What do you think?
Rate this book
This Ain't No Gay Romance
I’m not gay.
I’m getting married.
So why can’t I stop sleeping with my chubby workmate?
When Rollins is sent to work on the edge of the Australian desert in the early 2000s, the last thing he needs is for Jay, the gang leader’s geeky son, to get sent with him. Charged with cleaning drug money through a job on the mines, Rollins expects his task to straighten Jay out to backfire spectacularly.
And it does—because Rollins is obsessed with sleeping with him. Even though Jay is a white gangsta wannabe with terrible fashion sense and awful opinions on everything, Rollins has to have him.
But according to Jay, Rollins—ex-SAS soldier with the body of a God—is a decent lay, but not boyfriend material. Rollins is outraged. And yet he still can’t get enough—impending nuptials, disappearing money, and threats of gang violence be damned.
But when Jay confronts him with an impossible offer, Rollins can’t possibly accept... can he?
I’m getting married.
So why can’t I stop sleeping with my chubby workmate?
When Rollins is sent to work on the edge of the Australian desert in the early 2000s, the last thing he needs is for Jay, the gang leader’s geeky son, to get sent with him. Charged with cleaning drug money through a job on the mines, Rollins expects his task to straighten Jay out to backfire spectacularly.
And it does—because Rollins is obsessed with sleeping with him. Even though Jay is a white gangsta wannabe with terrible fashion sense and awful opinions on everything, Rollins has to have him.
But according to Jay, Rollins—ex-SAS soldier with the body of a God—is a decent lay, but not boyfriend material. Rollins is outraged. And yet he still can’t get enough—impending nuptials, disappearing money, and threats of gang violence be damned.
But when Jay confronts him with an impossible offer, Rollins can’t possibly accept... can he?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2023
70 people are currently reading
297 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
June 21, 2025
This book has the worst sex scenes. Also the funniest. The post sex recaps are GOLD. It was batshit crazy and I loved it regardless. Jay kept giving him post sex appraisals and the results were NOT good.
**Rollins is a pump and dump chump(at the start)
**Jay INSISTS(and is apparently proven right) that Rollins has a much smaller dick - which drives him certifiably insane.
**Jay says Rollins has terrible dirty talk. He also stops fucking Rollins because he won't reciprocate bjs and he's not having that shit.
Also, Rollins won't bottom because it's too gay, but by the end he's an A1 bottom and top tier rimmer AND rim-ee.
Perfection.
Jay basically antagonizes Rollins into loving him. I don't know what else to call it.
It's not a typical romance, is a bit rough around the edges but it worked for me.
Won't work for anyone bothered by MC's seeing other people because Rollins was engaged to a woman for 90% of the book even though he was never with her since he kept fucking off to be wherever Jay was.
In conclusion. This was very much a gay romance and Rollins was the gayest of them all.
**Rollins is a pump and dump chump(at the start)
**Jay INSISTS(and is apparently proven right) that Rollins has a much smaller dick - which drives him certifiably insane.
**Jay says Rollins has terrible dirty talk. He also stops fucking Rollins because he won't reciprocate bjs and he's not having that shit.
Also, Rollins won't bottom because it's too gay, but by the end he's an A1 bottom and top tier rimmer AND rim-ee.
Perfection.
Jay basically antagonizes Rollins into loving him. I don't know what else to call it.
It's not a typical romance, is a bit rough around the edges but it worked for me.
Won't work for anyone bothered by MC's seeing other people because Rollins was engaged to a woman for 90% of the book even though he was never with her since he kept fucking off to be wherever Jay was.
In conclusion. This was very much a gay romance and Rollins was the gayest of them all.
January 5, 2025
This book was one of the strangest I’ve ever read, yet I couldn't put it down.
The plot revolves around a fraudulent business run by the main character’s father. Honestly, everything about this story felt shady, not only Jay's dad. And that’s what made it so intriguing. The way all the questionable activities were subtly hinted at, kept me hooked, craving more with each page. I found myself eager to get deeper and uncover the truth behind the illicit operations involving Jay and his crew.
Jay was such a fascinating and lovable character! 🥰
Rollins, the stoic and brooding lead, always grunting and growling, was incredibly appealing to me. He’s a stark contrast to carefree Jay, yet their chemistry is undeniable.
I also loved the age gap between them—it added a delicious touch of forbidden to their relationship.
Solid read.
The plot revolves around a fraudulent business run by the main character’s father. Honestly, everything about this story felt shady, not only Jay's dad. And that’s what made it so intriguing. The way all the questionable activities were subtly hinted at, kept me hooked, craving more with each page. I found myself eager to get deeper and uncover the truth behind the illicit operations involving Jay and his crew.
