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Right and Wrong #1
The Right Words
Escaping an abusive relationship left Luke Preston anxious and spouting panic-induced poetry. Desperate for a fresh start, Luke accepts a job remodeling a tired old beach house for a professional soccer player and his model girlfriend. While his passion is literature, not sports, focusing on the renovations eases his anxiety. Until the job he signed up for turns out to be more complicated than advertised.
Sidelined with a serious injury, soccer star Michael Martinez decides his beach house is the perfect place to recuperate. Remodeling might be the diversion he needs to keep his mind off his busted knee. Falling for the pretty designer with some quirky habits wasn’t on the drawing board. Unfortunately, Luke didn’t build a big enough closet for Michael to hide in. Having a star-powered sports career used to be all Michael lived for, but he’ll have to reevaluate his plans and find the right words if he wants to build more than a beach house with Luke.
Sidelined with a serious injury, soccer star Michael Martinez decides his beach house is the perfect place to recuperate. Remodeling might be the diversion he needs to keep his mind off his busted knee. Falling for the pretty designer with some quirky habits wasn’t on the drawing board. Unfortunately, Luke didn’t build a big enough closet for Michael to hide in. Having a star-powered sports career used to be all Michael lived for, but he’ll have to reevaluate his plans and find the right words if he wants to build more than a beach house with Luke.
204 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2014
108 people are currently reading
968 people want to read
About the author
Lane Hayes
105 books1,719 followersLane Hayes loves a good romance! She’s the bestselling author of the Out in College, Starting From, Better Than, A Kind Of, Right and Wrong, and Leaning Into Series! Lane loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). All things she can find in sunny SoCal where she lives with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
July 10, 2015
1 star. Review posted December 16, 2014
132 x smiled, smile, half-smile
71 x grin, grinned, grinning
65 x laugh, laughed, laughter, laughing, half-laugh
51 x chuckle, chuckled
18 x giggles, giggle, giggled, giggling
10 x blush, blushed, insta-blush
64 x "Oh"
*insert eye-roll*
Michael chuckled beside me. A sweet, musical note that hung for a moment on the breeze.
Michael looked over at me with a crooked smile as he placed his sunglasses back over his nose. My breath hitched slightly at his transformation from handsome but distant to downright beautiful.
*insert another eye-roll*
I stopped at a red light and looked at Michael's handsome profile. He caught my stare and flashed a megawatt beautiful grin that took my breath away.
*gasp* *snort*
My problem was I couldn't help romanticizing every handsome man I came upon.
How pathetic. You really need to reconsider your strategy, Lukey boy.
His handsome face lit up when he spotted me. He held up a finger, asking me wordlessly to wait. My breath caught, and a rush of heat stung my cheeks though the marine layer was thick and the morning air was cool. I was in big trouble if all he had to do was toss a smile my way before I swooned.
"(…)No one is coming over tonight. It'll just be me and you."
I gulped audibly. That sounded a lot sexier than it should have."
Seriously. No comment.
"Fine. Don't believe me. But you're a fighter. I can tell. And I see this colorful, rainbow aura around you I think is…sexy as hell."
Frankly, I'm not into this kind of humor.
Michael's smile lit his entire face. It was a beautiful thing to witness. He was handsome always, but wow, what a smile.
This time he laughed out loud, a sweet, musical sound that made me chuckle along with him.
Don't get me started on the beautiful and ripped jock. Granted, we all love handsome heroes but then please back it up with some depth, preferably both, the characters and the storyline. Unfortunately I couldn't find either. Fact was, I found the MCs and plot to be silly and shallow and the writing didn't appeal to me either. It was, to some extent, awkward and stilted. Add in the usual (and predictable) little drama...
...and clichés and all the smiles and chuckles couldn't hide the fact that this story did not find the right words to win me over. It was a total bore and I'm sorry to say that a painful crash was inevitable.
I'm positive that I've read and enjoyed books in the past that featured effeminate characters. *Baba flutters eyelashes* ----> courtesy of Luke
Though I will admit that I prefer my male leads to be men and not drama queens with a load of baggage or inferiority complex. Luke was not only a drama queen, he came off as an annoying douche.
Welcome back on earth, Baba. The intense ride was fun as long as it lasted but after reading and loving John Wiltshire's More Heat Than the Sun series and moving on to something new, the fall was rapid and harsh. It's like removing a band-aid, isn't it? The faster the better. It's going to sting but it will be over soon. Book goes back to Amazon.
Onwards…
132 x smiled, smile, half-smile
71 x grin, grinned, grinning
65 x laugh, laughed, laughter, laughing, half-laugh
51 x chuckle, chuckled
18 x giggles, giggle, giggled, giggling
10 x blush, blushed, insta-blush
64 x "Oh"
*insert eye-roll*
Michael chuckled beside me. A sweet, musical note that hung for a moment on the breeze.
Michael looked over at me with a crooked smile as he placed his sunglasses back over his nose. My breath hitched slightly at his transformation from handsome but distant to downright beautiful.
*insert another eye-roll*
I stopped at a red light and looked at Michael's handsome profile. He caught my stare and flashed a megawatt beautiful grin that took my breath away.
*gasp* *snort*
My problem was I couldn't help romanticizing every handsome man I came upon.
How pathetic. You really need to reconsider your strategy, Lukey boy.
His handsome face lit up when he spotted me. He held up a finger, asking me wordlessly to wait. My breath caught, and a rush of heat stung my cheeks though the marine layer was thick and the morning air was cool. I was in big trouble if all he had to do was toss a smile my way before I swooned.
"(…)No one is coming over tonight. It'll just be me and you."
I gulped audibly. That sounded a lot sexier than it should have."
Seriously. No comment.
"Fine. Don't believe me. But you're a fighter. I can tell. And I see this colorful, rainbow aura around you I think is…sexy as hell."
