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Love Notes #1
Secret Admirer
You deserve all the kisses you want ...
Benji,
I want you to know how amazing you are. You won't believe me, because I'm just your brother's best friend, but it’s true. Each day my feelings for you grow, confusing but undeniable.
With a few anonymous love tokens, I finally have an outlet for all the things I can't say. And with each gift and note, you smile. For me. Not your brother's straight friend, but something new. Something more. Something that will change everything if we can both find the courage to believe.
All I have to do is confess who I really am:
Your Secret Admirer
Benji,
I want you to know how amazing you are. You won't believe me, because I'm just your brother's best friend, but it’s true. Each day my feelings for you grow, confusing but undeniable.
With a few anonymous love tokens, I finally have an outlet for all the things I can't say. And with each gift and note, you smile. For me. Not your brother's straight friend, but something new. Something more. Something that will change everything if we can both find the courage to believe.
All I have to do is confess who I really am:
Your Secret Admirer
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2020
580 people are currently reading
1244 people want to read
About the author
D.J. Jamison
78 books993 followersDJ Jamison writes a variety of queer men finding extraordinary love through M/M Romance! She is a lifelong reader and has always loved writing and editing, with a ten-year journalism career before she began publishing romance. She has books in ebook, print, and audio, as well as German, French, and Italian translations.
DJ lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.
Join DJ's mailing list at http://tinyurl.com/DJandCompany
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DJ lives in Kansas with her husband, two sons, and a sadistic cat named Birdie.
Join DJ's mailing list at http://tinyurl.com/DJandCompany
Join her FB group at www.facebook.com/groups/DJandCompany
Follow her on Ko-Fi for bonus content: www.ko-fi.com/ReadingDJ
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
June 29, 2020
I liked the first part, when the secret admirer was still a secret, but I found the rest of the story underwhelming and a bit boring.
November 23, 2023
Older brother's best friend, MxM, low-stakes romance. I liked this book. I've been battling a huge reading slump/depressive episode. This book didn't involve any complicated themes or events, it didn't involve world building or have a ton of characters to remember. It was sweet and an easy read for my brain. I didn't want anything complicated. I just wanted to read and this book was exactly that. I had a decent time with this story.
December 27, 2023
3.5 stars
March 15, 2021
This was such a sweet read. I loved Ace and Benji. And the notes. And the presents. And the setting. Basically everything.
Want to read
February 26, 2021Kindle freebie 2/26/21
June 29, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
D.J. Jamison gives us a truly sweet romance in Secret Admirer. What starts out as just a way to make Benji feel better becomes a huge revelation for Ace, who finds himself increasingly grappling with the idea that he is bisexual—something he has felt might be so for quite some time, but he has never hand the courage or inkling to act on it. While this story isn’t a out for you trope, exactly, there is no denying that there’s only one person who chimes Ace’s bell and that is Benji. Still, the author establishes right from the beginning that Ace’s thoughts about guys and their allure is not necessarily new, as much as his need to get good grades and land a decent job after graduation has taken most of his focus. In fact, Ace really hasn’t dated much in his three years at college and truly hasn’t missed it, until Benji arrives on campus and turns his world upside down. Now the kid who he always had affection for is a gorgeous young man and is pinging all kinds of new emotions inside Ace.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
D.J. Jamison gives us a truly sweet romance in Secret Admirer. What starts out as just a way to make Benji feel better becomes a huge revelation for Ace, who finds himself increasingly grappling with the idea that he is bisexual—something he has felt might be so for quite some time, but he has never hand the courage or inkling to act on it. While this story isn’t a out for you trope, exactly, there is no denying that there’s only one person who chimes Ace’s bell and that is Benji. Still, the author establishes right from the beginning that Ace’s thoughts about guys and their allure is not necessarily new, as much as his need to get good grades and land a decent job after graduation has taken most of his focus. In fact, Ace really hasn’t dated much in his three years at college and truly hasn’t missed it, until Benji arrives on campus and turns his world upside down. Now the kid who he always had affection for is a gorgeous young man and is pinging all kinds of new emotions inside Ace.
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
September 2, 2020
3.5 stars
This was cute, sweet, sexy. It was a quick and fun read. I was intrigued by the secret admirer storyline, but I think it would have been a lot more fun if told in single POV, so the identity would be a surprise for the reader too. Because apart from the secret admirer part, it was pretty much the same “young gay guy in love with his older brother’s best friend” book we’ve read before.
