What do you think?
Rate this book
Leads to This #3
A Mutual Connection
Since the pandemic, Zea has had a successful career as a cam model online – it beat doing corporate graphic design every single day – until they get the opportunity to intern under a tattoo artist, a job they've dreamed of having since they were a teenager. The first person Zea wants to tell is their online mutual, an artist who they know nothing about, but talk to almost daily.
Milo lives on the other side of the world and is content with eir life - a mediocre flat that e can at least afford alone, a tattoo studio where most of the other artists respect eir gender identity, and friends e absolutely loves. But when the owner of the studio e works for suggests Milo apply for a guest spot at a queer-owned tattoo studio in South Africa, Milo decides to challenge emself to go for it.
Except e's really not expecting to find the online friend e's been talking to and developing feelings for to be apprenticing there. Can Milo work up the courage to tell Zea who e really is before Zea can figure it out on their own?
A T4T romance between two online friends that end up working at the same tattoo shop together. Aprox. 102K words long. Contains adult content.
Milo lives on the other side of the world and is content with eir life - a mediocre flat that e can at least afford alone, a tattoo studio where most of the other artists respect eir gender identity, and friends e absolutely loves. But when the owner of the studio e works for suggests Milo apply for a guest spot at a queer-owned tattoo studio in South Africa, Milo decides to challenge emself to go for it.
Except e's really not expecting to find the online friend e's been talking to and developing feelings for to be apprenticing there. Can Milo work up the courage to tell Zea who e really is before Zea can figure it out on their own?
A T4T romance between two online friends that end up working at the same tattoo shop together. Aprox. 102K words long. Contains adult content.
- GenresQueer Romance
393 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2025
26 people want to read
About the author
Kay Claire
18 books68 followersKay Claire is an illustrator, comic creator and author from Cape Town, South Africa. When not doing art or writing they spend most of their waking hours reading, trying out new hobbies, and taking their dog for walks.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 19, 2025
Many thanks to the author for providing me a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
A Mutual Connection is the kind of romance that sneaks up on you, boops you on the nose, and dares you not to fall in love with it. As the third book in Kay Claire’s queer, comforting universe, it stands strong as a standalone — but trust me, if you’ve only read book one (same boat!), you’ll suddenly feel the NEED to go back for book two because the side characters are just that good.
We follow Zea, a cam-model-turned-tattoo-apprentice in South Africa, and Milo, an artist living literally across the world whose life is… fine. Just fine. But fine starts looking a whole lot brighter when e’s offered a guest spot in Cape Town — the same tattoo studio where Zea has just landed their dream apprenticeship. The twist? These two have been online mutuals for ages, sharing art, life updates, bad days, good days, and the sort of soft connection that makes you forget you’ve never actually met.
Watching these two realise who the other is — and catch feelings that have been low-key brewing forever — is pure delight. And look, I don’t read romance often (and yes, I cringe at calling adult stories “cute”), but this book? This book is adorable. It’s got heart, humour, queer joy, found family, and the kind of everyday intimacy that makes you root for the characters even when they’re being oblivious little darlings.
The cast? Phenomenal. The setting? Chef’s kiss. The story? Cozy without being sugary, grounded without being heavy. And for a romance sceptic like me, it was exactly the right blend of charming and earnest — enough to warm the cold, dusty corners of my blackened non-romance-reader soul.
- Online friends
- Tattoo studio
- T4T
- E/Em/Eir pronouns
- ADHD rep
- They/Them pronouns
- Pan4Pan
- Hidden Identity
A gentle, queer, wholesome hug of a book.
Highly recommended, even if romance isn’t your usual cup of… well, coffee.
A Mutual Connection is the kind of romance that sneaks up on you, boops you on the nose, and dares you not to fall in love with it. As the third book in Kay Claire’s queer, comforting universe, it stands strong as a standalone — but trust me, if you’ve only read book one (same boat!), you’ll suddenly feel the NEED to go back for book two because the side characters are just that good.
We follow Zea, a cam-model-turned-tattoo-apprentice in South Africa, and Milo, an artist living literally across the world whose life is… fine. Just fine. But fine starts looking a whole lot brighter when e’s offered a guest spot in Cape Town — the same tattoo studio where Zea has just landed their dream apprenticeship. The twist? These two have been online mutuals for ages, sharing art, life updates, bad days, good days, and the sort of soft connection that makes you forget you’ve never actually met.
Watching these two realise who the other is — and catch feelings that have been low-key brewing forever — is pure delight. And look, I don’t read romance often (and yes, I cringe at calling adult stories “cute”), but this book? This book is adorable. It’s got heart, humour, queer joy, found family, and the kind of everyday intimacy that makes you root for the characters even when they’re being oblivious little darlings.
The cast? Phenomenal. The setting? Chef’s kiss. The story? Cozy without being sugary, grounded without being heavy. And for a romance sceptic like me, it was exactly the right blend of charming and earnest — enough to warm the cold, dusty corners of my blackened non-romance-reader soul.
- Online friends
- Tattoo studio
- T4T
- E/Em/Eir pronouns
- ADHD rep
- They/Them pronouns
- Pan4Pan
- Hidden Identity
A gentle, queer, wholesome hug of a book.
Highly recommended, even if romance isn’t your usual cup of… well, coffee.
Read
November 20, 2025I received this book as an ARC and I’m heaving this review voluntarily!
Tattoos studios! Secret identities! Online friendships!
When I think about this book, the first thing my mind goes to is the characters. They were all so strong and distinct from each other and they felt so much like real people you’d meet out and about. Their relationships with one another felt so tangible and that made them all so compelling. I really enjoyed the relationship between Zea and their roommates (they were so sweet to each other!!!), and I especially loved the slow-burn romance between Zea and Milo. The online friendship aspect and the shenanigans surrounding their relationship was so funny, but also, it was so real of Milo to freak out, I wouldn’t know what to do either if my online crush suddenly became my co-worker. Surprisingly, one of the characters who I didn’t expect to adore so much was Maleck, there’s just something about him that Got Me – I really hope people love Maleck as much as I do once this book comes out lol
The setting of this book was also so fun! I recently got my first tattoo so I liked that this book was largely set in a tattoo studio and oh my god, what a tattoo studio it is. With an all queer crew, a decor that’s pure vibes, and nothing but hot people, it’s like a dream. I’d love nothing more than to get a tattoo from them (cough Maleck cough)!
Overall, this book is so sweet and cosy, and spicy where it counts. It’s a very chill read and I found it really enjoyable to sit down with it and unwind after a long day. Please look forward to this book and I hope everyone who picks it up enjoys Zea and Milo’s journey as much as I did!
Tattoos studios! Secret identities! Online friendships!
When I think about this book, the first thing my mind goes to is the characters. They were all so strong and distinct from each other and they felt so much like real people you’d meet out and about. Their relationships with one another felt so tangible and that made them all so compelling. I really enjoyed the relationship between Zea and their roommates (they were so sweet to each other!!!), and I especially loved the slow-burn romance between Zea and Milo. The online friendship aspect and the shenanigans surrounding their relationship was so funny, but also, it was so real of Milo to freak out, I wouldn’t know what to do either if my online crush suddenly became my co-worker. Surprisingly, one of the characters who I didn’t expect to adore so much was Maleck, there’s just something about him that Got Me – I really hope people love Maleck as much as I do once this book comes out lol
The setting of this book was also so fun! I recently got my first tattoo so I liked that this book was largely set in a tattoo studio and oh my god, what a tattoo studio it is. With an all queer crew, a decor that’s pure vibes, and nothing but hot people, it’s like a dream. I’d love nothing more than to get a tattoo from them (cough Maleck cough)!
Overall, this book is so sweet and cosy, and spicy where it counts. It’s a very chill read and I found it really enjoyable to sit down with it and unwind after a long day. Please look forward to this book and I hope everyone who picks it up enjoys Zea and Milo’s journey as much as I did!
November 20, 2025
This is one of those reviews that isn't necessarily going to make a lot of sense beyond I loved it and it's so adorable because it's so hard to put feelings into words and this book just left me with warm fuzzy feelings and so many smiles. You know when there are MCs that just need love so bad and you want to do anything you can to make sure that they get it?? That was so totally Milo and Zea, but in such different ways.
Milo has these walls that are just so so high. Eir's family was just absent in a way that e doesn't trust easy, even with the people who have consistently shown up. Relationships are kept at arms length and e doesn't even seem to notice how lonely e has become. And Zea is so vibrant and loud it would be so easy to think they're not lonely, but their loneliness just hits differently. They're so used to giving up space to someone else and not noticing when they need the space for themselves. Watching the two of them just made me so emotional in so many ways. Sad when they aren't even realizing how much they need, happy when they blossomed with each other, anxious when everything could go wrong, swoony when everything went right. Also, when they get together? Explosive chemistry.
I adored this from start to finish! I need to read the first books and I need so many more books in this series.
Milo has these walls that are just so so high. Eir's family was just absent in a way that e doesn't trust easy, even with the people who have consistently shown up. Relationships are kept at arms length and e doesn't even seem to notice how lonely e has become. And Zea is so vibrant and loud it would be so easy to think they're not lonely, but their loneliness just hits differently. They're so used to giving up space to someone else and not noticing when they need the space for themselves. Watching the two of them just made me so emotional in so many ways. Sad when they aren't even realizing how much they need, happy when they blossomed with each other, anxious when everything could go wrong, swoony when everything went right. Also, when they get together? Explosive chemistry.
I adored this from start to finish! I need to read the first books and I need so many more books in this series.
November 15, 2025
A Mutual Connection is the 3rd book in the Leads to This series - and once again, I absolutely adored everything about it.
Both Milo and Zea are amazing characters, with similar struggles, even when they don't see it at first. I loved how they slowly got to know each other, and how differently they dealt with it - it made sense why their first meeting was utterly awkward.
