3.5 stars
Disclaimer! I got an ARC of this from the author. That has in no way influenced my review.
Cedric Fong is pressured by his family to take part in a bachelor auction to benefit the Fong family’s charity work. He’s not at all interested in dating, he just needs to find himself a new place to live and actually manage to start writing his second novel, but once his grandmother promises to make him two hundred of her special dumplings, Cedric can no longer refuse.
At the auction, Cedric is surprised when Brian Poon, his brother’s former best friend, ends up paying a ridiculous amount of money and wins the bid. He doesn’t seem interested in anything but some good company for a Valentine’s date, and Cedric and Brian have a good time when out together. Once Brian finds out that Cedric is looking for a place to live, he offers him his spare bedroom, thinking some company might be nice. Besides, while Brian Poon used to have a huge trust fund to draw from, his father got sick of his playboy ways, and cut him off. He’s not exactly poor, but some extra income would come in handy.
Once Cedric moves into Brian’s spare bedroom, he starts forcing himself to think about his follow-up novel. His first book was a moderate success, but writing another one is proving much harder than Cedric was expecting. Brian seems surprisingly domestic, baking muffins, cookies, and other treats and pretty much making sure Cedric eats a tasty and healthy breakfast every day. It seems rather innocent at first, but as the two men keep living together and learning more about one another, they undeniably grow closer. One complicating factor is that Cedric is very aware that the reason his brother and Brian are no longer friends is that Brian confessed to being in love with him (the brother, now married with a child – not Cedric). Could his changing feelings for Cedric be some sort of rebound thing? Is the former playboy ready for something different, and likely to want to settle down in a committed relationship?
Full review here.