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Hitting the Mark
Marcus Economidis is a famous action-movie star renowned for doing his own stunts. But put him back in his Michigan hometown for his latest project and he’s a nervous wreck. Why? Taemin Choi—the taekwondo master who trained Marcus and helped him move beyond debilitating shyness to become the man he is today. Taemin was Marcus’s first crush, and now that he’s grown, their reunion might lead to more than a mentorship.
Marcus’s kindness and confidence impresses Taemin, and the attraction is instant—for both of them. Making time for each other won’t be easy, what with Taemin training to qualify for the Olympics and Marcus working on his latest film. But it all seems worthwhile when they’re together, reacquainting themselves with each other—in the dojang and beyond—and nurturing a romance more satisfying than anything either ever thought possible.
But can their romance withstand the pressures of Marcus’s fame and Taemin’s grueling schedule?
Marcus’s kindness and confidence impresses Taemin, and the attraction is instant—for both of them. Making time for each other won’t be easy, what with Taemin training to qualify for the Olympics and Marcus working on his latest film. But it all seems worthwhile when they’re together, reacquainting themselves with each other—in the dojang and beyond—and nurturing a romance more satisfying than anything either ever thought possible.
But can their romance withstand the pressures of Marcus’s fame and Taemin’s grueling schedule?
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2019
3 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Aidan Wayne
12 books78 followersAidan Wayne has been publishing LGBTQ+ fiction since 2016. While they usually stick with contemporary romance (both adult and YA), some soft sci-fi/fantasy has been known to sneak in as well. They primarily write character-driven stories with happy endings, because, dammit, queer people deserve happy endings too.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 14, 2019
This is another beautiful exploration of the power of connection and of love from this author.
I've read two now by Aidan Wayne and their hallmark seems to be lots of emotional connection but very little steam. It worked in the first book of theirs I read Rule of Thirds where one of the MCs was suffering from serious PTSD and their two companions were sentient AI.
Unfortunately, for this book, while I completely got the love and respect between Marcus and Taemin, the passion was lacking as there was nothing on page to show it. Now, that doesn't mean I wanted full of graphic sex scenes, but pretty much all their loving interactions were fade to black, off page or just passing references to the fact they'd had some sort of sexual encounter.
It was a shame because, other than that, this book is really lovely, a slow burn, sort of friends to lovers with a small ten year age gap romance between a famous actor and the martial arts teacher who brought him out of his shy shell as a child.
There's a great bunch of secondary characters, the angsting and tension is wholly in keeping with the narrative and there's a lovely promise of a lifetime of HEA. Just would have preferred a wee bit more steam personally.
#ARC kindly received from the publishers Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review
I've read two now by Aidan Wayne and their hallmark seems to be lots of emotional connection but very little steam. It worked in the first book of theirs I read Rule of Thirds where one of the MCs was suffering from serious PTSD and their two companions were sentient AI.
Unfortunately, for this book, while I completely got the love and respect between Marcus and Taemin, the passion was lacking as there was nothing on page to show it. Now, that doesn't mean I wanted full of graphic sex scenes, but pretty much all their loving interactions were fade to black, off page or just passing references to the fact they'd had some sort of sexual encounter.
It was a shame because, other than that, this book is really lovely, a slow burn, sort of friends to lovers with a small ten year age gap romance between a famous actor and the martial arts teacher who brought him out of his shy shell as a child.
There's a great bunch of secondary characters, the angsting and tension is wholly in keeping with the narrative and there's a lovely promise of a lifetime of HEA. Just would have preferred a wee bit more steam personally.
#ARC kindly received from the publishers Dreamspinner Press in return for an honest and unbiased review
June 15, 2019
Two nice men reconnect, they have busy busy lives, HEA the end. I want to like it, the characters are nice, as are the side characters from what we see. But the book is so bland it's boring. It could have finished where they agreed to try and date.
There's an age gap which isn't touched on. Taemin is the ex-mentor of Marcus before he moved away, which is mentioned but never an issue. They're both nice people, neither have any ego or seemingly any confidence despite one being a popular move star and the other a martial artist of some acclaim. We get both povs and they're so similar that the characters blend together, I had to pause a few times to realise the pov had changed.
