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Five Dares
Andy Tyler has been the class daredevil since middle school. Over the years, he’s convinced his best friend, Jake Masterson, to perform some dangerous-looking stunts with him. But the dare they attempt on the night of their college graduation goes sideways. The firecrackers explode too soon and both of them end up with badly burned palms.
But hey, nothing gets the “terrible two-o” down for long, and they recuperate in style at Andy’s family cottage in Cape Cod. As the weeks go by, both Andy and Jake grow frustrated over the inability to use their hands for all sorts of daily activities—including getting off. So Andy begins a new series of dares that don’t just cross the friendship line, they obliterate it.
But what might be mere sexual relief to Andy is serious business to Jake, who only recently got over years of secret pining for his straight best friend. Inevitably, the burns heal, summer ends, and hearts are broken. To fix things, Andy will have to face the greatest dare of all.
But hey, nothing gets the “terrible two-o” down for long, and they recuperate in style at Andy’s family cottage in Cape Cod. As the weeks go by, both Andy and Jake grow frustrated over the inability to use their hands for all sorts of daily activities—including getting off. So Andy begins a new series of dares that don’t just cross the friendship line, they obliterate it.
But what might be mere sexual relief to Andy is serious business to Jake, who only recently got over years of secret pining for his straight best friend. Inevitably, the burns heal, summer ends, and hearts are broken. To fix things, Andy will have to face the greatest dare of all.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2017
326 people are currently reading
2631 people want to read
About the author
Eli Easton
83 books2,806 followersHaving been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a game designer, an organic farmer, an avid hiker, and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author.
As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.
Her website in www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
COMING SOON:
See what's in the pipeline here: http://elieaston.com/work-in-progress/
As an addicted reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing.
Her website in www.elieaston.com
You can email her at eli@elieaston.com
COMING SOON:
See what's in the pipeline here: http://elieaston.com/work-in-progress/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 765 reviews
July 30, 2017
~4.5~
I beta read this book and loved every page of it.
Five Dares is a sexy, funny, and charming best-friends-to-lovers story featuring two irresistible MCs.
Andy is the Show Stopper, Jake his loyal sidekick. The Andy & Jake show is a local attraction. Andy pulls daring stunts, and Jake is there to cajole and plead. It’s all a game, and the audience goes wild. Girls cry. Guys take bets.
Andy is reckless. He eats live caterpillars, skateboards off roofs, and holds burning firecrackers in his hands.
But the last dare doesn’t work out so well; despite Andy’s extensive “research,” the firecracker goes off sooner than anticipated, and he and Jake end up with second degree burns on their palms the summer after their senior year in college. Jake was on his way to California to begin his first grown-up job, and Andy was going to complete an internship at a law firm before beginning law school at Harvard.
But Andy insists they make the best of it. So the two friends end up at Andy’s summer cottage. The only problem? They can’t use their hands.
A housekeeper and nurse are there in the mornings, but the guys can’t very well ask for a wank now, can they?
That’s when Andy has his BIG IDEA: he and Jake can just suck each other off. Problem solved.
Except not. Andy, who’s “straight” (*ahem*), has no clue that Jake’s been crushing on him forever. Jake doesn’t even dare tell Andy he’s gay. When Andy first proposes the 69 idea, Jake freaks, but eventually he gives in. Jake always gives in.
The rest of the summer is filled with sex and more sex. Jake even rims Andy in the kitchen, which, yeah, goes WAY beyond a convenient blow job. Jake is in way over his head (because FEELINGS), but Andy seems oblivious to Jake’s emotional turmoil.
I loved the premise of the story going in and found myself laughing many times while reading. I love the best-friends-to-lovers trope!
The MCs have great personalities and are relatable. I think we can all remember being 22 and crushing hard on someone we consider unattainable.
The dual POV also worked really well. It can be tricky to give the MCs distinct voices, but Andy and Jake did not “sound” the same. Andy was clearly the more cocky of the two, and that came across in his narration.
I wanted to know a little more about Jake’s mom and his relationship with her. Andy’s parents were well-sketched, though.
I really appreciated that his dad wasn’t this evil villain. He was strict, but it was obvious he loved his kid. He was clearly too controlling and made Andy feel like he was suffocating, but he meant well.
I like that Andy stood by Jake but that it was also important for him to maintain a relationship with his parents.
The guys’ sexuality was well written. Jake already knew he was bisexual, and Andy didn’t play the “only gay for Jake” card, which I hate. I find pure GFY kind of offensive honestly, so I was glad Andy didn’t hedge and admitted to his parents (and himself) that he was bi.
The epilogue is lovely! I was so happy to see these guys two years down the road. The last chapter was super romantic and had me grinning like a fool.
I beta read this book and loved every page of it.
Five Dares is a sexy, funny, and charming best-friends-to-lovers story featuring two irresistible MCs.
Andy is the Show Stopper, Jake his loyal sidekick. The Andy & Jake show is a local attraction. Andy pulls daring stunts, and Jake is there to cajole and plead. It’s all a game, and the audience goes wild. Girls cry. Guys take bets.
Andy is reckless. He eats live caterpillars, skateboards off roofs, and holds burning firecrackers in his hands.
But the last dare doesn’t work out so well; despite Andy’s extensive “research,” the firecracker goes off sooner than anticipated, and he and Jake end up with second degree burns on their palms the summer after their senior year in college. Jake was on his way to California to begin his first grown-up job, and Andy was going to complete an internship at a law firm before beginning law school at Harvard.
But Andy insists they make the best of it. So the two friends end up at Andy’s summer cottage. The only problem? They can’t use their hands.
A housekeeper and nurse are there in the mornings, but the guys can’t very well ask for a wank now, can they?
That’s when Andy has his BIG IDEA: he and Jake can just suck each other off. Problem solved.
Except not. Andy, who’s “straight” (*ahem*), has no clue that Jake’s been crushing on him forever. Jake doesn’t even dare tell Andy he’s gay. When Andy first proposes the 69 idea, Jake freaks, but eventually he gives in. Jake always gives in.
The rest of the summer is filled with sex and more sex. Jake even rims Andy in the kitchen, which, yeah, goes WAY beyond a convenient blow job. Jake is in way over his head (because FEELINGS), but Andy seems oblivious to Jake’s emotional turmoil.
I loved the premise of the story going in and found myself laughing many times while reading. I love the best-friends-to-lovers trope!
The MCs have great personalities and are relatable. I think we can all remember being 22 and crushing hard on someone we consider unattainable.
The dual POV also worked really well. It can be tricky to give the MCs distinct voices, but Andy and Jake did not “sound” the same. Andy was clearly the more cocky of the two, and that came across in his narration.
I wanted to know a little more about Jake’s mom and his relationship with her. Andy’s parents were well-sketched, though.
I really appreciated that his dad wasn’t this evil villain. He was strict, but it was obvious he loved his kid. He was clearly too controlling and made Andy feel like he was suffocating, but he meant well.
I like that Andy stood by Jake but that it was also important for him to maintain a relationship with his parents.
The guys’ sexuality was well written. Jake already knew he was bisexual, and Andy didn’t play the “only gay for Jake” card, which I hate. I find pure GFY kind of offensive honestly, so I was glad Andy didn’t hedge and admitted to his parents (and himself) that he was bi.
The epilogue is lovely! I was so happy to see these guys two years down the road. The last chapter was super romantic and had me grinning like a fool.
August 4, 2017
With this story being written by Eli Easton, I'd expected to enjoy it, but I ended up flat-out loving it from start to finish.
Andy and Jake had been inseparable for a decade, having been best friends since the 7th grade and had just graduated from NYU, after rooming together all 4 years.
Enter Dare #1. Ill-timed sparks.
But when one of Andy's stunts left them both without the use of their hands for the entire summer before Jake headed to California for a tech job and Andy attended Harvard Law, well, things began to get interesting, and quickly, as the two recuperate alone at Andy's family's isolated, oceanside cottage.
Jake had (of course) secretly been in love with Andy for years, always his wing man and partner in crime, but what happened when their only outlet for possible 'release' was one another?
A whole, whole LOT, that's what.
I loved the scene where Andy confessed that he'd been trying out different surfaces around the cottage. The lip of the sink was too hard, the mattress was too soft and so on and so on.
“Rubbing against the tiles in the shower didn’t work. They’re too hard.”
He snorted. “What are you, the Goldilocks of self-love?”
I chuckled. “That’s me. I need something just right.” I used a filthy voice on the last bit.
Enter Dare #2. Each of them "helping a brother out."
So Andy, about to climb out of his skin in frustration, dared Jake to a summer of 'oral' relief. To just close their eyes and pretend.
But when you're in love with someone, pretending can become damn near impossible.
Enter Dare #3. Bump and grind with a side of feelings, anyone?
Eventually 69'ing for weeks on end began to get old, so in a fit of uncharactaristic passion, Jake mixes things up a bit (so freaking hot, let me tell you), which led them to becoming even more intimate. The kissing scenes were some of my favorites in this story.
But alas, in time, their wounds healed and that part of the book was among the hardest to read.
[E]very time I looked at Andy on the drive home, he was staring out the window, his face blank.Enter Dare #4. "Experimenting," after the gloves come off.
And then it struck me, and my heart crashed from the sky like Icarus on his waxy wings.
We had no excuse to touch each other anymore.
Watching as the guys battled revealing their desire to continue to be with one another wasn't easy, as there wasn't a *legitimate* reason for them to continue. Unless they were brave, honest and willing to take a chance. Thank fuck they were, or I'd have killed a bitch, no lie.
Then, on their last day together, everything got royally clusterfucked, leaving Jake heartbroken as he fled to his job in California and Andy feeling lost and confused about his life path.
Enter Dare #5. Revising your 10 year plan.
One of my biggest fears when reading the blurb was that there would be an extended separation, but I'm happy to say that didn't happen here.
My very favorite moment in the story was when Andy had a major epiphany while talking with his mother. That scene was seriously EVERYTHING for me.
However, the big "grand gesture" scene at the end, well, it felt a bit premature and over the top, in my opinion; although, I must admit that it was extremely sweet and I ended up loving the solid HEA epilogue so hard, you wouldn't even believe.
I'd have to rate this fun and sexy book at 4.5 stars for the sheer enjoyment alone and highly recommend it to anyone who has liked steamy 'best friends to lovers' stories, such as Jay Northcote's "Helping Hand."
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)
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August 7, 2017
I'm a huge, HUGE Eli Easton fan, and she rarely disappoints. If you love her style, her friends-to-lovers, new adult vibe, then you will LOVE this one.
I read a pre-release copy, and right from the bat I had issues with some errors concerning the book's setting (an area I know very, very well). I guess all my complaining worked because the blurb has already been changed as I'm typing this review, so many of my nit-picky issues are probably resolved, which makes me extremely (and probably unreasonably) happy.
Eli Easton does sexuality discovery stories sooooo well. Andy's slow realization about his attraction and attachment to Jake comes about naturally and gradually and was so freaking hot to witness. Eli Easton does NOT skimp on the sex in this one, and your smutty, smutty dreams will be coming (ha!) true.
Not a ton happens in the story, but that was just fine with me. Most of the plot is centered around Jake and Andy's gradual slide into romance, and I loved every juicy minute of it. If you want something more exciting this isn't the book for you.
While I adored the story, my only issue with the book was the flashbacks. I actually hate flashbacks in stories, and this one has a bunch of them, one for each of the five dares that happened in the past that led up to present time. I find flashbacks tedious, but most readers probably won't mind them.
Sexy, sexy, sexy with a heart-melting ending that will win over even the coldest of hearts, Eli Easton fans should snatch this book up.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
I read a pre-release copy, and right from the bat I had issues with some errors concerning the book's setting (an area I know very, very well). I guess all my complaining worked because the blurb has already been changed as I'm typing this review, so many of my nit-picky issues are probably resolved, which makes me extremely (and probably unreasonably) happy.
Eli Easton does sexuality discovery stories sooooo well. Andy's slow realization about his attraction and attachment to Jake comes about naturally and gradually and was so freaking hot to witness. Eli Easton does NOT skimp on the sex in this one, and your smutty, smutty dreams will be coming (ha!) true.
Not a ton happens in the story, but that was just fine with me. Most of the plot is centered around Jake and Andy's gradual slide into romance, and I loved every juicy minute of it. If you want something more exciting this isn't the book for you.
While I adored the story, my only issue with the book was the flashbacks. I actually hate flashbacks in stories, and this one has a bunch of them, one for each of the five dares that happened in the past that led up to present time. I find flashbacks tedious, but most readers probably won't mind them.
Sexy, sexy, sexy with a heart-melting ending that will win over even the coldest of hearts, Eli Easton fans should snatch this book up.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
September 26, 2017
BR with The Adam!
4.5 Hearts
They call themselves the Andy and Jake Show.
I called them stupid boys.
Andy and Jake have been best friends since seventh grade. Through high school and their undergrad studies at NYU they've been doing these crazy dares. It's usually Andy leading Jake by the nose hairs into these hijinks, because Jake is a sheep. This last one, though... lands them both in the hospital and without the use of their hands for 6-8 wks! So they wend up at Andy's parents Nantucket cottage for one last summer before Andy enters Harvard Law and Jake moves to Silicon Valley.
The dares take on a decidedly sexual tone at the cottage. They start off practical but Jake's got a secret: he's been in love with his best friend for years and he's bisexual. Five Dares really digs into the complexities of bisexuality in a multitude of ways. The only niggle I had was this concept (which I've seen often) that in choosing to be with a man there will be more sex. The implication being that women have a lower sex drive than men. I wish someone would kill that perception in a fire. But in all other ways I thought the bi representation was strong. And I LOVED how gung-ho Andy was.
Andy and Jake tell this story and both are strong and well developed characters. Jake's fears of backsliding and never being able to get over Andy after this summer endeared him to me. Andy's struggles with redefining himself as bisexual were heartfelt and sometimes heartbreaking. As the summer unfolds they become increasingly intimate and it was hooooooooooootttttttttttttt. Their sexual chemistry might have caused smoke signals to come out of my kindle. Especially the Andy bottoming scene. UNF!
If you have trouble with characters not communicating, this could be a miss for you. Neither are good at expressing themselves which is why I liked being inside each of their heads. It's a simple as breathing for them to springboard from best friends to lovers, but I honestly began to think that Andy's epiphany would never happen. Once it does, he gives it 100% effort. I might have read the big grand gesture scene a couple of times. Oh my feels!
Five Dares for me was one of Easton's better reads. She does characters with depth that are real and accessible so well. Both of them read like twenty somethings on the cusp of adulthood and struggling with that transition. They both like to have fun, have their dorky moments and worry about their futures.
Andy's father is the strongest secondary character. He's hardworking, pragmatic and serious. There will probably be controversy about his likability but there are two things that I think Easton did exceptionally well with his character: (1) you can really see how much Andy takes after him; (2) he brought many relevant contemporary sociopolitical concerns to the narrative without resorting to hyperbole. In a Trump America bigotry and racism are en vogue again so his concerns are not only valid but they resonated.
Recommended to college/coming of age and friends to lovers romance fans!
An ARC was provided by NetGalley.
4.5 Hearts
They call themselves the Andy and Jake Show.
I called them stupid boys.
Andy and Jake have been best friends since seventh grade. Through high school and their undergrad studies at NYU they've been doing these crazy dares. It's usually Andy leading Jake by the nose hairs into these hijinks, because Jake is a sheep. This last one, though... lands them both in the hospital and without the use of their hands for 6-8 wks! So they wend up at Andy's parents Nantucket cottage for one last summer before Andy enters Harvard Law and Jake moves to Silicon Valley.
The dares take on a decidedly sexual tone at the cottage. They start off practical but Jake's got a secret: he's been in love with his best friend for years and he's bisexual. Five Dares really digs into the complexities of bisexuality in a multitude of ways. The only niggle I had was this concept (which I've seen often) that in choosing to be with a man there will be more sex. The implication being that women have a lower sex drive than men. I wish someone would kill that perception in a fire. But in all other ways I thought the bi representation was strong. And I LOVED how gung-ho Andy was.
"I hate you," I said. "With the power of a thousand Foo Fighters concert amps."
Andy blew me a sarcastic air-kiss. "Liar. You love me to pieces. Come and get it, baby."
Andy and Jake tell this story and both are strong and well developed characters. Jake's fears of backsliding and never being able to get over Andy after this summer endeared him to me. Andy's struggles with redefining himself as bisexual were heartfelt and sometimes heartbreaking. As the summer unfolds they become increasingly intimate and it was hooooooooooootttttttttttttt. Their sexual chemistry might have caused smoke signals to come out of my kindle. Especially the Andy bottoming scene. UNF!
If you have trouble with characters not communicating, this could be a miss for you. Neither are good at expressing themselves which is why I liked being inside each of their heads. It's a simple as breathing for them to springboard from best friends to lovers, but I honestly began to think that Andy's epiphany would never happen. Once it does, he gives it 100% effort. I might have read the big grand gesture scene a couple of times. Oh my feels!
I wanted to crawl inside him. I wanted to sink to the floor and die because it would never be enough.
Five Dares for me was one of Easton's better reads. She does characters with depth that are real and accessible so well. Both of them read like twenty somethings on the cusp of adulthood and struggling with that transition. They both like to have fun, have their dorky moments and worry about their futures.
Andy's father is the strongest secondary character. He's hardworking, pragmatic and serious. There will probably be controversy about his likability but there are two things that I think Easton did exceptionally well with his character: (1) you can really see how much Andy takes after him; (2) he brought many relevant contemporary sociopolitical concerns to the narrative without resorting to hyperbole. In a Trump America bigotry and racism are en vogue again so his concerns are not only valid but they resonated.
Recommended to college/coming of age and friends to lovers romance fans!
An ARC was provided by NetGalley.
September 24, 2019
Re-read Sept 2019
I have read plenty of books by Eli Easton and I have loved every single one. This one was no exception ;)
Andy and Jake have been best friends for years. They are team Daredevil !! They have both graduated from NYU and Andy feels like they need to do one more "Dare", before they go there seperate ways and start different lives.
Andy is going to Harvard Law, while Jake already has a job lined up in California, as a computer tech.
Andy is having a hard time with the fact that they won't be as close anymore, and he feels they should go out with a bang... which they do....but not in the right way :P
When this "dare" leaves both of them injured, their plans for the future also get postponed. Their hands are badly injured and they are wrapped up in bandages from their wrists, to the top of their fingers. Since they are not allowed to use their hands in any way for the next couple of weeks, they decide to spend their time healing, in a cottage owned by Andy's family.
Everything is fine in the beginning, but it doesn't take too long for Andy to get very very frustrated with the fact, that he can't get himself off. And believe me, he tried, in many different ways :P
So what better way to relieve this "tension", than to propose another "dare". They could help each other out right. What's a little blowjob between two best friends.
But things are not that easy for Jake, since he sees Andy as way more than just "friend". He's been having feelings for Andy, for a very long time and how is he supposed to keep his body and his heart separated....
One "dare" leads to the next and before you know it, these two are going full throttle !!
But summer doesn't last forever...and they both have lives waiting for them.
This book captured all my attention right from the start. I loved how they went from best friends, to so much more...how each "dare" brought them closer, and not just physically.
This story was hot, funny, light and sweet. There wasn't too much angst, except for Andy having to figure things out for himself.
I highly recommend !!
I have read plenty of books by Eli Easton and I have loved every single one. This one was no exception ;)
Andy and Jake have been best friends for years. They are team Daredevil !! They have both graduated from NYU and Andy feels like they need to do one more "Dare", before they go there seperate ways and start different lives.
Andy is going to Harvard Law, while Jake already has a job lined up in California, as a computer tech.
Andy is having a hard time with the fact that they won't be as close anymore, and he feels they should go out with a bang... which they do....but not in the right way :P
When this "dare" leaves both of them injured, their plans for the future also get postponed. Their hands are badly injured and they are wrapped up in bandages from their wrists, to the top of their fingers. Since they are not allowed to use their hands in any way for the next couple of weeks, they decide to spend their time healing, in a cottage owned by Andy's family.
Everything is fine in the beginning, but it doesn't take too long for Andy to get very very frustrated with the fact, that he can't get himself off. And believe me, he tried, in many different ways :P
So what better way to relieve this "tension", than to propose another "dare". They could help each other out right. What's a little blowjob between two best friends.
But things are not that easy for Jake, since he sees Andy as way more than just "friend". He's been having feelings for Andy, for a very long time and how is he supposed to keep his body and his heart separated....
One "dare" leads to the next and before you know it, these two are going full throttle !!
But summer doesn't last forever...and they both have lives waiting for them.
This book captured all my attention right from the start. I loved how they went from best friends, to so much more...how each "dare" brought them closer, and not just physically.
This story was hot, funny, light and sweet. There wasn't too much angst, except for Andy having to figure things out for himself.
I highly recommend !!
March 7, 2022
Reread - March 2022
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This was fun, fluffy, sweet, sexy best friends to lovers story.
I enjoyed it a lot.
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This was fun, fluffy, sweet, sexy best friends to lovers story.
I enjoyed it a lot.
March 18, 2018
Well hot damn — that was sweet, and hot, and I am so very happy that my wonderful awesome blog wifey Maria recommended this one!! A m/m winner for sure!
This book made me cry happy tears for such an amazing HEA for such a deserving couple
This book makes me realize why I love a M/M romance. And add in Five dares in to the story and its brilliant.
If you love M/M, you definitely have to pick this one up.
This book made me cry happy tears for such an amazing HEA for such a deserving couple
This book makes me realize why I love a M/M romance. And add in Five dares in to the story and its brilliant.
If you love M/M, you definitely have to pick this one up.
June 8, 2023
Re-read May 2023
I still loved it.
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4.5 stars
Well, this was way better than I expected!
I’m always a bit hesitant with a GFY and/or best friends to lovers, because there is so much potential for (inner) angst. I’m a bit allergic for the scenario where friends don’t tell each other about their feelings and keep insisting it is ‘only sex’ between them. And while I do have to admit that Andy tried to go that route for a little bit here, it wasn’t too bad. Nor was it drawn out or OTT dramatic.
I loved the scenario where neither guy could use their hands for anything after a dare gone wrong (holding lit firecrackers, really, guys?). I’m such a sucker for my MCs to just be stowed away on a remote island/in a house/in the woods, all alone and ‘forced’ to spend time together. Not that Andy or Jake were being forced. They had been best friends for years, so neither minded at all.
The friendship was sweet and open, the sexy times were hot, and the romance was incredibly romantic when things were figured out.
I really really liked this.
I still loved it.
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4.5 stars
Well, this was way better than I expected!
I’m always a bit hesitant with a GFY and/or best friends to lovers, because there is so much potential for (inner) angst. I’m a bit allergic for the scenario where friends don’t tell each other about their feelings and keep insisting it is ‘only sex’ between them. And while I do have to admit that Andy tried to go that route for a little bit here, it wasn’t too bad. Nor was it drawn out or OTT dramatic.
I loved the scenario where neither guy could use their hands for anything after a dare gone wrong (holding lit firecrackers, really, guys?). I’m such a sucker for my MCs to just be stowed away on a remote island/in a house/in the woods, all alone and ‘forced’ to spend time together. Not that Andy or Jake were being forced. They had been best friends for years, so neither minded at all.
The friendship was sweet and open, the sexy times were hot, and the romance was incredibly romantic when things were figured out.
I really really liked this.
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December 19, 2022
4.5 stars ☆
i honestly didn’t expect to feel invested with these characters as much as i was, but i loved it. also, the scene at 83%?? going in, i wasn’t prepared to full on sob at some point in this book but that scene just got to me. 🥺
p.s. the moment Andy
i honestly didn’t expect to feel invested with these characters as much as i was, but i loved it. also, the scene at 83%?? going in, i wasn’t prepared to full on sob at some point in this book but that scene just got to me. 🥺
p.s. the moment Andy
October 12, 2017
4 Stars!
There is no doubt that I enjoy a good friends to lovers story. Especially when one of the friends is "straight".
Andy and Jake have been the best of friends for a really long time. They are known as the "Jake and Andy show" because whenever Andy is feeling overwhelmed he finds something risky to do and drags Jake along as his wingman. Andy lives for the thrill of doing something dangerous while Jake just lives to be in Andy's hemisphere. Jake is bisexual and has been in love with Andy for quite some time. He hasn't told Andy about being bi or about his feelings. He knows nothing will ever come from being in love with his straight best friend so he has done his best to get over it. He's been in many relationships with girls but has only had one with a guy. Andy is feeling anxious about being separated from Jake. They are going their separate ways not that they've graduated from NYU. Andy is headed to Harvard for his law degree while Jake is headed to California to work with his sister at a tech company. While Jake is going to miss Andy he feels like it will do him good to be away from him and the feelings he has for the man and it will give him a chance to explore his attraction to men. Andy on the other hand isn't taking the separation so well and when he's feeling off balanced he needs to do something dangerous and daring to feel some relief. So he comes up with the stunt to hold firecrackers in their palms until the count of 10 then drop them. Of course he drags Jake into his scheme and convinces him to have the "Andy and Jake Show" go out with one last bang. Only the bang goes off sooner than the 10 seconds leaving both men with severe burns on both of their hands. Now faced with weeks of recuperation from their injuries and having their hands bandaged being unable to use them, the boys decide to live out their summer in Andy's family home in Cape Cod. They have a nurse attending to them and a housekeeper making their meals and cleaning up after them. But what neither have is a way to relieve their sexual frustration. That is until Andy comes up with the idea of them getting each other off... with their mouths. Jake shuts that idea down swiftly with a, no. He fears his feelings he's tried so hard to dampen will rise and leave him even more in love with Andy and in the end, hurt. Andy doesn't understand why Jake isn't willing to do it. He has always been curious and really wants to do this with Jake. So of course he doesn't give up and in the end Jake gives in like he always does when it comes to Andy.
It was a fun and sexy read. I liked both guys and enjoyed their banter and their fall into love. I felt for Jake. He tried really hard not to fall for Andy even more than he already had and his struggle tugged at my heart strings. It was also hard watching Andy struggle to come to the realization why he was feeling so broken when he wasn't with Jake. That phone call (those of you who have read the book know what I am talking about) totally broke my heart. But that ending!!! SWOON! That was a perfect ending for me.
Enjoyed this one a lot and recommend it to those of you who enjoy a good friends to lovers book.
Happy reading dolls! xx
There is no doubt that I enjoy a good friends to lovers story. Especially when one of the friends is "straight".
Andy and Jake have been the best of friends for a really long time. They are known as the "Jake and Andy show" because whenever Andy is feeling overwhelmed he finds something risky to do and drags Jake along as his wingman. Andy lives for the thrill of doing something dangerous while Jake just lives to be in Andy's hemisphere. Jake is bisexual and has been in love with Andy for quite some time. He hasn't told Andy about being bi or about his feelings. He knows nothing will ever come from being in love with his straight best friend so he has done his best to get over it. He's been in many relationships with girls but has only had one with a guy. Andy is feeling anxious about being separated from Jake. They are going their separate ways not that they've graduated from NYU. Andy is headed to Harvard for his law degree while Jake is headed to California to work with his sister at a tech company. While Jake is going to miss Andy he feels like it will do him good to be away from him and the feelings he has for the man and it will give him a chance to explore his attraction to men. Andy on the other hand isn't taking the separation so well and when he's feeling off balanced he needs to do something dangerous and daring to feel some relief. So he comes up with the stunt to hold firecrackers in their palms until the count of 10 then drop them. Of course he drags Jake into his scheme and convinces him to have the "Andy and Jake Show" go out with one last bang. Only the bang goes off sooner than the 10 seconds leaving both men with severe burns on both of their hands. Now faced with weeks of recuperation from their injuries and having their hands bandaged being unable to use them, the boys decide to live out their summer in Andy's family home in Cape Cod. They have a nurse attending to them and a housekeeper making their meals and cleaning up after them. But what neither have is a way to relieve their sexual frustration. That is until Andy comes up with the idea of them getting each other off... with their mouths. Jake shuts that idea down swiftly with a, no. He fears his feelings he's tried so hard to dampen will rise and leave him even more in love with Andy and in the end, hurt. Andy doesn't understand why Jake isn't willing to do it. He has always been curious and really wants to do this with Jake. So of course he doesn't give up and in the end Jake gives in like he always does when it comes to Andy.
It was a fun and sexy read. I liked both guys and enjoyed their banter and their fall into love. I felt for Jake. He tried really hard not to fall for Andy even more than he already had and his struggle tugged at my heart strings. It was also hard watching Andy struggle to come to the realization why he was feeling so broken when he wasn't with Jake. That phone call (those of you who have read the book know what I am talking about) totally broke my heart. But that ending!!! SWOON! That was a perfect ending for me.
Enjoyed this one a lot and recommend it to those of you who enjoy a good friends to lovers book.
Happy reading dolls! xx
December 30, 2017
➦I think I haven't been reading enough M/M this year and I've been trying to catch up this last week of 2017 lol. This book reminded me about why I love this genre so much. I also totally expect for someone to throw a brick at me for saying that this was my first book by Eli Easton.
➦Well, I really lurved this one. I had my eye on it ever since it became available on Netgalley but I've waited it out on Audible. This book was so sweet and hot and also a bit angsty towards the end. It also made me cry, I was legit driving to the grocery store and sobbing. Nothing to see, people, keep moving. Just listening to a story of two guys finally finding their HEA and crying happy tears.
➦I'm not gonna go into details about the book. I'll just paint this picture for you. Imagine there were two best friends who did something stupid and injured their hands. Now, imagine them being in recovery in the same house. Can't use hands. You see where I'm going with this?
➦But it was so much more than that. It had flashbacks to their past and we got to see glimpses of them as best friends throughout the years. So. stinkin. cute. I'm a total happy camper and this is also my book #250 of the year, apparently. So there. I'll try to find the cutest seal of approval.
June 1, 2020
Story: Jake and Andy are best friends since forever. Andy is straight, Jake is a closeted bisexual and is in love with Andy since … well, also forever. The rest is in the blurb.
The characters were hard to distinguish: I always had to go back to the beginning of each chapter to see who was talking.
After a while, I could make them apart. I liked Jake: he was the more responsible one and simply unable to resist Andy – whatever Andy asked or wanted, Jake’d give it to him. Anything.
Andy was self-centered and also a bit unstable (). The non-communication was killing me. And it was almost killing Andy, too.
The dares (told in retrospect) bored me. I’ve never enjoyed reckless behavior but based on youtube videos many people do. I was honestly afraid of some kind of real drama. Whatever. It is basic to the plot. But after realizing the reason behind doing these stunts, why Andy pulls another one in the epilogue? Totally unnecessary.
The worst: Non-communication again.
The sex was stunning, with palpable feelings. Their inner turmoil and emotions were portrayed well throughout the story.
The characters were hard to distinguish: I always had to go back to the beginning of each chapter to see who was talking.
After a while, I could make them apart. I liked Jake: he was the more responsible one and simply unable to resist Andy – whatever Andy asked or wanted, Jake’d give it to him. Anything.
There might be a universe where Jake Masterson could resist Andy Tyler, but it wasn’t this one.
Andy was self-centered and also a bit unstable (). The non-communication was killing me. And it was almost killing Andy, too.
The dares (told in retrospect) bored me. I’ve never enjoyed reckless behavior but based on youtube videos many people do. I was honestly afraid of some kind of real drama. Whatever. It is basic to the plot. But after realizing the reason behind doing these stunts, why Andy pulls another one in the epilogue? Totally unnecessary.
The worst: Non-communication again.
The sex was stunning, with palpable feelings. Their inner turmoil and emotions were portrayed well throughout the story.
August 30, 2017
Well, turns out that Eli Easton can nail NA too!
Andy and Jake are best friends. Every now and then Andy would goad Jake into taking part in one of his dares (which by the way almost gave me a heart attack. I wouldn't want to be their mom, for sure). Every time Jake will say no, but in the end he'll follow along.
The last dare, though, doesn't end that smoothly, and if you read the blurb you know how things played out.
Andy and Jake are very well sketched characters, with very distinct and interesting voices. The thing I loved the most was how gradually everything evolved: Andy exploring and rediscovering his sexuallity, the transition from friends to lovers, the realisation that Andy's feelings are not exactly friendly. The big epiphany towards the end! All these dares had to mean something!
There are a lot of flashbacks here (I honestly could have done with less), but they 're important. They convey the way Andy and Jake communicated during a dare, this undercurrent energy that went through them.
Αs for the steam...prepare yourselves. This is the steamiest Eli Easton to date. I'm not used to so much steam by this author, so it came as a surprise. Do you hear me complaining?
I appreciated that the angst in the end didn't turn into melodrama. It was expected and just enough to keep me engaged.
The one thing I found odd was the grand gesture in the end. It was anti-climatic and came out of the left field. Like a chapter was missing or something like that.
Overall, this was an adorable, funny, NA story, low on the angst, heavy on the smutt, and just right in the feels department. Recommended!
Andy and Jake are best friends. Every now and then Andy would goad Jake into taking part in one of his dares (which by the way almost gave me a heart attack. I wouldn't want to be their mom, for sure). Every time Jake will say no, but in the end he'll follow along.
The last dare, though, doesn't end that smoothly, and if you read the blurb you know how things played out.
Andy and Jake are very well sketched characters, with very distinct and interesting voices. The thing I loved the most was how gradually everything evolved: Andy exploring and rediscovering his sexuallity, the transition from friends to lovers, the realisation that Andy's feelings are not exactly friendly. The big epiphany towards the end! All these dares had to mean something!
There are a lot of flashbacks here (I honestly could have done with less), but they 're important. They convey the way Andy and Jake communicated during a dare, this undercurrent energy that went through them.
Αs for the steam...prepare yourselves. This is the steamiest Eli Easton to date. I'm not used to so much steam by this author, so it came as a surprise. Do you hear me complaining?
I appreciated that the angst in the end didn't turn into melodrama. It was expected and just enough to keep me engaged.
The one thing I found odd was the grand gesture in the end. It was anti-climatic and came out of the left field. Like a chapter was missing or something like that.
Overall, this was an adorable, funny, NA story, low on the angst, heavy on the smutt, and just right in the feels department. Recommended!
June 17, 2020
Quite a wild story!
Andy and Jake have been best friends since middle school. Andy is notorious for making risky dares to impress his friends, like jumping over a quarry on a bike or skateboarding down a roof. Jake usually acts as his wingman, cheering up the crowd of onlookers to make the stunt seem even more dangerous.
A last stunt at their college graduation party goes terribly wrong, however, when Andy and Jake hold a firecracker on their open palms and the explosion burns both of their hands badly.
So instead of going to Harvard and California for their respective futures, both guys are stuck in a seaside cottage and share a nurse while their hands are bandaged and they cannot hold/touch/move a single thing with their hands.
Of course, as the sexual frustration grows from the inability to jerk off, Andy comes up with another dare:
Swapping blowjobs might be the ultimate solution to their peculiar problem.
Little does he know what this will do emotionally to both guys and when their forced vacation bis over and real life calls, it's more than just their friendship at stake.
It was a really cute story. I loved the bandaged hands thing. Definitely a unique trope.
What I liked less was the sudden spin from casual sexual friendship to committed partners at the end.
Also, Andy letting his dad map out his future and his education gave me the creeps. Some of the things mentioned here (like, better marry now before the conservative government banishes same sex marriage) were quite disturbing as well. I definitely wouldn't want Andy's dad as my father in law.
All in all a solid story that entertained me a lot.
4 stars!
Andy and Jake have been best friends since middle school. Andy is notorious for making risky dares to impress his friends, like jumping over a quarry on a bike or skateboarding down a roof. Jake usually acts as his wingman, cheering up the crowd of onlookers to make the stunt seem even more dangerous.
A last stunt at their college graduation party goes terribly wrong, however, when Andy and Jake hold a firecracker on their open palms and the explosion burns both of their hands badly.
So instead of going to Harvard and California for their respective futures, both guys are stuck in a seaside cottage and share a nurse while their hands are bandaged and they cannot hold/touch/move a single thing with their hands.
Of course, as the sexual frustration grows from the inability to jerk off, Andy comes up with another dare:
Swapping blowjobs might be the ultimate solution to their peculiar problem.
Little does he know what this will do emotionally to both guys and when their forced vacation bis over and real life calls, it's more than just their friendship at stake.
It was a really cute story. I loved the bandaged hands thing. Definitely a unique trope.
What I liked less was the sudden spin from casual sexual friendship to committed partners at the end.
Also, Andy letting his dad map out his future and his education gave me the creeps. Some of the things mentioned here (like, better marry now before the conservative government banishes same sex marriage) were quite disturbing as well. I definitely wouldn't want Andy's dad as my father in law.
All in all a solid story that entertained me a lot.
4 stars!
March 19, 2018
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I've only read a few stories from Eli Easton but they never fail to entertain me and I'm a big fan of her characters. Five Dares was no different and I fell in love with these character right away. It was a fun book to read and I loved that Andy and Jake had such a closer relationship that we got to see get even closer as the story progressed. There were some very sweet moments that had me swooning for these two as well and I loved that those moments were mixed in with all the sexual tension sizzling between them.
Overall, this is a book any fan of MM will like and one that I recommend. Or if you've not yet popped your MM cherry it would be a great first book to test out the genre.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
I've only read a few stories from Eli Easton but they never fail to entertain me and I'm a big fan of her characters. Five Dares was no different and I fell in love with these character right away. It was a fun book to read and I loved that Andy and Jake had such a closer relationship that we got to see get even closer as the story progressed. There were some very sweet moments that had me swooning for these two as well and I loved that those moments were mixed in with all the sexual tension sizzling between them.
Overall, this is a book any fan of MM will like and one that I recommend. Or if you've not yet popped your MM cherry it would be a great first book to test out the genre.
October 6, 2017
**** 3.75 ****
A quickie ----->
It took me almost half book to warm up to this. There was too much talk in their heads and I found that a tad bit boring. When the guys had to split at the end of the summer the story started to grow on me.
From there on it was all joy. I liked that there was no unnecessary drama added to the story. As soon as the boys acknowledged their feelings for each other they went for it, fearlessly .
A quickie ----->
It took me almost half book to warm up to this. There was too much talk in their heads and I found that a tad bit boring. When the guys had to split at the end of the summer the story started to grow on me.
From there on it was all joy. I liked that there was no unnecessary drama added to the story. As soon as the boys acknowledged their feelings for each other they went for it, fearlessly .
September 10, 2017
4 1/2 stars
I was seriously on the fence about reading this one because I usually stay far away from YA/NA. Since it is by Elia Easton, I gave it a try, and I am soooo glad I did.
Jake and Andy have been friends since middle school and doing all the things best friends do. Except, Andy had a knack for doing daredevil stunts and talking Jake into helping him with his “dares”. While at a college graduation party, a dare goes terribly wrong, injuring both Jake and Andy. Now they are spending their last summer before Jake heads off to California, and Andy starts Harvard Law School, together in a summer cabin in Nantucket to recuperate.
But what happens when two best friends are left alone. Feelings can be confusing, especially for Andy.
I adored both Andy and Jake and watching them maneuver their feelings for each other. Both of them struggling, in their own way. Yes, Andy was the more outgoing of the two, but he also had to deal with his overbearing father who had already planned out Andy’s life. Poor Jake, his heart was going through the ringer, but I was so proud of him trying to handle it all.
I took a ½ star off because of the climax of the story, which wasn’t really a climax. I figured out what was going to happen, but it still felt a little off to me.
I highly recommend this book, even if you are usually do not read YA/NA because it certainly surprised me. This is definitely going on my 2017 favorite shelf.
I was provided a copy of this book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
I was seriously on the fence about reading this one because I usually stay far away from YA/NA. Since it is by Elia Easton, I gave it a try, and I am soooo glad I did.
Jake and Andy have been friends since middle school and doing all the things best friends do. Except, Andy had a knack for doing daredevil stunts and talking Jake into helping him with his “dares”. While at a college graduation party, a dare goes terribly wrong, injuring both Jake and Andy. Now they are spending their last summer before Jake heads off to California, and Andy starts Harvard Law School, together in a summer cabin in Nantucket to recuperate.
But what happens when two best friends are left alone. Feelings can be confusing, especially for Andy.
I adored both Andy and Jake and watching them maneuver their feelings for each other. Both of them struggling, in their own way. Yes, Andy was the more outgoing of the two, but he also had to deal with his overbearing father who had already planned out Andy’s life. Poor Jake, his heart was going through the ringer, but I was so proud of him trying to handle it all.
There might be a universe where Jake Masterson could resist Andy Tyler, but it wasn’t this one~Jake
I took a ½ star off because of the climax of the story, which wasn’t really a climax. I figured out what was going to happen, but it still felt a little off to me.
I highly recommend this book, even if you are usually do not read YA/NA because it certainly surprised me. This is definitely going on my 2017 favorite shelf.
I was provided a copy of this book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
January 27, 2018
5 stars
I really loved this one!!! I kept turning the pages real fast. I loved the writing, Andy and Jake's strong friendship, their jokes, their banter. They were awesome together and I am super pleased about its sweet ending.
I've read only one other book by Eli Easton, A Second Harvest, but I loved it so much. Those MCs were mature and well the whole story felt real, possible.
In Five Dares we get two best friends since middle school. Andy has always been the daredevil and he's the one to suggest they should perform one last stunt at the end of college. Well they end with burned hands and have to spend some healing time at Andy’s family cottage.
I didn't expect this book to get me so invested into the story. But this author surely knows how to make you love the characters. I adored their banter and how they tried to keep it casual, even if they both wanted so much more from the other. We got some pretty hot scenes here and some bearable angst. I can't believe how much I loved it!
This best-friends-to-lovers story made my heart grow and I gave it 5 stars for the writing but also for the sweetest ending!
I really loved this one!!! I kept turning the pages real fast. I loved the writing, Andy and Jake's strong friendship, their jokes, their banter. They were awesome together and I am super pleased about its sweet ending.
I've read only one other book by Eli Easton, A Second Harvest, but I loved it so much. Those MCs were mature and well the whole story felt real, possible.
In Five Dares we get two best friends since middle school. Andy has always been the daredevil and he's the one to suggest they should perform one last stunt at the end of college. Well they end with burned hands and have to spend some healing time at Andy’s family cottage.
I didn't expect this book to get me so invested into the story. But this author surely knows how to make you love the characters. I adored their banter and how they tried to keep it casual, even if they both wanted so much more from the other. We got some pretty hot scenes here and some bearable angst. I can't believe how much I loved it!
This best-friends-to-lovers story made my heart grow and I gave it 5 stars for the writing but also for the sweetest ending!
March 16, 2018
Wow. Five Dares sure doesn't shy away from bi-erasure and m/m sex fetishization, and to say it was painful to read is an understatement, not to mention boring. Ew, no.
December 19, 2018
4 Stars
The premise is tenuous at best when basically grown men almost explode their hands off and as a result of such insanity, lose the ability to use said hands for two months as they heal.
Sooo… never mind the inability to feed oneself, use the toilet, or actually dress themselves, but what about being unable to do that fundamental thing to maintain one’s sanity???? What's a frustrated guy, or two, to do??
The love connection is a little shaky but it comes as no surprise that Easton wrings out a seriously emotional wallop and several hard kicks to the balls, elevating this seemingly silly, friends to lovers story into one that made me cry with some devastating heartache and then some fantastic joy, elevating this to an impressive 4 star read! It obviously doesn’t hurt that this was also smexy as hell!
All the applause, Ms. Easton!
The premise is tenuous at best when basically grown men almost explode their hands off and as a result of such insanity, lose the ability to use said hands for two months as they heal.
Sooo… never mind the inability to feed oneself, use the toilet, or actually dress themselves, but what about being unable to do that fundamental thing to maintain one’s sanity???? What's a frustrated guy, or two, to do??
The love connection is a little shaky but it comes as no surprise that Easton wrings out a seriously emotional wallop and several hard kicks to the balls, elevating this seemingly silly, friends to lovers story into one that made me cry with some devastating heartache and then some fantastic joy, elevating this to an impressive 4 star read! It obviously doesn’t hurt that this was also smexy as hell!
All the applause, Ms. Easton!
August 28, 2017
4.5 Stars!
A-dorable!
Loved this one. This was friends to lovers done right.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
A-dorable!
Loved this one. This was friends to lovers done right.
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
February 12, 2019
Audio - 4.25 stars
Although Tristan Josiah didn't give the MCs distinctive voices, his voice and performance were a perfect fit for NA characters.
I love that Eli Easton chooses from a range of narrators that best match her stories instead of relying on one. It makes a big difference!
Story - 4.5 stars another wonderful, feel good story by Easton. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer.
Although Tristan Josiah didn't give the MCs distinctive voices, his voice and performance were a perfect fit for NA characters.
I love that Eli Easton chooses from a range of narrators that best match her stories instead of relying on one. It makes a big difference!
Story - 4.5 stars another wonderful, feel good story by Easton. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer.
May 15, 2022
i don't know how or why i didn't dnf. this made me yawn multiple times. so underwhelming. cringe worthy. lots of sex instead of some actual meaningful relationship development. anyways... review over!
November 12, 2018
4 Stars
Five Dares was a joy to read and is an instant favourite of mine in the new adult M/M genre.
Andy and Jake have been BFFs since forever and they are infamous among their friends for their sometimes dangerous and definitely outlandish stunt-pulling. On the night of their college graduation, Andy, always the instigator, talks Jake into one final show, involving firecrackers and their open palms. Unsurprisingly, things go pear-shaped and the boys end up injured and unable to use their hands for the foreseeable future, significantly altering the course of their summer plans and putting a kink in their upcoming work/school obligations.
With support from their parents, Andy and Jake end up holing up together at Andy’s family’s lake side cabin for the summer. Visited daily by both a property manager who keeps them fed and a nurse who assists with their wounds and bathing, Andy and Jake must learn to fill the hours while they heal.
As the weeks drag on, the boys become more and more frustrated by their inability to complete any tasks requiring their hands – most notably their inability to get off.
In his mounting desperation to find sexual relief, Andy suggests that they help each other out, no strings attached. Jake is shocked stupid by the suggestion, mostly because the thought of finally getting his hands (or mouth, as the case may be) on Andy is an overwhelming prospect for Jake, who has been pining away for Andy for years. Jake doesn’t want his heart broken but ultimately he’s unable to resist temptation and agrees to get up close and personal with Andy.
As these situations are wont to do, sex becomes more and deeper feelings, which have been suppressed for years by both boys, become undeniable. Soon enough, their hands are healed and summer is almost over, leaving Andy and Jake to make some huge life-altering decisions regarding their changing relationship and what they want out of their futures.
This was a pretty damn fantastic friends-to-lovers story, IMO. Initially, I was worried I wouldn’t like Andy very much, simply because the whole prank/stunt thing was highly unappealing to me, but as his deeper (even subconscious) motives for behaving as such were revealed, I found myself fully embracing his character.
What started off as quite a light-hearted, sexy, and even silly friends-to-lovers romp, turned into a truly moving and emotionally gripping story during the second half of the book. I loved how the final chapters played out and I was impressed by how affected I found myself by the emotional turmoil Andy and Jake experienced. Tears were shed by me, but they weren’t all sad tears, I promise. I just loved the emotional turn this story took – it surprised the hell out of me and bumped up my rating significantly.
Five Dares was a joy to read and is an instant favourite of mine in the new adult M/M genre.
Andy and Jake have been BFFs since forever and they are infamous among their friends for their sometimes dangerous and definitely outlandish stunt-pulling. On the night of their college graduation, Andy, always the instigator, talks Jake into one final show, involving firecrackers and their open palms. Unsurprisingly, things go pear-shaped and the boys end up injured and unable to use their hands for the foreseeable future, significantly altering the course of their summer plans and putting a kink in their upcoming work/school obligations.
With support from their parents, Andy and Jake end up holing up together at Andy’s family’s lake side cabin for the summer. Visited daily by both a property manager who keeps them fed and a nurse who assists with their wounds and bathing, Andy and Jake must learn to fill the hours while they heal.
As the weeks drag on, the boys become more and more frustrated by their inability to complete any tasks requiring their hands – most notably their inability to get off.
In his mounting desperation to find sexual relief, Andy suggests that they help each other out, no strings attached. Jake is shocked stupid by the suggestion, mostly because the thought of finally getting his hands (or mouth, as the case may be) on Andy is an overwhelming prospect for Jake, who has been pining away for Andy for years. Jake doesn’t want his heart broken but ultimately he’s unable to resist temptation and agrees to get up close and personal with Andy.
As these situations are wont to do, sex becomes more and deeper feelings, which have been suppressed for years by both boys, become undeniable. Soon enough, their hands are healed and summer is almost over, leaving Andy and Jake to make some huge life-altering decisions regarding their changing relationship and what they want out of their futures.
This was a pretty damn fantastic friends-to-lovers story, IMO. Initially, I was worried I wouldn’t like Andy very much, simply because the whole prank/stunt thing was highly unappealing to me, but as his deeper (even subconscious) motives for behaving as such were revealed, I found myself fully embracing his character.
What started off as quite a light-hearted, sexy, and even silly friends-to-lovers romp, turned into a truly moving and emotionally gripping story during the second half of the book. I loved how the final chapters played out and I was impressed by how affected I found myself by the emotional turmoil Andy and Jake experienced. Tears were shed by me, but they weren’t all sad tears, I promise. I just loved the emotional turn this story took – it surprised the hell out of me and bumped up my rating significantly.
October 4, 2022
4.5 “why did I wait so long to read it” Stars
Read in one sitting - loved Andy & Jake to bits 🥰💖
Read in one sitting - loved Andy & Jake to bits 🥰💖
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December 1, 2022
MM Romance
Best Friends To Lovers
4.25 Stars ⭐️
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I have a few thoughts, the main one being: Why haven’t I read this author before? I’ve wanted to but I’ve always just looked over her especially after finding out she co-writes a lot with Tara Lain because Tara’s book Outing The Quarterback is still traumatizing me months later and I want none of that. Bubble and boil of the balls, mouth flesh? Yah no thank you. Anyway, I am so glad to have gotten on this train because I really liked this book and knowing she has a huge backlist makes me happy. Eli Easton not Tara Lain in case that wasn’t clear although are TL’s books not as cringe when she writes with EE? Please let me know. 😂💗
When I say I love best friends to lovers, these are the kind of books I’m talking about. Jake and Andy were the bestest of friends and I loved their chemistry when they were together. They just understood and would do absolutely anything for each other and reading all the flashbacks of their dares over the years really added an extra layer to this. At first I was thinking I didn’t give a shit about their past dares but they were so important to the story because I knew from the caterpillar one that Andy had always been just in love with Jake as Jake was with Andy, he just needed a push to get there.
I was initially put off by the sex scenes because they were super cringe at first but they definitely got hotter as time went on especially the anal scenes. I know it’s like unheard of to come without being touched but this book is fiction and in fiction I find it hot 🥵🤷🏻♀️
And how about I found myself sobbing into my couch cushion at 1am during dare #5. I was not expecting this to make me cry because I thought it was some no angst bro fun that turns into more but Andy’s POV almost broke me when he went back to law school especially when he called Jake. His inner turmoil was just sad and I hated all the pressure his dad put on him and all this talk of 5 year plans and staying focused blah blah. Some people like to plan, I get it but you can’t forget to live while having one. I threw mine out the window a few years after I graduated high school because life was just so much more than this plan I made for myself when I knew nothing about the world. It took me awhile to find my way, half the time I think I’m still finding it but if I had kept that plan I’d have experienced none of the things I have and that would be a tragedy. Anyway. I think maybe the book just got me in the feels because a lot has happened in the past week that has just kind of gutted me and my emotions are totally cray right now but it could be the book too. Who knows. 🤷🏻♀️
Why am I not 5 starring this? Well without ruining the ending, I wasn’t a huge fan of Andy’s solution for them to be together and even though they were besties I just found it kind of random and absurd tbh. The unsexy sex scenes in the beginning were also a factor and I just had a hard time believing these two could stay in a house all summer and only need a daily bath and a cook/house cleaner for help. They can’t use their hands FFS like how did they wipe their asses? I don’t really want to know in detail how they did that but it just didn’t make a lot of sense. & seriously 🤦🏻♀️ not me above saying it’s fiction so it’s okay while saying down here “it wasn’t real so I’m lowering my rating”. 🤣🤣🤣 Overall though it made me laugh and cry and I loved the couple so that’s a win.
Best Friends To Lovers
4.25 Stars ⭐️
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I have a few thoughts, the main one being: Why haven’t I read this author before? I’ve wanted to but I’ve always just looked over her especially after finding out she co-writes a lot with Tara Lain because Tara’s book Outing The Quarterback is still traumatizing me months later and I want none of that. Bubble and boil of the balls, mouth flesh? Yah no thank you. Anyway, I am so glad to have gotten on this train because I really liked this book and knowing she has a huge backlist makes me happy. Eli Easton not Tara Lain in case that wasn’t clear although are TL’s books not as cringe when she writes with EE? Please let me know. 😂💗
When I say I love best friends to lovers, these are the kind of books I’m talking about. Jake and Andy were the bestest of friends and I loved their chemistry when they were together. They just understood and would do absolutely anything for each other and reading all the flashbacks of their dares over the years really added an extra layer to this. At first I was thinking I didn’t give a shit about their past dares but they were so important to the story because I knew from the caterpillar one that Andy had always been just in love with Jake as Jake was with Andy, he just needed a push to get there.
I was initially put off by the sex scenes because they were super cringe at first but they definitely got hotter as time went on especially the anal scenes. I know it’s like unheard of to come without being touched but this book is fiction and in fiction I find it hot 🥵🤷🏻♀️
And how about I found myself sobbing into my couch cushion at 1am during dare #5. I was not expecting this to make me cry because I thought it was some no angst bro fun that turns into more but Andy’s POV almost broke me when he went back to law school especially when he called Jake. His inner turmoil was just sad and I hated all the pressure his dad put on him and all this talk of 5 year plans and staying focused blah blah. Some people like to plan, I get it but you can’t forget to live while having one. I threw mine out the window a few years after I graduated high school because life was just so much more than this plan I made for myself when I knew nothing about the world. It took me awhile to find my way, half the time I think I’m still finding it but if I had kept that plan I’d have experienced none of the things I have and that would be a tragedy. Anyway. I think maybe the book just got me in the feels because a lot has happened in the past week that has just kind of gutted me and my emotions are totally cray right now but it could be the book too. Who knows. 🤷🏻♀️
Why am I not 5 starring this? Well without ruining the ending, I wasn’t a huge fan of Andy’s solution for them to be together and even though they were besties I just found it kind of random and absurd tbh. The unsexy sex scenes in the beginning were also a factor and I just had a hard time believing these two could stay in a house all summer and only need a daily bath and a cook/house cleaner for help. They can’t use their hands FFS like how did they wipe their asses? I don’t really want to know in detail how they did that but it just didn’t make a lot of sense. & seriously 🤦🏻♀️ not me above saying it’s fiction so it’s okay while saying down here “it wasn’t real so I’m lowering my rating”. 🤣🤣🤣 Overall though it made me laugh and cry and I loved the couple so that’s a win.
November 21, 2022
I wanted to love this book so much, but it fell a bit flat for me.
I did love the crazy premise and I loved the way the book was separated into five parts, five dares – with each section going over that dare.
However- with the premise and the dares, the book showed us so much of the the physical/sexual side of their relationship and not nearly enough emotional side. I guess since they had been friends for so long, we are supposed to assume the emotional side is already there. The book also relied a lot on flashbacks, which- to be honest I am just not a fan of.
The last 20% of the book was so good and delivered everything that had been lacking in the rest of the book – I wish the whole book had that same energy. And if I’m being honest, I’m still not sure if the ending is sweet or weird since it was so abrupt.
I did love the crazy premise and I loved the way the book was separated into five parts, five dares – with each section going over that dare.
However- with the premise and the dares, the book showed us so much of the the physical/sexual side of their relationship and not nearly enough emotional side. I guess since they had been friends for so long, we are supposed to assume the emotional side is already there. The book also relied a lot on flashbacks, which- to be honest I am just not a fan of.
The last 20% of the book was so good and delivered everything that had been lacking in the rest of the book – I wish the whole book had that same energy. And if I’m being honest, I’m still not sure if the ending is sweet or weird since it was so abrupt.
March 19, 2021
Officially going down as one of my favorite m/m romances ever! Amazing. A billion stars. My heart is so full & there's nothing left to say but read it! You won't regret it!!
August 4, 2017
***ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
Ohhh, this was sooo good, so delightful :D
So the essentials that are needed to know about this book:
- The premise is that Jake and Andy have been best friends since they were 12, and the beginning of this is right after they graduated from college and will be moving across the country from each other, which both of them hate.
- Andy is the daredevil of their best friend duo, always doing crazy, scary stunts over the years, and Jake is his wingman, his sidekick, the guy who knows about the stunts ahead of time and acts like the voice of reason to play up the fear of those watching even though he eventually gives in to Andy's craziness.
- So, Andy wants to do one last crazy stunt before they both leave, with firecrackers and because they have their palms open, it'll be fineeeee - nope, they both burn their hands so severely they can't use them, and Jake has to push back to the start of his job and Andy has give up an internship he was starting before he started at Harvard in the fall.
- So, of course, these two have to stay sequestered in Andy's parent's cabin while their hands heal, and because they can't use their hands properly, then that means, you've guessed it, they can't masturbate on their own
- So Andy, under the pretense of "just bros helping bros, nothing more" which makes this feel SO much like the Sterek fic "No Homo" i was like dudeee - sorry most of you probably won't know that story, but still - and he's all "well, some guys can suck their own dick, so we suck each other off its like...sucking our own dick in a way" haha nice logic.
- Of course, Jake has been in love with Andy for years, so this poses a huge problem.
Of courseee, Andy was just in major, major denial for years - and I think a big part of that was his father's constant hounding about having a plan and that he wouldn't get far without a wife, kids, white picket fence, the whole shebang, so I think Andy was suppressing a lot for a very long time.
I have to say, while his father got better near the end, he really pissed me off throughout this story. I wanted Andy to tell him to fuck off so bad throughout this book.
Anywho, while it takes Andy a long time to figure out exactly why he does these crazy stunts, we the readers can figure it out pretty fast. I love the moment when the light bulb comes on for Andy and he's like "Oh!"
This was a very, very fun book to read. And hot. Like what these boys get up to in that cabin? Damnnn.
I was surprised when but while it probably wouldn't have worked for a lot of other couples, it did feel right for them. It feels like they had been together for so long anyway - and at least they waited to actually do it.
I do think Andy's bisexual discovery could have taken a little more time - he's pretty much ready to go on all things boys and dick (or well, all things dick with Jake at least) from the get go almost, and when he bottoms with Jake he doesn't seem to need a lot of prep even, which I think could have been used, especially with it being his first time.
But it isn't a big deal, and isn't detrimental at all to the overall enjoyment of this story.
Ultimately this a funny, as well as angsty at the same time, story, which is my favorite because I feel like life is full of that, not just full on angst but the funny and light times as well. I liked the feel I got from this story and I loved reading their journey from the beginning of the story to the end. And where they end up is beautiful and adorable and heart melting *happy sigh*
Plus, I couldn't put this one down. It pulled me in from the beginning, and this is definitely my favorite book by this author.
I'm sure some of you guys might not be happy about .
This one is definitely gets a "YES OMG PLS READ" from me, no question :D
Ohhh, this was sooo good, so delightful :D
So the essentials that are needed to know about this book:
- The premise is that Jake and Andy have been best friends since they were 12, and the beginning of this is right after they graduated from college and will be moving across the country from each other, which both of them hate.
- Andy is the daredevil of their best friend duo, always doing crazy, scary stunts over the years, and Jake is his wingman, his sidekick, the guy who knows about the stunts ahead of time and acts like the voice of reason to play up the fear of those watching even though he eventually gives in to Andy's craziness.
- So, Andy wants to do one last crazy stunt before they both leave, with firecrackers and because they have their palms open, it'll be fineeeee - nope, they both burn their hands so severely they can't use them, and Jake has to push back to the start of his job and Andy has give up an internship he was starting before he started at Harvard in the fall.
- So, of course, these two have to stay sequestered in Andy's parent's cabin while their hands heal, and because they can't use their hands properly, then that means, you've guessed it, they can't masturbate on their own
- So Andy, under the pretense of "just bros helping bros, nothing more" which makes this feel SO much like the Sterek fic "No Homo" i was like dudeee - sorry most of you probably won't know that story, but still - and he's all "well, some guys can suck their own dick, so we suck each other off its like...sucking our own dick in a way" haha nice logic.
- Of course, Jake has been in love with Andy for years, so this poses a huge problem.
Of courseee, Andy was just in major, major denial for years - and I think a big part of that was his father's constant hounding about having a plan and that he wouldn't get far without a wife, kids, white picket fence, the whole shebang, so I think Andy was suppressing a lot for a very long time.
I have to say, while his father got better near the end, he really pissed me off throughout this story. I wanted Andy to tell him to fuck off so bad throughout this book.
Anywho, while it takes Andy a long time to figure out exactly why he does these crazy stunts, we the readers can figure it out pretty fast. I love the moment when the light bulb comes on for Andy and he's like "Oh!"
This was a very, very fun book to read. And hot. Like what these boys get up to in that cabin? Damnnn.
I was surprised when but while it probably wouldn't have worked for a lot of other couples, it did feel right for them. It feels like they had been together for so long anyway - and at least they waited to actually do it.
I do think Andy's bisexual discovery could have taken a little more time - he's pretty much ready to go on all things boys and dick (or well, all things dick with Jake at least) from the get go almost, and when he bottoms with Jake he doesn't seem to need a lot of prep even, which I think could have been used, especially with it being his first time.
But it isn't a big deal, and isn't detrimental at all to the overall enjoyment of this story.
Ultimately this a funny, as well as angsty at the same time, story, which is my favorite because I feel like life is full of that, not just full on angst but the funny and light times as well. I liked the feel I got from this story and I loved reading their journey from the beginning of the story to the end. And where they end up is beautiful and adorable and heart melting *happy sigh*
Plus, I couldn't put this one down. It pulled me in from the beginning, and this is definitely my favorite book by this author.
I'm sure some of you guys might not be happy about .
This one is definitely gets a "YES OMG PLS READ" from me, no question :D
April 14, 2018
the premise of this book was almost that stupid! these two dumb idiots blew off the palms of BOTH of their hands and spend the entire summer... assisting each other
yeah, they suck each other's dicks. i'll give eli an A+ for creativity, fam. but that's about all i can give.
here's the thing, i went into this book with the understanding that it would be pretty stupid and that it would be a good buddy read simply so we could laugh over it. and in many ways, it was. but i also got fucking catfished.
because about halfway through this, i really started to like the characters and relate to some of their struggles. jake has had a crush on andy for a while but doesn't want to jeopardize the friendship by sharing his feelings. and andy is struggling with crazy pressure from his family to live a certain type of life. and honestly i thought that the angst in this was kinda sweet.
but some shit just kept happening and i wasn't, how the kids say, "here for it"
exhibit a:
“his dick began to release come onto his belly in a constant stream, not in pushes like a normal orgasm but more like cream SLOWLY POURING OUT OF A CUP”
i'm sorry, i just can't abide by that sort of sexual description. like we had some really heartfelt rim jobs in this story & some precious 69ing but then you had to hit me with some disturbing cummy imagery. too fucking much.
and that theme seemed to continue. you'd get a heartfelt moment and then one of the dudes would call his dude "bro" after completion. or do some UNSPEAKABLY poor love declarations at the end of the story that were frankly so unbelievable i had to dock this book an entire star.
in short, i would say you should read this because it's a real barrel of laughs. but don't be fooled by the sweetness cause shit gets weird. the end.
******************************************
a real dumb buddy read with ron & hermione
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