There For You

Love and Family #1

by Anyta Sunday

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.


Sam:
He’s solid, kind, and he’s back. Luke. My next door neighbor. My best friend. My unofficial co-parent.

God, I’ve missed him. Really, deeply missed him.
Now he’s around again? Maybe he’ll help me tick my way through my Must Do List . . .

Swim with the great whites?
Get into crazy, nasty shape. Lift weights before work!
Date someone ten years older.
Flirt, have fun, don’t fall in love.
Do something sexually taboo. (Or just have sex again.)

I mean, I’m straight, so Luke doesn’t have to help me with the last three points.
But, what . . . what if he does?


Luke:
He’s the guy I’m in love with. He doesn’t even know I’m gay.

God, I’m screwed.

~ ~ ~

"There For You" is a slow burn, Friends To Lovers, boy-next-door, bi-awakening story with HEA. A sweet & cozy M/M romance. This is the first book in the "Love & Family" series, set in Wellington, New Zealand.
The books in the Love & Family series are standalone romances, and can be read in any order.

THERE FOR YOU: Sam & Luke’s story
MADE FOR YOU: Ben & Jack’s story
HAPPY FOR YOU: Felix & Mort’s story

~ ~ ~

"There For You" was previously published under the title "Taboo For You".

~ ~ ~


***A Runner Up for Best Gay Contemporary Romance (William Neale Award), Rainbow Awards 2013***

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

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2013

About the author

Specialising in slow-burn romances where emotions reign, intimacy lingers, and chemistry sizzles—stories that leave you holding your breath and cheering for love, with just a splash of spice to sweeten the journey.

Check out my website:
Contact: http://www.anytasunday.com/?page_id=386

Für deutsche Leser:
http://www.anytasunday.de/

In italiano:
http://www.anytasunday.it/

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has a type.

Some people love books that have established couples, some love enemies to lovers, some love sci-fi or YA or non-con. Everyone has something that makes them go, "Yes! Yes!! 1,000 times YES! This book has my name all over it!!"

That is what a sexuality discovery story is for me.

Nothing gives me that nudge, that feeling of butterflies in the pit of my stomach, like a slow build sexuality discovery story. You can have your mysteries, your romantic suspense, your military men. Keep 'em, I don't need them. But a guy discovering his sexuality for the first time... yeah, that is my comfort zone. And this book was an adorable, scrumptious, beautiful one.



I felt like crying I loved this book so much. I loved how Anyta Sunday made me wait for it. I don't mind dense MCs that need a conk on their heads to smell the roses. I want that tension, that hesitation. It is like food for my greedy, mother-f-ing soul!!!

Don't be confused by the title. This book is only "Taboo" if you think delicious man sex is taboo. And if you do, why the F are you reading M/M, you nutter! This book is sweetness all the way, a lovely friends-to-lovers story that reminded me in a small way of Bear, Otter, and the Kid.

A few warnings for you readers out there. This book contains sexual situations with a minor (a teenager gets it on a bit), but it wasn't anything I found objectionable. There are also three POVs here, switching from chapter to chapter. That being said, I wouldn't change a thing about this book. I think this author made some fabulous choices and for once, FOR ONCE, Anyta Sunday gave me some ever loving sex on page!!! I could kiss you, Anyta, KISS YOU!

So, in conclusion, if you like sweet sexuality discovery stories with lots of tension and buildup, give this little gem a go. It truly made my day.

[Anyta Sunday]

Yeah, so I'm working on Jack's story. Made For You.

This book has:
- romance
- family dynamics and shenanigans
- a lot of wood (er, in all senses)

May 2019

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the experience of reading Taboo For You comes closest to floating around in a warm bubble-bath. I had a serious case of warm, fuzzy feelings when reading this cute story. Considering that I usually only have a sweet tooth when it comes to food and not to my books... What can I say? The author did a great job. She wrote a heartwarming and amusing gay for you book -- and wrote it well! My cheesedar didn't detect much to bitch about.

Taboo For You in a nutshell: Two neighbors: Sam and Luke. Sam accidentally knocked up a girl when he was only 15 and has been playing the responsible parent to his son Jeremy ever since. But now that he is about to hit the 30, he can't help but think of all the kickass stuff he's missed out on. Like swimming with sharks and doing something sexually taboo... Luke, on the other hand, has secretly been in love with his straight neighbor for years and helps him out with his son where ever he can. There's only one problem: now that Sam's BD is lurking around the corner, Sam has decided to step up his game. Meaning that time is running out for Luke, who snatched a copy of Sam's bucket list and wants nothing more than to be part of his neighbor's taboo fantasy...

I already mentioned the cuteness of Taboo For You. So let me just add that, while this story gently flows on and is pretty much angst and heartbreak free, a lot of stuff happens. You will be entertained the entire time. I smiled on many occasions, experienced a few feels and rooted for the sympathetic MC's. The unreleased sexual tension (UST) is strong in this one too. UST mostly drives me crazy in a good way. As long as the tension isn't kept intact by artificial plot-devices and doesn't become too unbelievable (since Sam came across as the friendliest, but not the brightest bulb in the box, I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt here ;)). And as long as I'll get rewarded eventually, of course!

I'm not Mother Mary! Psht!

Rewarded I did get. Although I have to say that one of the sex scenes made me raise my cyber eyebrow. You see, it included a bar of soap going a place where I think bars of soap aren't supposed to go. And then it was used as a lubricant too? Ick! Seriously? Believe me, the last thing I want to do is chat about rectal suppository's here, but they kind of illustrate that everything you put in there is absorbed by your body reeeally well...and I don't think your health will benefit from soap much?

Weirded out. Yeah, that's what I was. Weirded out that apparently no one of the mentioned beta readers and editors climbed on their soapbox because of this scene.

Something else I didn't like were the numbers. It's likely that it had something to do with the fact that Sam turned 30 and his kid 15, that emphasis was put on every single number in the text, by making it bold and 3 times bigger than the normal text. But the joke got old fast. And during certain scenes (if you get what I'm getting at), bold, inflated numbers have no business popping up. I suppose you can ignore them fairly easily though. Or crack up about them. Maybe it's just me thinking it was a lame trick.

All things considered, bubble-baths are pretty damn wonderful every now and then. And this one in particular will definitely put a smile on your face.

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read: 08.03.2020
The thing is, the book is cute, but - yes there's a but - there's nothing special about the characters. None of the stand out, they're just there. Also, I wish one was at least... more alpha male. Really. That would've helped this book immensely. I mean, the characters are too weak, and keep walking around each other instead of just taking charge... But yeah, it's still cute, but not as enjoyable as I remembers. Perhaps I'm yet again so far deep into a reading slump that everything is just... meh.
New rating: 2.5/3 stars.

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Friends to lovers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

First read review:
Well this was cute. I adore GFY books, specially with friends to lovers theme. However, I wish we had gotten more from the ending. Like getting to see the characters actually be a couple. The book centers around Sam (29) and teacher Luke (36) and Jeremy ‘Jer’ (14), Sam's son. Luke is gay, just came out to his family, but not to his best friend. His best friend that he's in love with. Sam, who's not looking forward to turning 30, makes a list, and that's where their lives gets turned up side down. There's also Jeremy who want to get in his girlfriends pants and his plans to get there. Overall, it's was a fast forward, a bit sad at Luke's pain, but still a adorable read about being in love with your best friend.

Numbers that can tell you about life.

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Contemporary Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series? Standalone?, Book One.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - Yes.
Favorite character? - Luke.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Sure.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not.
Rating - 3.5 stars.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was an absolute delight! It is a great comfort story when you are in the mood for something calm and low key and emotional with being over-the-top. There are no car chases or gunfire or werewolves or aliens. Just a hard working, decent down-to-his-bones young father named Sam of a teenaged boy named Jeremy who never had a chance to enjoy his teenaged self. They live next door to a lovely, generous man named Luke who has become a father figure to Jeremy and a best friend to Sam. With his 30th birthday approaching, Sam decides to make a "bucket list" of sorts and do the crazy things young people often do that he never had a chance to do because he was busy being a responsible father to his child. He wants to complete this bucket list in the 3 weeks before he turns 30.

This is a gay-for-you tale of the highest quality and with the biggest heart. Sam and Luke do not have to fall into bed right away to give the book that sexual payoff so many of us look for and love in our M/M romance. In fact, the sex happens quite near the end, but I hardly noticed, and I'm a tough customer when it comes to books with little to no sex in them. This book was more about family and love and it gave me the best possible case of the warm & fuzzies.

Highly recommended to all M/M romance lovers and fans of the GFY genre, this is a must read.

Thank you for the recommendation Eva!

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyta Sunday is an amazing, amazing author. I want to throw this out there first, because the writing is simply gorgeous!

Sadly, the characters weren't my favorites. At all.

I came to this book after reading 'Made for You' which is book 2 in this series and revolves around a different couple - and which impressed me deeply because of the great characters and stellar writing. It's one of the very best stories, IMO, and one of the MCs briefly appears in 'Taboo for you' too, so it was fascinating to read.

The series seems to have the overall theme of 'rainbow family', which I absolutely love.

'Taboo for you' is just as amazingly written as 'Made for You', but the guys? OMG, I totally didn't like them!!

Sam is a 29 going on 30 year old dad who has a 15 year old son. Because of his becoming a dad at such a young age, he dropped out of school and worked as a waiter to support his kid. He shares his responsibilities for raising Jeremy with the boy's mother Carole, even though the two were never in a relationship and are living their separate lives. So, Sam is constantly overworked and unhappy with his (not really existing) career.

Anyway... so Sam has this list. A list of things he wants to do before he turns 30, like getting a mohawk haircut and dying his air, etc. Silly stuff that teenagers do, but which he never got around to do at the proper age.

Aaaand, he has this super sweet neighbor, Luke, who is 35, single and - in the course of seven (I repeat: seven) years becomes Sam's closest friend and confidant and a kind of second dad to Jeremy.

BUT, and this is where the story turns pretty sour for me: Luke is gay (and I'm not gonna go into this at all, because Luke has his own issues in his past that make me not exactly fancy him), while Sam considers himself straight.

But Sam isn't just straight. He is absolutely ignorant. Like 'a wall in front of his face' ignorant.

Sam doesn't see that Luke loves and has always loved him dearly.
Sam doesn't see that Luke is as big a part in Jeremy's life as Sam and Carole are.
Sam doesn't even see that Luke goes out of his way to make life for Sam and Jeremy as beautiful as possible, no matter the cost. He even writes it off as 'well, that's what friends do.'

And for seven (7!!) years, Luke swoons over Sam, knowing he will probably never have a chance with his best friend, but still not allowing anyone else into his life or into his heart...

I mean, poor Luke!!! He's like one of those religious fanatics who punish themselves with a horeswhip...

And then there is THE LIST.
The list that accidentally falls into Luke's hands and that Luke makes it his mission for Sam to be able to cross off every single item.

Including 'Getting wild and breaking a sexual taboo'.

So this is basically the plot of the whole book. Sam working through his list, oblivious as a tadpole, while Luke goes out of his way to help Sam with anything he needs.

And when it comes down to sex, Luke is crying painful tears because even when they are finally intimate, the whole thing is just a bucket list item for Sam.

And the selfish reason why I decided to rate this book rather low is that I know that guys like Sam exist out there. And if this weren't a romance, a guy like Luke would get hurt so damn painfully, especially after all the years he put into that hopeless relationship, putting his own life on hold. The mere thought alone takes my breath away.

Thank God, this is a romance and everyone ends up happy. Whoever needs to come around and work through his issues does so and ends up being a loving partner.

But gosh, the way there was so ever painful...

Sam constantly said the worst things, hurting Luke over and over again with his ignorance.

That one moment where Luke, who was used to Sam NOT GETTING IT, wiped away a tear from his face before Sam saw it, really hurt me.

So, no, I'll never be a fan of Sam's. Sorry.

And OMG what was up with Jeremy?? That kid is such a brat! He pretends to be gay just so he can get into a girl's pants, and even plays his parents by getting them to allow him to go out with his girl, because you know, as gay BFF? Completely harmless. And then those graphic sex scenes between two 14 year olds? Jesus Christ!!

So despite the stellar writing, I can only give this one
2.5 stars!

[Mandapanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. One of my favourite Anyta Sunday books. This is a sweet combination of friends-to-lovers and gay/out-for-you. Sam, father of 15 yr old Jeremy, has made a list of things to do before he turns 30 in a few weeks. His 36 yr old best friend and neighbour, Luke, accidentally finds the list and sets about fulfilling his wishes, especially the one about doing something taboo. Because Luke has been in love with Sam for years.

I love stories that make you feel like you've been on an emotional journey. And that's what this book did for me. By the end it felt like everything had come full circle with a very satisfying and romantic conclusion. I loved all the special elements, the list especially when it turned up at the end under the pillow, the numbers, the whole fear of turning 30, and the great secondary characters and their little stories. Good to see a nice normal female character too.

I'm usually wary of a kid's POV in romance and was all prepared to skim through those parts but Jeremy was fun and natural and his perspectives were kept brief and served to push the main romance forward. Maybe his final romantic interventions were a little unbelievable but I was enjoying the book so much that it didn't bother me.

I have to mention the sex scenes. There's only about 3 of them but they were EXCELLENT! So full of tenderness and (initially) unspoken love. There's loads of UST in this relationship which I adore in my romance. I loved the "Use the force, Luke" line! Totally cracked me up. I'm still smiling thinking about it.

Looking forward to the next book in the series! Just a question to the author though. Is this the first book in a new 'Friends to Lovers' series (which is the series name on my kindle copy)? Because the other books are listed in the 'Enemies to Lovers' series on Goodreads.

[Nazanin · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been going through my long long TBR list looking for great books that have gotten lost on there.



I have been reading some great Anyta Sunday books lately so I figured I would finally give this one a go.

This is a very sweet "friends to lovers" story, with a gfy element.

Sam is 29, about to be 30 and father of Jeremy, who's about to turn 15. Sam lost his virginity and got his girl pregnant at the age of 14, making him a dad at 15. He and his baby momma are not in a relationship, but hey are still great friends though. They are co parents and Jeremy spends equal time with them.

Turning 30 is hitting Sam pretty hard. He never got to be a teenager and so all the stupid stuff that teenagers do, because he became a father at such a young age. He is going through his own sort of "midlife crisis" and he has even made a list of all the things he wants to do before he turns 30.



Luke is Sam's 36 year old neighbour and best friend. They have been pretty close of 7 years, but what Sam doesn't know is that Luke is gay and has been in love with him for a long time. After finally coming out to his family, Luke figures it's time to tell Sam the truth about himself. He also hopes he can maybe convince Sam to give him a shot, especially when he finds Sam's "list". It does have Do something sexually taboo on it after all.



He also wants Sam to have everything he wants though, so he tries to help Sam out wherever he can.

I really enjoyed this story and I loved reading about Sam's son Jeremey as well. This book has pov's, Sam, Luke and Jeremy's.



Now even though this book was cute, sweet, hot and even funny, I could not give it a full 4 stars. The reason for this is Luke and his secret. I really don't get why he waited so long to tell Sam. In my opinion he waited to long and took things too far. I get that in the beginning he was scared to come out and maybe push Sam away, but after or even before their first kiss...he should have told. He kept making excuses for himself and I didn't like that one bit. It started to drag and I just wanted him to get it out !!



Other than that, I really did enjoy this story. The best part for me was Jeremy though...His pov really made me smile ;)

[Snjez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Although the story was a bit too sweet, especially towards the end, I quite enjoyed reading it.

It has a great set of characters and the writing is excellent.

[✦❋Arianna✦❋ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First you have to know that “Taboo for You” is not a book with a forbidden theme or anything. The taboo here is being gay and that’s it.

“Taboo for You” is a sweet and sexy friends to lovers GFY novel who tells the story of Sam and Luke.

Sam and Luke are neighbors, they know each other for seven years since Luke moved across the street. Sam became a dad when he was 15. All this time he was responsible, but he missed a lot of stuff. He’s freaking out, because he is about to turn 30, but he decides to live a little so he makes a list with some things he wants to do before turning 30.

Luke is a teacher, he’s 36 and he has a secret – he’s not only gay, but he’s in love with his friend and neighbor, Sam.

One day, Luke finds Sam’s list and he steals it. He wants to help his friend with this to-do list and he wants to help especially with the last thing “Do something sexually taboo”.

This was such a cute, entertaining story! I really liked the idea of three points of view. I enjoyed the storyline, even if everything is predictable with a premise like this. The main characters and the side ones are lovable and even relatable. I liked how they interact with each other and their relationships with each other.

I also liked the list and all the numbers.

The sex scenes are not too many, but they are hot and I liked all the sweet moments between Sam and Luke. I enjoyed the slow build relationship and the sexual tension between them is done very well.

I also liked the angst in low here and there’s no stupid drama.

Overall, I liked it!!

[Smutty Sully · Rating 1 out of 5]

Edited and downgraded to 1 star. The title was changed to take out the word Taboo, yet taboo is still used in the book TWENTY-SEVEN times.

I think the author needs to update the book and take out all the taboo comments. Saying it's taboo to have sex with a man, be attracted to a man, experiment with a man, or anything along those lines is gross, I don't care if it was set in New Zealand ten years ago.

I've enjoyed everything else I've read by Anyta Sunday, but this one is skippable.

• I know it’s ridiculous to think that if Sam just tried the taboo with me he’d magically fall in love. I know things don’t actually work that way in real life.

• I’m a fool. A little bit of taboo won’t change him.

• At least I have a date tonight. Maybe just spending time with a woman will help me get rid of these random, intrusive, somewhat taboo thoughts.

• It’s unsettling to think I’ve kissed a guy, but even more unsettling is that it makes my cock stir. It’s the taboo in it, I think. The thrill of doing something a lot of people frown upon.

• I twist on my side. “Okay. That’s cool. I know it’s a bit out there. You don’t have to be the one to try that taboo with me,” I say.

• Doing the taboo— or just thinking about it— really seems to do it for me.

• Why not have the kisses part of the taboo package for a couple of weeks? What harm could it do, really?

• “I don’t think it’s wrong,” I say hurriedly to Luke. “But it is . . . taboo, you know? No one really talks about it—it’s sort of an off-limits subject. You can never know what someone’s reaction is going to be, and that makes it hard for people to talk about and for guys to come out, you know?”

• This is the reason you were so hot and cold about doing the taboo with me, isn’t it? I’ve hurt you. I didn’t even know it, but I was hurting you.”

• Why did I have to do the taboo with Luke?


STOP saying DO THE TABOO. My head is going to explode with this nonsense. WTF.

[Exina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Secrets and lies, dishonesty, schemes, one of the MCs hiding being gay for seven years from his best friend and neighbor with whom he eats dinner basically every day (not dating anyone or dating in secret?), said best friend not having anyone in his life for the last 15 years (only his neighbor), so is his ex, who, btw, is hiding a relationship from his son for 1 whole year, then more lies, and some more dishonesty. What a wonderful relationship/ family they’ll make!



Enough is enough. DNF at 50%.

Ooh, and what is "taboo" here??? Please don't tell me it's two men having sex...



Sam is turning 30 in three weeks, and he has a "20s Must Do List". One of the items on it is "Do something sexually taboo." It's a gay romance. I just don't get the title, it's upsetting.

Some quotes:

At least I have a date tonight. Maybe just spending time with a woman will help me get rid of these random, intrusive, somewhat taboo thoughts.

It’s unsettling to think I’ve kissed a guy, but even more unsettling is that it makes my cock stir. It’s the taboo in it, I think. The thrill of doing something a lot of people frown upon.

“I just want to do something a little . . . taboo. If . . . I mean . . . we could experiment...

Doing the taboo—or just thinking about it—really seems to do it for me.

“I don’t think it’s wrong, ” I say hurriedly to Luke. “But it is . . . taboo, you know?

