Reviewed by Carissa

TITLE:  Played!

SERIES:  The Shamwell Tales #2

AUTHOR:  J.L. Merrow

PUBLISHER:  Samhain Publishing

LENGTH:  216 pages

BLURB:  

Tristan’s in Shamwell for one last summer of freedom before he joins the family firm in New York—no more farting around on stage, as his father puts it. But the classically trained actor can’t resist when members of the local amateur dramatics society beg him to take a role in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Especially as he’ll also be giving private acting lessons to gorgeous local handyman, Con, who’s been curiously resistant to Tristan’s advances. Tristan’s determined to get Con in his bed—not only is the man delicious, there’s fifty pounds riding on Tristan’s success after a bet made with his drama school chum Amanda.

Con’s never dared to act before. A late-diagnosed dyslexic who had a hard time at school, he’s always been convinced he’d never be able to learn his lines—but with Tristan helping him, he might just be in with a chance. Trouble is, the last time Con fell for a guy, he ended up getting his heart broken, and with Tristan due to leave the country in a matter of months, Con’s determined not to give in and start anything that’s bound to finish badly.

Just as Tristan thinks he’s finally won Con’s heart—and given his own in return—disaster strikes. And the curtain may have fallen forever on their chance of happiness.

Warning: contains a surfeit of Bottoms and asses, together with enough mangled quotations to have the Bard of Avon gyrating in his grave.

REVIEW:  

“Well, it’s your choice, darling. Do you want to spend your life as a highly remunerated, mediocre, depressed financier, or a poorly paid but fulfilled, excellent actor? With, I might add, the man you love by your side?”

Tristan’s heart clenched painfully. Oh God. When she put it like that… “I don’t recall telling you I loved him,” he said at last.

“Oh, darling. You don’t have to tell me these things.”

There was a faint click as she hung up.

Tristan was on his own.

Tristan has one last summer of freedom. One last summer away from responsibility, away from his father, and away from the ‘real’ adult world. It will probably also be the last time he will ever really be himself, instead of some corporate drone with no hope of rescue in sight. So how is he spending it? Well, cleaning out the house left to him by his Nanna Geary. Which at this point mainly consists of him putting random things in boxes and dealing with a missing cat and a Plague of Frog.

He never planned on being roped into the local am-dram production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream–not that he put up much a fight. And he certainly didn’t plan on falling for a handyman with a surly attitude. But when he is given the job to make Con stage-worthy(ish), Tristan finds himself seeing something he never thought he’d have.

Too bad his summer is quickly running out.

…And so continues my love affair with the town-folk of Shamwell. 

Seriously, me and this book fell in love at first frog sighting. Well, I fell in love with the book, the book has been remarkably reticent about sharing its feelings about me. For all I know, the book could just be using me to fill the time till it finds someone better to stroke its cover. The bastard!

I was hardly able to put this book down once I started reading. Tristan has such a lovely and unique way of speaking/thinking and I had a blast whenever we were in his pov. Some people might find it a bit annoying, the ‘fancy’ way he talks, but I have spent a large portion of my life living with a sister involved in theater. These people are weird, but awesome. And Tristan just felt so incredibly unique in a sea of character who, while totally interesting, probably had never seen anything like him and had no clue how to react. He is very much the ‘new man in the village.’ He doesn’t know who belongs to who, or the past stories and lives of these people, so at times he feels a bit isolated, but it is his growing into this crowd of odd-balls and just normal folk, that make this book so good.

And Con is not half-bad either. He has a tendency to take everything Tristan says as an insult, but then again, he probably has never met anyone even remotely like the actor. And Tristan’s sense of humor is a bit…well, let’s just say it has to grow on you–and then hand you a dictionary.  Con has spent a good portion of his life dealing with his dyslexia, and to come upon Tristan with all his fancy talking was probably a bit of shock. Con isn’t stupid, but he is used to people assuming he is. And well, that would probably piss me off too.

This book is very much a slow burn, with lots of missed-connections and three-steps-back situations. My type of book, actually. I love when MCs take their time figuring each other out. And both Tristan and Con had some very good reasons for not throwing their hearts at the other. But when Tristan finally wises up, and Con actually takes time to listen to what Tristan is saying, it is fucking awesome.

There is quite a lot about this book I love. The secondary characters are perfection, and the whole town is chock-full of so many interesting people that I can’t wait for book three. If there is a book three. Which I hope there is, because I might cry if not. Patrick needs his own story. And I have to see more of Tristan’s neighbor.

If you loved the first book, you are going to adore this one. And if you’ve yet to start the series I have no idea what you are waiting for.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Samhain

Amazon

ARe