Lucas and Bennett Gaines are the newest home owners on Calumny Court. Being a gay couple in their mid-thirties, the two must navigate through the traditional lifestyle of those that live on the cul-de-sac. At every turn, they run into what seems to be a never-ending set of problems with the judgmental and catty neighbors.
Their biggest obstacle comes from Skyler Steller and Zachary Cauderling, gay, entitled, college boys that have lived in the neighborhood for years with their family. Little do the Gaines know that these two scheming college boys have their own hidden agenda that could put their relationship in peril.
Will Lucas and Bennett be able to adapt to the standards and expectations that come with living on the cul-de-sac?
The Worrier: Lucas Gaines will go out of his way to fit in with the new neighbors.
The Easy-Goer: Bennett Gaines is oblivious to the judgment and pretension that exists on the cul-de-sac.
The Narcissist: Zachary Cauderling never takes accountability or responsibility for his actions.
The Conspirator: Skyler Steller always plays mind games with anyone and everyone.
I have a confession. I have an unhealthy love for soap operas. Thank you, mother dearest. And this is basically a soap opera in book form. I loved it. Was sold from the very first page.
We got the point of view from the four (!!) main characters. Lucas and Bennett are newly weds. Moving to the cul-de-sac to get a new start. Their relationship have had some bumps but they are finally in a better place. Well that's until they met Skyler and Zachary, the two young best friends and neighbours.
This book shows a part of the real gay culture. I know guys who are exactly like Lucas, Bennett, Skyler and Zachary. I have met them all. And while it might not be the most flattering image, I enjoyed that it felt real.
This book is not for everyone. There's a lot going on that would be frowned upon by the regular romance reader. But as a soap opera loving, gay man I was 100% there for it.
I don't normally read romance, but when I do, it needs to be a steamy MM romance! BJ Irons' book The Cul-De-Sac is an extremely steamy, juicy, and quick fun read. I can't wait to see what more that the author has up his sleeve.
Steamy sex and drama on Calumny Court! Who says the suburbs are boring? Not BJ Irons, in his new book, The Cul-de-Sac.
Like many married couples, Lucas and Bennett have decided it’s time to abandon their wild city life for a fancy house in the suburbs. And the house on Calumny Court, a well-appointed cul-de-sac, seems perfect.
What they don’t count on are Zach and Skyler. Both of their families live on the cul-de-sac, and both are used to playing mind games and getting exactly what they want. Zach and Skyler are both gay, and love to compete with each other, so they set their sights on Lucas and Bennett. Who can seduce one half of the new neighbor couple first? But does this rivalry mask real feelings?
The Cul-de-Sac is deliciously soapy and it was a great change of pace for me. The sex scenes (all M/M) are pretty hot and steamy.
I’m glad I don’t live on Calumny Court but I sure enjoyed reading about it! Book 2 is forthcoming...
The author provided me a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!
Author B.J. Irons debuts a soap-opera style novel set around an upscale suburban cul-de-sac. You have to go into this book thinking nighttime drama and with the street feeling a little familiar as it plays off of stories that have come before it.
Bennett and Lucas are newly married and, although they had a rough patch in their relationship, they are looking forwarding to their dream home in the suburbs. They are immediately approached by the gossiping and sometimes overbearing neighbors and Lucas and Bennett want to fit in to their new community. They both catch the eyes of college students Skyler and Zach and their move may not be everything they expected.
The book didn’t go as deep into the manipulations as I thought it would based on the description. The book did play out in an expected manner and did get a little slow in some spots, as the overall intrigue was a little dialed down for this type of setting. And, as consequences are not a factor in some soap-style tales, not everything is dealt with.
They all live on the cul-de-sac Calumny Court. Lucas and Bennett are the latest new neighbors. Alternating between the residents we are witness of a lot of gatherings.
The twenty-year-old Zach and Skyler are two pain in the asses. Competitive AF And they have set their darts on the new hot couple living on the cul-de-sac, Lucas and Bennett. A wager who gets who in bed first is a fact.
Lucas and Bennett are happily married, a few bumps on the road in the past just hold them on their toes. They are hot AF. They are ‘friendly’ embraced by all the neighbors, invitations to all their parties, bbq’s, game nights, it’s exhausted! Let’s not forget the two younger guys who are nice but intrusive. The question is will their marriage survive the attacks and will Zach and Skyler still be friends.
It was an great story, it had everything in it that made me realize, why I don’t want to get involved with neighbors ha!, all the gossip, nosiness, rude comments, intrusive behavior, ugh. Fun to read about but not for my rl.
The author has a smooth way of writing, very appealing. The story was recognizable. It was an entertaining story, with a lot of fun, sexiness, annoyance, awkwardness, and some secrets. The book starts with a floor map of the Calumny Court, who lives where ánd a composition of the families, awesome!
Oh man, this is a tough one. I really like the writing and the storyline is great. I just can't read it. I know bad things are going to happen and I just don't want to read these bad things. But, damn, it's really good.
I have a tough time reading about people being manipulated, as others cause problems to their relationship.
Cul-de-Sac is a tale of drama and more drama. If you're in the mood, you'll love it.
Move aside Desperate Housewives, there's a new drama in town. Lucas and Bennett think that moving to the suburbs will have them leading a more settled lifestyle. Boy are they in for a surprise. With enough drama and mind games going on there isn't time to get bored. Get reading to sit back and enjoy this soap opera like romp!
This was a lot of fun to read, a deliciously scandalous cringe-fest of social mores and expectations, with the machinations of two spoiled, privileged brats determined to get their own way and to hell with the consequences.
Skylar and Zach have a bet as to which one of them can seduce their hot new neighbours first. They don’t know or care that Lucas and Bennett are still working through the trust issues caused by Bennett’s infidelity a few years before. And on top of this, the new couple have to figure out how they fit into the close-knit and ever-watchful cul-de-sac community they’ve chosen to live in.
There are some beautifully written but awful moments as they are introduced to the neighbours. There’s the excruciating “who’s the man,” conversation with people who have no idea how to talk to members of the gay community. There are ultra-Stepford Wife women and braying wealthy men. It’s Desperate Housewives and Beverley Hills 90210 with a bewildered gay couple trying to settle in without upsetting anyone. The result is hilarious and squirm-inducing, with some hot sexy times in between.
Okay, so the book isn’t perfect. There is an excitable tone to it, mainly because of the preponderance of exclamation marks which always make the writing seem shrill. And there are scenes of what-the-fuckery in some of the decisions the characters make. I wasn’t convinced by Zach’s change of heart (he’s a little sociopath and they never change) or by Lucas’s stomping off, which was designed purely for a dramatic make-up scene. Also, a few of the characters verged on caricature and seemed too repellent to live.
BUT, sometimes caricature is gleeful fun. and Zach especially was so awful, his turn of phrase so icky (he wants to give Lucas a “good dicking.”) I’m not sure whether he and Skylar really deserved the ending they got, but as white privileged rich boys, I guess it was inevitable.
So all in all, a fun read. Don’t take it too seriously. Cringe at the excruciating bits and know that there really are places and people like this in the world. Just don’t move in next to them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If this was a TV show, I would watch the hell out of it! First of all, it’s a complete soap opera, but I think it goes well beyond that. We have all the stereotypes-cheating spouses, trampy offspring, pretentious country club wives, and husbands making all those deals to keep up the façade of a successful family.
The plot centers on Lucas and Bennett Gaines who are a married gay couple who trade in the excitement of the “City” for the safety and respectability of the suburbs. Bennett cheated on Lucas a year before they moved to the burbs so keep an eye out for the tension that it might cause later.
We are soon introduced to some of the neighbors. We have Jonathan Candor; an older gentleman obsesses with his lawn. We then get Bethanny Cauderling and Whitney Steller who are two of the queen bees in the neighborhood. Each of them has a gay son. They let Lucas and Bennett know that they are “accepting of you both and your lifestyle”. Cringe.
