The Inappropriate Date

by Jax Calder

Hunter has always been a good son - respectful, hard-working and high achieving. Unfortunately, his mother struggles to handle the fact he’s bisexual, regarding his sexuality with the same enthusiasm she’d normally reserve for roadkill.

When she warns him not to bring someone inappropriate to his sister’s wedding, in an uncharacteristic fit of spite, Hunter decides to track down the most inappropriate date possible.

Blue Hair. Tattoos. Irresistible smile. Most definitely male. There’s more chance his mother will learn to moonwalk than approve of Adam as his date.

But appearances can be deceiving. And Hunter is about to learn this lesson along with the rest of his family…

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Novella, Contemporary, LGBT, Short Stories, Fake Dating

43 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2021

About the author

Jax's stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.

Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. To read her exclusive novella Being Set Up, sign up to her newsletter: https://jaxcalder.com/newsletter-sign.... You can also join her Facebook group Jax's Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute short story overall. Adam is a really sweet person, I liked him right away. I knew going in that Hunter mainly picked him as a date to his sister's wedding because of his blue hair and tattoos, to spite his mother. A bit questionable, but Hunter was aware how not ok that was and he kind of redeemed himself. A bit. So that's not what bothered me here.

I thought that Adam would win everyone over with his wonderful personality. While he is definitely lovely, that's not why everyone falls head over heels for him. It turns out that he is a heart surgeon and he is starting a charity where heart surgeons go to third world countries to operate on children for free. All of his tattoos and his blue hair have a deeper meaning related to his profession. He is also a very talented sailor who has won titles. Oh, and his mother is the mayor and he comes from one of the oldest and richest families in the area. It really doesn’t take much to get Hunter’s mum’s stamp of approval. 🙄 Now this really bothered me! What if he was an ‘ordinary’ man with an ‘ordinary’ job and just loved blue hair and tattoos? I guess in that case his wonderful personality wouldn’t have meant much.

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 43-page story was not only super short, but also insanely cute as well.

What happens when a bisexual, perennial good boy gets pushed too far by his momma? He retaliates, of course!



Hunter's pretentious, social climbing mother's "do NOT bring anyone inappropriate to your sister's wedding" text went way past the line of acceptable, so he decided to rub her nose in it by going for a tattooed, blue-haired, *male* date.



This all sounded awesome on paper, but pulling a really nice guy in to be the "inappropriate date" -- without his knowledge -- really came across as a shitty and selfish thing to do, if I'm being 100% honest.

When confronted by Adam, Hunter did come clean; however, I still wanted to side-eye him for the entire rest of the story.



What concerned me even more, though, was the thought of asking a guy out on a FIRST date to attend your sister's wedding. Like a complete psychopath. 😮

Once I got past both of those few niggles, the rest of the story was beyond adorable, as the blue-haired, tattooed, and unemployed Adam charmed quite literally everyone in Hunter's family.

And yes, the bitchy mother's reactions (and subsequent backtracking) were freaking priceless. *chefs-kiss*



I typically hate stories with bets in them, but this one somehow got past my dislike of that plot point, making me actually glad that it was included, which may be a first, but is definitely beyond rare for me.

I'm still amazed at how Calder can incorporate an entire, complete-feeling story, with feels no less, into so few pages. Color me completely impressed by that, even though I did still want more pages.

It also squeezed in a fast epilogue from several years later, which helped cement a full-on HEA, without making me reach for a glass of milk to cut through any cloying levels of sweetness.

Yeah, funny, cute, adorable, and definitely worth a quick read, so I'd rate it at around 4.25 “I’ve been waiting for you” stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a great filler read, especially if they haven't gotten around to reading any Jax Calder yet. 😁

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[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Inappropriate Date by Jax Calder is a very short, stand alone novella that was just adorable. I don’t usually bother with novellas this short but am so glad I decided to pick this one up.

Hunter’s older sister is getting married. He is expected to bring a plus one to the wedding but his mother, who has not accepted the fact that he is bi-sexual, told him he better not bring someone inappropriate. Hunter has had it with her attitude and has decided to bring someone as inappropriate as he can find.



Hunter has recently gotten out of a relationship. When his friend coerced him to go to a speed dating event, he met someone he instantly clicked with, they laughed non-stop. But he was not the type of guy Hunter usually goes for. He has blue hair and tattoos all over his arms. But after his mother’s statement, he figures that Adam Porter is the perfect date.

Adam turned out to be quite the surprise. He was nothing at all like Hunter thought he would be. Hunter is riddled with guilt at asking Adam on this date to spite his mother but after spending time with him, he’s scared to death he lost his chance with this wonderful man.

“It honestly seemed like our laughter was designed to blend together, producing the perfect melody of happiness.”

This was so short but so sweet and swoony. The little epilogue was just wonderful. I really wish there was more because I didn’t want it to be over. If you want a quick little pick me up that will leave you feeling happy, this is for you.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2** stars


This!, my dear fellow readers is "how to make me feel uncomfortable and also make me feel very bad for one of the main characters.“ on 45 pages.

It was a sweet and sexy story but I felt so horribly bad for Adam for most of the book. He is the perfect example for the saying "Never judge a book by it’s cover“ .

**********
Adam is a tatted guy with blue dyed hair and he proclaims being between two payed jobs - it’s complicated, he said. So, good old prejudice makes an appearance.

And because Adam looks like he does Hunter’s only reason to invite him to his sister’s wedding is to ruffle his mother’s feathers because she expects an appropriate (female) date to this elegant event. And he gets the desired reaction out of her.

Turns out Adam doesn’t quite fit the prejudice after all and is actually someone everyone admires.


Really! I felt so bad for Adam. That he needed to be someone to be accepted. It shouldn’t have mattered what he was or wasn’t. But it did, at least to certain people. I couldn’t like Hunter for why he was bringing Adam to the wedding. Even if the sparks were flying between them and he knew it was a shitty thing to do.

I wasn’t normally a jerk. I want that on record, because I knew fully that what I was doing right now was deep into jerkish territory.

It wouldn’t have been that bad for me if it were only for Hunter’s mother’s prejudices, but Hunter did have them, too. Hence the wedding invite in the first place.


***********
Seriously, this sucked! And for me it dimmed every swoony feeling I could’ve had for this story and it was impossible for me to enjoy the second half of the story and their HEA. I was disgusted by Hunter and his mother and how proudly they showed him off as if they never looked down on him before they found out he was a someone. I really couldn’t get past that.



This was absolutely no comparison to the swoony novella I read yesterday by the very same author.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little problematic premise and a lot ott, ngl 😅

Had a great time with it nonetheless, as I do with almost all of Jax Calder’s shorts. She just manages to pack so much chemistry in so few pages, it’s a talent.

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really short novella; but the plot was interesting and sweet. Overall I enjoyed it!! ❤️❤️

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hunter uses Adam to get back at his controlling, biphobic mother, and Adam is too perfect by far (hot, brilliant, rich, but modest & giving ... basically a unicorn).

This is a cute, if mildly problematic, story, but too short by far.

The 💕 & 🌈 epilogue (all two pages of it) didn't feel earned.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rough start because I felt so bad for Adam, but as a whole I thought this was cute.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can always count on Jax Calder for the best novellas. This one was super sweet and sexy—loved every bit of it. Perfect read if you are needing something to lift you up!

[Sofi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I've been waiting for you." 🥰🥰🥰🥰

I don't think I've ever read a Jax Calder book and not absolutely loved it.

These two were so cute together and I could feel Hunter's nerves and giddiness over it.

Honorable mention about his mom slowly eating humble pie at the wedding.

[Papie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable little short story!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is only my second read by Jax Calder, but I am hooked.
The Inappropriate Date was so cute and sweet! I felt bad that Hunter was tricking Adam into going to the wedding as his date, but Adam had a few secrets of his own. This was a quick read so there wasn't a lot of time for much drama, which was nice for a change! I liked how things worked out in the end.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

The date wasn’t inappropriate enough for my taste.

[Janette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I might need to have words with Hunter for turning his mother’s own judgment back onto her in a way that’s equally as judgmental, but fortunately that was a lesson he learned all on his own.

That bit of awkwardness aside, this was a sweet, cute, very short novella that emphasizes the importance of looking beneath the surface and getting to know the person within. I truly loved Adam - he’s sweet, funny, smart & charming, and he deserves someone who values him for who he is inside.

[Ed Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to tell a meaningful story in 51 pages but this was a good try. It’s beautifully written, but of course everything had to happen so fast.

[Mirjam · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”


This is my first read of this author and I was very much surprised and impressed.

In just a few words the author manages to weave a world where prejudice and rebellious behaviour are front and center. At the same time she manages to have both been proving wrong, turning the tables on them.

I loved Hunter, while doing a shitty thing he at least acknowledge it and held nothing back when confessing to Adam. These guys were just amazing and I was smiling like a lunatic throughout the book.

Short and fun read!

[Plumpka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Krótka historia pierwszej randki, która zaczęła się jako złośliwość wymierzona w homofobiczną matkę, a skończyła jako wydarzenie zmieniające życie.
Długość opowiadania działa tu niestety przeciwko niemu, ponieważ nie udało się autorce stworzyć wiarygodnej relacji między bohaterami. Dodatkowo uczyniła jednego z nich chodzącym ideałem cnót wszelakich, co potężnie zaszkodziło jego wiarygodności - od czytania o jego zasługach aż mnie w pewnej chwili skręciło.
Szkoda, bo był potencjał.

[Leia Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a whole lot I didn’t like about this.

(1) Hunter ambushed Adam, inviting him to this sisters wedding just to tick off his mom. Adam seemed like a genuinely nice person, and didn't deserve that.

(2) Adam was evasive about part of his life at the start, his job specifically. It set a weird tone to the rest of the story. … Flash forward to finding out he was evasive because it’s a possible huge conflict of interest for Hunter's job. Why not be upfront?

(3) After Adam learned why he was invited to the wedding, he’s upset, rightfully so, but when he’s suddenly pulled into a passionate kiss by Hunter all is instantly forgiven. What the heck? … Later in the book, it’s explained why Adam could look beyond the appalling behavior, but by then it was too late for me. I already didn’t like Adam.

(4) After the kiss, Hunter sounds like he can’t live without Adam. How does one go from ambivalent to love so quickly?

(5) The weird bet. Of course more than two of Hunter's in-laws will encourage him to keep seeing Adam. It’s only Adam’s mom that has issues. 🙄

There was more, but I’ll stop. This story just isn’t my type. I don’t like secrets, dishonesty, outright lying, or lying by omission in romances. And there was A LOT of that in this story.

[Neka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super short and really, I don't like the viewpoint MC, Hunter. He deliberately set up the love interest (Adam) to be treated shittily by his mother, and possibly by his entire family. And then Adam turns out to be a doctor. a sailor. the mayor's son. good with children.
But Hunter's mom remains narrow minded. Sure, she likes Adam after all the things mentioned above, but ONLY because he's a doctor/sailor/political target. I like the premise, but this execution sucks ass.

[the kevin (vaguely alive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun sweet novella, with good characters and easy relationship development. An amusing series of reveals at the wedding, showing the pitfalls of judging by appearances for everyone including Hunter. Very cute. The epilogue …page was a bit abrupt, but not bad.

Overall, a nice easy read.

[taylor :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

another cutesy book by jax calder. she is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. i kinda wanted to punch hunter in the beginning but it all worked out in the end!

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Laina Gruver · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25-4.5 stars

This book was so adorable! Hunter needs a date for his sister’s wedding. His Mom messages him to be sure not to bring anyone “inappropriate”. Which, to Hunter, translates to bring a lady, not a man. Hunter decides to bring someone his mother would NOT approve of, the guy with tattoos and blue hair that he met at a speed dating event the week before. Adam is a nice guy but Hunter initially dismissed him as not being his usual type (clean-cut, preppy).

When Hunter runs into Adam again, he invites him to be Hunter’s plus one. Adam accepts. When Hunter and Adam are driving to the wedding, they get to know each other and Hunter begins to feel like crud because the more he gets to know him, the more he really likes Adam.

Hunter’s mom nearly has an aneurism when Hunter introduces Adam. Adam bets Hunter that he can get 2 of Hunter’s family members to encourage Hunter to keep Adam before the festivities are over.

Such a cute story and while I kind of guessed some of what would happen, some of it was still surprising.

*****
POV… first person (Hunter)

Standalone or series… standalone

Hangover… slight

Recommend… yes

Reread… yes

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short quick read that I liked. Hunter has always been a good son his mother struggles with the fact that he is bi. He needs a date for his sisters wedding so he goes to a bar looking for a guy he met at a speed dating event. Adam is a hot sexy blue haired tattooed guy. His mother takes one look at him and she is not happy. These two hit it off turns out Adam is more then meets the eye. Turns out he is a heart surgeon that comes from a rich family. This book moved fast and although I wanted it to be longer it did get right to the point. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Zaza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hé bien heureusement que j'ai déjà lu d'autres livres de Jax Calder avant celui-ci, sinon j'aurais mis tous ses bouquins aux oubliettes et je ne pense pas que je lui aurais redonné une chance.
Au moins la couleur est clairement annoncée dans le résumé, mais cela ne m'a pas empêché de trouver que Hunter se comportait comme un gros c*nnard, et qu'en face le côté mister ultra perfect de Adam était on ne peut plus ridicule. Et je ne parle même pas de la famille de Hunter ...
Tout va bcp trop vite et j'ai tellement détesté le personnage de Hunter et l'ultra OTT de la véritable identité d'Adam que je n'ai eu aucun intérêt pour cette romance express.

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Shall we make a bet?”
“What kind of bet?”
“I’m betting by the end of the night, at least two of your family members will encourage you to keep seeing me.”
I blinked. What the hell? He’d just met my ultra-conventional family, right? — Adam and Hunter (the prize made me smile)

The Inappropriate Date is the short and sweet story of Aucklanders Hunter and Adam. From Hunter asking Adam to be his inappropriate date to his sister's wedding to their falling into bed. Spoilers? Yeah maybe but like so many novellas it's not the destination, it's the journey. It's the journey to Adam's truth and Hunter's heart and just watching Julia's change of heart. It feels necessary to add that this is not fake dating or friends to lovers. This is we met last week, hardly know each other but will you be my date to a wedding. It's a first date at a wedding with all the family drama and learning about each other that those things imply. But it is well done and the ending made me melt.

I'd never read anything by Jax Calder before if this is a representative sample of her writing it likely won't be the last I read. There is a reference to at least one of her novels Playing Offside but all of the ones I looked at the blurb for looked at look good. It's been a while since I read such a well-paced and well-planned novella. It is obvious that when Jax started writing this she always intended it to be a novella, always intended it to play out in more or less a day. This doesn't feel like a novella that started out life as a drafted novel and was severely edited or shortened to make it work because the author likes the characters and the basics of the plot. It's a pleasant change.

