Book Review: Karma Bites by Erin M. Leaf

Karma Bites
by Erin M. Leaf
M/M Contemporary/Light BDSM
Evernight Publishing
5 Stars

Book Blurb:

Boyd will do anything to avoid his cousin Coco—even pretend to be gay. He’s visiting his dad who’s got a broken arm, and all he wants is for her to leave him alone, so Boyd calls his best friend for help. His father swears that karma is going to bite him on his butt for lying, but Boyd can’t think of any other way to extricate himself from Coco’s clutches.

Harrison will do anything for his best friend—even pretend to be his boyfriend, because he’s awesome like that. Once he arrives, though, Boyd surprises him with a “practice” kiss, which is just totally uncalled for. Before Harrison can fend him off, they’re on the bed making out. How does he get into these crazy situations? Oh yeah, Boyd and his wacky ideas. Harrison’s going to make him pay for this (even if he kind of secretly enjoyed it), because that’s how karma works.

Review:

Originally posted at The Romance Reviews
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=13816

A wonderful, friends-to lovers fun story with two great lead characters.

Boyd made a promise to his grandfather when he was a child that he would always look after his cousin Coco. What he didn't anticipate was the amount of times he had to bail her out in dangerous situations that she'd somehow managed to get herself into. In high school, Coco knew she could always count on Boyd to bail her out and not tell her mother.

Now, older, but not necessarily any wiser, Coco has set her sights on Boyd as boyfriend material. Seeing no way out of it, Boyd blurts out that he's gay and has no interest in dating women. Thinking he's home free, Boyd despairs when Coco insists that Boyd invite his boyfriend down for the weekend and she can take them to the nightclub, Karma Bites.

Harrison has been best friends with Boyd for years, ever since they shared a college dorm and Boyd took the rap when Harrison accidentally set fire to the dorm. But he is still shocked at the phone call from Boyd, wanting him to pretend to be his boyfriend. They're just friends, they aren't gay, how are they going to pull this deception off?

When Boyd suggests they practice being boyfriends before Coco arrives, that's when they realize that perhaps they weren't as straight as they had thought.

After reading quite a few angsty stories lately, this one was a breath of air. It was a fun, lighthearted read with lots of banter between the characters.

Although short, the author doesn't skimp on characterization or detail and you know you are reading a complete tale. The make out scene with Boyd and Harrison on Boyd's bed was so hot, and when they were caught by Boyd's dad and Coco, you were embarrassed on their behalf.

Karma Bites turns out to be a bit of a kink club, and Coco's motives for taking them there aren't exactly pure. Coco is in trouble with the owner, glamorous drag queen Karma and owes the club a scene. Boyd refuses to do a scene with her, but will do one with Harrison instead. And the scene that follows is one of the most sensual and emotional scenes I've ever read in any book. It isn't about the physical aspect, but more how connected they are to each other and it doesn't really matter about the audience, because all Boyd and Harrison see are each other. The reader doesn't just know it, they feel it, too.

I enjoyed every minute of reading it, despite the 'love you' declarations that seemed a bit sudden. Short, but hot and sweet.