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Housemates #4

Watching and Wanting

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Watching Jude’s cam show stirs desires Shawn’s always denied...

Shawn is adrift. Recently graduated, he’s stuck in a dead-end job that barely pays the bills. His girlfriend dumped him, his friends have moved on, and he’s still in Plymouth—going nowhere.

Jude is a student living in the same shared house. Out and proud, he’s everything Shawn’s been running from since he hit puberty. When Shawn discovers Jude works as a cam boy, he can’t resist the urge to watch one of his shows. It makes Shawn want things that scare him, yet his fascination forces him to confront his attraction.

Keen to explore his bicurious side, Shawn suggests they do a show together. Jude agrees, and things get complicated—and kinky—fast. But Jude isn’t looking to get involved with someone so deep in the closet. If Shawn’s going to get what he wants, he needs to find the courage to stop hiding from himself and be honest about who he is.

Length: 52,000 words approx.
Although this book is part of the Housemates series, it has new main characters, a satisfying happy ending, and can be read as a standalone.

129 pages, ebook

First published January 20, 2017

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About the author

Jay Northcote

48 books1,631 followers
I don't hang out on Goodreads much, so if you'd like to connect with me then Twitter, Facebook or an email is usually best :) All my contact details are on my website.

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. Jay has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and he also self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

Jay is transgender and was formerly known as she/her.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
January 6, 2017
~4.5~

This is yet another scorching addition to Jay Northcote's Housemates series. You may remember Shawn from the third book; he's the straight "bro dude" who lives with Jez, Mac, and Dev. Shawn's life is stagnant, and he's been recently dumped by his long-term girlfriend.

When Shawn walks in on Jude, his hot flatmate, naked in front of a camera, he flees. No straight man wants to see that.

But a bisexual man, long repressed, does. (Thank god we don't get any GFY fuckery here; Shawn is BI, just in mega denial about it.)

Jude becomes the teacher, Shawn the willing pupil—first ON camera, and then OFF. Shawn realizes that men do it for him, that JUDE does it for him. But he's terrified of coming out, of being with Jude, REALLY being with him.



Jude doesn't want to march back into the closet, and I can't say I blame him. I do think he pushed Shawn a bit too much, and maybe Shawn had that ding-ding-ding moment a little too quickly, but jealousy can be a powerful motivator.

This book CAN be read as a standalone, but I really liked visiting with the other couples (except for Josh and Rupert) again. Jez and Mac are as fun and flirty as ever, and Dev has really come into his own with Ewan as his boyfriend.

Recap:

- seriously RED-HOT lovin' with mild D/s elements (Shawn loves to be tied down and gets crazy turned on when Jude bosses him around. He's also a blatantly greedy cocksucker. Yeah, you heard me. Shawn BEGS for it.)



- great secondary characters

- low on the angst, moderate on the sweetness, high on the SMEX (see red-hot lovin' above)

- strong HFN (too soon for a HEA, but it's obvious these guys belong together)



Absolutely recommended for lovers of the series and those who have not yet discovered the joys of housemates getting it on.
Profile Image for ☆ Todd.
1,398 reviews1,546 followers
August 16, 2021



In the first three stories, Shawn had always been a bit of a homophobic douche, then his girlfriend broke up with him because the spark in their relationship had died.

So imagine Shawn's surprise when he actually finds that spark again, after walking in on his housemate Jude, during the middle of one of Jude's live web cam sex shows. But this new spark was stronger than any he'd previously known.



Shawn later covertly watched one of Jude's online shows, with explosive results, which then led to Shawn volunteering to do a live came show with Jude. Just for the cash, though, of course. Not to satisfy any type of bisexual curiosity. Nope, not that. ;- )

Shawn also hated the pressure that came with being in charge in bed, so when Jude exposed his bossy side while they were together on camera, Shawn saw an opportunity to explore that side of his hidden desires, too.

This book was seriously hot, folks. While I wouldn't describe this one as being full-on BDSM, themes of delayed gratification and giving up control were huge in this story. And I actually enjoyed that, much to my surprise, since I've read very few stories like this which didn't simply make me roll my eyes and stop reading.



While the sexy bits were tantalizing, I really enjoyed the feels, in the form of blinding jealousy, which eventually helped Shawn realize what he needed to do to be happy, then actually put on his big boy britches and follow through.

