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Havenwood #1
Spreadsheets and Bedsheets
Elliott Brooks has always valued structure and predictability in his life. Teaching history at Havenwood High offers him the stability he craves, especially as he balances co-parenting his twelve-year-old son, Caleb. After years of playing it safe, Elliott finds himself yearning for something more but fears stepping too far outside his comfort zone.
Enter Jules Moreno, a whirlwind of energy and creativity. Fresh from a bustling life in the city, Jules returns to Havenwood in search of healing and purpose. As the new artistic director for the community playhouse, Jules brings big ideas, bold plans, and a bit of chaos to the otherwise quiet town.
When Elliott and Jules are brought together to plan the town’s Pride Month event, their clashing personalities are immediately apparent. Elliott prefers carefully crafted lesson plans, while Jules thrives in the spontaneity of the creative process. Their heated arguments soon give way to playful banter and a growing mutual respect, leading to a connection that surprises them both.
As their relationship deepens, Elliott learns to embrace the beauty of imperfection, while Jules discovers the strength in having someone steady by their side. Together, they navigate the challenges of building a life that bridges their two distinct worlds, finding that love, like any great story, requires both order and chaos to thrive.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Havenwood, Spreadsheets and Bedsheets is a heartwarming MM romance about embracing differences, rediscovering yourself, and learning that the best love stories are the ones that surprise us.
In Grafton Carter's debut novel, he introduces you to the characters of Havenwood, NC, and his writing that is authentic, sexy, and gloriously queer!
Enter Jules Moreno, a whirlwind of energy and creativity. Fresh from a bustling life in the city, Jules returns to Havenwood in search of healing and purpose. As the new artistic director for the community playhouse, Jules brings big ideas, bold plans, and a bit of chaos to the otherwise quiet town.
When Elliott and Jules are brought together to plan the town’s Pride Month event, their clashing personalities are immediately apparent. Elliott prefers carefully crafted lesson plans, while Jules thrives in the spontaneity of the creative process. Their heated arguments soon give way to playful banter and a growing mutual respect, leading to a connection that surprises them both.
As their relationship deepens, Elliott learns to embrace the beauty of imperfection, while Jules discovers the strength in having someone steady by their side. Together, they navigate the challenges of building a life that bridges their two distinct worlds, finding that love, like any great story, requires both order and chaos to thrive.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Havenwood, Spreadsheets and Bedsheets is a heartwarming MM romance about embracing differences, rediscovering yourself, and learning that the best love stories are the ones that surprise us.
In Grafton Carter's debut novel, he introduces you to the characters of Havenwood, NC, and his writing that is authentic, sexy, and gloriously queer!
- GenresM M RomanceGay
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2025
About the author
Grafton Carter
3 books11 followersGrafton Carter is the pen name of an educator, theatre artist, and independent publisher who writes authentic, sexy, emotionally grounded, and gloriously queer romance centered on joy, intimacy, community, and connection. Created in part to keep his academic and scholarly work separate from his fiction career, the Grafton Carter name has become home to stories that celebrate the full spectrum of queer life with honesty, heat, humor, and heart.
Carter is the creator of the interconnected Havenwood universe and the author of novels including Spreadsheets and Bedsheets, Glitches and Kisses, Campfires and Desires, and the soon to be released Tattoos and Truths, and Pickups and Pawprints. His stories blend romance, found family, emotional vulnerability, queer friendship, and high-heat intimacy with richly connected communities and deeply human characters.
His work embraces the wide and beautiful complexity of queer culture, including twinks, bears, otters, daddies, nerds, theater kids, drag performers, musicians, nonbinary characters, bisexuality, polyamory, open relationships, age-gap dynamics, bar and club culture, chosen family, and the messy, joyful realities of queer adulthood. Carter believes queer stories deserve to be expansive, representative, complicated, funny, tender, political, and deeply alive.
Drawing heavily from his background in theatre education, intimacy choreography, consent-based practices, and mental health coordination, Carter approaches romance writing with a strong focus on emotional authenticity, communication, vulnerability, and character-centered intimacy. His professional work in storytelling, trauma-informed creative spaces, and human behavior directly informs the emotional landscapes of his fiction.
Influenced by creators like Dan Levy and the philosophy behind Schitt’s Creek, Carter intentionally creates worlds where queerness simply exists. While acknowledging the realities queer people face in the real world, his fiction imagines communities untouched by homophobia, transphobia, racism, xenophobia, ableism, and other forms of systemic othering. In his stories, queer people are allowed to love openly, build families, explore desire without shame, and exist fully as themselves.
For Carter, queer romance is both comfort and resistance. It is escapism with purpose. It is the radical act of imagining worlds where people take care of each other, where pleasure is not punished, where identity is not debated, and where love, friendship, sex, art, and community are treated as necessary parts of a meaningful life.
When he is not writing queer romance, Carter is a university professor in his spare time. He writes academic books and articles with major publishers, continues to work professionally in theatre as a director, intimacy choreographer, and mental health coordinator, and regularly teaches and presents on storytelling, consent, mental wellness, and trauma-informed creative practices.
He lives in central Illinois with his brilliant, compassionate, and very sexy husband, their three amazing kids, and three lovingly needy dogs who firmly believe they are the main characters in everyone’s story.
Because ultimately, the stories Carter writes are the stories he wants to read: queer stories full of joy, intimacy, laughter, chosen family, good food, good sex, good music, and people who love each other well.
Carter is the creator of the interconnected Havenwood universe and the author of novels including Spreadsheets and Bedsheets, Glitches and Kisses, Campfires and Desires, and the soon to be released Tattoos and Truths, and Pickups and Pawprints. His stories blend romance, found family, emotional vulnerability, queer friendship, and high-heat intimacy with richly connected communities and deeply human characters.
His work embraces the wide and beautiful complexity of queer culture, including twinks, bears, otters, daddies, nerds, theater kids, drag performers, musicians, nonbinary characters, bisexuality, polyamory, open relationships, age-gap dynamics, bar and club culture, chosen family, and the messy, joyful realities of queer adulthood. Carter believes queer stories deserve to be expansive, representative, complicated, funny, tender, political, and deeply alive.
Drawing heavily from his background in theatre education, intimacy choreography, consent-based practices, and mental health coordination, Carter approaches romance writing with a strong focus on emotional authenticity, communication, vulnerability, and character-centered intimacy. His professional work in storytelling, trauma-informed creative spaces, and human behavior directly informs the emotional landscapes of his fiction.
Influenced by creators like Dan Levy and the philosophy behind Schitt’s Creek, Carter intentionally creates worlds where queerness simply exists. While acknowledging the realities queer people face in the real world, his fiction imagines communities untouched by homophobia, transphobia, racism, xenophobia, ableism, and other forms of systemic othering. In his stories, queer people are allowed to love openly, build families, explore desire without shame, and exist fully as themselves.
For Carter, queer romance is both comfort and resistance. It is escapism with purpose. It is the radical act of imagining worlds where people take care of each other, where pleasure is not punished, where identity is not debated, and where love, friendship, sex, art, and community are treated as necessary parts of a meaningful life.
When he is not writing queer romance, Carter is a university professor in his spare time. He writes academic books and articles with major publishers, continues to work professionally in theatre as a director, intimacy choreographer, and mental health coordinator, and regularly teaches and presents on storytelling, consent, mental wellness, and trauma-informed creative practices.
He lives in central Illinois with his brilliant, compassionate, and very sexy husband, their three amazing kids, and three lovingly needy dogs who firmly believe they are the main characters in everyone’s story.
Because ultimately, the stories Carter writes are the stories he wants to read: queer stories full of joy, intimacy, laughter, chosen family, good food, good sex, good music, and people who love each other well.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 19, 2025
nice read
This was a very descriptive read. Lots of verbose language that really painted the scenes. Definitely be prepared for a lot of text.
The first 20% felt a bit like the descriptive text was a bit repetitive. But it got better further into the story.
I really enjoyed the character dialogue. It felt very natural and real.
Great positive side characters.
Low angst, low drama. A nice comforting read.
This was a very descriptive read. Lots of verbose language that really painted the scenes. Definitely be prepared for a lot of text.
