Tag Archives: frenemies to lovers

Burke and Jared’s push-pull romance delivers on all fronts!

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Baiting Burke CoverBaiting Burke by Jaclyn Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have loved every book in this series but it’s been no surprise that I was waiting for Burke and Jared’s story and Jaclyn delivered on all counts.

When you find out the main reason for why these two men have been fratching with each other for the past three years, everything falls into place.

It’s not really an enemies or even frenemies to lovers romance, these two have been dancing around their attraction and the UST has been flying high each time they’re in the same space.

But they both have a combination of stubbornness and an independent streak a mile wide which has stopped them from trying to resolve their issues until it all boils over during a hurricane.

I think what I loved the most about this book is how there are multiple different threads which draw the two men together bit by bit as they slowly start to bring down the walls both hold tight to.

Burke’s dawning awareness that how his relationship with his family has driven his own stubborn determination to do the opposite of what he might really want is a painful journey for him but a delightful one for the reader.

Similarly, Jared’s barely holding on as he prepares to lose the only member of his family left who’s ever given a damn and his stubborn pride is holding him back from reaching out for support in the town that doesn’t know the full history of what led his grandfather to sell his marina.

There’s some painful hard truths to learn on the way, but this is still a fairly low angst read which doesn’t rely on throwing in drama for the sake of it.

And, of course, when the walls finally do drop, these two are as explosive as you’d expect!

Seeing them start to lean on each other for more than just the sexual release is a really beautiful thing and when Burke’s Mama and Pop descend on the small town to offer Jared more support, I may have got a bit teary.

Of course, the next moment I was laughing my head off as Mama Russo gives all “her boys” their own cute nickname to go alongside her Little Gnocchi – who isn’t at all impressed with how often it pops out of her mouth when there are other people about to take the mickey!

I really hope Jaclyn comes back to Coral Pointe in the future as these are just the perfect “feel good” reads for me.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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Blog Tour: Love And History by Lane Hayes

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Love And History by Lane Hayes

The Script Club #6

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Release Date: October 11th, 2022

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Blurb

The sporty roommate, the professor, and a history lesson…

Holden

Ezra might be the most annoying roommate ever. He’s loud, obnoxious, and full of himself. So what if he’s a tall, muscular, tattooed jock? His tendency to strip to his boxers in the kitchen while helping himself to my food isn’t endearing in the slightest. Nope. Ezra has to go.

However, I have to admit, he’s the perfect fit to play the king for my historic reenactment event. Ezra in a royal robe…oh, this could be quite tantalizing indeed.

He won’t do it, though.

Unless I trick him into a history lesson.

Ezra

Holden is the kind of dude who wears top hats and great coats while teaching astrophysics to brainiacs. Weird, right? But I gotta respect that level of commitment. And I respect him.

Sadly, Holden doesn’t feel the same way about me.

I guess I can’t blame him. Cranking his gears has been a highlight of my stint in geek land. I’ve never seen anyone get riled about yogurt like him.

He makes me laugh.

And think.

And he makes me want things I’d never thought possible.

So yeah, I’ll take that history lesson. If it leads to something more, I’m in.

Love and History is a Bi-awakening geek/jock romance featuring a messy law student, a picky professor, and a lesson neither will forget!

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Excerpt

Holden mumbled a greeting to Cole, who’d shuffled bleary-eyed to the coffee machine, then leaned toward me. “What are you doing with your spoon?”

I held up the spoon in question and shrugged. “Nothing. Why?”

“You’re licking it,” he whispered, adding, “suggestively.”

I barked a strangled half laugh. “Spoon porn? Is that a thing?”

“Don’t ask me. I don’t know anything about porn.”

I arched my brow dubiously. “Really?”

“Really,” he assured me.

“Why not?”

“It’s not interesting to me.”

“Bullshit,” I coughed into my hand, snickering at his outraged expression. “Don’t tell me you’ve never imagined a ‘Robin Hood getting freaky in the forest’ scenario.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You know…hanky-panky in tights and those weird hats with feathers on ’em.” I dipped my spoon into my bowl of yogurt and licked it clean again. “I bet they got down to some kinky shenanigans in the Sherman Forest in Renaissance times.”

Holden pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose, which I’d learned months ago signaled an oncoming lecture. I was right.

“That’s Sherwood Forest, not Sherman, and Robin Hood is a folktale set in medieval times, not the Renaissance.”

“Same difference.” I teased, rubbing my calf against his.

He narrowed his eyes. “I suspect this is tomfoolery, but I’ll explain the difference nonetheless.”

I set my hand on his knee and smiled. “Please do.”

He blushed, then went into more detail about the difference between the medieval and the Renaissance period than my brain could process at seven a.m. But I liked it.

I polished off my yogurt, listening with half an ear as I surreptitiously studied his details—his squared shoulders, his sharp gaze, and the proud tilt of his chin. Holden was all angles and edges with smiling eyes and unconscious charisma.

When I first moved in, I’d wondered if I could handle living with a guy who spouted random bits of historic or scientific intel like an audiobook version of a dull Wikipedia entry. Funny enough, I didn’t mind at all. I learned something new every day.

For example, a few months ago, he called me a “tallow-catch” when he tripped over the shoes I’d left on the landing. I didn’t have a comeback. I literally had no idea what the fuck that meant, so I consulted Merriam-Webster. Turns out a “tallow-catch” was a lump of animal fat that butchers used to make candles in olden days. Hey, I’d been called worse. I actually appreciated that he never resorted to basic insults and rarely swore.

Holden was a true gentleman. I wasn’t. And that might never change. However, I found myself wanting to try a little harder, and maybe use this newfound supersonic power to figure out what made him tick. ’Cause it occurred to me that his quest to soak up knowledge had a manic edge. As if he used his smarts to avoid…something.

Hell, I knew all about avoiding shit. And I knew that a couple of BJs didn’t give me the right to his secrets. But I wanted them anyway.

“…the invention of the printing press changed the world forever and—” Holden paused for air and gave a self-conscious shrug. “Sorry. I get a little carried away sometimes. I didn’t mean to bore you with a history lesson.”

“You’re not boring me. I think you’re fascinating,” I commented, unthinking.

He shook his head and snickered. “I don’t think you’re fascinated with my mind, Ezra.”

He was so wrong.

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Following The Rules

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Blurb

The geek, the jock, and a new set of rules…

Topher

My friend’s brother needs an academic assistant and I need a job. Problem…jocks are my weakness. Seriously. I lose my ability to speak coherently around muscle-bound hotties. Oh yeah, I lose my inhibitions too—not a good look for a guy with a genius IQ. So what am I going to do about Simon?

Simon

Finishing college isn’t high on my list of priorities, but my future in professional football is looking bleak. I need a plan B or C, and I could use some help navigating life as an undergrad. Topher is perfect. He’s also a little strange…but in a good way. And I like the way I feel when I’m around him—as though anything is possible. Maybe if we follow our hearts, we’ll find what we’re looking for. But that means changing the rules…

Following the Rules is a MM, bisexual awakening romance starring a lovable nerd, a cool jock, and some extracurricular fun.

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About the Author

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Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters.

Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, 2018-2019, and 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards.

She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.

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My Readers’ Group, Lane’s Lovers: https://bit.ly/3aIbMYg

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Blog: www.lane-hayes.com

Twitter: twitter.com/LaneHayes3

FB: facebook.com/LaneHayesAuthor

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lanehayes

BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/lane-hayes

Instagram: instagram.com/Lanehayesauthor

Goodreads: goodreads.com/LaneHayes

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of The Professor’s Date, Lane is giving away the Winner’s choice of an audiobook or ebook of choice from her published works

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A fabulous conclusion to this geeks & jock series

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Love and History CoverLove and History by Lane Hayes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve loved each one of the books in Lane’s Script Club but this one’s definitely a favourite.

It had everything I enjoy about a romance where two utterly different people fall in love.

Ezra wasn’t at all what I’d been expecting, he had so many layers and hidden depths that the jock persona was more a way for him to follow along without pushing any boundaries.

Holden’s been fascinating since the off, with his combination of science geek and history nerd wrapped together into an awesome package.

I loved how their snark and poking was really just basic foreplay and an unknown expression of interest as they essentially “pulled each other’s pigtails”.

As they get to know each other though, it becomes very clear they have the potential for more.

With a deft hand,hilarious at times, incredibly hot at others, and with a beautifully squishy centre, Lane takes both men on a discovery of love.

Along the way they open up and deal with baggage they’ve both tried to leave in the past and they mostly communicate wonderfully.

The Third Act/80% tension moment comes from an external source which causes a brief misdirection but thankfully neither man is willing to throw away their potential happiness.

With guest appearances from all the rest of the gang and a very satisfying Epilogue, this series draws to a close with a big smile.

#ARC kindly received from the author via GRR Tours in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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