Michael seems like the perfect catch… But he’s also the boss’s son.
When Geoff first moves to a beachfront cottage, he doesn’t mind being single. After all, it’s a small price to pay to focus on his career (even though his overbearing boss seems to hate him). But then young Michael—young, hot, and h*rny—appears, out of the blue.
Older and tattooed, Geoff is exactly the kind of guy Michael’s dad … guy Michael’s dad is going to hate. That makes him hotter, right?
Romance is the last thing on Michael’s mind when he meets the tough-looking, tattooed Geoff one day on the beach. Michael doesn’t bother hoping for anything more than a steamy one-time encounter with this hot DILF—not after everything he’s been through. He may be a survivor, but he knows never to expect good things in his life, or good guys.
“Sometimes, the island feels smaller than it is.”
Sparks fly when Geoff and Michael meet by chance in their insular island community. They can’t seem to keep away from each other, despite their age gap. But when Geoff realizes that he’s dating his boss’s son, their entire world comes crashing down, and Geoff must choose between his career and his relationship.
“You’re the only one who’s made me feel anything good since everything happened…”
There is something undeniable between Michael and Geoff, a connection that’s deeper than the mind-blowing sex. Can their bond grow into a life together on the island, or will Michael’s father do anything he can to snuff out the flames of their fire?
Out of the Blue is a self-contained story offering 100,000 words of gay romance about a guy falling in love with his boss’s son. It has hurt/comfort, adult scenes, and plenty of fluff—plus a happily-ever-after ending.
more
I really enjoyed Out of the Blue by Kay Simone. It was a sweetly frustrating, insta-lust/slow-burn love story. At times it did lag a little, but in the end it all came together to give us a compelling picture of both Michael and Geoff’s lives and how things led them to where they are today.
The first meeting between the two was fun and sexy, and I was excited for what was to come. But it quickly became apparent things weren’t going to be quite so easy for them.
The early impression I got of Michael was someone who lived in the moment, who knew what he wanted and would just go for it. It was interesting to find, as the story went along, that there was actually much more to Michael than that first impression. A tragedy in his recent past has had a profound impact on his life, causing him to basically have to start his young life all over again. Geoff was a pretty consistent character from start to finish- he has his friends, his job, a life he appeared to be happy and settled in. But after meeting Michael he seemed to really find a happiness that he maybe didn’t realize was missing in his life.
While there was quite a bit of back and forth with Michael and Geoff, it was understandable given the fact that Michael’s dad was Geoff’s boss- someone he did not get a long with at all. But I loved that once they decided they were all-in with each other, that was that-they didn’t allow David’s place in their lives to interfere with their relationship.
The ending wrapped everything up so nicely, and the epilogue was just perfect!
Michael and Geoff come together on a beach and things progress from there until they don’t. Friends and coworkers bring them back together again. I loved the age-gap between Michael and Geoff, and I also like the boss’s son aspect of the story. Two of my favorite tropes. While this story is well written, I didn’t connect to Geoff and Michael like I was hoping to. It just didn’t happen for me. The assumption of what both MCs were thinking and feeling about each other also got to me a little bit too. I did get into the last 25% of the story though and things wrapped up nicely. The epilogue was wonderful. All in all, this ended up being a pretty good low-angst read. If you’re looking for something light with a HEA ending, then this one’s for you. I do recommend giving it a try.
The story is very picturesque from the start. The location and masterful descriptions of it are a great value from the very beginning, painting a beautiful background for what has proven to be a sizzling hot and emotional story!
The use of boss’s son and age gap tropes, with background of trauma and a host of conflicting emotions, delivers a very interesting and immersive story. I loved every minute of it and the plot had some very strong points!
Out of the Blue is a great read. Sun, sand, and sexy men; what more could I ask for? Michael and Geoff feel an instant attraction to one another, however a very demanding father quickly cools things off. Can Michael and Geoff push past personal and professional issues to find happiness? Pick up a copy and find out! Enjoy.
I just loved Out of the Blue. It was such a sweet story, both Michael and Geoff were adorable. I loved all their meet-cutes. I thought the secondary characters really added to the story. Geoff and Michael had great chemistry and I liked how the story developed. I definitely recommend this book.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to any romance fan who enjoys some angst and tears mixed with laughter and some steam and good writing. Geoff is a fantastic character while, not perfect, is in a great place in his life. Michael is more complex and harder to like until his past losses and trauma are revealed. He heals and grows up during the course of the year the book covers. There is much to recommend this book- lots of laughter, some pain, some growing pains, good friends and a strong romance. And, Citrus Heights sounds awesome. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Love this story! This is a beautifully written story and I loved it from beginning to end. It has such wonderful world building and likable characters. Though Geoff and Michael’s first encounter didn’t go exactly as planned, it was just supposed to be a hook-up, the fates brought them together again. It turned out Michael worked for Geoff’s friend Jack. And not to spoil anything but really I think it was Michael’s Dad’s insistence that Michael come home from his vacation that brought Michael and Geoff closer together. Michael and Geoff really are sweet together.
I highly recommend this book.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.*
This is a sweet & somewhat emotional slow-burn MM romance with just a touch of an “insta-love” undertone. The plot is well-written & quite interesting. There are good scene descriptions & world building. The characters (Michael & Geoff) are well-developed with a bit of an age-gap between them & are realistically portrayed as somewhat emotional flawed individuals with good chemistry between them but they continue to develop throughout the story-line to become a well-adjusted couple. The secondary characters offer good support.
There is: a young man (Michael) with sad memories, a middle-aged man (Geoff), Michael’s father (David) who happens to be Geoff’s boss, drama, intrigue, some humor, memories, emotional turmoil, attractions, insecurities, manipulations, verbal banter, confrontations, disagreements, frustrations, decisions, love, contentment & a satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed reading this book & would recommend it.
I’m a huge fan of Kay Simone’s writing. Their characters are always complex, rich, and introspective with individuality. Each one has their own beauty and their motivations make sense. The supporting characters are memorable and I even usually root for the “villains” to grow and develop into better humans. Yes, it’s a romance, but Kay’s stories always put human connection first which is why I think their books feel like being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket while eating thai food: exciting experiences wrapped in familiarity.
Out of the Blue was just what I was hoping for. A world to get lost in and explore personal barriers through different eyes. A story about two guys with stubborn ideals and self-perceptions that seem to keep getting in the way of moving forward. This is generally a stress-free book but there are layers of dramatic irony that are sometimes humorously and always brilliantly revealed.
The writing was emotionally rich that, although I finished it in less than two days, it seems like it lasted much longer.
I always go back and re-read Kay’s books and this one will be no different. I look forward to re-indulging in this in the future and discovering more about Michael and Geoff’s motivations. It is the pinnacle of meaningful but light summer (or quarantine) reading.
I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Geoff and Michael: will David drive a wedge between them?
I found myself really enjoying this building romance set on a Florida barrier island with some angst due to past tragedy and a present dilemma in the form of Geoff’s harsh boss who is no stranger to Michael. The ending build-up to the confrontational climax was particularly compelling and the epilogue was a lovely, easy end full of positivity and promise. The sizzle is there from the start, but the story is just as much about their emotional connection. The age gap and Michael’s fear of losing another important person in his life provide some bumps in an otherwise pretty smoothly-running romance.
Simone’s writing style is good and she includes good though not exhaustive backstory with a sizable but not too overwhelming crew of secondary friends and workmates.
This is the second novel I’ve read by Kay Simone. The first, Untouchable, co-written with Ruthie Luhnow, was much longer, with oodles more angst. Though I think I preferred Untouchable and its heavily damaged lead characters, Out of the Blue is a good story with leads that would be great to have in your friend group in real life. Tatted Geoff was my favorite, but both guys had their great qualities, including a humble discounting of their own attractiveness and readiness to laugh at themselves.
IMHO, this was a fantastic, grab-you-by-the-feels, amazing, poignant, heartfelt, sexy, lovely, delightful, emotionally charged, engaging, endearing, wonderful, and totally awesome twist on your usual May/December romance. It had me hooked from beginning to end, and I would DEFINITELY recommend getting this marvelous gem immediately!
I enjoyed Kay Simone’s Out of the Blue a great deal and definitely recommend it for those who like love stories with interesting characters (and side characters) and which transport you to a part of the world you may not have visited — in this case the wilds of Florida. The writing is great with rapid-changing dual point of view (3rd person), so you get insight into the thoughts and emotions of both main characters for most events.
Michael is a young man who has moved back to his home town on one of Florida’s barrier islands after a personal tragedy. He’s sunny-tempered and optimistic, but also a little bit broken and lost. When he comes out of the water and hits on the sexy guy sun-baking on the sand, he’s seizing the moment to feel something good. Geoff meanwhile is a little bit older and finds himself a slave to his corporate middle-management job, which nonetheless pays for his dream home near the beach. He’s smitten by the cute guy who surprisingly hits on him, and is definitely onboard with a little bedroom fun.
I adored this opening to Out of the Blue — the uncomplicated motives and actions of this pair of guys, not to mention the fact it gets pretty steamy. It’s not until they unexpectedly meet again on a group camping trip, discovering they have friends in common, that they have the opportunity to get to know each other. And I adored this part too — I have a soft spot for love on camping trips! Although it takes time for Geoff to reveal much of his past, his caring nature gets Michael to open up and the two forge a deep connection. At first it’s friends with a spark, but once Geoff gets over his fixation on their 13-year age gap and self-esteem issues, things develop rather quickly. (There is some reliance on introspective conflict through second-guessing each other… miscommunication is not my favourite trope.)
There are a number of secondary characters who are well-drawn and distinctive. First and foremost there’s Michael’s father, David, who is also Geoff’s boss. Through Geoff’s eyes, David is the classic a-hole CEO, with no redeeming features. Michael’s relationship with his father is more complex, although by no means easy. From the book blurb I had the impression that ‘Geoff dating the boss’s son’ was going to be the major conflict for most of the book, but that wasn’t actually the case. (The reader knows, however, so it’s a case of wondering and waiting for when they’ll figure it out!) The relationships Michael and Geoff have (separately) with David reach a head at different times and are important accents to this novel. But I would have liked a little more resolution to each in the epilogue.
The other key secondary characters are Geoff’s two best friends, one of whom turns out to be Michael’s boss, plus a couple of Michael’s other work colleagues. I liked the fact these characters were all distinct from each other, with their own unique personalities and hints of individual stories, that really added depth to the novel as a whole.
Overall, I loved Geoff and Michael both individually and together, and believed in the passion and love between them. (There was, however, a bit of an awkward pace change at the point where Geoff discovered he was dating the boss’s son, and the last part of the novel has a different feel to it.) There are only a few intimate scenes, which means there’s a whole lot of story about finding and standing up for yourself, going after what you want, and not being ruled by your career!
(I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
Geoff and Michael are a little awkward, but very cute when they accidentally meet on the beach. They’re obviously attracted to each other, but after a hook-up gone wrong it seems like this is just a chance encounter destined to fade away. Instead, their out-of-the-blue meeting turns into a slow, emotional build-up of feelings as their paths cross again and again.
Geoff and Michael’s romance wasn’t explosive or insta-love. Their feelings grew out of shared talks, small moments, and a deep emotional connection. I loved the realism of this relationship–nothing about Geoff and Michael was manufactured for drama or part of a stereotypical trope. At its core, this book was about two people opening themselves up to love and dealing with the normal twists and turns of a new relationship. Michael and Geoff both have trauma in their pasts, but it doesn’t overshadow the rest of the story. There were definitely times when I felt deeply sad about the things I learned about Michael’s past, but I still wouldn’t call it an angsty read. If anything, it warmed my heart to see how Geoff was there for Michael to talk to.
As much as I loved the relationship in this book, I wasn’t a fan of the situation with David. I felt like it was obvious from the beginning what his reaction was going to be, but then I didn’t get any closure when he finally found out. I wish we had gotten to see more of his interactions with Michael so I could understand how they worked everything out.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read that left me feeling warm and fuzzy. I thought the tiny glimpse into Geoff and Michael’s future was the perfect way to end their story.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
thank you for the Epilogue without it the book was not finished,i love the way this book was written lots of love and hate,i will never understand a parent trying to tell there child who they can love or be with .beside that this is a wonderful book the author did a great job ,i read this book from this author for my free opinion,
I was lucky to receive an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book all the way through. The writing style and story telling were superb. It took me into another world. I loved Geoff and watching him change for Michael. Michael’s story was one of amazing healing. He had fears of being left behind from his past. Watching these men come together and find themselves in finding each other was wonderful. I have yet to find a story I don’t like from Kay Simone. This one told a beautiful story with a great writing style. I highly recommend it.