Why did I have to do the taboo with Luke? Yes, I liked being with Luke—really liked it. But it was the taboo of it. It was.

And there is more.

[Dia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25 stars

I liked this one. It was so sweet.

My first book by Anyta Sunday was a pretty good one: rock. Then I've read True Colors and I loved it too.
When I dived in Leo Loves Aries I wasn't expecting the sweetness. This author knows how to create wonderful fluffy stories, but also angsty and sad ones.

Taboo For You was a fluffy romance. I don't usually enjoy rainbows and butterflies in my books, but when I love the writing I get to love the story too.

I was surprised by this sweet love story, mostly because I didn't expect to laugh so much.
Clueless characters are not my favorites, but I liked Sam's naivety. And Luke, well he was hiding his feelings pretty well from Sam, but it seems everyone saw right through their friendship.

I'm all for a good slow burn romance, friends-to-lovers and GFY, so this one worked for me.

[Eli Easton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've found a few good books through the m/m romance group nominations--and this one was terrific! I have a weak spot for GFY romances, so I'm always happy to find a new one that is well-written and entertaining.

Taboo For You was so much fun to read. It's a friends-to-lovers story about two neighbors--Luke, a gay man, and Sam, a straight one with a teen son. I loved the plot trope, that Sam had a list of things he wanted to do before he hit 30 (he had a child very young, so he feels he missed out on his youth). Luke has been secretly in love with Sam for awhile. He finds the list and is determined to make sure Sam gets to do all the things he's missed. One of the items is to have taboo sex. Of course, this ends up being sex between Luke and Sam, which Sam initially thinks is just a one off experiment in being 'wild and crazy'. But of course, Luke has a lot more invested in it and gets hurt. Sam comes to realize how much Luke means to him.

I just adored the characters and the slow development of the sexual scenario and how the author described Sam's internal thought process about having sex with a man (at all) and then realizing how much he has always loved Luke and how Luke has always been there for him. 5 stars for the developement of both the gfy and friends-to-lovers threads.

It's a very sweet and sexy little story I'll probably reread. Going on my favorites list!

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light, sweet, gay-for-you story that is just full of warm fuzzies. It's about two men, Sam and Luke, who are next-door neighbors. Sam had sex with a girl when he was 14 and by the time he was 15 he was a father. His son Jeremy is now 15, and Sam is turning 30 and wondering what happened to the life he was supposed to have had. He loves his son dearly, but as he sees Jeremy passing the point where his own life went off the tracks, he's a little jealous, a little regretful, and determined to do some of the things he missed out on by not having a crazy youth when he should have.

Luke loves both Sam and Sam's kid Jeremy. Jeremy is like a son to him, after years of shared times, from neighborly meals together to adventures Luke secretly funded because Sam is always broke. (Don't let one odd moment of awareness from Luke about Jeremy near the beginning fool you. Luke feels fatherly toward Jeremy and there is no weird incest/age gap/whatever in this story. "Taboo" is a game, a challenge, not a content warning.)

The way Luke loves Sam is a whole different level. He's never made a move on Sam, never even told him he's gay, but he's been falling in love for a long time. He's just returned from 6 months helping his family back home, and that time away opened his eyes to how much he wants Sam and the boy to be at the center of his life. But after so long as just friends, he doesn't know where to start. The lovely, easy friendship they have now is very precious to him, and he doesn't want to risk it. However he's seen the list of things that Sam wrote up to do before turning thirty. And one item in particular might give Luke the opening he needs...

I really enjoyed this story. Occasionally the obliviousness of the characters seems surprising (particularly that Luke could guard himself so well for so long that Sam never guessed he was gay.) But it's fun, lovely, sweet, with the adventures of Jeremy to add some twists and highlights. A favorite and comfort reread, for sure.

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really cute story, the sort that leaves you feeling all warm and happy inside. 5 stars and from me!!

Sam is a father; he became a dad when he was 15, and has shied away from relationships ever since. His son Jeremy divides his time between mum Carole and dad, everyone gets on really well, and it would seem that Sam's best relationship is with his best friend Luke, who's a teacher and is always ready, willing and able to help Sam and Jeremy out, as a good friend should. Luke of course is gay and has been in love with Sam it seems like forever, but the only person who can't see what's staring him in the face is apparently Sam himself; in fact Luke once went away for 6 months to try and get over Sam...but failed miserably. As Sam's 30th birthday is looming, he jots down a bucket list of Must-Do things he wants to do before his 20's finish, and there are some really weird things on the list like swimming with sharks...God forbid!!

Luke finds the list, decides that he will help Sam realise some of his dreams, and carry on being a really good friend. What Luke doesn't realise is that Jeremy and Carole are only too aware that he's in love with Sam, and are going to do all they can to help him. Jeremy meanwhile is having teenage hormonal problems of his own , and to try and throw mum and dad off the scent and his secret 'meetings' with Suzy, pretends he is gay...with the help of his best friend Steven.

I'll leave this story there, it's a really lovely one, an ah bless one, and as to whether I get my Happy Ever After, you'll have to find that out for yourselves. Many thanks Anyta. x

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another GFY gem



I loved the characters and their relationships. I loved the numbers and the list. I loved seeing things from all three boys' POV. I loved seeing how the feelings blossomed...



I loved the story and ... gosh, the emotions... *sigh*

The whole TABOO thing and everything following the discovery was gentle, delicate and ... steamy.



Loved the ending.



Great book. Recommended to all GFY fans.

[Line · Rating 5 out of 5]

FREEBIE at the zon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/Taboo-You-Fr...
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Anyta Sunday was one of my first (and favourite) MM-stories with her book rock, and this one followed not long after.
She writes oblivious MCs and slow-burn like it's NOBODY'S business. And Taboo For You is no exception.

So; Sam IS freaking out! He's nearing 30, and his son Jeremy turns 15 at the same time.
Sam feels he's inadequate as a father, since he hasn't experienced the youth Jeremy is now set to experience, and to catch up and be a better father, he creates a list of all the things he should have done, partly to know what Jeremy is facing and partly to actually experience something.

Their neighbour Luke finds said list, and sets out to help Sam experience his 20es.
Luke has been a part of Sam and Jeremy's life for 7 years, and he has done SO MANY THINGS for them that it should be clear to everyone involved, just how in love he is with Sam, but as these things go: Luke doesn't know how to tell Sam, and Sam is basically a 15 year-old stuck in a 30 year-old's body...
Completely oblivious to his own body, mind AND heart.

I have to say that I loved this story.
I'm sure some people might find Sam's obliviousness, irritating. But this resonated with me so hard, because it is not always EASY seeing what's right in front of you, when life and obligations get in the way.

I loved Luke's heart and I loved how completely 'selfless' he was in regards to the needs of Sam and Jeremy.
You could argue that his willingness to be "taboo" with Sam, without telling Sam of his orientation might be deceitful, but I think Anyta did a wonderful job of showing how Luke tried to tell the truth, while letting Sam 'drive' the "taboo"-part of the list.
Sam in turn made me smile so many times, because he was so fucking 'good-natured' about all of his own crazy ideas.
No regrets! seemed to be his motto, and he just went with it, making me smile, and remember that sometimes, it's cool not to be so self-conscious.

Also kudos to Jeremy and Carole for being pretty spot-on representations (at least in my mind) of a tenneage-boy and a decent mother of Sam's child.
This was not an OTT representation of happy-go-lucky-family, but a decent picture of people with their own worries and issues, while STILL being supportive.

As always Anyta writes with humour and warmth, and I loved reading Sam and Luke's story (again)... These two sure know how to turn up the heat, when they get around to it<3

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you have a couple of friends, whom you consider as "part of tough crowd", give this sweet book 4 stars -- well, you tend to pay attention

I haven't read many of Anyta Sunday's stories before, in fact this was only my second of hers. The idea of best friend turned to lovers with addition of a teenage family intrigued me.

As an only for you theme, the transition of Sam from straight to be in love for his best friend, Luke, was totally believable. Maybe because they have been best friends for 7 years and Luke has been so deep in part of Sam's family, including like a second Dad for Sam's son, Jeremy. These two men were adorable! Their sexual tension was really good, and that massage scene?!? Sooooo sensual, I got tingly worm in my skin all over.

Since I am also a fan of family or kids in my story, I also enjoyed Jeremy's perspective. I thought he was portrayed well -- a fifteen year old teenager who was on the verge of wanting to have his first sexual experience. The Golden Condom Rule with the banana made me giggle. I did think he was being slightly a brat when it came to his Mother's new boyfriend -- and I was a little disappointed that the issue of Greg was not solved -- but Jeremy was a good character, nonetheless.

Oh, and we also have a normal non-bitchy-non-villain female character, someone who is just normal and being in a good relationship with Sam, and co-parenting for Jeremy, and my heart was just shouting "THANK YOU SO MUCH ANYTA SUNDAY!"

I did feel that the issue with Luke hiding his feeling from Sam felt a tad bit too dragged out after awhile. Also, that emphasis with the numbers became slightly annoying to read. Since the title was about "Taboo For You", why did the numbers that get the spotlight?!? I didn't get it.

But my annoyance was nothing in the grand scheme of thing. It was a wonderful read and I guess I really should pay more attention to Anyta Sunday's stories next time :)

[Barbara➰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well folks...this is my first 5-star read of 2017. Woohoo! It was awesome!

Sam, about to turn 30, decides to do some things he missed out on as a teenager. He became a father at 15 and has been helping raise his teenage son Jeremy who will be 15, himself soon. Luke, the next door neighbor of 7 years, finds out his "list" and decides to help him achieve his goals. There's just a few problems...Luke is in love with Sam but Sam is straight.

I absolutely ADORED this book. I was hooked from page one. It was funny, sweet, emotional and hot. Although the feeling of angst was there due to unrequited feelings, it never felt over the top or made me anxious. And even though I wish they had just communicated a bit earlier, it was understandable. It is a slow burn and lord knows how I HATE slow burn romances, but it was beautiful and fun to see these two develop their relationship into something more. But honestly, it was there all the time. It just need a nudge to become clear.

Luke was absolutely AMAZING. The things he did for Sam just made me smile. And he was so good to Jeremy. He treated him like he was his son as well. Sam was a great father to Jeremy whether he believed it or not. He was funny and truly loved his son.

It's told from 3 POV's...Sam, Luke and Jeremy. I fell in love with all 3 of them and wanted them all to have a HEA. I even loved Jeremy's mom and Luke's ex, Jack. I was so happy neither caused drama or were painted in an evil light. Everything was handled like mature adults. I really want Jack to have a book!

The only "taboo" about this book, is being gay...Luke finally coming out to his family and Sam finding out he's attracted to and in love with his best friend even though he's never been with men before.

"When I take you to our bed, when we explore each other’s bodies, when we make love, or have sex, or just plain fuck, it never was and never will be taboo for me. It’ll never be a sin. It’ll just be us, and that’s just right.”~Luke

It was just a beautiful, heartfelt romance and I loved every minute of it.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was my first read by Anyta Sunday and it was a cute, funny, mostly fluffy gay for you story.

Luke and Sam were adorable. Luke's yearning for Sam was and his love and loyalty to him was palpable. Although his inability to just come out and be honest about things dragged on a little too long, I loved the fact that he would do just about anything to make Sam and Jeremy happy.

Sam was adorably clueless and very sweet in his desire to live out some of the reckless teenage years he missed out on by becoming a father at 15, in order to be better able to parent his 14 year old son Jeremy, as well as come to terms with his fast approaching 30th birthday.

Jeremy is willing to do anything to get more private time with his girlfriend, but will have to divert the attention of his parents. I'll give him an A for effort and creativity.

I liked the alternating viewpoints, but I did feel that it dragged a little as far as Luke's coming clean with Sam. I have to say when they finally, got their act together it was a beautiful thing. I also could have done without the teen sex scenes, but overall it was an enjoyable light read.

Thanks to everyone at Buddy Read Central. I probably would not have otherwise picked this one up.

[dd · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥︎4.5 stars♥︎

omg my heart. it feels so full. don’t let the cover fool you, this book is one of the fluffiest, sweetest things i’ve ever read. also i can’t decide what to rate this, because my brain tells me 4 stars but my heart tells me 5.... so 4.5 stars I guess lol.


♡︎𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕝𝕠𝕥:♡︎

i mean// it’s a romance so.... 🤷🏻‍♀️. it’s friends to lovers, which I normally wouldn’t like, but it’s gay so that pretty much excuses that.... idek what to say, because there wasn’t even much ~plot~, if we want to be critical here. the story is about a man who’s about to turn thirty, and he makes a list of things he wants to do before then. his neighbor/best friend helps him do the things on the list. other shit happens, most having to do with them falling in love. also, the man has a son named jeremy who’s there for pretty much no reason, but I’ll talk about that later. like i said, not much plot. does it matter? no.


♥︎𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤♥︎

the characters in this book weren’t ~special~ and they didn’t have a lot of ~depth~, but i loved them all the same. they were endearing, cute, funny, and they stole my heart. there’s no other way for me to put it lmao.

Sam: so.... i liked him. he was the younger one of the two guys (the one about to turn 30.) he was a good person, his heart was in the right place; i can see how Luke was in love with him. so he was cute and shit...but i did have some ✨issues✨ with him.
#1: he was extremely oblivious for the entire fucking book and it got annoying fast. like don’t pretend that the thought hasn’t crossed your mind that you might be gay and in love with your best friend. stop saying you just like it because it’s ~taboo~. which brings me to my other issue with him.
#2: having. sex. with. another. man. is. not. taboo. it’s not wrong, it’s not something ~forbidden~ that ~intrigues you~ because it’s so ~bad~. stop having that mindset, it’s unhealthy and problematic. Luke actually mentions this to Sam at one point, and Sam corrects himself and is all “that’s not what I meant” but I don’t know if that actually gets to him by the end of the book.
*ends rant*

Luke: i couldn’t find anything wrong with him if i tried. he was such a good person, such a good friend, and such a good father figure to Jeremy. i just loved him so much. not to mention how adorable it was ⚠︎︎spoiler⚠︎︎ that he’d been in love with Sam for so long. (a little cliché, I know, but it was still cute.) he was always so patient with Sam, too.... i just love him jddkskks.

Jeremy: so, um, he’s here for what exactly?? that’s the question i was asking myself for 80% of the book. and it’s not that i don’t like Jeremy, because i do, but he just felt very pointless at times and I didn’t love the chapters from his pov. i found his problems to be very whiny and insignificant. i loved him near the end tho, and him and Steven were hilarious together. (are we not going to talk about how everyone’s names started with s??) jeremy never really turned out to have much of a purpose, but i still liked having him around and he built up Luke and Sam’s characters. (but it was really annoying when he pretended to be gay like wtf.)

Carole: ok so just// she’s my queen. 👑👑


♡︎𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖♡︎

djdjdkdkdjjddjkskskjfjd BYE i loved it so much. Sam and Luke were so cute together I can’t even describe it in words. I’m debating putting them on my otp shelf, and that’s a huge honor. as i said before, I don’t love the whole friends-to-lovers trope, but damn it worked well with them. their banter was hilarious and heartwarming, the smut was 🔥immaculate🔥, and their whole dynamic was just the best thing ever. ik this section is short, and i think that’s because i can’t really find any words. these two made me freak out multiple times and DKDKDJSKSKSKDK i wanted to get them together so badly. okkkk lol i don’t really have much else to say, but these two just won my heart AND I LOVE THEM, OK??


♥︎𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘♥︎

so, ummm, this is kind of gonna be a rant. i honestly wonder if this was edited. WHERE WAS THE PUNCTUATION?! WTF?! does the author know grammar?? there were no commas where there should be, ever, and that got annoying and distracted me from the book. that should not happen. grammar mistakes and typos should not be a distraction from the story. if that happens, the book is likely not very well-made. look, i loved this book. i thought it was great. fantastic even. but i can’t let this writing thing go, so there’s no way i can rate this a full five stars. (which makes me really sad 🥲🥲🥲🥲.) so, yeah, ahahaha let’s just say the writing ~wasn’t~ the best thing ever.


♡︎𝕎𝕣𝕒𝕡-𝕦𝕡♡︎

read this book. its short and sweet and everything to love in a gay friends-to-lovers romance. even if it’s a little cliché and the writing is ~not good~, still read it because it’s amazing and Sam and Luke are perfection.

[Vanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Liked-it Stars!! 💕👍 I actually read Book 2 in this series a few months ago and since then I wanted to get back to the series.. and I finally made it this week..😁
Sam and Luke are not only neighbors, but best friends.. almost like family. Sam is freaked out about turning 30 in a few weeks and therefore makes a bucket-list of things he wants to do before his birthday. His list includes a lot of wild activities which he thinks that he would have done in his twenties, had he not had a child (Jeremy) when he was only 15. He has a great relationship with his ex and they both co-parent Jeremy.. but he has had lot of help and support from Luke too in the last 7 years that they have been neighbors. Luke has never told Sam that he's gay or that he has feelings for him. His fear is that if Sam reacts badly to his being gay, he may not be able to salvage their friendship. When he finds Sam's "list" about doing something taboo, he feels that this might be the chance to come out to him and see if they can be more than friends. But the fear of rejection pulls him back and although Sam and Luke explore the "more" in secret, Luke continues with the ruse.. 🙄
How will Sam react when he finally finds out the two big secrets that Luke has been hiding?
The plot is sweet, but a little unbelievable😳. Luke wasted too much time going back and forth and it was frustrating to read about his excuses for not coming out 😬. Jeremy's POV made the story a little different from the norm but I enjoyed his occasional insights. An epilogue from the future would have been better, but it was still a sweet ending💝. Highly recommended to all fans of light, fluff M/M romances 👍👍

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Friends to Lovers Novel!!



I am already "sharpen" the nails...

Buddy Read HERE

________________________________________________________





When I finish I felt like I was in bubble bath… with all the beautiful bubbles!!! :D

[Shelley]

Read this one without investigating further than the word Taboo, thinking it was going to be well, something Taboo. It isn't, it's a cutesy gay-for-you trope that's written in first person present tense formatting (my personal taboo) and told from 3 different POV's. The two MC's, Sam and Luke and Sam's 14 year old son...WTF?

Friends to lovers, gay for you, virgin butts, the life and times of an adolescent boy and absolutely NO form of taboo besides a board game. I won't rate this because it's my fault, I am not the target audience for this book and I should have read the reviews and the blurb first.

Nevermind, I shall slink off to the truly dark corners of GR to find something properly Taboo. Recommendations welcome!

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got it wrong when I read the blurb. I thought this was a menage story between Sam, Luke and Jeremy. It turns out Jeremy is Sam's son. And no weird daddy-son thing going here. In fact, none of those broken men with history of childhood and/or domestic abuse, bitchy ex-wife, bigoted parent, nor artificially contrived plot (like a best friend trying to get a date for his friend despite being in love with him) that seem to be popular among m/m authors, made to this story. And that's why I like this book very much.

The friendship between Sam and Luke feels real, since when the book starts they have been BFF for seven years.

And any reference to Star Wars ("Use the Force, Luke!") is always good in my book.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I had relatively low expectations going into this one, but came out pleasantly surprised. Taboo For You - a misleading title if ever I heard one - is a totally adorable GFY romance told from three rotating perspectives (the two MC's and the one MC's teenage son) that is equal parts sweet, frustrating, poignant, and sexy.

Favourite quote:

"Least you got a parking spot," Sam says, finding something about all of this hilarious, while I think we've been cockblocked by God.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun! This book is going to my favorites list. If you love GFY, then this is for you. Probably one of the most enjoyable MM reading experiences I've had.

My happy dance! Oh yeah! :) 100 Stars!



Grab a copy now! Only $2.99 at smashwords: www.smashwords.com/books/view/331094

[BR11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a thing for clueless guys and this book didn't disappoint. This book also happened to have a lot of my favorite tropes: gfy, cherry popping and friends to lovers.
A delightful slow burn story. Free with Kindle Unlimited.
Recommend