Title: Friends With Partial Benefits
Author: Luke Young
Series: Friends With…Benefits #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: copy provided by author
from Goodreads…
Jillian Grayson is a disillusioned divorcée and best-selling romance novelist who can’t write a chapter without her hunky male heartthrob suffering ED, an STD, or even worse. Brian Nash is a tennis-obsessed, college senior who’s unlucky in love and the roommate and best friend of Jillian’s son, Rob. When Rob brings Brian home for spring break and he meets the surprisingly young and also tennis passionate Jillian, their shared interest quickly develops into an intense mutual attraction. After nearly giving in to their feelings, they hatch a plan, while under the influence (of something more than just the perfect Miami night), to be Friends With Partial Benefits complete with rules to define the boundaries. Will the lonely pair continue with this distinctive relationship, actually explore their desires or will they discover all of it is a really bad idea?
Ok, I think this might be a first for me. The author, Luke Young…well, he’s a guy. And he’s a guy writing a sexy, snarky contemporary romance. I’m stretching my brain right now but I don’t think I’ve read a contemporary romance, with full on sexy scenes, written by a guy. I mean, I’ve read books written by guys before and some were even romantical but nothing like this. Not gonna lie, I was a little skeptical when I got his review request. But I read the synopsis and said, what the fuck, let’s read this bitch. My biggest complaint is that it took me so long to get to this one in my never ending mountain of To Be Reads. Damn Mr. Young, you’re funny, really funny, laugh out loud funny and you write the sexy times with skills. Well done mister.
In the interest of full disclosure, you should know, my first job out of college was in sports marketing. I worked for a company that managed the careers of eleven former grand slam tennis champions. Since I started playing tennis at the tender age of five (hitting balls against the side of my garage) this was the most awesome job a 22 year old woman could possibly have. I got to interact with my childhood heroes on a regular basis. I got to travel with them, dine with them, play tennis with them!!! It was awesome. Man, some of them were dirty old guys and I fucking loved it! Ahhhh, the stories I could tell…but I won’t because, well, they’re pretty kick ass guys and I love them. Plus, they arranged the most awesome honeymoon ever for me and My Guy – we could’ve never afforded that treat on our fresh from college budget. Anyway, I’m telling you this because Friends with Partial Benefits has a lot of tennis in it and it made me a little nostalgic. (PS – Mr. Young, you are spot on with your love of the old game, the new young, insanely strong whippersnappers might hit hard but they play like pussies a lot of the time – Laver, Nasty, Emmerson, Rosewall these young guys are not!) And the female grunting, don’t even get me started on that shit. Ok, tennis geek moment over…moving on.
What a great story. I love the characters. Jillian is awesome, smart, funny and so strong. Dealing with her bestie, Victoria is taxing in and of itself but Jillian is unflappable and I love it. I’m a little torn over her son Rob. He might be a good guy, he might be a dick…or maybe it’s just that he’s 21. I tend to think most 21 year old guys are dicks, mainly because that’s all they think with so maybe he’s just a 21 year old dick…guess I’ll have to read the rest of this series to figure him out. And then we have Brian. How much do I love Brian…let me count the ways…he’s sexy, funny, not afraid to be silly, he knows when to keep his mouth shut, he loves tennis and he’s sweet – I mean really sweet. Oh, and he cooks – holy shit, I may have a new hot guy trifecta to noodle out…sweet, great cook, tennis player – that kinda’ hits on all of my deeply embedded triggers…geez Mr. Young, what are you doing to me?!!?
Victoria deserves her own paragraph. Holy shit what a hot mess that woman is! But you know what? I fucking love her. She isn’t afraid to put it out there. I’m greatly intimidated by her sexual escapades but god damn, who wouldn’t be…two blowjobs at once – seriously? Is that even possible? How big is her mouth? Are we talking bigger than Steven Tyler in the mouth department? Were the guys really small ‘cause one is usually a mouthful, no? I do like her ice cube oral sex trick…very nice, very, very nice. But seriously, people don’t always know how to take a woman who isn’t afraid of her sexuality. Victoria’s intentions may have somewhat sad beginnings but hey, at least she’s living life to the fullest…and I mean fullest in every sense and orifice you can imagine. Oh, and she’s spot on with her assessment of marriages today. She feels if people had more mind blowing sex there would be less divorce.
“Look, all I know is that it’s really hard for a couple to ask for a divorce from each other when their genitals are buried in each other’s faces.”
Preach it sister.
So, Brian…I have a feeling Brian may be loosely based on Mr. Young. Here’s where I felt a slight difference with a male vs. female romance author…not at all bad, just different. Usually when I read, I tend to identify with the heroine , hello, I have a vagina. In this one, I felt really close to the hero…not that he has a vagina, just the opposite in fact, Brian has a glorious dick! Yes, glorious and it’s beauty is noted by several women in the book. I just found that little tidbit funny…sorry, I probably shouldn’t use “little tidbit” and “glorious dick” in the same sentence. I don’t think there is anything little about Brian at all. Another thing I love about this book is it feels honest. It seems like ass play is a huge factor in a lot of books nowadays. People love the back door. I have some In Real Life friends who swear by it. I’m not judging, to each his own but HONESTY ALERT…my ass is exit only. Sorry to be blunt but I just can’t, in a million years, imagine finding that particular move fun. I’m a big girl (actually, I’m kinda’ petite but you know what I mean), judge me if you must, I can handle it, go ahead and write, “don’t knock it ‘til you try it” in the comments section. I get it, some people enjoy that, it’s just not for me. In the book, back door is very popular, especially amongst the college aged girls, apparently back door is less intimate than vaginal sex…kinda’ like high school girls today seem to think oral is less than actual penetration. Call me old school but I will never understand those concepts. I had enough casual sex back in the day to know, I didn’t have to love a guy to fuck him but oral and even discussing back door are exceptionally intimate. But maybe that’s just me. And maybe I’m just really fucking old. Anyway, back to the honesty, Jillian and Brian attempt the back door maneuver,
“…and it didn’t go well at all. Inexperience, nervousness, incorrect angling and quite possibly improper preparation all led to a mini-disaster. Following the failed endeavor, they bathed together, then returned to the bedroom and activities that were a little more in their comfort zone…(s)ometimes you just gotta stick with what works.”
Amen to that.
So, give Friends with Partial Benefits a try. I’ve heard Mr. Young writes under another pen name, Ian Dalton. Apparently the books are very similar to this series but with a more erotic edge. One question, why are you holding out on me Luke? Since I just told you about my ass play hard limit, I can call you Luke, right? I look forward to reading the rest of this series and I promise to never ever judge a book by the sex of its author. That’s rude. I’m a judgey, snarky bitch but I’m not rude…now, climb out of my ass and go read.
Series Reading Order
Friends With Partial Benefits
Friends With Full Benefits
Friends With More Benefits
Friends With Extra Benefits
Connect with Luke Young
My God, I do love you. Exit only. Preach on it, hun.
it may be for some but it’s not for me…and luckily, My Guy feels the same way
I’m glad you liked this. I got a request for this too but honestly I suck at keeping on top of my requests and haven’t read this year although I had read some good stuff about it. And I must know about Brian’s glorious dick!
Debbie, I’m trying so hard to catch up with my requests and I’m trying really hard to only accept ones I feel confident I’ll love. Give this one a try, or if you want, try his Victoria Wilde series, it’s this same story but with a more erotic feel. I’m going to finish this series, you know, once I”m caught up with all my other stuff! The glorious dick thing really made me chuckle!!
It was sorta just a running joke. Some of the women in the book hadn’t seen too many lately, so they were sorta grading on a curve… not that it was curved… you know what I mean.
simply glorious.
I’m just sayin……from a woman’s perspective, curved is NOT a bad thing……..
it has it’s advantages…
I know! I keep signing up for these blog tours and shit and it’s stressing the shit out of me. HAHA. I needs to get to this because I did start the book but then put it aside but the part I read was funny. I think the girl was writing her book and she ended up talking about the hero in the book having STD’s or something. I don’t know. HAHA.
yeah, i remember that part – it’s a funny book. And speaking of blog tours, my Feb is filling up fast with those things. I’m so slutty, I need to learn how to say no every now and then!!
OMG Scandal! After everything you wrote all I could focus on was your speal on ass play…ROFLOL! I am definitely going to love reading this book and it’s entire series…what can I say; I am an ass kind of gal and you aren’t much older than me so don’t use the age card
. Have you read anything by Beth Kery? She always incorporates ass play in her books plus super alpha male characters…yummy. While I will accept that it isn’t for everyone, I do believe that it should be done with someone you are definitely intimate with and trust. Okay, that is my two cents on the issue.
