Beautiful Mess by Lucy V. Morgan

Why I read it:   Jayne from Dear Author had a great review of this one.  And, after I read that,  realising I already had the book on my TBR I moved it on up to the top of the pile.

A review mainly in quotes:  This cute funny short story is about Bailey, who lives with 3 male roommates (well, one doesn't actually live there but he's there so often he might as well) and what happens after her boyfriend of 2 years dumps her.  The boys decide to cheer her up with some pizza and Jagermeister.  As Bailey is a one pot wonder, before long she's confessing that her ex never gave her an orgasm.  The boys' responses are hilarious. I had many laugh out loud moments in this one.

"It does take a while sometimes,” said Olly.
 
“But you have to find the buttons before you can push them, so to speak. Preferably before you get a hand cramp.”

August Reads

on Paper/eBook

Men of Smithfield:  Mark & Tony by LB Gregg - B  Originally published by the now defunct Aspen Mountain Press, LB Gregg has found a new home for her Men of Smithfield series at Carina Press.  All 4 books (as well as some new ones yet to be written – yippee!) will be released by Carina and the first is Mark & Tony (originally titled Gobsmacked).

Told from the first person POV of Mark, a surgeon at the Smithfield Hospital, the story details how he comes home unexpectedly to find his live-in lover Jamie bonking the landlord in his bed and the revenge he takes (it involves hitting Jamie with a bible at the Ash Wednesday Mass and taking his things to the rubbish dump), only to find out that Jamie has also stolen all of his savings and appears to be in some serious trouble.   State Trooper and long time crush Tony Gervase becomes involved when Jamie’s desperation leads him to assault and a little B&E.   It turns out that everyone but Mark knew that Jamie was a cheating dickwad and everyone but Mark knows that Tony’s loved Mark since forever.

Because Mark and Tony have been best friends for years, it is easy to accept the speed of the romance in this story, which spans only a few days.  There is a definite HFN with the promise of a HEA but they don’t rush into forever after, which was nice.   

Mark and Tony manage to find time to steam up the bathroom, the sheets and the lounge room, Jamie gets what’s coming to him (more actually) and it’s all wrapped up in LB Gregg’s trademark humour – which is quirky and laugh out loud.    Recommended for who likes a fast-paced funny contemporary M/M romance with some depth. **NB this review first appeared in the August ARRA members newsletter**

August Ice by Dev Bentham - See my full review here.