Reviewed by: Sue Eaton
TITLE: A Ballooning Display
SERIES: Bucket List Buddies
AUTHOR: JP Sayle & Lisa Oliver
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 205 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2026
BLURB:
Has Fate lucked out for Toby—or is matedom just hiding in the form of a disastrous balloon ride?
Earnest’s last relationship was a disaster with a capital D. A disaster that keeps on giving when Earnest discovers his ex has joined up with Bucket List Buddies to offer hot air balloon rides—how Earnest met his ex when he landed unexpectedly in his paddock.
With a sense of dread, Earnest puts safeguards in place to stop the pesky ex from causing him more problems. Except, nothing prepares Earnest for his worst fears coming true when it’s his mate that lands in one of his paddocks. A trip to the hospital leaves Earnest on the outside, with no way getting in.
How will he find his mate, when no one will help him?
At the top of Toby’s bucket list is a hot air balloon ride and when his best friend offers to pay for it, Toby’s excitement is at an all-time high when he has secret hopes of finding his mate just like his friend Morty. The balloon ride, although amazing, doesn’t give Toby a mate. When the organizer of the Bucket List Buddies events offers him a second balloon ride for free, Toby is no fool and grabs it.
Only this time things go awry. A head injury, a crazy sounding person in the hospital waiting room, clothes smelling of a mate he hasn’t met—these are all connected, only Toby doesn’t know this, but his bird side does.
When his bird side finally convinces Toby to listen to reason, will it all be plain sailing from now on, or will Earnest’s ex land them with yet more trouble?
REVIEW:
A Ballooning Display is peak JP Sayle/Lisa Oliver chaos: sweet, horny, earnest, and sprinkled with just enough external meddling to make you want to hiss at the page like an offended housecat.
Toby is the kind of cinnamon‑roll shifter who would absolutely apologise to a doorframe after walking into it, and you love him instantly. He’s soft, he’s anxious, he’s trying his best, and he’s just trying to get through the day without combusting from embarrassment. Enter Earnest with the emotional vibe of a weighted blanket.
Their mating dance is adorable in that “oh bless them, they’re both idiots but they’re my idiots” way. Toby keeps tripping over his own feelings, Earnest keeps trying to be patient while also radiating “I could pick you up and carry you off right now” energy, and together they’re like two puzzle pieces that keep turning themselves the wrong way before finally clicking.
And then because no romance is complete without someone trying to stir the pot Earnest’s ex slithers in like a discount soap‑opera villain who missed his cue but refuses to leave the stage. He’s not dangerous so much as annoying, the kind of man who thinks “no” is a negotiation and “mated” is a challenge. Every time he appears, you can practically hear the authors cackling as Toby’s hackles rise and Earnest’s patience thins to a single fraying thread.
Toby is the embodiment of “small creature energy.” Not physically small necessarily, but spiritually. He flutters; his nervous system is set to ‘permanently startled pigeon.’ He’s the type who jumps when someone coughs behind him. Soft-hearted, soft-spoken, soft-everything. He wants to do well, be liked, and not accidentally offend anyone by existing. Hyperaware of Earnest. Not in a creepy way, more in a “oh no he’s looking at me, I might combust” way. Loyal to a fault, once he decides someone is his person, that’s it. He’s all in, even if he’s shaking like a leaf while doing it. Surprisingly fierce when pushed, especially when Earnest’s ex starts sniffing around. Nothing activates a bird shifter’s inner velociraptor like someone threatening their mate. Toby is the kind of character you want to wrap in a blanket, until you realise he’s actually capable of pecking someone’s eyes out if they threaten his mate.
Earnest is calm. Earnest is steady. Earnest is the kind of man who could diffuse an argument just by existing. He was told repeatedly by the dastardly Ex that he was boring and staid. He is anything but. He is grounded, patient, and quietly powerful. He’s not loud about it, he just is himself without apology. Extremely protective in a way that feels like shade under a tree on a hot day. He doesn’t smother, just reassures and is deeply devoted to his mate. Slow to anger, usually because someone (hi, ex-boyfriend) has pushed him too far, but when he’s angry? Watch out, an elephant on a rampage is devastatingly effective, even the earth trembles. Emotionally intelligent he can read Toby like a book and adjusts himself accordingly. It’s very “gentle giant meets skittish bird,” and it works. Earnest is the kind of man who could carry you across a battlefield or make you tea and tuck you into bed, depending on what the moment requires.
Earnest’s ex is the narrative equivalent of a mosquito at 3 a.m. not dangerous, just infuriatingly persistent. He tries to stir trouble, but Toby grows claws (metaphorically… mostly). Earnest grows tired and doesn’t give an inch. The ex grows increasingly irrelevant. It’s satisfying in the way only fated‑mate romances can be.
Toby and Earnest’s friends operate like the world’s most chaotic but fiercely loyal support squad, each one determined to make sure their favourite duo gets the happiness they deserve. They rally around Toby with the kind of gentle encouragement usually reserved for skittish wildlife soft words, warm nudges, and the occasional “breathe, sweetheart, he adores you” pep talk. Earnest’s friend, meanwhile, brings grounding energy: steady reminders that he’s allowed to want things for himself, plus a willingness to glare down anyone (yes, including that ex) who threatens his peace. Together, this mismatched circle becomes a safety net, lifting Toby when he doubts himself, steadying Earnest when old wounds tug at him, and quietly, stubbornly making sure nothing and no one gets between them. Their friends don’t just support the relationship; they reinforce it, celebrate it, and occasionally shove it forward when both men get stuck in their own heads.
Toby and Earnest’s relationship is the kind of gloriously mismatched magic that happens when a jittery little bird shifter with the emotional stability of a wind‑tossed feather falls headfirst into the orbit of an elephant shifter built from patience, loyalty, and quiet strength. They start as a study in contrasts, flutter versus steady, nerves versus grounding but they fit, like the universe nudged them together and said, “Go on, figure it out.” And they do. They navigate Toby’s anxieties, Earnest’s gentle persistence, and even the ex‑boyfriend who keeps trying (and failing) to wedge himself between them. In the end, they overcome every barrier the same way they do everything else: Toby finds his courage, Earnest stands firm, and together they choose each other with a certainty that feels both inevitable and hard‑won.
RATING: 
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