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Coin Tricks
Wire's too huge and intimidating to find love… but that doesn't stop him dreaming.
His size has defined his whole life, from his jobs as a bouncer and store security to his brief and unsatisfying relationships. But beneath his scary appearance, Wire's kind and loving. He cares for his family and his dog and imagines a future with a caring man at his side.
Then he catches Sid stealing soap.
Sid's a cute librarian and aspiring magician, raising his sister alone and stealing when he can't make ends meet. Wire should report the theft to the cops but instead he takes food parcels to Sid, and an unlikely friendship forms. Sid is shy and scared at first, but with time he reveals his inner strength and the burning ambition that makes him the opposite of Wire's laid-back aimlessness.
Wire falls hard. But he's never been anything more than disposable to men, and he can't bear to have his heart broken by his only friend. And years of trying to be different can't hide the fact that Wire was raised to be rough, to think with his fists and ask questions later. He keeps making a bad impression on Sid without meaning to, running the risk of losing Sid before they have the chance of finding something more together.
They have to struggle with work and their families and the weight of the past, trying to unite their very separate lives to create something new and beautiful. Wire knows his dreams of love are just that: Dreams. Sweet but impossible.
But that doesn't stop him dreaming…
Coin Tricks is a standalone M/M (gay) romance novel with a Happily Ever After ending and no cliffhangers.
His size has defined his whole life, from his jobs as a bouncer and store security to his brief and unsatisfying relationships. But beneath his scary appearance, Wire's kind and loving. He cares for his family and his dog and imagines a future with a caring man at his side.
Then he catches Sid stealing soap.
Sid's a cute librarian and aspiring magician, raising his sister alone and stealing when he can't make ends meet. Wire should report the theft to the cops but instead he takes food parcels to Sid, and an unlikely friendship forms. Sid is shy and scared at first, but with time he reveals his inner strength and the burning ambition that makes him the opposite of Wire's laid-back aimlessness.
Wire falls hard. But he's never been anything more than disposable to men, and he can't bear to have his heart broken by his only friend. And years of trying to be different can't hide the fact that Wire was raised to be rough, to think with his fists and ask questions later. He keeps making a bad impression on Sid without meaning to, running the risk of losing Sid before they have the chance of finding something more together.
They have to struggle with work and their families and the weight of the past, trying to unite their very separate lives to create something new and beautiful. Wire knows his dreams of love are just that: Dreams. Sweet but impossible.
But that doesn't stop him dreaming…
Coin Tricks is a standalone M/M (gay) romance novel with a Happily Ever After ending and no cliffhangers.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2016
160 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
About the author
Willow Scarlett
15 books65 followersWillow Scarlett is a queer romance writer from New Zealand.
Willow's greatest joy is in creating holistic romances, bringing characters through friendship and lust to consuming, eye-opening, world-fulfilling love. Willow's stories often feature punks, rebels and misfits.
When not writing or reading compulsively, Willow drums in a queer-friendly metal band, works at a call center, and skateboards.
Willow's greatest joy is in creating holistic romances, bringing characters through friendship and lust to consuming, eye-opening, world-fulfilling love. Willow's stories often feature punks, rebels and misfits.
When not writing or reading compulsively, Willow drums in a queer-friendly metal band, works at a call center, and skateboards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
May 28, 2019
This is really, really awesome slow burn MM romance goodness. Amazing development with lots of feelings and such an authentic voice. I LOVED the Kiwi setting, absolutely adored both Wire and Sid.
I was transported home with this story. I could feel it intensely.
Yup, I'm just gonna go buy all Willow Scarlett's backlist now . . .
<3
Thank you, Julia, for the rec!
I was transported home with this story. I could feel it intensely.
Yup, I'm just gonna go buy all Willow Scarlett's backlist now . . .
<3
Thank you, Julia, for the rec!
May 10, 2016
4.75 stars
This has a big guy with a huge heart + a much smaller ginger with a tough life + boys who become best friends first + a very slow burn
Wire is a big Maori guy with a huge heart who doesn't feel he's worthy of his dreams. He's 22, living with his large, close-knit family, working security at a Walmart-like store by day, bouncing at a gay bar some nights and babysitting his younger siblings the rest of the time. It's in his security job that he catches Sid in the act of shoplifting. Sid's a much smaller guy (a ginger) who's got a tough life as the sole caregiver for his much young sister.
Instead of turning him in, Wire befriends Sid and over the coming months does everything he can to help out the aspiring magician and his sister. Gradually they become best friends but Wire is afraid to ask or push for anything more. He's never felt enough confidence that he could attract and keep a boyfriend.
"Sid was my impossible dream. He was the promise of something so good that I knew I could never have it and that was both pretty and sad to think.
There was so much I loved here. I loved learning more about the Maori culture and the Auckland setting which was very unique in the world of m/m romance. I loved Wire's close family, especially his twin sister Moa. The slow burn was so delicious and I adored the fact that these boys became best friends first. The story is all told from Wire's point of view and he's an immensely likeable character that you want to root for from the beginning. Oh and I loved the fact that neither of these guys are perfect. I think it's one of the things I love best in the world of romance - when imperfect people find the most perfect love together.
This has a big guy with a huge heart + a much smaller ginger with a tough life + boys who become best friends first + a very slow burn
Wire is a big Maori guy with a huge heart who doesn't feel he's worthy of his dreams. He's 22, living with his large, close-knit family, working security at a Walmart-like store by day, bouncing at a gay bar some nights and babysitting his younger siblings the rest of the time. It's in his security job that he catches Sid in the act of shoplifting. Sid's a much smaller guy (a ginger) who's got a tough life as the sole caregiver for his much young sister.
Instead of turning him in, Wire befriends Sid and over the coming months does everything he can to help out the aspiring magician and his sister. Gradually they become best friends but Wire is afraid to ask or push for anything more. He's never felt enough confidence that he could attract and keep a boyfriend.
"Sid was my impossible dream. He was the promise of something so good that I knew I could never have it and that was both pretty and sad to think.
There was so much I loved here. I loved learning more about the Maori culture and the Auckland setting which was very unique in the world of m/m romance. I loved Wire's close family, especially his twin sister Moa. The slow burn was so delicious and I adored the fact that these boys became best friends first. The story is all told from Wire's point of view and he's an immensely likeable character that you want to root for from the beginning. Oh and I loved the fact that neither of these guys are perfect. I think it's one of the things I love best in the world of romance - when imperfect people find the most perfect love together.
May 29, 2022
3.5 stars**
March 3, 2016
I LOVED THIS!!!!!
This was just fantastic! I got the sample on a whim thinking I'd see how it was, and I couldn't stop reading until I finished the story last night at like 4 am. Excellent writing, I loved that even though this was written in 1st person POV from Wire, I still felt like I knew a lot about Sid, which can sometimes be tough when you don't read what the other person is going through. I wanted to give Sid a hug, and then I wanted to give Wire a hug for thinking his love for Sid was impossible.
I also loved that it was set in New Zealand and there was so much culture and language throughout the book that was real. I don't know much about New Zealand or Maori culture, so I really enjoyed the words (and greatly appreciated the dictionary to quickly look things up!). I loved Wire's family (almost everyone anyway haha) and how much was about family gatherings and support.
It's definitely a slow burn, and not sex-filled (in fact, I was getting to where I was wondering if there would be anything physical, but there is!), but it's so full of emotion and characterization I was totally OK with it...it just seemed to work for Sid and Wire.
I really, really enjoyed this, and I recommend people get a sample of this too - you won't want to stop reading!
This was just fantastic! I got the sample on a whim thinking I'd see how it was, and I couldn't stop reading until I finished the story last night at like 4 am. Excellent writing, I loved that even though this was written in 1st person POV from Wire, I still felt like I knew a lot about Sid, which can sometimes be tough when you don't read what the other person is going through. I wanted to give Sid a hug, and then I wanted to give Wire a hug for thinking his love for Sid was impossible.
I also loved that it was set in New Zealand and there was so much culture and language throughout the book that was real. I don't know much about New Zealand or Maori culture, so I really enjoyed the words (and greatly appreciated the dictionary to quickly look things up!). I loved Wire's family (almost everyone anyway haha) and how much was about family gatherings and support.
It's definitely a slow burn, and not sex-filled (in fact, I was getting to where I was wondering if there would be anything physical, but there is!), but it's so full of emotion and characterization I was totally OK with it...it just seemed to work for Sid and Wire.
I really, really enjoyed this, and I recommend people get a sample of this too - you won't want to stop reading!
June 19, 2016
DNF at 60%
This started out really good, but somewhere along the way I lost total interest in big Wire and his friend Sid, who is raising his little sister.
There was way too much New Zealand slang. I was too much for the story, I was lost. And I felt it was so exaggerated that they all appeared to be a bit dumb. I mean, who doesn’t know Star Trek?? Were they living under a rock?
And I get that the entire family lives in one house, but to me it seemed like they were stuck in the 50s.
Oh, and the slow burn got on my nerves. I didn’t even get to the first kiss…
This started out really good, but somewhere along the way I lost total interest in big Wire and his friend Sid, who is raising his little sister.
There was way too much New Zealand slang. I was too much for the story, I was lost. And I felt it was so exaggerated that they all appeared to be a bit dumb. I mean, who doesn’t know Star Trek?? Were they living under a rock?
And I get that the entire family lives in one house, but to me it seemed like they were stuck in the 50s.
Oh, and the slow burn got on my nerves. I didn’t even get to the first kiss…
May 16, 2018
Out of the 70 plus books I’ve read so far this year, this is definitely one of my favourites. The story is just all kinds of lovely from the main characters up to its secondary ones and the goodness just won’t let up until the last word of the book!
The story is narrated by Wire all throughout the story telling us about his job, about his family and how he met Sid Riley whom he eventually fell in love with.
“My name’s Wiremu: Like William but said Widdymoo” Okay, I totally don’t get this one so I am going to stick with Wire.
You may be wondering why the book is called Coin Tricks. Basically, it is some sort of homage to what Sid does on the side, rather what he really enjoyed doing and that is magic! I thought it was real sweet how Wire and Sid started to really get to know each other after Sid was caught by Wire shoplifting just so he could give something for his sister’s birthday and Wire eventually deciding to bring foods to Sid’s place. I guess, most people would find that odd but that is how Wire is built. He’s got the kindest heart – built like a brick but very much a teddy bear at heart.
This is not just a romance book though. Half of the story revolves around Wire’s family and the concept itself. It’s heavily embedded with Maori culture because Wire’s from a Maori family and I guess that is how close-knitted Maori people are. I loved that aspect of the story because I could totally relate with it. We Filipinos have this close-knitted extended family as well and we always like to keep in touch, and even if we’re older and we can support ourselves – some of us decides to still live at home because that is where “our” family's at. ‘Not saying this is an exclusive trait (obviously) but I just loved how easily relatable the family angle in the book is.
As for the romance aspect, it was very subdued. Every ‘romantic’ gestures by Wire towards Sid can be construed as platonic and I think at first, it was simply platonic because he wanted to help Sid get back on his feet or at least help him out on ‘raising’ his little sister. As the story developed, the subtle change in their relationship was just a joy to read. I loved that they both have insecurities but they don’t let those insecurities cowered them into keeping their feelings from each other.
I’d also like to mention how Wire’s character reminds me so much Alan Fletcher from J.L. Merrow’s Muscling Through. There’s just all kinds of similarity with their characters and the sweet innocence nature of their personality will just melt your heart like Hersheys.
I am totally recommending this to anyone who’s up for a wonderful, feel-good and beautifully written read. Pick it up you sappy people because I’m pretty sure you’d fall in love with the story as well.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The story is narrated by Wire all throughout the story telling us about his job, about his family and how he met Sid Riley whom he eventually fell in love with.
