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A review by the_novel_approach
Adam Only by Roe Horvat
4.0
Roe Horvat has proved he knows his way around erotic romance, not once but twice now, and this time he throws in just a smidge of dominance and submission to up the sizzle factor. Adam and Christoffer were introduced in The Other Book, which technically makes this a prequel, as it’s their origin story, but it can be read in any order or as a standalone. I wasn’t sure I needed a book about this couple, to be honest, but now that I’ve read Adam Only, I’m glad it exists.
Christoffer and Adam are physical opposites: Christoffer is the brawny bear with a soft, squishy center, and Adam is the lithe and lovely dancer who is fifteen years younger than the man who caught Adam’s eye at a party. Subsequently, Christoffer spends the weekend blowing Adam’s mind with hours of the kind of sex Adam craves, but as these things often go when the attraction is immediate, the sex is scorching, and the chemistry is undeniable, the lack of anything resembling trust means the weekend doesn’t end with their happily ever after.
It ends when Adam sneaks out on Monday morning, under cover of darkness, sure that he’s been nothing more to Christoffer than a disposable, probably forgettable, certainly unworthy, bit of tail. Because Adam’s history with relationships is not a kind one, and his backstory is one that’s all-too familiar.
Horvat does again what he did so well in The Other Book. Where these books obviously rely on their erotic scenes to entice in a voyeuristic way, he also manages to build an emotional connection between characters and his readers. While sex and sexual chemistry is integral to the relationship, Adam and Christoffer each develop into individuals who are likeable and loveable too, and Horvat made me believe they fit together in the way people who are complete opposites can complement each other’s differences. That’s not easy to accomplish in a book this short, but he pulls it off without question.
Reviewed for The Novel Approach
Christoffer and Adam are physical opposites: Christoffer is the brawny bear with a soft, squishy center, and Adam is the lithe and lovely dancer who is fifteen years younger than the man who caught Adam’s eye at a party. Subsequently, Christoffer spends the weekend blowing Adam’s mind with hours of the kind of sex Adam craves, but as these things often go when the attraction is immediate, the sex is scorching, and the chemistry is undeniable, the lack of anything resembling trust means the weekend doesn’t end with their happily ever after.
It ends when Adam sneaks out on Monday morning, under cover of darkness, sure that he’s been nothing more to Christoffer than a disposable, probably forgettable, certainly unworthy, bit of tail. Because Adam’s history with relationships is not a kind one, and his backstory is one that’s all-too familiar.
Horvat does again what he did so well in The Other Book. Where these books obviously rely on their erotic scenes to entice in a voyeuristic way, he also manages to build an emotional connection between characters and his readers. While sex and sexual chemistry is integral to the relationship, Adam and Christoffer each develop into individuals who are likeable and loveable too, and Horvat made me believe they fit together in the way people who are complete opposites can complement each other’s differences. That’s not easy to accomplish in a book this short, but he pulls it off without question.
Reviewed for The Novel Approach