That being said, I really liked it! And we get a gay virgin and a straight guy discovering he is not so straight, so that was hot.
This was cute, sweet, sexy. It was a quick and fun read. I was intrigued by the secret admirer storyline, but I think it would have been a lot more fun if told in single POV, so the identity would be a surprise for the reader too. Because apart from the secret admirer part, it was pretty much the same “young gay guy in love with his older brother’s best friend” book we’ve read before.
That being said, I really liked it! And we get a gay virgin and a straight guy discovering he is not so straight, so that was hot.
July 1, 2021
I loved this story. I loved Beni and I loved Ace. I definitely would have given it four stars, but I just got so bogged down by all the inner monologue. When I have to skim to get back to the story because all the inner monologue is so boring I can’t give even a good story more than three stars.
September 17, 2020
5 stars audio
3 stars story. This was a sweet low angst story. Unfortunately since I am in the mood for a sexy angsty story (involving adult aged MCs) I couldn't get into it.
3 stars story. This was a sweet low angst story. Unfortunately since I am in the mood for a sexy angsty story (involving adult aged MCs) I couldn't get into it.
June 10, 2020
Soooo cute. I do love how DJ gets these sweet romances with either a fake boyfriend element or this secret admirer one so right.
It had just enough tension to stop it becoming saccharine and enough heat to blow the cobwebs off.
Both characters were engaging and I loved them together.
Brother's best friend is one of my favourite tropes and this book tackles it with sweetness and a lot of humour.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
It had just enough tension to stop it becoming saccharine and enough heat to blow the cobwebs off.
Both characters were engaging and I loved them together.
Brother's best friend is one of my favourite tropes and this book tackles it with sweetness and a lot of humour.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
February 6, 2024
their friends can get too much in their space, like can they get a privacy geez, everytime they about to get intimate at least there was one person there to hear it.
It's funny that benji had a blow out once he found that ace had been the secret admirer all along and mad about it, calling a liar only for him to do the same with his brother.
I still think it's a cute story tho, because it's somewhat realistic, especially ace bi awakening.
It's funny that benji had a blow out once he found that ace had been the secret admirer all along and mad about it, calling a liar only for him to do the same with his brother.
I still think it's a cute story tho, because it's somewhat realistic, especially ace bi awakening.
June 25, 2020
It seems that I am the first to leave a meh review for a book that everyone seems to like. “Secret Admirer” was a book that just didn’t work for me and I hate that because it should have. I thought everyone acted juvenile and immature throughout the story, making them seem high school aged not about to graduate college aged. I never felt like Ace and Benji belonged together, never felt their connection or their “love” for one another. I just never clicked with this story or any of the characters, I don’t think I’m a good fit with this author, I was left feeling blah after finishing it.
I give this story 2 stars.
I received an arc from the author for an honest review.
I give this story 2 stars.
I received an arc from the author for an honest review.
November 7, 2020
This was so sweet!! I love the best friend's younger brother trope, and this was so sweet. Benji was so cute and I really enjoyed this story. A bit of fake date, sweet secret admirer wooing, and just fun!
October 19, 2020
Overall book rating: 3.5
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 4
Nice little feel good. I don't do a whole lot of college age books anymore but I had fun
with this one.
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 4
Nice little feel good. I don't do a whole lot of college age books anymore but I had fun
with this one.
August 9, 2020
Benji and Ace, the two main characters in ‘Secret Admirer’ by D. J. Jamison are each sweet, but OMG, their story is filled with so much angst and predictability that it was nearly impossible to stick with it.
From the very beginning the conclusion was never in doubt. Even the first time the two college students were having their first sexual experience together, each was having his own doubts about why the other would want to be with him. It was all just too, too, too much.
I’m glad other reviewers liked this book. But even with its good moments, it just wasn’t for me.
“Secret Admirer’ would have been much better as a short novella than as a 232 page novel.
From the very beginning the conclusion was never in doubt. Even the first time the two college students were having their first sexual experience together, each was having his own doubts about why the other would want to be with him. It was all just too, too, too much.
I’m glad other reviewers liked this book. But even with its good moments, it just wasn’t for me.
“Secret Admirer’ would have been much better as a short novella than as a 232 page novel.
June 9, 2023
4.25 stars. ***(Mild spoilers!!!)***
When introverted Benji is stood up for a date, Ace, Benji's brother Jeremy's BFF, sends him a basket of chocolate kisses to make Benji smile and lift his spirits. Ace does not sign his name to the gift's note, opting to place "Your Secret Admirer" on the card instead.
Afraid of Jeremy's reaction should Benji tell his older brother, Ace continues to send Benji small gifts under the guise of "Your Secret Admirer." As he does, his once straight sexual orientation begins to bend and he realizes he has deeper feelings for his BFF's younger brother, despite the possible conflict they could cause.
Told with real deep feeling, the author unfolds a plot filled with love, snark and sexual awakening. Is Ace willing to risk a long-standing friendship with Jeremy fold under his love for Jeremy's brother? He understands that Jeremy has to be told about his feelings for Benji, but that admission includes admitting to himself that he is bisexual.
Taking place mostly on a college campus, Ace's sexual revelation brings both joy and doubt to Benji, who's low self-esteem constantly has him feeling unworthy of Ace's support and attention. Thinking Ace is just playing "big brother" to him to make up for Jeremy not being around due to working at an internship, Benji wavers between self-deprecation and acceptance in regards to Ace's attentions.
Wonderfully told with excellent prose, the author gradually constructs a tale of what it truly means to care for someone else despite the possible negative fallout.
I really loved this book and the author's ability to bring true emotions to its pages. This is the first book in the series and I cannot wait to read the other character's stories.
When introverted Benji is stood up for a date, Ace, Benji's brother Jeremy's BFF, sends him a basket of chocolate kisses to make Benji smile and lift his spirits. Ace does not sign his name to the gift's note, opting to place "Your Secret Admirer" on the card instead.
Afraid of Jeremy's reaction should Benji tell his older brother, Ace continues to send Benji small gifts under the guise of "Your Secret Admirer." As he does, his once straight sexual orientation begins to bend and he realizes he has deeper feelings for his BFF's younger brother, despite the possible conflict they could cause.
Told with real deep feeling, the author unfolds a plot filled with love, snark and sexual awakening. Is Ace willing to risk a long-standing friendship with Jeremy fold under his love for Jeremy's brother? He understands that Jeremy has to be told about his feelings for Benji, but that admission includes admitting to himself that he is bisexual.
Taking place mostly on a college campus, Ace's sexual revelation brings both joy and doubt to Benji, who's low self-esteem constantly has him feeling unworthy of Ace's support and attention. Thinking Ace is just playing "big brother" to him to make up for Jeremy not being around due to working at an internship, Benji wavers between self-deprecation and acceptance in regards to Ace's attentions.
Wonderfully told with excellent prose, the author gradually constructs a tale of what it truly means to care for someone else despite the possible negative fallout.
I really loved this book and the author's ability to bring true emotions to its pages. This is the first book in the series and I cannot wait to read the other character's stories.
January 5, 2022
A nice in-between book, but nothing memorable. No idea why it didn’t quite work out for me, I don’t have any major complaints with the story.
Benji‘s been infatuated with bis brother’s best friend Ace for years. Ace, who’s straight, and who sees him like a little brother. When Ace stumbles upon Benji right after he’s been stood up, something changes and he begins to fall for him.
It’s been… nice. Likable, but not very riveting characters. I skimmed a bit, but it still made me smile, so I’ll give it 3 stars.
Benji‘s been infatuated with bis brother’s best friend Ace for years. Ace, who’s straight, and who sees him like a little brother. When Ace stumbles upon Benji right after he’s been stood up, something changes and he begins to fall for him.
It’s been… nice. Likable, but not very riveting characters. I skimmed a bit, but it still made me smile, so I’ll give it 3 stars.
April 14, 2024
This was just the best story. I honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better while in my low-angst reads only stage. I lost track of how many times I thought “awww” while reading. This was just so cute but also with a bit of conflict brought in to have a great balance!
Benji was the absolute cutest and I felt so much for him every time he didn’t believe he was good enough. Ace was such an amazing guy and I loved all his secret admirer gifts. They were so cute and perfect for Benji.
There was a bit of conflict and hurt in this story but it does get worked out quickly enough and I loved their HEA. If you enjoy this author I highly recommend this amazing story!
Benji was the absolute cutest and I felt so much for him every time he didn’t believe he was good enough. Ace was such an amazing guy and I loved all his secret admirer gifts. They were so cute and perfect for Benji.
