Title: Professor Adorkable
Series: Domesticated Inc, Book One
Author: Edie Danford
Publisher: Edie Danford
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 90,000 words
Genre: Romance, Boss, Housekeeper, Best Friends, Nerd
Add to Goodreads
Synopsis
What happens when a star-gazing professor falls for his hot young housekeeper? One heck of an earthy explosion…
Professor Marek Janos's genius at analyzing stellar explosions doesn't apply to his own disordered world. Forgetting to eat, sleep, and leave his lab has triggered some epic personal disasters. When his family insists he hire live-in help, he discovers home life has awesome benefits. His new housekeeper's smile sparks more energy than a supernova. And the way he moves? It rocks Marek's galaxy.
Pete Schulz took a tough fall from his high-flying life in Hollywood. But how does a guy whose best skill is getting dirty clean up his act? His new gig with Domesticated Inc seems like a great first step. Keeping house for a nerdy young astrophysics professor is exactly the low-key, no-chance-for-trouble job he needs, right?
Living together is surprisingly easy for both men. And fun. And more than a little hot. It's when they're faced with the idea of living apart that the truly messy work begins…
Excerpt
“I made the mess,” I tell my housekeeper. “So I will clean it up.”
“Yeah, I know you can clean it up if given several hours,” Pete responds, his smile crooked. There are no signs of exasperation on his face or in his tone. No signs that he’s upset I’ve woken him up with the sound of breaking glass, and that his once-pristine kitchen floor is now covered with a mess I could have easily avoided if I’d been paying attention. “But it’s my job. Tomorrow morning your job is to go teach a class. You’ll sleep until eight, eat a good breakfast, and then be off.”
I raise my eyebrows. “That is exactly how it will happen?”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“What if I want to negotiate?”
“Negotiate?”
“Yes. Things can be negotiated in a democratic household, yes?”
“Democratic?”
I smile. “We have no dictators here. Or kings or queens.”
“Well.” He snorts. “There is that matter of your uncle signing my paycheck. But I get what you’re saying, I guess. What were you interested in negotiating?”
“Tonight I feel…antsy? Unable to relax.” I move my shoulders up and down to show him all this tension I’m experiencing. “I’ll go upstairs and sleep, but first I would like company. To hang out with you. For a while.”
His mouth droops as he folds his arms across his bare chest and stares at me. “So you’re saying you’ll let me do my job. But only if I give up my free time for you?”
“Um.” It’s cool in the kitchen, but my face suddenly becomes steam-burn hot.
Damn. I’m incredibly bad at talking to him—or any guy—I find attractive. Doesn’t matter where I am—Prague, Pasadena, Chicago. My language barrier isn’t about Czech versus English. It’s about my head versus my tongue.
What I want with Pete is complicated, not simple. But, as usual, I’ve said words that could be construed as—
God, I don’t even know what.
“You suck at negotiating, Marek.” He says it with a kind note in his voice.
“Yes.” I clear my throat. “I do.”
He sighs and runs his hand over his short hair—hair I want so fucking badly to touch. Is it bristly, soft? Would it sift through my fingers easily, or would it be like my hair and cling to my skin?
“I suppose we could listen to one Harry Potter chapter,” he says, lacking his usual enthusiasm for the idea. “But just one. And if you fall asleep or if I fall asleep or if we both fall asleep, it will be your job to wake up and go back to bed. No sleepovers. That’s a rule that’s not allowed to change.”
I swallow. Ordinarily I would give him shit about the unreasonableness of his request—if we’re asleep, how will we know we’re asleep and thus breaking his rules?
But I keep quiet tonight. I know I’m pushing him. I know he’s beginning to figure out I want more than just his company. So much more.
If this were a work-related matter, I would get my way with a few basic words. Logic applies in my lab. When it comes to my personal life, however, logic rarely applies. Basic words never seem to work.
If I tell Pete what I really want—to take him into his room, to put him on his comfortable bed, to kiss his clever mouth over and over and over, to blow him until his sweet hotness spills down my throat, to hold him tightly and use friction to excellent effect (inside or outside our bodies, I don’t care) until we both come—then he would say “no” quickly and firmly, and quietly shut that detestable door in my face. And I’ll be lucky if he’s still around in the morning.
The situation between us is confusing. I hope this is more than just his workplace. We are friends. He’s my best friend, actually. And he’s the one who makes this place a home.
Occasionally, I have a hard time understanding…what had my language tutor called it? Nuance. Nuanced meanings. Pete and I have a lot of nuances happening between us.
“One chapter would be good,” I tell him. “Chapter Twelve. ‘The Tri-wizard Tournament.’ I need to know all about it.”
He nods and tips his head toward the open door to his suite. “I’ll meet you in there.”
My heart bounces around in my chest—more zaps from that ionizer—but my head doesn’t like the take-care-of-business look on Pete’s face. No smile, no teasing, no dancing notes to the way his boots clap against the tile floor. He checks the locks and the deadbolts on the back door and walks toward his room.
He glances at his doorway and then me, his eyebrows rising. He looks as though he’s holding his breath, maybe holding back a sigh.
Maybe it would be better to give him space tonight. Better for me to be apart from what I want so much, but can’t have. I should walk away, go back to my room without bothering Pete.
My damp toes stick to the cold floor. I want to be more than a job for him. I want to be more than some guy he feels sorry for, some guy who can’t even say what he wants.
I walk over to the sink and retrieve a glass from the nearby cabinet. I fill the glass half full at the tap and then drink. I set it down carefully. The water is cold, but my skin feels hot. I can feel Pete watching me, waiting.
My eyes shift to the hallway. But my feet carry me toward Pete.
Purchase at Amazon
4.5 stars
I was in love with Marek after reading the first page. He is hopelessly clumsy and socially awkward and just wonderful. His character was so dang endearing that you have to love him. The author did an amazing job with giving each character very distinguishing voices in the dialogue. I like both Marek and Pete but almost every time Marek talked, I smiled because it was just SO him.
This book made me FEEL. It was funny and sweet and Marek was delightfully genuine and even during the sadder parts of the story, it was incredibly heartfelt. Pete and Marek are very different in their personalities but fit perfectly together.
One thing that I wish is that we were able to see Pete and Marek meet for the first time. When we meet them, Pete has been working for Marek for 6 months, so their working relationship is established. I think I would have liked to see all of those initial awkward but sweetly endearing moments between the two of them.
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review was not a requirement.**
4.5 Stars
This book is Adorkable.
Marek is an adorable, slightly scatterbrained, oblivious to life around him, klutzy and awkward college professor who needs help keeping his daily life in order. Pete is hired by Marek’s uncle to be his housekeeper, to keep Marek’s life running just a little smoother. These two characters are super cute together and I really liked this book a lot.
Besides the fact that I loved these characters, this book and the storyline itself are pretty great. The writing was fun and flowed really well from start to finish, there were a lot of little quirky things that the author wrote into the characters personalities which keep you entertained and makes the story seem more realistic. I know it’s a spin-off from a different series (which I have not read) and I “think” we meet some of those characters towards the ending of this book. But I really didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not reading that series. Although, I’ve now added it to my ever growing to-read list since this one was so good. I’m interested to see what else this author has to offer us.
I love Marek, everything about him is awesome and endears you to him. He is just super likable as a character, you cannot help but fall head over heels for him. Sometimes Pete is an absolute idiot… I mean, he has this super cute and adorably awkward guy who is very obviously into him and he just pushes him away at every turn. No matter what Marek does, Pete rebukes him instead of being honest about the situation they’re in, so that makes Pete an idiot in my opinion. Pete goes as far as trying to set Marek up with other guys, only for it to totally backfire on him. Which makes him seem just as clueless on how to make things work like Marek is. One thing I don’t really fully understand in this book was Marek’s uncle. Like, how can he even get away with the terms of the housekeeping contract, is that even legal if it were to go to court? What a jerk he was trying to control every aspect of Marek’s life when he is a fully grown adult. Sure, Marek made some mistakes in the past but really… Who hasn’t!?!? Overall, this book is cute and I would recommend it to anyone who likes geeky, nerdy, cute characters able to overcome their sometimes awkward and socially inept tendencies in order to find love in their books.
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review was not a requirement.**
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by IndiGo for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**
I’m not even sure where to start, or how to write this review! I typically avoid stories with young main characters but I thought with a story featuring a professor and his housekeeper that I’d get more mature, or less immature, characters. Not so of this one. Marek was 26 and Pete was 23, but they seemed on the young side of those ages.