Bethanny invites the guys to a party to meet the rest of the neighborhood. She tells them that they’re the guests of honor which turns out not to be true. Oops.
The party goes downhill from there. Zach, Bethanny’s gay son, ends up drugging Lucas. Of course, he doesn’t feel any guilt and neither does his BFF Skylar, Whitney’s gay son. The boys are 21 which makes them adults in most people’s eyes, but they, along with everyone else, are emotionally stunted.
The story progresses from there. We do get some good character development. It would be easy to keep everyone flat and one-dimensional, but that would just be lazy.
I think it’s a pretty good story. Some of the writing needs tightening up in places, but that’s secondary to the story. We get our redemption arc for some of the characters, and that’s what makes a soap opera successful. I’d like to see a second book using some of the same characters. It would be interesting to see what happens to them.
ARC received by Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
This gave me strong desperate housewives vibes, like everyone living in a close-knit community, in each other’s lives gossiping and partying etc. and to be honest, I was sold on it quite early on.
This was set around 4 main gay characters and it was all written in their POV, each chapter focusing on a different character. Personally, I really love this writing style, we can really understand each person’s thought process and feelings on the story.
The story and concept of the book was great. There were a few points I was iffy on, but that was mainly on some of the wording used in the dialogue during the sex scenes. Just so you are aware, there are PLENTY of sex scenes! There is also mention of drug use and explicit language. I don’t usually read mlm romances, but this book surprised me, in a good way.
I really loved Bennett and Lucas who were the new hot couple in the area. They obviously have their problems but were really lovely to get to know. For the first half of the book I HATED Zach, he was obnoxious, arrogant, and entitled but towards the second half I warmed to his character and he had some great character development.
After reading this, I’m not going to lie, I definitely don’t want to live in a town like this, so many parties, lunch dates and game nights! Their social life was kind of exhausting.
At the end it did disclose an excerpt from book 2 in the POV of Celeste (Skylar’s twin sister) and reading this has made me really want to get this second book when released.
Overall, I think the author did a great job with his book and although I wouldn’t be the target audience, I really enjoyed reading about these characters and their struggles.
When I read the prologue, my initial thought was that this was all fun and games. Boy was I wrong. Both Skyler and Zach were actively trying to destroy Lucas's & Bennett's marriage. I loved how all 4 characters were given their own detailed personalities and struggles. I also enjoyed the interactions and embarrassing moments between Lucas & Bennet's interactions with their neighbours. It was also nice that Zack and Skyler eventually confessed their feelings for each other and start dating, even though it took both of them forever to realise that. I would, without hesitation recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
All I would like to point out is that despite being on PrEP, you should still use condoms unless you and your partner are monogamous and get tested regularly. PrEP does not protect you from everything.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Lucas and Bennett are in their thirties. They move to Calumny Court hoping the suburbs will provide them with stability and comfort, and instead they get epic drama that would put even Desperate Housewives to shame. Zach and Skyler are both in college, both gay, and have a complicated friendship. Skyler is manipulative and enjoys pulling strings. Zach is used to people doing anything he wants, without consequences—so of course they decide to make seducing the new neighbors a competition. There’s a lot to like about this book: I really enjoyed having all 4 of the characters’ perspectives, which let a reader see the drama from all sides. The levels of intrigue and emotion were always high, which made for page turning chapters. Overall, while I never ever ever want to live in a place like Calumny Court in real life, I very much enjoyed visiting the fictional version.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review*
I enjoyed this cast of characters. I think most gay men have met a Skylar, Zach, Lucas, and Bennett at some point in their lives, which makes them all very relatable. The contrast in the relationship dynamics between Skylar & Zach in their early 20s 'figuring it all out' and Lucas & Bennett in their mid-30s having some real life experience was a realistic look into how gay dating progresses over the years for many. I was happy to see a successful, well-adjusted monogamous couple with a very healthy relationship built on experience and sex life depicted. My only critique is should all four of the gay characters be either 'jocks' or 'twinks' with perfect bodies they in some ways obsess over throughout?
