
OF/Cam Workers
Grumpy x Sunshine
Age Gap
I got a bit of deja-vu reading this at one point because of the OF angle, I've read it a couple of times before. However, the start of this book is different, and the Age Gap sets it apart.
Poor Vaughn is having the worst day ever when he is laid off from the company he's worked for over a decade, only to come home and find his wife in bed with another man. His world is flipped upside down in no time and this starts his journey into the real plot of this story.
I enjoyed this book and the audio was good, well acted out and kept me interested in hearing more.
Book 1 in the Unexpected Series
MM Romance
Bi-Awakening
OF/Cam Workers
Grumpy x Sunshine
Age Gap
I got a bit of deja-vu reading this at one point because of the OF angle, I've read it a couple of times before. However, the start of this book is different, and the Age Gap sets it apart.
Poor Vaughn is having the worst day ever when he is laid off from the company he's worked for over a decade, only to come home and find his wife in bed with another man. His world is flipped upside down in no time and this starts his journey into the real plot of this story.
I enjoyed this book and the audio was good, well acted out and kept me interested in hearing more.
February 1, 2023
DNF'D at 50%
I wanted to love this book. The premise sounded perfect and just want in a book. Sadly the delivery was.. I don't really have a word other than boring and unrealistic
Firstly the main character Vaughn loses his job and his first thought is after being straight his entire life that he's going to do gay porn. Like doesn't even hesitate in that decision. And then develops a weird obsession with another gay content creator. Then we have a guy with a day old Twitter page without so much as a profile page, let alone any followers, post a jerking off video that basically goes viral with thousands of likes and hundreds signing up to his OF. Uh no one's dick is that magical, in fact there are thousands out there for free if you join a dating app. Also his foray into sex work would make a heap more sense if he was going to struggle financially after losing his job. But as the story goes on, dudes fucking rich and driving around luxury cars
Then there's the 'relationship'. These two just don't have anything in common and I couldn't feel any chemistry between them. Outside of filming, their interactions are so awkward it felt cringe.
Which brings me to my biggest issue. I'm not really a fan of the whole 'gay for you' idea in the first place. I'm a big believer in the fluidity of sexuality and that it can constantly evolve. But I find it very hard to believe someone who has been adamantly straight their entire life to the point of not even once checking out a guy, suddenly decides at 32 he is addicted to dick. I feel like it would have been way more believable if he'd fallen for Camden as a person first and then his attraction to him grows. Or the first time they met, the sexual chemistry was just off the charts. But it wasn't and so it almost felt like we were being sold the idea that Vaughn was like 'guess I'm gay now' like it's a choice, when sexuality isn't a choice
I wanted to love this book. The premise sounded perfect and just want in a book. Sadly the delivery was.. I don't really have a word other than boring and unrealistic
Firstly the main character Vaughn loses his job and his first thought is after being straight his entire life that he's going to do gay porn. Like doesn't even hesitate in that decision. And then develops a weird obsession with another gay content creator. Then we have a guy with a day old Twitter page without so much as a profile page, let alone any followers, post a jerking off video that basically goes viral with thousands of likes and hundreds signing up to his OF. Uh no one's dick is that magical, in fact there are thousands out there for free if you join a dating app. Also his foray into sex work would make a heap more sense if he was going to struggle financially after losing his job. But as the story goes on, dudes fucking rich and driving around luxury cars
Then there's the 'relationship'. These two just don't have anything in common and I couldn't feel any chemistry between them. Outside of filming, their interactions are so awkward it felt cringe.
Which brings me to my biggest issue. I'm not really a fan of the whole 'gay for you' idea in the first place. I'm a big believer in the fluidity of sexuality and that it can constantly evolve. But I find it very hard to believe someone who has been adamantly straight their entire life to the point of not even once checking out a guy, suddenly decides at 32 he is addicted to dick. I feel like it would have been way more believable if he'd fallen for Camden as a person first and then his attraction to him grows. Or the first time they met, the sexual chemistry was just off the charts. But it wasn't and so it almost felt like we were being sold the idea that Vaughn was like 'guess I'm gay now' like it's a choice, when sexuality isn't a choice
January 19, 2023
If someone said to me do I want a million pounds or a book from Ashley!! Yeah u know I’m taking the book!!!
Vaughn, 32, married to a bitch, working a corporate job, lost the job, comes home to find said bitch with another man, divorcing her arse, gets drunk in a hotel, finds a link, clicks the link, finds yourgaybestie, makes an account, needs some help, reaches out, messages exchanged, new life begins!!
Camden, college boy, bills to pay, sex sells, he’s hot, successful on only fans, page name, yourgaybestie, new follower, intrigued with all the questions, don’t do relationships, don’t do feelings, don’t do kissing, only meet for hook up’s, meets VTD4093, throws rule book out!!!
Ashley just has a way with words and they just seep into you without you realising and they tether themself to you.
I love the grumpiness of Vaughn and the fun laid back easy going ray if sunshine that is Camden, they compliment each other really well, the banter between them had me sniggering at my kindle so much my 6 year old told me to shut up!!!
Ashley edged me all the way with these two, she kept me turning them pages because between them they have some crazy shit to deal with, but them spicy times were smoking…… take my money and sign me up!!
Also little mention that at 77% my babies 🥰 IYKYK!! If you don’t know what I mean then you need to fix that!!!
Love Love Love this book!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book content:
💙Sex workers
💙Gay for you
💙Age gap
💙Sexy vers men
💙Grumpy/Sunshine
💙Praise kink
💙Bi-awakening
Vaughn, 32, married to a bitch, working a corporate job, lost the job, comes home to find said bitch with another man, divorcing her arse, gets drunk in a hotel, finds a link, clicks the link, finds yourgaybestie, makes an account, needs some help, reaches out, messages exchanged, new life begins!!
Camden, college boy, bills to pay, sex sells, he’s hot, successful on only fans, page name, yourgaybestie, new follower, intrigued with all the questions, don’t do relationships, don’t do feelings, don’t do kissing, only meet for hook up’s, meets VTD4093, throws rule book out!!!
Ashley just has a way with words and they just seep into you without you realising and they tether themself to you.
I love the grumpiness of Vaughn and the fun laid back easy going ray if sunshine that is Camden, they compliment each other really well, the banter between them had me sniggering at my kindle so much my 6 year old told me to shut up!!!
Ashley edged me all the way with these two, she kept me turning them pages because between them they have some crazy shit to deal with, but them spicy times were smoking…… take my money and sign me up!!
Also little mention that at 77% my babies 🥰 IYKYK!! If you don’t know what I mean then you need to fix that!!!
Love Love Love this book!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Book content:
💙Sex workers
💙Gay for you
💙Age gap
💙Sexy vers men
💙Grumpy/Sunshine
💙Praise kink
💙Bi-awakening
January 30, 2023
Listen. By this point, all of my reviews for this author are just going to say this:
My best friend wrote the book. I alpha read the book. Don’t look to me for unbiased reviews of Ashley James novels.
It’s fantastic, you should read it.
My best friend wrote the book. I alpha read the book. Don’t look to me for unbiased reviews of Ashley James novels.
It’s fantastic, you should read it.
January 17, 2023
5⭐
4🌶
𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
▫ MM/ MMM
▫ Bi-awakening
▫️ Age gap
▫️ Grumpy/Sunshine
💬 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
Aaahhh Ashley you have done it again. Your books always hit just right for me and once I start, I can never put them down! I could have read a thousand more pages about Vaughn and Camden, I loved them sooo much!
In the space of one day, Vaughn loses the job he has had for the past 12 years, and his wife of 11 years. Whilst feeling very sorry for himself he comes across an interview with a man who started an OnlyFans to pay for college. Intrigued by his story, and the man himself, Vaughn decides to give it a go. Reaching out to Camden for tips to improve his videos, they soon become friendly and start shooting content together.