As much potential as I thought this book had and I loved the blurb, I just didn’t connect with the characters or their story which then just made some of the decisions made ridiculous to me. Pete and Marek already have a relationship when we meet them. Though it’s a work relationship and friendship, it’s obvious that both want more. Pete has his reasons for not allowing more between them, until he doesn’t. Marek is the smart, clueless, wealthy guy who is coddled in every aspect of his life. Though he has parents, it’s his uncle who is in control, until Marek stands up for himself.
I liked both main characters but I just didn’t get the angst and drama. It just felt too unnecessary and added to the story, not something that happened naturally. Has Pete never heard of staying and working your problems out together? Is this the future Marek has to look forward to? Something tough happens and Pete packs up and disappears without a word?
Once I finished the book, I found reviews mentioning that this is a spin-off, or loosely connected to a previous series. I’m pretty strict about reading everything connected, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not having read that series. But, if it’s something that matters to you, then you’re forewarned! I think this will be a book enjoyed by many readers, so don’t let my opinion stop you from grabbing this book and checking it out for yourself!
Marek is an adorable, slightly scatterbrained, oblivious to life around him, klutzy and awkward college professor who needs help keeping his daily life in order. Pete is hired by Marek’s uncle to be his housekeeper, to keep Marek’s life running just a little smoother. These two characters are super cute together and I really liked this book a lot.
Besides the fact that I loved these characters, this book and the storyline itself are pretty great. The writing was fun and flowed really well from start to finish, there were a lot of little quirky things that the author wrote into the characters personalities which keep you entertained and makes the story seem more realistic. I know it’s a spin-off from a different series (which I have not read) and I “think” we meet some of those characters towards the ending of this book. But I really didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not reading that series. Although, I’ve now added it to my ever growing to-read list since this one was so good. I’m interested to see what else this author has to offer us.
I love Marek, everything about him is awesome and endears you to him. He is just super likable as a character, you cannot help but fall head over heels for him. Sometimes Pete is an absolute idiot… I mean, he has this super cute and adorably awkward guy who is very obviously into him and he just pushes him away at every turn. No matter what Marek does, Pete rebukes him instead of being honest about the situation they’re in, so that makes Pete an idiot in my opinion. Pete goes as far as trying to set Marek up with other guys, only for it to totally backfire on him. Which makes him seem just as clueless on how to make things work like Marek is. One thing I don’t really fully understand in this book was Marek’s uncle. Like, how can he even get away with the terms of the housekeeping contract, is that even legal if it were to go to court? What a jerk he was trying to control every aspect of Marek’s life when he is a fully grown adult. Sure, Marek made some mistakes in the past but really… Who hasn’t!?!? Overall, this book is cute and I would recommend it to anyone who likes geeky, nerdy, cute characters able to overcome their sometimes awkward and socially inept tendencies in order to find love in their books.
**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review was not a requirement.**
I’m not even sure where to start, or how to write this review! I typically avoid stories with young main characters but I thought with a story featuring a professor and his housekeeper that I’d get more mature, or less immature, characters. Not so of this one. Marek was 26 and Pete was 23, but they seemed on the young side of those ages.
As much potential as I thought this book had and I loved the blurb, I just didn’t connect with the characters or their story which then just made some of the decisions made ridiculous to me. Pete and Marek already have a relationship when we meet them. Though it’s a work relationship and friendship, it’s obvious that both want more. Pete has his reasons for not allowing more between them, until he doesn’t. Marek is the smart, clueless, wealthy guy who is coddled in every aspect of his life. Though he has parents, it’s his uncle who is in control, until Marek stands up for himself.
I liked both main characters but I just didn’t get the angst and drama. It just felt too unnecessary and added to the story, not something that happened naturally. Has Pete never heard of staying and working your problems out together? Is this the future Marek has to look forward to? Something tough happens and Pete packs up and disappears without a word?
Once I finished the book, I found reviews mentioning that this is a spin-off, or loosely connected to a previous series. I’m pretty strict about reading everything connected, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not having read that series. But, if it’s something that matters to you, then you’re forewarned! I think this will be a book enjoyed by many readers, so don’t let my opinion stop you from grabbing this book and checking it out for yourself!
Rating: 3.5 stars
Meet the Author
Edie lives in Vermont with her husband, two sons, and random creatures that might or might not be pets. She loves libraries (where she's found play, work, and love since she was a kid), long walks (unless ice is involved), lewd language (in the right context), luscious romance (of any variety), and alliteration.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
No comments:
Post a Comment