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The Revenge Club #0.5
Hired by the Enemy
Liam
I’ve landed my first big assignment with Elite, and it has the potential to be a financial game-changer, so I’m determined not to screw it up. All I have to do is pretend to be a wealthy CEO’s boyfriend on a sun-kissed tropical island for a week. How hard can that be?
Unfortunately, I’m met at the airport by an unexpected blast from my past: Matthew O’Conner. The nerd who lived next door to me growing up—also known as my lifelong nemesis.
This job just got a whole lot more complicated.
Matthew
My blood runs cold when I spot Liam sauntering through the airport doors. Of all the people in the world to show up to be my fake boyfriend for a week, why did it have to be Liam Jamieson? Mr. All-American Charm. The jock with a smile that melts everyone—except me. We’ve been at odds since childhood, trapped in an endless cycle of pranks and one-upmanship.
And now we have to pretend we’re in love? This is going to be a complete disaster.
Or is it?
It turns out Liam and I have both grown up since high school. And maybe, just maybe, we never actually knew each other to begin with.
note: this story was originally published in the Elite Connections anthology
I’ve landed my first big assignment with Elite, and it has the potential to be a financial game-changer, so I’m determined not to screw it up. All I have to do is pretend to be a wealthy CEO’s boyfriend on a sun-kissed tropical island for a week. How hard can that be?
Unfortunately, I’m met at the airport by an unexpected blast from my past: Matthew O’Conner. The nerd who lived next door to me growing up—also known as my lifelong nemesis.
This job just got a whole lot more complicated.
Matthew
My blood runs cold when I spot Liam sauntering through the airport doors. Of all the people in the world to show up to be my fake boyfriend for a week, why did it have to be Liam Jamieson? Mr. All-American Charm. The jock with a smile that melts everyone—except me. We’ve been at odds since childhood, trapped in an endless cycle of pranks and one-upmanship.
And now we have to pretend we’re in love? This is going to be a complete disaster.
Or is it?
It turns out Liam and I have both grown up since high school. And maybe, just maybe, we never actually knew each other to begin with.
note: this story was originally published in the Elite Connections anthology
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2024
298 people are currently reading
951 people want to read
About the author
Jax Calder
29 books1,071 followersJax's stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.
Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. To read her exclusive novella Being Set Up, sign up to her newsletter: https://jaxcalder.com/newsletter-sign.... You can also join her Facebook group Jax's Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.
Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. To read her exclusive novella Being Set Up, sign up to her newsletter: https://jaxcalder.com/newsletter-sign.... You can also join her Facebook group Jax's Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
September 16, 2024
A fun and light novella. I'm not a huge fan of the fake boyfriend trope, but I liked that there's more to this story than that. Liam and Matthew are also childhood nemesies, next door neighbours, and a jock and a nerd who actually bullied each other.
The relationship development felt a bit rushed to me, all things considered. But I really liked the characters and when I got to know them better I almost wished things had been different when they were children. They could have been such great friends.
The last part of the story that takes place after the retreat was probably my favourite. It was so adorable and it made for a perfect ending.
The relationship development felt a bit rushed to me, all things considered. But I really liked the characters and when I got to know them better I almost wished things had been different when they were children. They could have been such great friends.
The last part of the story that takes place after the retreat was probably my favourite. It was so adorable and it made for a perfect ending.
September 18, 2024
4.25**** stars
I ADORED THIS BOOK!
Going from childhood nemesis—to fake boyfriends (hired by accident)—to forever lovers Matthew and Liam pulled at my heartstrings and had me awwing over them through half of this light-hearted and super hot quickie novella.
*************
The Revenge Club
Book 1 - Hired by the Enemy - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - The Revenge Game - release 03/25
I ADORED THIS BOOK!
Going from childhood nemesis—to fake boyfriends (hired by accident)—to forever lovers Matthew and Liam pulled at my heartstrings and had me awwing over them through half of this light-hearted and super hot quickie novella.
“That sixth-grade class I taught with you and Matthew O’Conner in it was the most challenging year I had in my teaching career.”
Ms. Beauton’s eyes flick from my arm around Matthew’s waist to where he’s cuddled into me and then back to our faces.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she says.
*************
The Revenge Club
Book 1 - Hired by the Enemy - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - The Revenge Game - release 03/25
March 26, 2025
The consequences of hiring a fake boyfriend without knowing he’s your childhood enemy.
When Matthew goes to the airport to pick up his fake boyfriend, he doesn't expect him to be someone he knows. Especially not someone he used to spend the day pranking when he was a kid. Not that Liam was any better. Now they have to pretend to be in love for an entire week so that Matthew’s company doesn't discover he hired someone to accompany him to the company retreat.
But you know what they said: from hate to love there is only one step…
To be fair I read this because I LOVED Love Language by the author and decided I needed to pick up all the novellas she has written (I also enjoyed The Anonymous Hook-Up a lot). I don’t think I was the audience for this, because I don’t like the whole: “I hate you but you’re hot, let’s make use of this huge hotel bed”. But I know this is something a lot of people enjoy-I’m guessing that’s why this has a higher average rating than Love Language, when I think Love Language was a masterpiece.
If you are interested in the childhood enemies to lovers and fake dating, I’d recommend reading this novella. The pacing and execution were good, and the final scenes of them coming back to the village they used to live in were hilarious.
When Matthew goes to the airport to pick up his fake boyfriend, he doesn't expect him to be someone he knows. Especially not someone he used to spend the day pranking when he was a kid. Not that Liam was any better. Now they have to pretend to be in love for an entire week so that Matthew’s company doesn't discover he hired someone to accompany him to the company retreat.
But you know what they said: from hate to love there is only one step…
To be fair I read this because I LOVED Love Language by the author and decided I needed to pick up all the novellas she has written (I also enjoyed The Anonymous Hook-Up a lot). I don’t think I was the audience for this, because I don’t like the whole: “I hate you but you’re hot, let’s make use of this huge hotel bed”. But I know this is something a lot of people enjoy-I’m guessing that’s why this has a higher average rating than Love Language, when I think Love Language was a masterpiece.
If you are interested in the childhood enemies to lovers and fake dating, I’d recommend reading this novella. The pacing and execution were good, and the final scenes of them coming back to the village they used to live in were hilarious.
October 9, 2024
Full disclosure: I hate pranks. I find them mean-spirited, juvenile, and a complete waste of time & energy.
Needless to say, two grownass men, declaring themselves enemies because they pranked each other relentlessly as kids, falling in love when one pretends to be the other's boyfriend didn't hold much appeal.
The setup for the fake-boyfriend bit was ridiculous. The agency sends out the wrong client file, even though the gig is an emergency, then two additional files are corrupted so Liam and Matthew are shocked (SHOCKED, I tell you!) when they see each other.
I didn't feel any chemistry between the MCs and didn't buy the predictable, ho-hum romance.
There's no plot except for one of Matthew's employees undermining his authority at every turn. In any other world, the asshole would have been fired, but what's the point in that when you can act like a doormat instead.
I'm used to much more from Jax Calder.
Needless to say, two grownass men, declaring themselves enemies because they pranked each other relentlessly as kids, falling in love when one pretends to be the other's boyfriend didn't hold much appeal.
The setup for the fake-boyfriend bit was ridiculous. The agency sends out the wrong client file, even though the gig is an emergency, then two additional files are corrupted so Liam and Matthew are shocked (SHOCKED, I tell you!) when they see each other.
I didn't feel any chemistry between the MCs and didn't buy the predictable, ho-hum romance.
There's no plot except for one of Matthew's employees undermining his authority at every turn. In any other world, the asshole would have been fired, but what's the point in that when you can act like a doormat instead.
I'm used to much more from Jax Calder.
October 4, 2024
Such a fun novella, that felt quite round despite only being 160 pages.
But how could I not enjoy this, with all these all-time-fav tropes of mine: enemies to lovers, fake dating, close proximity, jock/nerd. It’s nothing too special, but it gave insane chemistry and feelings and good steam and a freakin’ treasure hunt on a tropical island, so yeah… I’m happy ☀️☺️
Any recs for other Jax Calder novellas, I shouldn’t miss out on?
PS: Pranks are stupid.
But how could I not enjoy this, with all these all-time-fav tropes of mine: enemies to lovers, fake dating, close proximity, jock/nerd. It’s nothing too special, but it gave insane chemistry and feelings and good steam and a freakin’ treasure hunt on a tropical island, so yeah… I’m happy ☀️☺️
Any recs for other Jax Calder novellas, I shouldn’t miss out on?
PS: Pranks are stupid.
October 12, 2024
4 Stars
As someone with a distaste for pranking and petty one-upmanship, I definitely went into this story with a weary heart, especially once I realised MCs Liam and Matthew had childhood nemeses vibes that stemmed from a youthful decade of increasingly outrageous back-and-forth pranks, that they were both still salty about in their mid-twenties.
However, the promise of an opposites-attract pairing—nerd x jock tastiness for the win—with their childhood rivals backstory AND a current (hired) fake-boyfriend ploy set in place to mess with their hearts and minds in all new ways, proved too good a mixing of tropes for me to pass up!
Thankfully, this ended up being one of those rare cases where a dreaded theme/backstory (the pranking rubbish, thankfully all past-tense) ended up working a treat for me, due in large part to the author at the helm and how she managed to endear me to these young men, making their youthful, prank-filled shared history more amusing (and impressively craftier) than simply immature and maddening.
Liam and Matthew’s on-page chemistry—re-meeting as adults, with one being paid to pretend to be dating the other at a corporate retreat—was really strong, and I appreciated how torn up both of them were initially, particularly when faced with their complicated past grievances in the light of their newly acknowledged and overwhelming physical connection.
The crux of the story mostly spans a week-long getaway in Hawaii—great backdrop—that made the quick turn from enemies-to-lovers feel more authentic, due to the high intensity pretending situation, the always delicious forced proximity, and all the fun and revealing couples activities they took part in, together, as part of Matthew’s work retreat program.
That is to say, that even though the roiling emotions, unexpected intimacy, and shifting relationship development came hard and fast for Liam and Matthew, I bought into their connection with little effort, enjoying how all-consuming their feelings grew and solidified in this 160-page feel-good M/M novella.
As someone with a distaste for pranking and petty one-upmanship, I definitely went into this story with a weary heart, especially once I realised MCs Liam and Matthew had childhood nemeses vibes that stemmed from a youthful decade of increasingly outrageous back-and-forth pranks, that they were both still salty about in their mid-twenties.
However, the promise of an opposites-attract pairing—nerd x jock tastiness for the win—with their childhood rivals backstory AND a current (hired) fake-boyfriend ploy set in place to mess with their hearts and minds in all new ways, proved too good a mixing of tropes for me to pass up!
Thankfully, this ended up being one of those rare cases where a dreaded theme/backstory (the pranking rubbish, thankfully all past-tense) ended up working a treat for me, due in large part to the author at the helm and how she managed to endear me to these young men, making their youthful, prank-filled shared history more amusing (and impressively craftier) than simply immature and maddening.
Liam and Matthew’s on-page chemistry—re-meeting as adults, with one being paid to pretend to be dating the other at a corporate retreat—was really strong, and I appreciated how torn up both of them were initially, particularly when faced with their complicated past grievances in the light of their newly acknowledged and overwhelming physical connection.
The crux of the story mostly spans a week-long getaway in Hawaii—great backdrop—that made the quick turn from enemies-to-lovers feel more authentic, due to the high intensity pretending situation, the always delicious forced proximity, and all the fun and revealing couples activities they took part in, together, as part of Matthew’s work retreat program.
That is to say, that even though the roiling emotions, unexpected intimacy, and shifting relationship development came hard and fast for Liam and Matthew, I bought into their connection with little effort, enjoying how all-consuming their feelings grew and solidified in this 160-page feel-good M/M novella.
April 26, 2025
Re-read on 25th Apr/25
I'm about to read the book connected to this one - The Revenge Game, main character over there is best friends with the main character here - and I wanted to re-read this book, especially because I remember how good it felt to read it.
Liam and Matthew don't disappoint, not at all, they're still fantastic and I'm sticking with my rating.
"“So it turns out you’re what I want the most out of everything,” he says, and I can see that he’s shaking.
Oh my god. My chest feels like it’s going to burst with all the emotions swelling inside. I do the only thing I can. I step forward and kiss him. His lips are cold under mine, but so, so, right. When I pull back, Matthew is breathless, his eyes wide, face flushed. “You’re what I most want too,” I whisper."
I absolutely loved them together and I definitely do recommend this book.
_______________________________
Original review on 27th Oct/24
"Who knew hate was so close to heat?"
This was cute, funny, adorable, sexy with a little bit of childhood drama thrown in there and it honestly just made my day.
The pranks were funny and happened in the past, they were just mentioned in passing, but they were made with heaps of imagination, if nothing else.
Damn, these guys put some real effort into inflicting trauma upon one another and about 7 years later, when they're thrown together in a siuation where they have to tolerate each other for a quick second, all of that trauma comes barging in with the face of intense sexual chemistry and desire, so buckle up, because it's a really good ride.
🔵 Enemies to lovers
🟢 Fake boyfriends
🟡 Forced proximity
🟣 Both 25 years old
🔵 Size difference (twink/jock)
🌶️ Good smut, descriptive scenes, sexy, gets emotional by the end, kissing, oral, penetrative; both vers
This was a really sweet and kind of funny story of two neighbours who became enemies the moment they met at about 8 years old. The wealth gap was definitely the issue here, but so was the loneliness and feelings of inadequacy the 8 year old Liam had to go through when his parents got divorced and his father moved them to the small town of Bainfield, right next to Matthew, who had the perfect house, the perfect parents, tons of love and support and the perfect dog.
So naturally, they had to go at each other's throats and that didn't stop all throughout elementary and highschool.
"But it wasn’t your typical jock- bullies- the- nerd scenario. I’d fancied myself as the hero of an epic movie titled When Nerds Fight Back."
There's so much more to their story and they do unravel it as they get to know each other when they meet again about 7 years after high school when Matthew, the genius nerd millionaire hires Liam, the poor popular jock, now escort and Liam has to pretend for a week to be Matthew's boyfriend on Matthew's business getaway in Hawaii.
They still take jabs at each other but it tones down when the attraction between them starts taking over. They fake kiss until they kiss for real and from that point it's game on, they're at each other every day and every night.
It's passionate, it's hot and honestly the size difference with the whole hate dynamic did it for me.
I was worried they won't talk about the past or anything, but they did and I'm glad Matthew realized the position Liam was in when he was a kid. That scene with the dog just crushed me.
"Matthew doesn’t seem to know what to say. He must have been aware of the difference between our circumstances growing up. He was in the mansion while I was in the hovel next door. It wasn’t exactly a state secret."
After the fake boyfriends week they meet again a few weeks later at Christmas time at home and finally have the guts to admit to each other they're in love.
"“So we’re doing this?” he says, his blue eyes not leaving mine. “You and me, boyfriends?”
“Definitely,” I say.
“Building a future together?” he asks.
I can’t help the grin overtaking my face. Matthew and I taking on the world together? I can’t think of anything better. “Absolutely,” I reply."
I absolutely loved this story.
I'm about to read the book connected to this one - The Revenge Game, main character over there is best friends with the main character here - and I wanted to re-read this book, especially because I remember how good it felt to read it.
Liam and Matthew don't disappoint, not at all, they're still fantastic and I'm sticking with my rating.
"“So it turns out you’re what I want the most out of everything,” he says, and I can see that he’s shaking.
Oh my god. My chest feels like it’s going to burst with all the emotions swelling inside. I do the only thing I can. I step forward and kiss him. His lips are cold under mine, but so, so, right. When I pull back, Matthew is breathless, his eyes wide, face flushed. “You’re what I most want too,” I whisper."
I absolutely loved them together and I definitely do recommend this book.
_______________________________
Original review on 27th Oct/24
"Who knew hate was so close to heat?"
This was cute, funny, adorable, sexy with a little bit of childhood drama thrown in there and it honestly just made my day.
The pranks were funny and happened in the past, they were just mentioned in passing, but they were made with heaps of imagination, if nothing else.
Damn, these guys put some real effort into inflicting trauma upon one another and about 7 years later, when they're thrown together in a siuation where they have to tolerate each other for a quick second, all of that trauma comes barging in with the face of intense sexual chemistry and desire, so buckle up, because it's a really good ride.
🔵 Enemies to lovers
🟢 Fake boyfriends
🟡 Forced proximity
🟣 Both 25 years old
🔵 Size difference (twink/jock)
🌶️ Good smut, descriptive scenes, sexy, gets emotional by the end, kissing, oral, penetrative; both vers
This was a really sweet and kind of funny story of two neighbours who became enemies the moment they met at about 8 years old. The wealth gap was definitely the issue here, but so was the loneliness and feelings of inadequacy the 8 year old Liam had to go through when his parents got divorced and his father moved them to the small town of Bainfield, right next to Matthew, who had the perfect house, the perfect parents, tons of love and support and the perfect dog.
So naturally, they had to go at each other's throats and that didn't stop all throughout elementary and highschool.
"But it wasn’t your typical jock- bullies- the- nerd scenario. I’d fancied myself as the hero of an epic movie titled When Nerds Fight Back."
There's so much more to their story and they do unravel it as they get to know each other when they meet again about 7 years after high school when Matthew, the genius nerd millionaire hires Liam, the poor popular jock, now escort and Liam has to pretend for a week to be Matthew's boyfriend on Matthew's business getaway in Hawaii.
They still take jabs at each other but it tones down when the attraction between them starts taking over. They fake kiss until they kiss for real and from that point it's game on, they're at each other every day and every night.
It's passionate, it's hot and honestly the size difference with the whole hate dynamic did it for me.
I was worried they won't talk about the past or anything, but they did and I'm glad Matthew realized the position Liam was in when he was a kid. That scene with the dog just crushed me.
"Matthew doesn’t seem to know what to say. He must have been aware of the difference between our circumstances growing up. He was in the mansion while I was in the hovel next door. It wasn’t exactly a state secret."
After the fake boyfriends week they meet again a few weeks later at Christmas time at home and finally have the guts to admit to each other they're in love.
"“So we’re doing this?” he says, his blue eyes not leaving mine. “You and me, boyfriends?”
“Definitely,” I say.
“Building a future together?” he asks.
I can’t help the grin overtaking my face. Matthew and I taking on the world together? I can’t think of anything better. “Absolutely,” I reply."
I absolutely loved this story.
October 30, 2024
This author is the queen of novellas, she always writes them so well.
This one was so good - enemies to fake dating to lovers is a trope I didnt know I needed but I am not obsessed with it.