“My name’s Wiremu: Like William but said Widdymoo” Okay, I totally don’t get this one so I am going to stick with Wire.
You may be wondering why the book is called Coin Tricks. Basically, it is some sort of homage to what Sid does on the side, rather what he really enjoyed doing and that is magic! I thought it was real sweet how Wire and Sid started to really get to know each other after Sid was caught by Wire shoplifting just so he could give something for his sister’s birthday and Wire eventually deciding to bring foods to Sid’s place. I guess, most people would find that odd but that is how Wire is built. He’s got the kindest heart – built like a brick but very much a teddy bear at heart.
This is not just a romance book though. Half of the story revolves around Wire’s family and the concept itself. It’s heavily embedded with Maori culture because Wire’s from a Maori family and I guess that is how close-knitted Maori people are. I loved that aspect of the story because I could totally relate with it. We Filipinos have this close-knitted extended family as well and we always like to keep in touch, and even if we’re older and we can support ourselves – some of us decides to still live at home because that is where “our” family's at. ‘Not saying this is an exclusive trait (obviously) but I just loved how easily relatable the family angle in the book is.
As for the romance aspect, it was very subdued. Every ‘romantic’ gestures by Wire towards Sid can be construed as platonic and I think at first, it was simply platonic because he wanted to help Sid get back on his feet or at least help him out on ‘raising’ his little sister. As the story developed, the subtle change in their relationship was just a joy to read. I loved that they both have insecurities but they don’t let those insecurities cowered them into keeping their feelings from each other.
I’d also like to mention how Wire’s character reminds me so much Alan Fletcher from J.L. Merrow’s Muscling Through. There’s just all kinds of similarity with their characters and the sweet innocence nature of their personality will just melt your heart like Hersheys.
I am totally recommending this to anyone who’s up for a wonderful, feel-good and beautifully written read. Pick it up you sappy people because I’m pretty sure you’d fall in love with the story as well.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
May 15, 2016
One of my friends' reviews said this was the best book he'd read in years I believe so I wanted to check it out. The premise looked good so I thought I'd be in for a heartwarming read. Didn't get that. My first thought about the writing was that it was a bit on the amateurish side. That's what popped into my head.
I was surprised that I started skimming words very quickly, usually a sign of too much details being provided. At times this read like these kids were teenagers instead of young adult. There was one quote where Wire talks about his "tummy" feeling funny in reaction to Sid. What 22 year old talks like that?? Then later on in the book we get Wire's sister saying she didn't care if Wire and Sid had bum sex and then she repeats it in the Maori language I guess. Was that really necessary??? That's what I'm talking about amateurish.
I did like that Wire and Sid took the time to get to know each other but it seem like it went on for too long. Get a clue. Man up and say how you feel.
Then let's talk about all the magic talk. Yes I get that it was a metaphor for greater things but it became too much. I was sick of all the damn coin tricks. I would have loved a conversation between Wire and Gina where she explained how she feels now that she has Kira as a friend and is writing happier stories. That would have been nice.
I was surprised that I started skimming words very quickly, usually a sign of too much details being provided. At times this read like these kids were teenagers instead of young adult. There was one quote where Wire talks about his "tummy" feeling funny in reaction to Sid. What 22 year old talks like that?? Then later on in the book we get Wire's sister saying she didn't care if Wire and Sid had bum sex and then she repeats it in the Maori language I guess. Was that really necessary??? That's what I'm talking about amateurish.
I did like that Wire and Sid took the time to get to know each other but it seem like it went on for too long. Get a clue. Man up and say how you feel.
Then let's talk about all the magic talk. Yes I get that it was a metaphor for greater things but it became too much. I was sick of all the damn coin tricks. I would have loved a conversation between Wire and Gina where she explained how she feels now that she has Kira as a friend and is writing happier stories. That would have been nice.
May 21, 2016
I dont think Ive read a book where the character was Maori so this was a nice surprise. I like Wire's character, very sweet and caring and Sid well I liked him and his coin tricks but he kept on . It would have been nice to read Sid's POV and add a little bit of angst to the story. Overall, this was very slow burn and feel good.
September 24, 2017
This books is a little treasure.
It is set in New Zealand with a wonderful interracial romance between an impoverished ginger hero who at a very young age is caring for his sister and Maori hero whose size often makes others see him as less than.
Wire is kind with all kinds of depth to his character including a love of books, a twin, a dog, and a large family that his is dedicated to taking care of.
Sid is bristly but charming and full of magic and learning to trust.
The romance between them is lovely and about making your own family and healing.
There are rough bits here an there with Sid's character's choices a bit less explored because we are in Wire's head but all in all a great slow burn of a romance you should pick up.
It is set in New Zealand with a wonderful interracial romance between an impoverished ginger hero who at a very young age is caring for his sister and Maori hero whose size often makes others see him as less than.
Wire is kind with all kinds of depth to his character including a love of books, a twin, a dog, and a large family that his is dedicated to taking care of.
Sid is bristly but charming and full of magic and learning to trust.
The romance between them is lovely and about making your own family and healing.
There are rough bits here an there with Sid's character's choices a bit less explored because we are in Wire's head but all in all a great slow burn of a romance you should pick up.
April 3, 2017
Listen, I wanted to love this. I really did. It had SO MUCH potential to be an utterly cute story. It had the potential to be a feel-good 5-star read.
Except it got stuck there.
Potential was all there was at the end. There were some cute parts, some interesting parts and some that were enjoyable to read. But as a whole, it was all over the place.
The writing felt flat and the characters-again, while cute and all- had so many inconsistencies in personality and, well, character- it was all very messy. I don't know how to explain it. One of the main criticisms I need to point out is the fact that the characters most of the time felt way too young and immature for the age they were supposed to be. I know that isn't really a bad thing in itself (it's a realistic notion cause in real life immature people, immature adults, exist and it's totally a thing); but the general aspect of the story wasn't strong enough to neutralize the annoyance their immaturity made me feel. It didn't click well.
