NOTHING SERIOUS by Jay Northcote

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Date Published: March 21.2019
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Audiobook

Reviewed by: Gabrielle (meingee@yahoo.com)
Weblink: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/nothing-serious-by-jay-northcote-10547-b
Obtained via publisher
Rating : 4 Hearts

 

Mark has finally decided to live his life and face the truth. He gives in to the realization that he is gay and the life he is living is a lie. He loves Rachel but they can never be more than friends. When Mark meets Jamie, his life is changed for the better. Jamie is out and enjoying life as a gay man and best of all he understands Mark’s problems and is willing to help him ease into the kind of relationship Mark longs for. Feelings creep up on these two men before they know it. Will they face their fears and let the other know just how deep this agreement has turned for them or will they let their happy ever after slip through their fingers?

Mark and Jamie’s story is a sweet romance. It was nice to see their friendship turn into something deeper as they spend more time together. Each man goes through some self-evaluations and must make some hard choices. I enjoyed Jamie and how sweet he was with Mark. Making it easy to see why Mark would want more with such a good man. Mark is enjoying finding himself and best of all is the man helping him out. The two are a good match and they make a sweet couple. Love takes the two by surprise and it was interesting to see both men find their own way to the truth and then figuring out just what to do about it. Mark’s story moves along nicely and pulls on your heart while making you hope and believe in love. I enjoyed the way Mark and Jamie’s relationship blossomed and strengthened. The author does a nice job of bringing out the emotions in each man and having them work towards what they desire in life.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book. 

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NOTHING SPECIAL by Jay Northcote

Pages: 184

Date: 21/08/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: Received from Dreamspinner Press

             

Kindle

The blurb:

“Noah thinks he’s nothing special. Average height, a bit on the skinny side, and cute but rather geeky, he’s relentlessly ordinary. He certainly doesn’t expect to be noticed by Sol, the gorgeous dark-haired stranger Noah sees on his commute home most days. But when Noah’s friend, Dom, persuades Noah to take a huge risk in a bid to get Sol’s attention, things turn out better than Noah dared to hope. Noah and Sol start dating, and much to Noah’s surprise, his feelings seem to be reciprocated.

But Noah’s insecurities make him doubt Sol. He doesn’t believe he’s interesting enough or sexy enough to hold Sol’s attention, and as Sol tries to get closer, Noah’s instinct is to pull away to protect himself. If their relationship is going to survive, Sol needs to convince Noah that he sees Noah very differently than Noah sees himself. Because to Sol, Noah is something very special indeed.”

My thoughts:

This is a cosy read. The author draws you in and before you know it you’re at home in Noah and Sol’s world. The two young men feel natural and real from the moment they are introduced. They are recognizable which makes it very easy to become invested in their developing relationship. Noah and Sol are the sort of men you would love to be friends with. The fact that they are also very hot together is a very nice bonus.

 It is also an easy read. The story doesn’t tackle deep or shocking issues, what angst there is, is small scale, recognisable and not at all protracted. Reading Nothing Special is like wrapping yourself in a woolly blanket on a cold night or like an open fire in winter. It is pure comfort.

I have endless admiration for an author who tells her stories so well that the ordinary becomes special. Jay Northcote’s words paint a captivating picture. In fact, I found it impossible to put the book down once Noah and Sol got together. I had to keep going until I could be sure they were going to be happy.

And all of that made this a delightful reading experience. Of course there are times when I want my books to challenge me or push at my comfort levels. But there are at least as many occasions when I just want to lose myself in a story, get captured by the romance and enjoy the beauty of it all. Nothing Special is the book for such moments. It delivers a well written, easy to read and utterly charming story. For me it meant a few hours of pure reading bliss. And it also means I’ve found myself an author to add to my ‘comfort read’ list.