10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love

by Emmy Sanders

Wingman 101: Make him fall head over heels in love.

Brad
What’s a straight guy to do when he accidentally goes on a date with his brand new gym-bro? Offer to be the best wingman ever, of course! It’s foolproof.

Joey needs a man? I’ll find him one.

He wants someone who looks, well, kind of like me? No problem!

Not into watersports? I’ve got him covered.

The issue is, going on all these dates with Joey makes me realize I want more of his time to be spent with me. I like the guy. And his smile. And the way he makes me feel like anything is possible.

Except… I can’t possibly be who Joey needs. He wants his forever person. His great big love.

And no matter how perfect the dude’s abs are or how skilled he is as a cuddle-bro, the two of us will never be more than friends. Because I’m straight.

Right?

10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love is a lighthearted romantic comedy with disastrous dates, more innuendo than is probably healthy, an oblivious sweetheart, the gym-dude who falls for him swiftly, and a HEA loaded with firsts. It has characters who originally appeared in Himbo (Elite 8 Studios Book 4) but is set as a standalone.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Humor, Audiobook

335 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2025

About the author

Emmy Sanders, author of sweet, steamy, swoony MM romance, would describe herself as a lover of love. She's obsessed with both reading and writing romance and believes everyone deserves their happy ending. Queer herself, Emmy has a soft spot for LGBTQ+ fiction, but MM is where her heart lies. Her debut novel, Fool Hearts, released in 2022.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 ways I accidently fell inlove with this book.

1. Brad
2. Brad and his need for physical touch.
3. BRAD IN ALL HIS HIMBO GLORY.
4. Brad is the ultimate gym bro, clueless, 'straight', heavily loveable doofus.
5. ✨platonic straight dude cuddle sesh✨
I AM WEAK FOR THIS TROPE 👏EVERY👏DAMN👏TIME👏
6. Brad, like me, is a catastrophic, no filter, 0 thoughts yapper.
7. Joey 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
8. Joey's fierce and relentless affection for Brad, from start to finish. Even if his nickname was “Joey roo” which is the worst hahahahaha
9. The sexual innuendo's and puns, this book is full of them, it's OTT and ridiculous and wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too much by the end, but idgaf because I loved both these mc's so much 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️
10. "He never seems to run out of words, and I find myself hoarding every scrap of information he gives me" OH HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO BE LOVED BY SOMEONE WHO ADORES YOU FOR EXACTLY WHO YOU AREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. including oversharing, terrible jokes, abruptness, verbal vomit, 0 braincells and all....

This was SO SILLY AND SO MUCH FUN.


THE PART IN THE END, THE 'COMPLICATION'/CONFESSION OR WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU'D CALL IT WAS SO DAMN SWEET!?!?! The restaurant?!?!?! Iykyk. Brad was just being a silly goose, and Joey was so sad, and it was just UGH

DFTGUIOGFGVABJSODHUGEWBJNKSJIUGDBQJKNAJOSDHUGVWBJNSOJDFHUBWKLNSDGY*HSUVDBUHISBJIOANSK
I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Narrator slapped.
Good times was had, had by me...

(They also switch in the end, bonus points are always given to MC's who say they want to switch or enjoy and actually fucking commit to it OOOOOFT🥵)

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| 1.5 stars ||

Okay, so this really did start out super cute and fun in the first half, but I completely lost interest during the second part of the book.

I really loved when Brad was being completely oblivious to his feelings while Joey was half-way in love with him already, especially since their dynamic was really sweet and endearing with plenty of longing and a touch of angst as well.

However, when Brad recognized his feelings at about the halfway mark, everything became way too mushy with far too much sex.
There was basically nothing going on anymore other than smut or love-bombing. No angst, no drama, no longing, and no plot. There were also no possibilites for development in the relationship left either, since they were already completely in love to the maximum levels, and so nothing changed for the entirety of the book.

After a certain point, it was all just smut, smut, smut, and more smut with pages upon pages about how attractive the other person was or how sweet they found each other.
It was cute the first time, but after the 100th repetition, I was slowly starting to die of boredom.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute masterpiece.... I have not laughed this hard at anything in so long! I have so much to say about this book, but I don't want to spoil anything so it's hard to write this review because I'm so enthusiastic about it 😂

I have loved Brad since he first appeared in the Elite8 series and I was so desperate for him to get a book because I was immediately attached to him. I needed to know his story and Emmy Sanders absolutely smashed it with this book. There has never been a better Himbo character.

Brad is the most guileless himbo to ever himbo. He's adorable, he's entertaining and he almost made me need my inhaler at multiple points because I was legit wheezing with laughter so often. The stuff that comes out of his mouth.... I just could not stop laughing!!! I do not recommend trying to read this when everyone else in your house is asleep 😂 His unintentional double entendres, dirty talk and misinterpretation of kinks were absolutely hilarious - watersports and motorboating about killed me off but Brad trying out being a Daddy had me actually dead. I was crying, I was laughing so hard that I couldn't even make a sound - absolute perfection! I would quote it but I don't want to ruin the experience , I'll just say that Brad is officially my favourite Daddy 😂😂😂😂 I would actually love to see Brad meet Nate and Xavi from Nordika Night's Knock Knock to compare their knowledge on kinks....

I could talk for hours about how much I love Brad's character, I would definitely want to be his friend and I'm so happy that he got the absolute perfect HEA.

