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lurker_stalker's review
4.0
Bold Strokes has been publishing m/m romances for a good long time now and I've been meaning to read one. I mean, I like romance and men are nice. I picked up two m/m books previously - one BSB and one non-BSB - but couldn't get into either of them. When I saw this one included nerdy gamer boys (tabletop and D&D are two of my very favorite things!!) I knew this one would be the one. And it was.
Owen is an awkward, insecure, and sweet guy who has fallen for his hunky physiotherapist. Then Bittersweets Club, April Fool's Day, and mistaken identity happens. It appears that this is part of a series but I didn't feel like I was missing out anything. The rest of the guys were there but definitely in the periphery. I really liked the novella and had a big smile on my face when I got to the last page.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for helping me to find the perfect m/m romance to start off with.
Owen is an awkward, insecure, and sweet guy who has fallen for his hunky physiotherapist. Then Bittersweets Club, April Fool's Day, and mistaken identity happens. It appears that this is part of a series but I didn't feel like I was missing out anything. The rest of the guys were there but definitely in the periphery. I really liked the novella and had a big smile on my face when I got to the last page.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for helping me to find the perfect m/m romance to start off with.
wcw219's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
eol's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
derhindemith's review
5.0
Cute like the others. Definitely more of an expanded short story, but watching the same characters have their experiences over the same time period is a great device that I really like. It makes them feel like a single cohesive novel, instead of isolated, independent stories.
pewterwolf's review
4.0
RTC, but what a sweet little novella, showing a start of (hopefully) something HEA. Reading with smile on face and wanting to try another novella set in this Village.
***eProof given by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
Well, this is a sweet little MM romance novella. It might be a tad sugary for some of you guys, but I enjoyed myself reading this.
Part of the Little Village series, this novella follows shy Owen. He's recovering from a car crash a few months back and has a crush on his former physiotherapist Toma. When one of his friends, Felix, does a badly thought out April fool joke of changing contact details on Owen's mobile phone, Owen spends the morning texting messages about "cubcake" Toma with his sexy thighs and chest to "Felix", not realising that he's actually texting Toma...
I do feel that it was a tad too short as we never really saw any development of feelings between Owen and Toma, and I wish we saw that. But with this being really short (72 pages, apparently), it was going to be hard.
But this was a sweet read, and I want to dip my toe back into this world and these characters.
***eProof given by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***
Well, this is a sweet little MM romance novella. It might be a tad sugary for some of you guys, but I enjoyed myself reading this.
Part of the Little Village series, this novella follows shy Owen. He's recovering from a car crash a few months back and has a crush on his former physiotherapist Toma. When one of his friends, Felix, does a badly thought out April fool joke of changing contact details on Owen's mobile phone, Owen spends the morning texting messages about "cubcake" Toma with his sexy thighs and chest to "Felix", not realising that he's actually texting Toma...
I do feel that it was a tad too short as we never really saw any development of feelings between Owen and Toma, and I wish we saw that. But with this being really short (72 pages, apparently), it was going to be hard.
But this was a sweet read, and I want to dip my toe back into this world and these characters.
priorglass's review
3.0
ARC
Finished it in under an hour and it's just real sweet. The intervals that occured between each chapter with Owen's first meeting with the Bittersweets gang and recovery training with Tomo as opposed to present day was a really nice touch. If anything, it helped made the interactions all the more special as you learn a new bit of info that'll come into play in present day. All in all, I had a good time.
Finished it in under an hour and it's just real sweet. The intervals that occured between each chapter with Owen's first meeting with the Bittersweets gang and recovery training with Tomo as opposed to present day was a really nice touch. If anything, it helped made the interactions all the more special as you learn a new bit of info that'll come into play in present day. All in all, I had a good time.
ryanpfw's review
4.0
Continuing to binge on Christmas books between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Handmade Holidays was always a favorite so I’m trying to get the entire Little Village series in this year.
This was a short one. One of the biggest pet peeves I have in reading is when a character’s tone or behavior is not acknowledged by the other characters, such as someone spoiled being treated as selfless and nobody, including the author sees it. That didn’t happen here.
This is the story of a practical joke that ends up causing damage that heals into progress, and it’s clearly setup for the character in his own book, which I’ll get to shortly. Given the shortness of the read, it’s not so much a Christmas book as it is someone correctly responding to a terrible joke. Still, very solid as usual from this author.
This was a short one. One of the biggest pet peeves I have in reading is when a character’s tone or behavior is not acknowledged by the other characters, such as someone spoiled being treated as selfless and nobody, including the author sees it. That didn’t happen here.
This is the story of a practical joke that ends up causing damage that heals into progress, and it’s clearly setup for the character in his own book, which I’ll get to shortly. Given the shortness of the read, it’s not so much a Christmas book as it is someone correctly responding to a terrible joke. Still, very solid as usual from this author.
jen286's review
4.0
This was a fun quick read. Owen is a kind of shy, nerdy guy but in the right situations he has can let go and really be himself. Toma is a personal trainer who helped Owen when he injured himself and needed some rehab. The personal trainer that Owen can't stop thinking about.
This was a cute read. Owen and Toma were sweet and I loved Owen's group of friends. The only issue? It was too short! I wanted more!
*Note: I received a free copy of this book, thanks NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, for voluntary review consideration
This was a cute read. Owen and Toma were sweet and I loved Owen's group of friends. The only issue? It was too short! I wanted more!
*Note: I received a free copy of this book, thanks NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, for voluntary review consideration
terriaminute's review
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
4.5
This is a 4.5 star read, because while it isn't absolutely perfect, it was darn near perfect for me. Usually pranks leave me kinda angry, but Burgoine managed to dovetail this issue in with the plot so well that it just made the ending even sweeter. Also? Fellow 'talks better in writing than in person' person, right here. Good rep. :)