The story ended with what I considered an HFN; however, much like Jez and Mac, the probability of their relationship progressing to something significantly deeper was definitely there.

Jay told me about the cam show for cash premise of this story over a few beers at Missie B's in Kansas City, during GRL this past October, and I just knew that this was going to be right up my alley. And I was soooo not wrong in that assertion.

Although book 1 continues to remain my tip-top favorite of the series, Shawn and Jude's story comes in a very close second, so I'd rate this one a solid 4.5 *do-not-touch-it-yet* stars..



My ARC copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
Profile Image for Jay Northcote.
Author 48 books1,631 followers
Read
December 16, 2016
I never intended to write Shawn's story, but certain readers kept mentioning him (you know who you are), and that gave me ideas, and then the ideas wouldn't shut up.
So... here it is :)
Profile Image for Sabrina.
3,809 reviews2,320 followers
April 13, 2017
2.5 Stars



I really liked the premise of this book, and it started off really good but sadly it lost my interest by the end. Shawn and Jude were good characters and I liked the connection they shared in the beginning. It was almost like a forbidden chemistry in a way. And once they got together they were scorching hot and I couldn't get enough of those scenes. Hell, I'll probably be re-reading those scenes a lot on the future.

But here was my issue; the ending. I felt like Jude became this uncaring asshole while Shawn was struggling to accept himself and it made me hate Jude. I just didn't like the way Jude handled the situation with Shawn not being ready to come out of the closet and his character seemed to switch out of nowhere from fun-loving, to unfeeling.

Overall, I'm really into this series and I've liked the other books so I'm not giving up with it just because this one didn't end well for me. And I would still recommend this book for anyone that's looking for a hot m/m read.
Profile Image for Exina.
1,252 reviews406 followers
September 27, 2017
I couldn't put it down, read it in a day! 4.5 stars!
Profile Image for .Lili. .
1,260 reviews260 followers
January 16, 2017
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WATCHING AND WANTING BY JAY NORTHCOTE IS CRAZY HOT AND SHOULD NOT BE READ IN PUBLIC!

I just wanted to get that out there first and foremost. Don't do that yourself.

This entire series is smutty greatness, but this one ticked all the right boxes in the voyeur in me. The book starts off innocently, but the story quickly takes off after Shawn walks in on Jude recording himself for his cam show. Up until this point, Shawn has been in denial about his bisexuality but watching Jude and getting off releases all those feelings he has long tried to bury.

My highlights:

-Shawn. Who doesn't love an antihero? Up until this point, Shawn has been a complete asshole in all the past books. In this book, we found out why. I think Jay Northcote did a marvelous job showing us a different side to him and making us root for him.

-Jude. I loved how uninhibited he was. He was who he was and would bend for no one.

-The sex. Holy. Freaken. Hell. Hands down one of the hottest books I've ever read. Ridiculous.

-Relationship growth. Yes, this story has a lot of steamy scenes, but there are also instances of them hanging out and getting to know each other thus avoiding the story just being porn. He showed readers vulnerable sides of both guys and made their feelings for each other believable.

-Narration: dual POV.

-Pace: It was fast and smooth.

-The supporting cast. I always enjoy series that are standalone books because you get to catch up with past characters. Here, we got to see how all the guys are doing.

-The end... lovely ♥

Can it be read as a standalone? Yes, but as mentioned above you will see past characters in this installment.

Final verdict: 4.5 Don't Miss Out On This One Stars! This one had it all:

Voyeurism ✔
Friends to lovers ✔
Anti-hero ✔
D/s elements (not too heavy though) ✔
Feel good vibes ✔
And a tinge of angst ✔

HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.



ARC kindly provided by Jay Northcote to Gay Book Reviews.



Profile Image for Jewel.
1,871 reviews273 followers
January 8, 2017
5 *hella hawt* stars

Wow. Watching and Wanting was hella hot -- and I loved every minute of it. Self discovery stories are among my favorite when they're done right, and Jay Northcote sure knows how to write them! Super steamy, enough tension to chew on, and an MC who is satisfyingly conflicted. Delicious!

Shawn is the housemate who, in the previous books, has been the ultimate straight guy. Always having girlfriends, insisting on his straightness (maybe a little too much), etc. But is he, really straight? Turns out, not so much. Shawn is a young man with years of experience in denial and tamping down desires he never really let himself explore. Until one night, he walks in on Jude doing his twice-weekly online cam show. Seeing Jude in that new light made something click in Shawn's brain and once there, it refused to go away. So what's a boy to do? Watch Jude's show, of course. And then, when he finds just how much watching Jude turns him on, join in.

Jude is an out and proud gay college student and a fairly new roommate. Jude is confident and good looking and certainly doesn't have problems finding hook-ups when he wants them. Also, he doesn't work the same shit jobs most of his friends do. Instead, he masturbates on camera for tips twice a week. It satisfies his exhibitionist streak and pays well enough that he doesn't have to work elsewhere while he's finishing up his degree. It harms no one and makes his viewers happy, so why not? And when his "straight" housemate agrees to do a show with him? Yes! And when said housemate wants him to call the shots? HELL YES!

I loved Shawn's exploration. It took courage, especially to explore his desires on camera. I also loved that he didn't want to be the dominant one. For a former bro-dude, I was truly impressed. I thought it took guts for Shawn to admit to Jude what it was he really wanted and let me tell you -- it worked. And what started out as an on-camera exploration, quickly turns into something more. But once they continue things off-camera, things get a bit complicated, because Shawn is still unsure about coming out as bi, and Jude has no desire to hide things. Oh, the tension!

Jay Northcote does not let us down at all. He knows what we want and he delivers! Watching and Wanting rivals Helping Hand as my favorite of the series. Fans of this series won't be disappointed, and if you haven't read this series, I definitely recommend it. They are all low angst, sexy reads. Watching and Wanting is certainly the hottest of the series, thus far, and we get a very satisfying HFN.

-----------------------
ARC of Watching and Wanting was generously provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ky.
589 reviews81 followers
June 21, 2018
3.5 stars

Keeping in tune with the theme of this series, in "Watching and Wanting" we have two housemates falling in love with each other. There are a lot of sex scenes, so be careful when and where you're reading this.

Shawn is the housemate who always seemed to have the least patience for PDAs from his coupled up friends and so far he came across as a bit homophobic. In this story, though, we see a whole other side of him and understand why he was always so quick to complain. Jude is a new housemate that has a little crush on Shawn, but think him totally straight so he won't do anything about it but dream from afar.

When Shawn, with his usual unfortunate timing of walking into rooms without waiting to be invited in, walks in on Jude when he shouldn't, his whole perception about himself shifts and he starts questioning what he always thought to be true about himself. He becomes curious and he doesn't want to fight his attraction to Jude, so they make a deal and start exploring together. Jude, though, isn't happy that Shawn is so secretive about his new discovery about his sexual orientation and he decides to do something about that. That results in some drama and a lot of jealousy.

In the first book of the series, the way Shawn was presented wasn't very flattering, but I'm happy with the way he was redeemed here. He turned out to be a very nice guy, even if an extremely confused one. Jude was the perfect fit for him and just what he needed in order to relax and be happy with his life. It's a quick read and fairly angst free.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lewis Carter. I can't say he was my favorite, but there wasn't anything in particular that bothered me. He did a good job, he was articulate and his voice was nice. I won't shy away from other books narrated by him but I won't seek them out either.



This review has been cross-posted on The Novel Approach Reviews.

*A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via The Novel Approach Reviews in exchange for an honest review. *
Profile Image for Chelsea.
917 reviews7 followers
February 21, 2017
5 smokin hearts

I’m not going to be able to add anything different or unique to the other reviews out there for this book, so this’ll be short and sweet…. oh, and a lot sexy. This was smokin hot!

“Or are you fucking yourself with your fingers or a dildo and wishing it was my cock you were sitting on? Your arse feels so good, so tight. You’re gonna make me come….”
Shawn’s brain imploded. That image made fireworks go off in his head and his balls. He pressed two fingers against his hole, gasping as his whole body tensed and released.


The story was full of interesting characters that were equally fun and frustrating!

But the idea of telling all his friends and his family that he was in a relationship with a man seemed impossible. He was torn, his heart pulling him in one direction while his fear pulled him in another.


There were some subtle kinks which I adored, exibitionism, voyurism, bondage and dominant/submissive roles. yum yum yum.

Fingers dipped into his crack and Shawn shivered, legs going weak. He felt needy, desperate. He wanted to bend over the desk and spread himself open, beg for Jude to touch him more.


I love this whole series and even though this wasn’t my favourite so far, I’m giving it 5 hearts as a reflection of how much I adore all these books.

I highly recommend this whole series to everyone. There's a lot of sex, a lot of friendships and a lot of sneaky, surprise emotions.



See my fellow unicorn's reviews here :-)

Profile Image for ~Mindy Lynn~.
1,396 reviews665 followers
February 28, 2017
I am one of the few who thought this one was just, OK.

I was excited for this one when I seen that Shawn was one of the MC's. I was ready for his coming out party and for him to have this great straight to gay moment. But it all just kind of fell flat for me. Him and Jude had some hotness going on. But I just wasn't feeling it. They came together a bit quickly and I didn't really feel they had a strong chemistry. I know I am pretty much alone in this kind of thinking considering the majority of my goodreads peeps found this one extremely sexy and loved it. I just wasn't feeling it.

Profile Image for Jamie.
648 reviews107 followers
November 15, 2023
This whole series has been really good, this was another great addition. I've really been enjoying them all. The next book sounds really good too, so I'm excited to get to that soon.
Profile Image for Ele.
1,313 reviews40 followers
January 19, 2017
~4.5 stars~

If I had to describe this in two words, these would be...HOT DAMN! No, seriously, Watching and Wanting is crazy hot, you guys.

Remember Shawn? The housemate that acted like an asshole sometimes? Well, you know what they say about those who protest too much. Turns out Shawn is bisexual, and although he knew this since his puberty, he refused to admit it. And now freshly dumped by his girlfriend, he's somewhat free to explore his bicurious side.

When Shawn bursts into Jude's (the other housemate) room, the last thing he expects is to find him jerking off in front of a camera! That's right, Jude is a cam boy. And ever since Shawn caught him in the act, he's left watching and wanting. More and more every day. And what better way to gain some experience (and money) than join Jude in his shows.

Jude performing solo is super hot. Jude performing with Shawn is scorching! Shawn and Jude together off camera...



This was pretty kinky, but not too much. Just the way I like it. Some bondage, a little bossing around, exhibitionism and voyeurism, of course, sprinkled with a lot of filthy talk.

I loved Jude something fierce. He's comfortable in his own skin, unapologetic, and confident. My only niggle is that he pushed Shawn a little too much in the end. Understandable, but still. But he apologizes in the end, so it's all cool.

Despite the sex, this is not PWP. We get to see Shawn's journey to self-acceptance, and the romantic build-up between the MCs.

I loved the cameo appearances of all characters. So nice to see them basking in their HEA. Although I really missed Josh and Rupert, my favorite couple ever.

High on the steam, low on the angst, Watching and Wanting was the perfect afternoon read. Highly recommended!

~Review cross-posted on Gay Book Reviews.~
Profile Image for Elsa Bravante.
1,143 reviews203 followers
January 30, 2017
Pues mucho sexo y... mucho sexo. Ya está. No hay nada más. No me entendáis mal, un viva por el sexo, ya sabíamos a lo que veníamos, pero yo necesito algo más para que me guste un libro y aquí no he encontrado nada, me ha entretenido, por eso no le pongo una estrella.

Shawn está explorando su sexualidad y para ello se ayuda de su compañero de piso Jude, que paga la universidad haciendo shows en casa delante del ordenador. Con ese plot era obvio que el sexo iba a tener un papel fundamental, pero una, que a veces es tonta, espera un desarrollo de los personajes, conocerlos, sentir cierta empatía hacia ellos. Y mientras a Shawn se le conoce algo, Jude es un auténtico desconocido, no sabemos nada de él, todo se queda en la superficie, y ni sabemos de él, ni cómo se enamoran, creo que no hay una sola conversación entre ellos en toda la novela que no gire alrededor del sexo.

No soy muy fan del autor, pero me entretiene mucho y por eso lo leo cuando necesito desconectar un poco sin implicarme demasiado , a veces consigue que conecte con sus parejas, y a veces no, esta vez no. Supongo que será un libro muy cup of tea para muchos, pero no para mi.
Profile Image for * A Reader Obsessed *.
2,445 reviews507 followers
June 9, 2017
3.5 Sizzling Stars

Though not my favorite Northcote, fans will no doubt find this to be a great, hot read.

Shawn is seriously repressed and in denial that just maybe, his straight status has a few curves to it. When he accidentally barges in on his roommate Jude, doing a webcam "show", he can barely make sense of his new obsession.

