Daniel
I got my Ph.D. and a fantastic teaching job by keeping my nose to the grindstone and avoiding relationships. Not that I didn’t like men—quite the opposite—but getting involved took time I didn’t have. One summer evening, I went out for a drink and met the most beautiful guy I’d ever seen. After an unforgettable night, I couldn’t wait to meet up again, but I missed our date. Imagine my panic when I realized we’d forgotten to trade numbers.
Caleb
A summer job as a law firm intern kept me busy, but one night, I needed to blow off some steam. At the bar, a gorgeous man saved me from an overzealous admirer. My rescuer gave me the kiss of my life, and I wound up in his bed. After the night turned out to be even better than the kiss, we made a date to meet again. Unfortunately, he no-showed on me, leaving me disappointed and confused for months. The following spring, when I showed up for a class taught by some hotshot new professor, a breathtaking man walked into the room. My heart stopped because my new professor was the guy who stood me up last summer. Was I glad to see him? I wasn’t sure. But one thing was certain—I was the very last person he wanted in his class.
One man is trying to get tenure in the job of his dreams; the other is set to graduate and begin law school. Life brought them together under random circumstances, and their path isn’t an easy one. How can they make a relationship work without sacrificing everything?
My Perfect Screwup is a contemporary gay romance involving a missed opportunity and second chance to get it right. The book includes a relationship between a college professor and student, age gap, unwavering connection, incendiary heat, found family, and dreamy HEA.
Tatted_book_freak's Review:
As usual of Josh and Ryan’s books, the two main characters' connection was undeniable and difficult to ignore, even with their initial misunderstanding, breaking through to an intense romance with plenty of steam!
The side characters of this story were different from their previous stories. Almost too dramatic, but they were college students, so I guess it was to be expected. I did not like, nor trust, Luca throughout the entire process.
So, Alexander Cendese’s performance reminded me a lot of Eckie’s character from Back to Center. Not a bad thing, but it also takes a lot of effort to differentiate between the two stories. He does have a great sense of how to portray the characters' emotions, though, so I guess there’s that.
Rating: 4 Stars
Reedkaye's Review:
This story covers everything: age gap, student professor, instant attraction, second chance and some I’m sure I’m forgetting.
This is about two grown guys that for different reasons hook up one night and make plans on getting together again, but things don’t quite work out and then the surprise happens. Caleb attends class and finds Daniel is the professor.
There are a number of events that occur that put road blocks in them trying to have a relationship. The final nail in the problems is Caleb being accepted at colleges in a city far away from where Daniel teaches.
I really enjoyed the narration by Alexander Cendese.
Rating: 4 Stars
Lesetiger's Review:
Joshua Harwood and Ryan Taylor have a writing style that I love and because of that I was looking forward to this story.
When Daniel and Caleb meet in a bar and Caleb asks Daniel out of necessity to pretend to be his boyfriend, it ends with a hot one-night stand.
The next time they meet, they are both in a lecture hall. The chemistry between the two main characters is there from the beginning and as a listener, you can feel it. I loved Caleb and Daniel. Caleb dreams of finding the right man to have a relationship with, and for Daniel, after what happened in the past, his professional future is absolutely paramount. Will the two find common ground?
What I liked was the development of the relationship between the two, because there are definitely a few stumbling blocks. Caleb lives with friends who I found very likeable and from whom I would like to read or listen to more. I am especially fond of Luca, whom I would have loved to hug. In general, I found it great how Luca has developed over the course of the story.
What I also thought was great was that they were both able to communicate decently to solve their problems.
This book shows how important communication and honesty are in a relationship
The narrator Alexander Cendese is an excellent choice. I like his pace of speech and the way he conveys the emotions of the protagonists. He brings the story to life, and I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook.
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's Review:
Alexander Cendese is one of my fave narrators. His narrations always convey the emotions of the MC he is portraying without sounding forced. As this was a book by Taylor and Harwood that's a real good skill to have since their MCs tend to be more emotional than most. Now onto the story. The blurb is definitely what pulled me in. A professor who has a hot AF one night stand who then turns out to be a student in the college class he's teaching? Count me in on that drama please and thanks.
I really liked Caleb. He had such a big heart and was a genuinely nice person. This is supported by his many friends who all seem to adore him as well. I liked Daniel too, but there were moments when he ran hot and cold. As the older of the two I expected him to be more mature, but he enjoyed a good banter just as much as his young lover. Caleb was actually pretty mature for a college boy his age. He had big aspirations and I liked that Daniel was supportive of him in that.
Their love story wasn't all hearts and rainbows. There were bumps along the way, but in the end they agreed that they were it for each other and were determined to make it work. Compromise folks is the name of the game. On a side note I'm hoping that Caleb's bestie Luca will get an HEA of his own. Though I started out really disliking him, by the end I had warmed up to him considerably and would be happy to see him get his own book.
Rating: 4 Stars
Denise's Review:
This is such a wonderful cute story. From the moment it started to ended you were enhanced in the storyline could not stop. This was written by two wonderful authors and you could really tell they worked really well together and running the storyline. It went together seamlessly you couldn't tell at all that it was written by two.
Rating: 4.25 Stars
Alyssa P's Review:
Whenever I listen to a book by Joshua Harwood and Ryan Taylor; I am in love with their writing and plot development!!
I loved the moment Daniel and Caleb met and spent the evening together.
Unfortunately, both main characters don’t see each other for a while after that, but the moment they meet again their chemistry is palpable! Daniel is Caleb’s professor for his history class, so with some misunderstandings along the way and the age gap concern both have to hide their relationship.
The authors writing style when describing the pressures both main characters feel is outstanding. The audience really emphasizes with them. I was so happy their communication allowed them to solve issues that arise between them. Often in romance books a stupid problem or instance will break the characters up for a time. I’m glad both characters had the intelligence to solve their problems together.
I loved the chemistry and connection Daniel and Caleb have. I definitely recommend this audiobook, Alexander Cendese, the narrator did such a great job!
Rating: 4.25 Stars
My Perfect Screwup Tour Info:
By Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Narrated by Alexander Cendese
Publisher: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Release Date: August 9, 2023
Version: Unabridged Audio
Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Tropes: Second Chance, Age Gap, Found Family, College Professor/Student, HEA
Excerpt
I may have been slow, but when I realized what was happening, my heart took off at a gallop. Holy shit. I can’t do this. We’re in public, and he’s my student. I haven’t even filled out the disclosure form.
Yet I never doubted I would follow him. I’d have followed him anywhere.
I got up and stopped at the next table to whisper to the waiter. “My friend will be back in a few minutes, and I need to make a phone call. We’re looking forward to dessert.”
As nonchalantly as possible, I made my way to the restrooms. They were down a small hallway from the dining area, and when I turned a corner, Caleb was waiting. No one else was there.
“What the hell?” I asked. “Why did you want me to come back here?”
He tilted his head. “I thought we could have some fun, Professor.”
“Don’t call me that. It creeps me out.”
Ignoring me, he nodded at an unmarked door. “That’s a storage closet. I’ve always wondered if they keep it unlocked, and we’re in luck—they do.”
“Caleb, this could be dangerous.”
“Mm.” He wiggled his eyebrows and opened the door. Unable to help myself, I followed him inside and locked us in. He found a wall switch, and when the lights came on, their soft glow barely lit the space. The area was about ten-feet square, with storage units on all sides. Dusty boxes were stacked on the shelves.
Caleb stepped close and slid his hands under my jacket. “I’m so glad to be here with you. I have an exam first thing in the morning, so I need to go back to school after dinner. But before we go, I wanted to show you how excited I am.”
I cradled his cheeks in my hands and snickered. “As much as I’ve dreamed about this, I never thought our first time back together would be in a restaurant bathroom.”
He snorted. “Storage closet.”
“Same difference.” Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him closer and covered his lips with kisses.
“You’re so hot,” he murmured. “I wish I could go home with you.”
“Next time?” He nodded, and I kissed him again. After a moment, he grazed his hands down my chest and stomach. Lust possessed me, and I pushed him against the shelves.
“Fuck yes,” he said, still holding me.
I covered his mouth with mine and thrust a knee between his legs. He groaned as I pressed against him, and I trapped his hands against the shelves while I explored his mouth.
Moving his head to the side, he asked, “You really want this? Dating, I mean.”
“I’m not playing around.” I kissed him again to emphasize the point, but he pulled his head back.
“Gotta be lots of fucking,” he whispered.
“Better be. I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.”
“Good!” He kissed me, and I tasted wine and lip gloss. When he eased his tongue into my mouth, my need exploded into a fight for dominance. I held him in place while our tongues battled.
Our moans echoed in the small room, making me worry we were making too much noise. I reluctantly broke the kiss. “Gotta be quiet. You sure you can’t come to my place?”
“Not tonight. Soon though.”
“Not soon enough.”
Between pants, he whispered, “I’ve got a packet of lube in my pocket. You have a condom?”
Fuck! I didn’t even think of that. “Whole box at home.”
“Lot of good that does us. I’ve got another idea.”
“Anything! Let’s do anything!”
After silencing me with another kiss, he turned us so my back was to the shelves. “Ready?” “Yes!”
He slid down my body, a maddeningly slow glide that set every one of my nerve endings on fire. When he was on his knees, he kissed my erection through my pants and then looked up. “You have no idea how much I’ve dreamed about doing this.”
MY PERFECT SCREWUP. Copyright © 2023 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood. All rights reserved.
About the Authors:
Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood write gay romance with heat and heart. With thirteen books and eight audiobooks to their credit, they have earned high praise for their exciting, sweet, steamy, and (mostly) low-angst stories. The Bethesda Barracudas Hockey series is a hit with readers and listeners, and their most recent series, Mohegan U Hockey, has been even more popular. The MUH books are emotional reads, sweet and steamy with some angst. All of Ryan and Josh’s books are carefully crafted to be read as standalones, even when they are part of a series.
Ryan and Josh were married in 2017. They began writing to celebrate their own romance and are passionate about telling authentic stories about gay men who fall wildly in love and find their own “happily ever afters.”
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18708074.Joshua_HarwoodTo celebrate the release of My Perfect Screwup in audio, Ryan and Josh are giving away three direct to Kindle copies of My Perfect Screwup. The giveaway starts on 09/01 and ends on 09/14. Click the link below to see how you can enter.
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