Book 9, 2025

[chez_jae]

Flakes by Lucy Lennox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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It was after midnight when I began reading the novella Flakes by May Archer and Lucy Lennox, and I finished it in less than two hours. This is billed as a prequel to the authors' "Licking Thicket" series of humorous male/male romance. The main characters are interior designer Colin Kearns and contractor Ryder Richards.

It's New Year's Eve, and Colin just wants to finish up some last minute details on a house that he's working on with Ryder's crew. Ryder, however, has sent his crew home early and has no sense of urgency, unlike Colin does. And really, sexy Ryder has been a thorn in Colin's side on every project they've ever worked on together. By the time he's had enough of Ryder's chicanery for one night, the forecasted bad weather has hit, stranding Colin with Ryder.

Ryder has long been attracted to the fussy, sassy Colin, but he's kept his distance. Tonight, however, with just the two of them stuck here on New Year's Eve, Ryder breaks out the moonshine and ropes Colin into a game of Truth or Dare. Turns out, Colin isn't as remote and unaffected as he seems, and when things get a bit heated between them, it may just be the start of not only a new year, but something good.

I know this was only a novella, but it seemed super rushed. The guys went from "you annoy the shit out of me" to "I'm in love with you" over the course of NYE. Okaaaaay. The story had all the hallmarks of what I enjoy from these authors: bickering, bantering, humor and heat, but I wish it would have been a tad more realistic, such as the two of them admitting to a mutual attraction with a promise to see how it plays out.

Favorite lines:
♦ I'd stared so long and hard at his ass, I'd been shocked not to get a subpoena from the perv police.
♦ "I wonder if PornHub has a selection of videos of sexy men simply checking off items on their task list with authority."
♦ "My mom's attained her final form, in which she can literally be everywhere in the Thicket at once."

Fun and funny story, but I'm knocking a star off for how rushed it was. Four stars.