When their daughter goes off to college, Samuel and his wife Gayle begin to take stock of their lives. Realizing they’re best friends and not in love with one another, the two agree to an amicable split. Nervous about jumping back into the dating world, they accept a friend’s invitation to attend a swap party. Tossing their keys into a bowl and leaving it up to fate to decide who they’re paired … paired with is too tempting to resist. But when Samuel is faced with an audacious young man who strikes up a conversation, the attraction to men he’s kept buried for so long comes rushing back.
At twenty-two years old, Oliver Hughes is one of the most sought after male models in the world. Sassy and bold, with a penchant for wearing high heels and a touch of makeup, Oliver’s life is what he always dreamed it could be. Except for one thing…
Yearning to fall in love and settle down, Oliver’s grown bored of meaningless hookups with shallow, fame seeking guys. While attending a swap party, his last-ditch effort to find someone who doesn’t know who he is when they meet, Oliver finds himself drawn to a handsome, older man. One who’s endearingly unaware of his own appeal.
As their relationship grows, something sinister and dark threatens what they’ve managed to build. What will it take for Oliver and Samuel to survive, and is their happily ever after doomed from the start?
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3.5*
I enjoyed The Swap. I thought the premise was a fun way for the 2 characters to meet- especially considering Samuel was apparently straight. At least he’s presented himself that way since he’s been married. We do learn a little more about that part of his life as the story goes along, and it helped to put into perspective his feelings upon meeting Oliver.
He and Oliver are definite opposites, as well as having a bit of an age gap between them, but I liked how they fit together. They complemented each other well.
I really liked Sam’s wife and daughter- they were very supportive when he told them about Oliver. It was nice to see a couple able to acknowledge their differences and move on like adults, the way he and Gayle did.
The “sinister and dark” thing that threatened Oliver and Sam was a little too underdeveloped for me. It could have been a great addition to the storyline, if it had been given more “face time”. But it just felt kind of thrown in there as filler, never really living up to its potential. (view spoiler)
Overall, this was an easy read, a nice story about finding yourself and falling in love in the process.
I’ve read this author before. This is a mm contemporary story set in the USA. Main characters are Samuel and Oliver. After Samuel’s daughter leaves for college he decides with his wife that their future is not together. They go to a swap party together for moral support. Oliver is a younger man than Samuel and a hard working model. Love blooms for Samuel and Oliver in this GFY story. I’ll read more from this author.
A thoroughly enjoyable journey of discovery / bi-awakening. The narration by Michael Pauley is engaging and brought the characters to life.
3.75
Oh well this was a nice surprise
I love Annabella Michaels’ style and when i found out she was about to release The Swap- Masquerade, i thought it was time to read this one, that’s been on my kindle for more than a year i guess…
[Just to be clear the two books are stand alones]
The beginning of the story was a bit slow for me, so it took me a bit to connect with it…
However the moment Oliver and Samuel met, the chemestry, the sweetness between the two of them caught my attention and made me swoon and grin like an idiot.
What surprise me the most and hocked me to the book was the thriller part: i didn’t expect it at all but it made the story more interesting, and gave me that rush of adrenaline and “dread” i’m getting addicted to.
Samuel and Gayle are amazing parents. They put their child first, and when she finally goes off to college, they are forced to take stock of their relationship and realize they aren’t romantic lovers, but best friends. Instead of being bitter and angry about this realization, they work together to find a solution where they both can find happiness. I love that their relationship was painted in such a positive light. Sometimes relationships end, but it doesn’t mean that relationship was a failure, it just means it’s changed and it’s time for you to change with it. Annabella Michaels does such a wonderful job showing this type of transformation.
And then there’s Oliver – sexy, hot Oliver – who knocks Samuel off his feet. There relationship was HOT. I loved the age gap dynamics and how free Oliver was with expressing himself. I just adore Oliver so much, and he fit perfectly with Samuel. During all this bliss, an unexpected and terrifying force is bent on tearing Samuel and Oliver apart. This suspenseful mystery was very well done and added an excited twist to a romantic love story.
The audiobook was lovely and well produced. I enjoyed the narrator’s performance of the character and felt like the characters were right there with me in my car while I listened to it.
Overall Rating: 5 Stars. I loved the story, I loved the characters, and the writing was great and easy to read.
OMG! Why did I wait so long to read this book?!?!? Just loved the characters and watching them fall in love. The mystery was also engaged and caught me by surprise!