Better Be True
by Andy Gallo and Anyta Sunday
Series: Harrison Campus #3
Publisher: Andy Gallo & Anyta Sunday (Self Published)
Release Date: August 3, 2020
Subgenre: M/M Romance
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Better Be True is a delightful slow burn, opposites attract romance by Andy Gallo and Anyta Sunday. The third book in the Harrison Campus series, it is easily read as a standalone.
As with the previous books in the series, this one just grabbed my attention immediately and had me consumed throughout. The characters, the tone, everything works for me.
Nico and Luke are two college students who have both been dumped and need a roommate for the summer. What follows is a story with one bed, some fake boyfriend moments, and a time limit, as college will be starting again soon.
These are two men who one would certainly never expect to fall in love. But with some time spent together, they discover how well they connect and in the end, these complete opposites are wonderful together. Basically, it's a fantastic journey from strangers to roommates to fake boyfriends to friends with benefits to more. I love the progression immensely.
Good god, I have to admit that I just adore Nico. He's femme, he's loud and bright, and his ability to embrace who he is is fabulous.
Their story includes a big, loving Italian family, some good family moments, some funny wedding planning moments, and an ass of an ex who Luke can't get away from. It's a story with fear, confidence issues, and all too much pretending.
The writing is great, as is the case with all of the books in this series. The characters are intriguing and the dialogue is stellar. Written in alternating 3rd person pov, the men fully come to life, with their emotions front and center. The conflict at the end seemed forced and is annoying, but the rest of the story makes up for it.
Better Be True is another fun, sweet story in this series. This whole Andy Gallo and Anyta Sunday college series is a fabulous. If you enjoy college romances, these books are must reads.
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Excerpt #1:
“Hey.” Nico shut the back door and sat next to Luke, handing him a glass of wine. “Here. It’s a full-bodied zinfandel.”
“Thanks.”
More cluelessness. What made the wine full-bodied?
“Sorry.”
“For what?” Nico set his drink down and gently rubbed Luke’s back. “I thought things went well.”
The smooth motion soothed some of Luke’s anxiety. He leaned into the massage.
“Clearly I didn’t study the right things.”
Nico’s hand paused on his back. “You studied to come here?”
“Just food stuff. I didn’t want to sound stupid.”
Nico’s hand drifted up and kneaded the tight muscles in Luke’s neck. “That’s . . . really considerate of you. Thank you.”
Luke tasted his wine, and Nico removed his hand. Once gone, Luke missed the contact. Not that he could ask Nico to keep doing it.
“Yeah, well it didn’t help. I still looked stupid, and your family thinks I’m an idiot.”
“Actually, they really like you.”
“You don’t have to be nice.”
“No, really. If they didn’t like you, you’d know it. Elisa brought home this total dickwad once. Five minutes into dinner, Papà and Nonno started talking smack about him in Italian. Nonna called him a jackass, which is about the second-worst curse word she uses.”
“What did your sister say when this was happening?”
“I think she was more embarrassed by the guy than by the family. Even she could tell he was being a jackass.” Nico picked up his glass. “You, however, were great.”
“Right.”
“I’m serious. You were respectful, but not too meek. You didn’t try to turn any conversation onto yourself, and you offered to help clear the table. That alone earned you Nonna’s seal of approval.”
“Now I know you’re lying. She almost stabbed me with her fork when I offered.”
Nico snorted. “I saw that. But it’s not what you think. Guests don’t help.”
“Elliott helped.”
“Yeah, but he’s about to marry my sister. If you kept coming home with me, then they’d expect you to help.”
Nico bit his lip, frowned, and stared into the yard. “But I promise I won’t foist this craziness on you again.”
The finality of Nico’s promise filled Luke with . . . something. Regret came closest. “It’s all good. Your family’s great.”
“They are great, and I love them to death.”
“But?”
Nico eyed the back door and leaned in to whisper, “Sometimes they’re a bit much.”
Luke laughed. “That’s all families.”
He bumped his shoulder against Nico’s. When Nico pushed back, Luke didn’t move.
They sat, pressed together, staring out at the yard.
Fake boyfriends.
Fake boyfriends.
Fake.
Nico had made it clear he wasn’t ready to date, let alone have a boyfriend.
Besides, Luke wasn’t in the right place to date either.
So why did it feel like jolts of electricity kept zapping between them?
And why, when the conversation inside had gotten lively, had Luke felt warm and heavy?
Like he was with family.
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Andy Gallo:
Andy Gallo prefers mountains over the beach, coffee over tea, and regardless if you shake it or stir it, he isn’t drinking a martini. He remembers his “good old days” as filled with mullets, disco music, too-short shorts, and too-high socks. Thanks to good shredders and a lack of social media, there is no proof he ever descended into any of those evils.
Andy does not write about personal experiences and no living or deceased ex-boyfriends appear on the pages of his stories. He might subconsciously infuse his characters with some of their less noble qualities, but that is entirely coincidental even if their names are the same.
And while Andy leaves the hard sci-fi/fantasy for his alter ego, Andrew, in his mind a touch of the supernatural never derailed a good relationship.
Married and living his own happy every after, Andy helps others find their happy endings in the pages of his stories. He and his husband of more than twenty years spend their days raising their daughter and rubbing elbows with other parents. Embracing his status as the gay dad, Andy sometimes has to remind others that one does want a hint of color even when chasing after their child.
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Website: www.andygallo.com
Email: andy@andygallo.com
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Anyta Sunday:
A bit about me: I'm a big, BIG fan of slow-burn romances. I love to read and write stories with characters who slowly fall in love.
Some of my favorite tropes to read and write are: Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Clueless Guys, Bisexual, Pansexual, Demisexual, Oblivious MCs, Everyone (Else) Can See It, Slow Burn, Love Has No Boundaries.
I write a variety of stories, Contemporary MM Romances with a good dollop of angst, Contemporary lighthearted MM Romances, and even a splash of fantasy.
My books have been translated into German, Italian, French, and Thai.
Contact:
http://www.anytasunday.com/about-anyta/
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Join my Facebook group to chat all things Slow Burn Romance:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SlowBurnSundays/
You can also find me here:
www.anytasunday.com
For information about new releases and freebies, follow me on BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anyta-sunday
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GIVEAWAY
BETTER BE TRUE by Andy Gallo & Anyta Sunday.
Enter for the chance to win one of following prizes:
One $10 Amazon gift card or
one of three ecopy packages of BETTER BE SURE & BETTER HAVE HEART.
