Book: Handle with Care: A Rivals to Lovers Queer MM Romance by Hayden Stone
Reviewed by ErikaWasReading
Rating: 3/5
Is it really possible to just be cool for the summer?
Dylan Alexander is ready for a whirlwind summer of dating and fun as he works his dream internship at the London Art and Design Museum. If everything goes well, these three months abroad could turn into a permanent position. Only, nothing on his first day goes right. Soaked by a passing red McLaren, he stumbles into the museum only to find out the driver, William Martin-Greene, is also an intern.
When they are paired up on a large project, they must work together if either hopes to secure the one permanent position. As the two rivals work together, Dylan learns there might be more to Mr. McLaren than he thought. But even as they give in to their chemistry, can there be anything more when Dylan's return flight is already booked?
I really liked that this story was in first-person POV. At first, it is easy to see Will as a posh brat who doesn't deserve the internship, but as Dylan gets to know him and the story unfolds, it's clear that Dylan's perception has shaped how we see Will. Once we know Will's side, it's easy to look back and see what was misinterpreted or how frustration clouded Dylan's judgment.
The romance between the two is very sweet, especially as Will begins to open up. You can see them truly start to care for each other, even as they focus on getting the exhibit up and running. The final conflict is very romcom, but I mean that in a fun, good way! It forces Dylan to confront his own behavior at the beginning of the novel and take ownership of his unwillingness to acknowledge that maybe Will does deserve his spot.
So why three stars? The writing was clunky in places, and the story felt disjointed. I found myself wondering whether paragraphs had been moved and then not revised to make sure they weren't repeating something said earlier.
Overall, it was a fun museum intern rivals-to-lovers story.
---
I received an advance copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews at no charge. This is my honest, voluntary review.