Accident-prone Ethan has a dating history that reads like a disaster movie script. Strong and silent Kel can’t seem to master the necessary small-talk on a proper date. When they both get signed up anonymously for a Valentines’s night event—“for those with an adventurous spirit but an open diary”—they never imagined they’d be matched. They never imagined the romantic sparks would fly. To be … honest, they never imagined they’d survive the week.
A catalogue of disasters dogs the footsteps of their blossoming romance, including a coffee date with food allergies as an added extra, an intimate dinner that strays too close for comfort to chopped chillies, and a sensual massage with hot wax candles that threatens to alert the local fire brigade.
But if they can hold tight to their sweet, surprising, yet single-minded attraction – they might just survive this Valentine’s Day with something very special to look forward to.
*******
This is a totally standalone romantic comedy of 17.5k words in the BAD VALENTINE series. These are lighthearted Valentine’s Day shorts by four different authors, each story written with the same opening line: “Nothing good ever came of a Valentine.” Check the series page for details of the other stories by Jordan Castillo Price, Dev Bentham and Jesi Lea Ryan.
more
So brilliantly written, and highly recommended. A fab love match, two gorgeous guys, perfect for each other. Loved it.
I’m a huge Clare London fan and this Valentine’s story left me smiling. Poor Ethan is just an accident waiting to happen. I loved that none of it phased Kel…well, except maybe the chili peppers. Ethan’s bestie Pips adds a great element to the story as well.
Oh my, this rom com is typical Clare London. It’s funny, and irreverent. The characters are endearingly imperfect. Thrown into an awkward situation, things only get more awkward as each encounter goes disastrously wrong until you’re rooting for the lads to finally get together.
Poor Ethan has such bad luck with dating, well with anything really, that he is dateless on Valentine’s Day. His best friend and flat mate signs him up for a blind date of sorts and let the shenanigans begin!
Oh my goodness, this is the funniest short story ever. You are gonna laugh so hard when Kel, one of the MC’S, answers a question with a strangled, “London bus red.” I felt so bad for him, but not so bad that I stopped reading mind you. This is a joyful Valentine’s Day story that is not to be missed. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer!
* Advanced copy provided for an honest review.
I was gifted my copy of all four part of the Bad Valentine collection, that I write a review was not required.
Ethan is set up by his flat mate, and Kel, by his brother. Neither man is the other’s usual taste but sparks do fly. One disaster after ensues, and can they actually keep seeing each other??
Okay, so, don’t tell anyone, please! I’m sat here at work, reading these shorts in this collection, and I am loving them! This one made me laugh out loud so much, had I any customers, I might have scared them! I LOVED this one!
Ethan and Kel are polar opposites. Ethan can’t engage his brain before his mouth and tends to talk the hind legs off the donkey. Kel, on the other hand, does NOT do small talk. He loves that Ethan can talk enough for them both. I loved that, while not saying anything, or even acknowledging the fact, Kel manages to save all the little things that Ethan knocks off. He just does it! Ethan notices it too.
Oh, I loved this pair! They both have a say, too, which I was so very pleased about!
Each date has a mishap: an allergic reaction, chilli burn, knocked over candles. But they do get their moment, eventually.
Loved the little epilogue! My favourite one of the four!
I’ve enjoyed these little shorts, so thank you to all four authors for my copies.
5 brilliant stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I often find that romantic comedy is a really hard line to walk. It can, too easily, fall into ridiculous hyperbole, or just not be funny. Ethan’s magnetic relationship with disaster was cute, but I couldn’t help but empathize with his despair over the fact that he believed that he wasn’t able to have any relationship because of it. This, sort of, lessened my enjoyment of reading about his mishaps.
I did like that Kel was interested in Ethan from the beginning and wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of them being together. Throughout all of the disasters they endured, Kel was unwavering in his support of Ethan.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Such a cute story! Poor Ethan, everything he touches goes awry. What he needs is to find a man who’s good in a crisis. Someone with steady hands and an excellent sense of humor. Someone like Kel. Loved this story – funny and touching and sweet as Valentine’s Day.
Ethan gives new meaning to the phrase “walking disaster” in this hilarious rom com. And even at the point where the I think, “Oh, that plan can’t possibly end well….” Clare London goes there. And then she makes it even more cringe-worthy than I’d imagined. The mishaps of Ethan and Kel left me in stitches, then rewarded me with a hard-won HEA.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for an honest review
Ethan is a one man wrecking crew. He doesn’t mean to be. He just seems to always trip, or break something, or tear something, or, well you get the idea. If it is embarrassing it happens to Ethan, especially when he tries to date. When his roommate sets him up with a Valentine’s date, he is sure it can only end badly. Then he sees his “date”. The mismatch with a huge, tattooed, mechanic can only lead to further disasters. Right?
Clare London infuses this story with a great deal of humor. Ethan is so endearing. Reading the dating scenes had me giggling to myself and cringing at the same time. They reminded me of watching a baby walk for the first time. You are excited for the experience but worried about the fall. The interactions between Ethan and Kel are both hysterical and sweet. This book was a lot of fun and full of joy