If you have read Ashleys books before, you will know that she can write some panty-soaking spicy scenes!!! The things these men do to each other..👌👌🥵🥵.
I also loved the brief cameo we got from some of my past favourites!! 😏😏. We get a teaser at the end of what’s to come for Bodhi’s story in book 2 and I know this one is going to pull on the heart strings 💔.
4🌶
𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
▫ MM/ MMM
▫ Bi-awakening
▫️ Age gap
▫️ Grumpy/Sunshine
💬 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
Aaahhh Ashley you have done it again. Your books always hit just right for me and once I start, I can never put them down! I could have read a thousand more pages about Vaughn and Camden, I loved them sooo much!
In the space of one day, Vaughn loses the job he has had for the past 12 years, and his wife of 11 years. Whilst feeling very sorry for himself he comes across an interview with a man who started an OnlyFans to pay for college. Intrigued by his story, and the man himself, Vaughn decides to give it a go. Reaching out to Camden for tips to improve his videos, they soon become friendly and start shooting content together.
If you have read Ashleys books before, you will know that she can write some panty-soaking spicy scenes!!! The things these men do to each other..👌👌🥵🥵.
I also loved the brief cameo we got from some of my past favourites!! 😏😏. We get a teaser at the end of what’s to come for Bodhi’s story in book 2 and I know this one is going to pull on the heart strings 💔.
February 10, 2023
I liked the story for the most part, except for when it wanted to go for a bit of drama. The ex-wife started out as a normal character but then escalated to evil for some reason and I think that the at the end could have been left out of the plot. Also, the characters should probably be concerned about the amount of alcohol the consumed on a daily basis and at all hours.
All in all, it was an okay read. I'm curious about the next stories though. They seem to feature some interesting pairs.
All in all, it was an okay read. I'm curious about the next stories though. They seem to feature some interesting pairs.
dnf
February 7, 2023So one guy needs a job after losing his tech job and coming home to his wife being a cheating slutbag. The other is on Onlyfans and doesn't do relationships and emotions and blah blah blah but is desperately interested in getting it on with guy #1. Can't hold my interest even when I'm listening to it.
Death at 30%.
Death at 30%.
July 17, 2023
Some things obvious, some hidden, some brazen.
Vaughn was a successful high tech business builder who started with a small company right out of college and got married about the same time. After years of working hard to grow the business, one day he was laid off without notice or warning. He was very unsure how to tell his wife. After a few drinks, he went home to find her busy with a man in their bed. A really bad day.
Loss of his income was bad. His wife did photography as a business, but operated more as a hobby. She did not contribute to the family resources, but knew how to freely spend them. But love allows spending money, but marriage vows do not allow cheating. So arguments and divorce proceedings begin soon. As does the search for a new job and income to keep their beautiful home.
Camden had an online business in gay porn. He wore a mask during filming to conceal identity and used fake names on his accounts for protection of the secrets. He was still in college, but very successful, making more than Vaughn a month.
A request from straight Vaughn online wanting help to get into the online gay porn business brought them together, but life an distance tried to keep them apart. Vaughn's wife, Blair, tried everything to stop the divorce as she struggled for money pending legal judgement on it. But Vaughn would not agree. He spotted problems at times, but was not prepared for the stalker and outing threats until almost too late.
Vaughn was a successful high tech business builder who started with a small company right out of college and got married about the same time. After years of working hard to grow the business, one day he was laid off without notice or warning. He was very unsure how to tell his wife. After a few drinks, he went home to find her busy with a man in their bed. A really bad day.
Loss of his income was bad. His wife did photography as a business, but operated more as a hobby. She did not contribute to the family resources, but knew how to freely spend them. But love allows spending money, but marriage vows do not allow cheating. So arguments and divorce proceedings begin soon. As does the search for a new job and income to keep their beautiful home.