Joey is the perfect man for Brad. I adored his internal monologues relating to his hopes and dreams for Brad - the wedding comments, the picket fence, just everything was so fucking adorable yet also hilarious. These two are made to be together. The way Joey just rolls with everything Brad says or does right from the get go was so amazing. Joey and Brad both want to make sure the people they care about are happy and putting them together was like being in the middle of a giant warm and crushing hug for every single page of this book. I did not stop smiling the entire time!

I also have to say that when Joey gets the opportunity to convince Brad of what they could be, the way he takes it had me screaming for him to go get his man! Joey in the gym scene after this agreement was outrageous and I was living for it! I also enjoyed how the sexual side of their relationship was so genuinely fun. They understand each other so much, there's so much respect and they really do just let go and live their best lives.

The friendship between Brad, Jason and Cas was also so fucking sweet. Jason and Cas 'raising' their friend and guiding him through his self-discovery was ridiculously endearing and beyond cute. I love their bond so much.

This book was honestly so perfect and if you wanted Brad's story when you met him you will absolutely not be disappointed with this. If I could give more than 5 stars then I would.

*****

I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best kind of corny, cringey, ridiculous fun and I just had an absolute ball with it.

I had some big car drives to do and wanted something light and mindless to keep me company and this audiobook had me giggling like an absolute crazy person the whole time I was in the car. Nick Russo absolutely hit the comedic tone out of the park with his performance and I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed this remotely as much as I did if I was reading it instead of listening to it.

The premise of this is ridiculously simple. Brad; straight dude, golden retriever and endearing Himbo, is super excited to make a new gym friend; only for his new gym friend, Joey, to think he's scored a date with the cute dude in the gym that he has a crush on. When Brad finally realises the misunderstanding he becomes dedicated to finding his new bro the perfect guy, and it proceeds exactly as you expect it would.

Brad and Joey were so adorable together, the earnest enthusiasm they both had for their friendship was really sweet and Joey's near constant crisis's over Brad's unintended innuendos was so funny (lol the poor dude). Brad's bro language did at times get a little bit much and I felt like the fanny pack joke was starting to feel like flogging a dead horse by the end of the book, but as long as you go into it expecting the corniness and don't take it too seriously it's all still good fun.

I also really enjoyed that this book didn't really lean into the miscommunication trope (which it would have been SO easy to do) but Joey and Brad tended to just talk when they got to a point where they needed to? and Brad is just such a creature of impulse that words that go through his head tend to just immediately fall out of his mouth. And Brad would have these occasional little moments of like incredibly high EQ empathic thoughts and you would just totally understand why Joey was ass over elbow in love with him.

I would say that this book was an easy 5 star time for me (based on enjoyment and vibes alone) right up until the end. The ending of the main story was totally fine and enjoyable, but I found that the effort to try and include all the characters and couples from the 'Elite 8' series into the end completely derailed the momentum and focus of the main plot for me, which was such a bummer. I was just left feeling like it dragged on and on and suddenly there's all of these porn stars and it just changed the vibe of the main plot immediately and didn't feel consistent with the book I have been listening to. I guess maybe if you were a die hard fan it would have been fun, but I haven't read the other books and don't feel much immediate drive to do so, so it makes more sense to me to have the little cross over scenes as separate freebie novellas for fans, where they can have some freedom to just go wild with whatever they wanted to do. Although ultimately it's still a 4.5 star read that I'm going to round up (for now) so does it even fucking matter lol.

Absolutely another audiobook going on to me 'one brain cell good time' shelf 😂😂




(Brad Bradley is literally the greatest Himbo name I have ever come across, I was dying)

(The confession scene was perfect. I love Joey so much)

(I did have to have a laugh about a guy who faints at blood dating a carpenter because I dare you to show me a single carpenter who isn't constantly bleeding from some work related scratch lol but let's not let reality get in the way of a cute couple lol)

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love is a stand alone rom-com by Emmy Sanders. This is only my second book by Emmy. The first was To Catch a Firefly which was one of the most romantic books I’ve ever read. How could she write another book that was just as romantic and wonderful but be funny? I don’t know but she did. This book shined into my heart with the power of a thousand suns. I smiled all the way through it, laughed out loud and swooned so hard.



First lets meet Brad Bradley. He is twenty five years old and works from home as a video game designer. He also loves to expend his energy from sitting all day at the gym working out. Brad is the sweetest, silliest, big heartedest, hug loving, man that ever lived. He has no filter whatsoever. The things that he says! He’s straight but wishes he had a relationship. He’s super tactile. This quote will probably confuse you but if you read the book, it will make your heart swell.

“One, two, three, four, five, six.”

Joey Delgado is twenty nine years old. He has just moved to Las Vegas to get to know his deceased father’s side of the family and is working for them in their construction business. He’s gay and saw Brad from a distance and pretty much fell for him on the spot. When he goes to the gym to meet him face to face, he’s a goner. He mistakenly thinks Brad is flirting with him so their first date was a bit of a bust since only one of them thought it was an actual date!



Brad feels terrible for the miscommunication so he decides that he is going to be Joey’s best wingman. He will find him the perfect man. But as the dates begin, Brad doesn’t like Joey spending time with the other men. He wants all his attention, all his touches, all his hugs. Could it be possible he’s not as straight as he thought?



I just can’t even with the sweetness of this book. Joey loves every single thing about Brad. And I loved Brad’s journey of self discovery. Together these two melted my heart and made me so happy. Every page is filled with innuendo and happiness. I could read books like this for the rest of my life. I had a bunch of Brad’s silliness highlighted but I decided not to add the quotes. I want you to discover them on your own. Just read this book. I hope you love these two as much as I do.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Kati *☆･ﾟ]

***no rating***
dropped @55%


Yeah yeah, I shouldn’t have picked it up in the first place. I knew better because neither friends-to-lovers nor bi-awakening/gfy are favorite tropes of mine. But man, all the great reviews were just too tempting.

And unlike most other readers I wasn’t a big fan of Brad either. He was just too damn oblivious, even if it was cute and entertaining in the beginning. Especially with him practically making everything sound like a sexual innuendo. *lol

“So what do you do?” Other Dude asks Joey.
“He’s in construction,” I answer, sending Joey a wink. “Knows his way around the ol’ nuts and bolts. Really good at… screwing?” That doesn’t sound right. “At least, I assume,” I go on quickly. “I haven’t experienced it firsthand yet, but I’m hoping one day Joey will show me his equipment.”

I mean it was funny but that too became annoying to me rather quickly. It seemed to be his whole personality.

And then there was the this whole “my man” “dude” — it’s in general just such a turn-off for me in a romantic setting. I know this was just Brad’s way of talking but damn. I mean, I would have to ask but I honestly can’t imagine any gay man would appreciate being addressed that way.


And now, halfway through, that they’ve entered a “bros with bennies” situationship (Brad’s words, not mine) I’m bored. It’s probably not a bad story at all but I’m not really into it. I hope I find something more to my taste on my tbr right about now.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an adorable rom-com about two gym bros falling in love. Brad and Joey are all about working out and cuddling up.

There's nothing Brad likes more than a good huggle sesh. Joey's all in, except he doesn't want Brad as his platonic bestie and wingman; he wants Brad as his everything.

Fortunately, Brad is eager to explore Joey's, ahem, wood. The constant sexual innuendos, hilarious initially, got a bit old.

Don't get me wrong. I loved Brad, and Joey too, but the endless references to tool belts, hammies, Greg the penis, kangaroos, and "bubs" started to wear thin after a while.

Once the two got going around the halfway mark, it was nonstop sex. Zero angst. Zero drama. Zero miscommunication. Very sweet but a bit dull.

And that rather detailed douching scene? Nope. Some things are just TMI, fiction or not.

The Elite 8 boys make a cameo appearance, which is when I realized that we'd met Brad in Himbo. I was as slow on the uptake as Joey. No worries though. This book is 100% a standalone.

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread via audio: I can confirm that Nick J Russo does, in fact, make (almost) everything better. He adds so much to the characters (even side characters), it’s a delight listening to him. The book still isn’t perfect, but I had so much fun revisiting it, I can’t in good conscience rate it down to 4 stars 🤷‍♀️

I might have a few more smile lines after reading this. But do I mind? Not at all 🥰

You know how the real world is just a mess these days? Prone to give you anxiety and sleepless nights? Well, this book might be the perfect antidote - it won’t miraculously cure everything that’s bad out there, but it will surround you with a bubble of perfect fluff and cuteness. I can’t remember a time I smiled so much during reading, and I’m pretty sure I’ll reach for it again when I need a pick-me-up.

If you read the Elite Studio books, you might remember Brad. Brad’s last name is Bradley, and Brad is the braddest Brad to ever brad. The himboest himbo to ever himbo. The goldenest Retriever to ever retrieve.

And yes, these are words. Trust me. If you read the book, you’ll agree.

Brad is … well, not exactly mourning, but missing his best friend. Jason has a boyfriend now, former adult star Cas from Himbo. So Brad decides he needs a new gym-bro - and befriends Joey. Joey is new in town, and has spotted Brad and his sunny demeanor from the cafe across the three gym, and joins the gym for a chance to get to know him.

I can’t even find words to say how much I enjoyed their dialogues. Brad is so… pure. Guileless. Funny without meaning to. He has a heart of gold.

I want a Brad in my life. Not THIS Brad obviously, because he’s had his bi-awakening with Joey and these two are just PERFECT for each other. But I want someone who’s a human sunshine in the same way Brad is.

To get back to the interaction between the two - they’re so insanely funny, I swear I didn’t stop smiling whenever I had the book in my hands. And when I wasn’t reading, I was smiling because I knew I’ll smile the moment I’m picking it up. There’s literally ZERO drama, but I wasn’t bored. Yes, it’s fluff bordering on cheesy, but I LOVED IT. Sue me. Not everything we read has to be emotionally taxing.

I’ll end my review with a few of my favourite quotes to give you an idea:

Fuck. This man. I barely know him, and I’m already wondering what kind of fence he’d like around his backyard. White picket?
…
“You loose enough?” Brad asks. My head whips his way, and it takes me a long second to realize he’s talking about our warm-up. “Yeah, uh, I’m good.”
…
“Yeah, man. That’s how it’s done!” he says, holding his hand in the air. “Give it to me hard.” Good grief. Unable to deny him, I slap his palm.
…
“He’s like… If niceness were a man,” I say. “His eyes are warm like brownies. And he’s all muscly in a kinda soft way? Like a loaf of challah. Add some chocolate sprinkles on top for his hair, and there you have it.”
…
“I’ve never seen the point in pretending to be anyone but who I am,” I tell him. “Maybe it’s stupid, not protecting myself. I do get hurt sometimes. But if you spend your life building walls, you might miss out on the people who’d see you for who you are. I don’t want to miss out on that.”
…
“Fine,” he relents, opening his door. “But if you get sick, I’m gonna wrestle you into bed and tie you down. And you’ll take it. Happily. I can’t have my baby roo feeling blue. Heh. That rhymed. You coming?”
Good fucking grief.
…
“I don’t have a perfect answer,” he says. “All I know is I understand cum gutters now because of you, and I’m pretty sure I’d like to test yours out if you’d let me.”
…
Since meeting you, I’ve been more calmly happy than I can remember being in a really long time. Maybe ever. You’re like a hug, Brad. Always. Whether or not we’re touching. So if this gives you even a fraction of what you’ve given to me, then yes. Anytime you want it… or need it… I’m here.”
…
“This list is quite possibly the best thing I’ve accomplished in my entire life. Because, as it turns out, it was ten ways to accidentally fall in love. And every step led me to you.”