Frankly, I'm not into this kind of humor.
Michael's smile lit his entire face. It was a beautiful thing to witness. He was handsome always, but wow, what a smile.
This time he laughed out loud, a sweet, musical sound that made me chuckle along with him.
Don't get me started on the beautiful and ripped jock. Granted, we all love handsome heroes but then please back it up with some depth, preferably both, the characters and the storyline. Unfortunately I couldn't find either. Fact was, I found the MCs and plot to be silly and shallow and the writing didn't appeal to me either. It was, to some extent, awkward and stilted. Add in the usual (and predictable) little drama...
...and clichés and all the smiles and chuckles couldn't hide the fact that this story did not find the right words to win me over. It was a total bore and I'm sorry to say that a painful crash was inevitable.
I'm positive that I've read and enjoyed books in the past that featured effeminate characters. *Baba flutters eyelashes* ----> courtesy of Luke
Though I will admit that I prefer my male leads to be men and not drama queens with a load of baggage or inferiority complex. Luke was not only a drama queen, he came off as an annoying douche.
Welcome back on earth, Baba. The intense ride was fun as long as it lasted but after reading and loving John Wiltshire's More Heat Than the Sun series and moving on to something new, the fall was rapid and harsh. It's like removing a band-aid, isn't it? The faster the better. It's going to sting but it will be over soon. Book goes back to Amazon.
Onwards…
September 27, 2016
If you're a fan of very slow burn romances filled with lots of tentative stares and flirty grins, then burns your goddamn house down once they finally hit the sheets, well look no further. This is your book.
This low-angst read for me was a whole lot of feel good with happy, happy, joy, joy to spare.
Adorable and quirky Luke, 27, has a degree in English literature, but gave up writing to actually pay the bills, so now he works as an interior designer in Los Angeles.
Michael, 33, is a (smoking hot Latino) professional soccer player who is recovering from an extremely bad knee injury and is going out of his mind from boredom while he's sidelined.
Luke and Michael meet when Michael's soon-to-be-fiancée, Jamie, hires Luke to remodel Michael's criminally outdated 1970's beach home, unbeknownst to Michael or his checkbook.
Through an act of betrayal on Jamie's part, he is (thankfully) out on his ass and Luke is suddenly in for the remodeling gig. Almost immediately, the slow burn attraction and flirting begins building into a genuine affection between Luke and Michael, then into more.
And once Luke and Michael eventually bumped "no-no's", all of their slow-burn holding back came flooding (and flooding) onto the page.
The angst is mostly internal surrounding fear of coming out to Michael's extremely religious Catholic "fire and brimstone" family, with a bit more angst tossed on top of the pyre by a jealously-fueled blackmail plot, but it was manageable and didn't take over the positive feel of the book.
We see the usual resurgence of fears, doubts and slight misunderstandings, until "the big thing" tears them apart, despite their own strong feelings.
So nothing much new or overly surprising on the plot front, *but* the story was a very happy, uplifting and entertaining read, with everyone (except for that FUCKING BITCH Jamie) getting what they want.
"Luke, I don’t know what will happen now. But here’s what I do know. If I can’t have everything, I want the one thing I can’t live without. You. Te amo, Luke. I love you. More than soccer, more than anything. Everything else is… nada, nothing without you.”
Swooning. ✓
So put on your happy pants, pick up this book and give it a read.
3.75 stars, rounding up.
---------------------------------------------
** An ARC copy of this book was provided by the publisher for a fair, unbiased review.
March 21, 2017
I really enjoyed this one.
Luke is coming off of a pretty bad relationship and is working on himself. He is trying to get his professional life in order and deal with his emotional issues that he developed during and after his abusive relationship. He's pretty fragile at the beginning. But he has an amazing best friend in, Brandon who is giving him a place to stay and work. He was fun. I can't wait to read his book.
Michael is a star in the Soccer world and since that world isn't "gay friendly" he's had to keep himself in the closet. He's also done this with his family since the are very religious and set in their ways. He is scared that by coming out he will not only lose his career but also his family that he seems to be very close to. The only one who seems to know his secret is a few close friends and his manager. I didn't like the manager. Even after finding out who's father he was. He obviously cared for Michael but I also felt like he just saw money signs when looking at him.
When Michael and Luke meet I could feel the sparks fly between them. They had some strong chemistry which REALLY makes a book more enjoyable when the couples really click and fit together. I loved the relationship between them. I loved that this was really character driven and we had a story and it wasn't just about the sex. TOO many books have more sex than story lately and it's getting pretty depressing. But this had a great balance of story and hot sexy times.
This is really low on the angst and just a great romance read. I definitely recommend it to those who want something easy and breezy.
Happy reading dolls! xx
Luke is coming off of a pretty bad relationship and is working on himself. He is trying to get his professional life in order and deal with his emotional issues that he developed during and after his abusive relationship. He's pretty fragile at the beginning. But he has an amazing best friend in, Brandon who is giving him a place to stay and work. He was fun. I can't wait to read his book.
Michael is a star in the Soccer world and since that world isn't "gay friendly" he's had to keep himself in the closet. He's also done this with his family since the are very religious and set in their ways. He is scared that by coming out he will not only lose his career but also his family that he seems to be very close to. The only one who seems to know his secret is a few close friends and his manager. I didn't like the manager. Even after finding out who's father he was. He obviously cared for Michael but I also felt like he just saw money signs when looking at him.
When Michael and Luke meet I could feel the sparks fly between them. They had some strong chemistry which REALLY makes a book more enjoyable when the couples really click and fit together. I loved the relationship between them. I loved that this was really character driven and we had a story and it wasn't just about the sex. TOO many books have more sex than story lately and it's getting pretty depressing. But this had a great balance of story and hot sexy times.
This is really low on the angst and just a great romance read. I definitely recommend it to those who want something easy and breezy.
