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Surfing the Waves #1
Brushed With Love
Clement Constantine Church is a hot mess. With deadlines to meet.
Whereas the striking Viking redecorating his seaside cottage is simply hot.
As a precocious teen, Clem wrote a best seller. Now he writes for other people. Too busy contemplating his bleak career and panicking about pretty much everything, he doesn’t notice that the gorgeous surfer slapping paint across his bedroom walls has a top-notch flirting game. Nor that the body hidden underneath his white overalls should come with its own government health warning.
Anyhow, apparently the Viking is straight.
After one too many unwise hookups, Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten needs to lay low and avoid romantic entanglements. Which means there is zero chance he’d ever fall for a lonely writer. Not even if they pretend to be fake boyfriends during a weekend trip to London. Not even if there was only one bed. And especially not if he’s planning on leaving England at the end of summer to fulfil his dream of setting up a surf school.
Can surfer Vikings fall unexpectedly in love? Are failed writers allowed to write their own happily ever afters?
Brushed With Love is a warm and funny romance set in the UK. Trigger warnings include cosmic lizards, feisty octogenarians, and a spoiled shih tzu.
Whereas the striking Viking redecorating his seaside cottage is simply hot.
As a precocious teen, Clem wrote a best seller. Now he writes for other people. Too busy contemplating his bleak career and panicking about pretty much everything, he doesn’t notice that the gorgeous surfer slapping paint across his bedroom walls has a top-notch flirting game. Nor that the body hidden underneath his white overalls should come with its own government health warning.
Anyhow, apparently the Viking is straight.
After one too many unwise hookups, Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten needs to lay low and avoid romantic entanglements. Which means there is zero chance he’d ever fall for a lonely writer. Not even if they pretend to be fake boyfriends during a weekend trip to London. Not even if there was only one bed. And especially not if he’s planning on leaving England at the end of summer to fulfil his dream of setting up a surf school.
Can surfer Vikings fall unexpectedly in love? Are failed writers allowed to write their own happily ever afters?
Brushed With Love is a warm and funny romance set in the UK. Trigger warnings include cosmic lizards, feisty octogenarians, and a spoiled shih tzu.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2022
About the author
Fearne Hill
22 books297 followersFearne Hill resides far from the madding crowds in the county of Dorset, deep in the British countryside. She likes it that way.
Her queer romance, Two Tribes, was a finalist in the 2023 Lambda Literary Awards.
Her popular Rossingley series was nominated in nine separate categories of the 2021 Goodreads M/M Romance awards and received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Rainbow Awards.
She can be found on social media and has a newsletter:
https://fearne-hill.mailerpage.io/
Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11724...
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnehill_...
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/FearneHill
On Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/profile/fearn...
She also writes very brief and not especially insightful book reviews here on GR...
Her queer romance, Two Tribes, was a finalist in the 2023 Lambda Literary Awards.
Her popular Rossingley series was nominated in nine separate categories of the 2021 Goodreads M/M Romance awards and received an Honourable Mention in the 2021 Rainbow Awards.
She can be found on social media and has a newsletter:
https://fearne-hill.mailerpage.io/
Join her Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11724...
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fearnehill_...
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/FearneHill
On Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/profile/fearn...
She also writes very brief and not especially insightful book reviews here on GR...
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July 11, 2022
Brushed With Love is book one in the Surfing the Waves series by Fearne Hill. This is my very first book by this author. I needed a book with a swoony hero with an accent for a reading challenge and in this book I got two! One smexy Norwegian and one English! I call that a win!
Clement “Clem” Constantine-Church is twenty five years old. He wrote a very successful best seller when he was in his late teens. But instead of working on a second book, he’s ghost writing an autobiography! Because whenever he sits down at his computer to work on his own book, all he does is stare at a blank screen.
Clem was raised by his grandmother who has recently passed away. So he has inherited the house she raised him in in Woolacombe Bay. The house is desperately needing to be updated so he has hired a local company to send over a painter. Only his painter is a six foot five gorgeous Norwegian who also surfs in his spare time. And, from what he’s been able to deduce, he’s also straight.
Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten or Eggy for short, is twenty seven years old. He and his best friend, Fifty, work as painters for Fifty’s Uncle while they save up money to eventually start their own surfing school for a new hotel on the island of Fuerteventura. Eggy is bi-sexual and has been working his way through most of the women and men in Woolacombe Bay. All it takes is one look at the new client and Eggy is thinking all kinds of things that are completely foreign to him, like the term boyfriend, like the term relationship! But he is only staying in Woolacombe Bay for the summer. They’ve been planning their surf school and saving every penny for years. So maybe he can just enjoy the time he has with Clem and then move on? Or not!
These two were so cute together. First they had to deal with the minor issue that Clem was convinced that Eggy was straight. When Clem needed a fake boyfriend, Eggy didn’t hesitate for a second before volunteering. It doesn’t take long, though, for fake to start feeling very real. Because that’s what Eggy wants! He wants it to be real.
I enjoyed this. It was a bit slow moving at times but I loved watching these two fall. Neither felt worthy of the other. But what I liked the most is that even though they seemed complete opposites on the outside, they really kind of filled in all the empty spots for each other. Eggy made Clem feel better about himself. He gave him confidence, made him feel seen and not invisible. Clem made Eggy feel better about himself as well, made him feel like he mattered, that he was worthy. But can their lives really fit together. Can an introverted writer who doesn’t even like going out in the sun be happy with an outgoing surfer? In the epilogue, we also get a peek at what the next book will be about and I’m definitely intrigued. The next book will be book two, Dipped in Sunshine!
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Clement “Clem” Constantine-Church is twenty five years old. He wrote a very successful best seller when he was in his late teens. But instead of working on a second book, he’s ghost writing an autobiography! Because whenever he sits down at his computer to work on his own book, all he does is stare at a blank screen.
Clem was raised by his grandmother who has recently passed away. So he has inherited the house she raised him in in Woolacombe Bay. The house is desperately needing to be updated so he has hired a local company to send over a painter. Only his painter is a six foot five gorgeous Norwegian who also surfs in his spare time. And, from what he’s been able to deduce, he’s also straight.
Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten or Eggy for short, is twenty seven years old. He and his best friend, Fifty, work as painters for Fifty’s Uncle while they save up money to eventually start their own surfing school for a new hotel on the island of Fuerteventura. Eggy is bi-sexual and has been working his way through most of the women and men in Woolacombe Bay. All it takes is one look at the new client and Eggy is thinking all kinds of things that are completely foreign to him, like the term boyfriend, like the term relationship! But he is only staying in Woolacombe Bay for the summer. They’ve been planning their surf school and saving every penny for years. So maybe he can just enjoy the time he has with Clem and then move on? Or not!
These two were so cute together. First they had to deal with the minor issue that Clem was convinced that Eggy was straight. When Clem needed a fake boyfriend, Eggy didn’t hesitate for a second before volunteering. It doesn’t take long, though, for fake to start feeling very real. Because that’s what Eggy wants! He wants it to be real.
