A review by ellelainey
The Good Boys Club by Jemma Croft

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

 

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

The Good Boys Club 

Mythical Mishaps, Book 2 

by Jemma Croft 

★★★★★ 

479 Pages 

1st person, dual character POV 

Themes: Alpha/Beta, kink (snowballing, watersports, put play, praise kink, CNC, breeding, knotting, voyeurism, shifted wolf sex, edging, begging, collaring, golden shower); pining, friends-to-lovers; fake dating; road trip; only one bed; first time, bi/demi-awakening, hints of mpreg (very minor, barely mentioned); hurt/comfort; touch starved MC 

Triggers: casual mentions of off-page drug use and partying lifestyle, vomiting, poop, piss, alcohol; speciesism, classism, historic death of parent 

~ 

The Good Boys Club was so different from Book 1 of the Mythical Mishaps series, yet it was similar in that it was so much more than I'd expected. It's actually very emotionally impacting, full of pining and lost hope and near misses. It's all the good stuff of a cheesy rom-com without any of the bad stuff, and doesn't mind taking the p!ss out of itself or the tropes, either. 

Cian is a great main character, in that he's pretty human-ish and a wolf shifter, which means he has more ability to pass as human. He's smart, serious and driven, but trapped in place by his love for Mash. In contrast, Mash is the happy-go-lucky f*ckboy we knew and loved in Book 1, but somehow more. He's secretly damaged, terrified and on the run from responsibility, relying on his friendship with Cian to cure all his hurts. 

The plot is exactly what it promises to be – Mash is unable to put his family off any longer: he needs to go home to his pack for the holidays, but the only way to do that safely, without the threat of being matchmade into a mated pair is to fake a relationship. At first the manwh*re womaniser goes to Cian for help – he works at a were dating agency so he can help Mash find a woman to fake being his mate – however, the plan quickly falls apart when they discover Mash has burned his bridges with every werewolf woman on the database! The only successful way to fake it is for Cian to be his fake mate. They know each other best and Cian can manage to partially shift – enough to show his ears and tail – to look like a born werewolf. 

It's a solid plan that goes t!ts up pretty quickly. There are too many werewolf traditions he doesn't know, too many ways he doesn't even resemble a werewolf. But they stutter through it, progressing to fake kissing to being intimate “for the sake of the lie” and all kinds of good stuff. 

As characters, I loved both Cian and Mash equally. Mash was surprisingly more self-aware than I'd initially given him credit for, and Cian was sunk far deeper in unrequited love than I anticipated. Together, they made for a few more bittersweet romance than I'd prepared myself for. 

I loved the cast of secondary characters as well. Mash's entire family – his nana, Rita; his mother, Kimmy; his sister, Clem; his nephew, Felix – were all incredible in their own way. 

I REALLY loved all the well-placed flashbacks that showed us just how much history existed between Cian and Mash, from both POV's, so that we could see the how and why of what they were saying and meaning. There was a lot of miscommunication between them, but it was in a way that made sense – two people have two totally different conversations where the words took on an utterly different context than they anticipated, because they just weren't on the same page. 

I loved how openly Cian and Mash discussed consent – such as when Mash is a wolf, and can't remember things the next morning, does that still count as consent? – and how they really try to be open about everything except their deepest, darkest secrets. You can genuinely feel the bond between them and how long it's existed. 

There was a lot more humour here than I expected as well, due to how bittersweet and hope-less some aspects were. The whole f*reskin thing was utterly hilarious and – though I can't explain how – was full of British stoicism and embarrassment. Also the moments-after situation with Mash, the toilet and the bathroom floor, were hilarious. 

I can't wait for Book 3. This is definitely a series – and an author – I'll be following in the future. 

~ 

Favourite Quote 

 “This was the end of an era. No more Bangers and Mash.” 

 “I could be happy here.” 

 “I was a shadow, and he was the sunshine.”