Camden had an online business in gay porn. He wore a mask during filming to conceal identity and used fake names on his accounts for protection of the secrets. He was still in college, but very successful, making more than Vaughn a month.
A request from straight Vaughn online wanting help to get into the online gay porn business brought them together, but life an distance tried to keep them apart. Vaughn's wife, Blair, tried everything to stop the divorce as she struggled for money pending legal judgement on it. But Vaughn would not agree. He spotted problems at times, but was not prepared for the stalker and outing threats until almost too late.
October 19, 2023
This was a cute, fun read for the most part. I had low expectations based on the reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Vaughn falls on hard times, when he is simultaneously let go from his job, and catches his wife in the act of cheating. To make ends meet he starts an OnlyFans, and ends up being mentored and collaborating with Camden, another successful creator.
It took a while for me to warm up to Vaughn, as he was so grumpy and uptight, but ultimately I felt like he complimented Cam’s upbeat and extroverted character well. I loved their text conversations and dialogue in general. Their chemistry together was fire, and I was going feral for all of their ‘content making’ scenes. Seriously, it did not disappoint in the spice department, and none of it felt repetitive.
Outside of the OnlyFans content, there wasn’t much of a romantic plot going on, but there was clearly tension and feelings there. Cam has a no dating/feelings rule (including no kissing, Pretty Woman style), so it was a bit one-sided and tropey in that respect. I liked the resolution to this, but it was quite abrupt.
I felt like the darker ‘plot twist’ that happened towards the end of the book was really obvious, especially when we first meet the person involved. There were *vibes* for sure. It felt like it just happened to provide more tension, but it didn’t affect the story in any major way, so the book could have done without it.
Overall, I had fun reading this and I’m looking forward to reading the other characters stories in the series.
3.75/5⭐️ 3.5🌶️
Vaughn falls on hard times, when he is simultaneously let go from his job, and catches his wife in the act of cheating. To make ends meet he starts an OnlyFans, and ends up being mentored and collaborating with Camden, another successful creator.
It took a while for me to warm up to Vaughn, as he was so grumpy and uptight, but ultimately I felt like he complimented Cam’s upbeat and extroverted character well. I loved their text conversations and dialogue in general. Their chemistry together was fire, and I was going feral for all of their ‘content making’ scenes. Seriously, it did not disappoint in the spice department, and none of it felt repetitive.
Outside of the OnlyFans content, there wasn’t much of a romantic plot going on, but there was clearly tension and feelings there. Cam has a no dating/feelings rule (including no kissing, Pretty Woman style), so it was a bit one-sided and tropey in that respect. I liked the resolution to this, but it was quite abrupt.
I felt like the darker ‘plot twist’ that happened towards the end of the book was really obvious, especially when we first meet the person involved. There were *vibes* for sure. It felt like it just happened to provide more tension, but it didn’t affect the story in any major way, so the book could have done without it.
Overall, I had fun reading this and I’m looking forward to reading the other characters stories in the series.
3.75/5⭐️ 3.5🌶️
January 7, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! I like Vaughn. He's this alpha business guy on the outside, but really he's kind of unsure and gentle and kind. I also like Camden. He acts aloof and uncaring, very down for whatever, but inside he cares deeply. He's funny and outgoing, which is pretty much the opposite of uptight and introverted Vaughn. I love how they met and became friends then fell in love. It's a fun story. I thought it was good, but then the stalker element came into play and it got even better. There was a lot happening between But surprisingly it all worked really well together. I liked the writing and the characters a lot!
Notes: 3/5 spice levels, sex work (porn star), opposites attract, age gap, divorced mc, stalker (bad kind), bi awakening, "I don't kiss", grumpy/sunshine, coworkers
Notes: 3/5 spice levels, sex work (porn star), opposites attract, age gap, divorced mc, stalker (bad kind), bi awakening, "I don't kiss", grumpy/sunshine, coworkers
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