“Beautifully rendered and portrayed with sensual, gladdening and sometimes heartbreaking emotion.” –All About Romance Jayce Ellis’s sexy, contemporary High Rise series features the bustle of DC and the hustle of love. After a week filled with nonstop work, André Ellison heads to the club to blow off some steam. One night off is the perfect distraction from the project that’s about to make … from the project that’s about to make his career–or tank it completely. A few drinks in and he leaves with a smoking-hot stranger for some scorching, burn-the-sheets-up sex.
Marcus Thompson is going places, so he can’t think of a bigger waste of time than being put on loan to a two-bit firm to prepare some small-time report. The last thing he wants–or needs–is his impeccably dressed, hot-as-hell one-night stand as his boss.
As they work side by side, their attraction grows to a fever pitch, but there will be no kissing, no touching and absolutely no sex until the project is over–if they can wait that long.
High Rise
Book 1: Jeremiah
Book 2: André
Also by Jayce Ellis:
Higher Education
Book 1: Learned Behaviors
Book 2: Learned Reactions
more
This is the second book in the series In my opinion it is really well written. I read the first book in the series, and I would be able to follow this book without reading the first one.
I appreciate that she brings more diversity as an mm writer and to her characters.
The main characters Andre and Marcus have an amazing one night stand. Against all odds they meet again as boss and intern in the financial world. They have to find a way to keep a good working relationship and maybe become more. They also need to face their own insecurities and fears in regards to being out and in a relatuonahip.
The characters are well rounded and the worldbuilding around them is extensive
Jayce Ellis is on of my new go to authors I am looking forward to more of her books.
If you like a great mm romance with a hea this is your book
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was such a great read that I couldn’t get enough of it. It grabed my attention from the first page and all the way to the end. This book was definitely sizzling.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Andre is a great story about MM Black love. The concept of how gay black men are viewed in our society, what is masculinity and our toxic beliefs that black men can’t be vulnerable was really well done. Every character in her books never feels cliche. Never a book troupe that feels overdone. They feel like real people and I always feel really invested in their lives.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Financial advisor André takes one night off from his grueling career to have some fun. He hooks up with Marcus, wishing it could be more than one night, but knowing his schedule doesn’t allow for a relationship. He’s shocked to discover on Monday that Marcus is his new intern. Can they keep their hands off each other to avoid complicating their professional relationship?
This is a strong novel with a well-developed plot and characters. It’s steamy and emotional while also dealing with the serious career struggles the characters face. I love how deeply this author is able to go in terms of the character growth while also keeping the plot fun and swoony.
Thanks, Booksprout, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
André is the kind of low drama, well written and plotted romance that I enjoy. It starts when André Ellison goes out one night to unwind after a difficult work day and meets Marcus Thompson, with whom he shares an explosive one night stand.
What neither men guess is that their lives are about to be critically intertwined.
André’s former employer asks him to submit a proposal for an important project, and offers him an intern to get the job done. André accepts, knowing this move could be good for his career, especially given the scandal that forced him to move on from his previous employment.
But the intern turns out to be none other than Marcus Thompson, the man with whom he spent that incredible one-night-stand. Thought they are attracted to one another, they agree to keep things friendly in order to not jeopardize the project, which serves up tension after tension as the two men spend more time together.
Ellis writes the evolution of André and Marcus’s relationship with care and authenticity. While the attraction is undeniable, it was a pleasure to watch the two men navigate their way from lust and attraction to professional collaboration, friendship and finally, love. The conflict was real, but not contrived, including family issues that come into play. But they work their way through those in a way that felt honest and true.
Ellis also addresses microaggressions and the real world implication of race in workplace dynamics. This couldn’t come at a better time, when racial inequality is on everyone’s mind. She doesn’t shy away from examining the way white privilege negatively impacts the lives of black men, but she does so in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the story. I really appreciate when romances at least acknowledge the challenges of existing in this world and Ellis makes space for this.
André works on so many levels – as friends-to-lovers, workplace romance, one-night-stand that turns into more. But at its heart, it is an honest, authentic and generous depiction of two people navigating real obstacles that many face in their lives on the way to reaching their happily ever after.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Originally posted at http://www.serataino.com/bookshelf-andre-highrise-2-jayce-ellis
I liked this one.
Andre is the second book I’ve read by Jayce Ellis; Jeremiah was my first. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but I had a harder time getting into Andre. I suspect that it was just me and where my head was at when I started it because once I was about 40% in, I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up way too late (even for this night-owl) so I could finish it.
Like book one in the series, Andre challenged me because I wasn’t familiar with a lot of the slang used but that just made it a more interesting story to read. The book started off HOT as fire right out of the gate and actually then simmered to a slow burn for a while. That was necessary because what should have been a one-night stand unexpectedly turned into a boss/employee relationship. As much chemistry as these two guys had between them, I was amazed at how well they were able to keep things under control while still boss/employee.
There was a fair amount of financial jargon used, due to the occupations of both Andre and Marcus as financial planners, but it wasn’t enough to put me off of the story. One of the secondary characters is a really sneaky and nasty dude – just the type of character I like to see be redeemed in a later story. I kind of doubt that will happen, though, as the series is based upon the common denominator of at least one of the MCs living in the same apartment building.
There was a pretty big twist in this story that I didn’t see coming. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that it involves Marcus and a discovery he makes about himself. I was caught completely off-guard and I applaud Jayce Ellis for what she did with the character of Marcus.
If you enjoy hot as fire sexy time, two strong characters and a good cast of secondary characters Andre should be a good fit for you. BTW, although it’s part of a series it totally stands alone. The two MCs from Jeremiah just make a brief cameo appearance in Andre.
A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
I received a copy of this book via the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Jayce Ellis is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. This is the second book of hers I’ve read and her storytelling only gets better. André is the second book in the High Rise series, and I am already eagerly awaiting the next installment. Ellis has this way with words and character building and emotion that just draws me in and won’t let me go.
This book, much like Jeremiah, does a wonderful job of weaving in cultural aspects that truly prove why it’s so important that we not only have BIPOC representation in Romancelandia characters but also that we have actual BIPOC authors writing these characters. There is no better way to learn about and experience another culture than to see it through the eyes of a member of that culture.
André and Marcus have an incredible journey in this book. They start off hot and just get hotter, yet they face some very real obstacles that keep their story down to Earth and relatable. I was rooting for these two from the get-go and my heart went out to them as they fought tooth and nail to find and keep the love they both deserved.
I honestly cannot wait to see what Ms. Ellis puts out next. She is going on my watch list and you’ll likely be seeing another review from me very, very soon following her next release! I would recommend this—and Jeremiah!—with all my heart to any and all readers of romance. Especially those who enjoy real, gritty characters; honest and genuine character-driven plots; and a heaping spoonful of sexy love.