Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Karma’s a Bit*h
AUTHOR: Este Holland
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 173 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2020
BLURB:
Karma’s only a bitch if you’re bad.
Jake Michelson plays it safe. All he wants to do is keep a roof over his head and graduate from NYU in a few months. He can count on three things in life: his job at Dinkin’s Donuts, his best friend Marri, and school.
Archer Ferraro plays by his own rules. The one thing he can’t stand is when bad people get away with doing bad things. He’s dedicated his life to righting the wrongs the police can’t or won’t handle.
When Archer accidentally upsets Jake’s life, he vows to make it right and hires him.
Together, Jake and Archer must work on a new case involving stolen jewelry and a womanizer, deal with a lawyer brother and a jailbird father, and stay out of the cops’ way.
Should be easy…right?
REVIEW:
Meet Archer and Jake, the only guys who could pull off powder blue suits with orange polka dot bow ties. They are the two immensely likable – if sartorially challenged – characters of Karma’s a Bit*h. Archer is full of confidence and playfulness, and endearingly protective of Jake, who is more cautious but determined, and is devoted to Archer. Their happiness is infectious.
I adore Karma’s a Bit*h! It’s heaps of fun, so cute and lighthearted and I was hooked immediately. How can you not love a book where the lovers meet in a place called Dinkin’s Donuts? My initial thought when reading the book was, “This is like nothing I’ve ever read.” Indeed, I’ve read over 1,300 MM romance books and haven’t come across a plot quite like this, and that’s refreshing. There are plenty of tropes I enjoy in other books, but an original novel is a welcome change.
Archer meets college student Jake when he goes into Jake’s place of employment, the aforementioned donut shop, to acquire an item to use in an act of retribution against a man who abused his boyfriend. Later, Archer discovers (by stalking…a running joke) that Jake’s education and skill set would be particularly useful to his business so he offers Jake a very lucrative job. (Oh, and just maybe he wouldn’t mind spending more time with him.) So, Jake goes against his better judgement and, like Archer, becomes a private investigator with a twist. Sort of. I can’t give it away. Archer and Jake must continue to deal with the abuser who now has an eye on retaliation against them. Then there’s a new case they have to investigate and “solve” regarding a cheating bastard and thief.
Let’s talk about smiles … there are miles of smiles in this book. Archer has so many different smiles that Jake labels them: the “You’re adorable,” the “I’m up to no good,” the “You’re so cute,” and the “I’m so proud,” for example. Plus, there are the cocky, sweet, mischievous, sappy, sardonic, wicked, impish, hopeful, confident, patronizing, indulgent, and charming smiles. Phew! There are, in fact, around 150 times someone smiles in this happy book (and 60+ grins!)
“Who knew laughter was such a turn on?”
Archer and Jake’s relationship develops at a natural pace. They aren’t walking around with goo-goo eyes to a soundtrack of sappy love songs in their heads. Nor is this a slow-burn romance about fated hearts that leaves the reader a blubbering mess. Archer and Jake are attracted to each other from the get-go but they take a little time to get to know each other as friends before taking the plunge as lovers. Their sexy times are filled with playfulness and lots of heat.
Este Holland had created a fun bunch of side characters, including Jake’s colorful best friend, Marri. Then there’s Archer’s lawyer brother, Phoenix, who’s had to keep him out of hot water too many times to count, and Archer’s best friend Greg, a cop who looks the other way when Archer engages in questionable activities. One of the most priceless scenes in the book takes place when the four men join Archer’s Ma and Nonna at a restaurant for a Valentine’s dinner.
So, if you would enjoy a unique, feel-good romance with laughs and smiles, and an epilogue that delivers a fabulous HEA a year down the road, look no further. Karma’s a Bit*h is highly recommended.
RATING: 
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