The story itself was a kind of redundant mess. The plot (what little there was to it, cause most of the time my brain was going "okay but what is the POINT of this?") was all over the place and nowhere at the same time.
And there was a bit too much of unnecessary info that hit the brakes hard on the page (like, I GET IT: WIRE HAS A HUGE ASS FAMILY. I DON'T NEED 62634 RELATIVES TO BE NAME-DROPPED AND HAVE ZERO RELEVANCE FURTHER ON. ENOUGH, I'M NOT STUPID. I GET IT. REALLY). I can't explain it better than that.
There was a lot that failed to deliver what this story clearly had the ambition to. And it's fucking sad cause, AGAIN, I really was looking forward to love this. It just wasn't meant to be, I guess.
I will probably edit this mess of a review (how rich of me to criticise a book's messy writing when my own writing is all over the place as well) cause I can't really have a good idea of what I said since I'm on my phone. Or maybe I will get to read it later, comfortably from my pc, and realise that yeah, I did say all I wanted to say on the first try. We'll see. For now, I'll stop here.
2.5 stars and my deepest disappointment.
Except it got stuck there.
Potential was all there was at the end. There were some cute parts, some interesting parts and some that were enjoyable to read. But as a whole, it was all over the place.
The writing felt flat and the characters-again, while cute and all- had so many inconsistencies in personality and, well, character- it was all very messy. I don't know how to explain it. One of the main criticisms I need to point out is the fact that the characters most of the time felt way too young and immature for the age they were supposed to be. I know that isn't really a bad thing in itself (it's a realistic notion cause in real life immature people, immature adults, exist and it's totally a thing); but the general aspect of the story wasn't strong enough to neutralize the annoyance their immaturity made me feel. It didn't click well.
The story itself was a kind of redundant mess. The plot (what little there was to it, cause most of the time my brain was going "okay but what is the POINT of this?") was all over the place and nowhere at the same time.
And there was a bit too much of unnecessary info that hit the brakes hard on the page (like, I GET IT: WIRE HAS A HUGE ASS FAMILY. I DON'T NEED 62634 RELATIVES TO BE NAME-DROPPED AND HAVE ZERO RELEVANCE FURTHER ON. ENOUGH, I'M NOT STUPID. I GET IT. REALLY). I can't explain it better than that.
There was a lot that failed to deliver what this story clearly had the ambition to. And it's fucking sad cause, AGAIN, I really was looking forward to love this. It just wasn't meant to be, I guess.
I will probably edit this mess of a review (how rich of me to criticise a book's messy writing when my own writing is all over the place as well) cause I can't really have a good idea of what I said since I'm on my phone. Or maybe I will get to read it later, comfortably from my pc, and realise that yeah, I did say all I wanted to say on the first try. We'll see. For now, I'll stop here.
2.5 stars and my deepest disappointment.
October 22, 2021
A really adorable romance. It’s set in New Zealand and the main character is an urbanized Māori. The book’s not all about the love story but also the culture, family, life goals and some more. I love that. The character development is great and the world building is good enough. However the book is in desperate need of a good editing, or editing at all. There are so many punctuation errors, like sentences ending without period, or “you’re” when it should be “your”. A few continuity errors. And a lot of repetitions. It’s not really bad, it only hurts to see how this otherwise good book comes with so many easily avoidable errors.
I love the romance between Wire and Sid. It’s not the most original setup, but a solid one. You get exactly what the description promises. Definitely a comfort-read.
P.S. I don't know what the “goat” in the book description is meant to be. It's certainly not the horned animal. Is it a slang word for “boyfriend”? Either way there are no goats in this books. The word “goat” doesn't even appear a single time in the whole book.
I love the romance between Wire and Sid. It’s not the most original setup, but a solid one. You get exactly what the description promises. Definitely a comfort-read.
P.S. I don't know what the “goat” in the book description is meant to be. It's certainly not the horned animal. Is it a slang word for “boyfriend”? Either way there are no goats in this books. The word “goat” doesn't even appear a single time in the whole book.
November 15, 2023
“I feel like you’re too good to be true. You’re the magic that I grew up and stopped believing in.”
3.5 stars. Super cute, low stakes, friends to lovers romance between a security guard and the shoplifter he catches, and the friendship that grows between them over the ensuing months. A really cosy and light read, even though it took place in a pretty big city? (Auckland.) The narrative focuses a lot on family, because it's really important for both main characters, and it ends up feeling insular and close in a way that I enjoyed. We see the step by step journey as their friendship grows, and it's so sweet, because it's new territory for them both. I love how Wire enfolds Sid and his little sister into his entire family, does his best to feed them, includes them into the mundanities of his life, rearranges things so he can be there for Sid in every possible way. He's really shy and Sid has a bunch of walls erected around himself, so the slow pace with which the friendship and romance move feels organic. My heart melted as they got more comfortable about each other, and cold finally be together. I loved all the Kiwi and Maori culture and language throughout the book, and I think footnotes were a great way to go, instead of having clunky in-text explanations.
Despite its cuteness, not everything about this worked for me. There was no one huge conflict as there usually is in romance novels; instead there were several smaller ones interspersed throughout. I don't know why, but something about the way it was written just made that NOT work for me; I found myself really annoyed by the third time. And because they ended up reconciling so quickly, it felt a little pointless? I liked how the author managed the flow of time for the most part, but sometimes weeks and weeks would pass between chapters, and other times it would pick up in the very same moment, and that started to feel a little janky. And those time-skips would come at the weirdest times? Like, we ended a chapter after their first kiss, and when I assumed we'd be getting some more of the fallout/discussion/happy feelings, we instead picked up the narrative some time later. There were several times when the characters discuss or argue about something that they had before, and it was just like we kept re-treading old ground. And I know Sid had his issues, but it made me really sad/mad that way late in the book he was still describing Wire as 'scary' and assumes that he'll resort to violence, when Wire is the biggest teddy bear in the world.
So I had my ups and downs with this, but it's still very much a win overall. I love when a low stakes book can still make me feel very invested, and I ended up really liking these characters. As always, I think I'd have liked it better if it had just been a liiiiitle bit longer, and had been able to devote more time to other areas (like Wire's relationship with his twin, Sid's exploration of his gender fluidity) and get a bit more romantic content. But I still liked it very much.
Impossible dreams are the dearest kept.
January 23, 2017
This was an ok read for me. The story was really nice and sweet, but at the same time really really slow (I might even consider saying boring).
Wire is a big, intimidating Maori guy, working as a bouncer in a gay bar and in a store as a security guard.
When he stops Sid, who is shoplifting, he immediately likes him but he doesn`t allow himself to dream for more.
Unfortunately, I had a few problems with this story.
First of all, as I mentioned before it is so slow that I had a hard time going on. There was just nothing relevant happening and the book did absolutely not hook me.
Another thing that bothered me, was that a lot of the drama in the story did not feel genuine. I can understand Sid`s pride and not wanting to accept help but his stubborn decisions concerning shoplifting, became rather annoying after some time.
Wiru was supposed to be big but kind however in the description this several times felt rather simple or even stupid and was not as endearing as probably planned.
The story really had a lot of potential but for my taste the book at the end did not deliver. Maybe it was me, as many reviewers really liked this, but it seems it just was not right for me.
Reading all my complaints I must add that this was still an okay read for me. The book was good but for me it was not awesome, if you like the blurb, still give it a try, maybe you`ll love it... 3 stars!
Wire is a big, intimidating Maori guy, working as a bouncer in a gay bar and in a store as a security guard.
When he stops Sid, who is shoplifting, he immediately likes him but he doesn`t allow himself to dream for more.
Unfortunately, I had a few problems with this story.
First of all, as I mentioned before it is so slow that I had a hard time going on. There was just nothing relevant happening and the book did absolutely not hook me.
Another thing that bothered me, was that a lot of the drama in the story did not feel genuine. I can understand Sid`s pride and not wanting to accept help but his stubborn decisions concerning shoplifting, became rather annoying after some time.
Wiru was supposed to be big but kind however in the description this several times felt rather simple or even stupid and was not as endearing as probably planned.
The story really had a lot of potential but for my taste the book at the end did not deliver. Maybe it was me, as many reviewers really liked this, but it seems it just was not right for me.
Reading all my complaints I must add that this was still an okay read for me. The book was good but for me it was not awesome, if you like the blurb, still give it a try, maybe you`ll love it... 3 stars!
September 26, 2016
I wanted to read Coin Tricks as soon as I saw this adorable cover that promised a cute and fluffy story. The book definitely delivered it and even more.
Coin Tricks is an amazing contemporary novel set in New Zealand and featuring a big softie Wiremu(the protagonist) and his family and love life. The romance is moving and tender and heart-warming. More than that, Wiremu is Maori and we get to see a lot of his family and their relationship with each other. I enjoyed this familial relationships and sibling relationships so much! And a cherry on top of all the awesomeness, the book has a little dictionary with Maori words and New Zealand slang.
I'm so happy to have picked up the book. It's a lovely fluffy read and I definitely recommend the book to everyone who loves contemporary novels ( also New Zealand! It's the first book I read set in New Zealand, this was so exciting! not to mention diverse af cast of characters made the book even better)
Coin Tricks is an amazing contemporary novel set in New Zealand and featuring a big softie Wiremu(the protagonist) and his family and love life. The romance is moving and tender and heart-warming. More than that, Wiremu is Maori and we get to see a lot of his family and their relationship with each other. I enjoyed this familial relationships and sibling relationships so much! And a cherry on top of all the awesomeness, the book has a little dictionary with Maori words and New Zealand slang.
I'm so happy to have picked up the book. It's a lovely fluffy read and I definitely recommend the book to everyone who loves contemporary novels ( also New Zealand! It's the first book I read set in New Zealand, this was so exciting! not to mention diverse af cast of characters made the book even better)
August 5, 2019
Coin Tricks by Willow Scarlett was a truly pleasant surprise. The first thing that attracted me to it was its lovely cover and, underneath it, I've discovered a story told with great sensitivity and delicacy.
Set in Auckland, the novel focuses on a Maori young man and a white boy as they struggle with their friendship, families and a number of personal problems.
Wiremu is tall and strong, scary to look at, but with a sweet, generous and considerate personality that clashes with his appearance and struggles to come out. Sid is sly and confident, fiercely independent, wary of strangers and uneasy when it comes to trust other people.
Their friendship and love proceed in a sort of hiccup manner, with little stops along the way during which both Wiremu and Sid have to reassess their priorities and ideas about other people.
From their first thunderous meeting - when Wiremu catches Sid shoplifting a few poor things from the store that employs Wire as a security guard - to the way Wiremu's family embraces Sid and his young sister Gina as new members of their large clan, their personal stories get tangled up with the threads that connect family life and society, human relationships and cultural heritage.
Sid's obsessive interest with magic and tricks, that reveals a much more complex and intimate aspect of his nature, provides the book with a layer of amazement and surprise. The sentence "Show me a trick'" becomes a sort of catchphrase between him and Wiremu to overcome misunderstandings and difficulties.
I've spotted a few inaccuracies in the book's editing - especially a number of instances when characters are referred to with the wrong name - but apart from that, the novel is written with a lively and pensive style that combines funny moments with more melancholic ones in a very effective manner.
The constant references to Maori culture and traditions and the use of Maori words scattered throughout the narration add a beautiful sense of place to the story.
A lovely and really recommended read!
Set in Auckland, the novel focuses on a Maori young man and a white boy as they struggle with their friendship, families and a number of personal problems.
Wiremu is tall and strong, scary to look at, but with a sweet, generous and considerate personality that clashes with his appearance and struggles to come out. Sid is sly and confident, fiercely independent, wary of strangers and uneasy when it comes to trust other people.
Their friendship and love proceed in a sort of hiccup manner, with little stops along the way during which both Wiremu and Sid have to reassess their priorities and ideas about other people.
From their first thunderous meeting - when Wiremu catches Sid shoplifting a few poor things from the store that employs Wire as a security guard - to the way Wiremu's family embraces Sid and his young sister Gina as new members of their large clan, their personal stories get tangled up with the threads that connect family life and society, human relationships and cultural heritage.
Sid's obsessive interest with magic and tricks, that reveals a much more complex and intimate aspect of his nature, provides the book with a layer of amazement and surprise. The sentence "Show me a trick'" becomes a sort of catchphrase between him and Wiremu to overcome misunderstandings and difficulties.
I've spotted a few inaccuracies in the book's editing - especially a number of instances when characters are referred to with the wrong name - but apart from that, the novel is written with a lively and pensive style that combines funny moments with more melancholic ones in a very effective manner.
The constant references to Maori culture and traditions and the use of Maori words scattered throughout the narration add a beautiful sense of place to the story.
A lovely and really recommended read!
May 10, 2022
I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for a while. For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. It was low-angst and light. But Syd's continued stealing became frustrating after a while. I also wish we had seen Wireymu open up about some of his insecurities about his size.
May 30, 2016
* I got a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review *
Absolutely ADORABLE story about a big guy with even bigger heart and a huge family
I don't know how it is possible not to fall in love with this story. I was completely head over heels in love with Wiremu after the first chapter and it only got better :)
It was the first book by Willow Scarlett I've read but I am 100% sure I'll read more her stories because her writing is really AMAZING . I LOVED it <3. It was difficult to stop reading, I was tempted to spend the whole night with Wire and Sid and these whole impossibly big family. The pace is fast, it is full of twists, it's funny, emotional. The chemistry between those guys is just great, even if they needed lots of time to see it themselves. There were some misunderstandings that spiced up the atmosphere and made it more interesting.
I loved that it was set in New Zealand (even though Wire's family members names are terrible to remember...). I loved how on the first sight everything was about Sid and Wire, but after a while it was about family and being a part of a bigger group, being a brother/uncle/son etc. Family was a huge part of Wiremu's life and it was shown in a perfect way, especially his relationship with Kiri and his brother.
All in all, I LOVED THE BOOK It was brilliant! MCs, all of them are great people with real lives, real problems. Plot is interesting and pace is ok.
Thank You Willow Scarlett!
Absolutely ADORABLE story about a big guy with even bigger heart and a huge family
I don't know how it is possible not to fall in love with this story. I was completely head over heels in love with Wiremu after the first chapter and it only got better :)
It was the first book by Willow Scarlett I've read but I am 100% sure I'll read more her stories because her writing is really AMAZING . I LOVED it <3. It was difficult to stop reading, I was tempted to spend the whole night with Wire and Sid and these whole impossibly big family. The pace is fast, it is full of twists, it's funny, emotional. The chemistry between those guys is just great, even if they needed lots of time to see it themselves. There were some misunderstandings that spiced up the atmosphere and made it more interesting.
I loved that it was set in New Zealand (even though Wire's family members names are terrible to remember...). I loved how on the first sight everything was about Sid and Wire, but after a while it was about family and being a part of a bigger group, being a brother/uncle/son etc. Family was a huge part of Wiremu's life and it was shown in a perfect way, especially his relationship with Kiri and his brother.
All in all, I LOVED THE BOOK It was brilliant! MCs, all of them are great people with real lives, real problems. Plot is interesting and pace is ok.
Thank You Willow Scarlett!
November 27, 2021
4.25 stars. I reeeeaally liked this, starting with the cover (one of the best illustrated covers . . . It’s set in NZ, slow burn between a Maori security guard (Wire) and a librarian/magician/shoplifter (Sid). You can imagine how they meet, and then it’s just Wire trying to get the skittish Sid to trust him enough to eat out of his palm. (Not literally, but you get it.) It’s on KU, and has great footnotes to explain Maori terms, but is probably self-published, bc there were a few odd errors that took me out of it for a second. But it’s worth looking past them, in my opinion. This is as much a romance between Wire and Sid as it is an abandoned-kids-find-a-family-to-love-them story, if you dig that sort of thing. (Oh, and Wire reading all the Pulitzers was so charming . . . there is some deep thinking about literature in here, as well.)
November 5, 2016
I didn't enjoy this one all that much.
The first third of it was great and fluffy and I thought it opened up a lot of possibilities. Then the author took the most boring, annoying route (at least for me), and decided to focus only and exclusively on Sid and Wire. It was quite... stale. Repetitive. Willow could have put in some more drama regarding family, money issues, "magic, and all those things she introduced at the beginning but didn't pay enough attention to... Instead I got characters that got on my nerves, Sid with his moods and his whining and Wire with his insecurities and letting people walk all over him, this stretching throughout 200 pages with nothing else happening.
Nope.
Giving it 3 stars because some parts were still quite cute to read.
The first third of it was great and fluffy and I thought it opened up a lot of possibilities. Then the author took the most boring, annoying route (at least for me), and decided to focus only and exclusively on Sid and Wire. It was quite... stale. Repetitive. Willow could have put in some more drama regarding family, money issues, "magic, and all those things she introduced at the beginning but didn't pay enough attention to... Instead I got characters that got on my nerves, Sid with his moods and his whining and Wire with his insecurities and letting people walk all over him, this stretching throughout 200 pages with nothing else happening.
Nope.
Giving it 3 stars because some parts were still quite cute to read.
March 11, 2016
Absolutely LOVED this. Sweet and slow, wonderfully paced and fun to read.
Sid is one of those guys that worm their way into your heart, slowly, and take up camp there forever. Wire too, what a lovely guy :) Ah! Those boys were just so sweet!
It's all about friendship, family, finding your way in the world; just so many things I can't put into words. There's not one thing I'd change, so... :)
Sid is one of those guys that worm their way into your heart, slowly, and take up camp there forever. Wire too, what a lovely guy :) Ah! Those boys were just so sweet!
It's all about friendship, family, finding your way in the world; just so many things I can't put into words. There's not one thing I'd change, so... :)
March 2, 2017
I'm pretty sure this is my first book, ever, set in New Zealand. It's a super-slow-burn romance, sweet and low angst. Good stuff.
June 9, 2016
I received Coin Tricks from the author through the DBML program for an honest and unbiased review. This story is about Wire, a large Maori man who works as a bouncer and security guard for a store, and Sid, a young librarian and aspiring magician. It’s told in first person through Wire’s pov.
May 5, 2021
This was a surprisingly fantastic find. A new author for me and I loved their writing, the romance with the slow burn. Here we have a wonderful family and the gentle giant Wire. The way he is taking care of Sid and Gina is so sweet. This glimpse into the lives of Maori people was interesting.
Definitely recommended. Guaranteed to leave you happy and smiling.
Definitely recommended. Guaranteed to leave you happy and smiling.
July 3, 2023
this book started out pretty promising, but got worse and worse as it went on. it’s like the author regressed in age as the story continued. points in the plot jumped all over toward the end and I didn’t feel the tone was consistent throughout either.
June 13, 2016
You look at me like I’m magic.
I needed a super happy and sweet book to relax myself and I read that this had a happily ever after ending and no cliffhangers. Perfect!! It was indeed beautiful and cute and it also had parts that made me sad and angry at the characters.
What I love the most about this book is that it’s set in New Zealand. This is my first book in that country and guess what? The main character, Wire, is a big fluffy and adorable Maori guy.
Guess that’s how you measure a friend: not how long they’ve been in your life, but how much better they make it.
Wiremu, in short Wire, is big and scary looking. He works as a bouncer in a gay pub and as a guard in a store. He thinks those are the only jobs he is allow to do. Wire has a big family, like really big. Almost all of them live together and the ones married living elsewhere are almost always there. There’s plenty of food, plenty of fun, plenty of family love.
He looked at me and grinned right into my heart.
On the other hand there is Sid, a scrawny red-haired guy raising his little sister of 9 years old all by himself. He has rent, bills and so many other things to pay and he can’t make it. So he steals. He shoplifts whenever he has to. That’s sad. He also has some kind of deal with the guards of some stores: they let him keep what he steals in exchange of a beating. What’s wrong with people? Sid is also a librarian and a magician in training. He is always doing coin tricks.
Sid smiled a sweet little smile all warm and soft like clothes right out of the dryer. That smile did funny things to my insides and I tried not to think about it.
One “lucky” night Sid shoplifts in the store Wire works at and that’s how they meet: Wire catching Sid stealing soap and crackers to give his sister as a birthday present. Things sure started weird between them. They are so different. One big and surrounded by a million family members, while the other tiny and fragile with only his sister by his side.
You’re the magic that I grew up and stopped believing in.
Wire has a big heart, he cares about people, and his heart is as big as his body, which is a lot. He is huge! Their friendship starts in a weird way with Wire taking Sid and his sister his family’s leftovers. Little by little Sid starts warming up to him and making him cute bracelets, not without fighting over what seems to Wire like trivia stuff. Sid has his pride and he doesn’t want Wire’s charity and pity. He doesn’t know that, for Wire, this is not charity, he came to care so much about Sid and his sister and when you care about someone so much you want to see them happy, right? Wire wants to see Sid’s smile and take his troubles away.
“I don’t need tricks. I don’t need magic. I just need to know that you want me to kiss you.”
Pointless to say that Wire falls in love with Sid almost immediately but he doesn’t do anything about it because he thinks people can’t love him. He thinks he is unlovable because he is huge and scary and people can’t see beyond that. His self-pity is his biggest flaw, maybe one of his very few ones. Otherwise he is adorable, honest, caring and a big teddy bear. He wants to take action, try touching Sid’s hand, maybe even kiss him but he is 300% sure Sid can’t never be interested in him. Why can’t he see beyond the “nobody loves me” fog clouding his judgement? Why can’t he see Sid is indeed interested and do something about it?
I knew all about happy endings and I knew they only happened in movies. Never for big no-hope mongrels like me. I wasn’t the man that anyone fell for, I wasn’t the man you’d marry.
It’s great that in this book is that things happen slowly; it takes months for them to get together. You know they are going to be together, it’s obvious but how are they going to realize they are in love? It’s funny how Wire’s family and Sid’s sister are involved in their development; they help them realize how much better their lives are with each other in them. Wire understands he needs to move on with his live and start wanting things for himself rather than always be the one helping others, and Sid needs to accept a helping hand and stop thinking people are telling him how to live his life.
Sid was my impossible dream. He was the promise of something so good that I knew I could never have it and that was both pretty and sad to think.
This book is sweet and adorable and made me really interested in Maori culture and language. I loved that Wire used a lot of Maori words and I loved even more that they were explained at the end of the book. I found myself intrigued and now I want to visit New Zealand as soon as possible. And of course I love Wire and Sid together, how they blushed when one of them said something nice, how flirty Sid made big Wire become speechless and embarrassed. I just love them together and that makes me really happy.
That’s how Sid made me feel, like I could support him on my shoulders, like I was huge for a reason now—to be able to support him. And it was the best feeling in the world.
I needed a super happy and sweet book to relax myself and I read that this had a happily ever after ending and no cliffhangers. Perfect!! It was indeed beautiful and cute and it also had parts that made me sad and angry at the characters.
What I love the most about this book is that it’s set in New Zealand. This is my first book in that country and guess what? The main character, Wire, is a big fluffy and adorable Maori guy.
Guess that’s how you measure a friend: not how long they’ve been in your life, but how much better they make it.
Wiremu, in short Wire, is big and scary looking. He works as a bouncer in a gay pub and as a guard in a store. He thinks those are the only jobs he is allow to do. Wire has a big family, like really big. Almost all of them live together and the ones married living elsewhere are almost always there. There’s plenty of food, plenty of fun, plenty of family love.
He looked at me and grinned right into my heart.
On the other hand there is Sid, a scrawny red-haired guy raising his little sister of 9 years old all by himself. He has rent, bills and so many other things to pay and he can’t make it. So he steals. He shoplifts whenever he has to. That’s sad. He also has some kind of deal with the guards of some stores: they let him keep what he steals in exchange of a beating. What’s wrong with people? Sid is also a librarian and a magician in training. He is always doing coin tricks.
Sid smiled a sweet little smile all warm and soft like clothes right out of the dryer. That smile did funny things to my insides and I tried not to think about it.
One “lucky” night Sid shoplifts in the store Wire works at and that’s how they meet: Wire catching Sid stealing soap and crackers to give his sister as a birthday present. Things sure started weird between them. They are so different. One big and surrounded by a million family members, while the other tiny and fragile with only his sister by his side.
You’re the magic that I grew up and stopped believing in.
Wire has a big heart, he cares about people, and his heart is as big as his body, which is a lot. He is huge! Their friendship starts in a weird way with Wire taking Sid and his sister his family’s leftovers. Little by little Sid starts warming up to him and making him cute bracelets, not without fighting over what seems to Wire like trivia stuff. Sid has his pride and he doesn’t want Wire’s charity and pity. He doesn’t know that, for Wire, this is not charity, he came to care so much about Sid and his sister and when you care about someone so much you want to see them happy, right? Wire wants to see Sid’s smile and take his troubles away.
“I don’t need tricks. I don’t need magic. I just need to know that you want me to kiss you.”
Pointless to say that Wire falls in love with Sid almost immediately but he doesn’t do anything about it because he thinks people can’t love him. He thinks he is unlovable because he is huge and scary and people can’t see beyond that. His self-pity is his biggest flaw, maybe one of his very few ones. Otherwise he is adorable, honest, caring and a big teddy bear. He wants to take action, try touching Sid’s hand, maybe even kiss him but he is 300% sure Sid can’t never be interested in him. Why can’t he see beyond the “nobody loves me” fog clouding his judgement? Why can’t he see Sid is indeed interested and do something about it?
I knew all about happy endings and I knew they only happened in movies. Never for big no-hope mongrels like me. I wasn’t the man that anyone fell for, I wasn’t the man you’d marry.
It’s great that in this book is that things happen slowly; it takes months for them to get together. You know they are going to be together, it’s obvious but how are they going to realize they are in love? It’s funny how Wire’s family and Sid’s sister are involved in their development; they help them realize how much better their lives are with each other in them. Wire understands he needs to move on with his live and start wanting things for himself rather than always be the one helping others, and Sid needs to accept a helping hand and stop thinking people are telling him how to live his life.
Sid was my impossible dream. He was the promise of something so good that I knew I could never have it and that was both pretty and sad to think.
This book is sweet and adorable and made me really interested in Maori culture and language. I loved that Wire used a lot of Maori words and I loved even more that they were explained at the end of the book. I found myself intrigued and now I want to visit New Zealand as soon as possible. And of course I love Wire and Sid together, how they blushed when one of them said something nice, how flirty Sid made big Wire become speechless and embarrassed. I just love them together and that makes me really happy.
That’s how Sid made me feel, like I could support him on my shoulders, like I was huge for a reason now—to be able to support him. And it was the best feeling in the world.
dnf
June 20, 2018DNF 8%. I don't care for the writing style and it isn't holding my attention. Moving on...
June 15, 2022
3.25*
Read
October 30, 2023big tough guys that are cinnamon buns on the inside, found family, Māori culture, slow burn, friends to lovers, savior trope
December 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this overall. There were parts of the book that seemed kind of slow, but I really liked the establishment of the characters and their backgrounds. The love the boys found in each other was sweet and adorable, and of course, I enjoyed their love scene! I also loved the cultural aspects of Wiremu's character. And thank goodness for footnotes!
The only thing I would suggest to the author is to go through their story again. There were some formatting errors on the links and in some of the writing, and there were some errors, whether it was a character name or some consistency in character traits. Other than that, a really good story!
The cover art is gorgeous.
The only thing I would suggest to the author is to go through their story again. There were some formatting errors on the links and in some of the writing, and there were some errors, whether it was a character name or some consistency in character traits. Other than that, a really good story!
The cover art is gorgeous.
May 11, 2020
Oh my god, I'm so happy right now! Let me start by saying this: This book is set in New Zealand! In Aotearoa! I love New Zealand. Love, love, love it. I lived there for a year after I graduated from high school, and that year will forever be the best year of my whole life. So this book deserves five stars for bringing back lots of fond memories alone (if you don't care about those, skip the next paragraph!)
Wire works at The Warehouse. And I know that this sounds so weird, but gosh, I loved that place! I remember strolling down Queen's Street in Auckland, I remember eating Pavlova at family gatherings, I remember rugby and calling people "egg" instead of idiot and I even remember the anti-drink driving commercial! Thank you, Willow Scarlett!
But even if this book wouldn't be set in New Zealand, I'd still give it five stars!
I'd give it five stars because the slow burn made up for all the crappy insta-love books I've read lately. I didn't even realize how badly I needed this. Every little touch or gaze made me all giddy; and this book had me grinning stupidly at my kindle.
I'd give it five stars for the yearning and pining and dreaming that was so pure and exhilarating in a non-sexual way (mostly) and because whoooaaa I did not expect the steamy bits to be so... uhm... steamy!
I'd give it five stars for all the heartwarming, little things and happy, small, silent moments that made this book so special. It was the imperfection and sometimes even awkwardness that made this story so perfect and unique.
Can we please all take a moment and appreciate the wonder that is Wiremu Puāhatanga?! The world needs more people like Wire, because seriously, there was not a single moment in this book where I didn't absolutely adore him! I just loved seeing the world through his eyes. What an amazing, amazing main character! Don't get me wrong, Sid was great to, but Wire really was something else!
Now please excuse me while I'll go and cry some happy tears and then check out some other books by this amazing author!
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