Reviewed by: Sue Eaton
TITLE: Licked
SERIES: Lick It #1
AUTHOR: Charlie Novak
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 229 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2026
BLURB:
Lick It Like A Good Boy
It’s not often you meet gorgeous gothic men at wargaming tournaments. So, of course I tripped over my tongue instead of asking for his number. And despite my friends’ numerous offers to help find him online, we’re too busy opening Lick It!, our new ice cream shop, to spare time for my non-existent love life.
But when Jonathan walks through the door on a sunny Friday afternoon, I can’t help but feel like it’s fate.
He’s shy, sweet, and we immediately click. Jonathan doesn’t have much experience with relationships, so I’m determined to give him the attention he deserves, even if it means I’m pulled in two directions.
With summer heating up and the shop getting hectic, spending time together is getting harder and harder. I don’t know how to balance the long hours and being a good boyfriend, but I know I have to figure it out.
Because meeting Jonathan is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
REVIEW:
If you’ve ever wanted a book that feels like stepping into a warm summer afternoon, smelling the sea air, eating waffle cones, and watching two adorable men fall for each other in the gentlest way possible, Licked delivers it in scoops. The whole book radiates heat, not the spicy kind, but the warm, lazy, golden kind. Long days of summer, bustling streets, the excitement of a new shop opening, and ice cream flavours that practically leap off the page. You can almost taste the strawberry swirl and salted caramel. The perfect summer read.
Jonathan and Alfie are opposites in the most comforting way. Jonathan’s world is muted, steady, and familiar. Alfie arrives like a rainbow bright, enthusiastic, and determined to make everyone around him smile. Watching Jonathan slowly warm to Alfie’s kindness is like watching ice cream soften on a hot day: inevitable, gentle, and very satisfying.
Jonathan is the kind of character who looks like he stepped straight out of a gothic romance but turns out to be one of the softest, most quietly endearing men in the room. On the surface he’s all dark clothes, dry humour, and a job that makes people assume he’s dark and brooding. In reality, he is thoughtful, gentle, and deeply loyal, with a heart that bruises easily and loves once he trusts someone and lets them in. He’s a gamer with a strategic mind, a painter of tiny miniatures with the patience of a saint, and someone who finds comfort in routine and quiet spaces. Jonathan isn’t flashy or loud he’s steady, grounding, and unexpectedly adorable when he gets flustered. And when Alfie’s crashes into his carefully ordered world, you see just how much warmth he’s been carrying under all that black, waiting for someone who sees him exactly as he is.
Alfie is pure, unfiltered sunshine the kind of person who walks into a room and instantly makes it feel warmer, brighter, and about 30% more chaotic in the best possible way. He’s enthusiastic to his core, the sort of man who throws himself into opening the ice cream shop with the same joy most people reserve for winning the lottery. Alfie is friendly, open-hearted, and endlessly encouraging, the type who believes in people long before they believe in themselves. He’s creative, generous with smiles, and has a knack for making everyone around him feel seen and welcome. And beneath all that brightness is a quiet resilience he’s determined, hardworking, and fiercely loyal to his friends. With Jonathan, his warmth softens the edges, bringing colour into this goth boy’s world without overwhelming him. Alfie is sweetness with substance, a summer breeze with a backbone, and exactly the kind of person who makes falling in love look easy.
Jonathan and Alfie’s shared love of miniatures and wargame tournaments is one of those unexpectedly adorable threads that makes their relationship even sweeter. Jonathan, with his meticulous precision, paints tiny armies with the same quiet devotion he gives to everything he cares about. Alfie, all sunshine and enthusiasm, dives into the hobby like he does everything else brightly, wholeheartedly, and with a talent for turning even the most competitive tournament into a day of laughter. Together, they become this perfect blend of strategy and chaos: Jonathan planning flawless tactical manoeuvres while Alfie names every miniature something ridiculous and cheers them on like they’re real. It’s a hobby that lets them be playful, nerdy, and completely themselves, and it becomes one more place where they fit together effortlessly, side by side at the table, building worlds as easily as they build a life with each other.
Both men are surrounded by friends who want nothing more than to see them happy. Alfie’s crew cheer him on with chaotic enthusiasm. Jonathan’s circle nudges him gently out of his comfort zone. Together, they form a little community that gently shepherds these two toward each other.
This is a story of small gestures, soft smiles, and the kind of connection that grows naturally when two people simply fit. Jonathan and Alfie don’t need drama they just need time, trust, and a few shared scoops to realise they’re exactly what the other has been missing.
Licked is a super sweet warm hug of a book colourful, and full of heart. It’s about finding joy in unexpected places, letting people in, and discovering that sometimes the perfect match is the one who brings a little flavour into your life.
RATING: 
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