Hayden Hall (1)

It's a very strange thing how much coincidence dogs one's reading journey. The books I choose seemingly at random so often have an odd serendipitous connection.

No my previous read didn't feature twins, but that probably was why I picked this up, being a twin and all. This novel wasn't about twins, but about a guy, Gabriel, in his early twenties, realising somehow out of the blue that his comfortable relationship might be replaced with something less lacklustre if he explored whether he was show more gay. He gets his first clue about this when he crosses paths with his girlfriend's brother, London, after not seeing him for a while. Then she asks him if he'll tutor London, and the fireworks begin.

All 3 have known each other since childhood, so it is a real stretch that his sudden sexual tension is brand new. This "awakening" is the weak part of the book. At least we weren't expected to believe the same of London. But the damage was done for me.

I'm making a bit too much of this weak meet cute because really ... there wasn't too much shoddy about Hayden Hall's writing. It was good! I had read a recommendation that her stuff was good but there was nothing of hers in my libraries, so when I spotted this on Hoopla, yay! Another shout out for Hoopla.

Although the MCs are college students, and the series is called Frat Brats of Santa Barbara - what an embarrassingly bad title! - there's no frat boy fun humour thing going on.

It is amazing when I think about it that for all the steam/open bedroom door in contemporary romance writing, it never seems pornographic to me. Hadyn Hall is perhaps the first time I've thought of the writers' style as explicit in this way, though still by no means x-rated.

Usually, explicit writing rolls over me especially because narrators are so good at dealing with this kind of material, spinning it into relatable romp or serious relationship exploration, turning up the earnest sweetness or aching tenderness of it. It's the right interpretation.

That doesn't happen here. Narrator Jon Waters didn't have the delivery style I've come to expect. His "proper" British accent somehow gave the material a slightly cold, pornographic spin, which seemed a bit misplaced to me, a missed opportunity with what was more lighthearted warm eagerness between these two nerdy MCs.

Anyway, that said, another quibble with the author, not the narrator, is that the steam in the book relies overly on painting her MCs as being so drop dead gorgeous that of course they'd fascinate each other, and the reader, and the world! - and it's too easy!

It's in contrast with the other book I was reading at the same time, Sweet Thing, by Isobel Starling.

Here is that coincidence I was talking about ... as this novel is also about drop dead gorgeous MCs: androgynous male models Simeon and Peter, and the mysterious business man with Viking appearance, Bastion.

In the case of Sim and Petey, Sweet Thing includes more insight into what it's like to be that person who lives inside striking looks. It's intense, and for Sim it's full of insecurity, pulls on his addictive personality, loneliness... show less

Cuffd is offering another year of "Dear Santa" letters for Doms and their boys to find their special someone for Christmas. Dante is struggling. His OCD is bad enough but is now he's being transferred to yet another therapist who will undoubtably change his meds yet AGAIN! Changing his meds messes up his life even more than the OCD does. It seems to be a vicious circle and he just keeps going round and round. Then he meets his new gorgeous therapist, Grant. Grant wants to try some new types show more of therapy that will hopefully stop the circle that controls and cripples his life. Between his new therapist and his "secret Daddy", that the "Cuffd Santa" letters had given him, things were starting to look brighter...but he can't dismiss the attraction that is simmering between him and Grant. Dante’s story really hit home for me as I had worked with a wonderful man who had severe OCD that almost ruled every aspect of his life. Dante was fortunate. His best friend and roommate, Nicole always watched out for him and had his back. Then to have found a therapist that didn't just throw new and more meds at him was a God send. What I really liked was that Grant actually wanted to take a different route to help and not just mask Dante's symptoms. That helped Dante to not only confront this monster but to beat it. With Grant’s love and support I knew that he would help him to grow and be able to live a normal life. It didn't happen overnight, but one day at a time and we saw Dante experience what life and love had to offer him. Hayden Hall did an excellent job of describing the issues that Dante had to live with every day. It did become a bit on the side of questionable, that the relationship between the two developed, but I was glad he gave it a way that could be accepted with the advice of Grant's friend and colleague, Kate. Grant trusted her and could completely step away from being Dante's therapist to become Dante’s friend, Daddy and lover. I worried while reading the story about the direction it was going, however this route really worked for everyone. Dante got the help he so desperately needed, and he and Grant also got the love and support that allowed them both to be incredibly happy...a healing for them both. Each book in this seasonal series is written by a different author with the same "Cuffd Santa letter" theme. I really enjoyed the series the first year and was happy to see there was yet another year. I hope there is a season three...four ...five etc. The books can be read in any order and the author, Hayden Hall, did a fabulous job with the storyline and the characters. show less

Apparently I've read book #3 in this series, The Wrong Twin Dilemma. Rereading the comments I made on that book, I see the obvious connection with this book - the same reliance on drop-dead gorgeous MCs as a key element.

Both books are read by Jon Waters - I don't know where his accent is from - not British I think, as I said in my other comments - but it's definitely different from the usual. Online references say Jonathan Waters, born in Boise Idaho, is a classically trained actor with a BA show more in theatre arts at BSU. Since 2011 he's been pursuing a career for the stage, screen, and behind the mic. As of 2023, he's narrated nearly 300 audiobooks ...

What I noticed about this novel is he makes no attempt to give the MCs, Jayden and Caleb, different voices. It required extra careful listening to be sure I knew whose POV I was in as I listened.

I assume this is Caleb on the cover, a final year student at an elite academy who desperately wants to be an actor rather than move into the family business. One night he meets Jayden, a scholarship boy who also works to make ends meet. Jayden is determined to be 100% focused on excellence so that he has a chance of the very career Caleb can have but doesn't want.

Early on in the story we meet the five "fuck boys" who rule the roost at the school, but aside from Caleb being one of them, that potentially politically interesting, darker storyline disappears.

That leaves the only interesting thing about this novel as the unexpected falling in love that these two young men experience. It's transcendent. Caleb, whose life is weighed down by his family's resistance to his dreams of acting, is gloriously fired up by the hope and promise he feels from this love. Jayden, too - the great love he and Caleb have stumbled into is high octane to his focused life, and you can imagine he'll be running Caleb's family's company before he's 30. I'm giving details, because I don't think I've read anything quite like it! a bit of Dr Zhivago tucked into a novel that otherwise didn't stand out. show less

I was buddy reading this with a friend as usual and had to stop and ask if either of us were on Cam's side at all in the first half of the book. Resounding no. I truly do not understand why he was so mad.

These fellas needed to sprinkle some good communication on that paddle before hitting each other with it.