Clueless Cabot

by André D. Michaels

Young gay professional Cabot MacCrae has been in love with his sexy best friend, Lloyd, since high school. They’re in perfect sync on almost everything. The only problem is that Lloyd is straight.

Cabot resigned himself long ago to pining hopelessly. Then Lloyd, a roofer, takes a bad fall and injures his collarbone. When he needs some TLC, there’s no question that Cabot will be the one to nurse his friend back to health. But Lloyd’s scantily clad presence in Cabot’s house brings out Cabot’s old longings.

But when Lloyd’s well-meaning mother and aunt fix Cabot up with a blind date, Lloyd reacts like a jealous boyfriend. Lloyd’s reaction makes Cabot wonder if those longings are as unrequited as he’s always assumed. What if Lloyd has been pining for him all these years? Has Cabot just been clueless all along?


Word Count: 25900.

Genres: Gay, Friends To Lovers, M M Romance, Contemporary, LGBT, Romance

65 pages, ebook

Published September 16, 2019

About the author

Having held jobs as varied as wedding caterer, IT guru, nanny, construction worker, librarian, historical reenactor, screenplay consultant, and birthday party clown, André now writes poetry, plays, and romances and erotic fiction about men loving men. A lifelong bibliophile, André lives in a renovated 1800s parsonage in Ohio, with a variable number of cats and an invariable number of husband.

Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a bit of an exercise in frustration, but not in an entirely bad way.

Cabot and Lloyd met and became inseparable at eleven years old, with Cabot coming out to Lloyd in his junior year of high school, and Lloyd not even batting an eye.

But there might have been a reason behind that easy acceptance, seeing as Lloyd is an MC in a *gay* romance and all. ;- )

Yeah, these two had cautiously flitted around one another for seventeen years, without ever divulging how they truly felt, but that all changed when Lloyd fell out a window and Cabot stepped up to help him recover.

Unlike Lloyd, getting dates had never been as easy for Cabot as, well, falling out a window, so when Lloyd's Ma and great aunt set him up on a blind date, he reluctantly agreed.

However, when that shit show, I mean "date", went south, Lloyd was there (and surprisingly possessive) to swoop in and save the day.

And duuuuude, let me tell you, it's been a few years since a side character has been so skeevy that made me want to take a hot shower. In Drano.

But sweet baby Jesus, Malcolm was that bitch to make it happen again. If he was based on a real person, I truly pity the author for ever having the misfortune to cross paths with such an unrepentant, entitled asshole.

The story went pretty much as I would've predicted from simply reading the blurb, without any real deviations from the expected, but I did find myself genuinely enjoying all of the side characters.

The reading voyeur in me was happy about all of the casual nudity and playful flirting between the boys, and enjoyed the limited amount of steam, once the story finally progressed to that point.

I don't really see this book curing cancer or reinventing the wheel, but I found it to be a good filler read, and would rate it around 3.5 stars.

PS -- That's a *rhubarb* pie on the cover, and not the Hot Dog Mystery Meat pie that I'd initially thought it looked like. Inquiring minds and all that. ;- )

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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley..

See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)

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[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars of Delightfull Clueless



Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels is a quirky , sweet and humorous , easy to read, light-hearted short story.

It tells the tale of Cabot and Lloyd , two twentysomething best friends since they were pretweens.
Cabot is gay , think Lloyd is straight and have been secretly in love with Lloyd forever.
Lloyd is straight-ish , wants more than friendship with Cabot , have been giving hints about it , for a long time.
Yet , friendly , delightful and very clueless Cabot remains oblivious to Lloyd's constant clues and innuendos.

I had fun reading this book. I liked the heroes , the playful and bit OTT colorful plot and the supporting cast of characters. Even Malcolm , the worst EVER , blind date in history of blind dates , was ridiculously entertaining .

What I would have like to see , that wasn't ? A longer story , characters a bit more flesh out and developed .

Clueless Cabot is my first book by this author , I liked his writing style . Looking forward reading more books by him.



I just reviewed Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels from #NineStarPress through #NetGalley and am leaving my voluntary review.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Even with all the dark subjects brought up in this book, Cabot and Lloyd are just so cute together. And Cabot really is clueless as everyone can see Lloyd's affection from 10 miles away. They've been friends since they were 12, and Cabot can only interpret all of Lloyd's affectionate banter as part of being best bros.

I loved all the side characters including Lloyd's mom and family, and their close relationship with Cabot. Part of the reason he doesn't want to tell Lloyd about his crush on him, is the chance of losing his second family.

