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Franklin U #2
The Dating Disaster
Thousands of students on this campus, and I keep being set up with the roommate I can’t stand.
Felix
One date.
That’s how long it takes for Marshall Harrows to end up on my bad side.
Luckily I have no plans to see the giant teddy bear again. Except, when he shows up as my new roommate, I can’t escape him, and he’s just as irritating as I thought he’d be.
He leaves cupboards ajar and puts empty milk cartons back in the fridge. His bedroom door is always open, I find his underwear on the laundry floor, and he has this whole bashful sweetheart thing going on that I just … can’t … stand.
But the most completely, horribly irritating thing about him, is that he’s totally my type.
And my friends won’t stop setting us up on blind dates.
Marshall
One date.
That’s how long it took for Felix Andrews to steal my heart.
The sparky little spitfire is everything I’m not. Confident, adorable, and completely outspoken.
He also wants nothing to do with me. Which is a real problem when I want to give him everything. Including my virginity.
But the more I try to gain his attention, the more I see the real him. The one who doesn’t feel worthy of being treated like anything other than a one-night stand. So I decide to take matters into my own hands.
A total do-over. One night. One date. Where hopefully I can steal his heart too.
Felix
One date.
That’s how long it takes for Marshall Harrows to end up on my bad side.
Luckily I have no plans to see the giant teddy bear again. Except, when he shows up as my new roommate, I can’t escape him, and he’s just as irritating as I thought he’d be.
He leaves cupboards ajar and puts empty milk cartons back in the fridge. His bedroom door is always open, I find his underwear on the laundry floor, and he has this whole bashful sweetheart thing going on that I just … can’t … stand.
But the most completely, horribly irritating thing about him, is that he’s totally my type.
And my friends won’t stop setting us up on blind dates.
Marshall
One date.
That’s how long it took for Felix Andrews to steal my heart.
The sparky little spitfire is everything I’m not. Confident, adorable, and completely outspoken.
He also wants nothing to do with me. Which is a real problem when I want to give him everything. Including my virginity.
But the more I try to gain his attention, the more I see the real him. The one who doesn’t feel worthy of being treated like anything other than a one-night stand. So I decide to take matters into my own hands.
A total do-over. One night. One date. Where hopefully I can steal his heart too.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 739 reviews
October 1, 2022
The only way I can describe Felix and Marshall's dynamics is – one step forward, two steps back. Thanks to other reviews I knew to expect miscommunication, but it feels like the whole story is based on it. And it didn't make sense most of the time. Even when they are basically together and are inseparable, they still make wrong assumptions about each other. It really got frustrating towards the end.
And of course it took a grand gesture for them to finally get on the same page. Though even that scene didn't go without some insecurities – Felix drawing wrong conclusions and Marshall questioning whether his grand gesture was good enough for precious Felix. I liked Marshall, he is so caring and considerate that it was hard not to, but I'm not sure why he thought that Felix was incredible.
The audiobook is excellent. Tim Paige did a great job giving each character a distinct voice and he made them sound very natural and realistic. I really enjoyed it.
And of course it took a grand gesture for them to finally get on the same page. Though even that scene didn't go without some insecurities – Felix drawing wrong conclusions and Marshall questioning whether his grand gesture was good enough for precious Felix. I liked Marshall, he is so caring and considerate that it was hard not to, but I'm not sure why he thought that Felix was incredible.
The audiobook is excellent. Tim Paige did a great job giving each character a distinct voice and he made them sound very natural and realistic. I really enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2024
|| 3.5 stars ||
➛First read: September 2022 | ★4.0 stars
➛Second read: July 2023 | ★3.5 stars
This was a lot of fun with sooo much pining.
Marshall and Felix are pretty different, and not only in size. Felix is outgoing, flirty and very sex-positive. Marshall is a bit shy, introverted and a virginal demisexual. When they are set up on a blind date, their clashing intentions and vibes immediately lead them to start out on the wrong foot.. Felix ends up feeling rejected, even though that was not what Marshall was truly feeling. This results in the two of them dancing around each other for a long time, both being pretty much smitten with the other, but never actually telling the other person how they feel. They end up feeling unsure where they stand with each other, and that pretty much goes on for the whole story.
I can see why some people might get frustrated with the amount of miscommunication in this book, but without it, we wouldn’t have had all that desperate longing between them, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. I actually really enjoyed a lot of those moments of misunderstanding.
I was also pretty obsessed with the depths of Marshall’s adoration when it came to Felix. He thought the world of him and desperately wanted to be more than friends or fuck buddies. It didn’t take him very long to know that this fiery twink was it for him, and it was great to see him not wanting to push Felix, but still never giving up on making him his.
Although Felix was very fond of attention, it was obvious he had pretty low self-esteem behind all that bravado. And thus, sometimes I felt a bit bad for him when Marshall was being his dumb self by not making it more obvious to Felix how he felt about him. How hard would it have really been for him to tell Felix that he was demisexual and wanted more? Especially since it didn’t seem like Marshall was insecure or ashamed of it or anything like that. It definitely would have made everything so much easier between them. But, well, it would have also made this whole book a bit redundant, so I guess I just had to take my frustrations with Marshall’s stupidity as a small sacrifice to enjoy this book. At least Marshall’s intentions were always pure, so I was still able to like the guy plenty.
All in all, there were of course a few things I would have changed about this book, but I didn't mind any of it too much. I genuinely thought Felix and Marshall were cute together and their excessive pining was what made this book a standout for me!
'Franklin U' series:
1. Playing Games - 4.0 stars
2. The Dating Disaster - 3.5 stars
3. Mr. Romance - 3.0 stars
4. Bet You - 2.0 stars
6. Learning Curve - 3.0 stars
➛First read: September 2022 | ★4.0 stars
➛Second read: July 2023 | ★3.5 stars
This was a lot of fun with sooo much pining.
Marshall and Felix are pretty different, and not only in size. Felix is outgoing, flirty and very sex-positive. Marshall is a bit shy, introverted and a virginal demisexual. When they are set up on a blind date, their clashing intentions and vibes immediately lead them to start out on the wrong foot.. Felix ends up feeling rejected, even though that was not what Marshall was truly feeling. This results in the two of them dancing around each other for a long time, both being pretty much smitten with the other, but never actually telling the other person how they feel. They end up feeling unsure where they stand with each other, and that pretty much goes on for the whole story.
I can see why some people might get frustrated with the amount of miscommunication in this book, but without it, we wouldn’t have had all that desperate longing between them, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. I actually really enjoyed a lot of those moments of misunderstanding.
I was also pretty obsessed with the depths of Marshall’s adoration when it came to Felix. He thought the world of him and desperately wanted to be more than friends or fuck buddies. It didn’t take him very long to know that this fiery twink was it for him, and it was great to see him not wanting to push Felix, but still never giving up on making him his.
“What am I to you?”
Everything. You’re every single thought, decision and daydream I have. Every single day.
But if I say that, guaranteed I’ll scare him off for good. It’s a hard question to answer because everything he is to me are things I can’t tell him. I can’t mention how I look at him and see my hopes for more. Or that his opinions mean more to me than anyone’s. That he’s the reason I’m happy half the time and the reason I’m exasperated and sexually frustrated the other half. Telling him that I’m on edge until I see him each day, and when I do it’s like something inside of me relaxes, sounds like some stalker-level bullshit. But every second that passes without an answer is taking his smile with it.
“You’re… wonderful.”
Although Felix was very fond of attention, it was obvious he had pretty low self-esteem behind all that bravado. And thus, sometimes I felt a bit bad for him when Marshall was being his dumb self by not making it more obvious to Felix how he felt about him. How hard would it have really been for him to tell Felix that he was demisexual and wanted more? Especially since it didn’t seem like Marshall was insecure or ashamed of it or anything like that. It definitely would have made everything so much easier between them. But, well, it would have also made this whole book a bit redundant, so I guess I just had to take my frustrations with Marshall’s stupidity as a small sacrifice to enjoy this book. At least Marshall’s intentions were always pure, so I was still able to like the guy plenty.
All in all, there were of course a few things I would have changed about this book, but I didn't mind any of it too much. I genuinely thought Felix and Marshall were cute together and their excessive pining was what made this book a standout for me!
'Franklin U' series:
1. Playing Games - 4.0 stars
2. The Dating Disaster - 3.5 stars
3. Mr. Romance - 3.0 stars
4. Bet You - 2.0 stars
6. Learning Curve - 3.0 stars
October 22, 2022
3.5 Stars
Saxon James made me do a total 180 on this story and one of her lead characters, which, I must say, impresses the hell out of me.
As many reviews have acknowledged, this plot relies heavily on the miscommunication that occurs (over and over) between college boys and polar opposites, Felix and Marshall. The first scene made me want to pull my hair out, but somehow—likely by quality storytelling skills and remarkable character development—Saxon James managed to not only hold my attention in a book featuring (my most dreaded trope) miscommunication, but she also made me go from “I wanna slap this idiot” to “let me snuggle him close and love on him forever” where Felix’s arc was concerned.
This was a big deal for me, because having met Felix previously, in his dad’s story, Platonic Rulebook, I was anything but fond of this guy going into his own story. Self-involved, highly presumptuous and so damn dramatic, I couldn’t conceive how this shameless flirt would grow enough as a character to be worthy of demisexual, gentle-giant Marshall, let alone win me over … but, surprise of all surprises, he did.
The character and relationship growth with Marshall and Felix was solid—more so than I’d usually expect in a new adult college romance. Felix, particularly had such layers. Getting to know what made him tick, made his behaviour and otherwise annoying traits make a hell of a lot more sense, and I loved how his friends, his family and his challenging new dynamic with Marshall made him see his worth and get over the insecurities that plagued him. It helped that Marshall was the BESTEST, so it was only right that Felix had to level-up maturity wise to get his man.
The miscommunication, however vexing, was practically the baseline of the entire story to build on, time and again, but the fact I ended up loving the characters and their relationship, from their rocky meet-cute all the way to their heart-warming epilogue, just goes to show how even a trope of questionable means can be tailored to work when in the hands of a talented author.
As far as the larger Franklin U world is concerned, I once again enjoyed the beachside college setting and all the reoccurring and new faces rounding out the support cast. I’m even having fun with the many, many character and series crossovers, which is especially relevant in Saxon James' larger writing world—seriously, I may need a flow-chart before all is said and done, but it’ll be worth it.
Overall, a really solid addition to the Franklin U, multi-author series. I can’t wait to read on!
Saxon James made me do a total 180 on this story and one of her lead characters, which, I must say, impresses the hell out of me.
As many reviews have acknowledged, this plot relies heavily on the miscommunication that occurs (over and over) between college boys and polar opposites, Felix and Marshall. The first scene made me want to pull my hair out, but somehow—likely by quality storytelling skills and remarkable character development—Saxon James managed to not only hold my attention in a book featuring (my most dreaded trope) miscommunication, but she also made me go from “I wanna slap this idiot” to “let me snuggle him close and love on him forever” where Felix’s arc was concerned.
This was a big deal for me, because having met Felix previously, in his dad’s story, Platonic Rulebook, I was anything but fond of this guy going into his own story. Self-involved, highly presumptuous and so damn dramatic, I couldn’t conceive how this shameless flirt would grow enough as a character to be worthy of demisexual, gentle-giant Marshall, let alone win me over … but, surprise of all surprises, he did.
The character and relationship growth with Marshall and Felix was solid—more so than I’d usually expect in a new adult college romance. Felix, particularly had such layers. Getting to know what made him tick, made his behaviour and otherwise annoying traits make a hell of a lot more sense, and I loved how his friends, his family and his challenging new dynamic with Marshall made him see his worth and get over the insecurities that plagued him. It helped that Marshall was the BESTEST, so it was only right that Felix had to level-up maturity wise to get his man.
The miscommunication, however vexing, was practically the baseline of the entire story to build on, time and again, but the fact I ended up loving the characters and their relationship, from their rocky meet-cute all the way to their heart-warming epilogue, just goes to show how even a trope of questionable means can be tailored to work when in the hands of a talented author.
As far as the larger Franklin U world is concerned, I once again enjoyed the beachside college setting and all the reoccurring and new faces rounding out the support cast. I’m even having fun with the many, many character and series crossovers, which is especially relevant in Saxon James' larger writing world—seriously, I may need a flow-chart before all is said and done, but it’ll be worth it.
Overall, a really solid addition to the Franklin U, multi-author series. I can’t wait to read on!
November 2, 2022
Audiobook - 4 Stars
Story Dnf-1.5 stars
What the hell is this? Saxon is way better than a stupid miscommunication trope. 😖
I really liked Marshall and Felix but their characters was ruined by stupid assumptions, eavesdropping and coming to conclusions without asking what was going on.
And what a waste of demi rep. 😥
Story Dnf-1.5 stars
What the hell is this? Saxon is way better than a stupid miscommunication trope. 😖
I really liked Marshall and Felix but their characters was ruined by stupid assumptions, eavesdropping and coming to conclusions without asking what was going on.
And what a waste of demi rep. 😥
September 23, 2022
Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 5 Stars
I'm a sucker for a needy, possessive, diva twink and Felix fit that bill..lol He and Marshall made such a cute couple.
I definitely enjoy the Saxon James solo authored books more than I do her joint ventures, because she doesn't rely on nonsensical snarky banter to develop a relationship between the MCs
Story - 5 Stars
I'm a sucker for a needy, possessive, diva twink and Felix fit that bill..lol He and Marshall made such a cute couple.
I definitely enjoy the Saxon James solo authored books more than I do her joint ventures, because she doesn't rely on nonsensical snarky banter to develop a relationship between the MCs
October 1, 2022
One word: MISCOMMUNICATION
The MCs could have spared themselves a world of hurt and heartache had they talked things out instead of making half-arsed assumptions.
Despite this, I can't hate on this book because:
A. The MCs are very young (Felix isn't even old enough to legally drink in the U.S.) and don't know how to navigate serious relationships.
B. Felix and Marshall are just so damn adorable (separately and together).
Felix is snarky and flirty. He owns his sexuality but believes sex is all he has to offer.
Marshall's brother calls him Marshmallow for a reason. Marshall is sweet and squeezable. Six-pack abs aren't Marshall's forte, but he is exactly Felix's type.
C. The story is sexy, cute, and romantic.
D. Marshall serenades Felix with his ukulele, and it's so adorable, I melted a little.
E. That epilogue! (Unlike the first book, which ends with a weak HFN, The Dating Disaster goes all in with an amazing HEA for the guys. Thank you, Saxon James!)
P.S. It took me way too long to figure out that Marshall's brother Robbie is the one and only Master of Mayhem from Frat Wars, but I got all grin happy when it finally hit me.
P.P.S. Can those of you who read Eden Finley's Blindsided, the fourth book in the Fake Boyfriend series, explain to me why Brady (Felix's bestie) and his brother Peyton (who's getting his own book in the Franklin U series) have different last names? One is Talon, while the other is Miller. Is there a reason their dads didn't just hyphenate their kids' names?
UPDATE TO MY QUESTION ABOVE:
I reached out to Eden, and she was gracious enough to explain (and gave me permission to share):
"Peyton is a Miller by name but has Talon DNA and Brady is the opposite. Miller and Talon did it this way so that the boys each had a piece of both of their dads. They could have hyphenated, sure, but I figured with modern families, they don’t have to follow heteronormative traditions (which, let’s face it, are rooted in misogyny). Talon and Miller did it their own way … because there’s no telling those two what to do LMAO."
So there you have it! This will be briefly addressed in Peyton's book, which will also give clues about a possible HEA for Brady. :) That's all I know.
The MCs could have spared themselves a world of hurt and heartache had they talked things out instead of making half-arsed assumptions.
Despite this, I can't hate on this book because:
A. The MCs are very young (Felix isn't even old enough to legally drink in the U.S.) and don't know how to navigate serious relationships.
B. Felix and Marshall are just so damn adorable (separately and together).
Felix is snarky and flirty. He owns his sexuality but believes sex is all he has to offer.
Marshall's brother calls him Marshmallow for a reason. Marshall is sweet and squeezable. Six-pack abs aren't Marshall's forte, but he is exactly Felix's type.
C. The story is sexy, cute, and romantic.
D. Marshall serenades Felix with his ukulele, and it's so adorable, I melted a little.
E. That epilogue! (Unlike the first book, which ends with a weak HFN, The Dating Disaster goes all in with an amazing HEA for the guys. Thank you, Saxon James!)
P.S. It took me way too long to figure out that Marshall's brother Robbie is the one and only Master of Mayhem from Frat Wars, but I got all grin happy when it finally hit me.
P.P.S. Can those of you who read Eden Finley's Blindsided, the fourth book in the Fake Boyfriend series, explain to me why Brady (Felix's bestie) and his brother Peyton (who's getting his own book in the Franklin U series) have different last names? One is Talon, while the other is Miller. Is there a reason their dads didn't just hyphenate their kids' names?
UPDATE TO MY QUESTION ABOVE:
I reached out to Eden, and she was gracious enough to explain (and gave me permission to share):
"Peyton is a Miller by name but has Talon DNA and Brady is the opposite. Miller and Talon did it this way so that the boys each had a piece of both of their dads. They could have hyphenated, sure, but I figured with modern families, they don’t have to follow heteronormative traditions (which, let’s face it, are rooted in misogyny). Talon and Miller did it their own way … because there’s no telling those two what to do LMAO."
So there you have it! This will be briefly addressed in Peyton's book, which will also give clues about a possible HEA for Brady. :) That's all I know.
October 1, 2022
Marshall and Felix are each other’s type. They only started with the wrong foot… a dozen times.
The first time Marshall saw Felix was at their blind date, and he was so perfect that Marshall was unable to make any kind of conversation or even look at him at the eye. After a bit of miscommunication, Felix walks out from the date being sure that Marshall thinks he’s not good enough and hating Marshall for making him feel bad about himself -although he wouldn’t mind if the big boy ever wanted to fuck him senseless.
Too bad the universe is determined to remind him of his worst date ever: Marshall is his new roommate and he keeps leaving traces of his existence wandering through the house. It doesn’t help that their friends might have set them up for another blind date…
‘I swear, the guy my mate described is perfect for you.’
I absolutely adored the first part of the book. The author managed to make Marshall say always the wrong things, making him want to die and Felix close to explode. You could also see they could be amazing together if only Felix stopped misreading everything Marshall told him. As you may have already figured out, Felix is the loud character that sometimes gets into your nerves, but you’ll forgive him because he’s so himself, so vibrant and cheerful and sassy. Marshall is a cinnamon roll who only wants to stop being nervous around Felix so he can show him they deserve another chance. It was cute, angsty and fun. I was loving the slow burn so much! Too much probably, since my main problem was that it was over so fast it blinded me. I was internally screaming: ‘please, someone stop them, it’s way too soon.’
Felix POV
“On a scale of one to ten, how desperately do you want to bang him?”
I sniff and look away. “I’m not answering such a stupid question.”
“Hard eleven. Hard. Eleven. Constantly so hard.”
I couldn’t go back to loving this after that, although I did like it. I think the author made a very bold choice changing a bit the structure college romances usually follow, but it was a bit off and didn’t work for me. I do appreciate though that Felix was super attracted to Marshall’s body type, which was not the stereotypical ‘gym-perfect’ body. It’s sad that most authors are still unable to write heroes that do not have a six/eight pack.
“He is a triple threat. Cute, sweet and chunky.” Felix grins up at me and lightly pats my stomach.
“Well, that’s rude,” the girl says. “You can’t just call people fat.”
Felix turns a glare on her that’s so icy it makes even me think twice about crossing him. “Fat isn’t a bad word. And neither is chunky. () Thank you, byyye.”
PS: you might know Felix from The Platonic Rulebook (it’s Griff(H)’s son) and Marshall is Robbie’s brother (Frat Wars). Both couples are featured briefly too ;)
Felix pauses and twist the bracelet so I can see. F, P, G, H.
“F is mine, obviously. P for my mom, Poppy. G for Griff, my dad. Then H for Uncle Heath.”
“Your dad’s brother?”
“His husband.”
My jaw drops. “He…uh…married your uncle? What?”
Felix peels over with laughter. “I will never get tired of doing that.”
↬ Franklin U series:
1. Playing Games: 3.75 stars
2. The Dating Disaster: 3 stars
3. Mr. Romance: 2.5 stars
4. Bet You: 3.5 stars
5. The Glow Up: 3 stars
6.Learning Curve: 3.75 stars
The first time Marshall saw Felix was at their blind date, and he was so perfect that Marshall was unable to make any kind of conversation or even look at him at the eye. After a bit of miscommunication, Felix walks out from the date being sure that Marshall thinks he’s not good enough and hating Marshall for making him feel bad about himself -although he wouldn’t mind if the big boy ever wanted to fuck him senseless.
Too bad the universe is determined to remind him of his worst date ever: Marshall is his new roommate and he keeps leaving traces of his existence wandering through the house. It doesn’t help that their friends might have set them up for another blind date…
‘I swear, the guy my mate described is perfect for you.’
I absolutely adored the first part of the book. The author managed to make Marshall say always the wrong things, making him want to die and Felix close to explode. You could also see they could be amazing together if only Felix stopped misreading everything Marshall told him. As you may have already figured out, Felix is the loud character that sometimes gets into your nerves, but you’ll forgive him because he’s so himself, so vibrant and cheerful and sassy. Marshall is a cinnamon roll who only wants to stop being nervous around Felix so he can show him they deserve another chance. It was cute, angsty and fun. I was loving the slow burn so much! Too much probably, since my main problem was that it was over so fast it blinded me. I was internally screaming: ‘please, someone stop them, it’s way too soon.’
Felix POV
“On a scale of one to ten, how desperately do you want to bang him?”
I sniff and look away. “I’m not answering such a stupid question.”
“Hard eleven. Hard. Eleven. Constantly so hard.”
I couldn’t go back to loving this after that, although I did like it. I think the author made a very bold choice changing a bit the structure college romances usually follow, but it was a bit off and didn’t work for me. I do appreciate though that Felix was super attracted to Marshall’s body type, which was not the stereotypical ‘gym-perfect’ body. It’s sad that most authors are still unable to write heroes that do not have a six/eight pack.
“He is a triple threat. Cute, sweet and chunky.” Felix grins up at me and lightly pats my stomach.
“Well, that’s rude,” the girl says. “You can’t just call people fat.”
Felix turns a glare on her that’s so icy it makes even me think twice about crossing him. “Fat isn’t a bad word. And neither is chunky. () Thank you, byyye.”
PS: you might know Felix from The Platonic Rulebook (it’s Griff(H)’s son) and Marshall is Robbie’s brother (Frat Wars). Both couples are featured briefly too ;)
Felix pauses and twist the bracelet so I can see. F, P, G, H.
“F is mine, obviously. P for my mom, Poppy. G for Griff, my dad. Then H for Uncle Heath.”
“Your dad’s brother?”
“His husband.”
My jaw drops. “He…uh…married your uncle? What?”
Felix peels over with laughter. “I will never get tired of doing that.”
↬ Franklin U series:
1. Playing Games: 3.75 stars
2. The Dating Disaster: 3 stars
3. Mr. Romance: 2.5 stars
4. Bet You: 3.5 stars
5. The Glow Up: 3 stars
6.Learning Curve: 3.75 stars
September 4, 2022
[2.9] holy assumptions and miscommunication, these two drove me crazy 🤣
granted, they are young college boys with insecurities for days and the whole setup is very romcom-like, so i expected a few mishaps to laugh off as cute or charming, but this book from beginning to end is built on only those two elements as points of contention. rinse and repeat. and when the conflict reaches a crescendo, it's resolved with such a short and anticlimactic conversation that i wondered why the "angst" had to be dragged out till the last 10% in the first place. the grand gesture was incredibly sweet but not nearly enough to dissolve my saltiness over how contrived their friction was. don’t take my word for it though, the timing might’ve been off as a lack of communication at work has already been raising my blood pressure 🫠
as a fellow introverted, arguably boring demisexual myself, i'm Marshall (Marshmellow 🥺) biased to the moon and back. it wasn't a walk in the park seeing how easily and often he was misunderstood and pressured to lose his virginity thanks to silly societal expectations, because THE PINPOINT ACCURACY OF IT ALL. but because of the general lack of awareness/understanding of demisexuality amongst this cast of characters, i did wish he wasn't so reluctant to explain where his mind was at when approaching relationships. especially to Felix trapped in his self-absorbed haze. i was also hoping for more focus to be placed on their growing emotions and the "getting to know each other" portion of the story, but their first sex scene transpired early on in a heated flash, and in a way, that cheapened their intimacy for me as tacked on for steam and little else.
the best part was by far the fantastic cameos, especially if you've been keeping up with SJ's books, so keep an eye out :) the next book’s pairing has my full attention 👀
granted, they are young college boys with insecurities for days and the whole setup is very romcom-like, so i expected a few mishaps to laugh off as cute or charming, but this book from beginning to end is built on only those two elements as points of contention. rinse and repeat. and when the conflict reaches a crescendo, it's resolved with such a short and anticlimactic conversation that i wondered why the "angst" had to be dragged out till the last 10% in the first place. the grand gesture was incredibly sweet but not nearly enough to dissolve my saltiness over how contrived their friction was. don’t take my word for it though, the timing might’ve been off as a lack of communication at work has already been raising my blood pressure 🫠
as a fellow introverted, arguably boring demisexual myself, i'm Marshall (Marshmellow 🥺) biased to the moon and back. it wasn't a walk in the park seeing how easily and often he was misunderstood and pressured to lose his virginity thanks to silly societal expectations, because THE PINPOINT ACCURACY OF IT ALL. but because of the general lack of awareness/understanding of demisexuality amongst this cast of characters, i did wish he wasn't so reluctant to explain where his mind was at when approaching relationships. especially to Felix trapped in his self-absorbed haze. i was also hoping for more focus to be placed on their growing emotions and the "getting to know each other" portion of the story, but their first sex scene transpired early on in a heated flash, and in a way, that cheapened their intimacy for me as tacked on for steam and little else.
the best part was by far the fantastic cameos, especially if you've been keeping up with SJ's books, so keep an eye out :) the next book’s pairing has my full attention 👀
September 3, 2022
DNF ~56%
Honestly, Felix was a judgemental dick, who continuously kept assuming the worst and making everything Marshall did all about him, and I just... didn't particularly like or care about him. Particularly as nobody was calling him on his self-absorbed bullshit, and it was extremely frustrating. Too much focus on the many side characters that weirdly feel like they're meant to be in future books, except almost none of them are... at least not in this series. Then again, BOTH of the MCs in this one are side-characters in two different series' by this author, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're just seeding the ground for yet more spin-offs. I was more interested in Brody than I was in either Felix or Marshall, which isn't a great sign. This author is SUPER hit or miss for me, and TBH, the summary didn't sound interesting and I would have passed entirely had it not been part of this multi-author series...
Honestly, Felix was a judgemental dick, who continuously kept assuming the worst and making everything Marshall did all about him, and I just... didn't particularly like or care about him. Particularly as nobody was calling him on his self-absorbed bullshit, and it was extremely frustrating. Too much focus on the many side characters that weirdly feel like they're meant to be in future books, except almost none of them are... at least not in this series. Then again, BOTH of the MCs in this one are side-characters in two different series' by this author, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're just seeding the ground for yet more spin-offs. I was more interested in Brody than I was in either Felix or Marshall, which isn't a great sign. This author is SUPER hit or miss for me, and TBH, the summary didn't sound interesting and I would have passed entirely had it not been part of this multi-author series...
September 9, 2022
Swoon /5 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Angst /5 🥺🥺🥺
Steam /5 ♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️
Plot /5 🧐🧐🧐🧐
LOLs /5 🤭🤭🤭🤭
I loved this!! Even with all the communication issues that complicated them getting together(they are, after all, college boys…) Marshall is a big sweet teddy bear, or Marshmallow, kind & patient & willing to wait for Felix to be ready for something more than s3x. He’s demi, and so needs to connect with someone before s3x is in the table. For those who have read Saxon’s Frat Wars series, he’s the brother of Robbie from the 2nd book.
Felix is flirty & flighty, sex-positive & relatively comfortable in his own skin. He often talks first and thinks later, which is an issue when he thinks he wants a boyfriend. Up until now, all he’s had is s3xual connections, actively avoiding anything past one night. And again, linking to another book of Saxon’s, Felix is Griff’s son from the 2nd book in the Divorced Men’s Club series. I actually love these crossovers, especially with Saxon being one of my fave authors!
It seems initially that they’re too different for each other, but it more has to do with Felix being judgemental of Marshall on the first date, and neither clearly communicating what they’re feeling or thinking. Eventually, as they share the same house together, they become friends, and Marshall is more comfortable to explore their physical attraction. I gotta say, the steamy scenes were REALLLLLLY HOT. Kinda reminded me of Auggie & Leon from “Never Just Friends”. And I liked how it wasn’t the typical “handjob/BJ/frot/D-in-A progression - s3x in public places is my CRACK. Delicious….
I love Saxon’s endings & epilogues, where you get to see them with the HEA way into the future. This epilogue also gave us a bit more of the endings for her characters from other series too, so value-added. Felix & Marshall will have a special place in my heart, and I hope to see them again in future books in the series!
Angst /5 🥺🥺🥺
Steam /5 ♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️
Plot /5 🧐🧐🧐🧐
LOLs /5 🤭🤭🤭🤭
I loved this!! Even with all the communication issues that complicated them getting together(they are, after all, college boys…) Marshall is a big sweet teddy bear, or Marshmallow, kind & patient & willing to wait for Felix to be ready for something more than s3x. He’s demi, and so needs to connect with someone before s3x is in the table. For those who have read Saxon’s Frat Wars series, he’s the brother of Robbie from the 2nd book.
Felix is flirty & flighty, sex-positive & relatively comfortable in his own skin. He often talks first and thinks later, which is an issue when he thinks he wants a boyfriend. Up until now, all he’s had is s3xual connections, actively avoiding anything past one night. And again, linking to another book of Saxon’s, Felix is Griff’s son from the 2nd book in the Divorced Men’s Club series. I actually love these crossovers, especially with Saxon being one of my fave authors!
It seems initially that they’re too different for each other, but it more has to do with Felix being judgemental of Marshall on the first date, and neither clearly communicating what they’re feeling or thinking. Eventually, as they share the same house together, they become friends, and Marshall is more comfortable to explore their physical attraction. I gotta say, the steamy scenes were REALLLLLLY HOT. Kinda reminded me of Auggie & Leon from “Never Just Friends”. And I liked how it wasn’t the typical “handjob/BJ/frot/D-in-A progression - s3x in public places is my CRACK. Delicious….
I love Saxon’s endings & epilogues, where you get to see them with the HEA way into the future. This epilogue also gave us a bit more of the endings for her characters from other series too, so value-added. Felix & Marshall will have a special place in my heart, and I hope to see them again in future books in the series!
September 5, 2022
⭐︎
2.5 "Disaster" Stars Rounded Up
⭐︎
This was the "Miscommunication Trope" in book form. Basically one big miscommunication after another. And sadly, my least favorite Saxon James book.
At first, it was understandable, or at least, it wasn't too aggravating. Annoying, but an initial miscommunication can be fine, if they overcome it and get over all the miscommunication.
These two, did not.
I thought Felix would learn, but he didn't. I thought Marshall would learn, but he didn't.
I get that these are 21 year old men. I get that they're young and stupid sometimes. I get that it's easy to let insecurities get the better of you sometimes.
But these two not only had miscommunications up the wazoo, they also never fucking talked about anything, so much so that it drove me absolutely up the wall.
First, they had a bad first date at the beginning of this.
But it's mostly because Felix makes all the assumptions, and Marshall does nothing to dispel him of his assumptions.
These two are both non-communicative idiots. I understand a little more with Marshall, as when someone is being hostile toward you for seemingly no reason, how do you know what to tell them to get them to not? It seems like Felix doesn't like him for no particular reason.
Although my biggest annoyance with Marshall was Marshall being determined not to tell Felix he's demisexual - a big reason for a lot of their miscommunication, as Felix doesn't know he is - and because of that a lot of his behavior comes off as rejecting Felix, who has a massive insecurity about being rejected.
And look, I get that it's Marshall's choice how and when to come out, I get that. But he just assumes Felix will take it badly, without giving him a chance. Like he really, really liked Felix and he thinks so lowly of him that he'd not understand? Or give Marshall a chance to explain so he'd understand?
And then it comes up near the end, when Marshall comes out to his family with Felix right there, and Felix is just kind of like "Ohhh, that makes all the sense now!" and then it's... a fucking non-issue.
So it was built up and built up and so on and so forth and then it just amounted to absolutely nothing, not a big deal at all.
Also Felix makes ALL the assumptions and it's frustrating AF. And instead of confronting Marshall with what he overhears, he just lets it fester, avoids Marshall because of it, gets angry and huffy with him and Marshall has no idea why.
These two talk as if they're having two different conversations half the time.
It really brought down my enjoyment of this. There were times I was enjoying this, and it gets point for that. Because there could be long stretches where these two were making great progress and I actually enjoyed those parts.
But then another slight problem would come up and miscommunication would abound. It was absolutely ridiculous.
Also, I'm totally confused on the timeline here. Because Marcus Talon and Shane Miller were in Eden Finley's series, in a book that came out in 2019. They're two sons, Brady and Peyton, are around 20 years old. Brady has to be 20 or 21, Peyton maybe a year or two younger.
Which means 20+ years has had to have gone by since 2019, since their book. Which would make this take place in the 2040's, I guess.
But then in this it's only been a few years since Felix's dad's book in the Divorced Men's club, AND a majority of this book is taking place at the same time as Robbie's book - Marshall's brother - in the Frat Wars series.
Does that mean those series' take place in that timeline as well? Or are we just completely ignoring how nonsensical it is that Brady and Peyton are magically aged up in 2022? Like a soap opera or something lmao. Either way, it's confusing as hell. I'll just choose to believe this is all taking place in 2040 or so, for my peace of mind lol. But if they put a year in these books at any point and it's like 2022 or 2023, I'll be so so confused.
Anyway, this was just not Ms. James' best work, imo. Miscommunication, if done, has to be done right OR be something easily cleared up, or make the story funny or fun. Otherwise it's annoying AF and makes me not appreciate the characters as much as I wish I could.
I liked Felix at times. I liked Marshall pretty well on the whole. But when these two were being idiots - which, with Felix was a majority of the time. With Marshall, it was some of the time - I was not enjoying this and they made me want to shake them and bonk their heads together.
Also, where did Felix get his insecurities? Was it just because of his freshman year when he went through a wild phase? Did guys not treat him right? Is that it? Because his Dad and Mom and Uncle Heath adore him and treat him wonderfully, so it's a bit of a mystery why he has such a complex, and such big insecurities. It must have been guys treating him like crap in the beginning, I guess.
So while this showed promise in parts, and these two were able to stir up chemistry in some parts - enough for me to round up instead of down here - and there were some enjoyable parts overall (Robbie showing up was good, I enjoyed Robbie's cameo a lot, as well as Felix's dad and Uncle Heath showing up near the end) - I just didn't love this.
It was...okay. Some good parts snuck in there amongst all the muck.
I'm very disappointed because I've read so much better from this lovely author. But she took the miscommunication trope, which most of us absolutely hate unless used right or in an interesting way, and ramped it up times a thousand, and that didn't do this book any favors. I absolutely hated all the miscommunication.
And every time they could have talked, they didn't! Which absolutely frustrated me to no fucking end! Even until the very end, miscommunication is happening over the littlest fucking things because Felix is a dramatic bitch and Marshall apparently refuses to talk a lot of time.
Gah! I just...it was too much for me. This could have been so much better, and I had high hopes for Felix and Marshall's story, and it just didn't work out well for me.
There was promise....but it just didn't follow through. Super bummed about that.
I know this author can do so much better, so I'll keep my eye out for her next book.
This one just wasn't it, sad to say 😕
My Ratings for the Franklin U Series:
✨ Playing Games by Riley Hart: 5 stars (my review)
✨ The Dating Disaster by Saxon James: 2.5 Stars
✨ Mr. Romance by Louisa Masters: Not Sure If I'll Read or Not
✨ Bet You by Neve Wilder: TBR
✨ The Glow Up by A.M. Johnson: Not Sure If I'll Read or Not
✨ Learning Curve by N.R. Walker: TBR
✨ Making Waves by Christina Lee: TBR
✨ Football Royalty by Eden Finley: TBR
This was the "Miscommunication Trope" in book form. Basically one big miscommunication after another. And sadly, my least favorite Saxon James book.
At first, it was understandable, or at least, it wasn't too aggravating. Annoying, but an initial miscommunication can be fine, if they overcome it and get over all the miscommunication.
These two, did not.
I thought Felix would learn, but he didn't. I thought Marshall would learn, but he didn't.
I get that these are 21 year old men. I get that they're young and stupid sometimes. I get that it's easy to let insecurities get the better of you sometimes.
But these two not only had miscommunications up the wazoo, they also never fucking talked about anything, so much so that it drove me absolutely up the wall.
First, they had a bad first date at the beginning of this.
But it's mostly because Felix makes all the assumptions, and Marshall does nothing to dispel him of his assumptions.
These two are both non-communicative idiots. I understand a little more with Marshall, as when someone is being hostile toward you for seemingly no reason, how do you know what to tell them to get them to not? It seems like Felix doesn't like him for no particular reason.
Although my biggest annoyance with Marshall was Marshall being determined not to tell Felix he's demisexual - a big reason for a lot of their miscommunication, as Felix doesn't know he is - and because of that a lot of his behavior comes off as rejecting Felix, who has a massive insecurity about being rejected.
And look, I get that it's Marshall's choice how and when to come out, I get that. But he just assumes Felix will take it badly, without giving him a chance. Like he really, really liked Felix and he thinks so lowly of him that he'd not understand? Or give Marshall a chance to explain so he'd understand?
And then it comes up near the end, when Marshall comes out to his family with Felix right there, and Felix is just kind of like "Ohhh, that makes all the sense now!" and then it's... a fucking non-issue.
So it was built up and built up and so on and so forth and then it just amounted to absolutely nothing, not a big deal at all.
Also Felix makes ALL the assumptions and it's frustrating AF. And instead of confronting Marshall with what he overhears, he just lets it fester, avoids Marshall because of it, gets angry and huffy with him and Marshall has no idea why.
These two talk as if they're having two different conversations half the time.
It really brought down my enjoyment of this. There were times I was enjoying this, and it gets point for that. Because there could be long stretches where these two were making great progress and I actually enjoyed those parts.
But then another slight problem would come up and miscommunication would abound. It was absolutely ridiculous.
Also, I'm totally confused on the timeline here. Because Marcus Talon and Shane Miller were in Eden Finley's series, in a book that came out in 2019. They're two sons, Brady and Peyton, are around 20 years old. Brady has to be 20 or 21, Peyton maybe a year or two younger.
Which means 20+ years has had to have gone by since 2019, since their book. Which would make this take place in the 2040's, I guess.
But then in this it's only been a few years since Felix's dad's book in the Divorced Men's club, AND a majority of this book is taking place at the same time as Robbie's book - Marshall's brother - in the Frat Wars series.
Does that mean those series' take place in that timeline as well? Or are we just completely ignoring how nonsensical it is that Brady and Peyton are magically aged up in 2022? Like a soap opera or something lmao. Either way, it's confusing as hell. I'll just choose to believe this is all taking place in 2040 or so, for my peace of mind lol. But if they put a year in these books at any point and it's like 2022 or 2023, I'll be so so confused.
Anyway, this was just not Ms. James' best work, imo. Miscommunication, if done, has to be done right OR be something easily cleared up, or make the story funny or fun. Otherwise it's annoying AF and makes me not appreciate the characters as much as I wish I could.
I liked Felix at times. I liked Marshall pretty well on the whole. But when these two were being idiots - which, with Felix was a majority of the time. With Marshall, it was some of the time - I was not enjoying this and they made me want to shake them and bonk their heads together.
Also, where did Felix get his insecurities? Was it just because of his freshman year when he went through a wild phase? Did guys not treat him right? Is that it? Because his Dad and Mom and Uncle Heath adore him and treat him wonderfully, so it's a bit of a mystery why he has such a complex, and such big insecurities. It must have been guys treating him like crap in the beginning, I guess.
So while this showed promise in parts, and these two were able to stir up chemistry in some parts - enough for me to round up instead of down here - and there were some enjoyable parts overall (Robbie showing up was good, I enjoyed Robbie's cameo a lot, as well as Felix's dad and Uncle Heath showing up near the end) - I just didn't love this.
It was...okay. Some good parts snuck in there amongst all the muck.
I'm very disappointed because I've read so much better from this lovely author. But she took the miscommunication trope, which most of us absolutely hate unless used right or in an interesting way, and ramped it up times a thousand, and that didn't do this book any favors. I absolutely hated all the miscommunication.
And every time they could have talked, they didn't! Which absolutely frustrated me to no fucking end! Even until the very end, miscommunication is happening over the littlest fucking things because Felix is a dramatic bitch and Marshall apparently refuses to talk a lot of time.
Gah! I just...it was too much for me. This could have been so much better, and I had high hopes for Felix and Marshall's story, and it just didn't work out well for me.
There was promise....but it just didn't follow through. Super bummed about that.
I know this author can do so much better, so I'll keep my eye out for her next book.
This one just wasn't it, sad to say 😕
My Ratings for the Franklin U Series:
✨ Playing Games by Riley Hart: 5 stars (my review)
✨ The Dating Disaster by Saxon James: 2.5 Stars
✨ Mr. Romance by Louisa Masters: Not Sure If I'll Read or Not
✨ Bet You by Neve Wilder: TBR
✨ The Glow Up by A.M. Johnson: Not Sure If I'll Read or Not
✨ Learning Curve by N.R. Walker: TBR
✨ Making Waves by Christina Lee: TBR
✨ Football Royalty by Eden Finley: TBR
September 11, 2022
As an anxious person myself, I found Felix's actions at the beginning to be really toxic and fucked up.
So why I kept reading? Cause Marshmellow was there, that's why! He saved this book, with his patience and silent strength, he was an easy character to sympathize with and if Felix was his happy ever after, I just had to deal with it.
And I did, I even understood Felix a little at the end, just a little, there is no understanding someone being an ass just for the sake of it.
Conclusion: read this for Marshall.
So why I kept reading? Cause Marshmellow was there, that's why! He saved this book, with his patience and silent strength, he was an easy character to sympathize with and if Felix was his happy ever after, I just had to deal with it.
And I did, I even understood Felix a little at the end, just a little, there is no understanding someone being an ass just for the sake of it.
Conclusion: read this for Marshall.
September 25, 2022
2.5/5
This had soooooo much potential. It actually felt different to SJ’s previous books for a change, we have two characters with two very different personalities and their initial meeting wasn’t like anything she’d written before. I haven’t felt any originality from SJ’s books in a long time until this and until about 30% I thought this could be a contender for one of my fav of her books.
It started well, even if Felix kept assuming everything wrong. But then it just started to get annoying. Marshall is demi and kept saying he wanted a romantic first time, but then he just randomly decides he’s gonna do it on the beach with Felix. It honestly felt wrong to read since Marshall was thinking that this was a big deal while to Felix it just seemed like a quick fuck on the beach. Then there was even more miscommunication when Felix overheard something and didn’t confront Marshall about it. Actually I don’t think he ever asked Marshall about it? Unless it was in one of the parts I skipped over, but instead after a few days of avoiding him he just went back to trying to be close to Marshall.
Every other chapter the guys thought the other liked them, then didn’t, then did, and it kept changing constantly. Then we get the big gesture scene and Marshall drops the L bomb when he’s not even sure how Felix’s feel?? And they weren’t even dating?? It was ridiculous.
Felix also said some mean things to Marshall quite often, and he started to feel like a push over cause he never even reacted to anything Felix said and kept being affectionate towards him.
I started skipping ahead the audio towards the end, I was too sick of the miscommunications and I honestly don’t think I missed anything.
I’m so disappointed because there was so much potential and I genuinely liked the initial intro of the characters but the plot was just too full of miscommunication and inconsistency with feelings. The only reason I’m not rating it 2 stars is because I did genuinely enjoy the start.
This had soooooo much potential. It actually felt different to SJ’s previous books for a change, we have two characters with two very different personalities and their initial meeting wasn’t like anything she’d written before. I haven’t felt any originality from SJ’s books in a long time until this and until about 30% I thought this could be a contender for one of my fav of her books.
It started well, even if Felix kept assuming everything wrong. But then it just started to get annoying. Marshall is demi and kept saying he wanted a romantic first time, but then he just randomly decides he’s gonna do it on the beach with Felix. It honestly felt wrong to read since Marshall was thinking that this was a big deal while to Felix it just seemed like a quick fuck on the beach. Then there was even more miscommunication when Felix overheard something and didn’t confront Marshall about it. Actually I don’t think he ever asked Marshall about it? Unless it was in one of the parts I skipped over, but instead after a few days of avoiding him he just went back to trying to be close to Marshall.
Every other chapter the guys thought the other liked them, then didn’t, then did, and it kept changing constantly. Then we get the big gesture scene and Marshall drops the L bomb when he’s not even sure how Felix’s feel?? And they weren’t even dating?? It was ridiculous.
Felix also said some mean things to Marshall quite often, and he started to feel like a push over cause he never even reacted to anything Felix said and kept being affectionate towards him.
I started skipping ahead the audio towards the end, I was too sick of the miscommunications and I honestly don’t think I missed anything.
I’m so disappointed because there was so much potential and I genuinely liked the initial intro of the characters but the plot was just too full of miscommunication and inconsistency with feelings. The only reason I’m not rating it 2 stars is because I did genuinely enjoy the start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2022
2.75 ⭐️ Marshall, I love ya you big teddy bear. ♥️
Felix, you drive me crazy and not in a good way but I still want the best for you.
Miscommunication trope, I can’t with you anymore.
Felix, you drive me crazy and not in a good way but I still want the best for you.
Miscommunication trope, I can’t with you anymore.
September 2, 2022
I never thought i would love a book with the miscommunication trope but here we are ! I love Marshmallows on a stick!!!
And the song?! U guys . SO CUTE
Loved how theres so many cameos with robbie and brandon
And the song?! U guys . SO CUTE
Loved how theres so many cameos with robbie and brandon
July 9, 2023
A LOT better than I expected it to be, especially considering the very mixed reviews it got.
I usually scan the reviews of my gr friends before I start reading a book. It saved me from a dnf more often than not, so I didn’t know what to make of this book beforehands - some of you rated it with 5 stars, some with 1 or 2.
I guess it has a lot to do with wether you like Felix or not.
And I did like him. A lot actually, that’s why I’ll rate it with 5 stars, even if the book wasn’t perfect.
Felix is one of the MCs, we’ve met him (and Marshal, the other MC) briefly in book 1. Bear in mind that this series is an anthology, so you can’t really compare the books because they’re written by different authors.
This one is by Saxon James, whom I used to love, but who I felt a bit disappointed lately. Luckily, I loved what she did here.
Back to Felix. I know many of you disliked him for being such a drama queen. And he IS one, no doubt about it. He’s flamboyant, sex positive and vain, at least on the surface.
And that’s what fascinated me: for me, Felix had so many layers. The vain, dramatic top layer is his defence mechanism: his world came crashing down a few years earlier when his parents divorced and his dad married his best (male) friend. And as most teenagers would have done, Felix played it cool and started overcompensating- he has a lot of hookups, no relationships, is permanently cheerful and needy at the same time, all the while looking for somebody to make him feel worthy of affection.
Not a great way, but it worked for years.
Even the “little things” he did complete the picture: like him wanting everything to work a certain way to make him feel… idk… safe? Like closing the doors behind him, or closing the drawers in the kitchen.
His “trauma” wasn’t explicitly addressed, it’s a very light hearted book, but smh once you see it, you can’t UNsee it 😬
Anyway. Back to the romance: he’s set up on a blind date with Marshal by some friends. Twice. And it’s a disaster. Both times.
Because Marshal is demisexual, and therefore doesn’t have a lot of experience when it comes to dates, or interest in hookups. And while he’s drawn to Felix like a moth to a very bright flame, they just don’t seem to be speaking the same language.
And there it is, usually a pet peeve of mine: MISCOMMUNICATION.
Funny thing is: I kind of understood why Felix drew back every time he (wrongly) assumed that Marshall thinks he’s only good for a fling - underneath all that snark and bravado, he’s very insecure and doesn’t really believe that someone could care about him, so he readily assumes the worst.
But while it annoyed me a bit how long it took them to finally start opening up to each other, I wasn’t bored or rolling my eyes too heavily - maybe partly because of the excellent narration by Tim Paige, who gave both Felix and Marshal voices that fit their characters perfectly.
So yeah. Surprisingly, an (almost) five stars read/listen for me that made me smile a lot despite the occasional OTTness 😊
I usually scan the reviews of my gr friends before I start reading a book. It saved me from a dnf more often than not, so I didn’t know what to make of this book beforehands - some of you rated it with 5 stars, some with 1 or 2.
I guess it has a lot to do with wether you like Felix or not.
And I did like him. A lot actually, that’s why I’ll rate it with 5 stars, even if the book wasn’t perfect.
Felix is one of the MCs, we’ve met him (and Marshal, the other MC) briefly in book 1. Bear in mind that this series is an anthology, so you can’t really compare the books because they’re written by different authors.
This one is by Saxon James, whom I used to love, but who I felt a bit disappointed lately. Luckily, I loved what she did here.
Back to Felix. I know many of you disliked him for being such a drama queen. And he IS one, no doubt about it. He’s flamboyant, sex positive and vain, at least on the surface.
And that’s what fascinated me: for me, Felix had so many layers. The vain, dramatic top layer is his defence mechanism: his world came crashing down a few years earlier when his parents divorced and his dad married his best (male) friend. And as most teenagers would have done, Felix played it cool and started overcompensating- he has a lot of hookups, no relationships, is permanently cheerful and needy at the same time, all the while looking for somebody to make him feel worthy of affection.
Not a great way, but it worked for years.
Even the “little things” he did complete the picture: like him wanting everything to work a certain way to make him feel… idk… safe? Like closing the doors behind him, or closing the drawers in the kitchen.
His “trauma” wasn’t explicitly addressed, it’s a very light hearted book, but smh once you see it, you can’t UNsee it 😬
Anyway. Back to the romance: he’s set up on a blind date with Marshal by some friends. Twice. And it’s a disaster. Both times.
Because Marshal is demisexual, and therefore doesn’t have a lot of experience when it comes to dates, or interest in hookups. And while he’s drawn to Felix like a moth to a very bright flame, they just don’t seem to be speaking the same language.
And there it is, usually a pet peeve of mine: MISCOMMUNICATION.
Funny thing is: I kind of understood why Felix drew back every time he (wrongly) assumed that Marshall thinks he’s only good for a fling - underneath all that snark and bravado, he’s very insecure and doesn’t really believe that someone could care about him, so he readily assumes the worst.
But while it annoyed me a bit how long it took them to finally start opening up to each other, I wasn’t bored or rolling my eyes too heavily - maybe partly because of the excellent narration by Tim Paige, who gave both Felix and Marshal voices that fit their characters perfectly.
So yeah. Surprisingly, an (almost) five stars read/listen for me that made me smile a lot despite the occasional OTTness 😊
September 8, 2022
I shouldn't have loved this one since this book basically is one big misunderstanding after the other but for some reason I couldn't put it down. It might have been that I literally read Platonic Rulebook yesterday. I was already introduced to Felix and his ways. I'm not saying that Marshall was much better but knowing about Felix probably made it easier.
However I loved these two guys.
However I loved these two guys.
May 9, 2024
2022 Review: 3.5 ⭐️
Tropes:
- Virgin
- Opposites attract
- Miscommunication (I HATE THIS SO MUCH)
I’m not gonna lie, it took a while for me to even like Felix’s character—he comes across as a self centered jerk who jumps to conclusions REPEATEDLY because he doesn’t know how to properly communicate with Marshall about his feelings. At least Marshall’s hesitation and relationship flubs are explained, but ughhhhh. They were so cute together but half the time I wanted to strangle them for being so obtuse
Tropes:
- Virgin
- Opposites attract
- Miscommunication (I HATE THIS SO MUCH)
I’m not gonna lie, it took a while for me to even like Felix’s character—he comes across as a self centered jerk who jumps to conclusions REPEATEDLY because he doesn’t know how to properly communicate with Marshall about his feelings. At least Marshall’s hesitation and relationship flubs are explained, but ughhhhh. They were so cute together but half the time I wanted to strangle them for being so obtuse
September 1, 2022
3.5 stars.
this had a lot of potential but there were some things that i didn’t like.
i want to start with the things that i loved: felix is a wonderful character and i would absolutely take a bullet for marshall.
minor spoilers ahead.
we meet marshall as a fumbling mess and that would have been so fun to explore more. the blushing virgin/experienced flirty trope is amazing and i wish saxon didn’t discard it so soon.
i didn’t mind the miscommunication at first but after a while it got a bit frustrating.
and i actually wish marshall didn’t “gave up” his virginity so easily. i’m all for doing whatever the hell you want. but he choose to stay a virgin for so long because he couldn’t find the sexual connection with anyone and it was just anticlimactic when he had sex with felix. i wish that they had to fight for their first time.
that being said, the story as a whole works. i loved the characters, but story wise this could have been so much better.
this had a lot of potential but there were some things that i didn’t like.
i want to start with the things that i loved: felix is a wonderful character and i would absolutely take a bullet for marshall.
minor spoilers ahead.
we meet marshall as a fumbling mess and that would have been so fun to explore more. the blushing virgin/experienced flirty trope is amazing and i wish saxon didn’t discard it so soon.
i didn’t mind the miscommunication at first but after a while it got a bit frustrating.
and i actually wish marshall didn’t “gave up” his virginity so easily. i’m all for doing whatever the hell you want. but he choose to stay a virgin for so long because he couldn’t find the sexual connection with anyone and it was just anticlimactic when he had sex with felix. i wish that they had to fight for their first time.
that being said, the story as a whole works. i loved the characters, but story wise this could have been so much better.
November 4, 2022
3.5 Stars
Entendo e não entendo um Demi sexual.. Vai entender 😂 O casal do primeiro livro é difícil de superar, mas curti o segundo casal tbm. Não teve nada tão incrível, mas adoro twink pervertido tipo Félix 😅
Entendo e não entendo um Demi sexual.. Vai entender 😂 O casal do primeiro livro é difícil de superar, mas curti o segundo casal tbm. Não teve nada tão incrível, mas adoro twink pervertido tipo Félix 😅
September 1, 2022
Soo in love
September 5, 2022
Holy lack of communication. Jeezus. Marshall and Felix wore me out. I knew from Platonic Rulebook that Felix had dramatic tendencies and was one of those people who had to get mad about something first, think about it, and then later see reason. I'm all too familiar with those types of people since I have a couple of them in my life, so I know that sometimes it's easier to just not tell them things rather than deal with the unavoidable onslaught of emotional theatrics. However, this book relied so heavily on Marshall and Felix's refusal to tell each other things that, without it, there would have been very little left. I didn't think it was possible for two characters to read every single situation completely wrong, but these guys pulled it off with precision. Every step forward for them resulted in another two steps back and after awhile I just wanted to get off the ride.
Marshall was such a care bear. I related to his introverted personality so much, especially in the way he would change his behavior to fit into different social situations and then go home completely drained of energy, because...same. Nothing exhausts me more than a night spent holding conversation and I always walk away wondering which impression of myself I left behind. Felix took me a little longer to warm to. He was quick to judge and quick to dismiss and I felt bad for Marshall during all of their initial conversations because Felix felt like someone you had to talk to very carefully if you wanted him to keep his claws retracted. My particular brand of introversion would not have had much patience for Felix. He didn't win me over until I saw his cuddly side. I don't know why I love it when one of the characters gets carried around like a spider monkey, but I really, really do.
I have a love/hate relationship with grand gestures. Sometimes they really work for me, but when the planning part takes so long that the relationship sits in limbo and one or both of the characters end up feeling hurt it loses some of the romantic impact. What Marshall did for Felix was sweet, but how Felix felt for the entire week beforehand sucked.
The last 10-15% of this book was really good. I loved all of the meet-the-family scenes and the epilogue was super cute. Once Felix and Marshall started using their words, the story was easy to relax into and everything got better. Unfortunately, it took a long time to get there.
Marshall was such a care bear. I related to his introverted personality so much, especially in the way he would change his behavior to fit into different social situations and then go home completely drained of energy, because...same. Nothing exhausts me more than a night spent holding conversation and I always walk away wondering which impression of myself I left behind. Felix took me a little longer to warm to. He was quick to judge and quick to dismiss and I felt bad for Marshall during all of their initial conversations because Felix felt like someone you had to talk to very carefully if you wanted him to keep his claws retracted. My particular brand of introversion would not have had much patience for Felix. He didn't win me over until I saw his cuddly side. I don't know why I love it when one of the characters gets carried around like a spider monkey, but I really, really do.
I have a love/hate relationship with grand gestures. Sometimes they really work for me, but when the planning part takes so long that the relationship sits in limbo and one or both of the characters end up feeling hurt it loses some of the romantic impact. What Marshall did for Felix was sweet, but how Felix felt for the entire week beforehand sucked.
The last 10-15% of this book was really good. I loved all of the meet-the-family scenes and the epilogue was super cute. Once Felix and Marshall started using their words, the story was easy to relax into and everything got better. Unfortunately, it took a long time to get there.
September 1, 2022
If I could, I would give this book 6 stars and more.
This book was just perfection. I can’t tell you how much I loved Felix and Marshall. They were just so freaking cute. ugh my heart can’t take it.
This will easily become one of my all time favourite books!
This book was just perfection. I can’t tell you how much I loved Felix and Marshall. They were just so freaking cute. ugh my heart can’t take it.
This will easily become one of my all time favourite books!
July 29, 2023
MM Romance
Roommates Demisexual MC
2.5 Stars ⭐️
Oops I forgot to review this so don’t expect anything riveting. 😂 I actually liked this wayyyyy more than I expected to. I only read the first and last books in this series and this one I especially avoided due to all the reviews about miscommunication but that actually didn’t bother me all that much. Yah they could have just talked and I’m not sure why Marshall just didn’t tell Felix he was demisexual because that would have made much more sense but whatever.
I had two issues with this book that kind of dimmed my enjoyment at times. It started off strong but the middle kind of dragged and I kept forgetting I was even reading it. When I’d pick my kindle back up, I’d be like “oh yah, I’m reading this” 😂
The other thing is, I thought the sex scenes in this were cringy AF and I skipped over them after the first two. When Marshall loses his virginity to Felix awkwardly on the beach, I didn’t like the feel of it due to Marshall’s inner thoughts. He wasn’t completely into it because he’s demisexual and it felt rushed to him but he gave in and it just made the entire thing cringy. That feeling intensified for me as the book went along because it just felt forced.
However, I loved all the tenderness between Marshall and Felix. I loved how Marshall was just smitten by Felix from the start, nervous around him but wanted to show him the world. Loved how he carried Felix around everywhere. Felix bugged me a bit at first but learning how insecure he actually was, how he just wanted someone to love him, endeared him to me over time. I liked his nickname, Fe too.
But despite some cute moments this was a bit forgettable. 🤷🏻♀️
One last thing, I felt like I learned more about Brady in this book than in his actual book, Can’t Say Goodbye. I liked him better in this book too.
Roommates Demisexual MC
2.5 Stars ⭐️
Oops I forgot to review this so don’t expect anything riveting. 😂 I actually liked this wayyyyy more than I expected to. I only read the first and last books in this series and this one I especially avoided due to all the reviews about miscommunication but that actually didn’t bother me all that much. Yah they could have just talked and I’m not sure why Marshall just didn’t tell Felix he was demisexual because that would have made much more sense but whatever.
I had two issues with this book that kind of dimmed my enjoyment at times. It started off strong but the middle kind of dragged and I kept forgetting I was even reading it. When I’d pick my kindle back up, I’d be like “oh yah, I’m reading this” 😂
The other thing is, I thought the sex scenes in this were cringy AF and I skipped over them after the first two. When Marshall loses his virginity to Felix awkwardly on the beach, I didn’t like the feel of it due to Marshall’s inner thoughts. He wasn’t completely into it because he’s demisexual and it felt rushed to him but he gave in and it just made the entire thing cringy. That feeling intensified for me as the book went along because it just felt forced.
However, I loved all the tenderness between Marshall and Felix. I loved how Marshall was just smitten by Felix from the start, nervous around him but wanted to show him the world. Loved how he carried Felix around everywhere. Felix bugged me a bit at first but learning how insecure he actually was, how he just wanted someone to love him, endeared him to me over time. I liked his nickname, Fe too.
But despite some cute moments this was a bit forgettable. 🤷🏻♀️
One last thing, I felt like I learned more about Brady in this book than in his actual book, Can’t Say Goodbye. I liked him better in this book too.
September 9, 2022
I was ready for miscommunication/lack of communication and for the first 50% of the book it didn't bother me much. I liked both MCs - adorable Marshmallow and feisty Felix and enjoyed the writing. And I could excuse both MCs as being young and not truly knowing each other. But at the 2nd half all the non-talking got to me and I got bored with the constant back and force. Both realized that the other is not what they assumed, both started falling for each other and still Marshall didn't share being demi and Felix hid his insecurities. I also didn't get the reason for those insecurities. He was loved and spoiled, had good friends and family. He had a rough year but I thought he enjoyed sex. So why he felt so unworthy? I would understand if there was a story behind this but there was none. I also didn't like the 1st time and how it ended with another miscommunication. I wanted something more meaningful. And after all this miscommunication finding out the truth felt anticlimactic. I would prefer the book to be twice shorter or have something else to fill the pages after 50% mark instead of one misunderstanding after another. It cheapened connection between MCs for me.
Loved cameos from other SJ books, especially Robbie, and the epilogue.
Loved cameos from other SJ books, especially Robbie, and the epilogue.
September 2, 2022
I loved this! I love getting to know Felix and Marshall after being mentioned in other books, and how they danced around each other. I love how Brady is Felix's best friend (Talon & Miller are one of my favourite couples ever) and can't wait for Peyton's book. Love the inclusion of Robbie & Brandon, and Griff & Heath too. Any crossover book with a world I already love is always a winner.
March 30, 2024
2 stars
Marshall and Felix meet at a blind date, though Felix exits the date with misconstrued feelings and a fiery determination to detest this blind-date-gone-wrong. But everything goes awry (or, well, not awry, because this is a romance book) when Marshall turns out to be Felix's new roommate.
A novel that tested my otherwise high tolerance for miscommunication in stories. With an initial strong start, the eventual miscommunication-driven plot began to feel redundant. I didn't find the characters to be as well-rounded and interesting as the previous books' characters, though this series is an anthology of novels by different authors so your mileage will vary.
The conflicts felt contrived and somewhat sloppily constructed, and the angst didn't feel particularly engaging since it often stemmed from redundant miscommunication. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me, but it may be more fun for you.
Franklin U Series :
1. Playing Games by Riley Hart 3 stars
2. The Dating Disaster by Saxon James 2 stars
3. Mr. Romance by Louisa Masters 3 stars
4. Bet You by Neve Wilder 3 stars
5. The Glow Up by A.M. Johnson 3 stars
6. Learning Curve by N.R. Walker 3.5 stars
7. Making Waves Christina Lee not interested in reading
8. Football Royalty by Eden Finley 4 stars
Marshall and Felix meet at a blind date, though Felix exits the date with misconstrued feelings and a fiery determination to detest this blind-date-gone-wrong. But everything goes awry (or, well, not awry, because this is a romance book) when Marshall turns out to be Felix's new roommate.
A novel that tested my otherwise high tolerance for miscommunication in stories. With an initial strong start, the eventual miscommunication-driven plot began to feel redundant. I didn't find the characters to be as well-rounded and interesting as the previous books' characters, though this series is an anthology of novels by different authors so your mileage will vary.
The conflicts felt contrived and somewhat sloppily constructed, and the angst didn't feel particularly engaging since it often stemmed from redundant miscommunication. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me, but it may be more fun for you.
Franklin U Series :
1. Playing Games by Riley Hart 3 stars
2. The Dating Disaster by Saxon James 2 stars
3. Mr. Romance by Louisa Masters 3 stars
4. Bet You by Neve Wilder 3 stars
5. The Glow Up by A.M. Johnson 3 stars
6. Learning Curve by N.R. Walker 3.5 stars
7. Making Waves Christina Lee not interested in reading
8. Football Royalty by Eden Finley 4 stars
November 23, 2023
4.5 stars. This is the second time I’ve read this book and I listened to the audio this time. I first read this when the series was released and l loved how it was connected to other books in the series. I loved that we got to see Brady Talon so much as Felix’s best friend and got to see Mr Romance and Charlie. So fun when series are interconnected like that. We also got a connection to two other series by this author and I loved the cameos from Frat Wars and DMC as well!
Felix and Marshall were cute together once they worked out their communication issues and were just honest with each other. Marshall was super sweet and I really enjoyed his character and how he tried to make Felix feel special (whether Felix wanted that or not)!
Felix on the other hand was a bit much at times but I completely understood where he was coming from and I love that he finally found Marshall and someone that would make him see he was worth it!
Their HEA was super cute and I definitely recommend reading this story whether you’ve read any of the series connected to it or not.
Felix and Marshall were cute together once they worked out their communication issues and were just honest with each other. Marshall was super sweet and I really enjoyed his character and how he tried to make Felix feel special (whether Felix wanted that or not)!
Felix on the other hand was a bit much at times but I completely understood where he was coming from and I love that he finally found Marshall and someone that would make him see he was worth it!
Their HEA was super cute and I definitely recommend reading this story whether you’ve read any of the series connected to it or not.
September 18, 2022
I knew going into this book that it was heavy on the miscommunication trope- and while the miscommunication was pretty bad, that wasn't even the worst part for me. The worst part was I felt no connection between Felix and Marshall whatsoever. At one point, I was thinking "oh good, they're finally talking and getting to know each other" but then I realized I was well over 60% into the book. Even as I finished the book I felt they were strangers and never felt any connection between them. Everything was so surface level. Did they even have one conversation where they truly got to know each other without miscommunicating? Also, I'm sorry but I did not like Felix.
December 2, 2022
2.5 stars.
This had a lot potential. It could have been so good, but the constant miscommunication and misassumptions were annoying and felt lazy. The desired conflict could've been achieved in a more interesting way.
It's a readable romance and the narration was brilliant; definitely recommend the audiobook.
This had a lot potential. It could have been so good, but the constant miscommunication and misassumptions were annoying and felt lazy. The desired conflict could've been achieved in a more interesting way.
It's a readable romance and the narration was brilliant; definitely recommend the audiobook.
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