I enjoyed this. It was a bit slow moving at times but I loved watching these two fall. Neither felt worthy of the other. But what I liked the most is that even though they seemed complete opposites on the outside, they really kind of filled in all the empty spots for each other. Eggy made Clem feel better about himself. He gave him confidence, made him feel seen and not invisible. Clem made Eggy feel better about himself as well, made him feel like he mattered, that he was worthy. But can their lives really fit together. Can an introverted writer who doesn’t even like going out in the sun be happy with an outgoing surfer? In the epilogue, we also get a peek at what the next book will be about and I’m definitely intrigued. The next book will be book two, Dipped in Sunshine!
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
January 1, 2023
This novel is a delightful surprise!
In the beginning, the main characters do seem quite archetypal. But as the story develops, those perceptions fall away.
Fifty (and his name origin) is hilarious. I love his dynamic with Eggy. When Eggy reveals a certain problem that's been alluded to since the beginning of the story, it's actually cute and endearing.
Everything from the Dame's party to Clem and Eggy's first dinner date to their intimacy is brilliantly written. The reader is truly inside the heads (and hearts) of the main characters.
This story is gorgeous--two men who are beautiful, inside and out, in completely different ways. There's some angst getting there, but the ending is spectacular.
I loved this sweet, funny, and sexy story of two guys from completely backgrounds who happen to fall hopelessly in love with another--and end up together.
In the beginning, the main characters do seem quite archetypal. But as the story develops, those perceptions fall away.
Fifty (and his name origin) is hilarious. I love his dynamic with Eggy. When Eggy reveals a certain problem that's been alluded to since the beginning of the story, it's actually cute and endearing.
Everything from the Dame's party to Clem and Eggy's first dinner date to their intimacy is brilliantly written. The reader is truly inside the heads (and hearts) of the main characters.
This story is gorgeous--two men who are beautiful, inside and out, in completely different ways. There's some angst getting there, but the ending is spectacular.
I loved this sweet, funny, and sexy story of two guys from completely backgrounds who happen to fall hopelessly in love with another--and end up together.
December 12, 2022
OMG... ADORED.
Bisexual, dyslexic, Viking surfer meets bookish, snarky author in a fake-boyfriend romance... BLISS.
Bisexual, dyslexic, Viking surfer meets bookish, snarky author in a fake-boyfriend romance... BLISS.
September 22, 2022
~4.5~
This story has it all:
≋ One Viking cum painter/surfer dude (Ragnar, aka Eggy) who beds anyone in sight (but has a special fondness for older women and dark-haired twinks)
≋ One introverted, socially awkward writer (Clem) who peaked at age 18 and hasn't made progress on his WIP in years (the scene where Clem overdresses for the pub and awkwardly stands holding a drink he doesn't want while waiting for his life of the party boyfriend to arrive - I felt that in my very soul)
≋ Wonderful cast of secondary characters, especially Fifty (real name: Christian Grey), Eggy's stoner best friend, and Dame Margarite, a fabulous octogenerian who surrounds herself with beautiful men
≋ Small English seaside town
≋ Painting overalls porn (blame Eggy)
≋ Thelma and Louise (the miscommunicating over these, uh, ladies is bloody hilarious)
≋ Banter and humor galore (just on this side of campy and so, so entertaining)
≋ Mostly feel good with some mild angst
≋ HEA on an island paradise
This story has it all:
≋ One Viking cum painter/surfer dude (Ragnar, aka Eggy) who beds anyone in sight (but has a special fondness for older women and dark-haired twinks)
≋ One introverted, socially awkward writer (Clem) who peaked at age 18 and hasn't made progress on his WIP in years (the scene where Clem overdresses for the pub and awkwardly stands holding a drink he doesn't want while waiting for his life of the party boyfriend to arrive - I felt that in my very soul)
≋ Wonderful cast of secondary characters, especially Fifty (real name: Christian Grey), Eggy's stoner best friend, and Dame Margarite, a fabulous octogenerian who surrounds herself with beautiful men
≋ Small English seaside town
≋ Painting overalls porn (blame Eggy)
≋ Thelma and Louise (the miscommunicating over these, uh, ladies is bloody hilarious)
≋ Banter and humor galore (just on this side of campy and so, so entertaining)
≋ Mostly feel good with some mild angst
≋ HEA on an island paradise
"Do you know what Bob Marley said when he moved to Fuerteventura?"
I rolled my eyes at him. I hadn't missed his Bob Marley jokes.
Smiling, Eggy rubbed at my forehead with his thumb ....
"He said, 'every little thing is going to be all right'."
Okay, so maybe he'd saved his best joke until last.
April 28, 2022
Dude-bro surfer with a heart of gold meets
Goth writer who could give the Royal family classes on how to be posh
Opposites attract in the best way possible
in a sweet, snarky & steamy romance which will have you wanting to make a run for the beach 🌊💛
PS: This is in no way intended to be a poetic review, my brain is fried enough that randomly broken thoughts are all I can come up with right now 🤣
PPS: Of wonderful haiku reviews, Kirsten you still are the Queen!
Goth writer who could give the Royal family classes on how to be posh
Opposites attract in the best way possible
in a sweet, snarky & steamy romance which will have you wanting to make a run for the beach 🌊💛
PS: This is in no way intended to be a poetic review, my brain is fried enough that randomly broken thoughts are all I can come up with right now 🤣
PPS: Of wonderful haiku reviews, Kirsten you still are the Queen!
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 23, 2022Kudos to the author for creating two 1st-person narrative voices that are completely distinct. You won't ever be confused about whose POV you're in.
The book kicked off in Eggy's voice and drew me right in. I was quickly irked, though, by his friends ganging up on him to tell him that now that he's 25, he needs to stop having one-night stands and have a real relationship instead. To me that reeks of "You need to stop enjoying yourself, and start being miserable like the rest of us! We hate watching you enjoy life when we've prematurely settled down — and settled." Ugh. Ya know, some folks are on the aromantic spectrum, and partnering up doesn't hold an intrinsic appeal for them. No aro shaming please, authors. Obviously he's going to get there (this is a romance, after all, and I've only ever seen one romance author bold enough to give us an HEA with a 100% aro MC who will never settle down), so please just let him take his own sweet time.
Okay, so as you can see I was already annoyed, and then the POV switched to Clem. And wowzers, it looked like the author was going for broke on the opposites-attract thing. Like, the dial only goes up to 10, but she doesn't want to hear "the engines canna take any more, captain," she's crankin' it up to 50 and if it blows, it blows.
I'm not a fan of opposites-attract. So that was more than I could handle, thus the DNF. However, if O-A is your jam, take a look at this one! Like I said, the voices are distinct, and if I wasn't so difficult to please nowadays, I might have kept reading. This is a new-to-me author, and I intend to give her another chance.
The book kicked off in Eggy's voice and drew me right in. I was quickly irked, though, by his friends ganging up on him to tell him that now that he's 25, he needs to stop having one-night stands and have a real relationship instead. To me that reeks of "You need to stop enjoying yourself, and start being miserable like the rest of us! We hate watching you enjoy life when we've prematurely settled down — and settled." Ugh. Ya know, some folks are on the aromantic spectrum, and partnering up doesn't hold an intrinsic appeal for them. No aro shaming please, authors. Obviously he's going to get there (this is a romance, after all, and I've only ever seen one romance author bold enough to give us an HEA with a 100% aro MC who will never settle down), so please just let him take his own sweet time.
Okay, so as you can see I was already annoyed, and then the POV switched to Clem. And wowzers, it looked like the author was going for broke on the opposites-attract thing. Like, the dial only goes up to 10, but she doesn't want to hear "the engines canna take any more, captain," she's crankin' it up to 50 and if it blows, it blows.
I'm not a fan of opposites-attract. So that was more than I could handle, thus the DNF. However, if O-A is your jam, take a look at this one! Like I said, the voices are distinct, and if I wasn't so difficult to please nowadays, I might have kept reading. This is a new-to-me author, and I intend to give her another chance.
March 3, 2022
How I loved this!
Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten stole my heart with his confident, almost arrogant posture and the way he made Clem his. He was a whirlwind and a soft, sweet and laid back surfer all in one, while under that surface there was a lot going on emotionally. He hurt, missing his brothers, one in particular. He loved his best friend Fifty and he was afraid of losing him when he could not truly answer Fifty's feelings. And he was afraid of not being good enough for Clem.
Clement Constantine Church is an author with a writers block. He wrote a prize winning novel when he was still young and inexperienced and hasn't written anything interesting since. He's not even proud of the novel he wrote. He leads an almost reclusive life, panics about a lot of things while he is trying to earn some money as a ghost writer. Eggie (Ragnar) barrels into his life when he comes to paint the house his grandmother left him and there is an instant connection between the two, even though Clem is kind of annoyed with the free spirited, arrogant man who is Eggie.
When an unlikely friendship develops, one that turns into attraction, both men wonder whether they are not too different. Eggie believes Clem is way too smart and intelligent to want a man like him and Clem on his turn, thinks Eggie is too content with his surfer life and his surfer friends, the kind of life where he doesn't fit. And whatever it is they are having, it's meant for just the summer anyway, because Eggie and Fifty plan to open a surfer school on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura and Eggie can not expect Clem to come with him, can he?
I discovered Fearne Hill when I read the first book in her Rossingley series (To Hold a Hidden Pearl and I immediately fell for her writing. She's a true genius with words, with creating sweet, interesting and dimensional characters and with the way she tells a story. I love her humor, I love how she manages to touch my heart and make me tear up from both sadness and laughter.
I love how this story gives me the laid back feeling that comes with surfing and beaches and smoking joints (Fifty!) and at the same time it tugs at my heartstrings and gives me all the emotions I look for in a book. The side characters were absolutely wonderful too. I loved Fifty (and I mean, how do you come up with a nickname like that?!) and the way he cared for Eggie and I really look forward to read his story in the next book. I've reached a point where I will read everything Fearne Hill writes - she's fast become one of my absolute favorite authors in mm romance and if you haven't read any of her books yet, I highly recommend you give this one a try. It's a good place to start and I'm sure that when, in the end, you're putting it down again, you'll want to read her other books too.
Highly recommended!!
I kindly received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest, voluntary review
Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten stole my heart with his confident, almost arrogant posture and the way he made Clem his. He was a whirlwind and a soft, sweet and laid back surfer all in one, while under that surface there was a lot going on emotionally. He hurt, missing his brothers, one in particular. He loved his best friend Fifty and he was afraid of losing him when he could not truly answer Fifty's feelings. And he was afraid of not being good enough for Clem.
Clement Constantine Church is an author with a writers block. He wrote a prize winning novel when he was still young and inexperienced and hasn't written anything interesting since. He's not even proud of the novel he wrote. He leads an almost reclusive life, panics about a lot of things while he is trying to earn some money as a ghost writer. Eggie (Ragnar) barrels into his life when he comes to paint the house his grandmother left him and there is an instant connection between the two, even though Clem is kind of annoyed with the free spirited, arrogant man who is Eggie.
When an unlikely friendship develops, one that turns into attraction, both men wonder whether they are not too different. Eggie believes Clem is way too smart and intelligent to want a man like him and Clem on his turn, thinks Eggie is too content with his surfer life and his surfer friends, the kind of life where he doesn't fit. And whatever it is they are having, it's meant for just the summer anyway, because Eggie and Fifty plan to open a surfer school on the Spanish island of Fuerteventura and Eggie can not expect Clem to come with him, can he?
I discovered Fearne Hill when I read the first book in her Rossingley series (To Hold a Hidden Pearl and I immediately fell for her writing. She's a true genius with words, with creating sweet, interesting and dimensional characters and with the way she tells a story. I love her humor, I love how she manages to touch my heart and make me tear up from both sadness and laughter.
I love how this story gives me the laid back feeling that comes with surfing and beaches and smoking joints (Fifty!) and at the same time it tugs at my heartstrings and gives me all the emotions I look for in a book. The side characters were absolutely wonderful too. I loved Fifty (and I mean, how do you come up with a nickname like that?!) and the way he cared for Eggie and I really look forward to read his story in the next book. I've reached a point where I will read everything Fearne Hill writes - she's fast become one of my absolute favorite authors in mm romance and if you haven't read any of her books yet, I highly recommend you give this one a try. It's a good place to start and I'm sure that when, in the end, you're putting it down again, you'll want to read her other books too.
Highly recommended!!
I kindly received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest, voluntary review
April 6, 2023
Brushed With Love started off a bit rocky for me, I wasn't feeling Clem's and Eggy's attraction, but it quickly won me over. Their relationship was well built throughout the book, both of them opening up to one another over time and deepening their relationship. It has a third act conflict, which I normally hate in romances, but here I didn't mind it as the author made it complex and realistic. It had me feeling emotional.
I love the introvert/extrovert dynamic of this couple. Eggy and Clem are so opposite but they work so well together.
The humour was so good. From the origin of Fifty's, Eggy's best friend, name to the party scene at the Dame's house.
Fifty's book is next. I can't wait to dive into it, as it was set up so well and I'm interested to know more about him.
__
Struggling to live up to the success of his first novel he released as a teen, Clem is ghostwriting a biography as his own writing stalls. He's very introverted and even though he's lived in Woolacombe a long time he doesn't know many of the other locals.
It's potentially Eggy's last summer at the seaside town of Woolacombe. Normally he'd spend his time surfing and hooking up. When his flirt game leads to a black eye from her not so broken up with husband, his friends suggest for him to ease back on the serial hookups. He's not so keen on the idea but agrees as it will certainly reduce any drama.
And of course that's when Eggy meets Clem, on a job to paint his house, and he's got his eyes set on him.
I love the introvert/extrovert dynamic of this couple. Eggy and Clem are so opposite but they work so well together.
The humour was so good. From the origin of Fifty's, Eggy's best friend, name to the party scene at the Dame's house.
Fifty's book is next. I can't wait to dive into it, as it was set up so well and I'm interested to know more about him.
__
Struggling to live up to the success of his first novel he released as a teen, Clem is ghostwriting a biography as his own writing stalls. He's very introverted and even though he's lived in Woolacombe a long time he doesn't know many of the other locals.
It's potentially Eggy's last summer at the seaside town of Woolacombe. Normally he'd spend his time surfing and hooking up. When his flirt game leads to a black eye from her not so broken up with husband, his friends suggest for him to ease back on the serial hookups. He's not so keen on the idea but agrees as it will certainly reduce any drama.
And of course that's when Eggy meets Clem, on a job to paint his house, and he's got his eyes set on him.
That on a sunny island, a few miles off the coast of Africa, Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten, of the Vestvågøy Eggebraatens, eldest brother of six, bronze-haired surfer, white-overalled painter, dominating lover, and possessor of the most wonderful chest on which to lay my head, waited for me to get my shit together and fly over and join him.
February 20, 2023
This was a pretty cute book. I liked the characters and the setting and really loved the set up for book 2. There were a few things I wish were a bit different for this to be a five star for me (pacing and third act conflict)
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 9, 2023Calling it quits at 15%, not enjoying myself and I want to DNF more in 2023 anyways! 🫡
August 11, 2022
“I could have a launched myself at you last night—God knows I wanted to—but it’s not how we’re going to play this.”
“Um… play what?”
“This.” He waggled a hand between the two of us. “Us, this, our relationship.”
“What? We’re having a relationship now? Two minutes ago, I thought you were straight!”
— writer/surfer
— sweet, low angst
— opposites attract
— grumpy/sunshine
— friends-to-lovers
— fake boyfriend
— hurt/comfort
This is such a fun, sweet low angst romance featuring Fearne Hill’s signature quirky humor. You can look forward to plenty of British humor and snark, and great banter. Even better, the main and secondary characters are delightful. I loved this opposites attract romance between a Norwegian surfer dude, Eggy, and Clement, a writer hailed as the next great thing after publishing a widely acclaimed book as a teenager .
I’m a complete sucker for the unassuming introvert brings a bad boy to heel trope, and this book delivers it in spades. Clement is a grumpy introvert struggling to get his writing mojo back, while Eggy is a hot manslut who is the life of the party. Clement is rude and standoffish when Eggy first shows up to paint his house, but starts loosening up and falls for Eggy as the weeks go by. And for the first time ever, Eggy no longer wants a revolving door of one night stands, but experiences a deep longing to be in a relationship. Their relationship progresses as Eggy slowly wins Clement over and becomes his friend before the two finally act on their attraction. The sexy times are both funny and hot.
“Um… play what?”
“This.” He waggled a hand between the two of us. “Us, this, our relationship.”
“What? We’re having a relationship now? Two minutes ago, I thought you were straight!”
— writer/surfer
— sweet, low angst
— opposites attract
— grumpy/sunshine
— friends-to-lovers
— fake boyfriend
— hurt/comfort
This is such a fun, sweet low angst romance featuring Fearne Hill’s signature quirky humor. You can look forward to plenty of British humor and snark, and great banter. Even better, the main and secondary characters are delightful. I loved this opposites attract romance between a Norwegian surfer dude, Eggy, and Clement, a writer hailed as the next great thing after publishing a widely acclaimed book as a teenager .
I’m a complete sucker for the unassuming introvert brings a bad boy to heel trope, and this book delivers it in spades. Clement is a grumpy introvert struggling to get his writing mojo back, while Eggy is a hot manslut who is the life of the party. Clement is rude and standoffish when Eggy first shows up to paint his house, but starts loosening up and falls for Eggy as the weeks go by. And for the first time ever, Eggy no longer wants a revolving door of one night stands, but experiences a deep longing to be in a relationship. Their relationship progresses as Eggy slowly wins Clement over and becomes his friend before the two finally act on their attraction. The sexy times are both funny and hot.
March 3, 2022
3.75 stars
Eggy and his best friend Fifty have been saving up their money to open their own surf shop in Fuerteventura. They save money by living in their vans and painting houses for Fifty's uncle. They've be staying in Woolcombe for sometime now. Eggy is known in town for his many sexual conquest. He has never been in a relationship. His friends tease him about it. He has never wanted to be with someone until he meets Clem.
Clem is a writer who had a taste of fame at a young age but over the years he has just been a ghostwriter. Writer's block has plagued him and he has not been able to write his own words. After his grandmother's death he has moved into her house. The house is in need of a series makeover which is how he meets a Viking of man named Eggy.
The two become friends. It's hard to ignore Eggy. When Clem is in crisis and in need of a boyfriend, Eggy volunteers to play the role. Eggy seems to play the fake boyfriend role too well. Dear little Clem just didn't realize how much Eggy was into him. The two become an item but Eggy's future plans seem to put a deadline on their time together.
I really enjoyed this one.
A writer with writers block.
A Norwegian who's been around the block 😉.
An introvert.
An extrovert.
A grumpy emo.
A smiley faced surfer.
Two complete opposites of one another.
They shouldn't work but they do.
Was so close to solid 4 stars but the long separation kind of put a damper on it. Their insecurities seemed to have gotten the better of them. Glad they figured it out. I also needed an epilogue that was more about Clem and Eggy. It was way too short and basically a set up for what will probably be book 2. I did have my suspicion that would show up though. I look forward to the next book. Fifty definitely deserves some loving.
*ARC provided by GRR, this is my honest review.*
Eggy and his best friend Fifty have been saving up their money to open their own surf shop in Fuerteventura. They save money by living in their vans and painting houses for Fifty's uncle. They've be staying in Woolcombe for sometime now. Eggy is known in town for his many sexual conquest. He has never been in a relationship. His friends tease him about it. He has never wanted to be with someone until he meets Clem.
Clem is a writer who had a taste of fame at a young age but over the years he has just been a ghostwriter. Writer's block has plagued him and he has not been able to write his own words. After his grandmother's death he has moved into her house. The house is in need of a series makeover which is how he meets a Viking of man named Eggy.
The two become friends. It's hard to ignore Eggy. When Clem is in crisis and in need of a boyfriend, Eggy volunteers to play the role. Eggy seems to play the fake boyfriend role too well. Dear little Clem just didn't realize how much Eggy was into him. The two become an item but Eggy's future plans seem to put a deadline on their time together.
I really enjoyed this one.
A writer with writers block.
A Norwegian who's been around the block 😉.
An introvert.
An extrovert.
A grumpy emo.
A smiley faced surfer.
Two complete opposites of one another.
They shouldn't work but they do.
Was so close to solid 4 stars but the long separation kind of put a damper on it. Their insecurities seemed to have gotten the better of them. Glad they figured it out. I also needed an epilogue that was more about Clem and Eggy. It was way too short and basically a set up for what will probably be book 2. I did have my suspicion that would show up though. I look forward to the next book. Fifty definitely deserves some loving.
*ARC provided by GRR, this is my honest review.*
February 28, 2022
How did I manage to write a review, then lose it?? Ugh. A lovely story of opposites attract set in one of the most beautiful counties in England. Surfer dude is a hoot! The book is full of humour, longing and lust! I defy anyone to read this and not end up smiling.
January 1, 2023
This new to me author sucked me in with these sweet funny characters and snarky British humour. Sometimes (often?) comedic books and I don’t click but this one worked. I liked Clem’s awkwardness and Eggy’s easy confidence. Clem’s writer backstory was unique and interesting and I loved it. Eggy’s felt a bit more run of the mill for m/m but the Norwegian twist bought something new. I loved Fifty and my heart broke for him. He was my favourite character in this book and I actually rushed through the last third so I could get to his book quicker. Much of this was on the silly side but Fifty’s feelings were so real and I felt more for him when he was doing the consoling than for the sad mc’s. Things definitely got deeper as the story progressed but the miscommunication frustrated me. There was lots of lovely moments though and I could really see this as a rom com movie, especially with the varied cast of secondary characters.
Bonus points for the references to dear Damen and Laurent of The Captive Prince, although this wouldn’t have been my personal choice to read aloud in such a situation 😳
Bonus points for the references to dear Damen and Laurent of The Captive Prince, although this wouldn’t have been my personal choice to read aloud in such a situation 😳
February 28, 2022
My second 5+++ of 2022
Oh, boy, Clem was quite arrogant back in the days, he thought he was too big for Cambridge, well his head was ha!
Clem is delicate, educated, and beautiful, he’s even an award-winning author, only lately he got writer’s block, his self-esteem is low.
Eggie is the opposite of Clem. He didn’t have any education, probably never finished a book in his life, he doesn’t understand the classy words Clem use. He enjoys life with surfing and his friends. One thing is sure, while redecorating Clem’s cottage, Eggie can’t take his eyes off this delicately featured man with his full lips, he wants to kiss that mouth so desperately.
Eggie is a proud Viking, he looks everything like one, big, bronze-golden manes, like a warrior, and he’s a fervent surfer. His dream is to open a surfer shop with his best friend Fifty, somewhere on Canary Island.
He’s sexually active, he loves it with men or women. But never more, no relationship for him, he loves his freedom. Another opposite thing with Clem, who’s gay, not sexually active for a while already, and lonely. Clem knows the popular surfer slash painter is far out of his league.
When Clem needs a fake boyfriend Eggie is almost too fast saying he can do it.
That’s where things change. Clem is attracted to Eggie, Eggie is mesmerized by Clem. He even thinks about relationships. Nothing permanent of course, he’ll leave for the Canary Islands.
Only, what they couldn’t provide, something exceptional is blooming between them, too big for words. So I’ll pass telling or spoiling about it. Believe me, it made me glued to the pages.
There’s more to both men’s lives than at first sight. Read it yourself!
What a great combination, Eggie a surfer pur-sang (Fr.), Clem who doesn’t like the sea or the creatures in it, but is surprisingly easygoing with Eggie’s way of living, which makes him even more lovable in Eggie’s perception. Clem lost his heart to Eggie.
The big proud Viking…? falls on his buckling knees for Clem.
What a wonderful warm read, so much fun! The author has a way of writing, impressively strong, layered, emotional, the most beautiful and endearing characters are created. Gosh, I loved them hard.
So here we have dear dear passionate Clem, and there is Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten of the Vestvågøy Eggebraatens, proud Viking. What a story!
The end? Made me cry happy happy tears.
What a tremendously written, beautifully developed winner we have here! ALL the stars.
Reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews
Oh, boy, Clem was quite arrogant back in the days, he thought he was too big for Cambridge, well his head was ha!
Clem is delicate, educated, and beautiful, he’s even an award-winning author, only lately he got writer’s block, his self-esteem is low.
Eggie is the opposite of Clem. He didn’t have any education, probably never finished a book in his life, he doesn’t understand the classy words Clem use. He enjoys life with surfing and his friends. One thing is sure, while redecorating Clem’s cottage, Eggie can’t take his eyes off this delicately featured man with his full lips, he wants to kiss that mouth so desperately.
Eggie is a proud Viking, he looks everything like one, big, bronze-golden manes, like a warrior, and he’s a fervent surfer. His dream is to open a surfer shop with his best friend Fifty, somewhere on Canary Island.
He’s sexually active, he loves it with men or women. But never more, no relationship for him, he loves his freedom. Another opposite thing with Clem, who’s gay, not sexually active for a while already, and lonely. Clem knows the popular surfer slash painter is far out of his league.
When Clem needs a fake boyfriend Eggie is almost too fast saying he can do it.
That’s where things change. Clem is attracted to Eggie, Eggie is mesmerized by Clem. He even thinks about relationships. Nothing permanent of course, he’ll leave for the Canary Islands.
Only, what they couldn’t provide, something exceptional is blooming between them, too big for words. So I’ll pass telling or spoiling about it. Believe me, it made me glued to the pages.
There’s more to both men’s lives than at first sight. Read it yourself!
What a great combination, Eggie a surfer pur-sang (Fr.), Clem who doesn’t like the sea or the creatures in it, but is surprisingly easygoing with Eggie’s way of living, which makes him even more lovable in Eggie’s perception. Clem lost his heart to Eggie.
The big proud Viking…? falls on his buckling knees for Clem.
What a wonderful warm read, so much fun! The author has a way of writing, impressively strong, layered, emotional, the most beautiful and endearing characters are created. Gosh, I loved them hard.
So here we have dear dear passionate Clem, and there is Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten of the Vestvågøy Eggebraatens, proud Viking. What a story!
The end? Made me cry happy happy tears.
What a tremendously written, beautifully developed winner we have here! ALL the stars.
Reviewed for LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews
January 10, 2023
I liked this one a lot.
Can’t wait to read the next one.
Can’t wait to read the next one.
August 13, 2022
I am in heaven of sweet fluffiness. These two were drop-dead heartwarming. Eggy in his Viking protector mode and yet so soft-hearted and Clem with his insecurities and vulnerability. And in between, it was wonderfully funny.
“I’m Norwegian, from the Lofoten Islands, high up off the north-western coast of Norway. In the Arctic Circle. So you could say I’m from the top of the world.”
I’d never heard of them; they sounded awfully chilly. Recalling his homeland, Eggy smiled wistfully.
“You have to be careful up there—two steps in the wrong direction and you fall over the edge! It’s a beautiful place, crazy beautiful, but so cold in the winter you think your balls will drop off. Even the seals fucking shiver.” 🤭🤭🤭
The two characters are very different and actually have hardly anything in common and yet their relationship works, apart from the little bit of drama, which of course can't be missing. And the sexual attraction literally sizzles.
Ravaged by a thirsty Viking warrior. I bloody loved it. “God, I’ve needed this,” he panted, licking a stripe along my jaw before homing in again on my mouth. “Your fat, swollen lips are all I’ve been able to fucking think about for weeks.”
“I’m Norwegian, from the Lofoten Islands, high up off the north-western coast of Norway. In the Arctic Circle. So you could say I’m from the top of the world.”
I’d never heard of them; they sounded awfully chilly. Recalling his homeland, Eggy smiled wistfully.
“You have to be careful up there—two steps in the wrong direction and you fall over the edge! It’s a beautiful place, crazy beautiful, but so cold in the winter you think your balls will drop off. Even the seals fucking shiver.” 🤭🤭🤭
The two characters are very different and actually have hardly anything in common and yet their relationship works, apart from the little bit of drama, which of course can't be missing. And the sexual attraction literally sizzles.
Ravaged by a thirsty Viking warrior. I bloody loved it. “God, I’ve needed this,” he panted, licking a stripe along my jaw before homing in again on my mouth. “Your fat, swollen lips are all I’ve been able to fucking think about for weeks.”
Read
June 20, 2022DNF at 36%
I was pretty much turned off within the first few pages of this book when the 25 yr old MC is shamed for having multiple sexual partners and advised to either finally (finally??) settle down into a relationship or stop having so much sex. Um, fuck off with the slut shaming please! Not sure why I kept reading but it wasn’t long before I packed it in as it didn’t improve much from there. Back to the drawing board aka my tbr.
I was pretty much turned off within the first few pages of this book when the 25 yr old MC is shamed for having multiple sexual partners and advised to either finally (finally??) settle down into a relationship or stop having so much sex. Um, fuck off with the slut shaming please! Not sure why I kept reading but it wasn’t long before I packed it in as it didn’t improve much from there. Back to the drawing board aka my tbr.
March 30, 2022
I've given this a B+ at AAR, so 4.5 stars
Fearne Hill’s Brushed With Love is a charming and sexy opposites-attract romance featuring a pair of captivating central characters, a well-drawn, quirky secondary cast and lots of genuine warmth, humour and feels.
Clement Constantine Church wrote an award-winning novel in his late teens which was then turned into an Oscar-winning movie – but hasn’t been able to write anything new since and now spends his time ghost-writing autobiographies. Introverted and just a little bit neurotic, Clem has inherited his late grandmother’s cottage in the seaside town of Woolacombe in Dorset, and had hoped that being away from London might have given his muse a prod – but no such luck.
Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten – Eggy – is a six foot five Viking God-of-a-man who was thrown out of the family home in the Lofoten Islands at sixteen when his dad found him fooling around with another boy and packed him off with a thousand kroner and the clothes on his back. As, like most Scandinavians, he could speak English well, that’s where he headed and now, at twenty-five he and his best friend Fifty (I won’t spoil it by telling you why he’s called that – I laughed when it’s revealed) live in their two ancient camper vans, travelling around Europe and spending the summer months in Woolacombe where they work for Fifty’s uncle��s decorating business and spend their spare time surfing – and, in Eggy’s case, shagging. He’s unapologetic about his revolving door of one-night-stands of both sexes – “I can’t help it. I’m genetically programmed to raid and plunder and sow my seed throughout the entire northern hemisphere.” But all that changes when he meets the gorgeous, dark-haired, green-eyed Clem (he’s decorating Clem’s cottage) and is instantly smitten – and not just because he wants to get Clem into bed. Oh, he does want that, but there’s something about Clem that appeals in other ways as well, and Eggy finds he wants to get to know him better. Before long, their chats over tea and biscuits have become the highlight of Eggy’s day, even if he does feel somewhat intimidated by all the books lying around the place (he’s severely dyslexic) and envious of Clem’s ability to read them and block out the rest of the world whenever he wants to.
Clem’s current project is the autobiography of Dame Margarite Le Cornu – think Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Helen Mirren all rolled into one and then some – a veritable National Treasure of stage and screen. Her well-intentioned plan to find Clem a suitable boyfriend leads to Eggy stepping up and offering to pretend he’s Clem’s boyfriend, and not only does he then proceed to charm the pants off Margarite, he also stuns Clem (who at this point, believes Eggy is straight) with the ease with which he slips into the role and how comfortable and naturally affectionate he is with another man.
Clem and Eggy are like chalk and cheese and perhaps shouldn’t work as a couple – but they do, and splendidly so. They’re sweet and charming and likeable, and even though neither of them has much experience of relationships, they don’t let that hold them back and decide to make the most of the time they have together before Eggy and Fifty up sticks at the end of the summer and head off to start their surfing school in Fuerteventura. As their feelings for each other deepen however, it becomes clear to both of them that this is no summer fling – and never really was – and that one of them has a big decision to make.
Both men come from less than ideal family situations and their backstories are moving; Eggy’s is particularly heart-rending as he recalls the events that led him to England and to Fifty’s friendship, and the sense of loss he feels at not being able to be there for his younger brother is palpable. I loved both of them, reserved, snarky Clem who struggles with self-worth, and boisterous and outgoing Eggy, the Nordic surfer-dude with a heart as big as his stature.
The secondary characters are well-written with very clear individual voices and important parts to play, most notably Fifty, the stoner surfer-dude who loves to quote Point Break. The superbly written friendship between him and Eggy has been going through a rough patch, but is nonetheless solid, Dame Margarite is a theatrical luvvy with a heart of gold, and even though he appears only briefly, I already love Eggy’s brother Otto and am really hoping he’s going to get a story of his own.
I’m not a fan of the Big Mis as a way of introducing conflict, but here, it works in context and feels in character for who these people are. It’s also thankfully short-lived and leads to some important soul-searching and necessary decisions, discoveries and emotional moments. (I definitely teared up a few times while reading that section.) My one main niggle with the story as a whole is that Clem’s belief that Eggy is straight feels contrived; the scene where the matter is cleared up is excellently done, but the misapprehension goes on for too long.
This is only the second book I’ve read by Fearne Hill; unfortunately, the first didn’t work for me but I’m really glad I decided to give her another try. Brushed With Love had me grinning, laughing and glad I decided to give her another try. Brushed With Love had me grinning, laughing and sniffling; it’s a wonderfully warm, poignant and uplifting story about two people finding something they never realised they needed in each other, and it was a joy to read. I’m eagerly looking forward to book two in the Surfing the Waves series.
Fearne Hill’s Brushed With Love is a charming and sexy opposites-attract romance featuring a pair of captivating central characters, a well-drawn, quirky secondary cast and lots of genuine warmth, humour and feels.
Clement Constantine Church wrote an award-winning novel in his late teens which was then turned into an Oscar-winning movie – but hasn’t been able to write anything new since and now spends his time ghost-writing autobiographies. Introverted and just a little bit neurotic, Clem has inherited his late grandmother’s cottage in the seaside town of Woolacombe in Dorset, and had hoped that being away from London might have given his muse a prod – but no such luck.
Ragnar Aleksander Sigurdson Eggebraaten – Eggy – is a six foot five Viking God-of-a-man who was thrown out of the family home in the Lofoten Islands at sixteen when his dad found him fooling around with another boy and packed him off with a thousand kroner and the clothes on his back. As, like most Scandinavians, he could speak English well, that’s where he headed and now, at twenty-five he and his best friend Fifty (I won’t spoil it by telling you why he’s called that – I laughed when it’s revealed) live in their two ancient camper vans, travelling around Europe and spending the summer months in Woolacombe where they work for Fifty’s uncle��s decorating business and spend their spare time surfing – and, in Eggy’s case, shagging. He’s unapologetic about his revolving door of one-night-stands of both sexes – “I can’t help it. I’m genetically programmed to raid and plunder and sow my seed throughout the entire northern hemisphere.” But all that changes when he meets the gorgeous, dark-haired, green-eyed Clem (he’s decorating Clem’s cottage) and is instantly smitten – and not just because he wants to get Clem into bed. Oh, he does want that, but there’s something about Clem that appeals in other ways as well, and Eggy finds he wants to get to know him better. Before long, their chats over tea and biscuits have become the highlight of Eggy’s day, even if he does feel somewhat intimidated by all the books lying around the place (he’s severely dyslexic) and envious of Clem’s ability to read them and block out the rest of the world whenever he wants to.
Clem’s current project is the autobiography of Dame Margarite Le Cornu – think Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Helen Mirren all rolled into one and then some – a veritable National Treasure of stage and screen. Her well-intentioned plan to find Clem a suitable boyfriend leads to Eggy stepping up and offering to pretend he’s Clem’s boyfriend, and not only does he then proceed to charm the pants off Margarite, he also stuns Clem (who at this point, believes Eggy is straight) with the ease with which he slips into the role and how comfortable and naturally affectionate he is with another man.
Clem and Eggy are like chalk and cheese and perhaps shouldn’t work as a couple – but they do, and splendidly so. They’re sweet and charming and likeable, and even though neither of them has much experience of relationships, they don’t let that hold them back and decide to make the most of the time they have together before Eggy and Fifty up sticks at the end of the summer and head off to start their surfing school in Fuerteventura. As their feelings for each other deepen however, it becomes clear to both of them that this is no summer fling – and never really was – and that one of them has a big decision to make.
Both men come from less than ideal family situations and their backstories are moving; Eggy’s is particularly heart-rending as he recalls the events that led him to England and to Fifty’s friendship, and the sense of loss he feels at not being able to be there for his younger brother is palpable. I loved both of them, reserved, snarky Clem who struggles with self-worth, and boisterous and outgoing Eggy, the Nordic surfer-dude with a heart as big as his stature.
The secondary characters are well-written with very clear individual voices and important parts to play, most notably Fifty, the stoner surfer-dude who loves to quote Point Break. The superbly written friendship between him and Eggy has been going through a rough patch, but is nonetheless solid, Dame Margarite is a theatrical luvvy with a heart of gold, and even though he appears only briefly, I already love Eggy’s brother Otto and am really hoping he’s going to get a story of his own.
I’m not a fan of the Big Mis as a way of introducing conflict, but here, it works in context and feels in character for who these people are. It’s also thankfully short-lived and leads to some important soul-searching and necessary decisions, discoveries and emotional moments. (I definitely teared up a few times while reading that section.) My one main niggle with the story as a whole is that Clem’s belief that Eggy is straight feels contrived; the scene where the matter is cleared up is excellently done, but the misapprehension goes on for too long.
This is only the second book I’ve read by Fearne Hill; unfortunately, the first didn’t work for me but I’m really glad I decided to give her another try. Brushed With Love had me grinning, laughing and glad I decided to give her another try. Brushed With Love had me grinning, laughing and sniffling; it’s a wonderfully warm, poignant and uplifting story about two people finding something they never realised they needed in each other, and it was a joy to read. I’m eagerly looking forward to book two in the Surfing the Waves series.
March 21, 2022
Fearne Hill appeared out of nowhere on the MM scene, and took me by surprise with her storytelling skills and quirky, well-rounded characters. I fell in love with her Rossingley books, so jumped at the chance for an advance copy of this book.
In this opposites-attract romance between an emo writer and a Viking surf god, I was enthralled with the sense of place, the characters, and the story. Yes, there's a fake boyfriend trope in there, but it almost doesn't feel like it's fake since Clem and Eggy were already dancing around each other.
It's hot af, and funny, and I can't wait for Fifty (read it, you'll see) to get his HEA!
In this opposites-attract romance between an emo writer and a Viking surf god, I was enthralled with the sense of place, the characters, and the story. Yes, there's a fake boyfriend trope in there, but it almost doesn't feel like it's fake since Clem and Eggy were already dancing around each other.
It's hot af, and funny, and I can't wait for Fifty (read it, you'll see) to get his HEA!
February 28, 2022
Oh, Fearne Hill, I knew I loved you!! This book is more or less what I expected :a bit quirky, excellent writing, beautiful and interesting MCs and spicy naked times. I can hardly wait for the next one and I hope it’s Fifty’s and Otto’s story. I loved Clem and Eggy and I adored them together. Now why isn’t it a 5 ⭐️ read? Well, because, unfortunately I hold this author’s every book to “To hold a hidden pearl” and compared to the artistry,the rawness , the quirkiness and the unicity of that book this one falls a step behind because it’s pretty light and the plot lacks unicity and originality ( this surfer bum and reclusive intellectual can also be found in Lily Morton’s The stopping place” although the books have different air and flavor) . Anyway ,this was a good book, it was romantic and sweet and the characters were so so endearing and Eggy was hotttt -that’s why the cover makes no sense to me. Where is our Norse God Eggy???? I wanted to see him on the cover !! (In neoprene suit if possible, thank you very much!!!
November 15, 2022
DNF ~24%
This did absolutely nothing for me. Didn't particularly like or care about either of the main characters, and there was a lot of telling and not showing--I just didn't feel the emotion the author was trying to make me feel, and absolutely didn't feel any chemistry.
This did absolutely nothing for me. Didn't particularly like or care about either of the main characters, and there was a lot of telling and not showing--I just didn't feel the emotion the author was trying to make me feel, and absolutely didn't feel any chemistry.
Shelved as 'read-sample-didn-t-buy'
October 26, 2023Sometimes you know from the first page, it's just not going to work.
There's a character named Fifty.
Fifty.
FIFTY.
And he's the MC of the next book, which means he's going to be around a lot in this one.
Then I read the synopses of both books, and what is with the names in this series?
Anyway, if you can handle the names and don't mind "just romance," this might work for you, so give it a try.
There's a character named Fifty.
Fifty.
FIFTY.
And he's the MC of the next book, which means he's going to be around a lot in this one.
Then I read the synopses of both books, and what is with the names in this series?
Anyway, if you can handle the names and don't mind "just romance," this might work for you, so give it a try.
February 15, 2022
In a seaside town in Devon, an introverted young author with writer’s block and the big, gorgeous, Nordic surfer painting his cottage become unlikely friends and then lovers in this warm and funny romance by one of my new favorite authors, Fearne Hill.
This author is amazing at writing unique and memorable characters. I just adored Clem and Eggy. Years after the success of the book he wrote as a teenager, Clem is feeling like a failure for not producing another hit and has been ghostwriting a memoir for flamboyant octogenarian movie star Dame Margarite le Cornu. Boisterous and outgoing but severely dyslexic Eggy feels intimidated by the brilliant writer with a cottage full of books. Eggy is working hard to save up money to start a surf school in the Canary Islands with his stoner best friend Fifty (how he got his nickname is hilarious). There were so many wonderful and colorful side characters. I can’t wait for Fifty to get his own book and I’m already half in love with Otto. Even the side characters that don’t get a ton of page time, like Danii, are written with depth and love.
This sweet, funny, emotional, and heartwarming book was such a joy to read. I can’t wait for the next one in the series, and luckily we don’t have to wait too long as book 2 is set to be released in May.
This author is amazing at writing unique and memorable characters. I just adored Clem and Eggy. Years after the success of the book he wrote as a teenager, Clem is feeling like a failure for not producing another hit and has been ghostwriting a memoir for flamboyant octogenarian movie star Dame Margarite le Cornu. Boisterous and outgoing but severely dyslexic Eggy feels intimidated by the brilliant writer with a cottage full of books. Eggy is working hard to save up money to start a surf school in the Canary Islands with his stoner best friend Fifty (how he got his nickname is hilarious). There were so many wonderful and colorful side characters. I can’t wait for Fifty to get his own book and I’m already half in love with Otto. Even the side characters that don’t get a ton of page time, like Danii, are written with depth and love.
This sweet, funny, emotional, and heartwarming book was such a joy to read. I can’t wait for the next one in the series, and luckily we don’t have to wait too long as book 2 is set to be released in May.
March 9, 2022
Shallow, swoony, and
Oddly paced. Writer boy loves
Viking. Who knows why.
Oddly paced. Writer boy loves
Viking. Who knows why.
March 29, 2022
3.5-4 stars
March 2, 2022
I didn't want this book to end! It had all of the things I've come to adore about Fearne Hill's writing, yet with a completely different feel from her Rossingley series (which I loved!). Maybe it was the oceanside setting or the brave overuse of the word "dude", but I closed my Kindle feeling inspired to sell my house, live in a van and let Cyndi 2.0 emerge with nothing but the scent of salt and neoprene in her wake. This book was the perfect mix of absolutely everything. It was sweet without being fluffy. It was hilarious without being ridiculous. It had some drama, but I knew it was coming and didn't once have the urge to roll my eyes. It was witty and interesting and passionate and so much fun. The drag queen story alone was worth the cost of admission.
Eggy was a gigantic Viking surfer from Norway with a four part full name worthy of the bloodline he claimed descended directly from Odin. Clem was a skinny, pale emo author with writer's block and a penchant for panic. I love a character who wails when they get upset or overwhelmed and Clem did not disappoint. These two men could not have been more different, but I rooted for them so hard. The end of their story felt a lot like a beginning and I hope that means we'll get to see a ton more of them throughout the rest of this series. Also, I don't know what constitutes a Viking kiss, but I kinda want one.
I can't wait to find out who the next book is about. I actually squealed when I saw the release date of May 2022. Obviously I need Fifty to find his forever person, but there is someone else on the scene that I find very interesting too.
Eggy was a gigantic Viking surfer from Norway with a four part full name worthy of the bloodline he claimed descended directly from Odin. Clem was a skinny, pale emo author with writer's block and a penchant for panic. I love a character who wails when they get upset or overwhelmed and Clem did not disappoint. These two men could not have been more different, but I rooted for them so hard. The end of their story felt a lot like a beginning and I hope that means we'll get to see a ton more of them throughout the rest of this series. Also, I don't know what constitutes a Viking kiss, but I kinda want one.
I can't wait to find out who the next book is about. I actually squealed when I saw the release date of May 2022. Obviously I need Fifty to find his forever person, but there is someone else on the scene that I find very interesting too.
March 3, 2022
This one started off quirky for me, I found myself taking a liking to eggy quickly. He was charismatic and adorably flawed. Clem was equally likeable in a sweet and want-to-put-him-in-your-pocket kind of way.
The interactions between these two were funny and filled with good chemistry and whilst I wasn’t a huge fan of the repeated usage of the different variations of Viking king, Viking god etc it didn’t stop me from enjoying their journey.
Despite this being a largely fluffy read, it contained some sad and angsty themes, especially for eggy who has had to overcome some hardships in life but has still managed to maintain a sunny disposition.
This book is a definite case of opposites attract and I am curious to see what’s in store for our other characters in the next instalment.
The interactions between these two were funny and filled with good chemistry and whilst I wasn’t a huge fan of the repeated usage of the different variations of Viking king, Viking god etc it didn’t stop me from enjoying their journey.
Despite this being a largely fluffy read, it contained some sad and angsty themes, especially for eggy who has had to overcome some hardships in life but has still managed to maintain a sunny disposition.
This book is a definite case of opposites attract and I am curious to see what’s in store for our other characters in the next instalment.
July 3, 2023
This was on my TBR forever and then it finally got read by me scrolling my list for an illustrated cover for the bingo challenge. This ended up fitting so many potential squares though and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read albeit a tad too angsty for me, as well as
These guys dynamic and chemistry was on point for me though so four stars!
Quotes
NSFW infos:
- Big playboy Norwegian bisexual viking (dyslexic surfer) more dominant, tops
- smol, gothy green-eyed, dark-haired British gay lad (woeful writer) more submissive, bottoms
These guys dynamic and chemistry was on point for me though so four stars!
Quotes
"Clem imbued me with a primitive urge to sling him over my shoulder and carry him back to my cave. (p. 42)
"Fuck me, this skinny, dark-haired bloke stripped down to white boxers patterned with tiny purple dinosaurs had officially become the cutest thing ever." (p. 117)
"OMFG. He had a pop-up roof. Which housed a mattress the width of the van and a huge fluffy white duvet. I wanted to roll myself up in like a giant marshmallow. And a giant mountain of soft pillows. And twinkly pink fairly lights." (p. 139)
NSFW infos:
- Big playboy Norwegian bisexual viking (dyslexic surfer) more dominant, tops
- smol, gothy green-eyed, dark-haired British gay lad (woeful writer) more submissive, bottoms
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