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Making Nice
Twins Blake and Bianca Dunlap have always been there for each other, ready to lend support and make sacrifices. Blake can't imagine a bigger sacrifice than getting along with Bianca's fiancé, Matt. However, Matt turns out to be more than the meathead Blake had dismissed him as, but Matt's best friend, Ryan Everett, is a different story. Ryan seems intent on being an insufferable jerk as often as possible. The fact that Blake is undeniably attracted to Ryan only makes the whole situation more annoying.
Since they'll all be stuck together for the long haul, Blake is determined to make nice. Unfortunately he overshoots, and he and Ryan end up on much friendlier terms than Blake intended. While he and Ryan agree there's no harm in having a strings-free fling, that changes when Matt and Bianca find out about it. As more complications arise, Blake and Ryan become more determined to do what it takes to avoid letting them down. But the only way to ensure getting through a joyous wedding and avoid the questions neither of them want to answer is to convince everyone it's something more.
Since they'll all be stuck together for the long haul, Blake is determined to make nice. Unfortunately he overshoots, and he and Ryan end up on much friendlier terms than Blake intended. While he and Ryan agree there's no harm in having a strings-free fling, that changes when Matt and Bianca find out about it. As more complications arise, Blake and Ryan become more determined to do what it takes to avoid letting them down. But the only way to ensure getting through a joyous wedding and avoid the questions neither of them want to answer is to convince everyone it's something more.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2014
19 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Elizah J. Davis
12 books49 followersElizah Davis has lived in various parts of the United States, but currently resides in the Pacific Northwest, enjoying the abundance of coffee readily available there. She earned her degree in creative writing after she realized journalism involved too many facts and not enough unicorns. She loves stories of all kinds, but has a particular fondness for romance and fantastical adventures. When she isn’t busy making things up, Elizah enjoys reading, laughing at cats on the internet, buying girly shoes, and trying to come up with world domination plans that don’t require the donning of pants (her endeavors towards which have thus far been unsuccessful).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
December 29, 2014
*4.5 stars*
Elizah J. Davis killed it in her first full length book! This is a must read for all enemies-to-lovers and slow burn romance fans!
After finishing this author's story in the One Holiday Ever After anthology, I was dying to read more from her, and so I snatched this book up right away. I wasn't originally inspired by the blurb for this story, but I'm SO glad that I gave this one a chance.
I would call this a slow burn romance, though hooking up happens between the two MCs pretty early on. Despite the fact that there is some nookie near the beginning of the story, the romance side of things takes a long time to simmer. One of the best aspects of the story is that the relationship develops organically over time. We really get to go on the entire journey with Blake and Ryan. It is slow, thoughtful progression and really artfully executed.
I also loved how well developed the characters were. Everyone, including the side characters, were really unique and fully fleshed out. I adored Blake and Ryan, both individually and as a couple. They felt real, like you or I could be friends with them in real life.
The only issue that I had with the story is that it dragged a teeny, tiny bit for me in the last 25%. I was sort of like, "Okay boys, let's get our butts in gear and admit our feelings" near the end. However, the torture was all worth it. We get an excellent story with a heart-melting epilogue. There is also room for a series here, with some side characters with enough depth to spark serious interest.
If this is the kind of stuff that I can expect each time from Elizah Davis, she will quickly make her way to my auto-buy list.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Elizah J. Davis killed it in her first full length book! This is a must read for all enemies-to-lovers and slow burn romance fans!
After finishing this author's story in the One Holiday Ever After anthology, I was dying to read more from her, and so I snatched this book up right away. I wasn't originally inspired by the blurb for this story, but I'm SO glad that I gave this one a chance.
I would call this a slow burn romance, though hooking up happens between the two MCs pretty early on. Despite the fact that there is some nookie near the beginning of the story, the romance side of things takes a long time to simmer. One of the best aspects of the story is that the relationship develops organically over time. We really get to go on the entire journey with Blake and Ryan. It is slow, thoughtful progression and really artfully executed.
I also loved how well developed the characters were. Everyone, including the side characters, were really unique and fully fleshed out. I adored Blake and Ryan, both individually and as a couple. They felt real, like you or I could be friends with them in real life.
The only issue that I had with the story is that it dragged a teeny, tiny bit for me in the last 25%. I was sort of like, "Okay boys, let's get our butts in gear and admit our feelings" near the end. However, the torture was all worth it. We get an excellent story with a heart-melting epilogue. There is also room for a series here, with some side characters with enough depth to spark serious interest.
If this is the kind of stuff that I can expect each time from Elizah Davis, she will quickly make her way to my auto-buy list.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
January 5, 2015
3.5 stars
90 percent
That's how long the clusterfuck of misunderstanding/miscommunication lasts.
Actual age of MCs: 27 & 34
Emotional age of MCs:
Ryan hid everything behind a joke. Despite everyone advising him to just tell Blake how he felt, he did everything but.
And Blake was the ultimate Ice Princess, slipping into distant, disdainful bitch mode every single time.
Ryan was immature, oblivious, and stubborn, and Blake hid behind an impenetrable wall of past hurts.
The secondary characters were kind of awesome. I loved the banter and the teasing. I could bask in the fluffy and funny.
If I weren't frustrated as hell.
The final fuck-up was NOT entirely Blake's doing. Ryan's utter inability to just say, "Hey, I'm serious about our relationship. I care about you" was INFURIATING.
There was enough steam, but the sex was kind of rote. Sometimes I crave the long, drawn-out sensual play, and this was straight to a quick fuck every time.
I also wanted a more complex world for these guys. Ryan was a carpenter and Blake was a part-time nanny, yet NOTHING was said about their jobs EVER. I love relationship-focused books, but gimme something more to grab.
The HEA was awkward, messy, and cute. In any other book, I would have been, The fuck, you still can't get it together? But here?
Yeah, it belonged.
________________________________________
~~BR with NIKKI~~
I've been promised light and fluffy.
90 percent
That's how long the clusterfuck of misunderstanding/miscommunication lasts.
Actual age of MCs: 27 & 34
Emotional age of MCs:
Ryan hid everything behind a joke. Despite everyone advising him to just tell Blake how he felt, he did everything but.
And Blake was the ultimate Ice Princess, slipping into distant, disdainful bitch mode every single time.
Ryan was immature, oblivious, and stubborn, and Blake hid behind an impenetrable wall of past hurts.
The secondary characters were kind of awesome. I loved the banter and the teasing. I could bask in the fluffy and funny.
If I weren't frustrated as hell.
The final fuck-up was NOT entirely Blake's doing. Ryan's utter inability to just say, "Hey, I'm serious about our relationship. I care about you" was INFURIATING.
There was enough steam, but the sex was kind of rote. Sometimes I crave the long, drawn-out sensual play, and this was straight to a quick fuck every time.
I also wanted a more complex world for these guys. Ryan was a carpenter and Blake was a part-time nanny, yet NOTHING was said about their jobs EVER. I love relationship-focused books, but gimme something more to grab.
The HEA was awkward, messy, and cute. In any other book, I would have been, The fuck, you still can't get it together? But here?
Yeah, it belonged.
________________________________________
~~BR with NIKKI~~
I've been promised light and fluffy.
January 2, 2015
3.5★'s - Hmmm…I will first state that I really enjoyed this book. I mean, I never wanted to put it down. I was invested. But…this book is going to drive some people I know insane crazy. I could hear their voices in my head the entire time I was reading it. I could see all the things that would be a bother, they just didn’t bother me, much.
This is a total enemies, well, really a dislike of each other from the gate, tofriends with benefits to total no communication, all kinds of misunderstandings love. Throw in the pretend boyfriends that are really boyfriends thing and you can kind of get it. With all that I would totally be the first to admit it wouldn’t work. It would just be too much, but I would be wrong. It worked in a roundabout way. I don’t know if it is was the fact I wanted it to work or if it was all about the way the story was told or just the fact I kinda liked these guys, but I couldn’t stop reading and I wasn’t irritated by what should probably have been irritating.
Now, I did get irritated towards the end a bit. It kind of went a bit too far and I wasn’t pleased by a couple things that happened but the resolution made me feel better and I ended up being happy with it as a whole.
So, if you like any of that stuff up there and enjoy good storytelling you’ll probably enjoy this. I can see how some of you won’t though.
This is a total enemies, well, really a dislike of each other from the gate, to
Now, I did get irritated towards the end a bit. It kind of went a bit too far and I wasn’t pleased by a couple things that happened but the resolution made me feel better and I ended up being happy with it as a whole.
So, if you like any of that stuff up there and enjoy good storytelling you’ll probably enjoy this. I can see how some of you won’t though.
June 5, 2017
Bianca ruined this for me... I'm pretty sure my first rating was 4 stars, but after reading this again, I could not get over how condesending, horrible and over-all NOT charming she was.
She took up way too much space, and the way she talked about Blake was downright off-putting...
I ended up highlighting around 30 things, and most of those were where Bianca was telling someone else how NOT nice or helpful or whatever Blake was.
Also she managed to 'FORGET' to tell Blake that their lease was up, giving him a week to find a place to live, since she was moving in with Matt, and had conveniently forgotten to tell Blake... Yet, Blake's the one that's not NICE... *sigh*
She took up too much page-time considering she was not adding anything positive or smart to the story, but was using Blake whenever she felt like it.
I have to say it's no wonder Blake ended up lying and withholding so much. And it's funny Bianca is the reason this book ended up on my: 'fucking family'-shelf, considering Abby is the reason this ended up on my 'fantastic family'-shelf... I wish Bianca had been Abby, then the story and their twin-thing would have felt more sincere.
She took up way too much space, and the way she talked about Blake was downright off-putting...
I ended up highlighting around 30 things, and most of those were where Bianca was telling someone else how NOT nice or helpful or whatever Blake was.
Also she managed to 'FORGET' to tell Blake that their lease was up, giving him a week to find a place to live, since she was moving in with Matt, and had conveniently forgotten to tell Blake... Yet, Blake's the one that's not NICE... *sigh*
She took up too much page-time considering she was not adding anything positive or smart to the story, but was using Blake whenever she felt like it.
I have to say it's no wonder Blake ended up lying and withholding so much. And it's funny Bianca is the reason this book ended up on my: 'fucking family'-shelf, considering Abby is the reason this ended up on my 'fantastic family'-shelf... I wish Bianca had been Abby, then the story and their twin-thing would have felt more sincere.
June 30, 2017
Anything can work, if it's done right...
I'm not really a big fan of the 'miscommunication trope'. In fact it's probably one of my least favorite but as with many things in life 'never say never'. I actually bought the e-book for this one quite a while ago and as often happens in my life I squirreled off to other things and never got around to reading it. So there I was one day window shopping on audible.com and what did I see 'Making Nice' and it was narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo...whom I happen to like...a lot! So that became a done deal...happy birthday to me (it was part of my birthday haul courtesy of my awesome hubby).
My only real disappointment with this story was that for some reason I really expected the story to be a bit more humorous and I have to admit I really think that one's on me, however, I ended up liking the story so much that it really became irrelevant what my inaccurate pre-conceived ideas were...maybe, it came from the underwear hanging on the bedpost? Who knows and while the story wasn't as humorous as I was anticipating it had some humorous moments and it was good...really good.
While miscommunication is definitely the main reason that Blake and Ryan have such a hard time getting their acts together. What made the difference in this story were the reasons why the miscommunication was happening. It wasn't that these two weren't talking or at least trying. It was
There's this expression that goes 'past performance predicts future behavior' it's a business thing and while there is a certain amount of accuracy to it, like many things it's a guideline and not the gospel. Unfortunately Blake seems to live by this expression and it really skews how he perceives a lot of things in his life...well this and the fact that he's got a boyfriend in his past who really messed him up.
Ryan's got his life together...well, his professional life. His personal life is a bit of a train wreck. Personally he's an advocate of the quick hook-up, friends with benefits or one night stands. He pretty much doesn't do commitment or relationships.
So it's inevitable that when Ryan meets Blake and his heart jumps for joy, poor Ryan's mouth is going to disconnect from his brain and Blake isn't going to cut him any slack. Now none of this would be any real problem if Ryan's best friend Matt wasn't head over heels in love with Blake's twin sister, Bianca.
The dance that Ryan and Blake do as they try to show each other how right they would be together without being the first one to truly admit how they feel is definitely an interesting and frequently humorous comedy of errors. Despite all the miscommunication between two the one place where they seem to communicate without misunderstanding is in the bedroom...smexy times boys and girls, smexy times were had by all.
I'm not certain that I would have enjoyed this one quite as much if I'd just read the e-book because Michael Ferraiuolo was the narrator on this one and I'm partial to him and the voices that he gave to Blake & Ryan and the rest of the characters just nailed it for me.
I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next from this author and if there's audio book narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo...well, that sounds like it could be a win too.
I'm not really a big fan of the 'miscommunication trope'. In fact it's probably one of my least favorite but as with many things in life 'never say never'. I actually bought the e-book for this one quite a while ago and as often happens in my life I squirreled off to other things and never got around to reading it. So there I was one day window shopping on audible.com and what did I see 'Making Nice' and it was narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo...whom I happen to like...a lot! So that became a done deal...happy birthday to me (it was part of my birthday haul courtesy of my awesome hubby).
My only real disappointment with this story was that for some reason I really expected the story to be a bit more humorous and I have to admit I really think that one's on me, however, I ended up liking the story so much that it really became irrelevant what my inaccurate pre-conceived ideas were...maybe, it came from the underwear hanging on the bedpost? Who knows and while the story wasn't as humorous as I was anticipating it had some humorous moments and it was good...really good.
While miscommunication is definitely the main reason that Blake and Ryan have such a hard time getting their acts together. What made the difference in this story were the reasons why the miscommunication was happening. It wasn't that these two weren't talking or at least trying. It was
There's this expression that goes 'past performance predicts future behavior' it's a business thing and while there is a certain amount of accuracy to it, like many things it's a guideline and not the gospel. Unfortunately Blake seems to live by this expression and it really skews how he perceives a lot of things in his life...well this and the fact that he's got a boyfriend in his past who really messed him up.
Ryan's got his life together...well, his professional life. His personal life is a bit of a train wreck. Personally he's an advocate of the quick hook-up, friends with benefits or one night stands. He pretty much doesn't do commitment or relationships.
So it's inevitable that when Ryan meets Blake and his heart jumps for joy, poor Ryan's mouth is going to disconnect from his brain and Blake isn't going to cut him any slack. Now none of this would be any real problem if Ryan's best friend Matt wasn't head over heels in love with Blake's twin sister, Bianca.
The dance that Ryan and Blake do as they try to show each other how right they would be together without being the first one to truly admit how they feel is definitely an interesting and frequently humorous comedy of errors. Despite all the miscommunication between two the one place where they seem to communicate without misunderstanding is in the bedroom...smexy times boys and girls, smexy times were had by all.
I'm not certain that I would have enjoyed this one quite as much if I'd just read the e-book because Michael Ferraiuolo was the narrator on this one and I'm partial to him and the voices that he gave to Blake & Ryan and the rest of the characters just nailed it for me.
I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next from this author and if there's audio book narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo...well, that sounds like it could be a win too.
January 2, 2015
A solid four stars!
Review now available @ Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
Review now available @ Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
December 29, 2014
A wonderful surprise. I loved this book, could not put it down.
A nice low-angst enemies-to-lovers rad. Though enemies is a bit too strong a word. Ryan was wonderfully annoying, and Blake was so sweet, mostly :-)
A nice low-angst enemies-to-lovers rad. Though enemies is a bit too strong a word. Ryan was wonderfully annoying, and Blake was so sweet, mostly :-)
February 16, 2015
Why isn't there more?!? Love love loved it!
January 1, 2015
So, I get that some people do not like lengthy novels where the characters are stubborn and immature and go back and forth the whole time....I am not one of those people, in fact i am a suckers for such stories.So yeah, i loved this one☺
dnf-or-hated
January 2, 2016DNF 35%
No rating. The narration was good, frankly really good, as it kept me going three hours, but I cannot take the miscommunication.
I just can't.
Add the "slow burn" which is, to me, totally fucking boring and...
I'm tapping out.
No rating. The narration was good, frankly really good, as it kept me going three hours, but I cannot take the miscommunication.
I just can't.
Add the "slow burn" which is, to me, totally fucking boring and...
I'm tapping out.
August 5, 2015
Loooong, I got bored with these guys and their inabillity to comunicate really fast.
Liked the narrator.
Liked the narrator.
January 26, 2015
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was its predictability and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Sometimes I just want a familiar story, written in a wonderful way, and Making Nice is exactly that. Yes, you know what’s going to happen as you read this book, but Davis has a great writing style, the pacing was good, the characters are well defined and developed, and the plot has a wonderfully fleshed out feel. All in all, in was a very enjoyable read.
Blake has some serious issues to work through in this book, and I liked being on his journey. He’s faced with the loss of his twin sister, not in any tragic means thank goodness, but in the fact that she has found the man that she wants to spend her life with and her loyalties are shifting, as they should. As happy as Blake is for Bianca, it’s hard for him to reconcile that he’s no longer the most important person in her life. Add to that the fact that he’s always has the fantasy that they would find their forever men at the same time, and Blake is feeling hurt and lost, though he doesn’t really blame Bianca for that. And as much as he doesn’t like Ryan at first, he’s definitely attracted to him. A no strings and careless affair isn’t exactly Blake’s style, but he’s willing to do it because he wants Ryan. What I really enjoyed about him was that, deep down, he understood his own faults in the relationship. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Ryan, it was that he couldn’t trust himself to make good judgment calls, not after the horrid ex. Blake had the most growth in this story, as he realized that his world was changing and that, sometimes, the risk is worth taking.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was its predictability and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Sometimes I just want a familiar story, written in a wonderful way, and Making Nice is exactly that. Yes, you know what’s going to happen as you read this book, but Davis has a great writing style, the pacing was good, the characters are well defined and developed, and the plot has a wonderfully fleshed out feel. All in all, in was a very enjoyable read.
Blake has some serious issues to work through in this book, and I liked being on his journey. He’s faced with the loss of his twin sister, not in any tragic means thank goodness, but in the fact that she has found the man that she wants to spend her life with and her loyalties are shifting, as they should. As happy as Blake is for Bianca, it’s hard for him to reconcile that he’s no longer the most important person in her life. Add to that the fact that he’s always has the fantasy that they would find their forever men at the same time, and Blake is feeling hurt and lost, though he doesn’t really blame Bianca for that. And as much as he doesn’t like Ryan at first, he’s definitely attracted to him. A no strings and careless affair isn’t exactly Blake’s style, but he’s willing to do it because he wants Ryan. What I really enjoyed about him was that, deep down, he understood his own faults in the relationship. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Ryan, it was that he couldn’t trust himself to make good judgment calls, not after the horrid ex. Blake had the most growth in this story, as he realized that his world was changing and that, sometimes, the risk is worth taking.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
April 11, 2015
What a great book. I absolutely love enemies to lovers themed stories.
Blake and Bianca are twins. Bianca is engaged to Matt. Ryan is Matts best friend.
Blake and Ryan are asked to get along for the sake of Bianca and Matt, however it is hate at first sight.
I loved that the relationship between Ryan and Blake was insta and all happy. They started off with great sex and a pseudo relationship. However, as time went on, both developed feelings for the other but was too afraid to tell him.
A great book that I didnt want to end.
Blake and Bianca are twins. Bianca is engaged to Matt. Ryan is Matts best friend.
Blake and Ryan are asked to get along for the sake of Bianca and Matt, however it is hate at first sight.
I loved that the relationship between Ryan and Blake was insta and all happy. They started off with great sex and a pseudo relationship. However, as time went on, both developed feelings for the other but was too afraid to tell him.
A great book that I didnt want to end.
August 15, 2015
Fabulous.
April 30, 2016
Re-read in April 2016, because I suck and didn't review this the first time I read this book.
This was really good, y'all. It made me feel. Which, if you think about it, is really why we read, amirite? We want romances, we want to see people falling in love, and we want to get hit by the feels.
There's plenty of feels in this book - mine ranged from happy sighs to giggles to squinty-eyed annoyance.
The main characters are Blake, who's in his late 20s and brother to Bianca, his twin, and Ryan, best friends since they were in diapers with Matt (who's dating Bianca).
Blake is an interesting character - he's often aloof and comes across as a bit snotty, especially when he's meeting new people who don't exactly fit his idea of how they should be. I also spotted that Blake seems to use his snottiness as a defense mechanism, which alluded to some pain in his past, possibly with an ex. Still, that doesn't quite excuse how he treats Ryan for most of this book.
Then we meet Ryan, who's in his mid-30s, and who can't seem to keep his mouth closed when he should - the stuff that he said early on had me giggling. He seems rather happy-go-lucky, and not interested in a relationship that extends beyond the night. But he also came across as fiercely loyal to Matt, and wanting his friend to be happy. I didn't sense any real jealousy from Ryan, when it becomes clear that Matt and Bianca are getting super serious, just some wistful undertones of maybe, possibly, wanting that sort of thing for himself.
Matt instructs Ryan to stay away from Blake, and not do what he usually does, and Bianca lets Blake know that she'd like for him to get along with Matt, and to try to be friendly with Ryan.
The first meeting between Blake and Ryan goes fabulously bad, what with Ryan unable to keep the connection going between his brain and his mouth, and Blake being utterly put off by the rude yet gorgeous man who's Matt's best friend. There's a spark that may either lead to a fire or an explosion. And explode, they do, right in Ryan's bed.
Ultimately, the two come to an agreement, because the sex is phenomenal - they'll be FWB, with some ground rules.
I was riveted!
What I loved is that we see the entire relationship between Blake and Ryan develop and grow, from the early amazing sexy times, to the slow-burn romance, and ultimately - well, read this for yourself.
The author did a fantastic job of developing the characters, even the supporting cast with Blake's sister, sister-in-law, and the rest of his family. Their dynamics were interesting, and I especially loved the close relationship between Blake and his sister-in-law, whom he talks to often, when he needs advice. I also thought that it was cleverly done when the author showcased the slow disconnect between Blake and Bianca - from super-close twins who share a duplex to Bianca's shifting loyalties to Matt, as she should, that, while not causing a rift between them, did require them to adjust to the changes their relationship was going through.
I almost misjudged Ryan, to be honest, at first - he didn't seem serious about much of anything, other than his friendship with Matt - but then I was ultimately seriously impressed with him. Watching his character go from enjoying the sort-of-enemies-with-benefits arrangement he makes with Blake, to slowly seeing Blake in a very different light, to realizing that he's finally, for the first time in his adult life, in love - well, that was something to behold.
There was a time in this book, around 75% or so, where I was super annoyed with them both; Blake because he kept treating Ryan like nothing more than a fuckbuddy and was such an oblivious cretin, and Ryan, because he was taking so damn long to get the words out he needed to say. I kept wishing that they. would. just. fucking. TALK. to each other. At this point, I was checking the ages of the characters again, to make sure that we were dealing with people who should have left immature teenagedom long behind. Their emotional maturity was severely underdeveloped for their biological age, and it was at this time in the story that their constant misunderstandings and miscommunications started to seriously wear on me. The "does he love me, does he want me" was tiring, OMG!
Still, I pushed through and was rewarded with a powerful resolution to their differences, and a super sweet epilogue.
There were some side characters, such as Rafe, a little twink Ryan whom meets during a trip to Vancouver, takes to his room, but then cannot do the deed, and who appears again later in the book. I think he should get a story of his own. I liked him. Young, but smart, and, honestly, emotionally much more mature than Ryan and Blake combined.
So, this ends up around 3.75 stars, which I rounded up to 4. Be ready for some slow romance development with some super hot sexy times, and a relationship that is volatile and nearly crashes and burns, but ultimately leads both men to what they never knew they always wanted.
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher many moons ago. A positive review was not promised in return. **
This was really good, y'all. It made me feel. Which, if you think about it, is really why we read, amirite? We want romances, we want to see people falling in love, and we want to get hit by the feels.
There's plenty of feels in this book - mine ranged from happy sighs to giggles to squinty-eyed annoyance.
The main characters are Blake, who's in his late 20s and brother to Bianca, his twin, and Ryan, best friends since they were in diapers with Matt (who's dating Bianca).
Blake is an interesting character - he's often aloof and comes across as a bit snotty, especially when he's meeting new people who don't exactly fit his idea of how they should be. I also spotted that Blake seems to use his snottiness as a defense mechanism, which alluded to some pain in his past, possibly with an ex. Still, that doesn't quite excuse how he treats Ryan for most of this book.
Then we meet Ryan, who's in his mid-30s, and who can't seem to keep his mouth closed when he should - the stuff that he said early on had me giggling. He seems rather happy-go-lucky, and not interested in a relationship that extends beyond the night. But he also came across as fiercely loyal to Matt, and wanting his friend to be happy. I didn't sense any real jealousy from Ryan, when it becomes clear that Matt and Bianca are getting super serious, just some wistful undertones of maybe, possibly, wanting that sort of thing for himself.
Matt instructs Ryan to stay away from Blake, and not do what he usually does, and Bianca lets Blake know that she'd like for him to get along with Matt, and to try to be friendly with Ryan.
The first meeting between Blake and Ryan goes fabulously bad, what with Ryan unable to keep the connection going between his brain and his mouth, and Blake being utterly put off by the rude yet gorgeous man who's Matt's best friend. There's a spark that may either lead to a fire or an explosion. And explode, they do, right in Ryan's bed.
Ultimately, the two come to an agreement, because the sex is phenomenal - they'll be FWB, with some ground rules.
I was riveted!
What I loved is that we see the entire relationship between Blake and Ryan develop and grow, from the early amazing sexy times, to the slow-burn romance, and ultimately - well, read this for yourself.
The author did a fantastic job of developing the characters, even the supporting cast with Blake's sister, sister-in-law, and the rest of his family. Their dynamics were interesting, and I especially loved the close relationship between Blake and his sister-in-law, whom he talks to often, when he needs advice. I also thought that it was cleverly done when the author showcased the slow disconnect between Blake and Bianca - from super-close twins who share a duplex to Bianca's shifting loyalties to Matt, as she should, that, while not causing a rift between them, did require them to adjust to the changes their relationship was going through.
I almost misjudged Ryan, to be honest, at first - he didn't seem serious about much of anything, other than his friendship with Matt - but then I was ultimately seriously impressed with him. Watching his character go from enjoying the sort-of-enemies-with-benefits arrangement he makes with Blake, to slowly seeing Blake in a very different light, to realizing that he's finally, for the first time in his adult life, in love - well, that was something to behold.
There was a time in this book, around 75% or so, where I was super annoyed with them both; Blake because he kept treating Ryan like nothing more than a fuckbuddy and was such an oblivious cretin, and Ryan, because he was taking so damn long to get the words out he needed to say. I kept wishing that they. would. just. fucking. TALK. to each other. At this point, I was checking the ages of the characters again, to make sure that we were dealing with people who should have left immature teenagedom long behind. Their emotional maturity was severely underdeveloped for their biological age, and it was at this time in the story that their constant misunderstandings and miscommunications started to seriously wear on me. The "does he love me, does he want me" was tiring, OMG!
Still, I pushed through and was rewarded with a powerful resolution to their differences, and a super sweet epilogue.
There were some side characters, such as Rafe, a little twink Ryan whom meets during a trip to Vancouver, takes to his room, but then cannot do the deed, and who appears again later in the book. I think he should get a story of his own. I liked him. Young, but smart, and, honestly, emotionally much more mature than Ryan and Blake combined.
So, this ends up around 3.75 stars, which I rounded up to 4. Be ready for some slow romance development with some super hot sexy times, and a relationship that is volatile and nearly crashes and burns, but ultimately leads both men to what they never knew they always wanted.
** I received a free copy of this book from its publisher many moons ago. A positive review was not promised in return. **
December 29, 2014
4.5 stars
Normally I am quite weary of purchasing a book from a new for me author without seeing some reviews for it, but after reading an excerpt of this on another author's Tumblr my interest was piqued. After reading it the day it came out I can say I am very glad for my decision to buy it - the characters are interesting, their conflicts/decisions are understandable and the writing itself was very enjoyable.
Normally I am quite weary of purchasing a book from a new for me author without seeing some reviews for it, but after reading an excerpt of this on another author's Tumblr my interest was piqued. After reading it the day it came out I can say I am very glad for my decision to buy it - the characters are interesting, their conflicts/decisions are understandable and the writing itself was very enjoyable.
August 20, 2015
Blake and Ryan meet because Ryan is Blake’s twin sister’s fiancé. They immediately rub sparks off one another and sorta, kinda hate each other and at the same time want to f*ck.
So… they enter into a hate-sex sort of scenario, with neither of them really admitting that beyond the chemistry there might be a bit of something more substantial.
The premise is that at first they really DON’T like each other. Really. Blake is a pretentious prig and Ryan is a cavalier goof. Opposites attract and all that, so they are attracted to each other sexually but not emotionally.
Once they discover/admit this attraction, they want to hide it from their friend/sister because they fear/know that when it ends it will be messy if sides have to be chosen.
But… the family finds out so they admit to a “real” but fake relationship so that they family is comforted … but in fact they are still just messing around… Sound confusing … it sorta is.
And along the way, between the hating and the sexing and the pretending… they end up really caring about each other up to and including loving each other.
But… they still can’t communicate this to one another for various reasons and that keeps them apart for a bit… and then there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING which leads to a blow out fight which leads to… you get the idea.
So, don’t get me wrong, I actually loved much about this book… the writing is excellent and the wit exceptional (I laughed out loud in places) and the development of the characters is great. But there are a few things that would need to happen to make this a GREAT book.
First: Some major editing. It’s a LONG book that doesn’t need to be. Some have called this a “slow burn” but it isn’t , not really. They get together early on and then waffle about with the “I hate myself for wanting him but I can’t help myself”, guilt ridden booty calls for way too long. Then, once they are “fake-together”, they waffle about their “I love him but I can’t tell him or he’ll freak out” way too long. And the end… well, that’s another story.
Second: I loved the MCs and many of the secondary characters. They were funny and added to the story and added a lot of realism. I loved the exes and how they contributed to the story and the friend and the family, all shaped our MCs really nicely for us. Showing, not telling. But the MC’s lives were confusing to me. At one point Ryan is worried that Blake will judge him for not having a college degree when Blake himself is a nanny. And where does all the money come from? I kept expecting someone to have a trust fund because no one seems to work. And Blake has an interest in teaching Cello lessons but never plays or even listens to that sort of music. Given how long the story is, these kinds of details became more obvious.
Third: The BIG MISUNDERSTANDING leading to reconciliation. What should have happened is this: the big misunderstanding, the laughing and crying and forgiving, the making up and the “I love yous”. Instead we had to insert yet another bout of waffling and indecision that was patently not needed. When they do finally get things together it is rushed and unsatisfying after the pages and pages of waffling. I really wanted to finally see Ryan and Blake expose themselves and show their FEELINGS to one another and make me believe in their happy ending. Though I thought the epilogue was terribly witty and somewhat fitting for the characters, it did not satisfy my romantic heart, or make me believe in the final outcome. At some point the jokes and the insecurities should be laid to rest and the real emotions get their page time.
Overall, I believe this is the first full length novel for this author. As such, I think it is a wonderful start. I would definitely look for her again. However, I would recommend some serious editing in the future, as I think that simply shortening this would have remedied a lot of my “issues”.
Audio
Michael Ferrualo did an excellent job with this. He was believable and did a wonderful job with all the emotion. I really enjoyed listening to this and thought it added to the overall enjoyment of the book immensely.
4.5 of 5 stars
So… they enter into a hate-sex sort of scenario, with neither of them really admitting that beyond the chemistry there might be a bit of something more substantial.
The premise is that at first they really DON’T like each other. Really. Blake is a pretentious prig and Ryan is a cavalier goof. Opposites attract and all that, so they are attracted to each other sexually but not emotionally.
Once they discover/admit this attraction, they want to hide it from their friend/sister because they fear/know that when it ends it will be messy if sides have to be chosen.
But… the family finds out so they admit to a “real” but fake relationship so that they family is comforted … but in fact they are still just messing around… Sound confusing … it sorta is.
And along the way, between the hating and the sexing and the pretending… they end up really caring about each other up to and including loving each other.
But… they still can’t communicate this to one another for various reasons and that keeps them apart for a bit… and then there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING which leads to a blow out fight which leads to… you get the idea.
So, don’t get me wrong, I actually loved much about this book… the writing is excellent and the wit exceptional (I laughed out loud in places) and the development of the characters is great. But there are a few things that would need to happen to make this a GREAT book.
First: Some major editing. It’s a LONG book that doesn’t need to be. Some have called this a “slow burn” but it isn’t , not really. They get together early on and then waffle about with the “I hate myself for wanting him but I can’t help myself”, guilt ridden booty calls for way too long. Then, once they are “fake-together”, they waffle about their “I love him but I can’t tell him or he’ll freak out” way too long. And the end… well, that’s another story.
Second: I loved the MCs and many of the secondary characters. They were funny and added to the story and added a lot of realism. I loved the exes and how they contributed to the story and the friend and the family, all shaped our MCs really nicely for us. Showing, not telling. But the MC’s lives were confusing to me. At one point Ryan is worried that Blake will judge him for not having a college degree when Blake himself is a nanny. And where does all the money come from? I kept expecting someone to have a trust fund because no one seems to work. And Blake has an interest in teaching Cello lessons but never plays or even listens to that sort of music. Given how long the story is, these kinds of details became more obvious.
Third: The BIG MISUNDERSTANDING leading to reconciliation. What should have happened is this: the big misunderstanding, the laughing and crying and forgiving, the making up and the “I love yous”. Instead we had to insert yet another bout of waffling and indecision that was patently not needed. When they do finally get things together it is rushed and unsatisfying after the pages and pages of waffling. I really wanted to finally see Ryan and Blake expose themselves and show their FEELINGS to one another and make me believe in their happy ending. Though I thought the epilogue was terribly witty and somewhat fitting for the characters, it did not satisfy my romantic heart, or make me believe in the final outcome. At some point the jokes and the insecurities should be laid to rest and the real emotions get their page time.
Overall, I believe this is the first full length novel for this author. As such, I think it is a wonderful start. I would definitely look for her again. However, I would recommend some serious editing in the future, as I think that simply shortening this would have remedied a lot of my “issues”.
Audio
Michael Ferrualo did an excellent job with this. He was believable and did a wonderful job with all the emotion. I really enjoyed listening to this and thought it added to the overall enjoyment of the book immensely.
4.5 of 5 stars
February 14, 2015
Review can be read at It's About The Book
I LOVED this book! This is another one I started recommending as soon as I finished it. It’s a longer novel for this genre and I enjoyed every single page of it. It’s a sweet, fun and sexy contemporary romance about enemies to lovers. I loved the characters. I laughed out loud. Smiled throughout most of the book. I obviously loved everything about it. :) Totally my kind of book!
Blake’s twin sister Bianca thinks she’s finally found the one. Introducing her brother to Matt is a big deal because they need to like each other. So Bianca sends Blake to join their weekly poker game. Matt stresses to his friends that they need to make a good impression on Blake. Which is the exact opposite of what Matt’s best friend Ryan does. He starts off by mistaking Blake for a stripper and the stupid but hilarious comments just keep spilling out of Ryan’s mouth. Blake gets through the night and hopes to avoid Ryan as much as possible in the future. They’re each the most important people to the Matt and Bianca so of course they’ll be meeting again. Blake is happy to pretend Ryan doesn’t exist. Ryan on the other hand can’t seem to resist speaking to Blake. And once again he insults Blake. A few too many drinks and some unexpected kindness leads to a hot but regretful kiss. Both men have sworn to Matt and Bianca not hook up in fear it will put a burden on their relationship if something didn’t work out. Which of course is a promise the guys break. At first it’s just kissing, then it’s sleeping together. Then sleeping over. They both just keep breaking their own rules established once they admitted they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Ryan has never been in love and Blake thinks he’s just in it for a good time. However, Ryan starts to fall for Blake right away. He just know what the hell he’s doing when it comes to relationships.
First thing I have to say is this book is hilarious. The dialogue between the characters is so witty and quick. I found myself smiling for so much of this book. I was swooning while reading their very clever and sexy flirting. It was so well done. Nothing felt forced for a laugh. It was easy to enjoy them together. I can’t possibly rave about this enough. The chemistry between the characters was excellent. Always some tension because Ryan got a kick out of getting a reaction out of Blake and Blake didn’t want to like Ryan as much as he did. Their push and pull was so much fun to read about. I adored this couple.
I would also like to mention that given the length of this book and the MCs resisting professing their feelings to each other for so long, that I was never really frustrated. The reasoning for keeping them apart started off being because of the promise made but it became more complex as the story went along. It helped me understand a lot about the characters and their issues. I thought the way the author handled all the conflict was brilliant. It wasn’t manufactured. It really felt fluid and contributed to the story as a whole.
I enjoyed getting both of the MC’s POVs. I like knowing what they’re both thinking and how that differs from the other one’s perception of the situation. It also helps me understand how they see each other and that makes me fall for the characters right along with them. It also helped me get to know the guys better.
I could probably go on and on about how much I liked this book but I’ll stop raving before this review turns into an essay. Obviously I highly recommend it. This book had great character depth. Witty dialogue that kept me smiling throughout the story. Flirting that was almost as fun to read about as it would be to experience in real life. Lovable characters that you feel like you know. This is exactly the type of book I want to settle in and just get lost in the goodness of it. Definitely a feel good read that has me riding a book high all day today. :)
I LOVED this book! This is another one I started recommending as soon as I finished it. It’s a longer novel for this genre and I enjoyed every single page of it. It’s a sweet, fun and sexy contemporary romance about enemies to lovers. I loved the characters. I laughed out loud. Smiled throughout most of the book. I obviously loved everything about it. :) Totally my kind of book!
Blake’s twin sister Bianca thinks she’s finally found the one. Introducing her brother to Matt is a big deal because they need to like each other. So Bianca sends Blake to join their weekly poker game. Matt stresses to his friends that they need to make a good impression on Blake. Which is the exact opposite of what Matt’s best friend Ryan does. He starts off by mistaking Blake for a stripper and the stupid but hilarious comments just keep spilling out of Ryan’s mouth. Blake gets through the night and hopes to avoid Ryan as much as possible in the future. They’re each the most important people to the Matt and Bianca so of course they’ll be meeting again. Blake is happy to pretend Ryan doesn’t exist. Ryan on the other hand can’t seem to resist speaking to Blake. And once again he insults Blake. A few too many drinks and some unexpected kindness leads to a hot but regretful kiss. Both men have sworn to Matt and Bianca not hook up in fear it will put a burden on their relationship if something didn’t work out. Which of course is a promise the guys break. At first it’s just kissing, then it’s sleeping together. Then sleeping over. They both just keep breaking their own rules established once they admitted they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Ryan has never been in love and Blake thinks he’s just in it for a good time. However, Ryan starts to fall for Blake right away. He just know what the hell he’s doing when it comes to relationships.
First thing I have to say is this book is hilarious. The dialogue between the characters is so witty and quick. I found myself smiling for so much of this book. I was swooning while reading their very clever and sexy flirting. It was so well done. Nothing felt forced for a laugh. It was easy to enjoy them together. I can’t possibly rave about this enough. The chemistry between the characters was excellent. Always some tension because Ryan got a kick out of getting a reaction out of Blake and Blake didn’t want to like Ryan as much as he did. Their push and pull was so much fun to read about. I adored this couple.
I would also like to mention that given the length of this book and the MCs resisting professing their feelings to each other for so long, that I was never really frustrated. The reasoning for keeping them apart started off being because of the promise made but it became more complex as the story went along. It helped me understand a lot about the characters and their issues. I thought the way the author handled all the conflict was brilliant. It wasn’t manufactured. It really felt fluid and contributed to the story as a whole.
I enjoyed getting both of the MC’s POVs. I like knowing what they’re both thinking and how that differs from the other one’s perception of the situation. It also helps me understand how they see each other and that makes me fall for the characters right along with them. It also helped me get to know the guys better.
I could probably go on and on about how much I liked this book but I’ll stop raving before this review turns into an essay. Obviously I highly recommend it. This book had great character depth. Witty dialogue that kept me smiling throughout the story. Flirting that was almost as fun to read about as it would be to experience in real life. Lovable characters that you feel like you know. This is exactly the type of book I want to settle in and just get lost in the goodness of it. Definitely a feel good read that has me riding a book high all day today. :)
November 21, 2015
I read this as part of the November Comfort Reads Challenge. I have to thank the person who picked this book for me. This is my first experience reading this author but it won't be my last.
I have so many mixed emotions about this story. The characters, including the secondary ones, were developed and interesting. I loved the interaction of all the characters. This is truly a character driven story. I liked the two MCs, even though I wanted to grab them and shake them until they began to really communicate with each other. They acted like teenage boys when it came to feelings, although they were compatible sexually. I could have used more and varied sex scenes.
What gave this 4 stars was the quality of the writing, the comedy of errors and the family love and support. Blake was a twin. His twin sister was getting married. His sister's fiance had a BFF that was like a brother to him. She wanted Blake to get along with her fiance and his BFF. Blake and Ryan had instant hate and lust. And so the confusion and lack of communication began. This was not a meet today, declare everlasting love tomorrow story. Their lust may have been instant but it took a long time for that lust to turn into a relationship and even longer for love to grow.
Good read.
I have so many mixed emotions about this story. The characters, including the secondary ones, were developed and interesting. I loved the interaction of all the characters. This is truly a character driven story. I liked the two MCs, even though I wanted to grab them and shake them until they began to really communicate with each other. They acted like teenage boys when it came to feelings, although they were compatible sexually. I could have used more and varied sex scenes.
What gave this 4 stars was the quality of the writing, the comedy of errors and the family love and support. Blake was a twin. His twin sister was getting married. His sister's fiance had a BFF that was like a brother to him. She wanted Blake to get along with her fiance and his BFF. Blake and Ryan had instant hate and lust. And so the confusion and lack of communication began. This was not a meet today, declare everlasting love tomorrow story. Their lust may have been instant but it took a long time for that lust to turn into a relationship and even longer for love to grow.
Good read.
January 22, 2015
I feel like I've been batting a thousand with all these four star reads lately. This year has definitely started off better than last year did, and all thanks to my lovely new addiction to m/m romance.
Seriously, these are just way more fun to read.
Anyway, this is a damn good book. The characters are sympathetic and believable, the premise is interesting, and the sexual tension and chemistry between Blake and Ryan is superb. The only thing that bothered me was that neither Blake nor Ryan seemed at all capable of communicating anything worthwhile. But once you get to know them, you realize that this is why all their past relationships have failed, and watching them realize it and learn to overcome it is fantastic.
Seriously, these are just way more fun to read.
Anyway, this is a damn good book. The characters are sympathetic and believable, the premise is interesting, and the sexual tension and chemistry between Blake and Ryan is superb. The only thing that bothered me was that neither Blake nor Ryan seemed at all capable of communicating anything worthwhile. But once you get to know them, you realize that this is why all their past relationships have failed, and watching them realize it and learn to overcome it is fantastic.
November 4, 2015
Wonderful! Yes, their miscommunication was totally frustrating but I still loved this book. It was funny and snarky and bitchy and sweet. What else could a girl want. The sex could have used a little more dirty times which I was expecting seeing as during their first kiss Blake kept thinking how dirty it was. Did these guys need a slap on the head? Hells yes they did but who doesn't once in a while. And the supporting cast was excellent. I felt like we were part of this big, slighty crazy family. Can't wait to see what this author comes out with next.
July 10, 2015
OK, so I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers, but this one annoyed me and seemed to drag on. I'm annoyed that the two MCs didn't just talk to each other when they had issues. I know neither knew how the other ACTUALLY felt, but when Blake would get pissed, he's fight with Ryan, then just drop it, and Ryan was dumb enough to just let it go too. I dunno... it just really bugged me. I thought Ryan was harsh at the end and Blake's oh poor me routine got really old.
July 6, 2016
***Audiobook***Narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo***4.5 stars for this one! I really enjoyed most of it, though I did find Blake and Ryan (and their miscommunication!) to be frustrating at times. Excellent narration by new-to-me narrator Michael Ferraiuolo.
July 11, 2019
Heavy on the miscommunication but surprisingly well done and quite reasonable. Sometimes the MCs seemed younger than 27 and 34 and acted a bit immature but overall I enjoyed this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers story.
The narration was awesome and I really loved listening to this book.
The narration was awesome and I really loved listening to this book.
March 18, 2015
Absolutely loved it!!!! I'm not sure if that was more of a slow burn or an enemies-to-lovers. I'll be looking forward to more books from this author.
January 15, 2015
This is incredible. Absolutely fucking exemplary.
October 20, 2015
I really liked this one but I thought the ending was a little drawn out. Other than that it was great! And I loved the fact that Ryan called Blake kitten. It totally worked in this story.
January 18, 2020
It was ok. The writing wasn't bad, even though it could have been better. As always, I would have liked to see more of the other characters (besides the main couple and their sister and best firend, whose presence was scarce to begin with).
Also all the "drama" and obstacles didn't feel particularly believable or serious.
The characters doubted each other too much in my opinion.
Also all the "drama" and obstacles didn't feel particularly believable or serious.
The characters doubted each other too much in my opinion.
April 25, 2022
An exhausting read. Overly long. Could’ve and should’ve been cut by a quarter if not half. The plot was essentially one long noncommunication/miscommunication/misunderstanding. Very unsatisfying. There was little chemistry between the MCs. I don’t understand how or why they fell in love. The writing itself wasn’t bad. That’s all I got.
January 12, 2020
OUTSTANDING. This book kept me glued to my seat, unable to stop reading, until finally somewhere after 3 a.m. I finished it. Ryan and Blake's relationship buildup, their banter, was simply hilarious. They were making every mistake possible, lying to their friends and family but mostly to themselves. Everything worked between them, but somehow they failed miserably to see how WONDERFUL they are together and kept playing this game while breaking their own rules. Confused? So were they.
Blake Dunlap's life changes when his twin sister meets the love of her life in Matt. Their lives have always been entwined together but now he feels left out. Bianca tries to make him see how great Matt is but while he somehow reluctantly agrees Matt is THE one for her, it doesn't change the fact they spend less and less time together and he feels totally lost and alone. He gets drunk too many times to count in this book and though it's something that can TOTALLY get on my nerves, I could his see reasoning and just how lost he was.
First time he meets Matt's best friend Ryan Everett, Ryan makes the worst impression. He doesn't know what's gotten into him, but every time he opens his mouth in front of Blake he says the wrong thing. Too bad there is an undercurrent of attraction between them, because even if they actually got along, considering their position with Matt proposing to Bianca, getting involves sounds like a REALLY bad idea..
Yet no matter how they try to keep their distance it doesn't work. So finally Ryan offers Blake a deal:
"We're having a good time and we're not hurting anyone. This doesn't need to be a crisis of epic proportions. Haven't you ever had friends with benefits?"
"We're not friends", Blake felt the need to point out.
"Mutually antagonistic acquaintances with benefits, then".
"I don't think that's a thing"
"Are you arguing for the sake of arguing?"
"Maybe".
The sex is great. Everything physical between them is, the problem always starts when either of them actually speaks. They either don't understand each other / get the wrong impression, or they disagree. Yet spending more and more time together, both struggle to understand what is going on between them. Blake doesn't do these kinds of "no strings attached" yet his previous experience with men left him unsure about a lot of things. Ryan on the other, doesn't do relationship AT ALL. So what he shares with Blake is SUPPOSED to be enough yet it isn't. Blake feels content with their arrangement at first, even if it's not something he is used to, but after a while he realizes, they spend WAY too much time together to truly consider what they have to be casual - as the word implies - once in a while, not practically every day.
In the background and also all around them is the Dunlap family. Josh the older brother and his wife Abby, their parents and naturally Bianca - and Matt. Ryan and Blake struggle to keep their hookups a secret, yet things get complicated the more they get entangled. Also they start to sort of get along, which confuses Bianca and Matt. As Blake tries to put it to Bianca "We're friendly-ish. Friend adjacent, maybe" . But in the end when Matt and Bianca figure out there is something going on, they find themselves lying it's an ACTUAL relationship. It's not. It actually is. It's what both of them want but unable to admit. It's difficult, yet so very easy to "play". It's them. This is simply how they are.
But beneath the hilarious banter, impossible situations, differences in perspective and personality, when you put everything aside these two are THE SWEETEST together. They care for one another, they SEE each other. Everything they do together shows they actually DO care. Actions speaks louder than words yet both are reluctant to BELIEVE in what they are seeing in front of their eyes. They are also afraid to admit, to themselves and each other, that it's NOT a game, it's NOT casual, it's SO MUCH MORE. I was heart broken at times for both of them with how much they TRIED to make the other see how much they care but it somehow didn't make the correct impact.
This book was EVERYTHING. It was ROFL funny, sometimes just silly, yet it was also tender and sweet. I couldn't have asked for more for either Ryan and Blake as well as for myself. As I opened this review - OUTSTANDING. If only Elizah published more books - please PLEASE Elizah! I PROMISE to pre-order or/and auto-buy.
More Reviews HERE
Blake Dunlap's life changes when his twin sister meets the love of her life in Matt. Their lives have always been entwined together but now he feels left out. Bianca tries to make him see how great Matt is but while he somehow reluctantly agrees Matt is THE one for her, it doesn't change the fact they spend less and less time together and he feels totally lost and alone. He gets drunk too many times to count in this book and though it's something that can TOTALLY get on my nerves, I could his see reasoning and just how lost he was.
First time he meets Matt's best friend Ryan Everett, Ryan makes the worst impression. He doesn't know what's gotten into him, but every time he opens his mouth in front of Blake he says the wrong thing. Too bad there is an undercurrent of attraction between them, because even if they actually got along, considering their position with Matt proposing to Bianca, getting involves sounds like a REALLY bad idea..
Yet no matter how they try to keep their distance it doesn't work. So finally Ryan offers Blake a deal:
"We're having a good time and we're not hurting anyone. This doesn't need to be a crisis of epic proportions. Haven't you ever had friends with benefits?"
"We're not friends", Blake felt the need to point out.
"Mutually antagonistic acquaintances with benefits, then".
"I don't think that's a thing"
"Are you arguing for the sake of arguing?"
"Maybe".
The sex is great. Everything physical between them is, the problem always starts when either of them actually speaks. They either don't understand each other / get the wrong impression, or they disagree. Yet spending more and more time together, both struggle to understand what is going on between them. Blake doesn't do these kinds of "no strings attached" yet his previous experience with men left him unsure about a lot of things. Ryan on the other, doesn't do relationship AT ALL. So what he shares with Blake is SUPPOSED to be enough yet it isn't. Blake feels content with their arrangement at first, even if it's not something he is used to, but after a while he realizes, they spend WAY too much time together to truly consider what they have to be casual - as the word implies - once in a while, not practically every day.
In the background and also all around them is the Dunlap family. Josh the older brother and his wife Abby, their parents and naturally Bianca - and Matt. Ryan and Blake struggle to keep their hookups a secret, yet things get complicated the more they get entangled. Also they start to sort of get along, which confuses Bianca and Matt. As Blake tries to put it to Bianca "We're friendly-ish. Friend adjacent, maybe" . But in the end when Matt and Bianca figure out there is something going on, they find themselves lying it's an ACTUAL relationship. It's not. It actually is. It's what both of them want but unable to admit. It's difficult, yet so very easy to "play". It's them. This is simply how they are.
But beneath the hilarious banter, impossible situations, differences in perspective and personality, when you put everything aside these two are THE SWEETEST together. They care for one another, they SEE each other. Everything they do together shows they actually DO care. Actions speaks louder than words yet both are reluctant to BELIEVE in what they are seeing in front of their eyes. They are also afraid to admit, to themselves and each other, that it's NOT a game, it's NOT casual, it's SO MUCH MORE. I was heart broken at times for both of them with how much they TRIED to make the other see how much they care but it somehow didn't make the correct impact.
This book was EVERYTHING. It was ROFL funny, sometimes just silly, yet it was also tender and sweet. I couldn't have asked for more for either Ryan and Blake as well as for myself. As I opened this review - OUTSTANDING. If only Elizah published more books - please PLEASE Elizah! I PROMISE to pre-order or/and auto-buy.
More Reviews HERE
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