What happens when a prickly travel journalist falls for his fake boyfriend?
Oscar Moore has two problems. One: He’s accidentally managed to convince his boss, the legendary editor of The Traveller, that he has a boyfriend. And two: he now has to persuade photographer and casual acquaintance, Ilias Verrati, to play along for a week-long couple’s retreat in Hawaii.
Ilias is full of sass and sunshine, but his constant flirting grates on Oscar. Unfortunately, unless Oscar wants to confess and risk his job, he has to keep up the ruse. He can manage a week, and if he can pull this off then editorial glory awaits.
Oscar and Ilias both have their own reasons for avoiding relationships—even if they desperately want one—and their work makes finding love even more difficult, but maybe a fake relationship is just what they need to give them a nudge in the right direction.
Under the Hawaiian sun, Oscar discovers there’s more to Ilias than meets the eye. But before Ilias will risk his heart, Oscar will have to find a way to open it.
Oh So Oscar is a 78,000-word contemporary MM romance featuring fake dating, luxurious hotel rooms, star gazing, and delicious food. It also contains discussions of grief, including the past loss of a parent, and the past loss of a partner.
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited
Across the horizon, the sun turned the sky into an unearthly spectacle of colour and fire. I’d watched sunsets before, hundreds of them, but this one took my breath away in a whole new way.
I slotted my camera together at speed, lifting its bulk to my eye as I attempted to capture the majesty before me. I knew that any photo I took was never going to do the sight justice, but I had to try.
Beside me, Oscar let out a slow breath. I lowered the camera for a moment, turning my head to see his dark eyes fixed on the flaming clouds that danced across the sky.
“Wow,” he said softly. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah,” I said, never taking my eyes off him. “It is.”
He turned his head and I felt my face heat as I suddenly pretended to be very interested in my camera, praying that he hadn’t noticed me staring at him. This was just supposed to be fake. I wasn’t supposed to be developing any kind of feelings for Oscar.
Oscar. The oft talked about but rarely seen brother. Because he is a travel writer and lives in London, he isn’t around the family as much as all of the other siblings. This time the focus is on him as the series moves out of Lincoln and the surrounding area.
Another thing that sets Oscar apart from his siblings is that he is demisexual. Yes, gay, but also demi. Hard to deal with when you are a travel writer and can be away for days and weeks at a time. So it didn’t even cross his mind when pitching LGBT+ inclusive destinations that to review them, he should be going as half of a couple. So when put on the spot he throws out the name of a gay travel photographer he has met a few times. Ya, a few times. Not even someone he would call a friend.
But Ilias is up for the adventure, if for nothing than to get a vacation in Hawaii and some exposure in a famous publication. Going with Oscar is a definite plus, even if he is grumpy.
But when they are together in Hawaii Oscar opens up more. And Ilias is a perfect gentlemen. With a little light teasing. Once Ilias knows that Oscar is demisexual, he takes that seriously. And they also agree to date each other.
In the cold light of day- in London- things are awkward again. The vacation rose colored glasses are off. But Oscar’s editor has another assignment. Fifteen boutique hotels all across England, and one in Scotland. For him and his boyfriend.
And it is during that several week 15 stay assignment that they REALLY get to know each other. They aren’t scheduled every minute of the day with resort amenities. Besides staying overnight and having one meal at each place, they are free to do whatever they’d like. And Ilias opens up as well.
This is a slow slow burn due to they whole demisexual thing, but let me tell you. WORTH IT! I thought Finn was hot. Oscar, once he feels desire for someone, let’s himself be free. Even when he realized he was ready for more, what he whispered to Ilias over a table nearly lit my kindle on fire.
Damn.
We not only get to revisit all of our other favorite characters, we also get a cute Easter Egg. I love when authors do that.
And again, a great epilogue.
Definitely a must read. The subject of demisexuality is treated with care without making it feel odd. Or that the person who was demi was odd. Nice representation.
4 pieces of eye candy
Charlie lives in England with her husband and two cheeky dogs. She spends most of her days wrangling other people’s words in her day job and then trying to force her own onto the page in the evening.
She loves cute stories with a healthy dollop of fluff, plenty of delicious sex, and happily ever afters — because the world needs more of them.
Charlie has very little spare time, but what she does have she fills with baking, Dungeons and Dragons, reading and many other nerdy pursuits. She also thinks that everyone should have at least one favourite dinosaur…
Website: https://charlienovak.com/
Newsletter https://charlienovak.com/newsletter-sign-up/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/charlienovakauthor/
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/charlie-novak
Twitter https://twitter.com/charlienwrites
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/charlienwrites/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@charlienwrites
Facebook Group Charlie’s Angels (https://www.facebook.com/groups/charlienovaksangels/)
Linktree (for all links) https://linktr.ee/charlienovak