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Blue Collar Hearts #1
Laying Pipe
An alternate cover edition for this ASIN B08FF6G8LT can be found here
John
John has a good life. A mostly happy one even. It’s simple and a little lonely at times now that he’s divorced, but that’s okay. Not everyone is destined for a great love or happily ever after.
But he does have a thriving business and a best friend who’s like family. What more does he need?
Definitely not his best friend’s son. Even if John did look at men that way, there was no way he’d risk his friendship because he’d suddenly noticed things about Lukas he never had before.
Like how sweet he was. Or how good-looking.
Or how much he wants to kiss him…
Lukas
Having a crush on his dad’s best friend for years hasn’t done wonders for Lukas’s love life. No one ever quite measured up to the kindhearted man who always seems to be there when Lukas needs him.
He knows nothing can ever come of it since John’s straight. Like, used to be married to a woman, only ever dated women, super blue collar kind of straight.
Not to mention his dad would lose his mind...
But it's totally fine. Lukas is sure he’ll get over his feelings eventually.
Even if John is suddenly looking at him differently.
Almost like… Almost like he wants to kiss Lukas?
That can’t be right.
Laying Pipe is the first in bestselling author Kiki Clark’s Blue Collar Hearts series. It features a 42-year-old plumber who’s good with his hands… and pipes, a 26-year-old vet tech with the softest of hearts, a late-blooming bisexual, super low angst, and butt-touching as a love language.
John
John has a good life. A mostly happy one even. It’s simple and a little lonely at times now that he’s divorced, but that’s okay. Not everyone is destined for a great love or happily ever after.
But he does have a thriving business and a best friend who’s like family. What more does he need?
Definitely not his best friend’s son. Even if John did look at men that way, there was no way he’d risk his friendship because he’d suddenly noticed things about Lukas he never had before.
Like how sweet he was. Or how good-looking.
Or how much he wants to kiss him…
Lukas
Having a crush on his dad’s best friend for years hasn’t done wonders for Lukas’s love life. No one ever quite measured up to the kindhearted man who always seems to be there when Lukas needs him.
He knows nothing can ever come of it since John’s straight. Like, used to be married to a woman, only ever dated women, super blue collar kind of straight.
Not to mention his dad would lose his mind...
But it's totally fine. Lukas is sure he’ll get over his feelings eventually.
Even if John is suddenly looking at him differently.
Almost like… Almost like he wants to kiss Lukas?
That can’t be right.
Laying Pipe is the first in bestselling author Kiki Clark’s Blue Collar Hearts series. It features a 42-year-old plumber who’s good with his hands… and pipes, a 26-year-old vet tech with the softest of hearts, a late-blooming bisexual, super low angst, and butt-touching as a love language.
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2020
600 people are currently reading
1333 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 438 reviews
September 28, 2023
The dedication of the author has already made me laugh a lot
For my dad. Thank you for spending two hours talking about plumbing with me. 😂
and also otherwise this book is quite amusing. A light story with only a little melodrama that quickly resolves.
A few clichés but nicely none that is too fixated on John's sexuality. He accepts pretty quickly that he's obviously bi but the best friend thing drags on.
I like how Lukas and John accept each other as they are and the sex ... oh boy.
„Even this pink hole of yours is pretty. I can’t wait to work that plug into you, then take you down to the lake for a swim. No one will have any idea that your ass will be full and ready so that when we come back here, I can just pull it out and fuck my cock into you, all soft and warm. All those people will see you, but none of them will know how completely I own this ass.”
Lukas cried out as he came, untouched, at the filthy words pouring out of John’s mouth, one thumb pressing against the furled muscle of his hole. 😳😳😳
For my dad. Thank you for spending two hours talking about plumbing with me. 😂
and also otherwise this book is quite amusing. A light story with only a little melodrama that quickly resolves.
A few clichés but nicely none that is too fixated on John's sexuality. He accepts pretty quickly that he's obviously bi but the best friend thing drags on.
I like how Lukas and John accept each other as they are and the sex ... oh boy.
„Even this pink hole of yours is pretty. I can’t wait to work that plug into you, then take you down to the lake for a swim. No one will have any idea that your ass will be full and ready so that when we come back here, I can just pull it out and fuck my cock into you, all soft and warm. All those people will see you, but none of them will know how completely I own this ass.”
Lukas cried out as he came, untouched, at the filthy words pouring out of John’s mouth, one thumb pressing against the furled muscle of his hole. 😳😳😳
February 9, 2021
Audio 5+ Stars Kirt Grave bought the heat! ♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️
Story 4 Deliciously Filthy Stars
Story 4 Deliciously Filthy Stars
October 17, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4!
Story: ⭐⭐⭐
Main Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
42-year-old John Butler is very happy when it comes to his job, where he is running a successful plumbing business. When it comes to his private life however, John is aching for somebody to come home t0, but he is reluctant towards commitments ever since his marriage has crashed and burned.
While he found men attractive in the past, it hits him by surprise, when he starts feeling attracted to Lukas Brown, the 26-year-old son of his best friend Dave and he is no longer able to ignore the awareness of Lukas' beauty.
Being passionate about animals, Lukas is working at a vet's office and has some adorable animals of his own. Having had a crush on John since ages, Lukas knows out of first hand that falling for straight guys only ends up in heartache. Dating older men that are all suspiciously looking similar to John, Lukas tries to accept that John will never notice him the way he wants him to and that even if John would be gay, he would never be willing to risk his friendship with Dave, but the young man is painfully aware of the fact that there is an important piece missing in his life that would allow him to be truly happy.
Lukas knows that distance is the only think that can help him get over his crush for John, but when he runs into a plumbing emergency in the middle of the night, he has no one else to call but John. Lukas wanting to thank John by baking him cupcakes is the start to the development of something more. A sweet friendship starts to bloom and slowly turns into lust.
Will Lukas and John act on the mutual attraction that they are feeling?
Will John be able to tell his best friend Dave that he is slowly falling for his son?
Is their relationship madness or are they meant to be?
Laying Pipe is a very sweet age-gap romance without the unnecessary drama or the nagging insecurities that often tend to come along with such stories. I really enjoyed how Lukas and John got closer and closer and were at a certain points unable to let go of each other. And I can assure you on one thing - the sex is incredibly hot, especially so for a bi-awakening character taking the lead! And there is some dirty talk going on here that you shouldn't miss out on! The chemistry between the main characters was great!
My only issue with this book was the fact that I felt a certain imbalance between story and steam. Lukas and John take quite a long time figuring out where they want their relationship to go and we get a lot of sexy scenes between that, but the ending felt a bit rushed. I would have liked the final third of the book to progress a little bit slower, leaving more room for deeper dialogues between both the main characters and the secondary characters, which were mainly Lukas' parents.
Laying Pipe is nevertheless a very enjoyable read that I can warmly recommend to all age-gap romance fans.
You make me feel like the best thing that could ever happen in my life is right in front of me. That all I need to do is have the courage to reach out and grab it.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐
Main Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
42-year-old John Butler is very happy when it comes to his job, where he is running a successful plumbing business. When it comes to his private life however, John is aching for somebody to come home t0, but he is reluctant towards commitments ever since his marriage has crashed and burned.
While he found men attractive in the past, it hits him by surprise, when he starts feeling attracted to Lukas Brown, the 26-year-old son of his best friend Dave and he is no longer able to ignore the awareness of Lukas' beauty.
Sure, John had noticed a handsome man once or twice before, but it was always just a passing thought. And besides, he absolutely hadn't noticed how attractive Lukas was because Dave would kill him if he every found out John had checked out his son's ass.
Being passionate about animals, Lukas is working at a vet's office and has some adorable animals of his own. Having had a crush on John since ages, Lukas knows out of first hand that falling for straight guys only ends up in heartache. Dating older men that are all suspiciously looking similar to John, Lukas tries to accept that John will never notice him the way he wants him to and that even if John would be gay, he would never be willing to risk his friendship with Dave, but the young man is painfully aware of the fact that there is an important piece missing in his life that would allow him to be truly happy.
A foolish part of him had waited for John to wake up and notice him. He'd told himself he wasn't doing that, that he was dating and building a comfortable life for himself, but a part of him ... A part of him had always held out hope.
Lukas knows that distance is the only think that can help him get over his crush for John, but when he runs into a plumbing emergency in the middle of the night, he has no one else to call but John. Lukas wanting to thank John by baking him cupcakes is the start to the development of something more. A sweet friendship starts to bloom and slowly turns into lust.
Will Lukas and John act on the mutual attraction that they are feeling?
Will John be able to tell his best friend Dave that he is slowly falling for his son?
Is their relationship madness or are they meant to be?
Laying Pipe is a very sweet age-gap romance without the unnecessary drama or the nagging insecurities that often tend to come along with such stories. I really enjoyed how Lukas and John got closer and closer and were at a certain points unable to let go of each other. And I can assure you on one thing - the sex is incredibly hot, especially so for a bi-awakening character taking the lead! And there is some dirty talk going on here that you shouldn't miss out on! The chemistry between the main characters was great!
My only issue with this book was the fact that I felt a certain imbalance between story and steam. Lukas and John take quite a long time figuring out where they want their relationship to go and we get a lot of sexy scenes between that, but the ending felt a bit rushed. I would have liked the final third of the book to progress a little bit slower, leaving more room for deeper dialogues between both the main characters and the secondary characters, which were mainly Lukas' parents.
Laying Pipe is nevertheless a very enjoyable read that I can warmly recommend to all age-gap romance fans.
You make me feel like the best thing that could ever happen in my life is right in front of me. That all I need to do is have the courage to reach out and grab it.
May 27, 2021
So I guess I went into this with high expectations.
I was expecting something that would burn my panties off, make my ovaries explode...
I didn't get that here.
Now don't get me wrong, I liked some things...
- Hot sex scenes...but nothing really special. I've read books with waaaayyyyy hotter scenes than these.
- Dirty talk.... it was good. But also not that special.
- Lovable characters. John and Lucas were both good men, solid, dependable and honest with each other.
- Kirt Graves.
That was about it.
Now the niggles...
- Jon's "bisexuality" was kind of put out there and not fleshed out.
- When the family find out about John and Lucas: I was waiting for the drama, because of the taboo-ish nature of the relationship. but then, it's there and then...not. it was so anticlimactic that I felt that it took away from the relationship. I get parents being supportive ... but not that much IMO.
- The trope wasn't really utilized to the best of its ability... the drama , sneaking around, getting almost caught, the angst, the UST, being close to each other and not being able to touch, the jealousy, the insecurity... many many things that could have been added to the book and would have taken it up from good to great.
- The pet names and the romance were too sappy and too quick.
I just needed more from such a hyped book.
I was expecting something that would burn my panties off, make my ovaries explode...
I didn't get that here.
Now don't get me wrong, I liked some things...
- Hot sex scenes...but nothing really special. I've read books with waaaayyyyy hotter scenes than these.
- Dirty talk.... it was good. But also not that special.
- Lovable characters. John and Lucas were both good men, solid, dependable and honest with each other.
- Kirt Graves.
That was about it.
Now the niggles...
- Jon's "bisexuality" was kind of put out there and not fleshed out.
- When the family find out about John and Lucas: I was waiting for the drama, because of the taboo-ish nature of the relationship. but then, it's there and then...not. it was so anticlimactic that I felt that it took away from the relationship. I get parents being supportive ... but not that much IMO.
- The trope wasn't really utilized to the best of its ability... the drama , sneaking around, getting almost caught, the angst, the UST, being close to each other and not being able to touch, the jealousy, the insecurity... many many things that could have been added to the book and would have taken it up from good to great.
- The pet names and the romance were too sappy and too quick.
I just needed more from such a hyped book.
July 2, 2023
Sweet gfy/age gap romance ❤️
When I stumbled upon this book in my goodreads feed, I’ve been pretty sure I’ll love it: gfy, bi awakening, age gap AND Kirt Graves narrating? Count me in…
And I wasn’t disappointed: it’s the story of 42yo John, who’s divorced, and straight (even though he has, on occasion, started noticing other men).
One of the men he notices and whom he starts having very inappropriate fantasies about is Lukas, 26yo son of his best friend.
Lukas has been in love with John for ages, but hasn’t made a move because he thinks he’s straight, and because he thinks John still sees him as a kid. Oh, and ofc because he’s his father’s best friend.
When his mother tries to matchmake again by inviting a potential date for John to a family dinner, Lukas snaps, and being fed up with the situation, confesses his feelings to John. To his surprise, John doesn’t dismiss it.
And so it begins - a sweet romance with no unnecessary drama, even though it takes a bit of time for them to come clean to Lukas’ parents.
I loved it, and it made me smile more than once while listening to it. Oh and the steamy scenes… 🔥🔥🔥 let’s just say that once John is in, he’s not shying away from anything 😊
A lovely book that will brighten your day, with an - as usually - excellent narration by Kirt Graves.
When I stumbled upon this book in my goodreads feed, I’ve been pretty sure I’ll love it: gfy, bi awakening, age gap AND Kirt Graves narrating? Count me in…
And I wasn’t disappointed: it’s the story of 42yo John, who’s divorced, and straight (even though he has, on occasion, started noticing other men).
One of the men he notices and whom he starts having very inappropriate fantasies about is Lukas, 26yo son of his best friend.
Lukas has been in love with John for ages, but hasn’t made a move because he thinks he’s straight, and because he thinks John still sees him as a kid. Oh, and ofc because he’s his father’s best friend.
When his mother tries to matchmake again by inviting a potential date for John to a family dinner, Lukas snaps, and being fed up with the situation, confesses his feelings to John. To his surprise, John doesn’t dismiss it.
And so it begins - a sweet romance with no unnecessary drama, even though it takes a bit of time for them to come clean to Lukas’ parents.
I loved it, and it made me smile more than once while listening to it. Oh and the steamy scenes… 🔥🔥🔥 let’s just say that once John is in, he’s not shying away from anything 😊
A lovely book that will brighten your day, with an - as usually - excellent narration by Kirt Graves.
October 10, 2020
Gosh, I loved this book so much.
I've been wanting to read this book since I first saw it popping up on my Goodreads feed. Call me easy, but the cover is so gorgeous, it spoke to me right away. I clicked want to read before even knowing what it was about. Finding out it was a dads best friend story, I was sold. I love a great age gap and this one was really well done. Really, really well done. Even the bisexual awakening was well done. And I'm usually trying to stay clear of the bisexual awakening/GFY trope. Seriously, the first sex scene might have been the hottest first time gay sex scene, I have ever read, *slowly fanning myself*.
This was a sweet and tender love story with very little angst. Lukas is in his late twenties and have had a crush on his fathers best friend John for years. Resigned to date lookalikes he can't imagine John ever having the same feelings for him, after all John is straight. Or is he? I loved following Lukas and John on this journey. The only thing, and it's seriously my only complaint is that Lucas had a tendency to run away instead of facing his fears. It didn't sit right with his character.
I also want to give the author kudos for the way she handled Lucas having a rescue dog. The way Lukas and John behaved towards her was 100% right. I often find authors lacking in the way they write about having a dog, not knowing how to handle them properly. So this author doing everything right, well it warmed my heart.
Crazy little side note; what's the thing with the name Lukas? It's my third book in less than a week with an MC named Lukas.
I've been wanting to read this book since I first saw it popping up on my Goodreads feed. Call me easy, but the cover is so gorgeous, it spoke to me right away. I clicked want to read before even knowing what it was about. Finding out it was a dads best friend story, I was sold. I love a great age gap and this one was really well done. Really, really well done. Even the bisexual awakening was well done. And I'm usually trying to stay clear of the bisexual awakening/GFY trope. Seriously, the first sex scene might have been the hottest first time gay sex scene, I have ever read, *slowly fanning myself*.
This was a sweet and tender love story with very little angst. Lukas is in his late twenties and have had a crush on his fathers best friend John for years. Resigned to date lookalikes he can't imagine John ever having the same feelings for him, after all John is straight. Or is he? I loved following Lukas and John on this journey. The only thing, and it's seriously my only complaint is that Lucas had a tendency to run away instead of facing his fears. It didn't sit right with his character.
I also want to give the author kudos for the way she handled Lucas having a rescue dog. The way Lukas and John behaved towards her was 100% right. I often find authors lacking in the way they write about having a dog, not knowing how to handle them properly. So this author doing everything right, well it warmed my heart.
Crazy little side note; what's the thing with the name Lukas? It's my third book in less than a week with an MC named Lukas.
September 7, 2020
I had the feeling with this that I liked it but it also didn't wow me at the same time. It was a slowww start for me, and even after these two get together, while I was happy for them, it felt sloww then too. Then I just started skipping parts here and there near the end because it wasn't holding my interest the best.
John and Lukas did have chemistry, but I don't think it was used enough. I only remember one penetrative sex scene between these two and it was over quickly. I wanted all the hot sex, and this is kinda the book for that - I know it's not everything, but with the slight taboo-ness of "dad's best friend" and whatnot, I expect some hot - forbidden ;) - sex.
And yeah when the dad finds out there's some drama...for like a second, but then it all smooths over and it's all happy and a little too sickly sweet and I'm like...man, where's the dramaaa at. I want that. Like yeah it's great if that doesn't happen in real life, or if it doesn't always happen. But man this is a trope we all love for a reason and you gotta utilize that. Give me the sneaking around, the almost getting caught, then the omggg they do get caught and Lukas' dad is pisseeddd and tries to beat John up or something or even the mom is pissed.
Not that it had to last forever, but it was just there and gone too quickly, too easily. It didn't make this entirely enjoyable and what caused me to skip some here and there. And while the chemistry was there, again, not as many hot sex scenes as there could have been - although what was there was hot AF, I will say.
These two were cute together, but I just wanted a little more from this. Maybe even slightly less romance - and for me that's saying something, I loveeee romance - and a little more sexytimes and "forbidden love" type of feel. Because it just didn't quite work for me. I don't have it in my heart to give this less than three stars though, because there were good parts and these two did have something there between them.
I just needed more.
John and Lukas did have chemistry, but I don't think it was used enough. I only remember one penetrative sex scene between these two and it was over quickly. I wanted all the hot sex, and this is kinda the book for that - I know it's not everything, but with the slight taboo-ness of "dad's best friend" and whatnot, I expect some hot - forbidden ;) - sex.
And yeah when the dad finds out there's some drama...for like a second, but then it all smooths over and it's all happy and a little too sickly sweet and I'm like...man, where's the dramaaa at. I want that. Like yeah it's great if that doesn't happen in real life, or if it doesn't always happen. But man this is a trope we all love for a reason and you gotta utilize that. Give me the sneaking around, the almost getting caught, then the omggg they do get caught and Lukas' dad is pisseeddd and tries to beat John up or something or even the mom is pissed.
Not that it had to last forever, but it was just there and gone too quickly, too easily. It didn't make this entirely enjoyable and what caused me to skip some here and there. And while the chemistry was there, again, not as many hot sex scenes as there could have been - although what was there was hot AF, I will say.
These two were cute together, but I just wanted a little more from this. Maybe even slightly less romance - and for me that's saying something, I loveeee romance - and a little more sexytimes and "forbidden love" type of feel. Because it just didn't quite work for me. I don't have it in my heart to give this less than three stars though, because there were good parts and these two did have something there between them.
I just needed more.
May 6, 2021
"How do I make you feel?"
"You make me feel like the best thing that could ever happen in my life is right in front of me. That all I need to do is have the courage to reach out and grab it."
The story caught me off guard at first and I was ready to dnf because as a reader it turns out I'm not used to sappy/light romances. I was used to characters being the subject of homophobia, or of them having PTSD, or just having the generic trouble dark past. So consider my shock when I realized, like 30% in, no one is getting the awful treatment. I realized that a story could still be a great one without any of those. I gave this story the 5 stars treatment because it brought so much joy and warmth in me while I was reading it. I can't stop grinning and swooning especially when the romance started to happen. Stupid me should have pick this one sooner rather than the other Kiki Clark novel. Falling for the dad's best friend is a trope I never thought I would enjoy. Lukas has loved John for the longest time but he can't really do anything because John is his dad's best friend and apparently straight. But everything changed when Lukas called John in the middle of the night to fix his pipes.....
November 2, 2022
The first few chapters were promising, but it was all downhill from there.
The MCs went from awkward and unsure to hard-core butt play and spanking in two point five seconds.
There was zero relationship development and no conflict of any kind.
Lukas's parents got over their friend dating their son far too quickly.
The side plots involving Lukas's ex and the contractor added nothing to the story.
Very amateurish, can't recommend.
The MCs went from awkward and unsure to hard-core butt play and spanking in two point five seconds.
There was zero relationship development and no conflict of any kind.
Lukas's parents got over their friend dating their son far too quickly.
The side plots involving Lukas's ex and the contractor added nothing to the story.
Very amateurish, can't recommend.
February 11, 2021
Cute dad's best friend romance
3.5*
This was a cute dad's best friend romance and I enjoyed most of it
I personally would have liked to see John's progression to being totally comfortable with his attraction to Lukas take slightly longer than it did.