The first 20% felt a bit like the descriptive text was a bit repetitive. But it got better further into the story.
I really enjoyed the character dialogue. It felt very natural and real.
Great positive side characters.
Low angst, low drama. A nice comforting read.
March 30, 2025
4.5 stars there were some editing issues that had me groaning (sentences repeated, oddbreaks in chapters [some denoted by a dachshund and some by names], introducing named characters as if the reader should know them).
Elliot formed his life to be who he thought people expected him to be. He didn’t live for himself, until adulthood and parenthood found him unable to continue the rouse. He was described as an orderly person who didn’t welcome change or different. Enter Jules. Jules was rainbow colored chaos. He was outgoing and living life to its fullest on the outside but scared and wanting someone to care for him on the inside. The two didn’t seem like they’d be a fit, but…the HEA told a different story.
Relationships aren’t easy, these characters told that story.
Elliot formed his life to be who he thought people expected him to be. He didn’t live for himself, until adulthood and parenthood found him unable to continue the rouse. He was described as an orderly person who didn’t welcome change or different. Enter Jules. Jules was rainbow colored chaos. He was outgoing and living life to its fullest on the outside but scared and wanting someone to care for him on the inside. The two didn’t seem like they’d be a fit, but…the HEA told a different story.
Relationships aren’t easy, these characters told that story.
March 9, 2025
Super cute, low angst out a smile on your face kind of book. Elliot and Jules were truly opposites attract. But they found an adorable balance in each other. I also loved Elliot’s son calling his dad out and saying hey you have to give a little to! I loved the setting and the kids getting Elliot to get Jules involved.
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April 11, 2025Yeah.. this is a no from me dawg. There’s literally no tension and buildup to any significant event - new developments just spring out randomly for the plot to progress and everyone’s just like “Aight.”, which is a common mistake many writers make when deciding to base their story in a “slow-paced, tranquil small town” setting. You can put 2 characters in a single room and still make it exciting to read about them; you can also have an entire cast of dozens of characters and still have a dull, monotonous story. This book falls squarely on the latter, not to mention the very obvious exposition dump in the beginning, and the wordy, meandering prose which I’m not really a fan of. All in all, pretty standard debut work stuff.
March 12, 2025
It was a really sweet book about how two totally different people can come together. Jules Moreno moved back to his hometown of Havenwood, North Carolina. It's supposed to be in the western part of the state close to Asheville. He had been living in Chicago and things just got too much for him so he moved back.
He sees a flyer in a coffee shop for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the local playhouse. He ends up being hired as the director for the play after the original director quits. He had theater experience from his time in Chicago so he was a natural for the job.
We then meet Elliot Brooks, a divorced father of one, who works as a history professor at the local high school. He and his wife divorced after he came out. We see him teaching a lesson on LGBTQ history and I'm thinking this has to be fiction with the way schools are cracking down on queer issues. I wish it was real because our kids need to learn about the people who paved the way for the rights we have today.
He's also the advisor for the school's Gay-Straight Alliance. He is very much a homebody. He tends his garden and stays pretty much to himself. His son Caleb, who lives with his mother, is his life. He meets Jules in the town's bookstore. They chat a bit and then go on their separate ways.
Jules is cornered by two of Elliot's students. Jules had done some videos on design and storytelling and the two, Jayden and Maya, are fans. They are also in charge of the GSA and invite him to speak to the group on his work. He agrees.
He meets with the group and also agrees to help Elliot with Pride Month open house. They have very different ideas about what to include for the open house. Jules wants drama and creativeness and Elliot doesn't. He wants a more laid back and less drama.
Elliot and Jules soon discover their mutual attraction and start dating. As stated, they are pretty much opposites and they run into trouble. Jules wants to be spur of the moment and Elliot wants to plan way ahead. We get the inevitable personality clash. Thank goodness their friends know them well enough to say to them that they are pretty much end game and need to bend so their relationship will continue.
The Pride event goes off perfectly. We then get to see the play. It goes off perfectly as well. Elliot brings his son and his ex-wife to the opening night. They both approve of his relationship with Jules.
We get our happily ever after. There were several points in the book where I thought it might be in doubt. Both have to give up some of their quirks to become a couple. I guess that's called growing up.
The author is very descriptive in his writing. He gives us the smallest details about nearly everything. I would rather experience things through the eyes of the characters, but this works. I highly recommend this. Enjoy!
He sees a flyer in a coffee shop for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the local playhouse. He ends up being hired as the director for the play after the original director quits. He had theater experience from his time in Chicago so he was a natural for the job.
We then meet Elliot Brooks, a divorced father of one, who works as a history professor at the local high school. He and his wife divorced after he came out. We see him teaching a lesson on LGBTQ history and I'm thinking this has to be fiction with the way schools are cracking down on queer issues. I wish it was real because our kids need to learn about the people who paved the way for the rights we have today.
He's also the advisor for the school's Gay-Straight Alliance. He is very much a homebody. He tends his garden and stays pretty much to himself. His son Caleb, who lives with his mother, is his life. He meets Jules in the town's bookstore. They chat a bit and then go on their separate ways.
Jules is cornered by two of Elliot's students. Jules had done some videos on design and storytelling and the two, Jayden and Maya, are fans. They are also in charge of the GSA and invite him to speak to the group on his work. He agrees.
He meets with the group and also agrees to help Elliot with Pride Month open house. They have very different ideas about what to include for the open house. Jules wants drama and creativeness and Elliot doesn't. He wants a more laid back and less drama.
Elliot and Jules soon discover their mutual attraction and start dating. As stated, they are pretty much opposites and they run into trouble. Jules wants to be spur of the moment and Elliot wants to plan way ahead. We get the inevitable personality clash. Thank goodness their friends know them well enough to say to them that they are pretty much end game and need to bend so their relationship will continue.
The Pride event goes off perfectly. We then get to see the play. It goes off perfectly as well. Elliot brings his son and his ex-wife to the opening night. They both approve of his relationship with Jules.
We get our happily ever after. There were several points in the book where I thought it might be in doubt. Both have to give up some of their quirks to become a couple. I guess that's called growing up.
The author is very descriptive in his writing. He gives us the smallest details about nearly everything. I would rather experience things through the eyes of the characters, but this works. I highly recommend this. Enjoy!
March 15, 2025
There was a lot to like about this book, but there was also a lot missing.
I liked the main characters, but didn't feel the connection between them at all. I didn't feel like their issues were resolved in a satisfactory/sustainable way.
This book was very nice. Too nice for me. And then suddenly there were challenges, but it felt like they were making mountains out of molehills. And then they resolved things and it was all nice again. There wasn't really enough going on to keep me engaged throughout.
Caleb and the family dynamics were just... not believable. Sorry. If this is what you think parenting actually looks like, please don't have kids!!
A proofreader would have been very helpful. Was his name supposed to be Elliot or Elliott? Pronouns were mixed up. And you don't use the word "nestle" the way you think you do...
I liked the main characters, but didn't feel the connection between them at all. I didn't feel like their issues were resolved in a satisfactory/sustainable way.
This book was very nice. Too nice for me. And then suddenly there were challenges, but it felt like they were making mountains out of molehills. And then they resolved things and it was all nice again. There wasn't really enough going on to keep me engaged throughout.
Caleb and the family dynamics were just... not believable. Sorry. If this is what you think parenting actually looks like, please don't have kids!!
A proofreader would have been very helpful. Was his name supposed to be Elliot or Elliott? Pronouns were mixed up. And you don't use the word "nestle" the way you think you do...
April 26, 2026
A lush, immersive read with vivid, descriptive writing and a sweet romance at its core. It's refreshing to see two leads who aren't cut from the typical romance template. Readers who are into richly atmospheric prose and a slow-burn connection will enjoy this. Jules in particular is a vibrant, memorable character.
March 24, 2025
3.5 stars
The author really played loose with pronouns.
The author really played loose with pronouns.
November 24, 2025
A cute story, but unfortunately the ending felt too drawn out. Also, I understand the message the story was trying to convey, but I still wasn’t a fan of Jules.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews