What if you had everything in the world you wanted…except the man you’d left behind?Jackson Davenport, the charismatic, strait-laced heir to the Davenport fortune, has a secret. One he’s been hiding since he graduated from South Haven all-boys academy—and that secret’s name is Lucas. When a work trip takes Jackson back to his old stomping grounds, memories of the year he shared with Lucas come … shared with Lucas come crashing to the surface. With growing pressure from his father to settle down and take over the family business, Jackson knows he’s on borrowed time, and sets out to find the free-spirited daredevil he once knew.
But Lucas isn’t the same man he was eight years ago.
One night. A shattered heart. And an endless parade of nameless faces. Lucas Sullivan is South Haven’s ultimate playboy, a reputation he’s honed since the only boy he ever loved left without a trace. To the world, he’s brash and confident, an in-demand artist who spends his days designing one-of-a-kind pieces and his nights as king of the downtown scene.
Many have tried and failed to get past the barrier he’s carefully constructed, but it’s the shy, studious boy he once coaxed out of his shell who still haunts him.
Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe it was lust. Or maybe…it was a little bit like love.
***********
A LITTLE BIT LIKE LOVE is a brand new standalone MM romance in USA Today Bestselling Author Brooke Blaine’s South Haven series. Each book in the series will feature a different couple and can be read out of order.
more
A beautiful and steamy M/M second chance romance that I devoured.
Gosh, I need a fan, and maybe a lie down. LOVED this book!
I love second chance romance stories and this one is no exception. Jackson and Lucas met eight years ago at South Haven All-Boys Academy. Jackson befriends Lucas and they become more than friends. When Jackson’s father forces him to come home before graduation, Jackson leaves without telling Lucas, leaving them both broken hearted and never seeing each other again.
Eight years later, Jackson’s father sends him on a business trip to Savannah to close a deal. Jackson decides to contact Lucas since he never got over him and wants to see if his feelings had changed. Lucas never got over Jackson, but seeing him again brings back feelings he doesn’t want to deal with. His heart was broken once by Jackson and he doesn’t want to take a chance on history repeating itself.
This is a great story. I loved seeing their story unfold and the supporting characters are wonderful. This is the first book I’ve read by Brooke Blaine, but it won’t be my last.
I bought.
I downloaded.
I read.
Now, I have no idea what to read next. Why? Brooke Blaine ruined me for any other romance for awhile. I mean the story is EVERYTHING – I want, I need, I DESIRE in romance. I have left the final page completely satisfied.
Did I think she could top A Little Bit Like Love? Ahhhh… nope. Because seriously, second chance romance is my crack. Lucas and Jackson were the perfect story and then some. But noooooo…. Ms Blaine delivers Shaw and Trent. They not only scorched my eReader, but gave my heart all sorts of good, mushy flutters. Because – No unnecessary angst! *cue angels singing* I mean –> there are parts of misunderstanding, cautionary tales, etc. that keep the two from falling into the vat of feelings. But Brooke Blaine again weaves the tale of effortless love that makes the reader fall in love with them.
The story has connection, reliability and all the necessary ingredients without dragging it out or creating hair loss. It was perfectly executed storytelling. Not a thing I would change. I was entertained from beginning to end. My attention never wavered. I was enamored with the story.
If you’ve not read Brooke before, start with book 1. You need Lucas and Jackson to get the rhythm of South Haven. If you’ve read Book 1, you are in for a treat. The no-nonsense tattoo artist meets a match I couldn’t have predicted. Brava Ms. Blaine. 5 out of 5 stars
A Little Bit Like Love was more than a little bit like love for me – I totally loved this second chance love story between Jackson Davenport and Lucas Sullivan. Jackson’s father pulled them apart eight years ago and neither of them have been the same since then. Until they’re both back in South Haven and forced to confront their past, learn the truth and figure out where to go from there.
Jackson has done pretty much everything his father has ever asked him to do – went to an all-boys school in South Haven, Georgia, attended Yale (his father’s alma mater), worked for his father’s company, entertained his father’s ideas of who he should marry…the list goes on and on. But Jackson has been going through the motions for way too many years, since his father found out about his relationship with Lucas in South Haven. He’s back in town, grown up and successful but still so confused about who he is. He seeks Lucas out and everything is turned upside down from there.
Lucas has experienced so much loss in his life – his parents, Jackson when his father called him back to Connecticut, his grandma…and to deal with it, he’s built up walls ten feet high to keep himself from getting hurt again. He’s become a successful artist, but he doesn’t allow anyone outside of his friends Bash and Shaw see what’s going on inside his head. When Jackson comes back to South Haven, Lucas is forced to confront the feelings he’s been pushing down for the past eight years, making him feel vulnerable and uncertain.
It’s so clear from the very first time Jackson and Lucas reconnect that they still have a connection. They never got any closure after Jackson disappeared in high school after Jackson’s father manipulated them to fit his narrative and subsequently set them on paths of unhappiness in their own ways. But once they have a minute to talk through things and start spending time together again, it’s like no time has passed. Their connection is just as strong and gets stronger every day. I loved seeing them overcome all of Jackson’s father’s prejudices and fight for their happiness. And don’t forget about the steam…Jackson and Lucas were unbelievably caring, loving and sweet with each other and it made me love them even more.
This story was full of heartbreak and angst, but it all led up to one of my favorite second chance love stories I’ve ever read. The trials, misunderstandings, manipulations and anguish they faced were all part of their story to bring them back together once and for all. The town of South Haven really is a special place and the side characters we meet here, Bash and Shaw, are so intriguing – I can’t wait to see more of this little Georgia island town and the incredible guys that live there!
Brooke Blaine nailed her first solo M/M story. I was instantly enthralled from the first chapter. Jackson and Lucas were two amazing characters who complemented each other flawlessly.
Because Logan had been hurt in the past he now had his walls closed around him, never letting anyone in only his two friends Bash and Shaw. Now he’s a party and one night stand kind of guy.
Jackson works for his father’s company and doing what everyone else wants and expects of him making him feel lonely and not who he really is.
The chemistry between these two guys was insane. I loved the push and pull between them and how Lucas tried to push Jackson away but he wouldn’t budge. Jackson was determined to show Lucas that nothing would come between them again. Their past history was also something that made me connect and fall in love with them even more. Lucas’ friends Bash and Shaw were fabulous. I loved them just as much and they flowed well with story. A great introduction of the two of them.
I’ve read Brooke Blaine’s L.A. Liaisons series and loved that as well. With A Little Bit Like Love Blaine has created another wonderful series with intriguing characters who have so many layers. I’m so excited for the next book cause this one was absolutely fantastic.
A Little Bit Like Desire is the second book in the South Haven series by one of my favorite authors, Brooke Blaine. It can be read as a standalone. If you read A Little Bit Like Love then you have already met Shaw, the sexy tattoo artist. Now, it’s time for you to met Trent. The man to bring him to his knees.
Six months ago Trent Knox walked away from the band that he rocked with for twelve years. He was now on the island he spent his summers on when he was a kid. He thought it would inspire him to write songs. What he didn’t expect was one night in the dark with a stranger would change everything. It wasn’t the island that brought his passion for music back. It was the man from that night. He didn’t know it yet but that man was the same man who gave him his latest ink. Shaw Jennings.
Shaw felt the connection between him and Trent from both the “first times” he met the rockstar. But he wasn’t going to be anyone’s dirty little secret. He knew Trent wasn’t out and he only had women on his arm. He also knew this was most likely just one stop before Trent is back on the road with a solo album. Shaw never felt anything with anyone past one night but Trent was different. Could he take a risk on this rockstar?
I didn’t want to put this book down from the moment I opened it. I liked Shaw in the first book but I fell for him hard in this one. Right along with Trent. I can’t really say anymore except…
Overall…Holy f-! This book is hot. Seriously. I really shouldn’t be surprised since it’s written by Brooke but damn. It was both a slow burn and an intense one. I love the characters. The story. The music. The heat. The heart. The humor. I loved it all. I can’t wait for the next book!
Quotes:
“You may be the former singer of TBD,” I said. “But that’s not all you are.”
There was no way I was leaving here tonight without destroying that body, in the best way possible.
“I’m trying to make you smile before we talk about heavy s-. So can you smile, please?”
I gave him the biggest toothy grin I could muster. He reared back.
“That’s scary. Maybe don’t ever do that again.”
***5 ‘Fall For Me’ Stars***
Give me a moment to get my heart to stop being all swoony and twitterpated so I can get a semi coherent, not so verbal vomit-y review.
Okay. Done. (kind of) Now….
Honestly, I still have a dopey smile on face from this book. It had everything I could have asked for in a second chance romance and more. It was the perfect blend of sweet, swoony and smexy with humor, heart and just enough drama tossed in to keep everyone on their toes. I wanted to devour this book, but instead I savored the words and kept tapping my Kindle screen hoping there would be more even though I knew there wouldn’t be any.
Lucas and Jackson. I adored these two. Jackson a tinsy bit more than Lucas in the beginning, but by the end they both were simply it for me. They have both been existing, not living, since they last saw each other and the walls they’ve erected around themselves are made with titanium. Jackson has fallen in line with what his father wants, and though he has travelled the world, he hasn’t connected with anyone since Lucas. Making art is Lucas’ passion and he has made a name for himself with the unique pieces he crafts, but his heart has been bruised and battered by the loss of those he loved so he keeps it locked away to avoid any more pain.
Their second chance at romance journey wasn’t smooth sailing, and they both had life changing decisions to make if they wanted a future together, but I loved how it all worked out because it was obvious they were always meant to be together. Their connection jumped off the page in how they interacted and just knew each other, even after years apart. I loved their teasing and how they got under each other’s skin without even trying. And the sexual heat between them was absolutely nuclear. What I found interesting was the power dynamic between them. It’s something of a mixed bag on who is the dominant in the relationship/bedroom, but it absolutely worked for them.
Ever since reading Licked I’ve been a Brooke Blaine fangirl, or hooker as she would say. I love her voice and writing style and it always pulls me in. There is never a struggle to get into one of her books and A Little Bit Like Love was no different. The writing and flow were on point and I loved the dual 1st person POV’s. And the secondary characters were totally on point. I absolutely adored Bash and Shaw and keep flip flopping over who I adore more, but they are both awesome and I’m hoping we’ll be keeping up with Sydney because I think there could be a great story there as well. So if you love a good second chance story this one is for you!
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
Heartwarming love story that melts your soul.
A Little Bit Like Love (South Haven Book 1) by Brooke Blaine
This is Jackson Davenport and Lucas Sullivan’s story.
Lucas and Jackson have a history but circumstances pulled them apart. It’s been eight years and their paths cross again. There are lots of emotional hurt from their past but the chemistry between them is stronger than it ever was. Will they allows the circumstances from their past to prevent them from having a second chance at love?
Jackson and Lucas’ story is an emotional read with intense chemistry and surprising twists. I enjoyed their journey.
This is a second chance MM romance. FYI, contains mature content. I read this story through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Jackson and Lucas’s story is a sweet second-chance romance.
Torn apart after just having found each other, eight long years go by before a chance reunion has them facing a past that isn’t quite what either of them thought it to be.
I enjoyed their journey back to each other, even though a couple of times I was telling Jackson to leave, to walk away and just leave Lucas to his life! I had a bit of a hard time with Lucas there at the beginning, I guess because we hadn’t really gotten into his head yet. But my tune sure changed as the book went on.
There’s nothing more I love than when 2 people who are meant to be find their way back together, no matter the time, the distance, or the jerks who try to keep them apart. And Jackson and Lucas had all of that and more stacked against them. But some how, some way, they were able to fight through all the obstacles put in their way and find each other again.
Second chances are not always easily made. This story shows how the fault for the first chance failing is not our leading men’s fault(fully). We don’t ever expect to be even more hurt when we get that second chance and you find that things were not as they seemed.
Our leading men are both hurting and hurt can cause you to react differently and cause more hurt when protecting yourself.
This story had a lot of different emotions going through me and the most powerful was the love that was hidden until it wasn’t!
I love MM romance books and loved Blaine’s books with Ella Frank in the Fallen Angel series so decided to pick this bad boy up.
Overall I liked it. A well-written, good read, just a story line I’ve read before. Boys fall in love in boarding school, father doesn’t want his son to “become gay” so pulls him out, destroying the friendship and budding relationship. Years later they run into each other and the spark but do they or don’t they rekindle the relationship?
I liked Lucas and his friends so I think the rest in this series will be great as I want Shaw and Bash’s stories. I just didn’t know what to make of Jackson. I expected him to be the one to have issues with their relationship since he wasn’t even sure he was gay (not that he needed to label it) but he seemed all on board pretty quickly. It was Lucas who was more scared which I could understand given their initial parting.
So yeah, worth a read if you love MM romance. Just wasn’t one that knocked my socks off. For that read Blaine’s Fallen Angel series!!!!
Brooke Blaine knocked this one outta the ballpark. I absolutely fell in love with her two main characters, Lucas Sullivan and Jackson Davenport. I love second chance romances and this one did not disappoint.
Lucas and Jackson met while they were in an all-boys private high school. They became fast friends who turned into lovers.
But due to a situation beyond Jackson’s control, he vanished a few weeks before graduation without so much as a goodbye to Lucas, breaking his heart into pieces.
Fast forward eight years, and Lucas, who’s a well-respected artist, is still living in South Haven, Georgia, partying and sexing it up like it’s no one’s business.
Jackson lives in Connecticut and works for his father’s multi-million-dollar company, taking over smaller but lucrative businesses. When their latest acquisition happens to be in South Haven and Jackson flies down there, his and Lucas’s lives will be forever changed.
Lies and deception have taken their toll on the two, and it broke my heart to learn the truth that separated these two amazing men.
A Little Bit Like Love is so well-written with no shortage of beautiful lines that I could have highlighted most of every chapter. Bash and Shaw are fabulous supporting characters and I’m looking forward to Shaw’s story. Actually, I’m dying for Bash’s as well.
I can’t rave about this book enough. It was so satisfying to watch Lucas and Jackson finally get their HEA. Five stars for me!
Jackson and Lucas!
While Lucas is out and proud, he had so many walls built up around him to keep all his broken pieces inside so it was heartbreaking to see his little/very mild self-destruction toward the end over thoughts of losing Jackson. But Jackson, the one coming out of the closet weathered through the storm and stuck with Lucas through it all. This is has easily become one of my favorites!
I LOVE The South Haven series and love Shaw and Trent soooo much!!! A hot tattoo artist and a hot singer? Sign me up! There story pulled me in and I fell for them hard!
Explosive, sexual tension like no other!!! Lana@ White Hot Reads
Shaw and Trent have to be the hottest couple to date that Brooke has written. The undeniable spark between them is scorching hot!!!. Sexy tattoo artist Shaw has finally met his match with equally sexy singer Trent. The dark room is all I’m saying. I absolutely love SHOX and could not put it down. Who knew two men could be so HOT!!!!!
A Little Bit Like Desire is the second book in Brooke Blaine’s South Haven Series. The first is “A Little Bit Like Love”, and while these are technically standalone books, do yourself a favor, read ALBLL, you won’t be disappointed.
This is Shaw’s story. Shaw may look like the quintessential bad boy, but is a complex, deep, thoughtful and OH SO SEXY character. Shaw is the man that all friends turn to for advice or even just a listening ear on everything from career to love-life advice.
Trent is a rocker who has lost his way a bit. He finds himself in South Haven to see if he can get his life back on track.
For a story that started off with a bang (I needed a cold shower after the first chapter), it settled into a slow burn story, that allowed the characters to reveal themselves in their own time.
The journey of Shaw and Trent is filled with it all… and lucky us, we get to go along for the ride. These two show us how the world should be…. Look past what the world sees and see people for who they are underneath.