Release Day Blitz: Watching and Wanting by Jay Northcote ~ (Review + Excerpt)
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Global
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh
Length: 52,000 words
Housemates Series - though a series, each book can be read as a standalone.
Blurb
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.
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.
Excerpt
Back in the living room, he threw himself into his armchair again. The TV was on, showing an old episode of Prison Break, but Shawn wasn’t paying attention to it. Sunk in a black hole of despondency, he gazed surreptitiously around the room at his housemates instead.
Jude, one of the new guys who’d moved in last month, sat in a corner of one of the sofas doing something on his phone, his dark curly head bending low and the glow of the screen lighting up his angular features. Shawn wondered what he was doing—probably hooking up on Grindr or something.
That twist of discomfort flared in his gut again. He knew he shouldn’t care. It was none of his business, but the idea that Jude might be planning some hook-up with some random guy lodged in his consciousness like a stone in a shoe. Maybe it was just because Shawn was single again and would have to get back to hooking up if he wanted any action. The idea of being back on Tinder wasn’t as appealing as it should be.
Shawn turned his attention to the other sickeningly happy couple in the room. Ewan wasn’t technically one of Shawn’s housemates. He lived next door, but he might as well have moved in for the amount of time he spent there with Dev. Ewan had his arm around Dev, and as Shawn watched, he turned his ginger head and murmured something in Dev’s ear. Dev turned to look at him and they exchanged a soft smile. Then Dev pressed a kiss to Ewan’s lips, which lingered long enough to make Shawn uncomfortable.
Irrational anger bubbled up, spilling out of his mouth before he could hold the words back. “For fuck’s sake. Can’t you save that for your room?”
Dev pulled away quickly, his cheeks flaming. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Ewan glared at Shawn. “What’s your problem?”
Shawn shrugged and glared back. “I just don’t need to see it, that’s all.”
“Well, the television’s over there, so stop fucking looking at us if you don’t like it. It was just a kiss. It’s not like we’re blowing each other on the sofa or anything. Jesus.”
“Ugh. And thank you for that mental image.” Shawn did a mock shudder.
“Whoa, Shawn. What the hell’s wrong with you tonight?”
Jez’s voice cut through Shawn’s drunken, angry haze, and he realised that all eyes in the room were on him. He caught Jude’s gaze, curious and assessing, and flushed at the unwanted attention.
“You should be used to it by now,” Jez continued. “You’ve lived with me and Mac long enough. And I’ve totally caught you groping Beth on the sofa before. You don’t get a free pass for living room shenanigans just because you’re the only straight couple in the house since Dani moved out.”
That was the spark that ignited Shawn’s anger past the point of no return. “Yeah? Well, maybe I’m just tired of being surrounded by all the gay in here. I never signed up for this when we moved in together.” He stood, sloshing beer out of his nearly full bottle and onto the carpet. “I don’t have to like it.”
“Feel free to find somewhere else to live, then.”
Even Jez, who was rarely moved to anger, sounded pissed now.
“Yeah. Maybe I will.” Shawn stormed to the door, careful not to ruin his exit by walking into the coffee table again. “Oh, and for your information? Me and Beth split up today, so we won’t be the token straight couple any more.”
He slammed the door behind him and stomped up the stairs to his room on the first floor. He slammed that door too, but it didn’t make him feel any better. After throwing himself down on the bed, he clutched his pillow and let harsh sobs of fury burst out of him until the red mist receded and shame and guilt crept in to fill the place where his anger had been.
Jude, one of the new guys who’d moved in last month, sat in a corner of one of the sofas doing something on his phone, his dark curly head bending low and the glow of the screen lighting up his angular features. Shawn wondered what he was doing—probably hooking up on Grindr or something.
That twist of discomfort flared in his gut again. He knew he shouldn’t care. It was none of his business, but the idea that Jude might be planning some hook-up with some random guy lodged in his consciousness like a stone in a shoe. Maybe it was just because Shawn was single again and would have to get back to hooking up if he wanted any action. The idea of being back on Tinder wasn’t as appealing as it should be.
Shawn turned his attention to the other sickeningly happy couple in the room. Ewan wasn’t technically one of Shawn’s housemates. He lived next door, but he might as well have moved in for the amount of time he spent there with Dev. Ewan had his arm around Dev, and as Shawn watched, he turned his ginger head and murmured something in Dev’s ear. Dev turned to look at him and they exchanged a soft smile. Then Dev pressed a kiss to Ewan’s lips, which lingered long enough to make Shawn uncomfortable.
Irrational anger bubbled up, spilling out of his mouth before he could hold the words back. “For fuck’s sake. Can’t you save that for your room?”
Dev pulled away quickly, his cheeks flaming. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Ewan glared at Shawn. “What’s your problem?”
Shawn shrugged and glared back. “I just don’t need to see it, that’s all.”
“Well, the television’s over there, so stop fucking looking at us if you don’t like it. It was just a kiss. It’s not like we’re blowing each other on the sofa or anything. Jesus.”
“Ugh. And thank you for that mental image.” Shawn did a mock shudder.
“Whoa, Shawn. What the hell’s wrong with you tonight?”
Jez’s voice cut through Shawn’s drunken, angry haze, and he realised that all eyes in the room were on him. He caught Jude’s gaze, curious and assessing, and flushed at the unwanted attention.
“You should be used to it by now,” Jez continued. “You’ve lived with me and Mac long enough. And I’ve totally caught you groping Beth on the sofa before. You don’t get a free pass for living room shenanigans just because you’re the only straight couple in the house since Dani moved out.”
That was the spark that ignited Shawn’s anger past the point of no return. “Yeah? Well, maybe I’m just tired of being surrounded by all the gay in here. I never signed up for this when we moved in together.” He stood, sloshing beer out of his nearly full bottle and onto the carpet. “I don’t have to like it.”
“Feel free to find somewhere else to live, then.”
Even Jez, who was rarely moved to anger, sounded pissed now.
“Yeah. Maybe I will.” Shawn stormed to the door, careful not to ruin his exit by walking into the coffee table again. “Oh, and for your information? Me and Beth split up today, so we won’t be the token straight couple any more.”
He slammed the door behind him and stomped up the stairs to his room on the first floor. He slammed that door too, but it didn’t make him feel any better. After throwing himself down on the bed, he clutched his pillow and let harsh sobs of fury burst out of him until the red mist receded and shame and guilt crept in to fill the place where his anger had been.
Possibly the best tale in the series so far. Loved the tale, the leads, the realism and the ending.
This tale can be read as a standalone, but as other characters from the series pop up in the tales - which features student/type couples living in two student houses next door to each other - it's best to read them in order. They're well-written, with proper storylines and with decent characters you end up liking, rooting for and believing in, and they end in (what I believe is) a HEA or the start of one. Anyway, that's my take on it, despite their relatively young ages.
In this tale, we meet Shawn, the one 'straight' guy living in a house of mainly gay guys in happy relationships and tbh, at the start he's a real pillock and I didn't like him. Not to the degree that I wanted to smack him, but as I've got a son this age, I really wanted to tell him to grow up and get with real life. But, shortly into the tale, he grew up a bit, found his nads and became a more decent character. I liked that he had the courage to admit his shortcomings and that his housemates didn't let him off easily, and that he seemed to have learned his lesson. The other lead, Jude, is a decent guy, but also a responsible one who's looking out for his future - in a non-conventional way, but kudos to him. He's a decent flatmate and when things come to light, he's prepared to share his pot of earnings with Shawn, who by then has become more friend than simply a housemate.
The tale follows the blurb pretty faithfully and it's a hot, steamy, sexy and actually, rather erotic read. A lot of it takes place on camera and it's entirely consensual and I loved seeing the guys take their relationship from a 'for pay' one to a 'for real' one. It does have quite a lot of sex in it compared to others in the series, but it also has realism and the guys talk, plan and discuss their future like grown-ups. I loved every bit of it and would love to see more of them as side characters in future tales in the series, which is kind of a given with JN. There's a bit of a mysterious character in this who intrigued me enough that I want to know more about him, so hopefully, it'll be his tale up soon.
ARC courtesy of SignalBoostPR and the author, for my reading pleasure.
This tale can be read as a standalone, but as other characters from the series pop up in the tales - which features student/type couples living in two student houses next door to each other - it's best to read them in order. They're well-written, with proper storylines and with decent characters you end up liking, rooting for and believing in, and they end in (what I believe is) a HEA or the start of one. Anyway, that's my take on it, despite their relatively young ages.
In this tale, we meet Shawn, the one 'straight' guy living in a house of mainly gay guys in happy relationships and tbh, at the start he's a real pillock and I didn't like him. Not to the degree that I wanted to smack him, but as I've got a son this age, I really wanted to tell him to grow up and get with real life. But, shortly into the tale, he grew up a bit, found his nads and became a more decent character. I liked that he had the courage to admit his shortcomings and that his housemates didn't let him off easily, and that he seemed to have learned his lesson. The other lead, Jude, is a decent guy, but also a responsible one who's looking out for his future - in a non-conventional way, but kudos to him. He's a decent flatmate and when things come to light, he's prepared to share his pot of earnings with Shawn, who by then has become more friend than simply a housemate.
The tale follows the blurb pretty faithfully and it's a hot, steamy, sexy and actually, rather erotic read. A lot of it takes place on camera and it's entirely consensual and I loved seeing the guys take their relationship from a 'for pay' one to a 'for real' one. It does have quite a lot of sex in it compared to others in the series, but it also has realism and the guys talk, plan and discuss their future like grown-ups. I loved every bit of it and would love to see more of them as side characters in future tales in the series, which is kind of a given with JN. There's a bit of a mysterious character in this who intrigued me enough that I want to know more about him, so hopefully, it'll be his tale up soon.
ARC courtesy of SignalBoostPR and the author, for my reading pleasure.
Author Bio
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. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and 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.
www.jaynorthcote.com
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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. He has five books published by Dreamspinner Press, and 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.
www.jaynorthcote.com
Facebook profile
Facebook Author Page
Newsletter
Jay’s books
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