Jude obviously is not shy, and when Shawn asks him under the guise of making some extra cash if he can join him, he agrees. What's more hot than being an active participant and instructor to one exploring his sexual curiosity? Uh huh.

So yes, this does not short change the reader in the smex department. Northcote continues to up the ante and I for one, am not complaining at all. Throw in some dirty talk, voyeurism, exhibitionism, and a little D/s, and you've got quite the heady mix. Despite that, I didn't connect readily with either character as their relationship progressed. Shawn was difficult to like at times, and Jude could've handled Shawn's fears and reservations with a lot more sensitivity and empathy. Overall though, still very very sexy with low angst and that required HEA.
Profile Image for Martin.
765 reviews503 followers
February 7, 2017
I hope my e-reader keeps working after all the buckets of ICE WATER I had to drop over it to keep it from catching fire!

What an insanely hot story!

I should definitely check out the previous books in this series. I absolutely loved the first one, didn't really get into the second, completely missed the third and have now read the fourth, because the blurb sounded so intriguing.

And dear God, intriguing it was!

description

Shawn is a 20 year old student whose girlfriend just broke up with him. Now back to being single, he hates how the same-sex couples in the house he shares with other students rub their happiness into his face.

A stupid negligence leads to Shawn discovering that one of his housemates, Jude, does solo cam sex sessions in his room to earn money. Strangely mesmerized, Shawn looks up his roommate online and follows his 'shows' twice a week.

description

Shawn has been dealing with some weird feelings for a long time and asking Jude to join in on his sessions to make some extra cash seems like a good way to satisfy his bi-curiosity (typical straight guy logic, right?).

However, fooling around with handsome Jude in front of an online audience has Shawn discover so much more about himself than he ever thought possible.


I loved this story. It was absolutely HOT!

There's a beautifully repressed bi-curious straight boy, a mild BDSM theme that is done exceptionally well in the context, and a gay MC with an exhibitionistic streak.

Put those three together and you really need to find ways to keep your kindle from going up in flames.

Their cam sessions were absolutely hot! It's such a strange grey zone between pornography and prostitution, I was absolutely fascinated by this plot.



Jay Northcote's books can be hit or miss for me. I either love them or don't like them.
But this one is TOTALLY on the 'LOVE IT' side. Like seriously.
The character development is really well done given the moderate length of the text.

5 stars and a favorite!
Profile Image for Ben Howard.
1,304 reviews166 followers
March 22, 2023
This was fire. I need to read the rest in this series now!

It's insane how hot Watching and Wanting is. Every spicy scene was amazing, a lot of authors need to take notes! One of the reasons they were so good was because they were backed up by well developed characters that have a real emotional investment.

This book was the perfect length in more ways than one. It wasn't rushed and it also left me perfectly satisfied, with where it left Shawn and Jude's relationship at the end.

_
tl;dr Jude is a cam boy and when Shawn enters his room mid-show, Shawn has a proper full on gay bi crisis. After a quick exit, Shawn decides to check out Jude's show. When Shawn joins Jude's show to explore the feelings he's suppressed for so long, real feelings get involved.
Profile Image for Meags.
2,326 reviews591 followers
June 11, 2017
3.5 Stars

This was another easy-to-read and enjoyable addition to Northcote’s smokin’ hot Housemates series.

This story follows Shawn (the grumpy “straight” housemate from previous stories) as he discovers, and begins to accept, his bisexuality.

Shawn’s realisation hits him square in the face after he accidentally walks in on Jude (the new housemate) getting his rocks off in front of a live-streaming laptop. Shawn quickly flees the scene, but once he realises that Jude is in fact a cam boy he can’t help himself from logging on and watching Jude in all his glory.

Secretly watching Jude online becomes pattern for Shawn, that is, until he works up the courage to proposition Jude, offering to join in on the live-show action himself. Shawn claims he’s mostly interested in the financial benefits of his involvement, but Jude can also tell Shawn is more than a little bi-curious and eager to explore his sexuality, so Jude accepts his proposition with gusto.

It doesn’t take Shawn or Jude long to move beyond fun, flirty and exploratory, to actually developing strong feelings for one another. However, in order for Shawn and Jude to build a lasting relationship together, they must overcome a few hurdles first, including Shawn’s need to come out as bisexual, for his own sake and for Jude’s.

I enjoyed this installment of the Housemates series, but not as much as with the previous books. I didn’t click as strongly with Jude or Shawn. Regardless of Shawn’s personal struggles with his sexual identity, I still found him to be too brusque and therefore slightly unlikeable. I liked Jude up until the point he became a bit too manipulative in his push to make Shawn come out. Coming out is such an intensely personal thing and I just felt that Jude was a little to unsupportive and pushy where Shawn was concerned, especially considering how little time they’d spent together when the issue came up. This section of the story drained an itty bit of my enjoyment from my overall experience, but luckily the boys got their shit together and established a solid HFN which placated me some.

Ultimately, another fun and deliciously sexy addition to a series I really love. I look forward to seeing what happens next for our beloved Housemates!
Profile Image for Catherine.
1,604 reviews260 followers
January 2, 2023
*** 4.25 Stars ***

This book was scorching hot. Like, the hottest, naughtiest book I think I've ever read from this author. I was instantly intrigued by the idea of an MC who was doing the 21st century equivalent of "stripping to pay for college" and, once you added in a little experimental D/s games, I was a goner; all the little lust neurons in my brain were firing.

That said, I thought that this book was a little light on the relationship side of the stories that I've come to know and love from Northcote. There was a tenderness between the two characters that was born out of the bedroom, and I would have liked to see a little bit of that connection created while upright and talking about nonsexual and non-video game related things. Also, I can appreciate both Jude's need and his right to protect himself against potential emotional fallout from being in a relationship with someone who isn't ready to come out yet, but... Shawn wasn't ready to come out yet and I think Jude pushing Sid in his face in order to get a reaction from him was a bit of a dick move (and not the kind that the MCs like!).

In the end, though, Northcote always delivers.
Profile Image for Renée.
1,107 reviews379 followers
February 6, 2017
This one was all kinds of hawt! Kudos on that to Jay. But I wanted a little more out of the relationship part. I thought it was a shitty thing to do to flaunt Sid in front of Shawn, knowing it would likely hurt him. But it was a really sweet HFN! Liked this one.
Profile Image for Fabi.
1,031 reviews158 followers
June 2, 2017
I adore this series. The whole premise of a house full of college boys finding their HEA (and sometimes themselves in the process) makes my little romantic heart go all mushy and soft.

***Possible Mild Spoilers***






Jude and Shawn - holy hotness batman. I loved how they clicked.

Our old homophobic Shawn had some deeply hidden tendencies. Isn't it true that the most outspoken homophobes have hidden fears?

Thank goodness Shawn is young enough and smart enough to address his startling discovery. I melted a little at his bravery. Yes, it was bravery that allowed him to explore his internal 'what ifs'.

Jude -dear sweet lord - who doesn't love a confident man who knows who he is, what he wants, and takes charge to get it? Lucky, lucky Shawn.

There were themes of bondage and subjugation, but they were so light that they didn't even bother skittish ol' me who runs from those BDSM books. The mentions in this book simply flowed seamlessly with the characters' personalities.

There were also some "truths" blatantly stated. Truths that many of us who have not experienced the unforgiving situation don't usually stop to think about.

Being old enough to remember a time before the current equal rights movement, I shudder to think what some people went through to 'simply live their lives'.
I can't be your guilty secret, Shawn...I need to be with a guy who isn't ashamed to be seen with me. I'm not prepared to hide away like a criminal. I'M PROUD OF WHO I AM.
caps added by me

While I agree with Shawn's right to come out when and to whom he chooses, I also agree with Jude's feelings. 'If you love me, you'll be proud of me - and proud of us.' That's what I kept thinking while reading their dilemma. Thank goodness it didn't drag on too long. Like I said earlier, Shawn is a smart guy. ;-)

I really, really enjoyed reading this story. Thank you Leslie for picking this one for me.
Profile Image for *J* Too Many Books Too Little Time.
1,921 reviews3,716 followers
February 7, 2017
3.5 Stars!

Another good addition to the series.

5 stars for the heat factor but I honestly wasn't feeling a lot of love for Jude or Shawn.

Jude was a bag of dicks when it came to Shawn coming out. And Shawn's denial of his bi-sexuality got on my nerves a bit. Everything sort of just toed the line. It could have gone really bad but yet it didn't.

So overall a good, entertaining, HOT, enjoyable, fairly low angst read.

