Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Ex-Beefcake 
SERIES: Local Beats
AUTHOR: Zoe Lee
PUBLISHER: Foolish Endeavors, LLC
LENGTH: 239 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2021
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Halston Stern
When my best friend Sam invites me to be his platonic plus-one for his friends’ destination wedding, I jump at the chance since we live in different cities now. I shouldn’t be nervous, but I’m not exactly the beefcake action movie star he teases me for being anymore.
Sam Radcliffe
Even though I haven’t found my forever man and don’t think he’s out there, I have the greatest friends in the world. I can’t wait to spend a week celebrating this wedding with all of them. It’s been awhile since I saw Halston, but he’s the sweetest, most thoughtful man and he’s never let me down.
As soon as I see Halston, I’m a little bit awkward… and maybe a whole lot attracted. Something as shallow as looking different for a movie role shouldn’t change how I feel about him, but it does. I can’t lose his friendship, so how can I figure out if he feels this new spark like I do? If he does, then how do we seize this chance when we have to go back to our real lives?
This is a best friends to lovers, bi awakening MM romance featuring a top who looks like a twink, an ex-beefcake action star, and a hotel room with only one bed. It is the fourth book in the Local Beats series, which can all be read as standalones, but this one is even better if you’ve read the others! It has a guaranteed HEA.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the fourth book in this series, so there are major spoiler for the first three books. I recommend reading them in order, but it’s not a must.
Sam and Halston have been best friends for more than a decade. They met at a sports bar and eventually became roommates. Sam was gay and worked in HR for a Real Estate agency. Halston was a minor league hockey player who was going to have to decide what to do after that ended. They had fun together and Sam convinced Halston to give acting a try. Then Halston ended up moving to LA for his career and becomes an action star. But they remained best friends.
Twelve years later, Asher, one of Sam’s BFFs is getting married to his long time boyfriend Lucas in Aspen. Sam isn’t dating anyone and so he asks Halston to join him as his plus one. His other BFFs, Cam and Eliott, have both paired up and so Sam is once again the odd man out. He didn’t want to just invite anybody, so he figures Halston could make the week fun for him. Halston is filming in Louisiana and he’s excited to spend some time with his bestie Sam who he doesn’t get to see nearly as often as he’d like.
Sam is a gorgeous twink looking guy who is a top. When Halston shows up, he’s changed his body for this new role and is no longer the buff, cut Action Star. He’s got more of a dad bod – which is EXACTLY Sam’s jam. Oh boy. Sam’s thrown entirely off his game. Because now along with the love of friendship, there is simmering desire. Halston knows all about Sam’s sexuality and his need to control sex. And he’s also getting a vibe from him too. He’s never really looked at a man before, but he is now. And he’s not sure how to do this, but boy, does he want Sam.
They’ve always been able to talk about everything with each other. And the one thing they’ve always been is honest. But Halston is afraid that he’ll spook Sam if he is too honest. Luckily all the guys can see what’s happening and encourage Sam to go for it. So they do 😉 And boy is it hot! Together, Sam and Halston hit all the right notes. Halston wants to give Sam everything he needs and Sam wants to give Halston everything too. Even though he freaks out a little bit at first 🙂
Then there is the whole Action Star coming out thing that they have to handle. Halston’s career is important to him, but not more important than Sam. Sam doesn’t want Halston’s career to end when he’s worked so hard for it. Again they have help from a lot of folks to make things progress in a way that will hopefully keep Halston doing what he loves while also getting to have the man of his dreams. Even though there are those who maybe not completely supportive in the industry, both Sam and Halston have the found family, Halston’s family and their friends, exes and business associates who have their back.
Oh the feels in this one! I absolutely adore Sam and Halston. First, they have an amazing meet cute. Secondly, they are two guys who have an amazing friendship. One is gay, one is straight, doesn’t matter. They are there for each other and they support each other no matter what. Halston really is all in with Sam pretty early on, but Sam takes a little more time to come around. He’s not been in a successful relationship as an adult. He’s watched all his besties couple up and he’s just resigned himself that it won’t happen for him. But if he can have that with his absolute best friend in the world? That would be the cherry on the hot fudge sundae. His care about Halston will handle his career and that side of his life is admirable and his very real reactions of jealousy were portrayed really well 😉 The best thing about this couple is that they realize that the only way this will work is if they keep the lines of communication open and are completely honest with each other about where their heads are at. Doubt and lack of transparency are the two things that could kill this burgeoning romance. However, neither of them are having it and they are so committed to seeing this through. They rely on the right people and listen to their hearts which proves to be the best advice of all. Asher and Lucas and Cam and Julian and Eloitt and Gavin (the couples from the first three books) are all right there cheering them on and supporting them and encouraging them to go for it. I loved how Halston’s bisexual awakening was handled. He’s kind of a demisexual bisexual and this isn’t glossed over. It’s definitely a huge part of who he is. Every part of this story was sensitively told and I thoroughly enjoyed it all.
Highly recommended especially for fans of friends to lovers and bisexual awakening stories.
RATING: 
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