Happy reading dolls! xx
December 13, 2014
If you can believe it, this is my first Lane Hayes book. I know! I'm dreadfully late to the Better Than party. Gotta get my ass in gear and start those!
I hate to say it, but I was not overly impressed with The Right Words. Yes, I gave it 4 stars, but Ms. Hayes' reputation is stellar and the blurb had me jumping up-and-down with excitement, so for this to turn out to be a pretty typical M/M romance disappointed me. Yeah, my problem, I know.
Here we have MC Luke Preston, a year out of an abusive relationship with an older man who had pretty much taken over his life. He is now bunking with his best friend and working on his career as an interior decorator while seeing a therapist to help manage his panic attacks and get his life in order. As he likes to tell people, his life is a "work in progress."
A series of events lead Luke to American Soccer player MC Michael Martinez's hilltop beach house. The house is in desperate need of a remodel and Michael has a knee injury that will need months to heal, so Luke and Michael will be working together for an extended period of time. Michael is deep in the closet, believing he has absolutely no choice in the matter of coming out to his family, team and fans. He honestly believes he will lose everything if he does. All of his sexual relationships are on the down low.
As you can guess, Luke and Michael are attracted to one another and begin a physical relationship that deepens emotionally with time. Well, deepens as far as Luke is concerned. The story is told from Luke's POV, so we never get a peek into Michael's feelings until he actually verbalizes them, which was quite frustrating for me. I was left wondering more than a few times just how serious Michael really was about fragile, sweet Luke. Another thing that frustrated me was how slowly the first half of the book went. I really didn't latch on until the 50% mark. That's always a bummer too.
But this was a sweet, solid romance, despite my misgivings. I went into this one expecting something more than I should have. Luke was a delight, and his best friend Brandon was the cherry on top. (He will be the subject of the second book in the series The Wrong Man and, get this... His romantic hero is going to be a FIREFIGHTER! AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!) Michael grew on me and everything came together in the end in a bright display of romance perfection. Recommended read.
February 20, 2015
2.5 stars
I read this book in backwards -- meaning that I started with The Wrong Man first, the second book this series -- so I was familiar with Luke from Brandon's eyes (as he was the narrator in The Wrong Man). I liked Luke all right there, which was why I thought I'd better check his own love story.
Unfortunately, his own love story was, well, dull :(
Luke didn't appeal to me -- I found his background story (abusive relationship, suffered from panic attacks) was not deeply explored, which kind of making his current attitude with the giggling and fluttering eyelashes to be a bit inconsistent trait.
In addition, I always dislike a character who becomes pushy to his love interest regarding coming out to the public. It's never easy to do and I think it's personal thing. Everyone should be able to do it on their own time table. Being pushy about it doesn't help the case. In this story, it made Luke very immature and childish as a character.
And since this story was written solely from Luke's perspective, I just didn't have enough patience to invest myself in both Luke and Michael. I also thought that since the core conflict of this story was ABOUT Michael's closeted status as an athlete, not having his perspective in this book made it lack of key hook.
There were still loose ends as well, and I was miffed that they weren't addressed accordingly.
All in all, this was my least favorite Lane Hayes's book, which was a bit of an irony because the 2nd book was my favorite of hers to date.
I read this book in backwards -- meaning that I started with The Wrong Man first, the second book this series -- so I was familiar with Luke from Brandon's eyes (as he was the narrator in The Wrong Man). I liked Luke all right there, which was why I thought I'd better check his own love story.
Unfortunately, his own love story was, well, dull :(
Luke didn't appeal to me -- I found his background story (abusive relationship, suffered from panic attacks) was not deeply explored, which kind of making his current attitude with the giggling and fluttering eyelashes to be a bit inconsistent trait.
In addition, I always dislike a character who becomes pushy to his love interest regarding coming out to the public. It's never easy to do and I think it's personal thing. Everyone should be able to do it on their own time table. Being pushy about it doesn't help the case. In this story, it made Luke very immature and childish as a character.
And since this story was written solely from Luke's perspective, I just didn't have enough patience to invest myself in both Luke and Michael. I also thought that since the core conflict of this story was ABOUT Michael's closeted status as an athlete, not having his perspective in this book made it lack of key hook.
There were still loose ends as well, and I was miffed that they weren't addressed accordingly.
All in all, this was my least favorite Lane Hayes's book, which was a bit of an irony because the 2nd book was my favorite of hers to date.
July 28, 2015
This just did not work for me. I did not like the MCs, and nothing happened to change how I felt. Because I read and enjoyed book 2 in this series (I read them out of order. Sue me.), I had high hopes for this book. I can only hope book three is more along the lines of book two.
BR with Meags and R*I shoehorned my way in :)
BR with Meags and R*I shoehorned my way in :)
June 16, 2017
I kinda have mixed feelings about this. It's only because it's a lesser version of my favorite of this author's works, Better Than Chance. Having read that entire series and now having started this one, I definitely see a pattern here.
-Hot hunky unattainable guy? Check
-Slightly (or maybe extremely) excitable chatty younger guy, who's a bit more (or maybe a lot more) out of the closet? Check
-First guy typically wants no frills. Second guy agrees it's all in fun but falls for him anyway. First guy eventually comes around. Yep. Check x 3.
I'm not saying this kind of set up doesn't work because it does - across the board, over and over in many authors' repetoires. However I wanted more or something different from Hayes. This was entertaining enough but Better Than Chance still reigns supreme in my opinion for her most emotionally angsty and smexiest read. This unfortunately fell short for me, mostly because of my own expectations.
Thanks for the company Meags and Valerie!!
-Hot hunky unattainable guy? Check
-Slightly (or maybe extremely) excitable chatty younger guy, who's a bit more (or maybe a lot more) out of the closet? Check
-First guy typically wants no frills. Second guy agrees it's all in fun but falls for him anyway. First guy eventually comes around. Yep. Check x 3.
I'm not saying this kind of set up doesn't work because it does - across the board, over and over in many authors' repetoires. However I wanted more or something different from Hayes. This was entertaining enough but Better Than Chance still reigns supreme in my opinion for her most emotionally angsty and smexiest read. This unfortunately fell short for me, mostly because of my own expectations.
Thanks for the company Meags and Valerie!!
December 12, 2014
Lane Hayes is a genius. Loved loved loved.
April 29, 2021
I liked this ok. I don’t want to give anything away but I had a problem with Michael just walking away with no explanation and almost no communication. The best part of this book was the narrator. Michael Ferrraiuolo has one of the best super sexy voices. I’m sure he could read a dictionary and keep me listening.
December 17, 2017
3.6 Stars
This one is hard to rate. I liked the story; it was very easy-going, sexy and in general had little angst (until the climax)...but I've read (or listened to) books by Lane Hayes that delved deeper emotionally & had me connecting more to the characters than this one does. Which means I kind of wanted and expected more.
Michael Ferraiuolo did an amazing job with the voices and accents, though. He's definitely what kept me engaged with the story. And since he's narrating the next one as well, I'll keep it on the TBR for certain.
This one is hard to rate. I liked the story; it was very easy-going, sexy and in general had little angst (until the climax)...but I've read (or listened to) books by Lane Hayes that delved deeper emotionally & had me connecting more to the characters than this one does. Which means I kind of wanted and expected more.
Michael Ferraiuolo did an amazing job with the voices and accents, though. He's definitely what kept me engaged with the story. And since he's narrating the next one as well, I'll keep it on the TBR for certain.
December 29, 2014
3,5 stars.
The Right Words is a sweet romance with a nice mix of inner struggles, friendship, humor and love. The storyline is complex, and the writing style emotional and entertaining.
I had a view issues with the characters, though. I didn’t manage to fall for them, I didn’t feel much chemistry, the guys just stayed too one-dimensional for me.
What really irritated me was the ending. Finishing the story without really tying up ALL the loose ends only to get room for a looooong teaser felt not right for me. What about Michael's family and the nasty behaviour of his coach? What about Jamie and his black mailing?
All in all this one was more an average read.
December 11, 2014
4.5 rounded up.
Review now posted at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
Review now posted at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
April 16, 2019
Honestly, for me, this one started out fine but gradually descended into formulaic and predictable. Michael Ferraiuolo was able to hold my attention with his lovely, melodic voice and his cool as heck accents.
January 6, 2016
Short and sweet, light and fluffy. 'I love you' are ALWAYS the right words in my book. Loved Michael (Miguel), his only fault being that he was in 'that closet' cos he's a well-known footballer, and being of Mexican origin, had an extremely religious and old-fashioned family to think about too. He was afraid of coming out I think cos he didn't want to upset them, but being a keen footie fan over here, I know that it's not just the other players that the closeted player has to contend with, the abuse from some of the mindless morons on the terraces can be something else altogether. Did he eventually come out of the closet?? Read the story and find out.....
I wasn't quite so keen on Luke. He was a little strange, had some nasty 'ex' baggage and was in therapy BUT had a fabulously swishy and flamboyant bestie named Brandon, who will be the MC of the next story in the series. Would be great if Alex got his own tale too. 4 stars from me.
I wasn't quite so keen on Luke. He was a little strange, had some nasty 'ex' baggage and was in therapy BUT had a fabulously swishy and flamboyant bestie named Brandon, who will be the MC of the next story in the series. Would be great if Alex got his own tale too. 4 stars from me.
December 18, 2014
More like 3.5 stars
This was a nice enough read, in fact I read it in a rather short time, nevertheless, I didn't really feel the chemistry between both MCs. Somehow the spark was missing.
ETA: Oh, and the next book will be about Brandon - well actually I had been looking forward to Alex' story if it had to be a follow-up to this one.
This was a nice enough read, in fact I read it in a rather short time, nevertheless, I didn't really feel the chemistry between both MCs. Somehow the spark was missing.
ETA: Oh, and the next book will be about Brandon - well actually I had been looking forward to Alex' story if it had to be a follow-up to this one.
September 6, 2018
Let me start off by saying I wanted to like this book. But it just didn't work out for me. I could list all the reasons why I didn't like it. But I think my two star rating says it all.
October 9, 2016
2.5 Stars
It was a nice and easy read, I’ll give it that.
Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the MCs, Luke and Michael. Even worse, I don’t feel like they connected with each other all that much, either.
I found it hard to feel anything for Michael for the majority of this story. Luke kept saying how magnetic Michael was, but all I saw was a slightly bi-polar dude, who kept jumping back and forth from cranky to playful, with nothing much in-between. I was quite turned off by all his other relationships, too . However, I will give Michael points for his super sweet love confessions at the end.
Then, there was Luke. This guy drove me bonkers more often than not, with his overly-dramatic reactions to the most basic things and he was as whiny as all get-out! I think it was meant to be charming and adorable – didn’t work for me.
Aside from my disinterest in the MCs, I quite liked the writing style in general and the sex scenes were smoking hot!
I also adored Luke’s bestie, Brandon. I’m looking forward to tackling his book next!
BR with R and Val :)
It was a nice and easy read, I’ll give it that.
Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with the MCs, Luke and Michael. Even worse, I don’t feel like they connected with each other all that much, either.
I found it hard to feel anything for Michael for the majority of this story. Luke kept saying how magnetic Michael was, but all I saw was a slightly bi-polar dude, who kept jumping back and forth from cranky to playful, with nothing much in-between. I was quite turned off by all his other relationships, too . However, I will give Michael points for his super sweet love confessions at the end.
Then, there was Luke. This guy drove me bonkers more often than not, with his overly-dramatic reactions to the most basic things and he was as whiny as all get-out! I think it was meant to be charming and adorable – didn’t work for me.
Aside from my disinterest in the MCs, I quite liked the writing style in general and the sex scenes were smoking hot!
I also adored Luke’s bestie, Brandon. I’m looking forward to tackling his book next!
BR with R and Val :)
August 8, 2015
What little angst is there doesn't really matter. This is pretty close to fluffy, but there is a litttle challenge for the guys to work through before they can be together. Overall, though, it is a nice little story.
December 18, 2014
These right words have somehow come out all so wrong.A totally bland offering,nice cover though.And on that closing note..never call me Honey!!!
February 12, 2015
I think I'll take a cue from other reviewers and say that while I liked this book, I feel let down. The main reason I feel this way is our main character Luke. The whole story is told from his POV, and when he was first introduced, I felt I good sense of who he was: Unnerved from an abusive relationship, a daydreamer, professional, and desperate to pull his life together. But then Michael happens, and suddenly Luke is off the rails. I don't recognize him. In fact, I don't like what I see. And by the 50% mark, I almost downright dislike the immature brat of a man who is beyond overdramatic. He's barely a shadow of the man I first got to know.
Let me take a step back for a minute. When we first see Luke, he’s headed out to do a job for a successful soccer player (Michael). They haven't even really starting working together, and Luke has developed a crush on the handsome athlete. He’s a little sulky about it, but at least he’s trying to get over it. Until, that is, when he and Michael start up a… fling? Relationship? *waves hand* Something.
See, Michael is upfront right off the bat for his reasons for needing to be in the closet, and Luke was self-righteous and condemning in response. But once this fling started between them, Luke's personality changed completely. He morphs into someone I wouldn't give my time to. He deliberately pushes Luke into an uncomfortable situation, and had no right to do so. It's not your closet Luke!
He constantly jumps to conclusions, he's overly campy, claps his hands like a five-year-old, and acts like a high-maintenance brat. I suddenly understood why Michael kept calling him "kid"
And he giggles. A LOT . I’m a firm believer that unless you're tickling a man, he shouldn’t giggle. Chuckle softly, laugh hard or loud, low rumble, even snort, but please don't giggle. Unless you're this man.
He can giggle if he wants to.
Did I mention Michael’s ex is trying to blackmail him? We don't really know what happens in the end with this, because it was never wrapped up.
Back to Luke and Michael. Their chemistry in the beginning was, for me, lukewarm. I will say that in the last third of the book it felt stronger. I would have liked a better sense of what Michael was feeling, because those quirks of his head and questioning glances at Luke didn't really translate into his processing deep feelings for the man. And fear not for Luke, he reins in his personality a bit and gains some semblance of who he was in the last third.
I can understand why this story really works for a lot of people, but I think you have to really like the characters to love a story, and for me, Luke for half of it was rather off-putting. Still, give it a try. If you go into this knowing Luke's personality, you might really enjoy it.
I actually thought Michael's best friend, Alex, would have a starring role in the next installment, but that honor goes to Brandon. And, as I've already started reading it, I can say that it is really good and much stronger than this one.
Let me take a step back for a minute. When we first see Luke, he’s headed out to do a job for a successful soccer player (Michael). They haven't even really starting working together, and Luke has developed a crush on the handsome athlete. He’s a little sulky about it, but at least he’s trying to get over it. Until, that is, when he and Michael start up a… fling? Relationship? *waves hand* Something.
See, Michael is upfront right off the bat for his reasons for needing to be in the closet, and Luke was self-righteous and condemning in response. But once this fling started between them, Luke's personality changed completely. He morphs into someone I wouldn't give my time to. He deliberately pushes Luke into an uncomfortable situation, and had no right to do so. It's not your closet Luke!
He constantly jumps to conclusions, he's overly campy, claps his hands like a five-year-old, and acts like a high-maintenance brat. I suddenly understood why Michael kept calling him "kid"
And he giggles. A LOT . I’m a firm believer that unless you're tickling a man, he shouldn’t giggle. Chuckle softly, laugh hard or loud, low rumble, even snort, but please don't giggle. Unless you're this man.
He can giggle if he wants to.
Did I mention Michael’s ex is trying to blackmail him? We don't really know what happens in the end with this, because it was never wrapped up.
Back to Luke and Michael. Their chemistry in the beginning was, for me, lukewarm. I will say that in the last third of the book it felt stronger. I would have liked a better sense of what Michael was feeling, because those quirks of his head and questioning glances at Luke didn't really translate into his processing deep feelings for the man. And fear not for Luke, he reins in his personality a bit and gains some semblance of who he was in the last third.
I can understand why this story really works for a lot of people, but I think you have to really like the characters to love a story, and for me, Luke for half of it was rather off-putting. Still, give it a try. If you go into this knowing Luke's personality, you might really enjoy it.
I actually thought Michael's best friend, Alex, would have a starring role in the next installment, but that honor goes to Brandon. And, as I've already started reading it, I can say that it is really good and much stronger than this one.
June 18, 2019
***4.5***
Don't know how this had just sat in my reader for so long and I'd not read it. It was like finding an unexpected treat. Lane Hayes has the knack for writing stories that, on the surface, could be seen a super angsty, yet she presents them without the usual nail biting and stridency. Michael Ferraiuolo's narration is just wonderful icing on the cake.
After a bad break-up, which left him doubting himself, and his choices, interior designer Luke Preston has returned to his stomping grounds to regroup and hopefully work. Said work comes in the form of a total renovation for a house that's seen better days. The owner of said house, Michael Martinez, is also in need of some TLC after an injury has him sidelined with nothing but time on his hands. He's a professional soccer player. A closeted one.
I liked everything about this: the setup and the execution. Luke and Michael meet, and though there is a tangible attraction, no one is falling head over heels at first sight. Rather there's a gradual 'getting to know you' aided by a sort of forced proximity. The distance of Michael's house makes it reasonable for Luke to accept the offer of staying in the guest studio on the property, and once the renovations are underway Michael has to stay there too. Genius. I liked that though Michael isn't out it's to do with his, warranted, fears for his profession and his family's acceptance and not any kind of self loathing. The first two aren't idle concerns and LH handles them with accuracy and without glossing over the realities of the world we live in. I did feel that Luke was perhaps a bit naive, at first, in reference to Michael being out. He grew up with an accepting mother and lives in a milieu, WeHo, where gay boys are the norm. However he doesn't force the issue, and rightly thinks it's Michael's choice of when and where to do so; Luke just doesn't want to be a secret and I totally agree with him.
I loved how the relationship developed over time and shared experiences, kind of like the house renovation. Imagine that. I liked that Michael wasn't portrayed as a dumb jock, though he was every inch the athlete, he could appreciate Luke's love of words, literature, and poetry. I think they make the perfect pairing of opposites attract and I believed every word.
My only quibble is that I would've liked to see Michael's family ... but I guess that would be another book.
Don't know how this had just sat in my reader for so long and I'd not read it. It was like finding an unexpected treat. Lane Hayes has the knack for writing stories that, on the surface, could be seen a super angsty, yet she presents them without the usual nail biting and stridency. Michael Ferraiuolo's narration is just wonderful icing on the cake.
After a bad break-up, which left him doubting himself, and his choices, interior designer Luke Preston has returned to his stomping grounds to regroup and hopefully work. Said work comes in the form of a total renovation for a house that's seen better days. The owner of said house, Michael Martinez, is also in need of some TLC after an injury has him sidelined with nothing but time on his hands. He's a professional soccer player. A closeted one.
I liked everything about this: the setup and the execution. Luke and Michael meet, and though there is a tangible attraction, no one is falling head over heels at first sight. Rather there's a gradual 'getting to know you' aided by a sort of forced proximity. The distance of Michael's house makes it reasonable for Luke to accept the offer of staying in the guest studio on the property, and once the renovations are underway Michael has to stay there too. Genius. I liked that though Michael isn't out it's to do with his, warranted, fears for his profession and his family's acceptance and not any kind of self loathing. The first two aren't idle concerns and LH handles them with accuracy and without glossing over the realities of the world we live in. I did feel that Luke was perhaps a bit naive, at first, in reference to Michael being out. He grew up with an accepting mother and lives in a milieu, WeHo, where gay boys are the norm. However he doesn't force the issue, and rightly thinks it's Michael's choice of when and where to do so; Luke just doesn't want to be a secret and I totally agree with him.
I loved how the relationship developed over time and shared experiences, kind of like the house renovation. Imagine that. I liked that Michael wasn't portrayed as a dumb jock, though he was every inch the athlete, he could appreciate Luke's love of words, literature, and poetry. I think they make the perfect pairing of opposites attract and I believed every word.
My only quibble is that I would've liked to see Michael's family ... but I guess that would be another book.
October 10, 2020
I made the mistake of reading the second book in this series before reading this one, which lead me to having extremely high expectations going in. I loved The Wrong Man so much. This one however, fell a bit flat compared to that book. I probably would've liked The this book better if I had read it before. It's not a bad book, not at all. It just didn't blew my mind like I thought it would.
Luke and Michael meets when Luke is hired by Michael's ex to fix up their house. Well, when Luke shows up to start working on it, the ex is an ex and Michael has no idea what Luke is talking about. They work together, are attracted to each other but things can't go any further because surprise, surprise: Michael is a football star and he cannot, under any circumstances be out. Nothing groundbreaking about this story at all. It's been told a million times. I however, have little to no patience with my main characters being in the closet. So I was a tiny bit frustrated through most of this book. Especially when the coming out is put there mostly to add a dramatic flair to the story.
I liked Luke a lot. He's sweet and a bit broken but at the same time fierce and loyal. He had to deal with a lot of shitty things so Michael could stay in the closet. All got sorted out and they got their happy ever after and not a moment too late.
"I have always been a dreamer. I'm happiest with a book in my hand or a computer on my knee. I still love getting lost in a beautiful story, that will probably never change but now I prefer living that story"
Luke and Michael meets when Luke is hired by Michael's ex to fix up their house. Well, when Luke shows up to start working on it, the ex is an ex and Michael has no idea what Luke is talking about. They work together, are attracted to each other but things can't go any further because surprise, surprise: Michael is a football star and he cannot, under any circumstances be out. Nothing groundbreaking about this story at all. It's been told a million times. I however, have little to no patience with my main characters being in the closet. So I was a tiny bit frustrated through most of this book. Especially when the coming out is put there mostly to add a dramatic flair to the story.
I liked Luke a lot. He's sweet and a bit broken but at the same time fierce and loyal. He had to deal with a lot of shitty things so Michael could stay in the closet. All got sorted out and they got their happy ever after and not a moment too late.
"I have always been a dreamer. I'm happiest with a book in my hand or a computer on my knee. I still love getting lost in a beautiful story, that will probably never change but now I prefer living that story"
January 7, 2015
A wonderful start to a new series!
4.0 Solid Stars
I love Lane Hayes' writing. I became a serious fan of her work after blazing through the Better Than series. Her books are well-written, character driven, and well-paced. This book was no exception. Luke was the narrator and the story is told solely from his POV. Michael is hot, yummy goodness and so deep in the closet he practically lives in Narnia. At times, I found myself wishing I could get into Michael's headspace but all in all the story worked despite the singular POV. I enjoyed the slow burn and relationship development but I wish that the important aspects of Michael's life, outside of his relationship with Luke, were better explored (e.g., his faith, family, and soccer teammates).
Bottom line: A promising start to another Lane Hayes series. Recommend!