Solid four stars- close to a five but I wanted a bit more from the end and final chapter.
This one was so good - enemies to fake dating to lovers is a trope I didnt know I needed but I am not obsessed with it.
Solid four stars- close to a five but I wanted a bit more from the end and final chapter.
April 25, 2025
Fake dating, nerd/jock AND (kind of) enemies to lovers? Definitely a win for me.
After having Andrew on the phone with his friend Matthew in The Revenge Game, I was curious to read his story, especially after realising it’s not as long as the aforementioned book.
And I loved it. For a novella, it feels very “complete”. It’s about Matthew, who owns a software company despite being only 25 years old, and who hires someone to be his boyfriend for a week during a company retreat. As these things tend to go, said boyfriend turns out to be his childhood nemesis and former neighbour Liam. Liam wasn’t a bully like Justin in The Revenge Game, but he and Matthew got off on a wrong foot and drove everyone crazy with the pranks they played on each other.
Needless to say, there’s a reason why hate is an anagram for heat - sparks fly, and they ignite the yearlong tension between them.
The ending is surprisingly sweet, and left me smiling 🙂 definitely recommend it for when you’re in need of a not-too-long feelgood romance!
After having Andrew on the phone with his friend Matthew in The Revenge Game, I was curious to read his story, especially after realising it’s not as long as the aforementioned book.
And I loved it. For a novella, it feels very “complete”. It’s about Matthew, who owns a software company despite being only 25 years old, and who hires someone to be his boyfriend for a week during a company retreat. As these things tend to go, said boyfriend turns out to be his childhood nemesis and former neighbour Liam. Liam wasn’t a bully like Justin in The Revenge Game, but he and Matthew got off on a wrong foot and drove everyone crazy with the pranks they played on each other.
Needless to say, there’s a reason why hate is an anagram for heat - sparks fly, and they ignite the yearlong tension between them.
The ending is surprisingly sweet, and left me smiling 🙂 definitely recommend it for when you’re in need of a not-too-long feelgood romance!
September 15, 2024
jax calder is the only person in the world who can write a novella and make me absolutely love it
October 22, 2024
One of the best novellas I’ve ever read. Super cute, cozy, and the ending was fantastic. I really loved the Christmas festival scene.
June 8, 2025
4 stars!! ❤️❤️ Loved this sweet novella; with fake-boyfriend trope.. Sometimes this trope can be a little cringe and uninspired; but the enemies to lovers trope sort of enlivened the plot. Both MCs were likable and sweet.. Highly recommended!! 👍🏻👍🏻
October 3, 2024
I feel conflicted about this book, because I liked that they were “enemies” if you can call someone who constantly did childish pranks for unnecessary reasons your enemy. But it also there was no much plot, and I know that this is a novella but still.
But whatever 🤷🏻♀️, I still enjoyed it.
But whatever 🤷🏻♀️, I still enjoyed it.
September 23, 2024
Tropes: enemies to lovers, fake dating, nerd/jock, force proximity, novella
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 2.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past mutual bullying, self-esteem issues
3.5 stars.
Matthew is 25, gay, and he's a bit of a nerd, he's a millionaire because he invented an app that has been very successful. Liam is also 25, pan, a jock. Liam works in a gym and wants to open a therapeutic gym in the future, and he moonlights doing some non-sexual escorting to make some extra money. Liam and Matthew grew up together but they haven't seen each other since they turned 18 and went off to their universities. They hated each other all through their childhood, and they made each other's lives miserable, bullying and pranking each other all the time. There animosity was a well-known thing in their town, everybody knew about it.
Matthew is taking a work trip with all his colleagues and their partners to Hawaii and he needs a fake boyfriend to bring along because his employee Paul who is a manager has been undermining him and is needling at him, so Matthew doesn't want to appear single in front of him. Matthew ends up hiring Liam as his fake boyfriend. Initially they clash, but they realize they know each other pretty well and understand each other and things look a little different now that they're adults. They're attracted to each other and the forced proximity makes them confront that, they give in and hook up at every opportunity. They also make a pretty good team in the activities, winning challenge after challenge because they know each other so well and work together well. But when the week-long vacation is up, and they are returning to their regular lives, will they treat this professionally and just walk away or will one of them try to make this a real relationship?
I always have a hard time judging novellas because I'm really hard to impress when it comes to novellas. This one was okay, not much to write home about, not terribly special. Enjoyable but very light, not a ton of depth to it. The epilogue was nice. They did have good banter and I enjoyed people's reaction to them getting together and I liked seeing them win. I wish Paul had gotten outright fired because he was a toxic person. I'm not a huge fan of Christmassy books and this one spanned two Christmases, so it was a little holiday cheesy.
Some notable moments:
This is giving me flashbacks to my own childhood of petty fights with my siblings. The stories my teddy bears could tell! "I mean, who normally tells their partner the name of their favorite childhood toy? But Liam knows about my teddy bear, Mr. Gruffles, and I know about his cuddly giraffe called Looney because of the fourth-grade kidnapping and ransom saga that ended with both of us in the principal’s office."
"The door opens. Liam is standing there, looking as flustered and disheveled as I feel. He doesn’t say anything. For a few heartbeats, we just stare at each other. Then he’s crossing the room, pushing me up against the wall, claiming my mouth like he’s trying to superglue our lips together."
"“Oh, trust me, I will never forget your face,” she says. “That sixth-grade class I taught with you and Matthew O’Conner in it was the most challenging year I had in my teaching career.”"..... "Matthew’s eyes widen. “Oh wow, it’s Ms. Beauton. Um…hi, how are you?” Ms. Beauton’s eyes flick from my arm around Matthew’s waist to where he’s cuddled into me and then back to our faces. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she says."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 2.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past mutual bullying, self-esteem issues
3.5 stars.
Matthew is 25, gay, and he's a bit of a nerd, he's a millionaire because he invented an app that has been very successful. Liam is also 25, pan, a jock. Liam works in a gym and wants to open a therapeutic gym in the future, and he moonlights doing some non-sexual escorting to make some extra money. Liam and Matthew grew up together but they haven't seen each other since they turned 18 and went off to their universities. They hated each other all through their childhood, and they made each other's lives miserable, bullying and pranking each other all the time. There animosity was a well-known thing in their town, everybody knew about it.
Matthew is taking a work trip with all his colleagues and their partners to Hawaii and he needs a fake boyfriend to bring along because his employee Paul who is a manager has been undermining him and is needling at him, so Matthew doesn't want to appear single in front of him. Matthew ends up hiring Liam as his fake boyfriend. Initially they clash, but they realize they know each other pretty well and understand each other and things look a little different now that they're adults. They're attracted to each other and the forced proximity makes them confront that, they give in and hook up at every opportunity. They also make a pretty good team in the activities, winning challenge after challenge because they know each other so well and work together well. But when the week-long vacation is up, and they are returning to their regular lives, will they treat this professionally and just walk away or will one of them try to make this a real relationship?
I always have a hard time judging novellas because I'm really hard to impress when it comes to novellas. This one was okay, not much to write home about, not terribly special. Enjoyable but very light, not a ton of depth to it. The epilogue was nice. They did have good banter and I enjoyed people's reaction to them getting together and I liked seeing them win. I wish Paul had gotten outright fired because he was a toxic person. I'm not a huge fan of Christmassy books and this one spanned two Christmases, so it was a little holiday cheesy.
Some notable moments:
This is giving me flashbacks to my own childhood of petty fights with my siblings. The stories my teddy bears could tell! "I mean, who normally tells their partner the name of their favorite childhood toy? But Liam knows about my teddy bear, Mr. Gruffles, and I know about his cuddly giraffe called Looney because of the fourth-grade kidnapping and ransom saga that ended with both of us in the principal’s office."
"The door opens. Liam is standing there, looking as flustered and disheveled as I feel. He doesn’t say anything. For a few heartbeats, we just stare at each other. Then he’s crossing the room, pushing me up against the wall, claiming my mouth like he’s trying to superglue our lips together."
"“Oh, trust me, I will never forget your face,” she says. “That sixth-grade class I taught with you and Matthew O’Conner in it was the most challenging year I had in my teaching career.”"..... "Matthew’s eyes widen. “Oh wow, it’s Ms. Beauton. Um…hi, how are you?” Ms. Beauton’s eyes flick from my arm around Matthew’s waist to where he’s cuddled into me and then back to our faces. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she says."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2024
I just love this author's writing style. This was an enemies-to-lovers done very well. From the initial distrust because of their history to the eventual realization that love is what they needed, this was an entertaining read set in a tropical location with lots of sunshine, fun times, and shmexy times.
Except for Paul. Fuck that guy. What the hell was his problem? Condescending asshole. Go DIAF.
Except for Paul. Fuck that guy. What the hell was his problem? Condescending asshole. Go DIAF.
September 14, 2025
4.0 ⭐️
September 20, 2024
I do like me a good enemies-to-lovers romance.
And I did like Liam and Matthew and the scenario, however unlikely it might be.
But somehow, I didn’t quite buy their story.
Tbh, I was rather put off by the extent of the pranks they played at each other when they were young. Most come across as mean, vengeful and malicious. Why nobody stopped that nonsense at the time is unclear to me. And all the ongoings then clearly leave both guys hurt for a very long time.
After so much ‘hate’ it seems implausible that like, affection and desire would grow so quickly between them. Not even talking about love!
And surely Matthew would have not been such a successful entrepreneur had he not been able to deal with people like Paul.
Not a favourite by this fabulous author.
And I did like Liam and Matthew and the scenario, however unlikely it might be.
But somehow, I didn’t quite buy their story.
Tbh, I was rather put off by the extent of the pranks they played at each other when they were young. Most come across as mean, vengeful and malicious. Why nobody stopped that nonsense at the time is unclear to me. And all the ongoings then clearly leave both guys hurt for a very long time.
After so much ‘hate’ it seems implausible that like, affection and desire would grow so quickly between them. Not even talking about love!
And surely Matthew would have not been such a successful entrepreneur had he not been able to deal with people like Paul.
Not a favourite by this fabulous author.
February 3, 2025
Such a cute book! This is such a fully developed story that was more of a novella. I loved that the author didn’t rush through anything or add extra things that took away from the story itself.
The prank thing was very crazy, I can’t believe they ever got away with those things. Luckily they eventually stop reminiscing so much about the torture they put themselves through.
The prank thing was very crazy, I can’t believe they ever got away with those things. Luckily they eventually stop reminiscing so much about the torture they put themselves through.
September 16, 2024
I can’t even tell you how I excited I was to finish this story and rate it five stars! I’m half way through the month and besides two rereads this is my first five star of the month! Hallelujah!! This author is a genius with novellas! I don’t understand how they can pack so much plot, feeling, romance and fun into such a small book but make it feel like a whole story!
Liam and Matthew were honestly so much fun. I loved that Liam was able to put aside his hatred for Matthew and be professional in a time when Matthew needed him. They made a phenomenal team! One of my favs things in romances is seeing the couple let go and have fun and laugh during sex. It shows so much how they can just be themselves and it honestly is just amazing to me. These two were perfect for that!!
I loved the ending and their HEA! Was super cute and totally them. If you are looking for a fun, short read then I highly recommend this story! Can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!
Liam and Matthew were honestly so much fun. I loved that Liam was able to put aside his hatred for Matthew and be professional in a time when Matthew needed him. They made a phenomenal team! One of my favs things in romances is seeing the couple let go and have fun and laugh during sex. It shows so much how they can just be themselves and it honestly is just amazing to me. These two were perfect for that!!
I loved the ending and their HEA! Was super cute and totally them. If you are looking for a fun, short read then I highly recommend this story! Can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!
November 9, 2024
This was a wonderful enemies to lovers story. Liam and Matthew have been enemies since their first meeting at 8 years old. All throughout elementary school and high school they took turns playing pranks on each other. Imagine their surprise when Matthew accidentally hires Liam to pretend to be his boyfriend for a week. These two hated each other so much it took an incredible author to make them fall in love with each other. Oh, and they do and it’s beautiful.
October 12, 2024
Totally loved this one. fun, fluent read, likable characters, just couldn't. put it down. Sometimes all you need is a good vacation book and this is it to the point.
October 10, 2024
5⭐️ Pretty sure Jax Calder writes the best romance novellas that feel like full novels. They’re all consistently adorable, emotional, and spicy, and this is no exception. The banter, the flirting, the intimacy all gave me butterflies. Such a cute story!
September 14, 2024
Flabby and unconvincing. Forget the MCs (I already have)—the most interesting character was a walk-on condescending corporate git.
September 28, 2024
I should have known to expect a higher than average amount of goodness from this.
I hate words like enemy, especially in contemporary settings because WDYM enemy? How dramatic can you be?
Loved this one in spite of the REPEATED unironic use of the word. Yes, they insist they're enemies even though at most they're two boys who lived next door to each other and had an extended prank war.
Granted, some of the stuff they kept doing /saying to each other over the years had an impact that lasted well into adulthood, but I sensed no enmity there.
That said, they absolutely deserved the reactions from everyone in their hometown at the end because ALL THAT to end up canoodling? All the grey hair for their teachers, all the parent-teacher meetings, getting everyone in their classes to pick sides, only for them to end up choosing each other years later.
Deeply unserious people.
But I loved how they came to realize they knew so much about each other 🥰. Really testament to the idea that a good hater does just as much research and pays just as much attention as a good lover.
Honorable mention to Paul. Fuck that guy. Yes. The negging got to me as well. Love that he had to eat humble pie multiple times during this.
Anyway. Read this. Christmas themed 'enemies' to lovers that involves no enmity and is instead an accelerated love story of two men who really should have spared everyone around them the drama and figured out their shit sooner.
It has all the good bits.
MCs who are so used to sniping at each other that they simply incorporate it into their relationship.
“Did you notice how he only decided he liked me after I became a millionaire?”
Oh, and traumatized parents.
“I always like it when you drop to your knees,” I manage to say.
“I heard that,” my mother groans.
I hate words like enemy, especially in contemporary settings because WDYM enemy? How dramatic can you be?
Loved this one in spite of the REPEATED unironic use of the word. Yes, they insist they're enemies even though at most they're two boys who lived next door to each other and had an extended prank war.
Granted, some of the stuff they kept doing /saying to each other over the years had an impact that lasted well into adulthood, but I sensed no enmity there.
That said, they absolutely deserved the reactions from everyone in their hometown at the end because ALL THAT to end up canoodling? All the grey hair for their teachers, all the parent-teacher meetings, getting everyone in their classes to pick sides, only for them to end up choosing each other years later.
Deeply unserious people.
But I loved how they came to realize they knew so much about each other 🥰. Really testament to the idea that a good hater does just as much research and pays just as much attention as a good lover.
Honorable mention to Paul. Fuck that guy. Yes. The negging got to me as well. Love that he had to eat humble pie multiple times during this.
Anyway. Read this. Christmas themed 'enemies' to lovers that involves no enmity and is instead an accelerated love story of two men who really should have spared everyone around them the drama and figured out their shit sooner.
It has all the good bits.
MCs who are so used to sniping at each other that they simply incorporate it into their relationship.
“Did you notice how he only decided he liked me after I became a millionaire?”
Oh, and traumatized parents.
“I always like it when you drop to your knees,” I manage to say.
“I heard that,” my mother groans.
October 2, 2024
4.75 ⭐
I LOVED this novella. A real childhood enemies to lovers story with some very good fake dating and forced proximity tropes. I got butterflies and my smile has not left my face since I finished.
Jax Calder is definitely one of my favorite authors and she's so good at writing short but heartwarming novellas.
It's my favorite novella from her with The Anonymous Hookup. I can't wait to read her next book!
I LOVED this novella. A real childhood enemies to lovers story with some very good fake dating and forced proximity tropes. I got butterflies and my smile has not left my face since I finished.
Jax Calder is definitely one of my favorite authors and she's so good at writing short but heartwarming novellas.
It's my favorite novella from her with The Anonymous Hookup. I can't wait to read her next book!
September 13, 2024
3.00 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cute former enemies-to-lovers/forced proximity story. It’s a super quick read, more on the novella side, and nothing life changing but I had fun. I liked Liam and Matthew, and the beach setting added to the easy-breeziness of the story. If you’re looking for something laidback, sexy, and fun this is the story for you.
I am looking forward to reading Andrew’s book 🤗
Cute former enemies-to-lovers/forced proximity story. It’s a super quick read, more on the novella side, and nothing life changing but I had fun. I liked Liam and Matthew, and the beach setting added to the easy-breeziness of the story. If you’re looking for something laidback, sexy, and fun this is the story for you.
I am looking forward to reading Andrew’s book 🤗
September 26, 2024
3.5 stars.
Jax does it again delivering a pretty standard novella with pretty standard tropes that somehow seems to be heavy on the feels and chemistry.
Paul can just fuck right off.
The cover art completely sucks. These two cartoon characters look like the same people with different coloured hair.
It could have done with a bit better editing as well. These things could have been budget issues.
No regrets, I enjoyed reading this.
Jax does it again delivering a pretty standard novella with pretty standard tropes that somehow seems to be heavy on the feels and chemistry.
Paul can just fuck right off.
The cover art completely sucks. These two cartoon characters look like the same people with different coloured hair.
It could have done with a bit better editing as well. These things could have been budget issues.
No regrets, I enjoyed reading this.
October 3, 2024
3.75⭐️ rounded up
March 9, 2025
3.5 stars
- This was a short and fun read.
- I kind of wish the Hawaii trip was 2 weeks. It'd be more believable than falling in love in 6 days.
- I don't think I'll ever understand the American fascination of prank wars.
- I couldn't care less about all of the pranks and honestly some of them were so mean. Reading about the pranks made me think of them as childish and mean.
- It's 2025 and the use of the word "epic" is throwing me back into the dark ages (high school in 2008)
***Spoilers***
- He got you your childhood dream puppy and there was barely any reaction? What?
- I didn't like the proposal speech tbh. It lacked any emotion.
- The epilogue in general seemed rushed and not written as well as the rest of the story.
- This was a short and fun read.
- I kind of wish the Hawaii trip was 2 weeks. It'd be more believable than falling in love in 6 days.
- I don't think I'll ever understand the American fascination of prank wars.
- I couldn't care less about all of the pranks and honestly some of them were so mean. Reading about the pranks made me think of them as childish and mean.
- It's 2025 and the use of the word "epic" is throwing me back into the dark ages (high school in 2008)
***Spoilers***
- He got you your childhood dream puppy and there was barely any reaction? What?
- I didn't like the proposal speech tbh. It lacked any emotion.
- The epilogue in general seemed rushed and not written as well as the rest of the story.
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