Reviewed by Valerie 

TITLE:  Pretenders

SERIES:  First and Forever Stories #1

AUTHOR:  Alexa Land

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  222 pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 29, 2021

BLURB: 

Doctor Wesley Bennett is desperate to find a date for his ex-fiancé’s destination wedding. So desperate, in fact, that he’s decided to hire an escort to pose as his boyfriend.

That’s what he thinks, anyway.

My roommate’s the actual escort, not me. He wasn’t available, so I stepped in. This job was just way too sweet to pass up.

It should be easy. All we have to do is convince everyone Wesley and I are a couple without getting emotionally involved. He’s adorable though, in a nerdy and endearingly awkward kind of way, and the attraction between us is undeniable. I have a feeling things are about to get complicated. And what’s going to happen when the job is over? Can we stop pretending and build something real? Or are a straight-laced pediatrician and a lavender-haired DJ too different to make it work?

Pretenders is a stand-alone, opposites attract gay romance, set in the world of Alexa Land’s best-selling Firsts and Forever Series.

REVIEW: 

Pretenders is another hit by Alexa Land in the Firsts and Forever world. It’s an opposites attract, fake boyfriend story in which Ash shows Wes the meaning of unconditional love and gives him hope that he’ll know true happiness again. The book is off and running from the very first sentence which opens in the midst of an, um, action scene. 

“You can do it, buddy. Come on whatever your name is, shoot for the stars. Or my tonsils. Either way.”

Ash and Wesley are veritable opposites. Ash unapologetically lives his life on his own terms, not worried about others’ opinions. He loves his job as a local celebrity DJ in a popular club in the Castro district of San Francisco. He is full of vim and vigor – case in point, he has lavender hair – and thrives on experiencing something new every single day. In contrast, Wesley is an awkward, nerdy pediatrician. He’s only been in San Francisco for a year following a devastating breakup, but he’s not committed to staying and his lifestyle shows it. He’s isolated and lonely without many friends, and lives in a sterile apartment on the edge of the city. He’s an outsider. 

His brother is marrying Wes’ ex-fiancé who left him six days before their wedding. His parents are cold, unloving, and terribly disappointed in Wes for many reasons. Wes wants to prove he’s okay with the wedding (he’s not) but he can’t face it alone. Money’s no object to Wes so he hires Ash – mistakenly thinking he’s an escort – at an exorbitant fee to pose as his boyfriend for nine days in Bora Bora. (Where can I get a job like that?? For 18 grand plus expenses, I don’t think my husband would mind.) 

One highlight of the book is Ash’s outrageous, campy behavior when he devilishly annoys and outrages Wes’ mother in front of her friends and family. 

This is an insta-love story (normally a big ugh) with Ash starting to fall for Wes before they even embark on their trip. I happily tolerate it, though, because I’m rooting for these lovable guys, I adore the Firsts and Forever world, and because, well, I love Alexa Land’s imaginative and joyful writing. There’s always a message of hope in her stories, and here she has Ash showing Wes that he’s good enough just as he is (and perfect for Ash). He doesn’t have to change himself to please the people who truly care about him. And soon there are lots of people who care when he’s welcomed with open arms into Nana Dombruso’s ever-growing found family of gay and transgender men. 

Of course, no F&F novel is complete without a visit to ultra-awesome octogenarian and LGBTQ+ rights powerhouse, Nana. This time her dick-themed shenanigans include a memorable marching band. As a friend of River and Cole’s, Ash has long been a member of Nana’s wacky collected family. 

Ms. Land’s strength has always been her wonderful array of characters. In addition to the multi-faceted sweetie pies, Ash and Wes, the standout in this cast is Wes’ charming eight-year-old niece, Millie. As the only introverts in a family of over-achievers, Wes and Millie have an unbreakable bond. She adores her uncle, and soon Ash, and they cherish her in return. Ash’s roommate Jasper will star in Kept Man, Ms. Land’s next novel in the series. 

If you’ve loved the Firsts and Forever and the Castaways series, Pretenders will float your boat. Now if I can just find myself a way to boat around these French Polynesian islands … 

Highly recommended! 

RATING:

BUY LINKS:  

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