Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Terribly Tristan
SERIES: Bad Boyfriends, Inc. #3
AUTHOR: Lisa Henry & Sarah Honey
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 238 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 18, 2022
BLURB:
When it comes to dating, one and done has always been Tristan’s rule—so what happens when once isn’t enough?
Leo Fisher is a sensible guy, with a sensible life. He’s the picture of respectability, just like his parents raised him to be. But when he inherits a crumbling terrace house in Newtown from his uncle, he also inherits a tenant who turns his world upside down. Tristan is brazen, gorgeous, experienced, and doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. He’s everything Leo is not—maybe that’s why Leo is drawn to him. Leo has only ever made the right choices—the sensible choices, yet here he is, hooking up with his tenant—who happens to be a rent boy.
Tristan Montague is not a rent boy. Not exactly. He’s a Bad Boyfriend. For a modest fee, he’ll turn any date into the kind of disaster that will have his client’s unsuspecting parents begging them to rethink their life choices. Boyfriending for cash is fun, but for real? No thanks. There are way too many flowers in the garden of life to settle on one single bloom. Tristan flits happily from lover to lover like a glorious gay butterfly, and he doesn’t do repeats.
Except when he meets cute, awkward Leo, Tristan finds himself rethinking his ‘no repeats’ rule. Tristan’s mission to show Leo that he, too, can be a glorious gay butterfly takes an unexpected turn when physical attraction develops into something more, and Tristan realizes he might not want to be a fake boyfriend anymore…he might want to be a real one?
But for Leo to take a stand against his overbearing parents, Tristan’s going to have to be a Bad Boyfriend one last time—and it’s going to have to be spectacular.
REVIEW:
Bad Boyfriend, Inc. is a most amusing series and Terribly Tristan, book three, is no exception. In this book, Tristan has inherited the business from Harry who took over from Ambrose. It’s the perfect moneymaking job while going to college and he has a blast. He pretends to be the real but atrocious boyfriend of men and women trying to convince their parents that their real partner is wonderful in comparison. This is such a clever plot unlike any book I’ve read.
Tristan lives in a crummy dump of a barely livable house with Harry and his boyfriend Jack. When their ancient landlord, Mr. Erskine, dies, they worry they’ll never find a place as affordable. At the landlord’s funeral, Tristan meets Mr. Erskine’s great-nephew, Leo, who he mistakenly thinks was Mr. Erskine’s boy toy. Just, ew. He was ninety-three! It’s not the only misunderstanding: Leo is under the impression Tristan is a rent boy. I always say I’m not a fan of misunderstandings as a plot device but these deliver angst-free hilarity.
Tristan is attracted to Leo but because Leo is his new landlord, a one-and-done night with him could get messy (not the good kind of messy). Besides, Tristan doesn’t do relationships – it’s one night stands only for him. There are too many eligible guys out there to restrict himself to just one. “In a sea full of fish, why settle for the same old sardine every time?”
With Leo, he begins to enjoy all the things that would normally set of alarms, like snuggling and spooning.
Leo is afraid Tristan will think he’s boring. His parents have always required him to be quiet and respectable – “it’s all about the optics!” – but now he’s concerned he might have missed out on discovering who he really is and enjoying the best life has to offer. Tristan is the complete opposite of the guys he’s dated in the past and he likes it. He’s having fun!
I really enjoyed reading Terribly Tristan. Both men are lovable and well-developed, and Tristan brings the goofiness. It was nice to have a good bit of time with Harry and Jack, and I loved Miss O’Jenny, the drag queen with a heart of gold. My only complaint is that I wish there had been more Bad Boyfriend dates. They are so hilarious and absurd and I wanted more.
Overall, this is a great addition to the series. It can be a standalone but why not read the series in order? Book one, Awfully Ambrose is my favorite and provides the most bad dates. If you’ve already been enjoying the series, this is a must-read.
RATING: 
BUY LINK: