Padme's Library: Review Tour: Pretty in Pink by Jay Northcote

Friday, March 9, 2018

Review Tour: Pretty in Pink by Jay Northcote

Title: Pretty in Pink

Author: Jay Northcote

Series: Housemates #6

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: February 21, 2018

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh at Black Jazz Design

Summary:
Ryan isn't looking for a relationship with a guy--and Johnny isn't looking for a relationship at all.

Ryan's always been attracted to tall, leggy blondes--normally of the female variety. When Johnny catches his eye at a party, Ryan's interest is piqued even though he's never been with a guy before. The attraction is mutual, and the amazing night that follows opens Ryan's eyes to his bisexuality.

Experience has taught Johnny that love hurts. Staying single is safer, and there's no need for complicated relationships when hooking up is easy. When he moves in next door to Ryan, they're both interested in picking up where they left off, and it seems like an ideal arrangement: convenient, mutually satisfying, and with no strings attached.

Despite their best intentions to keep things casual, they develop an emotional connection alongside the physical one. Both begin to want more from the relationship but are afraid to admit it. If they're going to work things out, they need to start being honest--first with themselves, and then with each other.

👀Although this book is part of the Housemates series, it has new main characters, a satisfying happy ending, and can be read as a standalone.👀

When Ryan spots a blonde across the room at a party he's obviously interested when he realizes said blonde is a man he's surprisingly intrigued. Having never been with a man or really given male persuasion severe thought he is open to the idea. After an amazing night with Johnny, Ryan accepts his bisexuality even if he's not quite ready to tell the world. Johnny has been burned by love before and made a personal pact with himself to only have fun but when he hooks up with Ryan they find they can't exactly stay away from each other and come to a acquaintances with benefits kind of agreement. But as the encounters continue, will either man let the other into his heart or will their little agreement lead to huge heartbreak?

I want to start out by saying that Pretty in Pink is book 6 in Jay Northcote's Housemates series but it is a standalone and could be read out of order. I prefer to read a series in order because secondary characters tend to pop up and I just think a tale flows better knowing their pasts, however time didn't work in my favor this time and I had to start with Pretty. I was not lost, it is definitely a standalone, there were a couple of characters/couples that I had a feeling were subjects of previous installments but knowing their journey really was not an integral part so starting anywhere in this series is just fine😊.

I say it quite often on my blog when reviewing but repeating it for different stories doesn't make it any less true, so here it goes. Ryan is an absolute doll and Johnny might be a bit of a pain at times but they really are suited together but making them see that had me warring internally between wrapping them up in multiple layers of bubblewrap to keep them safe and let them know they are loved and whacking them upside the head to make them see sense and that what's best is right in front of them.

For those who are not a huge fan of lack of communication in their stories may find some fault with Pretty in Pink and to be perfectly honest its not always my favorite element either but when done right it can be brilliant and that is exactly what the author has done here. Having said that, it doesn't mean I didn't scream at Johnny a few times but given his past try at a relationship I could kind of understand his fear of opening his heart again.

Whether Ryan or Johnny communicated or not isn't really the point, sometimes things happen for a reason and we just aren't meant to discover something until the right time. Lessons learned and all that, which is how I see this book and Johnny's journey, he needed to lose something to realize it was missing. Simply put, Pretty in Pink is a lovely read that I hated to put down when it came time for pesky, inconsequential errands such as eating and sleeping. After reading Pretty, I know that I will most certainly be going back and reading the first five entries in Jay Northcote's Housemates series.

RATING:

Author Bio:
Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.