Spooky Level Up (Love Takes No Holidays Book 1) by Aria Clark & J.F. Miev


Are grownup guys able to hold on to a teenage crush. Ben and Charlie get a chance to find out. I never expected a haunted house would bring two people together, but that's what happened in this story.


From the Spooky Level Up blurb:

CHARLIE

My ex taught me that love is a scam. Which is fine—it’s not like I need that rose-tinted fairytale. I’m perfectly content enjoying a different man every night while focusing on my video game career.
Until I run into Ben on Halloween. He’s big, charming, crazy good in bed and a bit of a nerd. He doesn’t make fun of my passion, nor does he treat me like a trophy boytoy the way my ex did. The more time we spend together, the more I realize how painfully perfect he is.
There are just two problems: I still don’t believe in love, and he’s my brother’s best friend.

BEN
I returned to the UK to help my sister expand the family business. Meeting the cutest guy ever at a theme park is the last thing I expected to happen. No one has caught my eye for years.
And the crazy part? Charlie is my best friend’s brother, and the crush I had on him as a teen is back in full force. But we are both old enough now, so I’m not wasting my chance with him. His no-dating rule gets in the way, but throw in a little revenge plot when his ex decides to be an ass, and I have everything I need to prove to Charlie that I am his person.

Spooky Level Up is a low-angst Halloween novella that features brother’s best friend, a sassy gamer who doesn’t believe in love, grumpy/sunshine, size difference, high heat, a revenge plot, opposites attract, a theme park and a trip to Greece.


SNik's review:

First in series (Love Takes No Holidays). Novella. Brother’s best friend. Size difference. Dual POV. 

Having just broken up with his boyfriend, Charlie swears off relationships and love. But when the gamer has a run in with a fiery hookup, that just so happens to be the guy he had a crush on as a teenager, Charlie doesn’t realize that Ben has no intentions of letting Charlie go. 

This is a cute story with high heat, as Ben gradually woos Charlie and waits for Charlie to acknowledge that feelings are growing. There isn’t much background for the characters, but they knew each other when they were younger and had mutual crushes on each other so it definitely gives a second chance feel and a familiarity with each other they wouldn’t have if they were strangers. A fun, quick read with a Halloween meet cute.


Reed Kaye's review:

This novella is a cute, fun brother's best friend romance.

Charlie has decided after his last break up that he believes there is no such thing as the fairy tale happy ever after. Even though haunted houses are not his thing he agrees to go with friends. It is hysterical what happens there. Luckily he is “saved” by a guy he is really attracted to.

Ben, helping out a friend, works a shift at the haunted house and when he runs across someone not really comfortable being scared, he decides to look out for this cute guy.

This has a snarky Charlie who has to be convinced to even date again and Ben who is attracted to the sassy guy.

I enjoyed this story for Halloween. The author did a good job giving the characters a touch of history and connection. The secondary characters played a lot into the story and kept it light hearted.


Angel's review:

After Charlie breaks up with his ex he swears off of love. He's done with relationships, he's done with love, all he wants are the steamy times. When his friends convince him to go to a haunted house with them, there he meets and is rescued by Ben. And there is where their story begins..or is it?

I thought this story was a nice, cute, short read. It had great characters, and good writing. The story flowed well, the chemistry between Ben and Charlie was off the charts, and their relationship progressed gradually. While their arrangement started off as friends with benefits, there was so much more than just the steamy times, which I enjoyed. They both got to know one another gradually, and really listens to what each other liked and preferred.

I liked the twist of Ben and Charlie meeting before they met at the haunted house, if you want to know what I mean by that you'll have to read this yourself. I don't want to spoil it! That element was done well though and gave a nice surprise.

When Ben, Charlie, Trish, Ethan, and Greg all planned out a way to get revenge on Andy I was cheering them on. That guy was a horrible person, and I'm glad they were able to get back at him for the horrible things he had done.

Overall a great story! I adored how sassy Charlie was, and how caring and protective Ben was of him. So cute!


GreenwingReads review:

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it immensely. Both main characters were sweet and unique. You have petite but fiesty Charlie and super hot, super swoony Ben.

I loved the way Ben and Charlie are so into each other despite Charlie's best efforts to deny it. They are both interested before they even realize how they know each other. But Charlie is fresh from a horrible relationship with the worst type of ex ever and he doesn't trust himself when it comes to relationships. I loved how patient Ben was with him and how sneaky sweet he was about slipping past Charlie's defenses.

There's a lot to love in this little novella and it's a perfect quick read for spooky season!


Spooky Level Up is currently available as an e-book

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