Credit to the author for researching or participating in Martial arts, though I admit most of that detail flew by me. Would have thought an Olympic hopeful would have a coach and support team though. Unfortunately most of this book was lost to telling us how busy both men were with the aside that they'd spent an evening together... it quickly became dull. There was never any tension or sparks of chemistry. All story points were broadcast so clearly there were no surprises or reactions to anything, everything is easily solved. While I'm generally happy with fade out even when these two get together it's dull, there's no fizzle. Their first intimacies feel tired. And the ending ignores the hefty salary Marcus would be earning, it doesn't seem likely.
Unfortunately meh for me. It's an undemanding story of nice but busy people, you might fare better with it. The price seems steep for the page-count, but it does feel a lot longer!
There's an age gap which isn't touched on. Taemin is the ex-mentor of Marcus before he moved away, which is mentioned but never an issue. They're both nice people, neither have any ego or seemingly any confidence despite one being a popular move star and the other a martial artist of some acclaim. We get both povs and they're so similar that the characters blend together, I had to pause a few times to realise the pov had changed.
Credit to the author for researching or participating in Martial arts, though I admit most of that detail flew by me. Would have thought an Olympic hopeful would have a coach and support team though. Unfortunately most of this book was lost to telling us how busy both men were with the aside that they'd spent an evening together... it quickly became dull. There was never any tension or sparks of chemistry. All story points were broadcast so clearly there were no surprises or reactions to anything, everything is easily solved. While I'm generally happy with fade out even when these two get together it's dull, there's no fizzle. Their first intimacies feel tired. And the ending ignores the hefty salary Marcus would be earning, it doesn't seem likely.
Unfortunately meh for me. It's an undemanding story of nice but busy people, you might fare better with it. The price seems steep for the page-count, but it does feel a lot longer!
August 8, 2019
I loved the cover for this book so much that, even though I had some reservations about it, I ended up borrowing it from my library...only to end up DNF'ing it.
The premise was okay, the characters were nice, and everything about the story indicated that there wasn't going to be any high-stakes conflict.
On the negative side, the book was 100% telling and that got really tiresome to read. What I mean is that we follow both MCs throughout their day, then they meet for dinner or lunch and see them having conversations abt how their day went.
This book lacks passion. I'm not talking about erotic scenes (I don't believe every romance book needs those), but about actual emotions. The book tells its readers that Taemin was happy or sad instead of showing it. Since the novel uses both Taemin and Marcus' POVs, there's an overall flatness that ends up almost blurring the line between one POV and the other.
TL;DR: A book that didn't move past neutral. It's obvious to me that this is an author I'm gonna have to avoid in the future (given that this is the second book of theirs I DNF in less than a month). I gave up on it at the end of Chapter 5 (or 34% per my tablet).
The premise was okay, the characters were nice, and everything about the story indicated that there wasn't going to be any high-stakes conflict.
On the negative side, the book was 100% telling and that got really tiresome to read. What I mean is that we follow both MCs throughout their day, then they meet for dinner or lunch and see them having conversations abt how their day went.
This book lacks passion. I'm not talking about erotic scenes (I don't believe every romance book needs those), but about actual emotions. The book tells its readers that Taemin was happy or sad instead of showing it. Since the novel uses both Taemin and Marcus' POVs, there's an overall flatness that ends up almost blurring the line between one POV and the other.
TL;DR: A book that didn't move past neutral. It's obvious to me that this is an author I'm gonna have to avoid in the future (given that this is the second book of theirs I DNF in less than a month). I gave up on it at the end of Chapter 5 (or 34% per my tablet).
May 23, 2019
4.5 stars
Hitting The Mark is a standalone by Aidan Wayne. Marcus is a movie star. Once upon a time he was extremely shy but with help of the son of his taekwondo master he became the confident man he is. Taemin, who is now the master of the school, is also an Olympic hopeful. What starts as reconnecting quickly turns to more. Can simple and generous Taemin handle dating a movie star?
I absolutely loved Taemin. He was adorable. He loves all his students, does volunteer work as well as trains for the Olympics. He wears himself thin and while he does snap at Marcus, he is pretty quick to apologize and Marcus accepts the apology he is given. Marcus has been in love with Taemin forever and so I felt it was a bit odd he did not stay in contact if he really could never take his mind off him. Their relationship moves pretty quick but they have to be one of my favorite book couples and I hope to see more of them.
Aidan Wayne is a totally new-to-me author and I absolutely loved this book from the story to the writing style. It was fresh and different from a lot of movie star cliché stories. My only complaint is that it seems that at one point the story jumps and we lose a lot of scenes that could have been along the lines of, say, Taemin meeting Marcus's personal assistant and maybe even meeting his work friends? Maybe Marcus taking him to the set? We also get some sexy times, but the guys do not go all the way... I just felt it was missing a little something.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Hitting The Mark is a standalone by Aidan Wayne. Marcus is a movie star. Once upon a time he was extremely shy but with help of the son of his taekwondo master he became the confident man he is. Taemin, who is now the master of the school, is also an Olympic hopeful. What starts as reconnecting quickly turns to more. Can simple and generous Taemin handle dating a movie star?
I absolutely loved Taemin. He was adorable. He loves all his students, does volunteer work as well as trains for the Olympics. He wears himself thin and while he does snap at Marcus, he is pretty quick to apologize and Marcus accepts the apology he is given. Marcus has been in love with Taemin forever and so I felt it was a bit odd he did not stay in contact if he really could never take his mind off him. Their relationship moves pretty quick but they have to be one of my favorite book couples and I hope to see more of them.
Aidan Wayne is a totally new-to-me author and I absolutely loved this book from the story to the writing style. It was fresh and different from a lot of movie star cliché stories. My only complaint is that it seems that at one point the story jumps and we lose a lot of scenes that could have been along the lines of, say, Taemin meeting Marcus's personal assistant and maybe even meeting his work friends? Maybe Marcus taking him to the set? We also get some sexy times, but the guys do not go all the way... I just felt it was missing a little something.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
May 28, 2019
Marcus Economidis is a famous action movie star – his latest movie projects bring him back to Michigan, his hometown, the place where he first gained his confidence and “cured” his shyness by studying Taekwondo at Choi’s Taekwondo Academy.
The school is also the place where Marcus’ first crush, Taemin Choi, the son of the Grandmaster Choi who runs the school now works, taking over the school from his father. Could this reunion bring Marcus closer to his dream – asking Taemin for a date and maybe for something more?
This is Aidan Wayne’s seventh title that I read to-date, and I think this is my favorite so far. Marcus is SO CUTE when he’s trying to approach Taemin – worrying that Taemin doesn’t remember the shy kid that used to study at the academy. While Taemin is so down-to-earth and grounded – I think he’s a good match for Marcus, even if he doesn’t know anything about the modern pop culture (or watch ANY of Marcus’ movies *laugh*), and has tendency to work himself to death.
There’s an age-gap between them, with also the fact that Marcus used to be a Choi’s student, but I’m happy that it doesn’t bring too much of a big dilemma between the two of them.
The story itself is low in angst level, both men are sweet, and the relationship progresses nicely without seemingly rushed. Bottom line, this is a romance that makes me feel good and happy.
On that note, I feel like there’s a spark between Marcus’ personal assistant, Billy, and a stunt coordinator named Leo. I wonder if there’s a future story about the two of them. Because it’ll give a hope that I can get update on Marcus and Taemin.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
The school is also the place where Marcus’ first crush, Taemin Choi, the son of the Grandmaster Choi who runs the school now works, taking over the school from his father. Could this reunion bring Marcus closer to his dream – asking Taemin for a date and maybe for something more?
This is Aidan Wayne’s seventh title that I read to-date, and I think this is my favorite so far. Marcus is SO CUTE when he’s trying to approach Taemin – worrying that Taemin doesn’t remember the shy kid that used to study at the academy. While Taemin is so down-to-earth and grounded – I think he’s a good match for Marcus, even if he doesn’t know anything about the modern pop culture (or watch ANY of Marcus’ movies *laugh*), and has tendency to work himself to death.
There’s an age-gap between them, with also the fact that Marcus used to be a Choi’s student, but I’m happy that it doesn’t bring too much of a big dilemma between the two of them.