Jay was such a fascinating and lovable character! 🥰
Rollins, the stoic and brooding lead, always grunting and growling, was incredibly appealing to me. He’s a stark contrast to carefree Jay, yet their chemistry is undeniable.
I also loved the age gap between them—it added a delicious touch of forbidden to their relationship.
Solid read.
Read
June 24, 2025What. did. I. just. read.
Sasha Avice doesn't know how dialogue tags and punctuation work ("'What have I said about calling me dude while we fuck,' Rollins loosened his grip"), the crime plot is an incomprehensible mess, there is no such thing as "cancer, but it's benign," and unless things are different in Australia, "emotional support dogs" can't fly in the passenger compartment; that's for trained service animals. (I'm not going to look it up, because it's not my job to do a lazy author's work for them and also there's a whole lot of other nonsense in this book about dogs.)
But I could not resist Jay holding out against Rollins until he stopped ragging on sex workers and agreed to suck cock instead of pretending he wasn't doing anything queer when he fucked men. Also, Jay is pale and plump and please give me all the hard men hot for soft plump dudes, because reading that is like getting a tasty fizzy cool drink after the endless parade of men whose sole claim to sexiness is washboard abs.
I have no idea how to assign stars to this thing, which I read breathlessly from start to finish while sort of hating myself the entire time. Also, Sasha Avice was already on my DNR list for the abominable "You're My Church." WTF, me. WTF.
Sasha Avice doesn't know how dialogue tags and punctuation work ("'What have I said about calling me dude while we fuck,' Rollins loosened his grip"), the crime plot is an incomprehensible mess, there is no such thing as "cancer, but it's benign," and unless things are different in Australia, "emotional support dogs" can't fly in the passenger compartment; that's for trained service animals. (I'm not going to look it up, because it's not my job to do a lazy author's work for them and also there's a whole lot of other nonsense in this book about dogs.)
But I could not resist Jay holding out against Rollins until he stopped ragging on sex workers and agreed to suck cock instead of pretending he wasn't doing anything queer when he fucked men. Also, Jay is pale and plump and please give me all the hard men hot for soft plump dudes, because reading that is like getting a tasty fizzy cool drink after the endless parade of men whose sole claim to sexiness is washboard abs.
I have no idea how to assign stars to this thing, which I read breathlessly from start to finish while sort of hating myself the entire time. Also, Sasha Avice was already on my DNR list for the abominable "You're My Church." WTF, me. WTF.
July 10, 2023
I'm sorry, but how does this book only have 68 ratings?? That was awesome. Set probably somewhere in the early noughties in Australia, it tells the story of Rollins, ex-SAS soldier turned lackey for some bogan criminal gang, and his weird obsession with Jay, the boss's son.
Rollins (we're never told if that's his first or last name) is typical man's man - big, macho, emotionally constipated, but he fucks dudes on the side every now and then (but he is 100% definitely not gay). Jay, a small, apparently chubby (their word, not mine) nerd who dresses like a rapper ends by getting sent off with Rollins to do some money laundering or whatever in a small town somewhere. Rollins is clearly attracted to Jay, who is openly gay and pretty chill about it, but will not admit it himself. But the Summer heat and the proximity obviously does something to him because even though he maintains his heterosexuality (did I mention he is getting married?) he does some pretty gay shit. Over the course of their job in this town, these two become closer and closer and have increasingly dirtier sex and develop increasingly deeper feelings, which is very inconvenient for our hero Rollins.
I found this book hilarious, not in a laugh out loud way, but there's a thread of wry humour running through it that I found very entertaining. I also love the reluctant grump falling in love against his will trope, it gets me every time. And Rollins is grumpy as fuck. Jay is also a very endearing and cool character. He's had a tough life, but remains level-headed and gentle. I also love a mismatched couple.
I know a book is good when I try not to read too fast because I want to make it last, and I was desperately dragging this one out. It was a fantastic romance and it wasn't cheesy! Immediately I'm on board. I read a lot of MM, and I'm getting over the corny predictability of it. This was surprising and sweet in places without descending into cliché, but maybe that's why it isn't more popular. The ending is a bit far-fetched but pretty satisfying. I'm sure not everyone will love this as much as I did. The infidelity aspect may be off-putting to some, but I didn't really care. I really enjoyed their hard-won happy ending and am officially a Sasha Avice fan.
Rollins (we're never told if that's his first or last name) is typical man's man - big, macho, emotionally constipated, but he fucks dudes on the side every now and then (but he is 100% definitely not gay). Jay, a small, apparently chubby (their word, not mine) nerd who dresses like a rapper ends by getting sent off with Rollins to do some money laundering or whatever in a small town somewhere. Rollins is clearly attracted to Jay, who is openly gay and pretty chill about it, but will not admit it himself. But the Summer heat and the proximity obviously does something to him because even though he maintains his heterosexuality (did I mention he is getting married?) he does some pretty gay shit. Over the course of their job in this town, these two become closer and closer and have increasingly dirtier sex and develop increasingly deeper feelings, which is very inconvenient for our hero Rollins.
I found this book hilarious, not in a laugh out loud way, but there's a thread of wry humour running through it that I found very entertaining. I also love the reluctant grump falling in love against his will trope, it gets me every time. And Rollins is grumpy as fuck. Jay is also a very endearing and cool character. He's had a tough life, but remains level-headed and gentle. I also love a mismatched couple.
I know a book is good when I try not to read too fast because I want to make it last, and I was desperately dragging this one out. It was a fantastic romance and it wasn't cheesy! Immediately I'm on board. I read a lot of MM, and I'm getting over the corny predictability of it. This was surprising and sweet in places without descending into cliché, but maybe that's why it isn't more popular. The ending is a bit far-fetched but pretty satisfying. I'm sure not everyone will love this as much as I did. The infidelity aspect may be off-putting to some, but I didn't really care. I really enjoyed their hard-won happy ending and am officially a Sasha Avice fan.
October 23, 2023
4.25 stars!
Ele was right. This was so much better than the blurb or the first couple of chapters would have you believe.
With a little more development between these two (and communication), this could've been 5 stars.
Ele was right. This was so much better than the blurb or the first couple of chapters would have you believe.
With a little more development between these two (and communication), this could've been 5 stars.
November 16, 2024
Tropes: age gap, grumpy/sunshine, cheating, toxic relationship
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: cheating / non-exclusive relationship (between MMCs and otherwise), ptsd, veteran, criminal activity, violence and murder, homophobia, internalized homophobia, unsafe sex (which is stupid given they are not exclusive)
3.5 stars
Rollins is 36, bisexual but not out. He used to be in the military, but he lost his best friend / boyfriend, saw him get blown up by a landmine. He rightfully so lost his s***, he went into a grief spiral / mental health crisis for months, going AWOL from the military. When he finally returned to the military, they arrested him and jailed him for being AWOL and discharged him. Rollins has never explained to anyone what happened, why he did what he did, he just took the punishment because it was easier than talking about it. After that, he started doing sketchy s*** and currently launders money and does some drug work for a gang leader named Horace. He's also engaged, he's not in love with her, he just thinks it's a thing that people do.
Rollins meets Horace's 20 year old son, Jay. Jay's mother is a former prostitute, she raised Jay. Horace hadn't seen Jay for at least 7 years before now. Jay is gay. From the first moment Rollins sees Jay, he's attracted to him. Jay is a chubby, white boy wannabe gangster. The first time they hook up, it's ridiculous - Rollins thinks that Jay looks at him as if he's inviting something, so he follows him into a room and without a word holds him down, pulls his pants down, and f**** him. This was a total surprise to Jay, who really wasn't trying to hook up, but Jay is fully willing to take sex when it's offered to him! Neither of them expect this to be anything, Jay knew when they met that Rollins is engaged, and Rollins has no intention of splitting with his fiance, he's just misogynistic and thinks until they're married their relationship is open. It's a very toxic start. Rollins can't seem to stay away from Jay. They are pushed to work together, and Rollins keeps finding any excuse to f*** Jay.
As they spend more time together, they start talking about serious stuff, and they share more with each other than they've shared with other people before. Feelings are developing on both sides, but neither of them want to talk about it. They both have things in motion in their lives and they don't want inconvenient feelings to interfere in their plans. This is the case of them being reluctantly in love and not willing to admit it. But the criminal s*** is at risk of getting them killed and Rollins' wedding is approaching and it's crunch time.
What I liked:
- I liked their chemistry, and how Rollins kept unwittingly glancing at and touching Jay with non-sexual affection. He couldn't keep it strictly physical.
- I liked that Jay was actually quite smart and masterminding some stuff.
- I liked their talking and how they at times took care of each other, like how Jay kept paying for Rollins' dog Nola's treatment
What I didn't like:
- Rollin's was with his fiance Sarah until 90%. I think the last on page reference to him having sex with Sarah was at like the 30% mark or so, but it's implied that he was sleeping with Sarah whenever he was in the same town as her (he was traveling for work with Jay, so there were times that they went quite a while without him being with Sarah). Rollin's was cheating on Sarah, but also hurting Jay by being with Sarah.
- Rollins was a very toxic guy, he was homophobic, misogynistic, dealing with internalized homophobia. It's tough to like a character who uses the f slur and won't reciprocate certain sex acts, because he thinks it's too gay. At the same time, you still have to like him a little because he has a very clear moral code, he's damaged emotionally, he's kind to animals, he's protective of Jay, and he's whipped for Jay. So I had complicated feelings about him.
Some notable moments:
It's hilarious how casually and without malice Jay insults Rollins dick size. "Rollins inhaled deeply. “If I hurt you, I’m sorry.” “Hurt me how? You mean ‘cos you went in dry? Nah,” Jay grinned, “you’re not as big as I was expecting. It was all good, felt nice.” “Whaddya mean I’m not as big?” “Just, you know,” Jay gave him a once over. “You’re a big dude, twice my size, eh? But your dick’s like, relatively small.” “Small? What the fuck.” “Not small, like you don’t have a small dick, but like, mine’s bigger and I’m half your size, so like, relatively. You know relativity?”"
"Rollins kissed him. He expected Jay to push him off, punch him, he couldn’t believe he was actually doing it, but once he was in it, he realised he’d been going mad wanting this again and now he had it, he wasn’t going to stop. Jay didn’t push him off. No, Jay pushed into the kiss like a feral animal, his arms coming around Rollins’ back and yanking him forward."
The vulnerability here. "Jay took a deep breath. “Don’t do it, man.” “Do what?” “Marry her.” Rollins raised both eyebrows. “You reckon I should call it off. Now?” he was incredulous; imagine Sarah’s face? “I do, yeah,” Jay said. “You don’t even love her,” he finished, eyes dropping down to his sneakers. Rollins snorted. Jay wasn’t wrong, but it’s not like he could back out now. “What am I gonna do, Jay? Marry you instead?” Jay looked up. He pushed his glasses up his nose, straightened. “Yeah.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3.5/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: cheating / non-exclusive relationship (between MMCs and otherwise), ptsd, veteran, criminal activity, violence and murder, homophobia, internalized homophobia, unsafe sex (which is stupid given they are not exclusive)
3.5 stars
Rollins is 36, bisexual but not out. He used to be in the military, but he lost his best friend / boyfriend, saw him get blown up by a landmine. He rightfully so lost his s***, he went into a grief spiral / mental health crisis for months, going AWOL from the military. When he finally returned to the military, they arrested him and jailed him for being AWOL and discharged him. Rollins has never explained to anyone what happened, why he did what he did, he just took the punishment because it was easier than talking about it. After that, he started doing sketchy s*** and currently launders money and does some drug work for a gang leader named Horace. He's also engaged, he's not in love with her, he just thinks it's a thing that people do.
Rollins meets Horace's 20 year old son, Jay. Jay's mother is a former prostitute, she raised Jay. Horace hadn't seen Jay for at least 7 years before now. Jay is gay. From the first moment Rollins sees Jay, he's attracted to him. Jay is a chubby, white boy wannabe gangster. The first time they hook up, it's ridiculous - Rollins thinks that Jay looks at him as if he's inviting something, so he follows him into a room and without a word holds him down, pulls his pants down, and f**** him. This was a total surprise to Jay, who really wasn't trying to hook up, but Jay is fully willing to take sex when it's offered to him! Neither of them expect this to be anything, Jay knew when they met that Rollins is engaged, and Rollins has no intention of splitting with his fiance, he's just misogynistic and thinks until they're married their relationship is open. It's a very toxic start. Rollins can't seem to stay away from Jay. They are pushed to work together, and Rollins keeps finding any excuse to f*** Jay.
As they spend more time together, they start talking about serious stuff, and they share more with each other than they've shared with other people before. Feelings are developing on both sides, but neither of them want to talk about it. They both have things in motion in their lives and they don't want inconvenient feelings to interfere in their plans. This is the case of them being reluctantly in love and not willing to admit it. But the criminal s*** is at risk of getting them killed and Rollins' wedding is approaching and it's crunch time.
What I liked:
- I liked their chemistry, and how Rollins kept unwittingly glancing at and touching Jay with non-sexual affection. He couldn't keep it strictly physical.
- I liked that Jay was actually quite smart and masterminding some stuff.
- I liked their talking and how they at times took care of each other, like how Jay kept paying for Rollins' dog Nola's treatment
What I didn't like:
- Rollin's was with his fiance Sarah until 90%. I think the last on page reference to him having sex with Sarah was at like the 30% mark or so, but it's implied that he was sleeping with Sarah whenever he was in the same town as her (he was traveling for work with Jay, so there were times that they went quite a while without him being with Sarah). Rollin's was cheating on Sarah, but also hurting Jay by being with Sarah.
- Rollins was a very toxic guy, he was homophobic, misogynistic, dealing with internalized homophobia. It's tough to like a character who uses the f slur and won't reciprocate certain sex acts, because he thinks it's too gay. At the same time, you still have to like him a little because he has a very clear moral code, he's damaged emotionally, he's kind to animals, he's protective of Jay, and he's whipped for Jay. So I had complicated feelings about him.
