Why I read it: I saw some buzz about this one on Twitter so I bought it.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Mechanic Benji Holiday is so over Valentine’s Day and men who don’t get him. A weekend getaway with friends to escape the holiday hubbub is exactly what he needs. But William O’Dare—a stern and silent nightclub owner with “Be My Valentine” practically stamped on his forehead—throws a wrench into Benji’s plans.

William has spent years focused on his career, and it has cost him friendships and love. Inexperienced in the business of romance, he’s on the hunt for the perfect partner, and he’s armed with specific criteria to guide him. But William didn’t expect a hunky mechanic wrapped in satin and lace to show up on his doorstep.

Unable to resist their attraction, Benji and William agree to be secret fake valentines for the weekend, but secrets have a way of getting out. William gets struck by Cupid’s arrow, and as the weekend winds down, he doesn’t want fake or secret. He wants Benji to be his valentine for real and for keeps.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): What a charming delight this novella was! Benji was funny and sweet and he won my heart as he was winning William’s. And William was fabulous too in his own way. Benji is more out there, very emotionally open and a little messy. William is more controlled and reserved but the perfect foil for Benji. Both of them are emotionally vulnerable and very brave as they find their way toward one another and I loved how the dynamic shifted from one to the other in that regard.

The story also led me down a wonderful little internet rabbit hole of men-in-lingerie and what a revelation that was. Holy hotness Batman.

When Benji attends a “Valentine’s Day sucks” house party he is surprised and initially disappointed to find out that due to a power outage he and the host are the only ones there for at least a day. It’s too far to go home but, talk about awkward. William, for his part, wasn’t expecting Benji and he is such a breath of fresh air he is a little overwhelmed.

William is the co-owner of several nightclubs and has devoted himself to his career at the expense of his relationships (friendships as well as any romance) for years but he’s lonely and he’s reached a point with the business that he can slow down a little and take some time for himself. He’s in the middle of compiling a list of attributes his ideal partner would have when Benji arrives. Needless to say, Benji does not meet any of the criteria on the list. Needless to say, William’s list is in serious need of revision.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where the conflict in the book will come from given the set up but I have to say I very much appreciated the twist on the trope. It went somewhere a little unexpected, did something a bit different and above all, kept the characters true to themselves and didn’t manufacture conflict because plot.

There were multiple times in the book where I laughed out loud and I spent a lot of the story with a big sappy smile on my face. The novella perhaps lost a little momentum right near the end but the bulk of the book was just so good – sexy, sweet and delicious.

I loved Benji’s sense of humour and their mutual easy acceptance (more than that – it was a full on embrace) of each other’s sexual preferences.

William licked the sweat off Benji’s shoulder, then dipped his head and kissed the stretch of skin below Benji’s armpit.

He’d never had a guy target his armpit, but it was the second time William had done so. It sent a ticklish, jumpy sensation to Benji’s stomach. He groaned, wanting to be touched there harder. Or maybe lighter. Or wetter. He simply knew it felt weird and good. Benji certainly hadn’t expected William to teach him things about his own body, but lifelong learning was a noble pursuit. He’d heard that from a librarian once.

What else? I literally laughed out loud at this nod to romance novels, which comes up when William is contemplating Benji participating in his nightclub’s “Bachelorian Auction” post-Valentine’s Day.

William scowled. “Don’t sell yourself short.” Then William scowled deeper. He should shut up. He didn’t exactly like the idea of Benji being part of the Bach Auction, though dates weren’t expected. It was basically a romance novel waiting to happen. Benji would probably meet a cowboy billionaire there, then one thing would lead to another and there would only be one bed!

In addition to some super hot sexxoring and awesome lingerie, there is a deeper intimacy which occurs between the pair and it, more than anything, convinced me they belonged together.

But Benji couldn’t deny that this was how sex was supposed to feel. This was how sex felt when no one was hiding. When the vulnerability of it was honored and both parties entered into it with joy and honesty.

William is somewhat of a stabilising force on Benji. A support and a stalwart comfort but he is not staid or boring. Benji brings spontaneity and vibrancy to William’s life but he is not a manic pixie dream boy. Each man contains multitudes of contradictions, strengths and vulnerabilities but each complements the other in the best way. Between the humour, the sex, the connection and the lingerie, the novella was pretty much everything I could have wanted.