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bzliz's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Look, I had a good time reading this but I need my star rating to reflect how good the book actually is which is pretty disappointing. It’s okay though because queer people deserve mediocre rom coms too!
Holden and Leo enter into a fake relationship to give them a better backstory for an audition to be on Madcap Market- a grocery store themed gameshow that has special meaning for Holden. Their fake relationship never really feels fake and I felt like the stakes were kind of forced. Obviously the people casting this show wouldn’t care if their backstory wasn’t truthful. They care that someone is attractive enough and can put on a good show. We also didn’t get enough of the game show. The last round is completely skipped and could’ve made for some good drama making the reader wonder if they can get the full prize. It felt to me like the author wasn’t interested in that and just wanted to make it to the third act breakup (which I always hate). I was confused about Buckley showing up to compete in the show also. Everything about this man told me he would never do anything that might make him look foolish or childish, but he suddenly reversed that for petty revenge on someone he dumped? It felt weird.
The topic of grief was handled pretty well. It’s such a hard subject for a lot of people. I liked Leo’s mom’s perspective- that death is the end of suffering- and I think that scene allowed Holden to actually confront some of his feelings. The scene near the end with his dad was also really sweet and I wish we had gotten more interaction between them. Their relationship was fundamentally changed when they lost a loved one and it was nice to see them heal and reconnect. Male characters being vulnerable with each other is too rare.
There’s plenty of spice in this including some D/s dynamics which caught me off guard at first but ended up being fine. What’s not fine is putting produce in any holes besides your mouth. Don’t do it, folks. If it’s going in your butt, it needs a flared base. Ask literally anyone who works in an ER.
Holden and Leo enter into a fake relationship to give them a better backstory for an audition to be on Madcap Market- a grocery store themed gameshow that has special meaning for Holden. Their fake relationship never really feels fake and I felt like the stakes were kind of forced. Obviously the people casting this show wouldn’t care if their backstory wasn’t truthful. They care that someone is attractive enough and can put on a good show. We also didn’t get enough of the game show. The last round is completely skipped and could’ve made for some good drama making the reader wonder if they can get the full prize. It felt to me like the author wasn’t interested in that and just wanted to make it to the third act breakup (which I always hate). I was confused about Buckley showing up to compete in the show also. Everything about this man told me he would never do anything that might make him look foolish or childish, but he suddenly reversed that for petty revenge on someone he dumped? It felt weird.
The topic of grief was handled pretty well. It’s such a hard subject for a lot of people. I liked Leo’s mom’s perspective- that death is the end of suffering- and I think that scene allowed Holden to actually confront some of his feelings. The scene near the end with his dad was also really sweet and I wish we had gotten more interaction between them. Their relationship was fundamentally changed when they lost a loved one and it was nice to see them heal and reconnect. Male characters being vulnerable with each other is too rare.
There’s plenty of spice in this including some D/s dynamics which caught me off guard at first but ended up being fine. What’s not fine is putting produce in any holes besides your mouth. Don’t do it, folks. If it’s going in your butt, it needs a flared base. Ask literally anyone who works in an ER.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia
cheye13's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a lovely romance that packed so much story into such a short page count. Despite the single POV, both characters had depth and their individual growth journeys amidst their blossoming romance and game-show shenanigans.
I tend to avoid "New Adult" romances, because in my experience they tend to be shallowly-written erotica featuring young, hot "new" adults. A general theme of "I don't know what I'm doing with my life or where to find a sense of purpose, but maybe banging my hot neighbor/coworker/etc will help." Instead, this book is what I imagine "New Adult" romances should be: a tale of a couple learning about themselves through each other, and encouraging each other to take ownership of their own adult lives.
I tend to avoid "New Adult" romances, because in my experience they tend to be shallowly-written erotica featuring young, hot "new" adults. A general theme of "I don't know what I'm doing with my life or where to find a sense of purpose, but maybe banging my hot neighbor/coworker/etc will help." Instead, this book is what I imagine "New Adult" romances should be: a tale of a couple learning about themselves through each other, and encouraging each other to take ownership of their own adult lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity and Homophobia
brittanyisbooked's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a heartwarming book! I loved Leo’s banter and it really brought out Holden’s character traits. All of the main characters were dealing with something, and it was fun to watch them grow throughout the novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Infidelity and Homophobia
ali1311's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
A sweet, steamy, and quick read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia
jazhandz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Homophobia, Cancer, and Infidelity
12dejamoo's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked that this book didn't take itself too seriously. And it was a quick read and generally an enjoyable time. I cried during the graveyard scene, and I was genuinely rooting for Holden and Leo.
I give this 3 stars just because it was just kind of okay. Like I have nothing concretely wrong with it, just never felt super compelled to read it.
I give this 3 stars just because it was just kind of okay. Like I have nothing concretely wrong with it, just never felt super compelled to read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia
imstephtacular's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Terminal illness, Racism, Death, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Biphobia, Classism, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia
eloise_vi's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Minor: Homophobia
kellysbookverse's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Homophobia
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I absolutely adored this book! Quick premise is that Holden James is dumped in a restaurant by his longtime-boyfriend Buckley (I'm convinced everyone whose name begins with B is an absolute asshole in all fictional worlds lol), and then he goes to LA to audition for his favorite TV show, Madcap Market! This was the TV show he watched with his late mom before she passed away, and Holden is clearly still deep in grief. He meets Leo Min at his hotel, as Leo is the faux concierge and they have a steamy encounter.
Then, they get the idea of auditioning for the TV show together, even though the show typically takes couples or contestants with a lot of shared history. So what's the solution?! They fake date! Although, I will say they at least say that this is their very first few days of dating but they create a fake past five months of virtual friendship. Most of the book takes place over the few days that they prepare to audition, with Holden making Leo watch past episodes and them sharing past relationships and traumas.
I loved that this was a different spin on fake dating, as both Holden and Leo are very clear in their attraction to each other, so that is not a secret nor is it fake! So their fake dating is moreso for the cameras, but it really does feel like the beginning of a relationship for Holden at least. We get first-person POV of Holden only, so I can only assume Leo felt the same (though it is clarified at the end too lol). Anyway, I loved that they came up with the fake dating idea AFTER they had both already decided they were interested in each other, so I wasn't left wondering as I usually am with fake dating if it felt real for either of them. I personally felt it was quite clear that these two wanted to be with the other. They just were focused on winning $100k more in that particular moment!
Learning more about Holden and Leo was everything I love about the romance genre - we are given bouts of goofy and/or sexually tense banter, and then the characters let us in a bit, through the cracks that they *swear* are not there. Leo is still grappling with the unraveling of his last situationship, while Holden confronts why his past relationship with Buckley never stood a chance, and reckoning with his own accountability beyond their incompatibility. The third-act conflict was so utterly human and as a romance reader, you gotta know things will work out. However, I was so incredibly proud of the choice Holden made in order to move forward with intention and hope, rather than desperately hanging on to threads of the past.
Janovsky has been a bit of a slow burn for me - Boy Meets Boy #1 & #2 were okay (for me), then "New Adult" exceeded my expectations, and now this book has become my favorite of his! I will read anything he writes next, and I am so excited to say I am indeed a fan!
steam rating: 3/5 - this is dare I say, Janovsky's steamiest book!?
see content warnings below & take care while reading <3
I absolutely adored this book! Quick premise is that Holden James is dumped in a restaurant by his longtime-boyfriend Buckley (I'm convinced everyone whose name begins with B is an absolute asshole in all fictional worlds lol), and then he goes to LA to audition for his favorite TV show, Madcap Market! This was the TV show he watched with his late mom before she passed away, and Holden is clearly still deep in grief. He meets Leo Min at his hotel, as Leo is the faux concierge and they have a steamy encounter.
Then, they get the idea of auditioning for the TV show together, even though the show typically takes couples or contestants with a lot of shared history. So what's the solution?! They fake date! Although, I will say they at least say that this is their very first few days of dating but they create a fake past five months of virtual friendship. Most of the book takes place over the few days that they prepare to audition, with Holden making Leo watch past episodes and them sharing past relationships and traumas.
I loved that this was a different spin on fake dating, as both Holden and Leo are very clear in their attraction to each other, so that is not a secret nor is it fake! So their fake dating is moreso for the cameras, but it really does feel like the beginning of a relationship for Holden at least. We get first-person POV of Holden only, so I can only assume Leo felt the same (though it is clarified at the end too lol). Anyway, I loved that they came up with the fake dating idea AFTER they had both already decided they were interested in each other, so I wasn't left wondering as I usually am with fake dating if it felt real for either of them. I personally felt it was quite clear that these two wanted to be with the other. They just were focused on winning $100k more in that particular moment!
Learning more about Holden and Leo was everything I love about the romance genre - we are given bouts of goofy and/or sexually tense banter, and then the characters let us in a bit, through the cracks that they *swear* are not there. Leo is still grappling with the unraveling of his last situationship, while Holden confronts why his past relationship with Buckley never stood a chance, and reckoning with his own accountability beyond their incompatibility. The third-act conflict was so utterly human and as a romance reader, you gotta know things will work out. However, I was so incredibly proud of the choice Holden made in order to move forward with intention and hope, rather than desperately hanging on to threads of the past.
Janovsky has been a bit of a slow burn for me - Boy Meets Boy #1 & #2 were okay (for me), then "New Adult" exceeded my expectations, and now this book has become my favorite of his! I will read anything he writes next, and I am so excited to say I am indeed a fan!
steam rating: 3/5 - this is dare I say, Janovsky's steamiest book!?
see content warnings below & take care while reading <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Medical content, and Cursing
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, and Death of parent