3.5 stars A good start and it got me intrigued. Skyler and Zach and their betting games. The story progresses and things go a little to far. A book that includes all the characters of the street but features on Bennett and Lucas. Includes games, drugs and street parties. I hoped someone would teach Zach a serious lesson about sex and relationships. This is an okay book for the cal-de-sac houses in life and romances with a bif of drama. Each chapter contains a different POV. If you love a soap opera type book you'll love this. Lucas and his hubby Bennett where the eye candy of the street especially with Skyler perving in them. Ohh he's trouble with a bet his made with his freind, Zach.
Calumny Court is one piece of real estate you want to avoid! This was a quick and fun read and if you are into soap operas I think you will enjoy it. Zach and Skyler are the college boys who make a game out of messing with Lucas and Bennett's marriage. There's a lot of sex and drinking and debauchery and while I wouldn't want to live it, it was fun to read about it. I wish there had been more character development and I can't say I liked many, if any of the characters, but I did want to know how it ended up for all of them.
I received a free copy from BookSirens and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
Talk about drama, the cul-de-sac was full of it. It was funny watching the babygays trying to overtake Lucas and Bennett, evil masterminds they were not but it was exciting to see what turn their dastardly plot would take. Skyler and Zachary are so juvenile in their actions but it covers a secret between the two. Absolute scandal is rife through the hoa and really juicy gossip, but overall I found this interesting and deliciously soap opera level good. A gossip girl feel to it and very sexy times to be had.
It was great to read something a little different. There are 4 POV in this book. Skyler and Zach are both spoilt, selfish college boys trying to seduce the new married couple in the street. Lucas and Bennett are sweet, beautiful and totally in love with each other. But they do have vulnerable issues in their marriage. I loved Lucas and Bennett. Skyler and Zach, not so much but I'm pleased they found their HEA. It's a good story with drama, which kept me turning the pages. I would definitely recommend.
This book was definitely a mix of Cruel Intentions and Desperate Housewives. Two devious boys, Zach and Skylar make an outrageous bet to hook up with the new couple, Lucas and Bennett but plans and bets never go as planned. Mix in bored housewives, and egoistical husbands and you have the perfect combination of drama. Need a hot and steamy read with a huge side of drama, pick up this book!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's just like a soap opera with everything going on. It held my attention from page 1 which I really like in a book. I was laughing with how it reminded me on some soaps my mom watches. This is a story about newlyweds Lucas and Bennett who move from the city to the suburbs where there's lots of drama. Highly recommend this book.
It’s hard to believe that this is the first novel from BJ Irons. His writing reads as though he were an accomplished author with a dozen or more books to his name! I loved and hated the residents of Calumny Court. I could feel the love the main characters had for each other, as well as the sarcastic, bitchy cattiness of one particular neighbor. I’m very much looking forward to Mr. Irons’ next novel! BRAVO BJ!!!
This reminded me so much of 80s-90s TV shows/soaps like Melrose Place and Knots Landing. Lucas and Bennett think they are leaving the rat race for a calmer life in suburbia but what they find are complicated relationships galore with the added problem of some homophobia. Life isn't easy, but it sure is entertaining to read about.
Such a fun read! The characters are perfect and the story draws you in from the beginning. I wish I lived on this cul-de-sac because the drama is just so addicting! I can’t wait to read more from this author to delve further into the world he has created.
This was a juicy, fast paced read—almost like the gay version of Desperate Housewives! It would be the perfect book for poolside or beach reading. I loved BJ’s writing style, and can’t wait to grab his next book. I’m giving this one five fun and sexy stars!
I don't know if to hate this book or like it. I'm caught in limbo. It is filled with the kind of queer characters most gay people hate. Its stereotypes are apparent in each character, and the plot is much to be desired, but I kind of liked it.
Bleh, definitely not for me. Partially my fault, I saw this added on a thriller list (I am now realizing that person was also mistaken), and this was basically just smut over and over, and honestly not well written at that.