Under the Shade of the Sycamore by V.L. Locey

A sweet, small town boy makes waves on the biggest fashion stage - Paris and a huge impression on one of the judges, when he is chosen for a reality show and sparks fly!

From the blurb:

When you think you’ve finally found your place in the world, something unexpected has a way of stitching itself into the seams.

Kinder Graham is on the brink of everything he’s ever wanted. A self-taught designer, his sharp eye, daring silhouettes, and relentless ambition have earned him a coveted invitation to showcase his work on an exclusive fashion reality show in Paris. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime—the kind that launches careers and rewrites futures. Armed with talent, nerves, and a suitcase full of dreams, Kinder arrives in France determined to prove he belongs among legends. That is, if he can survive the tutelage of Claude Barrons…

A household name in haute couture, Claude is as enigmatic as he is brilliant—an icon whose designs have shaped decades of fashion and whose reputation is as meticulously curated as his collections. Draped in quiet confidence and effortless elegance, he commands every room he enters…always with a tiny, impeccably groomed dog nestled in a sling at his hip, peering out at the world like it owns it. To Kinder, Claude is everything he both admires and fears: experienced, untouchable, and wholly out of reach.

As erratic production shoots stretch into late nights and the pressure of the show mounts, Kinder begins to see beyond the legend. Beneath Claude’s cool exterior lies a man who understands creation, sacrifice, and the lonely cost of brilliance. Between whispered critiques, shared sketches, and quiet moments stolen under dancing boughs, admiration turns into something far more dangerous—and far more irresistible.

Under the Shade of the Sycamore is an age gap, slow burn, mentor/mentee, rich man/poor man, MM romance set against the glittering backdrop of Paris fashion. It features a rising American designer with everything to prove, a legendary French icon with nothing left to lose, a very opinionated dog with impeccable taste, late nights in dimly lit ateliers, espresso-fueled mornings, tension threaded through every glance, and a breathtaking runway where more than one heart is on display…all leading to a beautifully tailored happily ever after.

Heather's review:

Take the best elements of Project Runway, throw it in a MM romance blender with a side of homespun sweetness and Kit's tragic backstory and you have the makings of the sweet and spicy story in Under the Shade of the Sycamore.   I absolutely loved diving into this opposites attract, age gap story that just kept making me want to keep turning the page.  I'm neck deep in the current season of Project Runway so this book was the perfect way to keep the momentum between the latest episode drops.   I love the side characters, the setting and the whole vibe of the book.  I devoured it in less than a day because I couldn't put it down!