I could see this story being fleshed out into full length, but the short length didn't lose anything. In fact, I'm glad it flashed forward in time and didn't dwell on the illness.

[Mandy Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very cute. It was the perfect chaser to the angstier books I've been reading lately and I really liked it. I got frustrated with the main character a few times because he's so clueless, but it didn't detract from enjoying the story. I giggled out loud during the blind date (well, until the last part) and loved the side characters. If you're looking for a cute romp full of misunderstanding tropes, this is a good choice.

[Ed Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 Stars. I enjoyed this book. It was a pleasure to read it for NetGalley. It was a sweet story and I probably would have given it 4 stars except I got a little frustrated with how clueless Calbot truly was. It was so obvious that Lloyd loved him I wanted to scream at them. It was still an enjoyable read for when you need something light and sweet.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cabot and Lloyd are as close as two people who are not a couple can be. They have been besties since they were preteens and have only grown closer as the years pass. Cabot is another son to Lloyd’s family and the two grew up spending the nights at one house or the other. Now 28, Lloyd has fallen out of a window and broken some bones. He needs someone to take care of him and who else but Cabot?

Cabot has been unlucky in lust, let alone love. He’s tried but no one really hits his buttons and those who he is even slightly interested in don’t seem interested in him. Lloyd, however, is a chick magnet and is always showing Cabot who he’s been seeing.

The forced proximity causes Cabot some discomfort – he’s so attracted to Lloyd and can’t do anything about it. Lloyd is straight and the last thing Cabot wants is to put their friendship in jeopardy. Lloyd often jokes about being with men or being with Cabot, but that’s just joking. Herein lies the reason for 3.5 stars instead of 4. The whole thing is based on Cabot being so oblivious and clueless, but it didn’t read that way. Maybe he was a little bit but he was also blinded by the straight man actions of Lloyd.

It is a surprise when Lloyd’s mother sets Cabot up on a blind date, because she usually doesn’t meddle. What a date. OMG, could Malcom be more obnoxious? I get being super into sex but do you go off with someone while your date is sitting at the table? The initial phone call should have been enough to make Cabot go running. And if someone left me outside the house with the door locked while they got ready, I’d have walked off. The date only goes downhill from there and Lloyd is there to save the day.

This is a really cute friends-to-lovers story, although I wish the Vic aspect had come out in the open before it ended. I will definitely read something else by this author, who is new to me.

[Qukatheg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels is an M/M contemporary romance novella. Cabot MacCrae has been in love with his best friend Lloyd for as long as he can remember. But Lloyd is straight, and Lloyd’s family is like a second family to Cabot, so he has never said anything about it. When Lloyd falls out of a window and breaks his wrist and collarbone, Cabot of course offers to take care of him. They are best friends after all.

The title pretty much covers it. Cabot is clueless. Actually, both main characters are very clueless. It takes multiple nosy family members and exceptional circumstances to finally bring them to recognise the truth about their love for each other.

This is a really sweet best friends to lovers story. If you like this trope as much as I do this is a hilarious book to read, full of love and family drama. I loved how pretty much everyone knows they love each other before they figure it out themselves. But there is no denying these characters are perfect for each other.

This is a pretty short novella length story, but it works brilliantly as such. If it had been longer it might have become frustrating to read. Definitely great if you’re in the mood for a fun, short, romantic read with plenty of drama.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, it was funny and sweet and aggravating at times, as well. I needed something just like this because I was beginning to feel a bit slumpy but it's all good now.

Cabot was a bit, well, like the title said “Clueless” and I found it so amusing just HOW Clueless he was at times. I loved how much he was devoted to Lloyd’s family and to Lloyd himself, how he valued that friendship more than anything.

Lloyd was a hoot at times, especially when on pain meds. I wasn’t sure at first if I was going to like him but a few pages in, I knew I was going to. He was funny and protective and I love it.

André D. Michaels is another new to me author and I really enjoyed the writing style and characters and the conflict. I can’t wait to be able to pick up something else by André.

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Jamie Lee Zonneveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clueless Cabot by André D. Michaels was my first book by this author and I loved it. The writing and story are so good! I loved Cabot and Lloyd.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cabot and Lloyd love each other as best friends, or is it more… or less… or… two confused men trying to take care of each other like they always have (or maybe differently). – Kinzie Things

I enjoyed this novel and its messy main characters. Cabot and Lloyd have been best friends for a very, very long time. Pretty much since the moment he knew that he was gay, Cabot has known that he was attracted to Lloyd but has never acted on it. After all, that’s not how you keep a best friend.

These two characters are sure a mess when it comes to one another. Cabot is hiding the way he feels about his best friend and Lloyd is giving off a lot of “wrong” messages… he’s fiercely protective of Cabot, makes teasing remarks all the time and the two of them are practically family.

What I enjoyed about these two characters was the fact that their friendship was so important to them that they weren’t willing to jeopardize it… to the point that it almost made them miss out on something very wonderful and amazing. It takes a rather nasty blind date and an attempted sexual assault to really push things to the forefront between these two confused fellows.

One of the interesting things about this book is that there are a few serious issues woven through the clumsy push and pull of Cabot and Lloyd. Cabot is set up on a blind date which results in an attempted sexual assault. Lloyd’s family is dealing with a life=threatending illness and Lloyd has had an accident that has left him unable to continue working as a roofer. All these serious – yet still every-day kinds of things are woven seamlessly into the plot. It’s like reading about someone’s real life.

I wish the novel had been longer, it was an enjoyable read and I really enjoyed the characters!

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Review:

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

This was a nice story though I hated that they continued to make it out that Cabot was clueless about what was going through Lloyd’s head while Lloyd wasn’t able to vocalize his own desires either. I liked that Cabot and Lloyd have stayed such great friends since they were in school.

I liked both of these guys and even though we say everything through Cabot’s eyes I could see people trying to hint to him about Lloyd and Lloyd’s joking around but I understood his viewpoint of not wanting to possibly screw up their friendship. I don’t know if Lloyd thought his joking and kinda flirting would work but I get why it didn’t. I did hate that Lloyd’s mom put him in such a bad situation trying to get him fixed up with someone that was essentially a jerk.

The only reason I went with 3 stars instead of 4 is that I hated that they tried to make out that it was all because Cabot wasn’t paying attention was why him and Lloyd weren’t together.

I really like the cover art by Natasha Snow and the pie that is so important in the story.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t love this book. The way it was written and the way the story unfolded. I don’t know.... it just wasn’t for me.

The main characters were just blah. Lloyd and Cabot have been friends since they were kids. Cabot came out to Lloyd in eleventh grade. But Lloyd seemed to keep his full sexuality a secret from Cabot. Letting him think and assume he was straight. I don’t get why he would do that. I mean... you’re best friends.
He just keeps dropping hints here and there that he’s been into guys.

The whole Malcolm date was horrible. I mean... it brought absolutely nothing to this story.
And when we finally get somewhere. I was so put off on how Lloyd described what gender he was into.

“I mean it, man. C’mere. Look. When you—when you came out to me, dude, it was like no big deal, okay? I like tuna, you like tubesteak, what’s the problem?” Lloyd stepped around the table and hugged Cabot with his good arm.”

Tuna!!!! WTF when I read that... I was pretty disgusted by that. Tubesteak wasn’t any better!
I’ll just leave it at that. This book wasn’t for me.

*ARC provided for an honest review.*

[Emy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got an ARC from NetGalley.

The problems I have with this book are not because of the story itself, actually I always love bestfriends falling in love. The problems are in the building of the book. It took me an hour to get through the entire book, there was no building, or tension, or anything. It was a quick read I enjoyed, but it would've been SOOOO much better if it were a longer book with more background.

[Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, fun romance novella! It was entirely character-driven, but in a good way.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an attempt at a farce. It's told from Cabot's single POV and the reader is supposed to go, "Caleb you idiot, Lloyd really likes you!" Which, I guess he does, but he's kept it quiet for 17 years (or whatever . . . a long-ass time). I think everyone was clueless, tbh.

I should've known on page one when "One or two drinks were sent his way, but the guys who sent them seemed creepy or stalkerish" One or two? You don't remember? If the drinks were sent or delivered in a creepy/stalkerish manner, how so? A bit of description here would have helped set the scene.

Then we get all these ridiculous events in a sequence. Lloyd breaks his collarbone and wrist falling out of a window and Cabot has to help him; Lloyd's mom sets him up with a lothario (who apparently has also gone out with Lloyd); that date ends in disaster and Lloyd kicks Malcolm's (the lothario) ass; when they go to find Cabot's car the next day, all four tires are slashed; they call a tow truck and this woman picks them up and yells at them for being in a bad neighborhood, and uses the f slur for . . . no reason?

A bit later, Lloyd's dad is in the hospital, Lloyd's mom says it might have been a heart attack, they were waiting for tests, but it turns out he has cancer and she only tells Cabot, not Lloyd or his younger sister, bc Cabot's dad died of cancer a year ago. I guess she thinks he'll understand? But now he has to keep this from his best friend/crush?

I may have blacked out at this point, probably skimmed a bit, but I also remember Cabot being something of a nudist at home and reverting to his naked ways when Lloyd comes home one evening and they do FINALLY get together. But then in the epilogue their engagement party is the same weekend as Lloyd's dad's funeral???

Like, a farce is supposed to be over the top and funny, but the introduction of the cancer storyline really tanked any humor (which was very subjective to begin with.)

(Also, Lloyd joked he had a 12 and 3/4" penis, but it turned out he lied, it was "ONLY" 10 and 1/2" long. *insert eye roll*)

The only reason I finished it was because it was so short, but I should've DNFed.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

Another for my "Idiots to Lovers" tag. I mean Cabot was the bigger idiot in this (hence the title), but neither man was completely innocent either. Both were frustrating and had very poor communication skills for supposed best friends.

Lloyd buys Cabot's favorite flowers (blue calla lilies) and Cabot freaks out on him because he thinks Lloyd got them for one of his girlfriends. Like dude, flowers aren't solely given as romantic gestures. He may have bought them as a thank you for taking care of his broken ass. Lloyd was sort of open about his attraction to Cabot but kept minimizing it and kept referring to dating men but not correcting Cabot's assumption he was joking around.

I didn't quite understand the mom and aunt bringing in the douchebag blind date, that was a disaster in all ways. Also not sure why Cabot brought him home after Malcolm caused them to be an hour late, then blew the maitre d' to get a table and a free meal, and then spent the whole meal bragging about screwing the wait staff.

Also staging the HEA epilogue at a funeral was a bold choice. I'll probably check out others by this author, because though this review may imply there were communication issues it was entertaining. I probably never would have picked it out if it hadn't been on sale at NineStar Press.

Tags: GFY/BFY/OFY: Lloyd states, "No other dude even remotely does it for me." But he has dated men before, maybe. He has sex with women but "can't fall in love with one"; Location: Definitely the US, likely the Midwest; Blue Collar: Lloyd is a roofer

[Jolanda Kämpf · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book with a nice flow but the characters are a bit too... dense? And (Spoiler Alert) what's with the secret crush of Lloyd? Why would he keep it secret all those years when he knew all about Cabot? I would have preferred a more realistic ending but aside from that it was a nice story.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review excerpted from my blog post over at Pan/Cis LGBT2SQ+ Romance Reviews (https://pancis.wordpress.com/2019/09/...)


Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library LGBT2SQ+ romance ebook collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.

_______________________


Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Medium burn

Relationship dynamics: Best Friends For Life

Sexual content: A smidge; on-screen and explicit

Gender Identity: Cis (H1) / Cis (H2)

Sexual Identity: Gay (H1) / Bisexual (H2)

Triggers: Attempted rape (of H1, not by H2); frank discussion of gay bashing; lots of denial language; lots of swearing; parent death

Acceptance Rating: 3 stars

Acceptance Rating Explanation: There is a lot of identity denial and self-chastisement; their families are accepting, but depressing societal realities are allowed to intrude.

Grammar/Editing: I found one typo in the Kindle edition of this book

Review: This is a fast-paced, quick read set in an non-specific contemporary rural and suburban setting. The author does a good job of keeping the events of the plot confined to only a few locations, which benefited this short work when other aspects of the story seemed to let it down.

When the title refers to Cabot as “clueless,” the reader should be aware that he is, sincerely, clueless. It never seems to occur to him to ask Lloyd why he “jokes” with him about MM sex the way he does or to ask Lloyd to have a serious discussion about it. That being said, neither does Lloyd, even if he isn’t clueless. Regardless, they are a cute couple and the author does a good job of showing that they are meant for each other, even if they have bumbled through things for most of their lives. The specificity of other details about the main characters varies, which wasn’t as well done: we know that Lloyd is a roofer, and that Cabot is a “young professional,” but we don’t learn anything of what that refers to, except that he seems to have a flexible schedule. In terms of supporting characters, the mothers of the main characters are fairly well developed; other family members are much less so, which certainly lessens the reader’s investment in family matters. Cabot’s blind date, Malcolm, is fairly thoroughly described but he is, ultimately, a caricature of promiscuous random hook-ups. These difficulties are the pitfall of short works of fiction, and it seems likely that this story could have benefited from a more significant word count.



Full disclosure: Although I saw this title on NetGalley recently, I purchased it on my own and chose to review it. I received no incentive or compensation for reviewing this book.

[blub · Rating 3 out of 5]

more a 3.5 star read

Cabot is in love with his straight best friend, Lloyd. When Lloyd gets hurt he rushes to help him and provides some TLC. Lloyd however, isn't as straight as Cabot thinks and he keeps dropping hints but Cabot just takes it as a teasing and playful banter. When Lloyd's mother sets Cabot up on a blind date things come to a head.

This book was exceptionally frustrating. The communication between the Cabot and Lloyd made me want to bang my head against the wall sometimes. They over complicated their friendship and delayed any romantic development because of their insecurity. Everyone around them kept pushing them to talk but the two just circled around each other over and over again. It did make the fall sweeter but, my goodness, it took a while. As far as liking the characters, Cabot and Lloyd were fun characters to see together. As the title suggests Cabot really was quite dense but in his defense he was quite insecure and it stemmed from his physical appearance whereas Lloyd is his opposite. I just wished they could have gotten together sooner.

A free copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. The following is my honest review and opinion. I was originally drawn to this book by the cover (honestly, you throw food on a book cover and I will want to read it), but I really wanted to pick it up because of the clear friends to lovers trope. This was a very quick read and I would have preferred it to have been a little longer. We get to know Cabot and Lloyd pretty quickly but I would have liked to have seen more of their friendship before they are forced to face feelings and emotions. I really felt bad for Cabot, everyone kept harassing him for being clueless but no one really helps the guy out either. There is some tension but not quite as much as I had hoped for, but the relationship did develop quickly. I also really liked the close knit family feel to the story as well. I did enjoy the story, I just feel like it would have been so much better if it was fleshed out a bit more.

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Clueless Cabot, by Andre D Michaels, is a tender story of two best friends who secretly love one another.

One is openly gay, the other is assumed to be straight.

I love the title, as yes, Cabot is often clueless, but he's definitely clueless about the way Lloyd feels about him. Cabot's long loved Lloyd, but can't make a move since his friend is straight. Poor Cabot.

In reality though, this story frustrates me, as I don't know why it's all Cabot's fault for being clueless. Seriously, Lloyd is equally at fault.

Other than that, Clueless Cabot is a gentle, sweet, friends to lovers romance.
It's nothing great, but just sweet and more sweet, with some good humor added in as well.

[Michael Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a quick, heartwarming romance, "Clueless Cabot" is the story for you!

Despite the short length, the characters and situations all feel realistic (in the case of Malcolm, disturbingly so). The relationship evolves organically, and it makes sense that it takes something drastic like Lloyd's fall to serve as a catalyst to move things forward.

The ending does feel a bit abrupt in how it wraps up so quickly, and I would have liked to seen it drawn out for maybe another chapter or two.

[RE Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay for me. I found the lack of honest communication frustrating (on the part of both men), and I couldn't stand the character of Malcolm was one of the most irritating and unlikable characters I've encountered in a long time. :(

Separately, I liked both Cabot and Floyd, but man, they couldn't communicate for anything, and I felt like too much rested on that fact (when any adult would've talked through things much sooner, imo).

The supporting characters (especially Lloyd's family) were pretty fantastic, though, and the support and love they offered made up for a lot.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Clueless Cabot. It was an enjoyable take on the friends to lovers story. In my opinion, Lloyd was pretty clueless too. Hinting and game playing are always the best way to express one's self and to be taken seriously. Loved the characters and the slow burn realizations. Michaels' word-crafting was very well done.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Angelique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clueless Cabot,
well the title fits the book perfect,can`t say otherwise.
It is a sweet and for me funny book.If you will read it differentley.
Cabot`s cluelessness can be too much to take it well.
Butt it is a nice read and what I am just thinking a new author just
starting out.
a good start for me 3,5 stars.
love to see more dept,steam en p.o.v.from both sides


arc was given by netgalley

[Tracie R · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read by André D. Michaels, Clueless Cabot is a m/m friends to lover’s contemporary romance. I liked the characters and the story and will look to explore more by this author and will recommend to readers of this genre.

[Coltostallion · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good one-sitting read kind of book. There wasn't really any "what will happen next?" kind of feelings, and all in all it was rather predictable. The characters were fairly interesting, though, and the story was good.

[Bree · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this one. I didn’t care about the characters, there was nothing of substance. I was bored.

[Read Books and Escape c/o Simone McArthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely main characters
Cabot is truly clueless, how nearly every conversation just seems to bring him further away from what they should actually be taking about