Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Naughty & Nice
AUTHOR: DJ Jamison
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 224 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2020
BLURB:
Why can’t I forget your kiss…
Dear Quinn,
Why must I have these feelings for you? You’re my ex-stepbrother, and nothing will change that truth, no matter how many letters I write.
I never expected to see you again–or to rescue you from the side of the road in a blizzard. I didn’t think you would ever like me, much less kiss me in a steaming hot tub on a snowy night. It seems we make better lovers than brothers, which is all kinds of naughty and nice while we’re snowed in together.
But can this new intimacy last when the skies clear and my family finally arrives for the holidays, or are we just two guys in a mountain cabin with a great view of everything we want but can’t have?
Hopelessly yours,
Jonas
REVIEW:
Naughty & Nice is a cute, low-angst, forced proximity, second chance, “pseudo” taboo, holiday story focusing on Jonas (from Secret Admirer) and his ex-stepbrother, Quinn. This is a spin-off of Secret Admirer, but stands on its own. You don’t need to have read Secret Admirer first, although if you haven’t read it, I recommend you do; it’s a terrific book and probably my favorite of DJ Jamison’s books to date. You may recall that, in Secret Admirer, Jonas is Ace’s frat brother – the guy with the reputation of being a player who goes on an ill-fated date with Benji. We learn more about his “player” reputation in Naughty & Nice. I have to admit, I wasn’t a big Jonas fan coming into this story, probably because I was so solidly “Team Ace”, but I took to him very quickly here. The author did a great job of staying true to Jonas’ character in Secret Admirer while credibly explaining why all is not as it seems, and then making us fall in love with him just like Quinn does. 😍
I’ve labelled this “pseudo-taboo” because there’s not really anything untoward about Jonas and Quinn’s relationship; they aren’t related by blood and aren’t even “family” anymore since Quinn’s mother and Jonas’ father divorced. However, Jonas fell for Quinn when they were step-brothers, unbeknownst to Quinn, and four years later, they are now reunited in the midst of a blizzard at Jonas’ father’s cabin. Jonas and Quinn both harbor concern that Jonas’ family and society more generally may think there’s something wrong with them being together romantically. I appreciated that the author didn’t sweep this concern under the rug. The issue isn’t ignored in the text and is actually dealt with by Jonas and Quinn when they become a couple. (There’s a free extra short story available to DJ’s newsletter subscribers that explores this in greater depth as well.)
After Jonas kissed a grieving Quinn under the Christmas tree four years ago, the two went their separate ways. Jonas has been in love with Quinn all along but has been trying to force himself to forget him and let go. Hence, Jonas’ adopted “player” persona which he uses to conceal his loneliness and heartbreak from his unreciprocated love for Quinn. Quinn, for his part, went off to college for a time, and then followed a path to near-ruin due to the toxic influence of his ex-boyfriend Clay. Quinn saves himself by leaving Clay when he hits almost rock bottom, but now is struggling to rebound from the emotional abuse inflicted by Clay and the damage it’s done to Quinn’s life plans and his self-esteem. He’s withdrawn from everyone and isolated himself and has nowhere to turn, so as a last resort, he asks Jonas’ Dad, his ex-stepfather, if he can stay at their cabin through the holidays and possibly after that if he gets a job nearby. Quinn intends to use the time in the cabin to get himself back on the right track. Quinn’s backstory is fertile ground and I actually wish more had been made out of it. It provides some low-level angst throughout the story. Personally, I would have liked the angst from Quinn’s experiences to have been amped up a bit and then some hurt/comfort played out in greater depth. As written, though, the story takes a lighter approach which is in keeping with the overall tone of the story so in that sense, it works just fine.
Jonas and Quinn are finally reunited when Jonas’ rescues Quinn from a snowbank where Quinn has gotten stuck in the midst of a blizzard. This is followed by 5 days of isolated forced proximity at the family cabin because the rest of the family couldn’t make it in due to the storm. During that time, Jonas and Quinn systematically peel back the protective shell each has surrounded themselves with. They realize that they are both different people now, no longer stepbrothers and no longer the same as they were that night under the Christmas tree. The author gives us a lovely exploration of these two men discovering themselves and each other and what that means for them individually and together.
Jonas and Quinn are sexy, adorable and wonderful as a couple. Their chemistry is evident and when they finally give in to their attraction, there’s some seriously steamy scenes, and I’m not just talking about the hot tub. 😉 The title of this book perfectly encapsulates Jonas’ and Quinn’s respective personalities: Jonas appears all naughty on the outside, but he’s actually “nice” behind that facade. Jonas has a good heart and isn’t self-centered, putting others ahead of his own wishes and respecting their boundaries and requests, particularly Quinn’s. Quinn, for his part, appears to be all “nice” through and through, but we quickly learn that he’s got a naughty side to him too. He breaks the rules, does his own thing – even though it’s misguided at times – and is definitely not timid or complacent in the bedroom. Together, they are a well-balanced and deeply in love couple and we get to see them each embrace their authentic selves.
This is a short book, almost novella length. I wish this was a longer story because I loved Jonas and Quinn (and the cameos from Ace and Benji too!). If I had to lodge a complaint, it would be that I wish that there were more of them to enjoy!! Notwithstanding, what the author did give us is fun, sexy and heartwarming (albeit a bit light on the holiday aspect), with a definite HEA and a terrific epilogue to showcase it. I definitely recommend you give it a read.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: