Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE: Make Mine a Double

SERIES:  Cocktails & Chaos

AUTHOR: L.E. Franks

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH:  307 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2021

BLURB:

Nick specializes in drinks, not feelings. With a passion shaken not stirred, can the new guy serve up romance?  If love ever walked into his bar, mixologist Nick Valentine would send it right back out the door. Figuring casual hookups are the best he can expect, he’d rather give his time to his makeshift family of inebriated patrons. But when the delicious new bouncer catches his eye, he can’t deny the flutters of his watered-down heart.  Former soldier Davis “Fat Boy” Newman can’t imagine coming out. But when the snarky hunk behind the bar proves irresistible, he wonders if he should risk it all for love. After days of subtle hints and flirty looks, the smitten security man finally secures an after-hours first kiss.  Just as Nick thinks he might have something real, St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans and an offensive live Irish band conspire to keep them apart. And while Fat Boy is head-over-heels, staying safely in the closet may cost him everything.  Can their perfectly mixed connection pour them a happily-ever-after?

Note: Make Mine A Double is the laugh-out-loud first novel in the Cocktails and Chaos M/M romance series. If you like undeniable chemistry, outrageous antics, and touching connections, then you’ll adore LE Franks’s sidesplitting tale.

Buy Make Mine A Double for a full-proof attraction today! This material previously released under Book One & Two of the 6 Days Series (6 Days to Valentine & 6 Days To Get Lucky). Series re-editing done to integrate into a single 90k+ novel.

REVIEW:

Nick Valentine is the mixologist at a Bar/Restaurant in Murfreesboro, TN.  And he HATES Valentine’s Day.  Well all Holidays really it seems, but in particular Valentine’s Day and Christmas (for obvious reasons 😉 ).  The run up to Valentine’s Day this year is no different than any other, with the exception of the new bouncer/head of security.  Davis ‘Fatboy’ Newman is new to Frisson.   He’s been eying Nick and asking to set him up with his cousin.  Nick is not interested and he’s trying to figure out why the straight bouncer is so interested in him.  When they make a bet and Nick isn’t quite above board, he gets out of the setup and Davis has to act as his “bitch” for a day.  That day ends up being one of the best of their lives 😀  Despite the nagging from Natalie, the front of house manager, about ridiculous decorations, the cajoling by the head chef and his assistant for Nick to settle down and find a nice boyfriend, and the end of his hookup relationship with Juan, his bar-back, Nick’s not ready to make changes for just anyone.

There is a mix up with a customer who takes Nick’s phone.  When Nick finally gets it back and then discovers WHO the thief was after an unexpected encounter, all hell breaks looks and Nick is MAD.  Davis has some explaining to do and some groveling.  And Valentine’s Day ends being not so bad after all 🙂

Post Valentine’s day, Nick is really looking forward to FINALLY getting to be alone with Davis “FatBoy” Newman – bouncer and now very much potential boyfriend. Davis is going to visit his grandmother and Nick is going to go away with him. Until he gets suckered into working and leaves Davis high and dry. This, needless to say, sets off a string of new mishaps and obstacles that keep Davis and Nick from getting their act together.

Beyond the cancelled trip and various miscommunications, there are a LOT of other distractions. The first is a crazy Irish hurling team that arrives en masse at the bar. Nick is nearly overwhelmed with the sea of humanity. It’s also the week before St. Patrick’s Day and he’s NOT looking forward to what he sees as the silly and annoying decoration and costume extravaganza that is sure to strike the manager’s fancy.

Next there is a bitter and surly little person who is all kinds of obnoxious to Nick at the bar. Little does Nick know that this guy and his friends will truly prove to be his undoing. He and his band of merry men wreak all KINDS of havoc at the bar while Nick keeps trying to play peacemaker.
Finally, we have an Irish band booked by Nick’s boss as the special entertainment for St. Patrick’s Day. Nick knows that this is going to be nothing but trouble the second he lays his eyes on the lead singer. And he couldn’t be more than right.

Poor FatBoy is along for the ride on most of this.  Since we are getting the story from Nick’s POV, it’s obvious that he still really wants to try to have something with Davis, but his insecurities and his mouth tend to run away with him at times. Poor Davis is still trying to make his way to Nick, but he’s got his own issues with his family and with trying to manage Nick and his freak outs.  And there’s the little issue of him being closeted – something Nick is NOT on board with for any length of time.

Well I thoroughly enjoyed this highly entertaining book.  I loved to two previous books and it’s great to have them combined into this novel and revisit these characters in preparation for the “rest of the story”.  I can’t help loving Nick and FatBoy.  Nick is really stuck in his own head so much – can’t see for the forest for the trees as it were 😉  FatBoy we still don’t know that much about yet since this is told from Nick’s POV, but I hope we learn more since this is really just the start of what could really be something.  I enjoyed getting to know all of Nick’s found family at Frisson.  I love Nick’s voice but honestly there was a LOT going on in this book.  Overall I still loved being in Nick’s head while he TRIES to get it right – usually falling short.  Nick definitely has a lot of issues.  He’s kind of a lone wolf and has trouble believing that anyone would really want to be with him.  I have to say the entire dramedy around St. Patrick’s Day was pretty amusing and I loved the Irish guys – well except for one. Nick’s boss, coworkers and bar regulars provide grist for the mill and add to the wild ride.  It’s obvious that they care for Nick (well maybe not Christine, even though she OWES Nick) and I really enjoyed this family and support for him.  Nick is very reluctant to take their help though because he’s still dealing with feeling like he’s not worthy.  Davis is trying hard to make him see that he is – that his heart is big, but that he’s not good at taking care of himself.  But given Davis’s inability to be out, Nick can’t help but feel wary.  They have a long way to go to anything approaching a real relationship.  I really really hope they can see their way forward, but this really is just the beginning for them.

Definitely recommended and I truly cannot wait to see what happens next with these guys. I’m sure it will be entertaining and worth the wait.

RATING: 

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