🫠🫠🫠

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

“Being queer isn’t the part that scares me.”
“No?” I ask, throat tight. “What scares you?”
“The thought of losing you,” he answers, just about doing me in. “I couldn’t stand to lose you, Joey.”

ARC review

This book is 328 pages long but it felt like half, at most. This was incredibly easy to read, beyond sweet and entertaining, and just made me smile a lot. I genuinely believe it’s way harder to pull off a low angst book such as this than something full of trauma and angst. I was invested from the very first page and didn’t want to put it down, which, considering I prefer more action, external angst and less humor, is really impressive.

Brad is a golden retriever himbo of epic proportions who communicates entirely in unintentional innuendo, and he is probably the kindest person ever. When he (finally) realizes his gym bro Joey’s cum gutters and juicy pecs make him a bit more excited than they would if he were completely straight, his worry isn’t about his sexuality, but about not wanting to hurt Joey or lose him as a friend, and I just love him to death for it.

Brad for sure steals the show a lot, but Joey is a strong character as well. He goes along with all of Brad’s antics and lets him be himself fully, and indulges Brad’s need for closeness and cuddles, pre and post sexual awakening. He was pining so damn hard for a while there that it almost made me cry.

The only thing I wasn’t stoked about was Brad and Jason’s friendship in this book. To be fair I haven’t read Himbo, but I’ve seen a lot of quotes, and those + the way Brad talks about his best friend, I was surprised by how very unfriendly Jason seemed. Yeah, Brad’s a lot and he makes Jason uncomfortable and embarassed sometimes, but all the time?? He ended up coming across as a pretty bad friend, imo.

“But orgasms don’t last. They just don’t. It’s all well and good to want someone’s body. To enjoy getting off with them. But wanting someone past that? Outside of that? Wanting to share a moment of connection? I think that’s pretty great.”

Anyways. Please read this, chances are you’ll freaking love it.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Never-ending puns
Himbo
Gym bros
Sexual awakening
Innuendo for days
Boudoir photoshoot
Failed wingmanry
Pining
Size difference
Itty bitty shorts and crop tops
First times
Intercrural sex
Jerking it while inside him
Golden retriever

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Brief mention of death of parent (past)
Alcohol consumption
MC abandoned by parents (past)
Mention of homophobic parent (past)
Explicit sexual content

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Brad sets Joey up on a handful of dates, trying to be a wingman. Joey isn’t interested in anyone but Brad and nothing comes of the dates (Brad third-wheels most of the dates anyway).
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 25 and 29
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 328
Happy ending: Yes


“This list is quite possibly the best thing I’ve accomplished in my entire life. Because, as it turns out, it was ten ways to accidentally fall in love. And every step led me to you.”

Fuck. This man. I barely know him, and I’m already wondering what kind of fence he’d like around his backyard. White picket?

“He’s like… If niceness were a man,” I say. “His eyes are warm like brownies. And he’s all muscly in a kinda soft way? Like a loaf of challah. Add some chocolate sprinkles on top for his hair, and there you have it.”

Turns out floating in place is fucking hard. But Joey makes it fun. After several attempts, I manage it for about three seconds before grabbing for Joey’s arm. “You’re getting the hang of it,” he says. “Sure,” I agree. “Now I know if I go overboard at sea, I’ll have just enough time to panic before slipping under.”



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Mug · Rating 3 out of 5]

a whole CORNY mess !!! i actually really liked how unrealistic and stupid it was as first, but then, the jokes and puns just kept fucking going, like beating a dead horse, just became overdone and annoying af. if i took a shot every time someone coughed/sputtered/wheezed, i’d literally be dead😂😂😂 this could’ve worked as a novella, but it was way too fucking long too keep that humor fresh….and having the “humor” infecting the sex scenes too??🥴 least sexy shit ever, nearly approaching maximum cringe levels, like enough!!!! in conclusion, CORNY!!!!!!

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I’ve had a shit week (and it’s only Thursday 😩) so this book found me at exactly the right time because…

Oh. My. GOD HOW WHOLESOME, HOT AND FEEL-GOOD WAS THAT?!
I could not stop smiling reading this book. I’m still feeling fuzzy all over. And full of butterflies. Ugh, so so cute.

I looohooved these two guys. Joey with his endless longing and pining yet his willingness to be Brad‘s friend first and foremost. And Brad with his accidentally funny, caring, ridiculously oblivious and just so damn kind personification of pure sunshine character!

“He’s like… If niceness were a man,” I say. “His eyes are warm like brownies. And he’s all muscly in a kinda soft way? Like a loaf of challah. Add some chocolate sprinkles on top for his hair, and there you have it.”
I mean, who says stuff like that?! 😩

What I especially liked was Brad’s honesty and openness and easy going nature as well as his regard of friendship boundaries and his ability to communicate. Seriously SWOON!

“This truly doesn’t bother you? Talking about gay sex?”
“No?” I say slowly. “People are people, man. Sex is sex. I guess I don’t see why talking about other dudes’ dicks and assholes should bother me when I have my own. Singular dick and asshole, obviously. I’m not, like, doubling up down there. Whoa, could you imagine?”
BRAD BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT!!

I mean… If there were more Brads around, this world would be a better place. Hell, I’d be a better person, if I were a bit more like Brad. We all would, probably 🥹

If I had to nitpick, the ending felt a bit stretched, and the Elite 8 guys got more page time than I needed (probably more fun if you’ve read that series). Also, I could have done with, like, one or two - or ten - fewer puns.

But seriously. This book was such a mood booster! My face hurts from all the smiling. Highly recommend for that alone 🥰

Bub and Joey-roo 4eva 💕

“Yep!” I say cheerfully. “Ready to eat my butt?”
Joey’s eyes flare wide.
“Shit, that wasn’t right,” I mutter. It only takes a second to click. “Ah. Ready to eat my dust?”
“Did you just combine that with the phrase ‘kick my butt’?” Joey asks.
“Sure did.”
🤣🤣

Also: the douching scene AND the dirty dancing in the water had me howling 😂

4,5⭐️

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️

𝙎𝙊𝙉𝙂 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝘾𝙃 — 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙙 𝙏𝙨𝙖𝙞

// What I really guess I'm trying to say is
Would you like to be my date?
Or are you straight?
Is my gaydar broken?
Am I too late?
Is your schedule open?
Sorry for ruining the mood
I had to ask 'cause you're so cute
Oh, are you straight? //

TROPES:
🐝 Friends to lovers
🦘 Queer awakening
🐝 Golden retriever MC

“I just open my mouth, and words fall out. It’s a curse.”

Can I have a Brad in my life?
10 Ways To Accidentally Fall In Love was a hilarious, light-hearted, swoony and ALL those good feels, romance.
Full of laughs and sweet moments, lovely characters and some yummy spicy times.

“Don’t get too close, dude. I’m contaminated.” His smile is a slow thing. “It’s fine, Brad. I’d have to ingest them to have a reaction.” “Oh, okay. Phew,” I puff out. “In that case, don’t lick me and we should be good.”

All my saved quotes are just Brad being the funniest character ever. He’s charming and honest, a golden retriever full of ridiculous sexual innuendos he doesn’t even know he’s saying most of the time.

“Where are we going?” “A small steakhouse nearby. Is that all right?” “Are you kidding me? I love meat in my mouth.”

And sweet Joey-roo was in love with all of that. He fell for Brad’s craziness hard, wouldn’t give up on him even if they could only be friends, was caring and supportive when Brad was curious, loved him and went along with all his shenanigans and wingman-ing.

I’ll be the best wingman Joey has ever had. Mark my words. By the time I’m through with him, he’ll be head over heels in love.

The spice was fantastic, but I expected nothing less from Emmy Sanders. Loved seeing Brad slowly realize he was into a particular set of cum-gutters. Joey letting him explore his body, setting the pace, the passion between them, the fun they had during sex.

“I don’t have a perfect answer,” he says. “All I know is I understand cum gutters now because of you, and I’m pretty sure I’d like to test yours out if you’d let me.”

“At least you’re in my Heaven,” I mumble. “What?” Joey asks around a laugh, starting his reps. “Just that I’m fairly certain you’re a literal angel, and I’ve never been between a guy’s thighs before, but I’m a little jealous of that empty space between yours.”

My heart feels very happy right about now, and if I ever need a pick-me-up I know what to reread. And as much as I would like to fill this review up with a dozen more quotes, I’ll stop. Even though I reeeally want to…

“Ten ways to accidentally fall in love. And every step led me to you.”

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Mentions of parental abandonment
- Mentions of homophobia
- Vers MCs
- Frotting
- Intercrural
- Just the tip

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love is a hilariously adorable romantic comedy. Brad and Joey are meant for one another but due to Brad's straight sensitivities he completely misleads Joey into thinking they are more than just gym bros. What then transpires is hilarious hijinks as Brad makes it his mission to find Joey the perfect boyfriend. This includes setting up dating profiles and chaperoning his dates.

I have never read a story like this regarding its premise and how hilarious and completely adorable it is from start to finish. Brad is a one-of-a-kind character that I could not get enough of. His perfectly innocent demeanor and inability to understand how his choice of words could be misunderstood make him so likable, precious, and endearing. I also love Joey's endless patience and determination in maintaining his friendship with Brad even when he is already so in love with him.

This story truly couldn’t have come out at a better moment! It’s such a delightful escape that brings so many laughs. I absolutely adored Brad and Joey's relationship and had a blast following their silly adventures!

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is it, this is my favorite book by Emmy Sanders (so far). Adorable, funny, beautiful characters, low angst, it was just too good ok? I will not stop raving about it. This deserves a million stars.
I adored Brad and Joey’s relationship, it has the perfect pacing, nothing was rushed, every single piece in the plot was placed perfectly.
Brad is too precious and I loved his vulnerability, innocence and quirky behavior.
LOVED. Standing ovation

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up, babes, because this book has ALL THE THINGS... things that are so ridiculous you'll wonder how they made it into a book 😂 You really have to experience the crazy first hand though, so I'm not going to spoil anything specific. Instead, please enjoy a brief recap of my journey on the BUB and JOEY-KANGAROO-ROO train of madness and mayhem 🚂

-Sees 10 Ways to Accidentally Fall in Love pop up on my GR timeline with very love it or hate it vibes. I AM INTRIGUED 👀

-Starts reading and soon realizes the absolute absurdity of it all and wonders, "Should I keep going?"

-KEEPS GOING

-Realizes the madness doesn't let up but is in too deep to stop. The crazy train has left the station and I'm just along for the ride~ CHOO CHOO

-At some point, feel my face hurting from smiling so much because Brad Ulysses Bradley (yes, that's his actual name) and his himbo ways are making me stupidly happy 😭 You might think you've seen a himbo before, well get ready to have your definition of himbo shaken to its core. Nobody himbos like Brad Ulysses Bradley (Bub for short) 🤣 He's the himboest himbo to ever himbo. HANDS DOWN. The extent of his himbo-ness knows no bounds. Despite being one of the most bonkers OTT people I've ever read, Brad has a himbo heart of gold and you can't help but love the precious idiot 🥹

-Reach the epilogue and find it's one of the sweetest things you've ever read and now you have a stupid attachment to book that by all accounts is beyond absurd, but you can't find it in yourself to care 💙💙💙

My advice to anyone on the fence about this one ----> SUSPEND DISBELIEF AND JUST ENJOY THE RIDE 😌

[patrícia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book to the shelf “I smiled so much my face hurts”

This was the perfect 🦄 book. So, sooooo romantic, sweet, heartwarming, swoon-worthy, utterly adorable, laugh-out-loud funny, charming, delightful, HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT AF🔥. It’s also completely ridiculous—unrealistic. But sometimes, completely ridiculous and unrealistic, sweet and HOT AF is exactly what you need. I LOVE THIS!

10 ways to fall in love with this book

🌈Gym-Best bro with bennies to so much more
🌈Wingman services and the watersports situation
🌈All that wood hard work
🌈The nicknames and the matching Fannies
🌈Picket fences and wedding dreams
🌈Cumgutters obssession and Gregory 😀
🌈ALL the First times
🌈Found Family
🌈Popsicle, bananas or cucumber for testing skills
🌈Nobody puts Baby in the corner!

Brad is a lot—with everything, everyone, everywhere! Maybe it's the coffee, maybe it's just him—like an oversized, hyperactive puppy. And Joey? Only he can tame his Bub.Joey pining and Brad’s obliviousness were absolutely delicious. Joey-roo and Bub are my new favorite thing. 🦘🐝 They are so perfect for each other, and I’m a puddle of swooning goo 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠. Both of them are absolutely precious 🥰.

I laughed so hard, so many times. God. I had the best time with these two idiots. I laughed so much I got stares. Concerned stares! All those innuendos, and “innocent” flirting, poor Joey,it was hard! But the love, the hugs, the snuggles, the touching, the kisses—their friendship—that’s what did it for me. The openness of their relationship, the friendship, the lovers, the sex talk—everything is so open and full of curiosity and above all trust. I LOVE THIS!

And obviously, the Bros with Bennies experiences… JFC, Brad’s curiosity is infectious and sexy AF. These two together are like an untamed fire. 🔥 This is a delicious gay discovery/experiment checklist of intense, mind-blowing orgasms. Brad's eagerness and Joey's patience and passion make it a thousand times better. I LOOOOOOVE THIS!

Brad is hilarious—we’ve established that—but some things he says or does are just too much 😂. Never in my life did I think douching could be this funny. "Okay. Insert the nozzle. Hoo, boy. Not even dinner first?" Or when he called Cas and Jason for help because he didn’t know, and I quote, "if drippage is a concern" 😂😂😂😂. I absolutely love Cas and Jason, patiently helping raise a baby bi 🥰🥰🥰🥰.

And Joey… the way he completely worships Brad is—ugh—it’s perfect. Just perfect. But don’t get the idea that he’s just there, oh no… He knows exactly what he wants, and he takes. But the way he gives—so much love, so much attention—it’s just beautiful to read.And don't forget Mama D.

I literally died at the auction… I can’t even. So, so moving and beautiful—god. I love reading and feeling all these different emotions. And while this book is light and easy to read, it’s still emotional. It made me laugh, yes, but it also melted my heart. The love between these two idiots is exactly the kind of perfect fluff I needed. You need to be in the right mood for this, because it's a lot, and I'm so glad I was!

This dialogue probable sums up them, funny, sexy, hot, romantic and completely crazy for each other***

His mouth meets mine again in answer, warm and soft and urgent. I nearly die when he leans back, but then he’s shucking his clothes and all is forgiven. I stay his hand when he reaches for his fanny pack.
“Leave it,” I tell him.
He smirks but doesn’t try to remove it again. Instead, he unzips the bag and pulls out a travel-sized bottle of lube.
“Oh my God,” I wheeze, my cock bucking. “That was the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“Turn around,” he tells me.
“Nope. That was. Jesus Christ.”

That epilogue…. I don’t want to be dramatic but that was one of the best epilogues I’ve ever read.Omg I’m still crying, I’m so happy I read this, this made me so happy. I LOVE THIS “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”!

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a surprise in the most wonderful way. I’d tried two Emmy Sanders books before, and I was convinced this author just wasn’t for me, but oh boy, this story was utterly ridiculous and amazing. Seriously, it had me laughing on the train like a manic person, and it all just made me fall in love with it, just like Brad and his baby Joey Kangaroo Roo.

Brad Ullyses Bradley, aka Bub, is the most Bradest Brad that ever Braded. The guy was a total himbo in the most endearing way, and poor Joey, he really had no choice but to love him since he saw him smiling while doing burpees.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but this book gave me major vibes of Leo Loves Aries . Both books feature an oblivious straight boy obsessed with his gay friend, amazing banter between the MCs and a friendship that really grows before the romance even begins, and I WAS HERE FOR IT.

5 Stars for the wholesome story full of amazing puns, quirky dialogue and both corny and cringey moments by both MCs. A special mention to all those Dirty Dancing references, because even if that movie is really not the best, it is also a goddam classic, and I am glad both Joey and Brad agree with me on that.

[Valen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion coming your way! This was (to me) just plain silly. Brad is cute and funny and a ray of sunshine but it also sounded like he was missing some brain cells. After a point it becomes tiring. Yeah there were a few laughs here and there but maybe I’m just not the target audience for this.

I skimmed a lot because even the sex scenes were packed with strange juvenile humour that gave me the ick. One star was added cause the epilogue was actually very cute.

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently platonic fondling is a thing.

Maybe I'm a grump, or I read this at a time when I was not in the mood for goofy humor because I was more irritated than entertained by Brad's CONSTANT double entendres.

Sure, I found it laugh out loud funny for about 40%, and then the bit got old.

Because there's no way you're straight up telling your friend:

"Do I get to play with your hardwood?"

And he's referring to floors.

"It looks very girthy. And stiff."

And he's referring to an actual hammer.

Picture about three hundred of this sort of thing.

So I can see why people would love this. It's funny. It just got to be too much for me at a certain point, and beyond that, there's nothing extraordinary about the romance.

It's a himbo and a guy who's really into him. Most of it is them getting up to ridiculous things because of who the himbo is, as a person(which is ridiculous-Brad's mostly just ridiculous) but in a loveable rapscallion way. I guess.

I really liked Joey though.

HAAAAAAAAAATED the nicknames Brad came up with for him.

The fuck is a Joey-Kangaroo-roo?

That there is a 29 year old man.

😒

Maybe I'm a hater.

[TrippyBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable and at sometimes pretty cringe, but really funny

I felt so much empathy for both characters at certain points, but you can’t help with root for them

[Aricka Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Bub, if I wanted to give you a boner, I’d tell you that as soon as you’re ready for it, I’ll show you what it feels like to have someone inside of you. I’ll open you up with my fingers. One, then two, then three, until you’re begging to feel how much further I can reach with my cock. I’ll introduce you to your prostate, make you ache in the best possible way, and only then will you find out what it’s like to be fucked within an inch of your life. And you’ll thank me for it.”

♾️⭐

Listen up. Attention! This is my type of shit. I mean it. This is the exact kind of shit I am into—over-the-top cheesy, romantic, fucking funny, himbo men falling in love who are best friends?? That’s my jam. That’s my everything. And this book? This book was amazing.

I was a little skeptical going in, because everyone was hyping it up—but fuck me, it was everything I wanted. This is the kind of book I devour and beg for seconds. Just two bros being bros, falling in love, and it slaps every time for me.

Yeah, maybe it’s been done before. Maybe the jokes are dumb. But you know what? That’s my style, baby. Give me those dumb fucking jokes. Give me the bros who are like, “whoa… I think I’m in love with my best bro.” That shit makes my whole week.

Also—Nick J. Russo?? Literally the best frat bro narrator to ever exist. Fight me. He’s my king. He brings this kind of story to life like no one else.

Anyway, this had everything I love in a book. It made me smile—like, full face, dumbass grin smiling. I had 145 highlights in this thing. That’s insane. I never get that high. But this book just hit the spot at the exact right time. I loved it. One of my favorites, no question.

And let’s not forget—they talk about Dirty Dancing all the time in this book. That’s my favorite movie. I literally have “Hungry Eyes” tattooed on my shins. So obviously… this is a 5-star read for me.

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: friends to lovers, romcom
Feels: 4/5
Steam*: 2/5
Kinks: roleplay, dirty talk
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past parental abandonment, tough childhood, homophobic father
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: Brad tries to set Joey up on dates, but Joey never has any interest in the guys. Brad and Joey are both obsessed with each other, even though Brad takes a while to realize that his feelings are a romantic.

4 stars

Brad is 25. He's always identified as straight. He's an ally, he has a lot of close friends that are queer. His parents abandoned him when he was three and he was raised by his grandfather who wasn't very affectionate. So Brad just craves affection and cuddles. Brad is a very emotional person. He has no filter, and he accidentally says unintentionally dirty things every other word that comes out of his mouth. He is over the top comical as a character. It's unhinged, and it's very funny. His best friend recently got into a relationship with the love of his life, and now he doesn't get as much of his time as he used to, he has a bit of a gap in his life and he wants more friends.

Enter Joey. Joey is 29 and gay. They meet at the gym and Joey thinks that Brad is hitting on him, and Brad thinks he's just making a new gym bro friend. They quickly realized the misunderstanding, and Brad offers to be a wingman and help set Joey up. Brad proceeds to set up a bunch of dates with Joey and other guys, and he tags along. Brad ends up scaring off all the guys, because they can see the connection that Joey and Brad have. Joey keeps falling deeper, his crush becoming more. And Brad starts realizing that he's feeling jealousy, possessiveness and he might not be as straight as he thought he was. But he doesn't want to risk their friendship, so they agreed to try being friends with bennies for 31 days before deciding what they want to do.

