A Match Made in a Want Ad"

When they say be careful what you wish for, do you pay attention?

Neither did Oliver Tunstead.

Oliver wishes for nothing more than to get his mind off his crappy bartending job, pile of debt big enough to swallow him whole, and playboy ex-boyfriend/boss who refuses to back off. Too bad distractions, like the hot little convertible he has his eye on, cost megabucks. And Oliver is flat broke. Renting the spare bedroom in his rundown beachfront cottage is his only option to pick up the cash he needs—a risky proposition, as Oliver is the polar opposite of a people-person. When he responds to a bizarre ad in the Waterfront Gazette seeking summer housing, he gets more than he bargained for. But Oliver can cope… After all, how much harm can a single quirky tenant do to his tightly guarded life in three short months?

Where Oliver is a loner by design, urban cowboy Bodie is a loner by necessity. A family dispute long ago dropkicked him onto the path of a lifelong wanderer. This changes when Bodie moves into the tiny beachfront cottage and starts working the door at Oliver’s bar.

Despite Oliver and Bodie’s nearly paralyzing instinct to avoid commitment, they fall into a wary romance. And to their surprise, life as a couple is sweetly satisfying; that is, until their jealous boss devises a cruel plan to destroy the tentative bond they’ve built. True to form, Bodie hits the road, leaving Oliver to lick his wounds alone.

Can these wounded souls defy their urge to flee and fight for love?

An atypical MM romance novel that dives into darker themes of childhood trauma, sexual harassment, and rape; while there are rough patches in its characters and narrative, the author has overall woven an engaging story with two sympathetic and memorable leads.

This was a fun romance book between Oliver and Brodie. It had it's flaws One of the things I found lacking in this book was the quality of the conversations. I wouldn't say 'sexy' or 'hot' scenes because I truly believe that the focus was on the intimacy of the act. But it didn't feel that much special for me and I missed some technical aspect that are often left out but are still part of love making.

This was just ok for me. I had to force myself to finish. It started good. Thank you to netgalley die the ARC.

Oliver is broke and wants to buy a car so he places an add for a roommate for the summer. Brodie is a drifter who just needs a place to crash for the summer. The two end up sharing a house and working at the same bar. Oliver is the bartender and seems to run the place. The owner is his ex and quite a jerk who doesn't like to take no for an answer. Brodie becomes the bouncer and quickly gets the place in shape. Oliver and Brodie naturally get together and their relationship works despite themselves.

It is good to know that even gay romance novels still follow the same tropes as straight ones. There is the instalove factor of course. Relationships never really grow over time but happen very quickly in romance. Brodie is the brooding guy with a past that haunts him. In this case he was sexually abused as a child and has shut away his feelings ever since. Oliver has to deal with the ex Jack who pressures him for sex and actually rapes Brodie. I thought the story wrapped up a little too neatly but it was enjoyable.

This was a fun romance book between Oliver and Brodie. It had it's flaws but I feel it earned its 4 stars because it was fun and I didn't want to put it down

The first major flaw is that I cannot believe that the strong manly cowboy has ginger ringlets. Every time the word ringlets was used it broke my emersion

The second flaw was that there was no regard for employment law. Jack is a terrible boss and there should have been lawsuits against him since chapter 1, instead, Oliver keeps trying to cover for him

I liked the love story between Bodie and Ollie. Unfortunately, I didn’t like a couple of things about this book, so it only got 3.5 (rounded up to 4) stars from me. As several reviewers mentioned, there are several possible triggers which I’m assuming have now been added to the synopsis as trigger warnings.

Bodie and Ollie are similar in that trust doesn’t come easy to either of them and they don’t open up to others. However, their backgrounds are very different. Bodie’s childhood was horrible and it doesn’t sound like he’s ever dealt with it, just pushed it down and moved on. Ollie was emotionally manipulated, and he hasn’t ever really dealt with it either, so he just isolates himself. I love how they learn to open up to each other and start to heal together.

I don’t understand the customer Dale, his actions, and his sudden disappearance. Jack, the bar owner, was horrifying and I honestly can’t believe all his employees just accepted the way he treated them. I also can’t believe ALL the customers accepted it. If I had witnessed it, I would have said something and never gone back.

The miscommunication/lack of communication between Bodie and Oliver came out of nowhere and was surprising. The resolution also seemed rushed. I know Bodie’s view of forced sex is skewed but it feels like the conflict between them surrounding Jack is glossed over. The entire situation was confusing.
I didn’t realize this is the start of a series. I’m not sure if the series will continue with Bodie and Ollie or a new couple as we don’t really meet anyone who could be characters of a new book. I’m interested in seeing where this goes…I would not read a book with Jack as a main character, but I would read a follow-up story with this couple.

3.5 Stars

An atypical MM romance novel that dives into darker themes of childhood trauma, sexual harassment, and rape; while there are rough patches in its characters and narrative, the author has overall woven an engaging story with two sympathetic and memorable leads.

The novel's biggest accomplishment is the depiction of its two leads; both Oliver and Bodie are emotionally introverted with a less-than-happy family history. The gradual unveiling between the characters, both physically and emotionally, in small snippets of daily interaction, is both tender and believable; a rarity for this specific genre. Born for Leaving shines the most during its intimate moments.

For the overarching narrative, the novel sticks close to the genre playbook, telling a summer-long tale on a fictional New England resort island, with the anticipated ups and downs of friend-to-lover and moments of obstacle and miscommunication. The story contains several antagonists, all of whom are quite comically villainous in comparison to the complexity of the two leads. In particular, the character of Oliver's mom and an ex-lover Jack, both went through a character arc that felt very sudden and over-dramatic. Lastly, while the last plot turn offered some emotionally raw moments between Oliver and Bodie, the initiated action taken by the character felt out of place, and the following events leaned a little too much into the melodramatic, rather than common sense.

Overall, thanks to the author's perceptive writing and the introduction of darker subject matter to a genre commonly known for its sexy fun, Born for Leaving is a captivating read beyond what the lackluster book cover otherwise suggests.

***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***

Wow, this is a truly spectacular story! It's also intense, raw , gritty , thought provoking ; it gave me goosebumps and left me a basket case of emotions.

Please, take to heart , the trigger warnings . They're plenty, they're graphic , they're heartbreaking and they're taboo.

I know , I am going to have a massive book hangover . Born for Leaving is one of those tales who stays with you for a long time.

I just reviewed Born for Leaving by Mia Kerick writing as Jude Munro. #BornforLeaving #NetGalley

A true romance book grim at times yet still seems always gentle with true love winning through in the end. Maybe its not real life but its nice to dream at times

Olliver wants a roommate to save money for a car and he finds one in a newspaper ad. The mysterious Bodie, turns out to be a handsome cowboy in need to stay for the summer so the arrangment is perfect.
They become easy friends with both of their quiet, solitary nature and then slip into a relationship just as simply.
Nothing is that simple, though, as both men have a painful past that they struggle to overcome and Bodie's instinct to leave before he can build a life in one place is destructive for their relationship.

Also, an ex and boss is living out his jealousy and does everything to break them apart. Every wicked, disgusting thing.

So I was rather pleased with this book! The story, the characters and the backstories were built in a great way and I enjoyed it a lot. Though my MM romance obsession might have had something to do with this fact!

Ollie's shy nature is a strange pairing with him being a bartender but his passion lays with the drinks he creates not the people he has to interact with. It is rather interesting how slowly it is revealed why is he the way he is and how a man who only stays for three months can get him out of this lonely existence.
Bodie's issues are with intimacy and trust due to his horrible past which is introduced a bit suddenly and without tact but maybe that was the point?!

One of the things I found lacking in this book was he quality of the conversations. A huge emphasis was on the importance of sharing snippets of their past with each other so it was a bit disappointing that their convesations were written a bit weird. Like the author's strength was writing the other parts, the inner conversations and acts but not the actual talking part. It wasn't really bad it just kind of stopped the flow of the story every time.

My other issue was with the intimate parts. I wouldn't say 'sexy' or 'hot' scenes because I truly believe that the focus was on the intimacy of the act. But it didn't feel that much special for me and I missed some technical aspect that are often left out but are still part of love making.

These little problems were mostly writing style related and I had a great time reading because the story after all was nice and enjoyable.
Character building and consistency was great and the evil of the story was introduced and depicted in a way that I just knew from he first moment I'm going to hate him.
There were a lot of sweet moments showing how one can learn to be intimate and loving after going through some terrible things.
And I also shed some tears at the end on the cruelty of the situation.

All in all, a really nice read for the lovers of bittersweet MM love stories!

Firstly, there are trigger warnings listed by the publisher and I was thankful that they were. Please pay attention to them, however they are well written. The only thing I would add, would be harassment.

<3 I adore the two main men in this book, although LeeLee have stollen my heart. Sorry! LeeLee is the cutest person to grace the planet. I love the build of this book over a singlle summer though occasionally I wanted to bump their heads together. Hah, but what good plot happens where you are completely satisfied with everything that happens?

Officially love Hugo too, everyone needs a good boy like him in their lives.

I like to see family arcs and I liked what happened with Ollie's family - but I also wish I could slap Bodie's mum. Multiple times... then I'd like to slap Jack. I was worried that he wasn't going to get his comeupance but I'm glad that rectified itself by the end too. 100% glad that Bodie and Ollie both don't work for him any more.

I read this book in under 24 hours, and I really liked it. I would have liked if they had stood up to Jack sooner, but I'm glad they got there in the end.

Born for Leaving is an intense and original read that oozes chemistry from the two main protagonists. Very enjoyable read,

Where does one start when attempting to write a review for a book that changed their life? Okay, okay. Melodramatics aside, I mean it. Born for Leaving by Jude Munro hit me in a very special, emotional, and high-impact readerly spot. It was one of those books that gave me such an intense book hangover when it was over, I sought out another read as completely opposite it as possible—a psychological thriller with a lesbian lead—just to keep my mind from spiraling in circles. Because I couldn’t get this book, or its wonderful characters, off my mind.

I read this book in a single day. I started it, sadly, not expecting much. I had a slow day at the office and decided to grab a “read now” book off NetGalley so I wouldn’t have to wait for approval. And when I found a MM romance on the list, it was an easy choice. But almost from the first page, Munro drew me in. If you want a great example of just how well she accomplished this task, let me say this. I have never been—and likely will never be—a fan of first-person POV. It’s just not my personal preference, but I can still enjoy a story with it. However, I also happen to get a bit of the readerly chills when a story is present-tense. Again, purely personal preference, but it reads off to me. Finally, in my romance, I don’t like things one-sided. I want to see both parties experiencing the relationship. I want to have the emphatic, undeniable consent and confirmation of motives and feelings that comes with dual POV.

Which, if you’re following along, you can probably guess what comes next. This book was all three of my least favorite POV styles all rolled into one. First-person present single POV. Pretty much any other book and I would’ve spent the entire time cringing a bit, or might’ve simply DNFed to save myself and the author any unfounded issues due to personal tastes alone. But with this book… I legit didn’t realize it fell into this category until I was chapters upon chapters into the book. That’s how engrossing the story is, how relatable and personable Oliver’s POV is, and just how dang well this book is written.

Now, before I press on… I’m going to start with my biggest—and, really, only significant—complaint. This book should’ve come with some serious Content/Trigger Warnings and there were none in sight. I checked everywhere, just in case wires were crossed and NetGalley didn’t get the memo. But, nope, there’s nothing on Amazon, Goodreads, the author’s website… nowhere. Thankfully, I caught something in one of the characters’ reactions to a situation that made me think, “Hmmm. Something isn’t right.” So, I decided to go on a hunt for a review with spoilers. (I hate having to do that, but there are certain things I can’t step into blindly without causing me some serious mental and emotional damage, so I have to look out for myself. If I’m walking into a read well aware of what’s to come, I can handle almost anything. Just warn me first.) It was kind of a bummer to have to read so many reviews that basically told me what the story would be about, but I’m so grateful I did. Because, had I read these things blindly, the ultimate result of this read would’ve been a much, much different one for me.

So, that being said, if you don’t need or want Content/Trigger Warnings, then skip this paragraph. Because they do have some spoilery things to them, but they need to be out there. Clear as day. For starters, Bodie has a history of childhood molestation that dramatically affects him and is discussed in fairly great detail throughout the book. Second, Oliver is brutally raped on page. No, there isn’t any penetration, but the scene is violent, graphic, and plenty of other traumatizing and life-altering things occur. Had I not walked into that prepared… Anyway, Oliver also has a history with his mother of mental, emotional, and in some fairly disturbing ways very physical abuse. I’ll let you discover most of that on your own, but I’ll say this… she repeatedly forced him to get naked and show his body to her. Finally, Bodie is raped off page. He claims he “allowed” it to happen, but trust me, under the circumstances, it was rape. Period. Oh, and there are also quite a few violent and bloody scenes, two separate stalker-type characters, and some pretty intense themes of childhood abandonment.

Okay… I think (hope) I got ‘em all. Now, back to the positives… which is literally everything else. Since I went into this story aware of what to expect thanks to my personal digging, I was able to “appreciate” the painful experiences of the characters as part of the story, their challenges, and horrific but genuine stones on the path to their beautiful HEA.

I realize I’m rambling at this point, so I’ll try to sum up what I love in as few words as possible. Oliver—our single POV character—is a breath of fresh air. He’s struggling with a lot of repressed emotions due to some crappy parenting in his past, but he is trying to make his dreams come true and fighting tooth and nail to get them. Enter Bodie—broken, beautiful, badas* Bodie—who exudes charm, raw masculinity, and this painfully real side of childish intrigue and fear of the world. After the childhood he endured, and the solitary life he’s led since, it’s no wonder. But when these two get together, it’s like instant magic. The chemistry sparkles and pops and leaps off the page. And when that first sexy time scene happens, it broke me with its perfection, beauty, and bittersweet discovery.

I won’t keep going because I could talk for days about this book—in fact, I forced my bestie to download and read with me because I knew I wouldn’t be able to survive the read without someone to gush to. Thankfully, she did, and we finished within 20 minutes of each other. Then went into mourning together. Because we will never be able to experience Bodie and Oliver or their delectable romance for the first time ever again.

I would recommend this to everyone. Anyone. All lovers of love. It’s so well-written and takes you on such an emotional journey.

And to the author, if she were to ever read this review: I beg of you, do yourself, your readers, and these wonderful characters a huge favor by adding Content Warnings. Seeing as how this book is in Kindle Unlimited, it would be a quick fix. Having that information made this book what it was for me. Without it, I would be singing a very different tune right now. And would likely be damaged, mentally and emotionally. Oh, and don’t quit writing. Because I might be your newest and biggest fan! 💕

I was bored somewhere in the beginning. It was a great start to this story, different than other books in this genre. I really loved the way Ollie was introduced then, the Bodie introduction kinda ruined it for me, it's so overused. Thank god I kept reading.

The cover is simply a picture of an attractive man, you'd expect some fun and sexy story but what we get is something entirely different that made me feel like this Is a great story but hidden behind a mediocre cover. This is about learning to trust and love after a painful betrayal in the past, after being cheated on. After a traumatic experience that changed your whole childhood and made you feel unworthy of love.

What I really loved about this book is the story didn't use the usual gays and their daddy issues thing, instead we get mommy issues. It was interesting. I like Bodie, he's a big softie with words that makes me want to melt like ice cream under the sun. I love how the main enemy of this story isn't homophobia as we see in other stories. We get to see the bad seeds in our community instead. That's another interesting thing. AND the sex scenes were so intimate, that made me feel like I'm spying on someone's life. It was so awkward reading that because the author pulled it off really well.

Overall, this is a good book. I finished it in three hours and was satisfied despite the cover and the intro of Bodie that was 'meh' to me.

*I wanna thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I liked this book but not as much I as I thought I would. While I liked the unique story line, I found it to be predictable once everything started with the mom and boss, who was way over the top. The level of evilness from a bar owner was just way too much and I didn't believe that people would continue to accept the behavior. The time spent with just Bodie and Oliver was great, loved them together.

Jude Munro's "Born for Leaving" is a wayward romance between two men that don't really know what "love" means to them. Bodie and Oliver are unlikely housemates and co-workers through a confluence of events. They are by design two very different characters, which helps to build some of the tension and propel the plot points. There's a nice supporting cast of characters that helps develop continuity and empathy for the central couple. Yet, there were definitely some slow points that felt like unearned hurdles and issues that needed to be bypassed. When the characters were left to learn how to work together, that's when the story worked best.

~ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL~

~ENGLISH~

The ARC for this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!

If you are looking for an extremely sad book, with lonely characters and a tender and deep romance with a lot of drama around, this is your book!
Trust me you are going to finish it real quick, this book is addicting and the characters just win your heart, starting with Oliver.

Oliver who is not going through the best moments of his life. He has a semi-stable job as a bartender, but the truth is, the boy is multi-tasking and constantly subjected to double work to keep the bar where he works decent. His boss, a horrible and selfish boy, doesn't make it easy for him, he's constantly harassing him and doing nothing to help keep the bar up, not to mention that he is the worst ex-boyfriend in the world.

Yes, Oliver does not have an easy life, and it is about to be even more complicated, because he has gotten into the head buying a dream convertible and for this he needs to earn more money as soon as possible or he will lose the car. Along with the debts of the house and his school, buying a car is not the best decision, but Oliver is willing to share his room with a stranger in order to earn more money and get the convertible.
So he will meet Bodie, a boy tormented by his past that makes Oliver's legs tremble with excitement. He is lonely, mysterious, quiet, someone who seems to understand Oliver and his way of being. The more time they spend together, the more they will fall in love for each other, but their insecurities are not the only thing they will have to struggle with, because Oliver's ex-boyfriend and boss is determined to ruin their relationship.

I really enjoyed reading! Oliver is a very special and very complex character that made me love him completely. Normally the characters in the books I have read are very happy and lively, very outgoing, but Oliver is not the same, he likes to be alone, to live his life in his own way, he is reserved, but not necessarily cold. Meeting him was a real pleasure, I really identified a lot with him!

And Bodie... God, that tormented soul made me cry more than once. I loved Bodie and adored the way he gradually opens up to Oliver, the way they both learn to know each other and to accept what they are like, to trust their partner's good intentions.

Their romance was one of the most beautiful things in the book. They did not push themselves too hard, they knew where their limits were, they learned to trust each other and speak with a naturalness and clarity that relaxes you, because although there is some misunderstanding, they always do what is best for the other, they take care of themselves, they love each other, they have learned to be friends as well as a couple, and truth be told, that is not seen much in romance books.

What I loved the most was that they learned so much from each other and respected each other so much that the mere thought of harming themselves was impossible, that they were not offended when any of them wanted to stop or take time out. It is something that seems very beautiful to me and I think that there should be more romances with that level of affection and devotion.

As for the story and the narration, the truth is that I could not stop reading at any time, I was too excited to know what would happen to Oliver and Bodie~. Ollie's voice was really amazing to read, and while I would have liked see some of the topics in depth, the truth is that I really enjoyed reading.

Some topics that were touched on here are very delicate, very sensitive topics that made me cry too much, and although I would have liked them to delve into them and give them a more definitive resolution (in the case of the aggressors), the truth is that I really liked that these specific topics were touched on.

As I said before, I really liked the story, it only took a bit to make it perfect for me but it was a pleasant surprise, in short~.

~ESPAÑOL~

El ARC de esta novela fue proporcionado por la editorial a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta. ¡Muchas gracias!

Si buscas un libro sumamente triste, con personajes solitarios y un romance tierno y profundo con un montón de drama alrededor, ¡este es tu libro!
Créanme que van a terminarlo muy rápido, este libro es adictivo y los personajes simplemente se ganan tu corazón, empezando por Oliver.

Oliver quien no está pasando por los mejores momentos de su vida. Tiene un trabajo semi-estable siendo bartender, pero la verdad sea dicha, el chico es multi tareas y constantemente se ve sometido a trabajar el doble para mantener decente el bar donde trabaja. Su jefe, un horrible y egoísta chico, no se la pone fácil, lo acosa constantemente y no hace nada para ayudar a mantener en pie el bar, eso sin mencionar que es el peor exnovio del mundo.

Sí, Oliver no tiene una vida fácil, y está a punto de ser aún más complicada, porque se ha metido en la cabeza comprar un convertible de ensueño y para ello necesita ganar más dinero lo más pronto posible o perderá el auto. Junto con las deudas de la casa y su escuela, comprar un auto no es la mejor decisión, pero Oliver está dispuesto a compartir su habitación con un desconocido con tal de ganar más dinero y obtener el convertible.
Así conocerá a Bodie, un chico atormentado por su pasado que hace que las piernas de Oliver tiemblen de excitación. Él es solitario, misterioso, callado, alguien que parece comprender a Oliver y su forma de ser. Conforme más tiempo pasen juntos, más caerán en amor por el otro, pero sus inseguridades no son lo único con lo que tendrán que luchar, porque el exnovio y jefe de Oliver está decidido a arruinar su relación.

Disfruté muchísimo de la lectura! Oliver es un personaje muy especial y muy complejo que me hizo amarlo por completo. Normalmente los personajes de los libros que he leído son muy alegres y vivaces, muy extrovertidos, pero Oliver no es igual, le gusta estar solo, vivir su vida a su manera, es reservado, pero no necesariamente frío. Conocerlo fue un verdadero placer, realmente me identifiqué muchísimo con él!

Y Bodie... Dios, esa alma atormentada hizo que llorara más de una vez a lo largo de la historia. Amé a Bodie y adoré la forma en que poco a poco se va abriendo con Oliver, la forma en que ambos aprenden a conocer al otro y a aceptar cómo son, a confiar en las buenas intenciones de su compañero.

Su romance fue una de las cosas más bonitas del libro. Ellos no se presionaban demasiado, sabían dónde estaban sus límites, aprendieron a confiar en el otro y a hablar con una naturalidad y claridad que te relaja, porque aunque sí hay uno que otro malentendido, ellos siempre hacen lo mejor para el otro, se cuidan, se aman, han aprendido a ser amigos a la vez que pareja, y la verdad sea dicha, eso no se ve mucho en libros de romance.

Lo que más me encantó fue que ellos aprendieran tanto del otro y se respetaran tanto que el mero pensamiento de dañarse fuera imposible, que no se ofendieron cuando alguno de ellos quisiera detenerse o parar o tomar un tiempo fuera. Es algo que me parece muy hermoso y pienso que debería haber más romances con ese nivel de afecto y devoción.

En cuanto a la historia y la narración, lo cierto es que no pude parar de leer en ningún momento, estaba demasiado emocionada por saber qué le pasaría a Oliver y Bodie~. La voz de Ollie fue realmente increíble de ver, y aunque me hubiera gustado que profundizaran en algunos temas, la verdad es que disfruté muchísimo de lectura.

Algunos temas que se tocaron aquí son muy delicados, temas muy sensibles que me hicieron llorar demasiado, y aunque me hubiera gustado que profundizaran en ellos y que se les diera una resolución más definitiva (en el caso de los agresores), lo cierto es que me gustó mucho que se tocaran estos temas en específico.

Como dije antes, me gustó muchísimo la historia, sólo faltó un poco para que fuera perfecta para mí pero fue una grata sorpresa, en definitiva~.

It all began with a Want Ad!
A loner bartender and a quirky urban cowboy what could possibly go wrong?
Oliver Tunstead is in debt. He is working a dead end job with his ex as his boss who can't take no for an answer. Renting his spare bedroom in his cottage is risky but a necessary evil to get cash.
Bodie has been a wanderer for half his life. When he responds to Oliver's ad he doesn't know what to expect.
A blossoming romance between the two eludes the need to run from committment, but can a crazy jealousy boss foil all that with his evil plan?

This book was super fun and exciting to read.
I recommend it to those who like an opposites attract, good humor, hurt/comfort and a good ole HEA