Ending with a couple of quotes because I like the voice that Jax gave Hunter.
• I wasn’t normally a jerk. I want that on record, because I knew fully that what I was doing right now was deep into jerkish territory. — These are the opening lines. Between these and a few others on the first page, it makes for a tremendously strong opening. Hunter isn't ignorant of the selfishness of his act but he is also aware that he needs to honour himself first. (Hunter)
• My mother pretended to be okay with me being bisexual. But she really wasn’t. She’d handled my relationship with my ex-boyfriend Hamish in the same way you’d handle a rabid porcupine that you were trying to tame. — I mean we meet Julia she really is a bit of a bit**. She isn't handling it well. (Hunter)
• But Adam’s baby blue eyes had matched his hair. He’d grinned an adorable grin as he introduced himself, then asked my opinion about whether Jason Momoa as Aquaman would beat Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in a fight. By the end of the five minutes, we’d made each other laugh multiple times. Humor was my kryptonite and aphrodisiac. — Adam and Hunter met a week prior at an LGBTQ+ speed event. There is just something pleasing about this. Adam's description and nerdiness and Hunter's admission.
• I’d heard my father compare her to a wisteria plant–attractive, perfumed, and prone to climbing. — Okay so this is just a brilliant way to describe *that* type of person we've all seen. They exist in all walks of life they are just highly visible in the affluent spheres. (Hunter)
• “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.
The pressure in my chest released in one large gasp. My face split into the largest smile ever. — The last lines of the main story and I love them. The two-paragraph epilogue is one, unnecessary though wholeheartedly welcome and two, the sort of humour and total softness that this story needed. (Adam (spoken) and Hunter)

My entire body melted against his. I had never had another kiss like this. Ever. It was like my body was saying ‘Great. You finally found the person I was designed to kiss. Well done.’ — Hunter

A representative gif:

[Clari · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars
I think I would have liked this better if the mc1 told mc2 his true motivation BEFORE he got found out. It would’ve sat better with me.

Otherwise this was a cute, short read. Don’t really get super attached because of how short it is but it’s well written for its length.

[Anne Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just brilliant can’t get the smile off my face
This is the first book that I read by Jax Calder And it will not be the last honestly this book has really cheered me up. I’ll be honest I’ve got the start of a migraine but I thought read a book get your mind off it and this book had me smiling do I need to say anymore.
Hunter could not believe that his mother had sent him a text, well a warning really to bring an appropriate guest to his sisters wedding. Hunter could not believe the audacity of his mother. It wound him up so he thought of one man who he met lately who would really annoy his mother. He had tattoos and he had blue hair what was more to say. So Hunter found himself at the bar he had met him at speed dating to ask him to his sisters wedding the next day and Adam was quick to agree.
There is a lot more to Adam than meets the eye throughout this story you find that you! Hunter should never judge a book by its cover and that is true about so many of us myself included when those quick thoughts just pop into your head. This is a brilliant book, The chemistry that these two have is just off the charts it’s so much more than just hooking up there is something there for the future they just sizzle. I thoroughly enjoyed it but it also makes yourself think about yourself. This is the first book that I read by Jax Calder and I tell you!! it won’t be the last! Jax gets so Much across in a short story and that is such a talent. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, sweet and absolutely captivating

I loved everything about this story. Hunter, the good boy who excelled at school, always toed the line, did everything to please his socialite mother, finally snapped and took the blue-haired, tattooed 'bad boy' to his sister's wedding. What follows is an incredibly charming story about an incredibly charming man, who is so much more than he seems, and the man who is captivated by him at first sight and nearly ruins what they could have. The connection between the two of them actually glows, and then later sizzles, the emotions so real and leaping off the page.
The wedding is peopled with all the characters you get at a family wedding, including the loud uncle and the inappropriate aunt, and I loved it.
Although this story mainly takes place over the course of one day, after their initial interactions, Hunter and Adam's attraction to each other is instant and believable and although there isn't an epilogue, we are given a glimpse of their HEA which satisfied my curiosity completely. This is well-written, very funny, and definitely a book to snuggle up with when you need something to warm your heart. Yes, it could have been expanded into a longer book and I would have welcomed more time with these characters, but it is actually perfect just the way it is and I wouldn't change a thing.