ADULT title
by
Beth Bolden & Brittany Cournoyer
Publisher: Self-Published
Cover Artist: Cate Ashwood Designs
Release Date: November 6, 2020
Genre/s: Contemporary m/m romantic comedy
Trope: Enemies to lovers
Themes: Starting over, learning to work together
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 55 000 words
It is a standalone story.
All’s fair in love and remodeling.
Griffin Caldwell can’t wait to make a fresh start: new job, new town, new house. He’s even realized the lifelong dream of owning his own home. Except when he arrives, nothing is what he expected, and Griffin’s celebration turns from triumphant to terrible.
Not only is his “cute bungalow” a derelict heap, it needs major remodeling work to be livable. And it turns out there’s only one person in town who’s even willing to commit to the project.
The first time David Webber talks to Griffin about his disaster zone of a house, he’d like nothing better than to hang up the phone. But he’s stuck. All his grumpy behavior has gotten him is a whole stack of bad reviews online and no clients.
From the moment they collide over a busted toilet, sparks and snark fly. The only thing that might be hotter than their mutual animosity is their intense chemistry.
Neither of them wants to admit it at first but as the project evolves and their lives intertwine, maybe what they’re working on isn’t just a house. It might even be proof that a caring partnership can build a strong, long-lasting foundation--and an even fiercer love.
Excerpt
“What are you doing?” he asked when he stepped inside and spotted David ripping into a wall.
“Baking a cake,” he responded dryly before muttering to himself, “what does it freaking look like I’m doing? Knitting a damn sweater?”
“What flavor?” Griffin asked, choosing not to respond to the rest.
“The best flavor—chocolate.”
“I beg to differ. Chocolate is good, but nothing beats a super moist red-velvet cake with delicious cream cheese frosting.”
David stared at him, crowbar in one hand, sledgehammer in the other. “Are you saying chocolate cake can’t be moist? Because if so, you’re having the wrong cake.”
“No, not at all. I’ve had some decent chocolate cake. It’s just more dense than other flavors.”
David snorted. “Was there anything else you needed? Or did you just stop by to tell me my choice in cake is dense?”
Griffin crossed his arms over his chest. “You brought up the cake conversation, not me. All I did was ask what you were doing.”
David sighed and looked toward the sagging ceiling, as if searching for a way to respond to Griffin. The ceiling was another thing that had given up in that house. The entire thing looked like it’d just had enough standing up in the battle against the elements, animals, and trespassers. And had definitely gotten tired of doing so alone—since it’d sat empty for so long. It’d given up, finally waving the white flag as tree roots took over and the crushing weight of snow had caused certain parts to cave in. The thought of seeing the house in such despair and feeling the sadness among the walls hurt Griffin’s heart, and he hoped all the time, money, and arguments with David were worth breathing new life into the house. It deserved a chance to shine in all its glory, and even though it didn’t look like much now, the bones were still solid. It just needed some love.
“When I get asked a question where the answer is obvious, I can’t help but respond with sarcasm.”
“What was that?” Griffin asked, startled by David’s voice. He’d been so lost in thought about his depressing home that he’d forgotten he was in the middle of a conversation with David.
David sighed loudly and muttered under his breath again. “Did you need something? I’m a bit busy here.”
He waved his arm around the room, the one Griffin intended to be his master bedroom, to indicate the piles of drywall he’d ripped down.
“Just wondering if you need any help.”
“We’ve already had this conversation more than once, Griffin. Right now, it’s best if you stay out of the way until I have the basic demolition finished.”
Griffin pursed his lips as he tried not to stare at the way Griffin’s sweaty T-shirt clung to him like a second skin and his jeans hugged his thick thighs like they were drawn on him. Jesus. He could crack walnuts with those thighs.
Even though it was still fairly early in the morning, the sun was already high in the sky and the humidity was even higher. And just walking outside to collect the morning paper would cause sweat to bead on your upper lip and temples. And while Griffin hated it, he had to give his thanks to the weather gods since David had taken his shirt off more than once while doing work. And Griffin couldn’t help but accept the gifts in the form of his bulging, sweating muscles, eagerly. It’d be rude not to, after all.
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My review:
3.5 stars
All Screwed Up by Beth Bolden and Brittany Cournoyer follows Griffin Caldwell as he copes with the challenges of relocating to a new town, new job, and new home. Unfortunately, the new home is not at all a dream home, and the only hope Griffin has for rescue is a grumpy and opinionated contractor, David Webber. Each man will have to discover whether they can compromise enough to establish a working relationship, let alone anything more.
This adult contemporary gay romance is a light and fluffy story, complete with adorable kittens. I’m afraid Griffin was awfully naïve, and David was pretty over-the-top stubborn, but their interactions and growing relationship was still entertaining to watch. I had quite a few questions (including, what happened to mama kitty, lol) and I wasn’t quite convinced about the major bone of contention in the house, the renovation contest, or even what the “evil” competitor’s actions were that were so bad, because a lot of things were alluded to, but then not explored as in-depth as I would have liked. Nonetheless, I was entertained by this quick read and wouldn’t mind seeing how these two guys are continuing to adapt to each other and to their furbabies.
A copy of this story was provided for review
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