all of the aboveRating: 4.25 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Brendon has enthusiasm to spare, but he doesn’t quite think out all his grand plans. When he takes a quiz in a local fashion magazine, he’s surprised how closely the options match what he wants from a man. And when he finds out the author of the quiz is a man, Brendon is convinced he’s found his soul mate. Now he just has to meet Matt.

It takes a little subterfuge, but Brendon manages to finally “run into” Matt. Brendon has to make the first move, but they go out on a date later that night. The date is nearly perfect, and Matt is everything he wants. But there’s a secret between them, and Brendon knows he needs to come clean. When he tells Matt the truth, Brendon just might lose his heart.

The premise of this one totally grabbed my attention and I was looking forward to reading it. This book is a light hearted, sometimes silly romp that was sweet and playful, with just enough heft to give it some weight. I really enjoyed Brendon, and I liked watching him grow.

This book is told solely through Brendon’s third person POV. Brendon was the prefect narrator here, as it was his story to tell. He’s flamboyant and out there and unapologetic about who he is, which I really loved seeing. I also liked that he owned his faults. Not always right away, but he was a big enough person to own up to them and try to make amends when he hurt Matt. I really enjoyed his character, though I did feel like we missed a bit not getting Matt’s POV as well.

One thing I was worried about was the secret between them. I didn’t want it to drag on too long and be this whole blow up at the end. Fortunately, the author handles it perfectly for my tastes. Brendon comes clean of his own volition and the fall out is exactly what it should be. In the aftermath, we even get to see just how not perfect Matt really is. I really liked that both characters had flaws, but that they could work through them by actually talking it out. It was refreshing, that’s for sure. They connected and sparked from the moment they met, and bonus points to the author for thinking up creative dates and ways for them to interact. It really added something extra to the story.

The style of writing was smooth and colorful and I had no problem visualizing each scene. However, I will say that for me, a few odd things stuck out. On occasions, there was a turn of phrase that read as a bit too poetic and didn’t really fit the tone of the story. The author also overused the phrase “per se.” Now these things might seem nitpicky and they might not matter to you. But both of these things yanked me out of the story, which brought down my ultimate enjoyment.  My only other small issue is that the ending seemed a touch rushed, though I was ecstatic to see a perfect epilogue.

So I definitely call this one a win. If you’re looking for something with a different twist, good characters, fun pop culture references, and a sweet, playful feel, then this book is one you might want to check out.

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