New Release Review: The Boyfriend Gambit by Elle Keaton

31 December of 2021 by ButtonsMom2003

The Boyfriend Gambit By Elle Keaton

Genre: Contemporary Romance, GLBTQ, MM

Tropes: Second chances, love/hate/love, found family, hate sex

Released: December 30, 2021

Publisher: Self-Published

Series: Crimes of the Heart, Book 3

Length: 230 pages

Cover Design: Cate Ashwood Designs

Synopsis

How do you repair a broken heart when you were the one who broke it in the first place?

Charley
It’s been four years since Simon broke up with me, but who’s counting? I’m fine these days, thank you very much. I don’t need a man to make me happy.
♥
Simon
Past me had to make a choice. Current me knows it was the wrong one. Future me hopes I can fix it. I’ve never stopped loving Charley this is my last chance; our last chance.
♥
The Boyfriend Gambit is first-person dual POV. Simon lays all his cards on the table in an attempt to win Charley’s heart back. No cliffhanger, HEA guaranteed. Heat level, 4+. Can be read as a standalone but you may enjoy it even more if you read Feinted Heart and The Heart Heist first!

second chance, love/hate/love, interfering friends, found family, feisty grandmother.

Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

I loved Simon and Charley.

I’ve really been enjoying this series. Simon and Charley were in love but broke up four years ago. It’s pretty far into the book before we learn everything that happened and caused their breakup. I liked how Elle gave us hints along the way but didn’t tell us everything right away.

I don’t think I’ve read many books with hate sex (maybe this is the first one?) and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first but it seemed to work for Simon and Charley and it definitely added some heat to the story.

While you can read this as a standalone, I enjoyed that the characters from the first two book played fairly important roles in this story. You absolutely don’t need to know their love stories to enjoy The Boyfriend Gambit but reading them first might enhance your reading experience of this story.

First person POV hasn’t really been a favorite of mine but I’m getting used to it since it seems to be getting more popular. I loved that The Boyfriend Gambit alternates between Simon and Charles. I like getting to learn both characters feelings. There are a couple of places where this book does a time shift but those are clearly marked and I think they enhanced the story.

This series is a nice change of pace from Elle’s others that are focused as much on the mystery/suspense as they are on the romance. Her romantic suspense books will probably always be my favorites but I love these books, too.

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Crimes of the Heart Series

♥ Amazon US ♥ Amazon CA ♥ Amazon UK ♥

About Author

Elle Keaton

Elle hails from the northwest corner of the US known for, rain, rain, and more rain. She pens the Shielded Hearts, Veiled Intentions, West Coast Forensics, Home in Hollyridge and Crimes of the Heart series’ all set in the Pacific Northwest. Elle is chief cook and bottle washer, the one always asking ‘where are my keys and/or wallet’ and ‘why are there cats?’ (This question not yet answered).

Elle loves both cats and dogs, Star Wars and Star Trek, pineapple on pizza, and is known to start crossword puzzles with ballpoint pen.

Author Links