I had complex feelings about this book. I am a person who loves unhinged humour, I love a romance book that makes me howl with laughter. And this was hilarious! I also love when characters are codependent and fall so deeply in love, their love for each other is so deep, they love who the person is not just what they look like. And Brad and Joey loved each other to bits, there was nothing superficial about their love. Even though Brad was completely ridiculous, there was so much to love about him as a person. I thought the characters were incredibly lovable and I loved their love.

This book had the potential for me of being five stars. However, this book was frustrating. It was so stop and go! I gave the book a lot of time to grow into itself, but at the 82% mark I was just so frustrated. Every time they start something, they don't finish it. They start a certain hook up and then they come abruptly. They decide to have anal, get halfway inside and then one of them nuts so they stop. In another moment, Brad starts confessing his love, and then he gets a paper cut and passes out in the middle of it before he could say anything of note. It's very frustrating! I just want them to immerse themselves in the moment, be fully in it but it's just stop and go and that's not satisfying to a reader. It was very choppy. Brad was like an ADHD bunny that got distracted and chased after whatever caught its attention in the moment. It hurt the passion of the book. I just wanted a moment of peace and calm.

Random vent. Page 306, Brad's pornstar friends decide to gift him with a 2-year p*** subscription to their studio at his coming out as bi party. I think that has to be the worst gift. They're celebrating him coming out as bi, but he's exclusive with his boyfriend, and they are gifting him a two-year subscription to watch all of his friends have sex with each other, because they're the pornstars. I wouldn't want to watch my friends fuck or get porn as a gift.


Some notable moments:

"“Joey,” I whisper. “I have the best idea.” “I’m…almost afraid to ask.”"

"Joey gives me an odd look. “Do you use the stoplight system often?” “I mean… I drive, so yes?” His lips twitch. “Sure. That works.” “Awesome. So now we just need to find a guy. Hey, wanna head to that gay bar after this? They have nachos, so we can get some grub and scope out future Mr. Delgados. Just…maybe avoid the back rooms, dude. They are not clean.” Joey rubs his temple. “Have you actually been in the back rooms?” “Honest mistake,” I tell him. “I thought there was candy.”"

"“I don’t really know how to do this,” he says, voice quiet. “I’ve never been interested in a friend before, let alone a guy. I’m in uncharted territory here. And I don’t even know…I mean… Would you even want to…you know…with me?” “Yes,” I say immediately. Brad blows out a breath. “You sure didn’t have to think about that long.” I slip off the couch and kneel in front of him, my hands on the outsides of his knees. His mouth opens as he looks down at me, his chest rising and falling with his breaths. “Whatever you’re thinking about? Whatever you want to try? Try it with me.”"


*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.

[Papie]

DNF at 65%

It was so promising and started so well.
Brad finds himself on an accidental date with his new gym bro. Oblivious and hilariously dumb, he keeps making accidental innuendo. Think Phil Dunphy on that accidental date with Cam’s friend for the Modern Family fans.

Then the wingman thing starts and it’s fun. And funny.

But once they decide to be “bros with bennies”, it’s just sex, sex and more sex. Interspered with sweet sweet sweet moments. So even skipping over sex scenes, I’m bored.

I see a million 5 star reviews and realize it’s me. This book is just not for me. If you like over the top humour, tons of sex scenes and two sweet MCs, then go for it. 🤷‍♀️

[Book Binge: Reviews by Melissa DaSilva · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is absolutely truth to the saying “right book, wrong time”! That’s exactly what happened to me the first time I put the audio on. I was not in the mood for a himbo in the slightest. But I know soooo many people who loved it so I just put it aside and came back to it. And I’m sooo glad I did as when I was in the right mood it was fantastic!!!

Brad was the himboest himbo to ever himbo and I was here for all of it. I don’t even know how many times I laughed out loud at his unintentional innuendo! He was an amazing character and had such a huge, amazing heart. Joey oh poor Joey! He did so well to stick around and try to be friends with sweet Brad. Their HEA was awesome and I highly recommend. There’s some side characters from the Elite 8 series in this book but it can absolutely be read as a standalone.

[Nessy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been a 100 page novella. Then it could be ott, funny and cute. My brain literally fell asleep. How is this a whole 350 page book?! There is no story. 2 guys, both on the same page about everything, and just gradully realizing it at different paces. That's it. That's the whole 350 pages. How many monologues can one read about how great Brad is😭 why cant I dnf stuffff😭😭

Story:⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chemistry:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending:⭐️⭐️
Angst:⭐️
Banter:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing quality:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶🌶.5

[taylor :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a million highlights from this book, and every one of them is something sweet. That’s how I would describe this book. So sugary sweet. I loved it so much. I definitely needed to read this. I wish there was a little angst or something at the end, because it got a little slow, but whatever. I’m cool with the sweetness. I used to think I didn’t like himbos, but after reading Brad, I don’t know how I ever thought that. What a fun book.

[Jo⁷ · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC 🩷

[nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

brad might just be my favorite MC ever. literally the funniest and cutest guy ever

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

still sick so no reviews but i do want to say something: i absolutely loved this and i would read like 100 books about brad but i really missed some tension at the end

it looks like im cursed and i won’t give 5 stars in 2025

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book and it was so good!! I didn’t think I could love Brad anymore than I already did, but he literally had me cackling throughout this entire book. Brad and Joey are the sweetest, most adorable book boyfriends ever. This was such a fun read, I will definitely be rereading this one soon.