There was a bit of conflict and hurt in this story but it does get worked out quickly enough and I loved their HEA. If you enjoy this author I highly recommend this amazing story!
June 7, 2020
This was cute!
Benji loved Ace (his brother's best friend) since forever, but Ace is straight, or so they thought.
But Ace is like a brother to Benji, keeping him safe, taking care of him, since Jeremy, Benji's brother living far away. Too far to guard his baby brother.
So Ace did the deed. But he never thought it come to term, he'll fall for Benji, but too afraid to let Benji knew.
So, he started with gifts from Benji's 'secret admire'>.
I loved Benji and Ace's chemistry, they has it since the get go.
It's always Ace, Benji looking at, and Ace always took care of benji. like a lover's way.
I enjoyed this story, this was a cliche but still very entertaining.
Something I still need to read in this pandemic era (Ugh!)
July 1, 2020
Sweet!
This was such a sweet/feel-good story that it literally made me smile throughout the book. Loved the characters and really loved the romantic relationship between the two heroes.
This was such a sweet/feel-good story that it literally made me smile throughout the book. Loved the characters and really loved the romantic relationship between the two heroes.
June 29, 2020
*Received A Copy To Review From The Author*
So cute and sweet. I loved that it zigged when I expected it to zag. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly Ace, though Benji improved once he got over his ridiculous denial. The insecurity stuck around a bit longer than I would've liked. Nothing major though. I really liked how their relationship progressed generally. The family drama was decent without being too much. Just a lowkey, sweet, happy read.
So cute and sweet. I loved that it zigged when I expected it to zag. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly Ace, though Benji improved once he got over his ridiculous denial. The insecurity stuck around a bit longer than I would've liked. Nothing major though. I really liked how their relationship progressed generally. The family drama was decent without being too much. Just a lowkey, sweet, happy read.
March 10, 2021
So sweet and romantic! A delightful read for a cold evening 😊
dropped
December 22, 2022***dnf @50%***
That’s about sums it up.
But I love the cover.
“It’s just too bad that two guys so clearly into each other aren’t actually together.”
Did she know something I didn’t?
That’s about sums it up.
But I love the cover.
January 11, 2024
Molto carino e dolce, senza colpi di scena.
Per una lettura super rilassante
Per una lettura super rilassante
January 18, 2026
A sweet low angst, brother's best friend, opposites attract, bi awakening. Cute in all ways.
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed it.
January 13, 2026
SECRET ADMIRER was really cute and a great light and low-angst MM romance. I always enjoy the brother's best friend trope and I liked the way this one was handled. Ace and Benji were really sweet together and it took a bit of time for them to sort themselves out but once they did it was very spicy!
Ace was a great MMC and I loved his mix of confidence and nervousness; he had moments of attraction to men in the past but never really explored it until he started spending more time around a grown-up Benji. I admired Ace's resilience in the face of a neglectful and emotionally abusive childhood and the way he treated everyone around him with kindness and respect. He's not technically an athlete in this book but SECRET ADMIRER gave off major jock/nerd vibes with Ace being the charismatic frat brother and Benji being the shy and studious introvert.
Benji had crushed on Ace for a long time and it was fun to watch him figure out who his secret admirer was while being completely oblivious to how Ace felt about him. I could relate a lot to Benji's personality and the way he struggled between wanting to be involved and included but also needing his time alone to reset and relax.
The other frat guys were fun and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
Content Warning: brief other man drama when Benji thinks another guy is his secret admirer; emotionally abusive and manipulative parents
Ace was a great MMC and I loved his mix of confidence and nervousness; he had moments of attraction to men in the past but never really explored it until he started spending more time around a grown-up Benji. I admired Ace's resilience in the face of a neglectful and emotionally abusive childhood and the way he treated everyone around him with kindness and respect. He's not technically an athlete in this book but SECRET ADMIRER gave off major jock/nerd vibes with Ace being the charismatic frat brother and Benji being the shy and studious introvert.
Benji had crushed on Ace for a long time and it was fun to watch him figure out who his secret admirer was while being completely oblivious to how Ace felt about him. I could relate a lot to Benji's personality and the way he struggled between wanting to be involved and included but also needing his time alone to reset and relax.
The other frat guys were fun and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
Content Warning: brief other man drama when Benji thinks another guy is his secret admirer; emotionally abusive and manipulative parents
July 8, 2020
More seriously, I just kinda didn't feel this book very much. The beginning was promising but it tapered off toward the end. The ending was also... not anticlimactic but also not very climatic. Or maybe that was the point? Idk.
October 23, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2020/10/23/...
Rating: 3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
Rating: 3.5 Stars – that place between like and love
June 9, 2022
3.5 stars for the story, 4.5 for the narration
I picked this one up primarily because Darcy Stark is the narrator and I wanted a quick “between review listens” book to listen to while I caught up with writing reviews! Secret Admirer is a sweet, low-angst best-friend’s-brother romance that’s more than a bit predictable, but I liked the characters and the premise – and the narration is excellent, so it did the job.
Benji - said bestie’s brother – is sweet and shy with a bit of a self-esteem problem. He’s in his first year at college and had expected his brother Jeremy to be at the same college finishing his degree, but Jeremy got a scholarship in Chicago at the last minute, so Benji is on his own. Jeremy asks his best friend Ace to keep an eye on him.
When the book opens, Benji has just been stood up for a date and is about to make his way back to his dorm when he runs in to Ace – on whom he’s had a crush for years. Embarrassed, Benji tells Ace what happened and Ace, angry on his behalf, takes him for ice cream to commiserate (it was what they always did when they were younger.) Listening to Benji talking and realising how little he thinks of himself, Ace hatches a plan to try to make him feel better about himself – and the next day, Benji finds a gift and a note from a Secret Admirer in his room.
The first part of the story sees Benji trying to work out who this person is while Ace grapples with the fact that he’s attracted to his bestie’s younger brother. Ace has only ever dated women, although he readily admits to himself that he’s been “bi-curious” for quite a while – he’s just never acted on it. In fact, he’s so busy with college and his part time job that he hasn’t had much time to date anyway, but being around Benji makes him want to change that.
It’s a cute story with a dash of angst and just enough “stuff” going on to keep things interesting. Benji and Ace are likeable and good for each other, and while Ace hasn’t been with a guy before, I wouldn’t necessarily call it GFY/OFY, because the author establishes that Ace has been aware he’s attracted to men as well as women for a while and is already thinking he’s probably bisexual.
Darcy Stark delivers an excellent performance, assigning recognisable voices to all the characters, and injecting warmth and humour and emotion into the story. As I said, he’s the main reason I picked this one up and he doesn’t disappoint.
I picked this one up primarily because Darcy Stark is the narrator and I wanted a quick “between review listens” book to listen to while I caught up with writing reviews! Secret Admirer is a sweet, low-angst best-friend’s-brother romance that’s more than a bit predictable, but I liked the characters and the premise – and the narration is excellent, so it did the job.
Benji - said bestie’s brother – is sweet and shy with a bit of a self-esteem problem. He’s in his first year at college and had expected his brother Jeremy to be at the same college finishing his degree, but Jeremy got a scholarship in Chicago at the last minute, so Benji is on his own. Jeremy asks his best friend Ace to keep an eye on him.
When the book opens, Benji has just been stood up for a date and is about to make his way back to his dorm when he runs in to Ace – on whom he’s had a crush for years. Embarrassed, Benji tells Ace what happened and Ace, angry on his behalf, takes him for ice cream to commiserate (it was what they always did when they were younger.) Listening to Benji talking and realising how little he thinks of himself, Ace hatches a plan to try to make him feel better about himself – and the next day, Benji finds a gift and a note from a Secret Admirer in his room.
The first part of the story sees Benji trying to work out who this person is while Ace grapples with the fact that he’s attracted to his bestie’s younger brother. Ace has only ever dated women, although he readily admits to himself that he’s been “bi-curious” for quite a while – he’s just never acted on it. In fact, he’s so busy with college and his part time job that he hasn’t had much time to date anyway, but being around Benji makes him want to change that.
It’s a cute story with a dash of angst and just enough “stuff” going on to keep things interesting. Benji and Ace are likeable and good for each other, and while Ace hasn’t been with a guy before, I wouldn’t necessarily call it GFY/OFY, because the author establishes that Ace has been aware he’s attracted to men as well as women for a while and is already thinking he’s probably bisexual.
Darcy Stark delivers an excellent performance, assigning recognisable voices to all the characters, and injecting warmth and humour and emotion into the story. As I said, he’s the main reason I picked this one up and he doesn’t disappoint.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews