Rune has become jaded by his shallow life as a fashion model. But when he meets a ray of sunshine named Callum, he rediscovers joy. Can the unlikely couple find true love together?
Callum O’Rourke
As a very shy and sheltered twenty-year-old who is just starting to live my truth for the first time, I have a lot to learn about being gay. When I meet Rune, I discover dreams really do come true and … dreams really do come true and my perfect partner exists for real. How can I not fall for him when he’s older, gorgeous, loves baking, and nerds out about history the same way I do? Even though I’m lucky enough to become his friend, I can’t stop myself from wanting to be more. I know pushing for anything else would be foolish, but I can’t stop wishing my first time would be with him.
I want to experience everything about being loved by a man. Could I really be bold enough to ask him to be my teacher?
Rune Tourneau
Life had lost all of its luster and became a monochromatic blur of meaningless encounters with strangers. But when Callum appears, his warmth explodes my world into a vibrant technicolor dream I never want to wake up from. Like a breath of fresh air, he brings joy and laughter to my heart once more by being a ray of sunshine to brighten my darkest days and makes me want to be his for good.
My inner cynic swears this is a bad idea because Callum is too good, too pure, too sweet, and too young to end up with an older, jaded guy like me who always thought true love was a lie. But he makes me want to believe in a happily ever after.
If we can possibly write our own fairy tale romance together, isn’t it worth taking a chance on love?
Fancy Love is the third book in the Good Bad Idea series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a grumpy/sunshine, age gap, first time, opposites attract romance. If you love cute sweetness, sexy fun, and low angst stories that will make you laugh and swoon, you’ll adore this satisfying HEA without cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
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This series just keeps getting better and better. Fancy Love is now my favorite installment! It can be read as a stand alone, but there are some recurring characters that pop in from previous books. Zoelle has outdone herself with details that make the reader easily get absorbed into the story. Explanations of gourmet food, French history, and clothes add an extra layer that made me enjoy the chapters even more. Sometimes, I find an over amount of details to take away from the romance; but I did not find that to be the case here. And do not even get me started on the absolutely amazing addition of the pictures of beautifully designed ties at the beginning of each chapter that match the character! That was a creatively surprising feature that I did not realize I would enjoy so much. Favored tropes change with my mood and right now I am enamored with the grumpy/sunshine variety. Fancy Love has notes of that with an adorable sunshine character in Callum. (The only downfall in reading the book in print is that I would have really enjoyed hearing his Irish accent in an audio form. That would be awesome.) I wasn’t sure that I was going to like Rune’s character, but he ended up convincing me that he was capable of falling in love for real and his care with Callum was illustrated in a believable way. Age gap is difficult to pull off for me to like, but I found Rune and Callum’s journey in their relationship satisfying without being cringy, as it sometimes can be for this reader. All in all, I really enjoyed this story and the fact that it took me longer to read is because I kept re-reading pages due to liking the words so much. I would easily recommend Fancy Love if you are looking for a fairly high-heat, well-written story featuring an age gap between two very opposite characters in meltingly sweet scenes that can absorb you into some very well-spent reading hours.
Callum was disowned by his father in Ireland and now he lives with his brother in the US and has a better life and is free to be himself.
Rune only does hookups and even that is starting to feel cold. He has emotional problems because of his past. His brother thinks he needs a friend who happens to be Callum.
These two are so sweet together and even though Rune is experienced he seems shy with Callum because he brings out his true deep feelings. I love these two they are awesome, each book that comes out gets better and better I can’t pick a favorite they all are so good. I most definitely recommend this book!!!
It is incredible how each book in this series is as good if not better than the previous one. And now, the story of Callum and Rune is the best so far, full of sweet and endearing situations, a lot of romance and many little details between them that made every single interaction, a treat for us. I specially enjoyed Callum innocence and how Rune took a chance at love with him. I also loved how Jules explained hugs and their meaning in a relationship. A very enjoyable reading. So good!
Rune’s hookups have been progressively getting hollower and hollower. It’s not until he meets a sweet bit of sunshine named Callum that he finally understands why sex is no longer working to fill the hole inside him.
Callum’s found a new home, a new family, and new friends in the US after his family disowned him for being gay. But he’s still the shy inexperienced guy he always was. That’s why he knows that he is far, far out of his new friend’s league. Rune is as different from him as night and day. He’s a world reknown model and playboy. So what could he possibly see in a shy, inexperienced, and sweet Irish boy who favors expensive silk bow ties? He just doesn’t realize that it’s his sunny nature and big heart that call to the hollowness inside Rune. Can these two opposites hope to be more than just friends?
This is such a sweet opposites attract little story. Callum and Rune are adorable together as they explore their friendship, their new feelings and attraction, and Rune’s epiphany regarding why sex had stopped working for him. I think Callum was my favorite part with his sweetheart personality and his preference for bowties. Gah! So sweet! Paired with broody, sexy Rune just made this story everything a good romance should be – sweet, sexy, and enough depth to satisfy those of us who prefer characters with substance.
3.5 stars Awww that was a really sweet, feeling-good story.
Callum is young, shy, and innocent, more innocent than most guys at twenty years.
He lives with his brother and partner.
When the opportunity shows up to meet a guy who has the same interest as he has, he’s all in, until he meets him. Rune is the most stunning beautiful man Callum has ever seen.
Even though his body screams to reach out he wants to be a real good friend.
Rune is a one night guy, not interested in a relationship. His brother who has good intentions, arranged a date for him, a guy ten years younger, but he could be a friend, a good friend. Rune is reluctant but agrees. Most guys he met before want him for his looks and are superficial.
Rune can’t understand this guy who doesn’t seem to recognize him, he’s a famous model and Callum seems honestly oblivious.
One really sweet friendship blooms. Callum reaches into Rune’s soul, a place no one ever touched.
“You won’t take it personally if I choose pancakes?”
Two opposites, it was appealing to watch Rune teach Callum lust and love.
A story with delicious food and interesting conversations.
It had all the utterly romantic moments. First times, finding everything with the other. Almost fairytale-ish. It was about souls finding their missing parts. Finding your other half.
Sometimes It was even balancing on too much and too perfect, but every time it just went back to acceptable. For my pleasure and more excitement, I would have loved some struggle or even hurt comfort, because I missed that it didn’t reach four stars.
I think the author is just as a geek as the mc’s are. A lot of conversations between both men about literature was extendedly written, I loved it. The fun of it, you could feel it.
Really well done.
Overall a smoothly written, nicely paced, entertaining sweet story, with an emphasis on sweet.
Callum and Rune are my new favorites in this series!! Callum is a super cute, bow tie wearing sweetheart. Rune is unemotional and depressed in the beginning. Rune’s brother Jules talks him into having coffee with Callum. Callum brought out the best in Rune. Callum and Runes story was beautifully written with low angst and lots of steamy times. I loved seeing Brody and Augie again, actually revisiting with all the side characters. Cannot wait to see what the author has in store for Jules.
I am voluntarily leaving a review form an ARC that I received from Gay Romance Reviews. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
A cute mm romance read with first time, age gap and a couple of sweethearts! I enjoyed this read being book 3 in the series. It can be read as a standalone but better as part of the series. Callum is innocent and I love how he doesn’t know who Rune is and is so genuine.
I loved Callum and Rune! They were a sweet couple who while not necessarily looking for love, found it in each other. There was no angst and no break up, just friendship and love between the two men. This series is amazingly sweet with lovable characters and secondary characters.
Fancy Love is the third book in the Good Bad Idea series by AF Zoelle. It is a contemporary m/m romance with humor, steam, sn age gap and first times. It was so much fun getting to meet Csllum and Rune and watch their lovestory unfold. The sweet and cute interactions. The growing friendship and the realization of love is amazing journey for these two. Loved every moment!