There were mentions of him 'noticing' other men before and that he had wanted to experiment more when still married with anal play.
But it felt a tad rushed that he dived in no questions asked and started chucking out dirty talk left, right and centre.
Having said that, the dirty talk was seriously hot and I did like that he always put Lukas first.
I definitely felt their friendship connection from the start, even as the sexual one grew.
It was also great to read a relatively angst free romance with only a couple of completely believable hiccups.
3.5*
This was a cute dad's best friend romance and I enjoyed most of it
I personally would have liked to see John's progression to being totally comfortable with his attraction to Lukas take slightly longer than it did.
There were mentions of him 'noticing' other men before and that he had wanted to experiment more when still married with anal play.
But it felt a tad rushed that he dived in no questions asked and started chucking out dirty talk left, right and centre.
Having said that, the dirty talk was seriously hot and I did like that he always put Lukas first.
I definitely felt their friendship connection from the start, even as the sexual one grew.
It was also great to read a relatively angst free romance with only a couple of completely believable hiccups.
October 3, 2023
Laying Pipe is a low angst age-gap, dad's best friend romance. I haven't read a book with that relationship dynamic so I was excited to give it a read. It's a good romance, that has amazing narration by Kirt Graves. With the nature of the relationship I was hoping for more, it lacked excitement.
June 7, 2024
Wow, when she said low angst, she really meant it huh.
This was super easy to get into, and sweet and steamy May-December romance,
but a little on the shorter side for my tastes.
Overall I enjoyed Lukas and John's story, and recommend checking it out for a fun romp, but I can't help craving a little more substance.
This was super easy to get into, and sweet and steamy May-December romance,
but a little on the shorter side for my tastes.
Overall I enjoyed Lukas and John's story, and recommend checking it out for a fun romp, but I can't help craving a little more substance.
October 8, 2023
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
When he’d been young and naïve, he’d convinced himself that loving someone enough could change how they felt, and then John would develop feelings for Lukas in return. Ten years later, he knew better.
This is yet another one of my somewhat frequent rereads. It is a deliciously low angst dad’s best friend romance, with two very lovable characters. It’s not a long book, but the characters have great chemistry, the plot is engaging, and the spice is hot (I don’t always care for dirty talk, but it’s fantastic in this).
Lukas has been in love with his parents’ friend for years, and he didn’t think there was any chance at all of something happening between them. It was a very good way to make me connect with his character quickly, especially when he thought about how he would eventually have to watch John fall in love with someone else. It still makes me tear up.
“Hey, John.” “Hey, kid.” The tiny piece of hope still living in Lukas’s heart shriveled and died. Kid. Right, because that was how John saw him. Just his friend’s kid.
My favorite part of this book is how the younger MC loves to care of the other MC. Giving him massages, making beautiful meals for them, etc. I’ve read so many books with some sort of D/s dynamic or Daddy kink, where 9/10 times it’s the other way around. In this one, they very much take care or each other, but in different ways.
“Part of being an adult is knowing that other people don’t owe you feelings in return. […]”
Also, Lukas is a champ at reaching ‘the big O’ untouched, which let’s be honest, is hot as hell.
Highly recommend this one if you’re into the tropes at all.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap (26/42)
Dad’s best friend
Secret relationship
Friends to lovers
Bisexual awakening
Divorced MC
Pining
Dirty talking
Size difference
Hands-free orgasms
Vet tech MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Brief mentions of sick animals
Brief mentions of euthanasia
Explicit sexual content
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Older MC is set up on a date with a woman by other MCs parents. He wants nothing to do with her.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
He cared so much about John that imagining him alone and lonely for the rest of his life literally made his chest hurt. But imagining John with another person made him feel like he was being stabbed in the heart, so he was fucked either way.
When he’d been young and naïve, he’d convinced himself that loving someone enough could change how they felt, and then John would develop feelings for Lukas in return. Ten years later, he knew better.
This is yet another one of my somewhat frequent rereads. It is a deliciously low angst dad’s best friend romance, with two very lovable characters. It’s not a long book, but the characters have great chemistry, the plot is engaging, and the spice is hot (I don’t always care for dirty talk, but it’s fantastic in this).
Lukas has been in love with his parents’ friend for years, and he didn’t think there was any chance at all of something happening between them. It was a very good way to make me connect with his character quickly, especially when he thought about how he would eventually have to watch John fall in love with someone else. It still makes me tear up.
“Hey, John.” “Hey, kid.” The tiny piece of hope still living in Lukas’s heart shriveled and died. Kid. Right, because that was how John saw him. Just his friend’s kid.
My favorite part of this book is how the younger MC loves to care of the other MC. Giving him massages, making beautiful meals for them, etc. I’ve read so many books with some sort of D/s dynamic or Daddy kink, where 9/10 times it’s the other way around. In this one, they very much take care or each other, but in different ways.
“Part of being an adult is knowing that other people don’t owe you feelings in return. […]”
Also, Lukas is a champ at reaching ‘the big O’ untouched, which let’s be honest, is hot as hell.
Highly recommend this one if you’re into the tropes at all.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Age gap (26/42)
Dad’s best friend
Secret relationship
Friends to lovers
Bisexual awakening
Divorced MC
Pining
Dirty talking
Size difference
Hands-free orgasms
Vet tech MC
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Brief mentions of sick animals
Brief mentions of euthanasia
Explicit sexual content
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: Older MC is set up on a date with a woman by other MCs parents. He wants nothing to do with her.
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
He cared so much about John that imagining him alone and lonely for the rest of his life literally made his chest hurt. But imagining John with another person made him feel like he was being stabbed in the heart, so he was fucked either way.
October 21, 2020
Oh boy, what a treat!
I had very low expectations going into this book. Falling for the father’s best friend (or father falling for the sons best friend) is one of my favourite troupes, but often they fall short for me.
Laying Pipe had just enough resistance, angst and chemistry to keep me interested. It was the perfect mix for me, and I’m very happy with how their relationship progressed.
This is a steamy one, folks! I had to fan myself off a few times. The dirty talk was *chefs kiss*, and I love me some toppy tops who like to be bossy (and bratty brats who like to be bottomy).
One of the only things that irked me was the incessant use of “baby.” Let’s save that for special times that give me butterflies, instead of overusing the pet name. It’s cringeworthy to me. Used sparingly is so sweet and sexy, but there’s gotta be a balance. Maybe change it up once in a while!
I also would’ve liked to see more questioning for Lukas. When the story starts, we learn that Lukas has been “in love” with John for years. I’d say it was more an “in lust” thing. My favourite part is when an MC figures out how deep their feelings run, and if he already knows without even kissing him, it leaves me disappointed that the moment is left out.
That being said, I super-duper enjoyed this one! It was sweet and passionate and made me feel all warm and gooey. (And damn those steamy scenes...)
I had very low expectations going into this book. Falling for the father’s best friend (or father falling for the sons best friend) is one of my favourite troupes, but often they fall short for me.
Laying Pipe had just enough resistance, angst and chemistry to keep me interested. It was the perfect mix for me, and I’m very happy with how their relationship progressed.
This is a steamy one, folks! I had to fan myself off a few times. The dirty talk was *chefs kiss*, and I love me some toppy tops who like to be bossy (and bratty brats who like to be bottomy).
One of the only things that irked me was the incessant use of “baby.” Let’s save that for special times that give me butterflies, instead of overusing the pet name. It’s cringeworthy to me. Used sparingly is so sweet and sexy, but there’s gotta be a balance. Maybe change it up once in a while!
I also would’ve liked to see more questioning for Lukas. When the story starts, we learn that Lukas has been “in love” with John for years. I’d say it was more an “in lust” thing. My favourite part is when an MC figures out how deep their feelings run, and if he already knows without even kissing him, it leaves me disappointed that the moment is left out.
That being said, I super-duper enjoyed this one! It was sweet and passionate and made me feel all warm and gooey. (And damn those steamy scenes...)
September 2, 2020
Wow. Just wow, this has one of the best GFY first time scenes that I’ve read to date. I loved how both Lukas and John are both real and honest with each other. Ugh, I didn’t want this book to end. Super, super cute and endearing book.
October 21, 2020
4.25 absolutely loved this book and the relationship development between the MCs.
August 12, 2024
Surprisingly wholesome and fluffy. I very much enjoyed the relationship development between John and Lukas. Lukas has been in love with supposedly straight John, a very good friend of Lukas' parents. And then one day, supposedly straight John realises he is very attracted to Lukas. They start a secret relationship filled with open communication, a few panic moments, a lot of butt grabbing and lots of love. It's a almost zero angst romance and I really enjoyed it.
October 27, 2020
1.5 being generous. This was very bad IMHO. My biggest issues with the plot:
- The relationship was unbalanced and, frankly, icky. The guy was around for the kid's adolescence and that is just gross to me
- The whole GFY or first-time-gay experience was laughably bad. He went from having some vaguely sexual thoughts to almost-kinky in .03 seconds
- The side characters (including the parents) were caricatures and barely sketched
- The side plot with the developer added nothing and made no sense, same goes for the ex
- The two MC had no chemistry
My issues with the writing are simpler... It just read like very bad fanfiction. No conflict, everything gets resolved lighting fast and the characters acted like teenagers. I skipped huge swaths, specially towards the end.
- The relationship was unbalanced and, frankly, icky. The guy was around for the kid's adolescence and that is just gross to me
- The whole GFY or first-time-gay experience was laughably bad. He went from having some vaguely sexual thoughts to almost-kinky in .03 seconds
- The side characters (including the parents) were caricatures and barely sketched
- The side plot with the developer added nothing and made no sense, same goes for the ex
- The two MC had no chemistry
My issues with the writing are simpler... It just read like very bad fanfiction. No conflict, everything gets resolved lighting fast and the characters acted like teenagers. I skipped huge swaths, specially towards the end.
July 1, 2021
ETA: The audio of this is just yummmmmmm, Kirt's voice is just smooth butter and I love it. Made for a very fun, sexy re-read!
My first book from this author and overall, I really enjoyed it! I thought that Lukas and John had great chemistry together, and I loved how well they clicked once they started a relationship.
I do think that John settled into the physical aspects of gay sex maybe a bit TOOOOOO easily lol, but other than that, this made for a great, fun story! If you're a fan of age gap and bi-awakening stories, and you want something that's just sexy and sweet and fun, give this one a try.
My first book from this author and overall, I really enjoyed it! I thought that Lukas and John had great chemistry together, and I loved how well they clicked once they started a relationship.
I do think that John settled into the physical aspects of gay sex maybe a bit TOOOOOO easily lol, but other than that, this made for a great, fun story! If you're a fan of age gap and bi-awakening stories, and you want something that's just sexy and sweet and fun, give this one a try.
November 6, 2020
Oh my, this was so freaking adorable! A low-angst, comfort-read type of story, that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside — just what I needed right then. The chemistry between Lukas and John was amazing, too. And that dirty talk… 🔥🔥🔥
Gemini Chronicle — thank you for the recommendation!
Gemini Chronicle — thank you for the recommendation!
April 22, 2022
3 stars
Cute no angst read… but didn’t love it
Kirt Graves narration was stellar!!
Cute no angst read… but didn’t love it
Kirt Graves narration was stellar!!
June 4, 2024
Jun 2024 - 3.5 stars
Still quite enjoyable except for the father who I hated. Can't believe John didn't call him out on the work bullshit, I sure would have.
I feel like this was a fun 4 star read until the resolution of the conflict which is both OTT and underwhelming, and the ending is painfully cheesy.
I might read this again though when in need for serious fluff. I like them as a couple, enjoyed their communication and thought they really suited each other. There's a fair bit of sex, and I found it fairly well written overall.
I am extremely annoyed that the bonus scene, one of my favourite sex scenes, is not included in the audiobook. Narration by Kirt Graves is solid.
March 2023 - 4 stars
A fun and low-angst read with good chemistry between the MCs.
Representation: One MC is 40+ and has a bit of a belly (a sexy belly which is put to good use).
Sometimes with age-gap stories I struggle to understand what the MCs have in common, but it all felt very natural here. Perhaps because the younger MCs is 26 and he's an independent working professional so has a bit more experience under his belt than some other leads in this trope.
Speaking of which, Lukas was a pretty relatable character. He's soft and sweet without being a doormat but isn't without his flaws. He overreacts and gets worked up but quickly sees sense and apologises. I like these traits.
John is a calm, mature, supportive presence in Lukas' life. I feel like we didn't get to know him nearly as well, but I did like what we saw. I loved how he stood up for Lukas when his dad was dismissive of his work.
I loved the domesticity of the whole set-up. Lukas cooking for John, John taking care of Lukas' garden (nudge nudge wink wink - but I do mean his literal garden), spending all their time together and ferrying Lukas' pets back and forth.
One thing that always annoys me is
Aaaaand the epilogue is such a cheesefest.
But the final sex scene was amazing so all is forgiven.
Sexual content: Explicit but not too frequent.
Kink: Very light spanking.
Still quite enjoyable except for the father who I hated. Can't believe John didn't call him out on the work bullshit, I sure would have.
I feel like this was a fun 4 star read until the resolution of the conflict which is both OTT and underwhelming, and the ending is painfully cheesy.
I might read this again though when in need for serious fluff. I like them as a couple, enjoyed their communication and thought they really suited each other. There's a fair bit of sex, and I found it fairly well written overall.
I am extremely annoyed that the bonus scene, one of my favourite sex scenes, is not included in the audiobook. Narration by Kirt Graves is solid.
March 2023 - 4 stars
A fun and low-angst read with good chemistry between the MCs.
Representation: One MC is 40+ and has a bit of a belly (a sexy belly which is put to good use).
Sometimes with age-gap stories I struggle to understand what the MCs have in common, but it all felt very natural here. Perhaps because the younger MCs is 26 and he's an independent working professional so has a bit more experience under his belt than some other leads in this trope.
Speaking of which, Lukas was a pretty relatable character. He's soft and sweet without being a doormat but isn't without his flaws. He overreacts and gets worked up but quickly sees sense and apologises. I like these traits.
John is a calm, mature, supportive presence in Lukas' life. I feel like we didn't get to know him nearly as well, but I did like what we saw. I loved how he stood up for Lukas when his dad was dismissive of his work.
I loved the domesticity of the whole set-up. Lukas cooking for John, John taking care of Lukas' garden (nudge nudge wink wink - but I do mean his literal garden), spending all their time together and ferrying Lukas' pets back and forth.
One thing that always annoys me is
Aaaaand the epilogue is such a cheesefest.
But the final sex scene was amazing so all is forgiven.
Sexual content: Explicit but not too frequent.
Kink: Very light spanking.
March 12, 2021
This was my first book by Kiki Clark but I have a feeling I'll read more from her in the future.
An age gap romance with a father's-best-friend trope. When I read the blurb I thought we were in for some angst and awkward situations, but as it turns out, I was wrong. Laying Pipe is a sweet story about a couple falling in love when they didn't expect it, with a side of bisexual awakening.
I liked that there was no coming out drama. Lukas was gay, out and accepted by his family and his co-workers. John though of himself as straight at the beginning of the story, but there was no drama from others when he realised he also liked guys.
My main issue with this book is that it was maybe a little too sweet and there was basically no conflict about anything. Everything got resolved very quickly and with minimal fuss.
With that being said, Lukas as a character was very well developed and I liked him a lot, of course that maybe had something to do with his love for animals and one skittish little creature in particular. John's character was more simple but he was also nicely developed.
I felt uncomfortable about their behaviour during the family vacation, but I don't want to give away any spoilers so I'm not going to elaborate on that.
The main angst point in the whole story was how they were going to reveal their relationship to Lukas's parents and to be honest that's what had me the most curious since I read the blurb. But as I said already, this is a sweet book so that part followed along those lines as well.
My favourite character was without a doubt Ruby. I love it when authors give thought to develop pets as characters and they don't just use them as props.
~ I read an ARC of this book. ~
An age gap romance with a father's-best-friend trope. When I read the blurb I thought we were in for some angst and awkward situations, but as it turns out, I was wrong. Laying Pipe is a sweet story about a couple falling in love when they didn't expect it, with a side of bisexual awakening.
I liked that there was no coming out drama. Lukas was gay, out and accepted by his family and his co-workers. John though of himself as straight at the beginning of the story, but there was no drama from others when he realised he also liked guys.
My main issue with this book is that it was maybe a little too sweet and there was basically no conflict about anything. Everything got resolved very quickly and with minimal fuss.
With that being said, Lukas as a character was very well developed and I liked him a lot, of course that maybe had something to do with his love for animals and one skittish little creature in particular. John's character was more simple but he was also nicely developed.
I felt uncomfortable about their behaviour during the family vacation, but I don't want to give away any spoilers so I'm not going to elaborate on that.
The main angst point in the whole story was how they were going to reveal their relationship to Lukas's parents and to be honest that's what had me the most curious since I read the blurb. But as I said already, this is a sweet book so that part followed along those lines as well.
My favourite character was without a doubt Ruby. I love it when authors give thought to develop pets as characters and they don't just use them as props.
~ I read an ARC of this book. ~
June 2, 2024
I think this writing style just isn't for me.
The book just kept going round in circles and I didn't really believe either character wasn't a teenager with their first crush! The second hand embarrasment from all the cheese and cringe factor was so high that I felt so uncomfortable.
The book just kept going round in circles and I didn't really believe either character wasn't a teenager with their first crush! The second hand embarrasment from all the cheese and cringe factor was so high that I felt so uncomfortable.
August 16, 2024
I’m really sorry to say that but If I’m honest I absolutely didn’t like it.
Everything felt kind of awkward, I didn’t liked the chapters for me there was no connection at all, the sex scene got from 0-100 to heavy butt play and all in all the story felt really flat and unemotional. Maybe the author is just not for me.
Everything felt kind of awkward, I didn’t liked the chapters for me there was no connection at all, the sex scene got from 0-100 to heavy butt play and all in all the story felt really flat and unemotional. Maybe the author is just not for me.
September 8, 2020
Sexy, sugar-sweet, low-angst romance featuring a modest age gap, great steam (5-star dirty talk by my scale), and familial complications as the main conflict.
John isn’t technically family, but he’s been a family friend for something like 20 years. I think I recall a line or two early on that helped establish that this was not some kind of boyfriend husbandry situation. It seems to be a popular trope that attraction sparks between a young adult man and his older lifelong crush, with shenanigans ensuing as Younger Dude tries to get Older Dude to stop thinking of him as a kid, but John here doesn’t have too much of an avuncular relationship with Lukas, for which I’m grateful.
The feels and the steam are there, but I would have liked to get more insight into Lukas’ family and their relationship with John. Lukas’ father spends most of his time on-page acting like a dick, which made me question how he and John became such incredibly great friends and stayed like that for some two decades. Lukas’ mother doesn’t have much of a presence for most of the story; she feeds John, and that’s about all I can remember.
This is a mostly formula (but effective) romance with an uplifting tone and with happy resolutions all around.
And it’s hot. Really hot.
John isn’t technically family, but he’s been a family friend for something like 20 years. I think I recall a line or two early on that helped establish that this was not some kind of boyfriend husbandry situation. It seems to be a popular trope that attraction sparks between a young adult man and his older lifelong crush, with shenanigans ensuing as Younger Dude tries to get Older Dude to stop thinking of him as a kid, but John here doesn’t have too much of an avuncular relationship with Lukas, for which I’m grateful.
The feels and the steam are there, but I would have liked to get more insight into Lukas’ family and their relationship with John. Lukas’ father spends most of his time on-page acting like a dick, which made me question how he and John became such incredibly great friends and stayed like that for some two decades. Lukas’ mother doesn’t have much of a presence for most of the story; she feeds John, and that’s about all I can remember.
This is a mostly formula (but effective) romance with an uplifting tone and with happy resolutions all around.
And it’s hot. Really hot.
August 30, 2020
So I really loved the Kincaid Pack books and was excited to see Clark’s first contemporary work, but also a little nervous as genre hopping doesn’t always work. IT WORKED HERE. This book was everything I didn’t know I needed (but I was fairly certain I wanted). Age gap, dads best friend (yeah, wasn’t lying about the age gap), a bisexual awakening with zero angst about it, absolutely filthy dirty talk liable to light your kindle on fire. This book truly had it all. I laughed quite a bit, I had a big cheesy smile on my face for the rest. There was a little drama, I guess you could call it angst, but I really wouldn’t, but it was resolved quickly whenever it happened and added just the right amount of tension. I’m pretty sure this is Clark’s first year writing, and I hope she never stops.
dnf
May 7, 2021Time of death 54%
I’m not feeling this at all. The writing is good but I don’t feel the connection between the characters and for John never being with a man before it was so fast that sex happened. He seemed to change personalities once he was with Lukas. Something was just missing for me. I have not read this author before and I enjoyed the writing. I will check out another book by her in the future for sure!
I’m not feeling this at all. The writing is good but I don’t feel the connection between the characters and for John never being with a man before it was so fast that sex happened. He seemed to change personalities once he was with Lukas. Something was just missing for me. I have not read this author before and I enjoyed the writing. I will check out another book by her in the future for sure!
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