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A review by kp_hobbitreads
The Mayor and the Mystery Man by A.J. Truman
4.0
#1 The Falcon and the Foe: ★★★★☆ | 4 stars
#2 The Mayor and the Mystery Man: ★★★★☆ | 4 stars
This was so much fun to read, and I enjoyed it just as much as (if not a little more than) the first book in the series.
This story follows Leo, small town mayor and member of the Single Dads Club, whose image need some rehab after a former hookup sold him out to the press. Leo calls on his long-time best friend Dusty for help, and the pair cook up a fake-date scheme to make Leo more "likeable" to his voters. Along the way, Leo and Dusty realize that their fake-dating has given way to some very real feelings and they have to decide if they want to take a chance on each other and maybe get their Happily Ever After.
I'm admittedly a sucker for a good fake-dating romance. Especially if that is combined with friends to lovers excellence. And, this book does both of those tropes so well. You absolutely believe in the friendship between Leo and Dusty and the shift from friends to lovers makes complete sense. Dusty bounces from thing to thing and Leo has trouble letting people see the real him, but these two always see the best in each other and I absolutely loved that.
Three Thoughts:
1. Dusty being able to answer all the questions about Leo was about the cutest thing I've ever seen.
2. Even though Leo has kids, they don't play nearly as big of a part in the story as the do in the first book. And, I think I would have liked to see them be a little more important to the plot.
3. I did cringe a little when they used spit instead of lube.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. And, I'm definitely looking forward to the third book in this series. But, if I don't get some kind of series epilogue where I get to see these characters a few years down the line and still happy, I'm gonna be a little grumpy.
content warnings: infidelity (previous relationship), personal photos leaked online, sex (on page)
#2 The Mayor and the Mystery Man: ★★★★☆ | 4 stars
This was so much fun to read, and I enjoyed it just as much as (if not a little more than) the first book in the series.
This story follows Leo, small town mayor and member of the Single Dads Club, whose image need some rehab after a former hookup sold him out to the press. Leo calls on his long-time best friend Dusty for help, and the pair cook up a fake-date scheme to make Leo more "likeable" to his voters. Along the way, Leo and Dusty realize that their fake-dating has given way to some very real feelings and they have to decide if they want to take a chance on each other and maybe get their Happily Ever After.
I'm admittedly a sucker for a good fake-dating romance. Especially if that is combined with friends to lovers excellence. And, this book does both of those tropes so well. You absolutely believe in the friendship between Leo and Dusty and the shift from friends to lovers makes complete sense. Dusty bounces from thing to thing and Leo has trouble letting people see the real him, but these two always see the best in each other and I absolutely loved that.
Three Thoughts:
1. Dusty being able to answer all the questions about Leo was about the cutest thing I've ever seen.
2. Even though Leo has kids, they don't play nearly as big of a part in the story as the do in the first book. And, I think I would have liked to see them be a little more important to the plot.
3. I did cringe a little when they used spit instead of lube.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. And, I'm definitely looking forward to the third book in this series. But, if I don't get some kind of series epilogue where I get to see these characters a few years down the line and still happy, I'm gonna be a little grumpy.
content warnings: infidelity (previous relationship), personal photos leaked online, sex (on page)