Jared
(Boyfriend for Hire, 4)
by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
GLBTQ, M/M
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Trope: Fake Boyfriend, Single Dad
Released: 23 April 2021
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Length: 180 pages, 40,300 words
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
All Buy Links here:
Blurb
Jared’s world is turned upside down after Luka hands over his pocket money to hire him as a friend for his lonely, widowed dad.
Jared is good at his job, but his soft heart means that he often finds himself in the weirdest of situations. A kind-of-threesome, a disappearing swan, and a destroyed hotel room are just the tip of the iceberg, but he is a popular boyfriend-for-hire and always in demand. He dreams of working as a family psychologist one day, and as his work with Bryant & Waites is funding his studies, the last thing he wants is to lose his job. At a make-or-break meeting, Jared vows to focus on being strictly professional. Still, almost immediately, he meets Luka sitting on the office steps with pocket money in hand and with a sadness that melts Jared’s resolve. Luka explains that his mom passed away some years ago, and his hardworking father needs a friend. Jared has no intention of taking Luka’s pocket money, but he wants to make Luka smile again, and if being hired as a friend for Luka’s widowed dad is what it takes, then he’s all in.
Being a single dad to eleven-year-old Luka is the best thing in Nate’s world, but add running a bar with long hours, and his work-life balance is screwed. There’s certainly no time for relationships, and even though Luka worries about his dad’s love life daily, romance is the last thing on Nate’s agenda. Owning Rhea’s Bar and keeping his head above water is second only to his love for Luka. His entire world consists of his son and the bar until Jared stumbles into his life. Even though Nate won’t admit it, he’s lonely, and Jared is the first friend he’s made in a very long time. Could their friendship become something more?
Excerpt
“Do you have any idea how worried I was? And Auntie Lee? What were you thinking? Lying? No lies, we don’t lie, ever.”
Luka’s bottom lip trembled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Nate held Luka’s face, tugged the beanie he was wearing down over his ears. His cheeks were flushed pink from the cool air and felt chilled against Nate’s warm palms. “What would I do if something happened to you? Hey?” He pulled Luka to him, appreciated the solid feel of him in his arms. “Promise me you won’t do anything like this ever again.”
There was a small hic as Luka nodded against him.
“What were you doing that was so important that you thought you had to lie about it?” He rested his hand on the top of Luka’s head, encouraging Luka to lean back.
Luka’s eyes were wet, his nose red. “It’s your birthday soon. I wanted to get you something.”
The Series
Boyfriend for Hire, RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
- Darcy [http://rjscott.co.uk/read-darcy]
- Gideon [https://rjscott.co.uk/read-gideon]
- Jared [https://rjscott.co.uk/read-jared]
- Felix (Coming Fall 2021)
Carra's Review
This writing duo and their Boyfriend for Hire series is one I know I can turn to for something relatively lighthearted and sweet, with a definite HEA. Jared once again fits the bill, this time with the addition of Nate’s incredibly adorable son Luka, who just wants to hire a friend to spend time with his dad.
Poor Jared has had a bit of a bad run lately with his boyfriend bookings, but he’s really not a bad guy…just maybe a bit too likely to let tears cause him to get into odd situations. His first encounter with Luka kicks things off, and my heart hurt with Luka’s story. That does however lead to Jared and Nate meeting, and while that first introduction might have been a little rocky, it does set off their friendship.
Their relationship develops at an easy pace, going from friends to eventually more without feeling rushed. The angst level is minimal, even when Nate finally finds out what Jared’s job is. The whole story is a nice, relaxed journey with two sweet, well-matched guys and is just the thing for any reader wanting something low-stress and a guaranteed happy ending.
Jared was a 4-star read for me, and is recommended for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.
GIVEAWAY!
1 x $10 Gift Card plus, 2 prizes of an ebook from our backlists
Closes 3 May 2021, 12am, London UK
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
RJ Scott, author of M/M romance.
Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
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Meredith Russell is an author, cover artist and vampire slayer. Okay, she may have made that last one up, but that’s what she loves about writing—the possibilities. No matter where her stories are set—from fantastical worlds of zombies and werewolves to the ambling life of an English village—she strives to write about romance and the tales of men searching for their happy ever after. Meredith writes the stories she loves to read—complex, emotional, a journey, and sometimes unexpected.
In 2012 Meredith had her first novels published, as well as being commissioned to do her first cover design. She now splits her time between populating fictional worlds with characters she adores, and helping other authors bring theirs to life through cover art. She has had a number of popular releases, including Dead Things, Just Jack, and both the Sapphire Cay and Boyfriend for Hire series' written with RJ Scott.
