Reviewed by: Sue Eaton
TITLE: Dripped
SERIES: Lick It #2
AUTHOR: Charlie Novak
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 213 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2026
BLURB:
Drip It All Over Me
Fulfilling my childhood wish of opening an ice cream shop is meant to be a dream come true, not a stress-inducing nightmare. And it’s not meant to make my friends concerned for my health either. But I’ll be fine! All we have to do is survive the summer and then I’ll be able to breathe again.
My employee Owen has a different idea, though.
He’s seen me watching him swim every morning, and he knows I think he’s ridiculously hot, so he proposes a simple solution to my stress: a summer-long, no-strings hook-up arrangement.
It’s the perfect plan on paper. Except, the longer summer goes on, the more I’m developing feelings for the sunshine swimmer who loves my dream as much as I do. But I can’t tell him that. Because Owen doesn’t plan to stay. And I can’t ask him to.
Even if letting him walk away would be the worst decision I’ve ever made.
REVIEW:
A tender, summery romance about two men who think their love has an expiration date until they finally dare to believe in something lasting
Following the soft, sun‑kissed charm of Licked, Charlie Novak returns to her irresistible ice‑cream‑shop universe with Dripped, a story that deepens the series’ emotional heart while keeping all its sweetness. Where Licked gave us Jonathan and Alfie’s gentle, pastel‑bright romance, Dripped shifts the spotlight to Darcy, already familiar as one of Alfie’s business partners and introduces Owen, the wanderer who unexpectedly becomes the missing piece Darcy didn’t know he needed. Their story feels like the natural next scoop in the series: richer, more layered, and every bit as delicious.
Darcy is the emotional anchor of the book a man with the weight of the world balanced precariously on his shoulders. Opening a new ice cream shop with his two best friends should be joyful, but Darcy’s stress levels are doing a dramatic impression of a pressure cooker. He’s the kind of person who insists he’s fine while clearly not fine, who doesn’t want to “burden” anyone, and who quietly spirals because he thinks he must hold everything together. His denial about his health is classic Darcy stubborn, anxious, and determined to protect everyone except himself.
Owen is Darcy’s opposite in all the best ways. After years spent drifting across the world, never quite settling, he returns home to care for his dad after surgery. Suddenly he’s confronted with stillness and with Darcy. Taking a summer job at the ice cream shop gives him purpose, routine, and proximity to the man he’s quietly drawn to. Owen is gentle, grounded, and yearning for connection, but he’s also convinced he’s temporary, a passing summer breeze rather than someone who could stay.
Owen’s daily swims become one of the quiet rhythms of the story his way of grounding himself after years of wandering. And Darcy, in the most transparent “accidentally on purpose” fashion, keeps finding reasons to be nearby when Owen finishes, turning those salty, windswept mornings into something soft and anticipatory. Their coffee breaks become a shared ritual, a pocket of calm in Darcy’s stress‑packed days and a tether for Owen as he relearns what staying put feels like. When Owen gently suggests a friends‑with‑benefits arrangement to help Darcy relax, it’s framed with care rather than heat two men trying to support each other without admitting how deeply they’re already entwined. Naturally, it doesn’t stay casual for long; those small, everyday moments reveal the truth neither wants to voice, they’re already building something real.
The emotional turning point arrives when their unspoken fears finally collide with reality. Darcy’s stress reaches a breaking point, and Owen who has spent the whole book believing he’s temporary steps up with a steadiness that surprises even him. Their overdue conversation is tender, vulnerable, and quietly transformative. Darcy admits he doesn’t have to carry everything alone; Owen admits he doesn’t want to leave, not this time, not when he’s found someone who feels like home. It’s the moment the story blossoms from tentative summer sweetness into something hopeful and lasting.
Dripped is a super sweet romance wrapped in sunshine, ice cream flavours, and the gentle ache of two men learning they’re allowed to want more. Darcy and Owen’s journey from mutual pining to honest communication is soft, heartfelt, and deeply satisfying. Novak once again proves she’s a master of crafting romances where everyday moments become emotional turning points, and where love grows not through grand gestures but through quiet, persistent care.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Amazon