Luke Young = Ian Dalton!!! Thanks for connecting the dots. I just started following him on twitter and he was kind enough to send me a link to his first book to the Victoria Wilde Series. I may have to line this up for after I read Hopeless because after your review and what everyone else is saying about that book; I am going to need something a little more light hearted. Great entertaining review as always!
Lola, when I started writing that review I knew I had to put my ass out there, if you will! You know I’m all in for what ever floats your boat, other than the pain thing, I think my problem is feeling dirty afterwards, not in a ooooo, you’re a dirty girl sort of way but actually needing to hose myself down – you know, it’s just a personal preference thing…I also don’t like mushrooms which is probably more shocking than not being down with the ass play. Funny thing is, I don’t mind, even enjoy reading about it – I think bc, like you said, there really needs to be a special, intimate bond for that to happen.
Yes, Luke = Ian. And I believe the Victoria Wilde series is this same series but more erotic. Yes, read this after Hopeless to cheer you up, that’s what I did.
Yup, Totally on the same page… no ‘Back Door ‘ action for me either!!! l love the ‘EXIT ONLY’ description. I call ‘BULLSHIT’ on the thought of many young people today that Oral and Anal sex are less intimate! In my ‘Old World’ opinion they are at least on the same level if not more intimate!
I really enjoyed this book, I could strangle Rob…I’m thinkn’ he is a dick and needs to get his head out of his arse…21 is no excuse!
I haven’t read the whole series will have to get on that! Will have to search out Ian Daltons work as well!
Glad you put your arse on the line…Great review!
perhaps we can add Exit Only to the tshirts we print up!
Just so we’re clear, the Ian Dalton books are this same series but with an erotic twist, Luke goes all out with the descriptions of, well, pretty much everything from what I understand…things that were only alluded to sexually in the Luke books…can you imagine Victoria without censorship?!!? fun stuff i’m thinking
My Guy read this review and was like, honey, first off you admit to casual sex in college and now you’re talking about ass play…good thing the neighbors don’t know about this blog! (it’s good to know I can still shock him!)
My 15 year old niece tells me that her friends engage in both oral and anal sex because they’re still “virgins” afterwards. I agree wholeheartedly that these are far more intimate than “just sex.”
That is exactly how one of my “crazy” characters thinks as well!
My brain just refuses to understand this new way of thinking!
I don’t think the brain is involved very much in the thinking.
Hey Scandal…I think your review of Luke Young’s, “Friends With Partial Benefits” is excellent and I believe you’ll be just as entertained with the rest of the series. I also happen to love your writing style and will have to make it a point to read more of your reviews, even if I tend to deliberately do it after the fact. That may sound nuts but unless it’s a new to me author, I already have so many favorite authors that it’s hard to keep up. Still, my reading addition doesn’t allow me to stop trying new-to-me authors and that’s how I found Ian Dalton aka Luke Young.
I’ve read all four of Ian Dalton’s books in the “Inappropriate __________” Victoria Wilde series, obviously because I love an erotic edge and he does it so well and with a kind of humor that pulls me right in. I had many laugh out loud moments in all the books. As a matter of fact, I read them back to back and would have read the fifth book (not counting prequel) had it been available.
I haven’t been in my regular routine for a several months but I’m usually a book a day reader across almost all romance genres and have been for a number of years. I know “Luke” as “Ian” so same author with a bit more spice (as I understand it) but either way his voice is what stars on my hit parade. Straight up, I’m addicted to his Victoria Wilde series (that woman has balls I only wish I had) and I felt vested in all the characters.
As an aside, I’ve also read Shrinkage by Luke Young and it was exactly as claimed…a light hearted comedy about a young man’s obsession with his penis size. It was a fun read and Luke/Ian has the kind of talent an author needs to make characters come alive for readers.
Nancy, I look forward to completing this series…I’m going Ian for the next book – I’ll post my review as soon as possible!
Thanks Nancy.
Ok Luke. You are loaded on my Kindle and I’m taking you to the Bahamas tomorrow. I look forward to your story!
have fun!!
Leave the book at home and take me instead… please? I could use some sun.
I love this review.
Luke Young is an amazing author and I love his FWB series.
I plan to re-read them!
Thanks for commenting Kathy. Glad you love Luke’s books – I’m looking forward to completing the series soon
Thank you Kathy.
I’m with you on the ass play… I might even get a tramp tattoo that says EXIT ONLY! With an arrow pointing down lol
sign me up Maxima!!