Some notable moments:
It's hilarious how casually and without malice Jay insults Rollins dick size. "Rollins inhaled deeply. “If I hurt you, I’m sorry.” “Hurt me how? You mean ‘cos you went in dry? Nah,” Jay grinned, “you’re not as big as I was expecting. It was all good, felt nice.” “Whaddya mean I’m not as big?” “Just, you know,” Jay gave him a once over. “You’re a big dude, twice my size, eh? But your dick’s like, relatively small.” “Small? What the fuck.” “Not small, like you don’t have a small dick, but like, mine’s bigger and I’m half your size, so like, relatively. You know relativity?”"
"Rollins kissed him. He expected Jay to push him off, punch him, he couldn’t believe he was actually doing it, but once he was in it, he realised he’d been going mad wanting this again and now he had it, he wasn’t going to stop. Jay didn’t push him off. No, Jay pushed into the kiss like a feral animal, his arms coming around Rollins’ back and yanking him forward."
The vulnerability here. "Jay took a deep breath. “Don’t do it, man.” “Do what?” “Marry her.” Rollins raised both eyebrows. “You reckon I should call it off. Now?” he was incredulous; imagine Sarah’s face? “I do, yeah,” Jay said. “You don’t even love her,” he finished, eyes dropping down to his sneakers. Rollins snorted. Jay wasn’t wrong, but it’s not like he could back out now. “What am I gonna do, Jay? Marry you instead?” Jay looked up. He pushed his glasses up his nose, straightened. “Yeah.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2025
reread~jan2025
× no, i am STILL not over them to leaving nola behind ... thanks for asking once again, though 😭😭
× wasn't a huge fan of rollins staying with sarah until basically the end of the book.
✩ rollins and jay are still the best and most perfect odd-couple. honestly, they're my favorite sasha avice couple, hands-down.
✩ it was a really smart move making rollins' the narrator of this book. i appreciated the choice a whole lot more the second time around, cause if we'd only gotten jay's pov- lololololololololol this would have been a completely different kind of book.
- - -
first read~jan2023
× no, i am not over them having to leave nola behind ... thanks for asking, though 😭😭
✩ rollins is a closet romantic and i love that for him. jay calling rollins "dude" had me in a chokehold. the opposites-attract vibes were immaculate.
❝don’t do it, man.❞
❝do what?❞
❝marry her.❞
rollins raised both eyebrows. ❝you reckon i should call it off. now?❞ … ❝what am i gonna do, jay? marry you instead?❞
jay looked up. he pushed his glasses up his nose, straightened. ❝yeah.❞
× no, i am STILL not over them to leaving nola behind ... thanks for asking once again, though 😭😭
× wasn't a huge fan of rollins staying with sarah until basically the end of the book.
✩ rollins and jay are still the best and most perfect odd-couple. honestly, they're my favorite sasha avice couple, hands-down.
✩ it was a really smart move making rollins' the narrator of this book. i appreciated the choice a whole lot more the second time around, cause if we'd only gotten jay's pov- lololololololololol this would have been a completely different kind of book.
- - -
first read~jan2023
❝who’s this?❞ damon jerked his chin at jay.
❝i’m jay,❞ jay stood and extended his hand. ❝rollins❜—
❝boyfriend,❞ rollins cut him off, voice gruff. ❝soon to be husband if the offer still stands.❞ …
❝fuck yeah, dude,❞ he breathed out.
× no, i am not over them having to leave nola behind ... thanks for asking, though 😭😭
✩ rollins is a closet romantic and i love that for him. jay calling rollins "dude" had me in a chokehold. the opposites-attract vibes were immaculate.
May 14, 2024
Not a true review, because I need to think about it and I read this a while ago, but, just a note on why this shelf--this book includes one hero cheating on his female fiancee all the time, and yeah, he still goes home and sleeps with her while he and the other MC are also together, but OMG, I loved it anyway. That seems to be what Sasha Avice does to me. So far she's one of only maybe 2-3 (I'm looking at you, Adrien English by Josh Lanyon series) who manages it, and I'm confounded as to why, but also going to keep reading her because she's a terrific storyteller.
These two are a hot f-ing mess all the way through, but I think it worked for me because it's framed by the short, disastrous Now chapters and then we see the full real story as the two tell us in flashbacks that don't feel like annoying flashbacks--so basically, I already knew it ends in exclusivity/HEA, and getting there is actually kind of hilariously funny?! These two, oh man. One is just a clueless idiot and the other is way too smart for me and they Work. So. Well. Meant to be. That's it! Oh, and, there's great body positivity in this book. One hero is a cliche fit/cut/good shape good looking guy but the other is a slob and unfit and doesn't give AF about being chubby and all that and I was Here for it. His confidence is how we all should feel.
These two are a hot f-ing mess all the way through, but I think it worked for me because it's framed by the short, disastrous Now chapters and then we see the full real story as the two tell us in flashbacks that don't feel like annoying flashbacks--so basically, I already knew it ends in exclusivity/HEA, and getting there is actually kind of hilariously funny?! These two, oh man. One is just a clueless idiot and the other is way too smart for me and they Work. So. Well. Meant to be. That's it! Oh, and, there's great body positivity in this book. One hero is a cliche fit/cut/good shape good looking guy but the other is a slob and unfit and doesn't give AF about being chubby and all that and I was Here for it. His confidence is how we all should feel.
September 15, 2023
*4.5 stars*
I did not expect to like this so much! Yes, I wanted more relationship development. Yes, the MC was cheating on his fiance with the other MC for the most part of the book. Still...I liked it!
I did not expect to like this so much! Yes, I wanted more relationship development. Yes, the MC was cheating on his fiance with the other MC for the most part of the book. Still...I liked it!
August 13, 2023
I enjoyed the story and the relationship between Jay and Rollins. My biggest problem was that Rollins was sleeping with Jay while he was engaged. I did like the ending.
January 18, 2023
his Ain't No Gay Romance is the fist book I’ve read by this author, it most definitely won’t be my last. The story is raw and gritty, and so freakin good! But it also has some humor, great plot and characters that were interesting. Overall, a great read! Well written with good pacing that kept me engaged.
December 31, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Straight to Best Reads shelf. Why have I not read this author before?? I loved this book and I don’t throw the word ‘love’ around in my reviews, but I loved every scene with Rollins and Jay. They were each written so well!
I loved these guys and their devotion to each other. The dialogue was pitch perfect between them along with the elements of humor in Rollins trying to fathom the oddity of Jay. The chemistry between them was superb and the sex scenes were numerous and excellent. I love an unwilling MC who just gives in to a desire they cannot understand.
I got lost in this book and tried to drag out the reading of it so it wouldn’t be over.
Love the title and the truly wonderful ending!
The cover is great, too.
Straight to Best Reads shelf. Why have I not read this author before?? I loved this book and I don’t throw the word ‘love’ around in my reviews, but I loved every scene with Rollins and Jay. They were each written so well!
I loved these guys and their devotion to each other. The dialogue was pitch perfect between them along with the elements of humor in Rollins trying to fathom the oddity of Jay. The chemistry between them was superb and the sex scenes were numerous and excellent. I love an unwilling MC who just gives in to a desire they cannot understand.
I got lost in this book and tried to drag out the reading of it so it wouldn’t be over.
Love the title and the truly wonderful ending!
The cover is great, too.
January 16, 2023
It was different and yet... can we say it's kind of four stars but kind of almost not enough? Like... 3,5 I definitely recommend as long as you like... certain things?
Reading is all about discovering. Seeing people - characters - living in different worlds, experiencing events you never would, which is something that doesn't always happen (or it doesn't feel it does) in contemporary (and is the reason I don't always like it, this feeling of it being too close to home, too similar to my own life). And then there are books like this, that may be pretty rooted in reality... and feel very, wholly different.
Was it the style? The setting? The story itself? Probably a combination of several factors, but suffice to say, the read felt fairly unique.
Add that to the fact the characters were pretty interesting and despite the title, this was of course very much a gay romance about gangsters but mostly about deciding that what other people want is not as important as what You want to do with your life, that no one else can decide what will or will not make you happy amidst money-laundering and dog petting. Oh and arguing with the missus.
Which should have been a major point against the book but it didn't feel like cheating. It was wrong, sure, but... you get the feeling they don't have much of a relationship despite being engaged and planning a wedding. You can see it both in the MC who feels there is no other option, stuck in what he thinks he needs to do and the woman herself that doesn't really care - not about him. She just doesn't seem like a loving spouse and does in fact know he is not faithful to her...
What also saved it was that little glimpse of the future. I was literary about to jump to the end just to make sure the ensuing/final relationship between the two of them will be "healthy" just to turn to page to a "x days later". Because despite the blurb, our closeted MC is aware and honest enough to know he is bi and there is no internal homophobia, which was a big relief.
Anyway, if you can accept/you find you like the "unique" style, not just the genre, I'd say you should give the book a try.
Reading is all about discovering. Seeing people - characters - living in different worlds, experiencing events you never would, which is something that doesn't always happen (or it doesn't feel it does) in contemporary (and is the reason I don't always like it, this feeling of it being too close to home, too similar to my own life). And then there are books like this, that may be pretty rooted in reality... and feel very, wholly different.
Was it the style? The setting? The story itself? Probably a combination of several factors, but suffice to say, the read felt fairly unique.
Add that to the fact the characters were pretty interesting and despite the title, this was of course very much a gay romance about gangsters but mostly about deciding that what other people want is not as important as what You want to do with your life, that no one else can decide what will or will not make you happy amidst money-laundering and dog petting. Oh and arguing with the missus.
Which should have been a major point against the book but it didn't feel like cheating. It was wrong, sure, but... you get the feeling they don't have much of a relationship despite being engaged and planning a wedding. You can see it both in the MC who feels there is no other option, stuck in what he thinks he needs to do and the woman herself that doesn't really care - not about him. She just doesn't seem like a loving spouse and does in fact know he is not faithful to her...
What also saved it was that little glimpse of the future. I was literary about to jump to the end just to make sure the ensuing/final relationship between the two of them will be "healthy" just to turn to page to a "x days later". Because despite the blurb, our closeted MC is aware and honest enough to know he is bi and there is no internal homophobia, which was a big relief.
Anyway, if you can accept/you find you like the "unique" style, not just the genre, I'd say you should give the book a try.
November 27, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book; I absolutely loved the characters. Jay and Rollins stole my heart.
I think this book is a roller coaster—you start off laughing at the characters’ antics, then suddenly you’re holding your heart in your hands because of all the emotions. After that, you’re desperate to understand why they’re where they are, and in the end, you fall in love with them and alongside them.
All in all, I had so much fun with this book. It was a light read, full of love and some spicy scenes. 🥵
I really enjoyed this book; I absolutely loved the characters. Jay and Rollins stole my heart.
I think this book is a roller coaster—you start off laughing at the characters’ antics, then suddenly you’re holding your heart in your hands because of all the emotions. After that, you’re desperate to understand why they’re where they are, and in the end, you fall in love with them and alongside them.
All in all, I had so much fun with this book. It was a light read, full of love and some spicy scenes. 🥵
July 23, 2023
3.5 rounded up for originality. What did I just read? No idea but I’m 100% here for it. Funny, in an absurd but deeply human way. Rollins is so very baffled by his love for Jay, it’s very cute and surprisingly hot.
January 8, 2025
This book was weird. It was very much idiots-to-lovers. It reminded me of some of K.A. Merikan’s books. Especially their Wrong Side of the Tracks series. Just not as good.
I enjoyed the fact that Rollins and Jay were a very odd pair. Personality-wise as well as physically. You wouldn’t expect them to end up together, and I really enjoyed seeing them together. But I’m not really sure if I liked them. They were both very mean to each other for a long time, and they were both very dumb. They both didn’t know how to communicate and barely even talked to each other for a long time.
Unfortunately, this didn’t feel very romantic. There was a lot of spice. It was decent spice, but nothing too special. But there was a lot of it. But I feel like they fell for each other without us even realizing it. It was so subtle. But I wish it was more romantic. It wasn’t until near the very end that they realize they have feelings for each other. It was just a lot of them hanging around, talking about money laundering, being dumb and arguing, and lots of sex.
I kept thinking about DNFing this for most of the book. But I kept going because they do make an interesting pair.
I enjoyed the fact that Rollins and Jay were a very odd pair. Personality-wise as well as physically. You wouldn’t expect them to end up together, and I really enjoyed seeing them together. But I’m not really sure if I liked them. They were both very mean to each other for a long time, and they were both very dumb. They both didn’t know how to communicate and barely even talked to each other for a long time.
Unfortunately, this didn’t feel very romantic. There was a lot of spice. It was decent spice, but nothing too special. But there was a lot of it. But I feel like they fell for each other without us even realizing it. It was so subtle. But I wish it was more romantic. It wasn’t until near the very end that they realize they have feelings for each other. It was just a lot of them hanging around, talking about money laundering, being dumb and arguing, and lots of sex.
I kept thinking about DNFing this for most of the book. But I kept going because they do make an interesting pair.
July 10, 2023
Edit: Bumped to 5 🌟 it’s been 6 weeks and I can’t get these guys out of my head. One of my fave opposites attract grumpy/sunshine stories. Jay is an absolute gem
This book felt fresh, unique & fun. The characters had very distinct voices, which I love in a story
Rollins is a grumpy asshole who is secretly just a confused softie on the inside. I adore how much he loved his dog Nola - seriously so cute. He is willing to accept that he is bisexual but to be in a relationship with a man? No way
Jay is chubby, smiley & dresses like a “white gangster”. He charmed me right from the start. I could tell there was more going on behind his easy smiles and the way he could fluster Rollins was hilarious
Their insatiable lust for each other was almost as cute as their mutual love for the doggo
Rollins grumpy internal musings & Jay’s constant “dude”s made me laugh. The casual marriage proposal (I guess you could call it that) and Jay’s response had me rolling
Really glad I stumbled on this author. After reading this and her newsletter freebie His Boyfriend’s Rookie, I am really liking her writing style & unique storytelling
This book felt fresh, unique & fun. The characters had very distinct voices, which I love in a story
Rollins is a grumpy asshole who is secretly just a confused softie on the inside. I adore how much he loved his dog Nola - seriously so cute. He is willing to accept that he is bisexual but to be in a relationship with a man? No way
Jay is chubby, smiley & dresses like a “white gangster”. He charmed me right from the start. I could tell there was more going on behind his easy smiles and the way he could fluster Rollins was hilarious
Their insatiable lust for each other was almost as cute as their mutual love for the doggo
Rollins grumpy internal musings & Jay’s constant “dude”s made me laugh. The casual marriage proposal (I guess you could call it that) and Jay’s response had me rolling
Really glad I stumbled on this author. After reading this and her newsletter freebie His Boyfriend’s Rookie, I am really liking her writing style & unique storytelling
January 6, 2023
I read m/m romance for the stories of men being emotionally shattered by intense love and great sex, and put back together, transformed into better and stronger people. “This Aint No Gay Romance” is a lovely example of this.
Jay and Rollins are both strong-minded and self-possessed, just in different ways. It's so much fun to watch each of them (but especially Rollins obviously!) losing their cool as they realise how much they want each other.
Jay is such a great character, unique and unconventionally attractive, funny af.. it was delightful getting to know him. No one but Sasha could write such engaging and intimate sex scenes with the word “dude” liberally sprinkled throughout. Rollins is also very loveable.. so uptight and lost, just crying out for someone to tear down his walls and disrupt his tight schedule, but also a fundamentally decent person who deserves the love he didnt know he needed. And Nola! She’s the best!. But ok, I’m ruining it by giving too much away! Just read the book, you’ll love their journey together.
Jay and Rollins are both strong-minded and self-possessed, just in different ways. It's so much fun to watch each of them (but especially Rollins obviously!) losing their cool as they realise how much they want each other.
Jay is such a great character, unique and unconventionally attractive, funny af.. it was delightful getting to know him. No one but Sasha could write such engaging and intimate sex scenes with the word “dude” liberally sprinkled throughout. Rollins is also very loveable.. so uptight and lost, just crying out for someone to tear down his walls and disrupt his tight schedule, but also a fundamentally decent person who deserves the love he didnt know he needed. And Nola! She’s the best!. But ok, I’m ruining it by giving too much away! Just read the book, you’ll love their journey together.
February 11, 2025
So Good!!
Another stellar read from Sasha Avice. Love these two characters! Grumpy sunshine, age gap, Rollins is awesome so repressed and Jay is so energetic and chaotic but totally sees through Rollins and gets him like no one else. Just a great book all around.
Another stellar read from Sasha Avice. Love these two characters! Grumpy sunshine, age gap, Rollins is awesome so repressed and Jay is so energetic and chaotic but totally sees through Rollins and gets him like no one else. Just a great book all around.
December 28, 2023
I have no words, except that I absolutely love this book. And I’ve reread it like a million times already, and I will reread it a millions times more.
December 25, 2023
Delightful
Read
January 15, 2023A new author for me but I wasn't disappointed. Jay and Rollins are great together. Rollins is bi but is engaged to be married but he's also attracted to Jay. He knows that being with Jay can be the end for him. Jay is the son of a drug lord, out and proud, and they both know they are playing a dangerous game. The book is funny, and witty, with some intense moments, dark and I read it in one sitting.
August 12, 2025
Man this book was so good, I had no idea what to expect but it pulled me in and I was more than happy to go along for the ride. There was so much humour I was constantly grinning at Jay and Rollins.
I can't wait to read more in this series.
I can't wait to read more in this series.
January 21, 2023
This made me laugh and made me cry. Rollins was really an A-hole but you can’t helped but loved him. Great story and the epilogue was okay (just a year after)🖤🖤🖤🖤
July 22, 2023
5+++++
August 13, 2023
ridiculous and weird but i loved it??
December 2, 2023
2.5 stars
I never could really get into this one. I kept expecting more, bit the denial was strong until the very end and the overuse of Dude by Jay just about drove me crazy.
I never could really get into this one. I kept expecting more, bit the denial was strong until the very end and the overuse of Dude by Jay just about drove me crazy.
January 6, 2023
The cheating ruined it.
January 10, 2025
This was just a happy, unexpected surprise. I loved the story, loved both the MC & the spice.
August 8, 2025
I loved this book. It is so good; I don't know why this doesn't have more reviews. Set in Australia, the romance is between a semi-closeted tough guy who is working for a crime boss and that boss' nerdy son. I don't generally like books about gangs/crime but the focus was on the relationship. This is funny, had lots of show and NOT tell, and featured great dialogue.
I had such a good time reading this, I'll definitely look at the author's backlist.
I had such a good time reading this, I'll definitely look at the author's backlist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews