Another enjoyable story by Sally Malcolm with engaging characters in a quaint small town setting.If you've read Perfect Day by this Author you'll be familiar with the town and some of the characters.


Luca Moretti is a bit of a free spirit,not one to be tied down to any place or anyone.He's back in his home town after five years to try and persuade his mother not to sell the place he used to call home....the ageing Majestic Hotel.His mother,Jude,feels she doesn't have much option other than selling to a large investment company.The hotel needs time and money spent on it...something she's unable to give.Luca arrives in town full of hostility which is directed at Jude's husband who made his views on Luca's sexuality very clear years ago and this is the first time Luca has returned in years.

Theo Wishart is the man given the job of persuading Jude to sell the beautiful old hotel but it's not going to be an easy transaction.Jude offers Theo a life line in negotiations....stay at the hotel for two weeks and feel the beauty of it and the town.


Theo and Luca don't get off to the best start but their attraction for each other soon becomes apparent.And yes,it was insta lust/love but this is one of those books that just worked for me.Their feelings moved fast but I found it believable and they are pretty cute together.


Theo has dyspraxia,he can't read people well and his last 'relationship' with a man didn't end well.He's adorably awkward and has no idea how to relax and embrace his experience in New Milton.There are some lovely moments between them....Luca teaching Theo to body board,beach top walks holding hands,slow dancing at a wedding.Can Theo dare to hope Luca might be the one and will Luca be prepared to give up his wanderlust and settle down?


And will the hotel be rescued?


Recommended read

ALL THE STARS! I need this author to write more (pretty please!), because the two books I have read by her so far were just wonderful!

"Nine days of summer fun and that's all."

When Theo literally stumbles into Luca's live, neither is prepared -or even willing- to make room for even the possibility of feelings. But when their mutual attraction proves impossible to ignore, they make a deal: just a nice and easy summer fling. Which, of course, does not work out as planned…

I absolutely adored those two! Both were wonderful characters on their own, but coming together, letting their walls come down, and seeing the change this brings, was just sweet -and at times heartbreaking. I loved how openly they talked about their issues, how Luca cared and respected Theo's illness without making him feel any worse for it. This was a wonderful (I should probably come up with a better word at this point; amazing! marvelous! glorious! take your pick, they all apply) story about two people who couldn't be more different coming together in the sweetest way. I loved it from the very first chapter on, and just couldn't put it down. I loved spending time with them so much, I'm a bit sad to say goodbye so soon.

This story is connected to her previous book, Perfect Day in that you meet the amazing couple from Perfect Day again. You don't have to read both to enjoy the stories though. But since I loved Perfect Day to distraction (it's a modern, m/m retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion! *swoons*), I can't leave without saying that I highly recommend that one, too!

I enjoyed reading Between the Lines but find it very difficult to review. I'm hovering somewhere between a 3 and 4 stars, mostly because the pacing and length got in the middle of my enjoyment with the story. The book is very slow, the storytelling fantastic. The plot fell a little flat for me but the romance is very sweet, kinda mellow and almost drama free.



Overall the story felt a bit long. There were a few times when events were too slow for me, scenes dragged and some even seemed unneeded to move the story along. For me it was a book I had no problem with putting aside in favor of doing something else, reading something else. I'd pick it up again the other day for an hour or too. Neither the characters or their romance filled me with a need to finish it ASAP.



The book started out interesting. I liked getting to know Luca-- we had an instant connection and he remained my favorite character till the end. His hang ups with Don, his step father, are understandable but I had a hard time agreeing with his way of justifying it. Mostly I felt sad for Luca and his mother! I wanted Luca to give his mother less of a cold shoulder! Poor woman.



Theo I took longer to warm up to. I found him quite likable once I got to know him better. They're both great men and I enjoyed seeing them fumble their way toward a somewhat fragile friendship, those first moments were the best. 



I don't know about chemistry, I mean they worked well together but it wasn't all that scorching. I do like a little awkwardness, so that wasn't it. Maybe the "middle" part of the story went on for too long and it got less exciting. All in all, it was an okay romance. Insta-love, something I dig, but I have a hard time buying their actual connection. After only spending a few days together it was difficult to truly appreciate their love. In the end I found myself rooting for them, despite Luca being a bit of a coward who should have done more what he wanted. 



I would recommend Between the Lines if you read and adored Finn and Joshua's story in Perfect Day. It can be read as a stand alone but honestly, it makes much more sense to read in order!




PS: THE COVER IS EVERYTHING!!

3.5* Better than book 1 in the series, but rather predictable.

This felt more organic and 'can relate to that' than book 1, but at the very start I was thrown by the slight overlap of the books and thought that the tale sounded familiar, and nearly stopped reading it, thinking I was rereading - it wasn't entirely clear that I had picked up a new book until I went back and reread the blurb.

This, whilst predictable, was nicely done, with a couple of decent and very different characters. It felt as if there were a true attraction between the leads, and liking, and I liked that Luca was protective of Theo and his dyspraxia. The latter I knew very little about before reading this book, and I was interested enough to google, so kudos to the author for bringing attention to this disability, and showing that Theo could still be a lead man, despite being 'disabled'. That's no doubt clumsy phrasing on my part, but I was sincerely trying to compliment the author.

As I said, this tale was predictable, right down to the ending and the denouement with the 'signature' thing. But, it was a sweet read and it ends with the leads and their families in a good place.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Carina Publishing, for my reading pleasure.

I adored Sally Malcolm's "Perfect Day", so I was eager to read her newest novel. And I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed.

Set in the same town as "Perfect Day", this book focuses on the hotel of New Milton, the Majestic. While still beautiful, upkeep hasn't been what it should have been, and part of the reason for it is that Luca, the son of the owner, has been absent from New Milton for the last couple of years. When his mother is planning to sell to Lux Properties, a hotel chain, though, he comes back. On the morning of the meeting, Luca collides with a cute but stuck-up guy who of course turns out to be Theo, the representative of Lux. Because of Luca's objections to the sale - especially the fact that Lux is planning to tear down the building - his mother suggests Theo should stay for two weeks to get to know the town and the hotel. He does that, and soon Luca and Theo can't deny the attraction that has been building between them pretty much from the start. They agree on a no mushy feelings summer fling, and of course that works out just the way it always does in romance novels.
I loved Theo especially - and the only reason this was a four star rather than five star book for me is that I felt Luca didn't have to work as hard as Theo did for their happy ending, and he should have. But apart from that, I loved it and I'm looking forward to more books by Sally Malcolm.

Okay, strike up another one in the win column for Sally Malcolm. After really enjoying "Perfect Day", I had high hopes for this story and wasn't disappointed.

Theo was a bit of a persnickety oddball right from the start, but I immediately loved him, though, I think his overall strangeness could've been pumped up a few notches. And his dyspraxia is barely even touched on in the story, actually.

But Luca was actually the MC that I connected most closely with in the book. Yes, he could be a bit of a prick at times, but right from the get go, you could see that he had a heart of gold and a lightness about him that drew others into his orbit. A bit like Finn from "Perfect Day", now that I think about it.

The guys for sure didn't start out on the right footing with one another, but I loved seeing them spend time together and get to know one another better, until they finally gave in to the immediate attraction that they'd both felt.

The book had a few angsty, dramatic moments, but I felt that it never crossed the line into unrealistic territory. Both MC's had their issues, which they worked through. Slowly. And sometimes painfully. But they did the work, especially Theo, and came out the other side better off for confronting their fears.

In regards to steam, there was some, but not so much as to feel gratuitous. For me, the frequency of the sexy times hit the Goldilocks zone pretty dead-on.

But guys, JOSH & FINN'S WEDDING!

Christ, I normally *loathe* Big Gay Wedding plots in stories, but this one was seriously amazing and heart-felt.

Pro Tip: When they mention "The Song" in the book, stop and watch the video on YouTube, then continue reading. All the feels, people! ALL of them. Purrrr-fection.

This second book in the New Milton universe was not based upon a Jane Austen book, so we blessed weren't forced to endure the "chase and run away" scenario seen in "Perfect Day".

The book is also perfectly fine as a standalone, with very little exposure to the characters from the first book -- except for the very touching wedding scene, which was a huge highlight of the story for me.

In regards to pacing and length, there were a few times when events were a bit slow, and the story felt a bit long, but I never got bored and lost interest. I simply wanted to get to the next bit of excitement.

I'd rate this book at around 4.25 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys "some" drama and steam, but not an overabundance of it.

I enjoyed this! The love story was somewhat hard to get into, but other than that this was a great read. The characters slowly grew on me, until I was 100% committed.

The journey from enemies to lovers for Theo and Luca is an interesting one. Each has their own plans for the Majestic. But during a 9 day 'get to know you' they find love not only for each other but for the place itself.

There were times when it was just a lot of over explaining and (IMO) too many words that I actually skipped a bit of the description parts. But the dialog b/w the two flowed nicely. There was also a great lesson in listening to others and what is perceived to be and what actually is. I'm glad Theo was honest and asked for what he needed and happier that Luca listened and understood.

I didn't read the first book so I'm sure those that did will love Finn's wedding. I love when past couples are in the next book and you get a small continuation of their story.

~4.5~

With this book, Sally Malcolm has proven that she can hold her own in the M/M romance arena. She's clearly an accomplished writer and has a flair for language.

Between the Lines is set in the same world as Perfect Day. We're even invited to Joshua and Finn's wedding! However, this book, which is not based on an Austen novel, can be read as a standalone.

Theo arrives in New Milton ready to prove himself to his successful hotelier father. The Majestic is a grand hotel owned by the Moretti family, but it's seen better days. The elevator is broken; the rooms are empty; and Jude Moretti and her husband, Don, are barely making ends meet. Theo is determined to buy the Majestic and turn it into a golf resort for the wealthy. He's just not prepared for the force that is Luca Moretti.

Luca is back home for the summer. Resentful of Don (his stepfather), angry with Jude for even considering selling their family legacy, Luca has no time for uptight guys with snooty British accents. Luca is like a wounded animal, quick to lash out in rage, licking his hurts in secret.

Luca and Theo meet by running into each other. Literally. Hot coffee is involved. The next time they meet they're both wearing a suit and negotiating the sale of the Majestic.

Jude begs Theo to get to know the hotel and the town; she's not ready to make a decision regarding the sale. So Theo spends time in New Milton, and he and Luca develop a tentative friendship that turns into a summer fling. Think walks on the beach, bodybording lessons, and intimate conversations.

The enemies-to-lovers theme is really well done. Luca, especially, blows hot and cold, and isn't willing to share himself with Theo. Even though Theo initially comes across as arrogant, nothing could be further from the truth. Theo has a disability that affects his coordination and time awareness. He's always been clumsy and terrible at sports.

I love stories with imperfect MCs, and I fell for Theo almost immediately. Brash, charming Luca was harder to like. I hated the way he treated Theo, but Luca's behavior didn't ruin the story for me.

Luca, Jude, and Don are flawed characters. Luca's beef with Don wasn't unfounded, far from it. Don tried, but he didn't try enough. I wanted to hate Don, but I couldn't. It was obvious how much he worried about Jude's health and wanted the best for her.

That was one of my favorite things about this story: how nuanced the characters were, how they were motivated by their fears, and how Luca had to forgive, not just for his mom's sake but for his own.

The ending is inspirational and heartwarming. The epilogue made me sigh happily. This story has such a great HEA!

My one complaint, besides the lack of communication between the men (which was sooo frustrating!), is that the steam level is quite low. It's not a deal-breaker by any means; the slow burn is subtle and sexy. But I wanted more passion, damn it!

I certainly hope this isn't the last story set in New Milton.