Conor:It starts with a drunken text pic. The kind I would normally never send. Only, instead of it going to the flirty hotel bartender, it goes to some random stranger who actually responds.I tell myself an unexpected night of hot as hell back-and-forth is the perfect way to blow off a little steam while I’m in New York closing an important business deal. Little do I know the man on the other end … do I know the man on the other end of the line is none other than Wells Grange: the most controlling, egotistical, emotionless SOB I’ve ever met.
I spend my days squaring off against Wells in the boardroom, and my nights succumbing to the sexy stranger’s commanding texts in the bedroom. Within days, I’m falling for someone I shouldn’t, and I have to remind myself that none of this is real.
Wells:
The first thing I notice about Conor Newell when he sits down in my high-rise conference room is how delightfully nervous he is. Then I see his tie. The same geeky tie that’s held hostage on my phone. The one that belongs to my anonymous late-night texter. And it changes everything.
I should confess. Tell the truth about who I am. Instead, I decide there’s no harm in flirting. After all, once our business is concluded, he’ll be out of my life for good.
The more I get to know Conor, however, the more I start to fall for him. Which is a problem, because I made a vow long ago to never let emotions interfere with my life, either business or personal. Except I can’t stop thinking about him night and day. If it’s only in my head, though, it doesn’t count.
After all, it’s not like we’re falling for each other in real life…
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This is a M/M mistaken identity romance. It all started with a text to the wrong number. It’s got a little of everything. The alpha to take control, the innocent submissive, some hot steamy scenes, and plenty of humor. It’s even has some angsty feels. Conor accidentally sends a naughty text to the wrong number, only the person receiving them, plays along. Conor is a smart guy who has his own successful small business, he’s honest, warm and kinda, he also has a young and somewhat vulnerable heart to him. Wells, the recipient of text is also a smart man with an extremely successful company that earns billions. He likes to be in control. He is cold hearted in the business world and only slightly less cold in his personal life. He doesn’t do love or relationships. This story moves quickly. It alternates between POVs. It keeps you interested throughout. Never a dull moment. While there is lots of sexual content, most of it is in the dialog. The actual sex scenes are minimal, though I would recommend it for mature readers.
Love love love this book.
I love Conor, his geekiness, his love of the outdoors, the fact that he is passionate about family and friends and so many things. He wears his heart on his face and is happy with that. I cannot say enough amazing things about him. He would definitely be the best gay best friend ever.
Wells took some warming up to but the more I heard about his past the more I felt like jumping into the book and hugging that tough bastard. The more he thawed the more you could see how much he needed Conor, even when he wouldn’t admit it.
Wells’ sister Win and his personal assistant Deb were awesome. it was good to know that no matter how rich and powerful he was they would take no bullshit from him. They were sassy and sweet in one helping him when needed and challenging him when it was definitely needed.
The storyline was good, I enjoyed the main character’s interactions with one another and everyone else. I loved the carriage ride through the park, the time in Wells’ apartment and so on. The story had me laughing and talking to myself like I was part of the action. I borrowed this on KU but I will definitely be buying it and rereading it.
Lucy Lennox, in addition to being one of my favorite authors is an author whose I do not even read the summary before buying. I read all its outputs automatically and so far I have been disappointed only once.
She announced on the release of His Saint that his next release would be the first volume of a new series in collaboration with his sister Molly Maddox. I was intrigued, but it was when I saw the cover last month that I was excited and when I read the summary, I was certain that Lucy’s new title would be one of my next readings “coup de Coeur”. For once, I was right. I devoured it in the space of a day. Once opened, I let myself embark on the story of Conor and Wells and I could not let the kindle when the book is finished.
The two sisters have done a remarkable job and offer us here the first volume of a four hands Book of high quality. I often have trouble with books written by two or more authors because the styles are too often very different and we can easily see who wrote what. Here, I do not know if it is due to the fact that they are sisters and therefore know each other very well, but the style of writing is quite similar and offers a very good coherence to the story and a fluid reading experience.
Lucy Lennox always offers stories with very hot scenes, but I think with IRL, the author offers us his sexiest story. Not the hottest, no, well the sexiest. The scenes are much less explicit, but more numerous and shorter. Which means that instead of having some burning scenes, we have here a constant sexual tension on a large part of the story. That changes everything. This brings more dynamism to the reading, a certain dose of suspense and especially it prevents from being bored face to scenes too repetitive. I loved it especially that in IRL the author brings a shower of soft BDSM with a dominated / dominant dynamic precisely worked.
I really liked the relationship between the two men and their relationships. The one of Conor with Wells the « unknown number » and that with Wells the CEO. They are both very different. One is an intense crush from the beginning and the other almost enemy and lover kind of relationship. I liked the contrast. I liked to see the different facets of the two men. I loved to see them discover themselves and I liked the tension that this mystery relationship brings. Because we know that at some point Conor will discover that the two men are the same. We know it’s going to end badly and we can only wait for it to happen and see how the two men are going to fall back.
In the end, with In Real Life, Lucy and Molly offer us a solid first volume of a new series that promises to be a must read for any follower of sexy romance. I only hope that the two sisters will offer us different registers for each volume. But having read almost all the titles of Lucy, I fully trust them to succeed in surprising me in the next volumes.
3
IRL is a refreshing read, it is both tense and humorous with a sexy undercurrent. While it is not a thriller or suspenseful I still couldn’t stop reading, simply because I just needed to know how the authors would wrapped up things.
Geeky, adorable shy Conor and cold assholery Wells are the least likely couple.
Conor is earnest, innocent, open and trusting, a rambling mess when nervous. While being busy running his game store he also takes care of his ill mother.
Wells “Glacier” Grange is ruthless, cold and calculated, “The man was known for being stoic and distant, unfeeling and brutal.” He does not let anyone get close, he has been burned badly and promised himself to never , he’s not letting anyone in, he was “a man who eschewed relationships. Who refused to trust. Who kept emotions at bay.”
When sending a dick pick to a wrong number he and this sexy stranger start a hot sexting and getting off together.
While they conduct their business, in real life their relationship moves forward with hot sex, heavy emotions and THE big lie between them.
The supporting characters made the story come together with Conor’s lawyer friend James and his douchebag boyfriend, Richard.
Also horse carriage driver Scotty and Wells’s PA Deb, his sister, Winifred were nice additions.
IRL: In Real Life is a great read and I am looking forward to the other books in the serie.
Ah, secrets and lies. They’ll get you into trouble, no matter what your reasons may be, so it’s pretty obvious that there’s going to be trouble on the horizon for Wells and Conor because of the whole “NotSam” and “Trace” thing and I was looking forward to seeing how it would all be resolved. Reconciling “Trace” with Wells was interesting, especially since the latter had a reputation for being cold and cutthroat when it came to both his personal and professional lives. My curiosity regarding the series title of After Oscar was satisfied quite nicely, and now I’m curious as to who else will get their story told, especially a particular lawyer who played a pivotal supporting role in this series starter (although James Allen could very well have already had his time in the spotlight in a past Lucy Lennox book that I don’t know about…I’ll need to do extra research!). As for the romance between Wells and Conor, these two had sexual tension down pat and when it was time for romance, I swooned. You’d think a few days is too quick, and maybe it is, but they had an extraordinary connection I floved. Five stars for IRL: In Real Life.
I think this book might be my favorite Lucy Lennox book ever? This collaboration definitely needs to happen more because this was delightful!
Everything about this story worked for me. I thought Conor and Wells were perfect together. Wells brings out Conor’s confident and sexy side, while Conor brings out Wells more sensitive and human side. While I’m not thrilled with how long Wells kept up the lie, I can say I adored their texts to each other (the steamy ones and the personal ones). These characters will make you laugh and cry. I loved that a little bit of kink was thrown into the relationship as well.
I have such high hopes for the rest of this series considering how much I loved this one! I also love that this series is called AFTER OSCAR. It makes me smile.
5 Stars
Hold on to your panties girl this book is hot! Pheew some of the sexting in this book made me blush and got me all hot and bothered and it was just sexting you guys!
I had so high expectations for this book and let me tell you it was even better than what I was expecting. The chemistry between Wes and Conner is off the charts and their relationship from the beginning is incredible! You can just feel the pull between these two men even if they are negotiating a deal or if they are sexting anonymous.
I loved Conner he was the sweet guy next door kinda type that was so open and caring and maybe even a little naive. Pare him with Wes that is known for being ruthless, ice cold, no heart businessman and you have an interesting couple. But even when on paper they shouldn’t work you just know they are meant to be together.
So are you looking for a hot new M/M book with a bossy alpha man and some off the charts chemistry and a little dirty sexting then this is your book I promise you will not regret it!
Best Lucy Lennox work to date. A must read.
This book is funny, heartbreaking, and overall heartwarming.
It’s amazing how well this book shows how much we would trust a complete stranger with our most sensitive pictures/secrets, but when faced with trusting someone IRL it’s so much harder. These 2 characters share and get to know each other in ways that they never would have otherwise.
Some of the more IRL moments that they share are amazing….carriage ride anyone??? Getting a glimpse into some of the upcoming characters in future books is also a great surprise. My one question though is…..Will we ever meet Oscar and will he get his own HEA in this series??
IRL: In Real Life is book number one in the After Oscar series by Lucy Lennox and Molly Maddox. This is Conor Newell and Wells “Trace” Grange’s Story.
I loved Wells and Conor’s story. The story was entertaining and kept my attention from beginning to end. I didn’t want the story to end. The characters were a lot of fun. A read that was heartwarming, funny, and romantic with hot chemistry.
FYI, contains mature content. This is a M/M gay romance.
I’m not really sure what to write in this review. As all Lucy Lennox books (Molly Maddox is new to me), the writing is great and the storyline well thought out. Unfortunately I just didn’t love it and I’m not sure I can pinpoint why. This book contains a weird combination of slow-burn and insta-love. I feel like it lacked in the normal intensity I usually get from this author when it came to steamy scenes. The “conflict” that the MCs go through seems a bit overinflated for what it actually was. This book lacked some of the humor and wit that I usually see from Lucy which I really missed. Even though this one didn’t click with me, I’m still very interested in continuing the series.
This book was amazing! Seeing how Wells changes his view on relationships and that Conor a nerdy game store owner is the one! I am so excited for this series to take off!
A drunken text turns into a chain of texts and sexts. The chemistry between two strangers is electric and sends tingles down each of their bodies. But the thing is, one of them knows the truth of the stranger on the other end of the phone.. in real life. When the truth comes out, will it destroy what could be between these two men or is the connection strong enough to survive… in real life?
Conor and Wells have chemistry that scorches the screen of my ereader. I felt drawn in by these characters, especially their first drunken/not so drunken text exchange and sexting. The well written story continued to hold my interest with entertaining dialogue, hot and sexy text exchanges, sweet moments and an all over fun reading experience. I loved the characters and their story, especially the ending.
Wells and Conor’s story is the first book in The After Oscar series by Lucy Lennox and Molly Maddox. I can not wait to see what the next book holds for us.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.
I enjoyed this book so much! Enemies to lovers, opposites attract, and characters to break your heart – there was so much here to love. Conor was sweet, geeky, and so sincere. It’s no wonder he melted ice man Wells’ heart. And Wells, with his rigid beliefs about what made a man a success, didn’t know how much he needed someone like Conor to come into his life. These two made me smile, and they brought me to tears. Neither was exactly as he appeared on the outside. Conor had kinky desires, and Wells had buried emotions. Watching them bring those hidden depths out of each other was wonderful. The authors created a couple of amazing characters here, and they gave them a quick but complicated romance. I’m happy that this is the start to a new series, and I’m very excited to see what will happen in the next After Oscar book!
These two writing sisters are a dynamic duo! I have loved every Lucy Lennox book that I’ve read, and now that I’ve read the first Lucy Lennox and Molly Maddox book, I cannot wait for more. In Real Life, only the first book in the series – Yay!, had me experiencing all the emotions. In Real Life felt so “real”. The characters’ thoughts and expressions were so vividly written, and the emotions were so realistic. From the love and insecurities experienced in a new relationship, to the love received from and given to a parent, to the pressures put on kids by parents/family, to the humor, to the… well, I could just keep going because this boook had it all!
Wells and Conor had incredible chemistry from the first text to the last kiss. I’m surprised they didn’t burn up some sheets! Various scenes are flitting through my mind as I type this and I am alternating between laughing and fanning. You just have to read it!
I am super excited for Scotty’s story… and I hope Lucy and Molly have a story for James (maybe a better one than the one he is giving himself – lol). Then I’ll want the next story and the next and on and on, until they say the series is complete… then I can binge read the entire series!
This was a fantastic read! I absolutely loved it! It really hit a lot of high points for me: humor, romance, sexy times, and ALL the feels. Conor and Wells’s story was really touching, and I loved seeing Wells thaw the more he got to know Conor. You found yourself rooting for Wells because you knew things were about to get a bit angsty. I loved Conor’s convictions and his dedication to his Mom.
I love when a book can make your heart drop to your stomach, make the tears prick your eyes, and then make you laugh. If you do too, then this is the read for you!
Lucy Lennox is one of my favorite authors and I knew this one, written with her sister Molly Maddox, would be special! IRL is beautifully written and was so much fun to read! Geeky guy Conor sends a sexy pic text to who he thought was a cute bartender he wanted to hook up with. Corporate Glacier guy, Wells, gets it instead. What ensues is a hot hot hot sexting scene! Conor continues his sexting episodes with his anonymous Sexy Stranger right before presenting a business deal to a despised Wells Grange, who is about to buy out his mother’s technology. Wells can’t stop thinking about NotSam, his sexting stranger. When he meets the son of the woman whose special technology he wants to buy, he gets a clue that Conor and NotSam are the same person. The attraction and sexual tension ignite immediately between Conor and Wells. But Conor doesn’t know that Wells is Sexy Stranger. Sound intriguing? It was that and so much more! Witty dialogue, sexy scenes, a sick mother, corporate greed meets charity, totally adorable Conor and sexy Wells make for a page turner you won’t want to put down until the very end! 1-click now to start the rollercoaster romance of NotSam and Sexy Stranger!
IRL: In Real Life (After Oscar #1, KU), an opposites attract, slow burn romance written by sisters Lucy Lennox and Molly Maddox was FANFREAKINTASTIC!! I loved every single word!! A fresh, fantastic premise and so funny, sexy, clever and emotional…Smoking hot dirty talk, excellent, seamless writing and dialogue…I swear I was holding my breath for most of the book…My heart ached, it smiled, it cried, it jumped for joy!! Brava ladies!!
5 Stars!
IRL is the first book in the After Oscar series by Lucy Lennox and Molly Maddox and my first book by both authors. I know, I know, I have a gazillion books by Lucy in my TBR and after reading this book, believe me, I’ll start scheduling them so I can read them all.
So, my favorite type of MC ever is the strong, arrogant alpha who is all twisted in knots/shows his vulnerability after he meets the other MC and starts falling for him. Wells fit that bill perfectly. Not only that, but after the big reveal, he did everything in his power to make things right again, which made me fall even more for him. He might have been in control during his sexting with Conor, but Conor was the one holding all the power in their IRL relationship and I loved seeing Wells so out of his element. I really liked Conor, perhaps not as much as Wells, because yeah, not everyone can be Wells, but still, he was a lovely character. A dedicated son, a hard worker, but very aware that he needed to balance work and relax time, and his chemistry with Wells was out of this world. Their interactions, both through text and in person were nothing but explosive! Damn! *fans self*
As collaborations go, Lucy Lennox and Molly Maddox actually made me forget that this was one. Their writing styles mesh so well that you can’t really tell where one ends and the other starts. The story was so much fun to read, uber sexy, with some light angst to move things along and a great cast of characters, from main to secondary characters, I loved them all and I’ll be looking forward to reading Scotty’s story.
Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***