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A review by _isabel_
The Husband Experience by Maya Jean
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
What a lovely, sweet novella. "The Husband Experience" was exactly what I needed after the angsty reads I've just gotten through: the perfect palate cleanser, with a whole lot of sweetness and delicious, kinky steam. I devoured it in a sitting and it left me with a huge smile on my face.
Fake dating has got to be one of my favourite tropes: its just packed with so much potential for emotional angst *chef's kiss* and this novella totally delivered on that front!
Although "The Husband Experience" is much more light-hearted and easy on the angst than Maya Jean's previous book ("Just a Footnote", which I absolutely adored, but isn't unfortunately available anymore), it still packed a punch at times. There's an underlying current of bittersweet angst, emotional upheveals and that sweet, sweet "I'm falling for you when I'm not supposed to, and I don't know what to do" trope that makes me want to squeal in my pillow, kicking my feet and twirling my hair. Yep, it totally delivered on that front.
This book is packed with some of my favourite things: a fake dating slash pretty woman kind of scenario, where one of our protagonists, the grieving Colby, hires Eli for a week to get his feet back into the romance game after losing his husband a few years before; a set of wonderful protagonists (both of them so sweet you won't stop grinning) with a delicious age gap between them; and spanking hot steam, with a smidge of D/s dynamic and some of my favourite kinks (I was swooning and blushing at the same damn time).
I adored them both, and I adored the side characters too, although we only get a few glimpses of them. I'm especially intrigued by Eli's friends, and I can't wait to see what Maya has in store next!
I totally recommend this novella if you're looking for something sweet and spicy, with an absolutely heartwarming, satisfying ending.
TWs/CWs: death of a partner, grief, cancer.
I received an ARC from the author, and this is my honest review.
Fake dating has got to be one of my favourite tropes: its just packed with so much potential for emotional angst *chef's kiss* and this novella totally delivered on that front!
Although "The Husband Experience" is much more light-hearted and easy on the angst than Maya Jean's previous book ("Just a Footnote", which I absolutely adored, but isn't unfortunately available anymore), it still packed a punch at times. There's an underlying current of bittersweet angst, emotional upheveals and that sweet, sweet "I'm falling for you when I'm not supposed to, and I don't know what to do" trope that makes me want to squeal in my pillow, kicking my feet and twirling my hair. Yep, it totally delivered on that front.
This book is packed with some of my favourite things: a fake dating slash pretty woman kind of scenario, where one of our protagonists, the grieving Colby, hires Eli for a week to get his feet back into the romance game after losing his husband a few years before; a set of wonderful protagonists (both of them so sweet you won't stop grinning) with a delicious age gap between them; and spanking hot steam, with a smidge of D/s dynamic and some of my favourite kinks (I was swooning and blushing at the same damn time).
I adored them both, and I adored the side characters too, although we only get a few glimpses of them. I'm especially intrigued by Eli's friends, and I can't wait to see what Maya has in store next!
I totally recommend this novella if you're looking for something sweet and spicy, with an absolutely heartwarming, satisfying ending.
TWs/CWs: death of a partner, grief, cancer.
I received an ARC from the author, and this is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, and Cancer