There were lots of things I loved about A Mutual Connection as well, most of all of course the non-binary representation, and sadly how binary even trans communities can be. Seeing both Milo and Zea be their truest selves, without giving a damn about what other people think, was incredibly refreshing. The same goes for the spice.
And of course, after reading the first two books and following Cedric's and Seb's stories, it was amazing to meet them again and have all three of the friend group be happy and in love. Friendship and found family are just as much of a topic in the Leads to This series as finding your home and love.
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy but I'm freely leaving this review. All opinions are my own.
Both Milo and Zea are amazing characters, with similar struggles, even when they don't see it at first. I loved how they slowly got to know each other, and how differently they dealt with it - it made sense why their first meeting was utterly awkward.
There were lots of things I loved about A Mutual Connection as well, most of all of course the non-binary representation, and sadly how binary even trans communities can be. Seeing both Milo and Zea be their truest selves, without giving a damn about what other people think, was incredibly refreshing. The same goes for the spice.
And of course, after reading the first two books and following Cedric's and Seb's stories, it was amazing to meet them again and have all three of the friend group be happy and in love. Friendship and found family are just as much of a topic in the Leads to This series as finding your home and love.
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy but I'm freely leaving this review. All opinions are my own.
November 19, 2025
An absolutely fantastic book!!!! Milo and Zea have this really sweet connection from the start and the growth that each of them made was fantastic. They both needed to work on communication in very similar but also different ways and I really enjoyed how it all played out. This book is also filled with trans joy which I absolutely loved. I also had only read one other book where a character uses e/em/eir pronouns and I really enjoyed learning from Milo more about eir's feelings towards eir's pronouns and why e choose them.
November 20, 2025
Another one of Kay Claire's 5-star reads for me!
At this point, I'm doubting I could ever rate any of their books lower because I'm yet to read one that isn't absolutely amazing.
Loved, loved, loved the online friendship turned to real-life romance storyline. So well done! The characters were highly relatable, the chemistry chef's kiss, and there was this overall warm and adorable vibe to this book that gave me all the fuzzy feelings.
Highly, highly recommend. Not just this book but the whole series!
*I received a reader copy & this is my honest, voluntary opinion.*
At this point, I'm doubting I could ever rate any of their books lower because I'm yet to read one that isn't absolutely amazing.
Loved, loved, loved the online friendship turned to real-life romance storyline. So well done! The characters were highly relatable, the chemistry chef's kiss, and there was this overall warm and adorable vibe to this book that gave me all the fuzzy feelings.
Highly, highly recommend. Not just this book but the whole series!
*I received a reader copy & this is my honest, voluntary opinion.*
November 19, 2025
I applied for this ARC after reading, The Full Moon Problem and adoring it. I knew I wanted to read more from this author and I wasn't disappointed. It's a sweet romance and I loved how Milo and Zea's relationship unfolded. There is an abundance of queer joy in this story and it was such a lovely read. The whole series is worth checking out.
November 6, 2025
I applied for an ARC of this book as I really enjoyed Kay's previous book The Full Moon Problem, and I was not disappointed. This is a sweet and heartfelt romance, and the two protagonists are adorable. As someone who used to work with sex workers it was refreshing to read a story with such a positive view of sex work, and I loved all the parts set in the tattoo studio.
I only discovered after I'd read it that there are two previous books in the series, so I shall be buying them asap to read them as well.
Thanks for the ARC!
I only discovered after I'd read it that there are two previous books in the series, so I shall be buying them asap to read them as well.
Thanks for the ARC!
November 20, 2025
5 stars
I think this is my favorite in this series hands down. Kay Claire really ended this series on a high note. The story and characters are so sweet, so believable, and so relatable. The way Kay Claire writes queer experiences is so nuanced and genuine. Zea and Milo have an amazing journey, both together as well as individually. I liked how Claire approached the secret online identity storyline with very little angst and barely any drama. The characters were honest and actually communicated, which I always love to see (I always want to rip my hair out when the avoidable miscommunication shows up in a story). All in all, this was great and easily a favorite read of mine this year and DEFINITELY my favorite from this author so far. I highly recommend checking this one out if you want real and vulnerable queer and trans representation with very little angst and drama with plenty of queer joy and found family.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I think this is my favorite in this series hands down. Kay Claire really ended this series on a high note. The story and characters are so sweet, so believable, and so relatable. The way Kay Claire writes queer experiences is so nuanced and genuine. Zea and Milo have an amazing journey, both together as well as individually. I liked how Claire approached the secret online identity storyline with very little angst and barely any drama. The characters were honest and actually communicated, which I always love to see (I always want to rip my hair out when the avoidable miscommunication shows up in a story). All in all, this was great and easily a favorite read of mine this year and DEFINITELY my favorite from this author so far. I highly recommend checking this one out if you want real and vulnerable queer and trans representation with very little angst and drama with plenty of queer joy and found family.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews