Camden and Shelby are married in name only, a place to live in exchange for health insurance seems like a good deal. But when Camden lets Shelby know he may not be 100% straight, Shelby doesn't know what to do with the temptation, but knows he doesn't want to be Camden's experiment. But when you like someone and they fill all the empty spaces in your heart, you have to take the leap and hope that you won't fall, right? SNik read Curious.
From the blurb:
I’m desperately attracted to my husband.
Which wouldn’t be a problem, except he’s straight.
What happened is, my longtime crush/hero got badly injured saving me from my evil ex-boyfriend. When I found out he (my hero, not my ex) didn’t have health insurance, I did the logical thing: I proposed. To my surprise, he said yes.
I knew that Camden wasn’t interested in me like that. This deal was always meant to be temporary—just until he healed and could get his own insurance and I found a place to stay, since I’m not moving back in with my ex. No feelings involved.
Except Cam kissed me at our wedding ceremony, and ever since, we can’t seem to stop kissing. He says he’s curious what sex with a man would be like, but I don’t want to be another straight guy’s experiment.
Still, Cam is so kind and beautiful, with his dark eyes and tousled curls shoved into a backward baseball cap. His patience makes me want to throw out all my carefully crafted rules. And don’t get me started on how his first instinct is to protect me …
But I’m scared if I open my heart, I’m going to get hurt. Again.
Can I risk telling Cam how I feel before our deal ends? Or should I let him go and lose the best (fake) relationship I’ve ever had?
Curious is a stand-alone contemporary M/M romance novel with a marriage of convenience and bisexual awakening. It features Shelby, a receptionist who’s never met a vision board he didn’t like; Camden, an internet-famous contractor; and a hasty wedding for medical insurance reasons. Happy ever after guaranteed.
SNik's Review:
Fourth in series (IOU), can be read as a standalone but might be more fun if read in order. Marriage of convenience. Husbands to friends to lovers. Close proximity. Slow burn. Dual POV.
While working his construction job, Camden comes to law office receptionist Shelby’s rescue and hurts his ankle. It’s the least Shelby can do to offer up his insurance to cover Camden’s injury. But getting married to a straight guy you’re attracted to is problematic, especially when that guy says he’s attracted to you, too.
Camden has never met someone he wants to protect as much as he does Shelby, and wanting to touch and kiss the other man is unexpected as well. Shelby has been let down too many times before, and his fear and hesitation are relatable, and Camden also has had his heart stomped on before, so the tentative friendship is sweet and allows them time to learn about each other.
The honest communication between them is swoony, and both Camden and Shelby are 100% committed to their feelings, and once they overcome their fears, it is a romantic and loving relationship.
Such a fun read, this series does not disappoint.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Heather's Review:
Curious was a fun take on the fake marriage trope... with Camden facing questions about his sexuality and Shelby coming out of a relationship with a closeted and married man, the combination of chemistry and insecurity was compelling to read. I love how protective Cam is and how sweet Shelby is. This book had a slow build to a steamy finish and was engaging throughout.
Rating: 5 Stars
Curious is available to buy as an ebook, paperback, or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Release Tour & Excerpt:
Curious
By Leslie McAdam
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Exclusive Excerpt from Curious by Leslie McAdam
I wake before my alarm, drifting to consciousness when I realize I’m being held by my husband.
To repeat: my husband.
And wow, we spent our wedding night in the same bed. I never would’ve figured that would happen under the circumstances. Not that I had that much chance to think before jumping into marriage—or bed—with Camden. His huge, defined bicep eclipses my arm, and he feels solid and amazing behind me.
There’s also something solid and amazing pressing against my ass.
I need to pee, and brush my teeth and make myself more presentable. So I reluctantly wiggle out of his grasp and slip into the bathroom to freshen up. Once I’m done, I return to resume the same position, except Cam isn’t wearing a shirt, and until he crawled into my bed last night, I’d never seen him shirtless. I have to take a moment to inspect him.
I sigh hard.
He’s just so handsome. His morning stubble and messy hair make him look rumpled and vulnerable. And, much to my delight—okay, and some frustration—when he took off his shirt, I learned that both his nipples are pierced. I’m not saying I would’ve married him for that reason alone, but it is a bonus.
A bonus I can’t enjoy to the fullest extent.
I watch his chest rise and fall for a moment before I slide back in next to him. When I do, he snuffles happily, and I smile into my pillow.
I really want to kiss him. I want to jump his bones, actually.
But I can resist. I’m going to respect my own boundaries. I have to.
My thoughts drift until he moves and blinks his eyes open.
“Hi,” I say. My anxious brain worries that he’s going to run away screaming once he realizes what he did yesterday.
“Hey. Morning.” Cam leans over, and before I can go down any mental rabbit hole, he’s kissing me.
Okay. Yes.
It’s a quick peck, but I don’t let him get away with that. I tug the back of his neck, and he grunts a little but moves between my legs, not protesting. And when I part my lips, he slides his tongue into my mouth.
This in turn wakes up my cock, which had been idling but now is revving to go. He’s still hard, too, and his cock brushes against my leg.
We break apart for a moment, panting, and he blinks rapidly. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I say, breathless.
“No, Shelby,” Cam says. “I listened to you yesterday. Let’s just … not.”
I will not roll my eyes. I will not sigh in exasperation. I will stay strong. I will be grateful he’s doing what I asked. My mind will quit spinning off on tangents about what I’d like to do with my husband if things were different between us.
“Thanks,” I force out, then berate myself. Because I could maybe have had some morning somethin’-somethin’ with my handsome husband, but because of my principles and my self-worth, I’m going to deprive myself.
No nookie for me. Even if I want it.
About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two children. Leslie's first published book, The Sun and the Moon, won a 2015 Watty, which is the world's largest online writing competition. She's gone on to receive additional literary awards and has been featured in multiple publications, including Cosmopolitan.com. Her books have been Top 100 Bestsellers on both Amazon and Apple Books. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men of your fantasies.
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