I am guessing Ben's book is next. I'm definitely intrigued.
Profile Image for Adam.
611 reviews371 followers
February 4, 2017
I'm definitely the odd one out, so be sure to check out the group review over at the blog!


Shawn hasn’t been particularly popular in the previous books. He’s the jock roommate who’s given the other couples grief at times. Turns out that he was hiding something underneath the bouts of homophobia - Shawn’s sexually submissive and likes dick just as much as boobs.

I thought Shawn’s discovery of his sexuality was realistic. He slowly comes to terms with what he feels for Jude, and why he had acted out in the past. Plus, he makes appropriate amends for his past behaviour.

Jude is Shawn’s complete opposite. He’s outgoing and confident, and very in touch with his sexuality and desires. Plus, he’s got a dominant streak.

As expected, Jude and Shawn burned up my tablet screen. The two brought the heat from their first cautious jerk-off scene on webcam. There’s a delicious sprinkling of kinks - exhibitionism, voyeurism, bondage, and some light D/s.

description

Shawn and Jude have an undeniable sexual chemistry. But what I didn’t get a sense of was their emotional connection. What I most like about this series is that while it leans strongly to the steamy side, the books still provide well-developed romances. That wasn’t the case here.

There’s little relationship development. I didn’t get why Jude and Shawn fell for each other beyond the hot sex. The two didn’t really strike up a friendship or have common ground.

Also, the drama at the end was off-putting. I could understand why Jude wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with a closeted man, but the urgency of it didn’t make sense to me. If I’m getting the timeline right, only a couple of weeks pass between the first cam show and Jude putting his foot down. That’s a pretty short time for Shawn to finally come to terms with his bisexuality, begin exploring it, and take the huge step of coming out to everyone in his life.

In the end, I wasn’t convinced that Shawn was really ready to come out as opposed to him feeling pressured to do it. There’s a HFN, but Shawn and Jude definitely have a long way to go.

Overall, this was an okay read for me. It’s a very hot read, but I didn’t really buy Jude and Shawn as a couple.



Profile Image for Chris.
2,070 reviews
January 20, 2017
4.5 smokin hot web cam stars... really enjoyed this story, the pace, the scenes and the friendship between Jude & Shawn. Jude worked as a webcam entertainer to support his income and had secretly lusted after his "straight" housemate Shawn for sometime. Shawn had broken up with his girlfriend and wondered what it would be like to live out some of his deepest fantasies. After accidentally interrupting Jude's show, Shawn became a secret voyeur and was fascinated with Jude. As a friendship developed, Shawn felt more courageous in asking Jude if he could join in asa way to supplement his own income. So what started as a money maker developed into something much more substantial and confronting. I really loved the chemistry between these guys and read this book in one hit ! It was hot, warm and extremely endearing ❤
Profile Image for Maria.
692 reviews35 followers
February 5, 2017
Pure eroticism from beginning to end. It dripped off the pages. It was well written, engaging and surprisingly, it didn't seem overdone. This even though there wasn't much else to the story but for the sexual awakenings by Jude and Shawn. That is the whole point to this series so I'll forgive the fact that the rest of the plot was a little thin.

My biggest niggle was Shawn's one word answer to just about everything which was, 'yeah.' Repetitive.

I can overlook that. For purveyors of fine erotica this is for you. 4.5 stars.

Dear Jay, next please!
66 reviews
February 7, 2017
Love it! This whole series is awesome and this was a treat.
The dirty talk was off the charts.
New kink for me involving Jude's job. I'm always happy for new experiences.
Lovely moments with toys (my favorite).
These characters made me very happy and I like that any drama was resolved quickly.
The D/s aspect was so perfect IMO.
Thank you Jay Northcote for a super sexy story and characters to fall in love with.
Profile Image for Zuzu.
1,055 reviews33 followers
March 17, 2021
I DNFed my reread at 67%. It wasn’t holding my attention.
———————
Another great book in this series! I really loved Jude and Shawn together. The only thing that wasn't cool was . The web cam stuff was really hot and a great premise for a story!
Profile Image for Christelle.
808 reviews
February 5, 2017
As much as I enjoyed this series so far, with fun, sexy and sweet characters, especially book 1 « Helping hand » (recommended), this one didn’t do it for me.
For me, it felt like “let’s see if I’m bisexual by having sex with a roommate in front of a webcam, but I’m not yet ready to be out of the closet”...???
I really like this author, but not this book :-(
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