The story itself is low in angst level, both men are sweet, and the relationship progresses nicely without seemingly rushed. Bottom line, this is a romance that makes me feel good and happy.
On that note, I feel like there’s a spark between Marcus’ personal assistant, Billy, and a stunt coordinator named Leo. I wonder if there’s a future story about the two of them. Because it’ll give a hope that I can get update on Marcus and Taemin.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
May 30, 2019
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
I liked this interracial romance, especially all the sporty bits, which form strong themes of discipline, honor, and community. Marcus and Taemin are tentative in building their relationship, hesitant to upset the rekindled friendship, and not eager to take over each other’s lives. Taemin is a quiet man, and Marcus knows his celebrity will upset their peaceful times, but they both are so lonely, and they find such comfort in one another. There are some side characters of note, including a female taekwondo instructor who mothers Taemin, and cherishes Marcus’ good opinion. Also, Marcus’s assistant is a great sounding board, especially when Marcus and Taemin have struggles.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
I liked this interracial romance, especially all the sporty bits, which form strong themes of discipline, honor, and community. Marcus and Taemin are tentative in building their relationship, hesitant to upset the rekindled friendship, and not eager to take over each other’s lives. Taemin is a quiet man, and Marcus knows his celebrity will upset their peaceful times, but they both are so lonely, and they find such comfort in one another. There are some side characters of note, including a female taekwondo instructor who mothers Taemin, and cherishes Marcus’ good opinion. Also, Marcus’s assistant is a great sounding board, especially when Marcus and Taemin have struggles.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
March 27, 2020
In a slow-burn romance that incorporates a lot of trope elements I like, from second chances to a slight age gap of ten years and an old crush being looked at in a new light, the tale of Marcus the action movie star and Taemin the taekwondo master is a very gentle love story. There is an abundance of emotions as both men figure out what they mean to each other but the sex is mentioned rather than on-page. There is not much drama and barely any conflict – both men are settled in their lives and in themselves, so the focus is on figuring out if and how they can make a relationship work.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review of the second edition on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 27, 2019
Marcus is on the top to the world. He is famous actor, his career is going great, and he has everything he could ever want right in his sights. Including the man he has been crushing on since he was a teen. Now, all he has to do is get up the courage to tell him hello.
It has been years since he last saw Taemin, the man who taught him taekwondo and helped him break out of his shell. And when he was 15 there was no chance that Taemin ever saw him as more than a gangly teenager. Now grown up, and more sure of himself, Marcus hopes there is a possibility for the man to see him as an equal, a partner, and a friend. But with both of their lives so busy, and with their homes on separate sides of the country, it might have to stay as nothing more than a wish.
I can’t say that I have much interest in martial arts, except maybe binging Cobra Kai on Youtube. But I’ve never really let my lack of personal interest in a subject stop me from reading a story about it. Hell, that is how I became a hockey junkie. And while I am not likely to be dropping into any taekwondo matches anytime soon, I feel that Aidan Wayne did an admirable job of translating their love of the sport to a layperson. Even if I don’t find it personally all that compelling, I left the story understanding why Marcus and Taemin like it so much.
Unfortunately I do have to say that my one negative takeaway has to do with the taekwondo as well. Mostly in that if you, like myself, don’t have much experience in the sport all the sparring that happens in the book might play a bit flat. Mainly because I have no real idea what is going on most of the time. Though maybe this is just my universal inability to visualize action scenes.
Luckily everything else around the actual taekwondo is very well written. So even if there were moments where my attention wavered, it never lasted very long. I really liked these two characters and their interactions. Where I expected Marcus to get on my nerves (in general, wealthy famous characters rub me the wrong way) his initial hesitancy with Taemin really grounded him in my mind. Taemin himself was a bit more of an enigma, but as the story goes along, and we get to know him better, the easier it was to connect to him. The pressure he puts on himself because of trying to live up to his father was relatable, but it also never got over the top. And I could easily sympathize with his need to constantly push himself, even to his own detriment at times, in order to reach a goal that others might not understand.
Even with the occasional bumps in the road, I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable story. The characters never came across as flat, and I could feel genuine desire between them. Even if the sport this story revolves around is not something you find interesting I still think readers should give it a try. You might learn something new.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
It has been years since he last saw Taemin, the man who taught him taekwondo and helped him break out of his shell. And when he was 15 there was no chance that Taemin ever saw him as more than a gangly teenager. Now grown up, and more sure of himself, Marcus hopes there is a possibility for the man to see him as an equal, a partner, and a friend. But with both of their lives so busy, and with their homes on separate sides of the country, it might have to stay as nothing more than a wish.
I can’t say that I have much interest in martial arts, except maybe binging Cobra Kai on Youtube. But I’ve never really let my lack of personal interest in a subject stop me from reading a story about it. Hell, that is how I became a hockey junkie. And while I am not likely to be dropping into any taekwondo matches anytime soon, I feel that Aidan Wayne did an admirable job of translating their love of the sport to a layperson. Even if I don’t find it personally all that compelling, I left the story understanding why Marcus and Taemin like it so much.
Unfortunately I do have to say that my one negative takeaway has to do with the taekwondo as well. Mostly in that if you, like myself, don’t have much experience in the sport all the sparring that happens in the book might play a bit flat. Mainly because I have no real idea what is going on most of the time. Though maybe this is just my universal inability to visualize action scenes.
Luckily everything else around the actual taekwondo is very well written. So even if there were moments where my attention wavered, it never lasted very long. I really liked these two characters and their interactions. Where I expected Marcus to get on my nerves (in general, wealthy famous characters rub me the wrong way) his initial hesitancy with Taemin really grounded him in my mind. Taemin himself was a bit more of an enigma, but as the story goes along, and we get to know him better, the easier it was to connect to him. The pressure he puts on himself because of trying to live up to his father was relatable, but it also never got over the top. And I could easily sympathize with his need to constantly push himself, even to his own detriment at times, in order to reach a goal that others might not understand.
Even with the occasional bumps in the road, I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable story. The characters never came across as flat, and I could feel genuine desire between them. Even if the sport this story revolves around is not something you find interesting I still think readers should give it a try. You might learn something new.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
March 27, 2020
In a slow-burn romance that incorporates a lot of trope elements I like, from second chances to a slight age gap of ten years and an old crush being looked at in a new light, the tale of Marcus the action movie star and Taemin the taekwondo master is a very gentle love story. There is an abundance of emotions as both men figure out what they mean to each other but the sex is mentioned rather than on-page. There is not much drama and barely any conflict – both men are settled in their lives and in themselves, so the focus is on figuring out if and how they can make a relationship work.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
May 23, 2019
Slow burn romance that was a bit too slow
In a word, Hitting the Mark could be described as nice. This author is relatively new-to-me, but I enjoy their writing style and the blurb certainly sparked my interest. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me. Despite pleasant characters, a simple story, an easy romance, and good dialogue, it was missing the oomph that kept me reading and invested.
I loved the idea of Marcus returning to his hometown and meeting up with a mentor for whom he’s always harbored a crush. I also quite liked the characters and plotline, but I kept waiting for something to happen and it simply never took off. I’m certainly not opposed to a romance having minimal angst and conflict, and often seek out authors I know write easier, comfort romances. However, this slow burner combined a sluggish pace with an overly simplistic storyline, and I felt lost among the mundane life details of the characters rather than in a romance boasting chemistry and palpable emotion. Hitting the Mark is definitely for those readers looking for a low-key, slow build romance without much drama and conflict. And while it wasn’t a hit for me, I did enjoy the author’s easy, polished writing style and will look into more from them in the future.
Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club
In a word, Hitting the Mark could be described as nice. This author is relatively new-to-me, but I enjoy their writing style and the blurb certainly sparked my interest. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me. Despite pleasant characters, a simple story, an easy romance, and good dialogue, it was missing the oomph that kept me reading and invested.
I loved the idea of Marcus returning to his hometown and meeting up with a mentor for whom he’s always harbored a crush. I also quite liked the characters and plotline, but I kept waiting for something to happen and it simply never took off. I’m certainly not opposed to a romance having minimal angst and conflict, and often seek out authors I know write easier, comfort romances. However, this slow burner combined a sluggish pace with an overly simplistic storyline, and I felt lost among the mundane life details of the characters rather than in a romance boasting chemistry and palpable emotion. Hitting the Mark is definitely for those readers looking for a low-key, slow build romance without much drama and conflict. And while it wasn’t a hit for me, I did enjoy the author’s easy, polished writing style and will look into more from them in the future.
Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club
June 4, 2019
More accurately, it's 4.7 stars.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been originally posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!
Does this book fit into the friends-to-lovers trope? I guess you could say it does. Two guys who haven’t seen each other for a decade meet again. In fact, it all started when Marcus Economidis was a kid too introverted for his own good. He took taekwondo lessons with Taemin Choi, ten years his senior, who not only taught him the discipline necessary to do any sport, but also to gain self-confidence. Unsurprisingly, Marcus had a major crush on him back then. At fifteen, he and his family moved to California, though, so the two lost touch. But now, Marcus is back on his home turf in Michigan. He has become a famous actor (mostly action films with an M/F and sometimes an M/M romance sideline), and he’s here to shoot a new dystopian sci-fi blockbuster. Driven by an urge to see his former mentor again, the first thing he does is stop by Choi’s taekwondo school. And Choi welcomes him with open arms and an easy smile.
The filming starting only some days later, Marcus has time to get re-acquainted with Taemin; to each other’s delight they spend almost every free minute together for a week. That is, they squeeze in several meetings, as Taemin is trying to qualify for the upcoming Olympics. They soon realize that their former mentor/mentee-relationship has changed and become an intense romantic and sensual interest on both sides. But then, they also realize their busy schedules threaten to interfere and almost put a stop to their blooming romance.
An endearing read with really cute main characters, both very careful not to go too fast, not to interfere with each other’s privacy and life, yet pushed into each other’s arms by their growing feelings. That’s something I really liked: in this book, their mutual attraction is not a question of chemistry (although there is chemistry between them), but of feelings. When they first meet again, you can sense how comfortable they are in each other’s presence. It’s as if both had “come home” to each other. Now, who hasn’t had a (seemingly impossible) crush in his youth? Imagine you see your crush again after several years, and things turn out almost they way you were dreaming of back then?
Both guys are sweetly polite with each other, sweetly caring and tender. Sometimes Marcus sounds a bit too mature for his age (he’s supposed to be only 25), but he knows what he wants and is ready to do anything to get it. None of them wants a quick hook-up, but something that lasts. If you’re looking for hot scenes, you won’t find them in this book. It’s a slow-burner with loads of kissing and hugging and cuddling instead. Friends-to-lovers does describe the plot to some extent, but I think “feel-good-read” would be more accurate. A delicate and charming book. I for one had sweet butterflies fluttering around in my chest.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review has been originally posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!
Does this book fit into the friends-to-lovers trope? I guess you could say it does. Two guys who haven’t seen each other for a decade meet again. In fact, it all started when Marcus Economidis was a kid too introverted for his own good. He took taekwondo lessons with Taemin Choi, ten years his senior, who not only taught him the discipline necessary to do any sport, but also to gain self-confidence. Unsurprisingly, Marcus had a major crush on him back then. At fifteen, he and his family moved to California, though, so the two lost touch. But now, Marcus is back on his home turf in Michigan. He has become a famous actor (mostly action films with an M/F and sometimes an M/M romance sideline), and he’s here to shoot a new dystopian sci-fi blockbuster. Driven by an urge to see his former mentor again, the first thing he does is stop by Choi’s taekwondo school. And Choi welcomes him with open arms and an easy smile.
The filming starting only some days later, Marcus has time to get re-acquainted with Taemin; to each other’s delight they spend almost every free minute together for a week. That is, they squeeze in several meetings, as Taemin is trying to qualify for the upcoming Olympics. They soon realize that their former mentor/mentee-relationship has changed and become an intense romantic and sensual interest on both sides. But then, they also realize their busy schedules threaten to interfere and almost put a stop to their blooming romance.
An endearing read with really cute main characters, both very careful not to go too fast, not to interfere with each other’s privacy and life, yet pushed into each other’s arms by their growing feelings. That’s something I really liked: in this book, their mutual attraction is not a question of chemistry (although there is chemistry between them), but of feelings. When they first meet again, you can sense how comfortable they are in each other’s presence. It’s as if both had “come home” to each other. Now, who hasn’t had a (seemingly impossible) crush in his youth? Imagine you see your crush again after several years, and things turn out almost they way you were dreaming of back then?
Both guys are sweetly polite with each other, sweetly caring and tender. Sometimes Marcus sounds a bit too mature for his age (he’s supposed to be only 25), but he knows what he wants and is ready to do anything to get it. None of them wants a quick hook-up, but something that lasts. If you’re looking for hot scenes, you won’t find them in this book. It’s a slow-burner with loads of kissing and hugging and cuddling instead. Friends-to-lovers does describe the plot to some extent, but I think “feel-good-read” would be more accurate. A delicate and charming book. I for one had sweet butterflies fluttering around in my chest.
May 29, 2019
3.5 Stars!
This is a sweet, angst-free story. Marcus is back in his hometown after years of being away. He left as a child and is now a well-known action movie star. He's in town to film a movie, but he also wants to reconnect with Taemin, the son of his old Taekwondo master. Taemin never forgot Marcus, the shy student in his father’s dojo, and is happy to catch up with the more confident adult that Marcus is now.
I liked Marcus. He clearly kept this head after finding success in the film industry. He's personable, genuinely nice, and keeps himself pretty grounded. I loved his assistant, Billy, and almost hope that we get a book about him some day. Taemin was someone I could relate to; he works very hard at everything he does. He puts almost everyone and everything ahead of himself. He overworks himself trying to live up to his father's legacy and is trying out for the Olympics. I was happy to see Taemin make time for Marcus. It was wonderful to see how Marcus tried to help Taemin directly as well as subtlety.
Their relationship was slow to build at first, and I liked that they got to know each other as adults and then moved forward. While there were some conflicts, they worked them out fairly well, even if it took a while because of their schedules. I liked a lot of the supporting characters, especially Preeti, Billy, and Mr. Avi. The relationships that these characters had were fun and supportive to Taemin and Marcus.
If you're looking for a slow-burn, low-angst story of a former student and his first crush meeting as adults years later, this one may be for you.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
This is a sweet, angst-free story. Marcus is back in his hometown after years of being away. He left as a child and is now a well-known action movie star. He's in town to film a movie, but he also wants to reconnect with Taemin, the son of his old Taekwondo master. Taemin never forgot Marcus, the shy student in his father’s dojo, and is happy to catch up with the more confident adult that Marcus is now.
I liked Marcus. He clearly kept this head after finding success in the film industry. He's personable, genuinely nice, and keeps himself pretty grounded. I loved his assistant, Billy, and almost hope that we get a book about him some day. Taemin was someone I could relate to; he works very hard at everything he does. He puts almost everyone and everything ahead of himself. He overworks himself trying to live up to his father's legacy and is trying out for the Olympics. I was happy to see Taemin make time for Marcus. It was wonderful to see how Marcus tried to help Taemin directly as well as subtlety.
Their relationship was slow to build at first, and I liked that they got to know each other as adults and then moved forward. While there were some conflicts, they worked them out fairly well, even if it took a while because of their schedules. I liked a lot of the supporting characters, especially Preeti, Billy, and Mr. Avi. The relationships that these characters had were fun and supportive to Taemin and Marcus.
If you're looking for a slow-burn, low-angst story of a former student and his first crush meeting as adults years later, this one may be for you.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
May 15, 2022
I picked this up for the man on the left and then stayed for the plot. This book has to be the most realistic depiction of overworked adults that I have yet to come across in fiction. I loved seeing Marcus and Taemin making time for each other even while doing their own things and maintaining their priorities throughout. I also loved their character dynamic: their mutual respect for each other, their communication, and how each took responsibility for his own actions. Still, I thought they were a bit too “insightful” toward the end: the conflict was solved almost too smoothly (or maybe I'm just projecting my own pettiness onto a pair of emotionally mature adults). All in all, it was an adorable, healthy, and enjoyable romance. I highly recommend.
February 17, 2022
This was everything i wanted and needed
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