4.0 Solid Stars
I love Lane Hayes' writing. I became a serious fan of her work after blazing through the Better Than series. Her books are well-written, character driven, and well-paced. This book was no exception. Luke was the narrator and the story is told solely from his POV. Michael is hot, yummy goodness and so deep in the closet he practically lives in Narnia. At times, I found myself wishing I could get into Michael's headspace but all in all the story worked despite the singular POV. I enjoyed the slow burn and relationship development but I wish that the important aspects of Michael's life, outside of his relationship with Luke, were better explored (e.g., his faith, family, and soccer teammates).
Bottom line: A promising start to another Lane Hayes series. Recommend!
October 22, 2015
Sadly I DNF at 53%. As other reviewers have mentioned I found the MC Luke kind of a douche and WAAAAY too opinionated. The way he kept going on about Michael just coming out as a professional soccer player (among other things because other pro-athletes have left the closet) made me angry. Who is he to act as judge and jury in regards to something as personal as that, just because he never had the chance to stay in the closet... Really?! Luke really rubbed me the wrong way, and I had to throw in the towel. I think I will try the next book though.
April 27, 2015
2.5 stars.
I didn't particularly connect with either character, and I didn't really feel the connection between them, either. I didn't like how the blackmail bit seemed to start and stop, I thought the author used "my lover" way too much,and it bugged me every time Luke giggled.
I didn't particularly connect with either character, and I didn't really feel the connection between them, either. I didn't like how the blackmail bit seemed to start and stop, I thought the author used "my lover" way too much,and it bugged me every time Luke giggled.
Read
December 15, 2014Dnf
Maybe 1 day I'll go back but it annoyed me more than usual.
So....
I'm going to try to find another book to get lost in
Maybe 1 day I'll go back but it annoyed me more than usual.
So....
I'm going to try to find another book to get lost in
March 26, 2015
Nice and sweet!
November 9, 2016
Nachdem der Innenarchitekt Luke Preston sich von seinem Freund getrennt und auch noch seinen Job verloren hat, kommt er erstmal bei seinem besten Freund Brandon unter und hofft, dass er schnell wieder einen guten Auftrag an Land ziehen kann. Und ein Auftrag führt ihn zu dem Fußballspieler Michael Martinez, der sich ein Haus gekauft hat, welches ziemlich renovierungsbedürftig ist.
Michael weiß aber gar nichts von der geplanten Renovierung und ist von Luke's Besuch gar nicht begeistert. Tatsächlich hat sein Ex Luke angeheuert, doch längst hat Michael sich von Jamie getrennt. Allerdings überlegt Michael es sich dann doch und lässt Luke gewähren, denn das Haus ist wirklich schrecklich altmodisch und heruntergekommen. So landet Luke in einer Gästewohnung über der Garage um die Renovierungsarbeiten zu überwachen. Dabei stolpert er aber immer wieder über Michael, der viel Zeit zu Hause verbringt. Denn noch immer laboriert Michael an einer schweren Verletzung und es ist ungewiss, ob sein Vertrag als Profispieler verlängert wird.
Während Michael in seinem Schrank sitzt und als Profisportler natürlich ungeoutet ist, steht Luke zu seiner Homosexualität und kommt mit Michaels Geheimniskrämerei nicht gut zurecht. Außerdem kann er mit Michaels Art gewisse Probleme zu händeln überhaupt nichts anfangen. Zwar fühlt er sich zu Michael hingezogen, versucht aber gleichzeitig auf Abstand zu gehen. Etwas mit einem Kunden anzufangen, das ist kein guter Stil.
Doch es bleibt nicht aus, dass sie sich näher kommen. Und Michael versucht Luke begreiflich zu machen, wieso er sich nicht einfach outen kann. Und dass er sich mit vielen Problemen konfrontiert sehen würde. Seine Mannschaft, der Sport, die konservative Familie, die Fans. Dem verletzten Michael ist das einfach zu viel und zu groß ist seine Angst alles zu verlieren.
Luke versteht erst mit der Zeit und da hat er sich längst in den attraktiven Michael verliebt. Allerdings ist es schwierig und Intrigen bleiben nicht aus. Genauso wenig wie Mißverständnisse und Verletzungen. Die richtigen Worte ist an sich ein sehr schönes Buch, das sich flüssig liest und durchaus zu unterhalten vermag. Leider mochte die den Helden Luke so gar nicht. Er ist mir einfach zu anstrengend und auch zu eigensinnig und wenig verständnisvoll. Manchmal ist er sehr verletzlich, dann wieder stachelig und herablassend. So wirklich warm bin ich einfach nicht mit ihm geworden. Michael hingegen mochte ich sehr, auch wenn er der geborene Geheimniskrämer ist und man oft nur schwer an die Figur herankommt. Allerdings bekommt er zum Schluss hin dann seinen großen Auftritt und er trifft wichtige Entscheidungen, die seinem Leben eine neue Richtung geben. Dennoch war es ein guter Serienauftakt und ich hoffe, dass auch die weiteren Teile übersetzt werden.
Michael weiß aber gar nichts von der geplanten Renovierung und ist von Luke's Besuch gar nicht begeistert. Tatsächlich hat sein Ex Luke angeheuert, doch längst hat Michael sich von Jamie getrennt. Allerdings überlegt Michael es sich dann doch und lässt Luke gewähren, denn das Haus ist wirklich schrecklich altmodisch und heruntergekommen. So landet Luke in einer Gästewohnung über der Garage um die Renovierungsarbeiten zu überwachen. Dabei stolpert er aber immer wieder über Michael, der viel Zeit zu Hause verbringt. Denn noch immer laboriert Michael an einer schweren Verletzung und es ist ungewiss, ob sein Vertrag als Profispieler verlängert wird.
Während Michael in seinem Schrank sitzt und als Profisportler natürlich ungeoutet ist, steht Luke zu seiner Homosexualität und kommt mit Michaels Geheimniskrämerei nicht gut zurecht. Außerdem kann er mit Michaels Art gewisse Probleme zu händeln überhaupt nichts anfangen. Zwar fühlt er sich zu Michael hingezogen, versucht aber gleichzeitig auf Abstand zu gehen. Etwas mit einem Kunden anzufangen, das ist kein guter Stil.
Doch es bleibt nicht aus, dass sie sich näher kommen. Und Michael versucht Luke begreiflich zu machen, wieso er sich nicht einfach outen kann. Und dass er sich mit vielen Problemen konfrontiert sehen würde. Seine Mannschaft, der Sport, die konservative Familie, die Fans. Dem verletzten Michael ist das einfach zu viel und zu groß ist seine Angst alles zu verlieren.
Luke versteht erst mit der Zeit und da hat er sich längst in den attraktiven Michael verliebt. Allerdings ist es schwierig und Intrigen bleiben nicht aus. Genauso wenig wie Mißverständnisse und Verletzungen. Die richtigen Worte ist an sich ein sehr schönes Buch, das sich flüssig liest und durchaus zu unterhalten vermag. Leider mochte die den Helden Luke so gar nicht. Er ist mir einfach zu anstrengend und auch zu eigensinnig und wenig verständnisvoll. Manchmal ist er sehr verletzlich, dann wieder stachelig und herablassend. So wirklich warm bin ich einfach nicht mit ihm geworden. Michael hingegen mochte ich sehr, auch wenn er der geborene Geheimniskrämer ist und man oft nur schwer an die Figur herankommt. Allerdings bekommt er zum Schluss hin dann seinen großen Auftritt und er trifft wichtige Entscheidungen, die seinem Leben eine neue Richtung geben. Dennoch war es ein guter Serienauftakt und ich hoffe, dass auch die weiteren Teile übersetzt werden.
January 6, 2015
3.5 STARS
Okay so this book is not half bad. I read better books from Lane Hayes but I thought this was above average. Decent.
Luke had to start over. He needed to move on from his horrible past. Thank God for his best friend, he got a job offer to redecorate a very old house for a couple. And that was how he met Michael.
Michael Martinez was a soccer star player. Oh and he's in the closet. He wasn't out and proud but he wasn't ashamed of who he was. He just didn't announce it. He just omitted it.
It started off with Michael taking an interest with Luke and ended up calling him back to redecorate his home. I thought the chemistry was there but it wasn't explosive. I loved how it was not all about sex. I felt like Michael was very interesting especially in his personality. I wanted to read what was going on in his mind. Luke was okay. He was definitely a nice fit for Michael.
The mystery started off really great but it was pushed aside in the middle part. Like it was gone. Then it reappeared and then all crazy shit happened.
There were a lot of loose ends. Like what happened to Jamie? To the threat? What happened with Tonio? What did Michael do with Tonio? What happened in the long time Michael didn't contact Luke? I thought there needed some more clarity to be honest.
The saving grace for me would be Michael. He was just really interesting for me and I really wished he had a POV in this book. He was also a sweet and caring lover.
I did agree with the other about the repetitive words. Giggle and megawatt smile stuck so hard in my mind.
Overall, a good but could've been better read.
Okay so this book is not half bad. I read better books from Lane Hayes but I thought this was above average. Decent.
Luke had to start over. He needed to move on from his horrible past. Thank God for his best friend, he got a job offer to redecorate a very old house for a couple. And that was how he met Michael.
Michael Martinez was a soccer star player. Oh and he's in the closet. He wasn't out and proud but he wasn't ashamed of who he was. He just didn't announce it. He just omitted it.
It started off with Michael taking an interest with Luke and ended up calling him back to redecorate his home. I thought the chemistry was there but it wasn't explosive. I loved how it was not all about sex. I felt like Michael was very interesting especially in his personality. I wanted to read what was going on in his mind. Luke was okay. He was definitely a nice fit for Michael.
The mystery started off really great but it was pushed aside in the middle part. Like it was gone. Then it reappeared and then all crazy shit happened.
There were a lot of loose ends. Like what happened to Jamie? To the threat? What happened with Tonio? What did Michael do with Tonio? What happened in the long time Michael didn't contact Luke? I thought there needed some more clarity to be honest.
The saving grace for me would be Michael. He was just really interesting for me and I really wished he had a POV in this book. He was also a sweet and caring lover.
I did agree with the other about the repetitive words. Giggle and megawatt smile stuck so hard in my mind.
Overall, a good but could've been better read.
December 14, 2014
I was pretty let down by this. I found that it dragged on forever and the conversations were incredibly boring. There was one conversation about shoe size, for gods sake! It could've been sharpened up a million-fold, as it did have some good points that attracted me to it in the first place and kept me reading. I liked how Luke was battling with his anxiety, and his crazy ex. I also liked the suspense with Jamie, but in the end, it wasn't enough. My biggest problem with this was Luke himself. I found him to be unrealistic, bratty and immature. I couldn't take him seriously - maybe if he'd been written in a different way? I just couldn't picture him constantly giggling and fluttering his eyelashes. And the worst thing was the attempted humour. I don't think I found any of it funny, plus it came across as incredibly forced. I get that everyone has a different sense of humour and I'm fine with that, but the fact that it seemed so very forced was what killed it all for me.
I tried to keep going, but everything was just ssslllooowww. And I felt like, superficially, Luke seemed to be making the exact same mistakes as he did with Neil. I get the symmetry, but wouldn't he be a tad bit more cautious? The fact that he wasn't made me think he was about 16.
I tried to keep going, but everything was just ssslllooowww. And I felt like, superficially, Luke seemed to be making the exact same mistakes as he did with Neil. I get the symmetry, but wouldn't he be a tad bit more cautious? The fact that he wasn't made me think he was about 16.
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