Title: Love and Linguistics

Series: Movie Magic 02

Author: Tara Lain

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (218 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-64080-748-8

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (26 Nov 2019)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: In his neighborhood, El Martin stands out, and that can be life-threatening. Against the odds, he’s managed to graduate high school and then master IT. Now he’s desperate to get a good job to free his drunken dad and himself from the control of gang leader M2 and the drugs he sells. But with his piercings and his slang-ridden speech, El looks and sounds like a Bronx gangbanger, and potential employers won’t give him a second look. So when El hears about Henry Fairhaven, PhD, linguistics researcher and wealthy New York socialite, El takes his life in his hands to escape from M2 and ends up sleeping in the stairwell at Henry’s building, hoping to learn how to speak.

To Henry, who wants to prove himself as a scholar and not merely a rich dilettante, El isn’t only the most beautiful man he’s ever seen—he’s also the key to getting a paper published on Henry’s ground-breaking linguistics methods before a competitor beats him to the punch. But Henry doesn’t tell El the truth, and El thinks Henry’s helping him because he cares.

El’s dreams collide with Henry’s ambitions at the elegant Met Gala, where El captivates a prince of Silicon Valley. But the real collision comes when M2 tracks El down and Henry has to choose between the validation he craves and a future with the man he’s come to love.

Purchase Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: Love and Linguistics is the second novel in Tara Lain’s Move Magic series. This works as a standalone book, since there is no plot or characters that join the two books together. I think why it is part of the same series is a rather tenuous connection where the characters in the first book love movies and talk about them, while in this book we have direct reference to My Fair Lady. Doesn’t matter, regardless, it is an enjoyable book.

As I said, this is very much a modern take on the classic movie, My Fair Lady, to the point even the character who is the benefactor acknowledges he needs a Miss Eliza Doolittle. For those that aren’t familiar with the movie – Henry Higgins, a wealthy man from high society, who happens to be a phonetics professor finds a rather unpolished woman who a low (i.e. poorer) social class. He teaches her how to talk, walk and dress like a “proper lady” and presents her to society.

It just so happens that in this book, Miss Doolittle is in fact a Mr Doolittle.

El (Elijah) Martin is a young man who has grown up in the slums of the Bronx, with a father who is alcoholic and now gang leader is adding drugs to his addiction. El is smart, he finished high school and has done community courses in IT, which he has excelled at. On paper he isn’t a bad prospect for an employer, but in person he looks and sounds like the same dangerous gang members he longs to get away from. At a job interview this is explained to him and he is given the card of one of the most successful linguistics researcher in New York. El doesn’t have the money to pay but he’s desperate to get out of the current hell that his life is becoming.

It takes a lot for El to finally make the move to get help from Henry Fairhaven. Henry is young, only thirty, but he is much more mature for his age and sometimes to me comes across as being much closer to forty. He comes from a rich family of socialites, which coupled with his chosen career is probably part of the reason why he is so mature. Henry also wants to beat one of his rivals in linguistics (and on the social scene) and when El comes in with enthusiasm to change but no money, Henry sees the “Miss Doolittle” that he needs to prove that his developed methodology of linguistics and social training works. So, Henry, with the help of his assistant and a friend who was one of his successes, takes El under his wing and readily foots the bill for everything and has El staying in his home because El has nowhere else to go.

The only snag is that El doesn’t know that he is the subject what is intended to become a research paper. At first he is told he has a sort of scholarship, and then as he and Henry get closer he believes it is out of friendship. Henry and El fight their attraction from the start – or more accurately, Henry fights their attraction because he doesn’t like the ethical implications of being involved with a client/student.

However, things come to a head at the Met Gala, the ball that is El’s graduation. Not only does the full truth come out, but El’s life is also in danger. Both Henry and El need to face up to certain truths or else there is not going to be a chance of a HEA for them.

Title: Return of the Chauffer’s Son

Series: Movie Magic Romance 01

Author: Tara Lain

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (200 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-63533-478-4

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (2 June 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: Luca McGrath may be returning to Napa Valley, California, as a promising chef with dreams of starting his own restaurant and winery, but his heart still lives with the bad-boy son of a billionaire, James Armstrong. Luca spent his childhood playing games with the golden boy of California society, so blinded by James he barely noticed the dark, quiet lure of his conservative older brother, Dylan Armstrong.

But now Luca’s home, and his own powers of attraction are enough to make James question his dedicated heterosexuality and his promised marriage to a wealthy and powerful businesswoman. The obvious attraction between Luca and James spurs Dylan into action—but he’s fighting a huge secret. While Luca dreamed of James, Dylan dreamed of Luca. When Luca gets caught in the struggle between the brothers and gets accused of culinary espionage he’s ready to chuck the fairy tale—unable to even imagine Dylan’s power to make his dreams come true.

Purchase Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Review: The Return of the Chauffeur’s Son is a standalone book by Tara Lain. Tara Lain is not an unknown author for me and I have enjoyed a number of her books and the writing style that she uses. In fact, I’ve actually heard the audio of this book but hadn’t yet read it until now. It’s sweet and charming and had me engrossed from start to finish. It’s one of those books that I think just about anyone could listen or read this book and enjoy their escape from reality.

The story starts with Luca McGrath finding his way home to California after some years away in college and then making his name as an up and coming chef. He was raised in Napa Valley by his father after the death of his mother. Luca grew up on the Armstrong winery estate where his father was the family chauffeur. The Armstrong family supported Luca and his father after the death of Luca’s mother, although he was a baby at the time. As a result, Luca grew up alongside Armstrong boys, more so James who is Luca’s best friend and Luca’s first crush..

Luca’s homecoming is joyous but things are complicated when it comes to the Armstrong brothers. While Luca has spent so many years of his life pining away for James, he begins to learn that that he entirely overlooked James’s much older brother, Dylan. Dylan is helping Luca with just about everything but doesn’t know how to communicate his feelings. He is the strong and stoic type and there is no end to his chivalry, with his need to protect his baby brother. While James is a playboy, who is now engaged and seems keen to now suddenly explore his sexuality. Dylan is frustrated because he is attracted to Luca, but his parents are dismissing James’ behaviour as James continued hero worship of his out and proud, gay older brother.

Luca and Dylan don’t know much about each other, that much is clear from the start. However, as they get to know each other there is a lot they have in common, including a passion for movies and once again they have startling similar tastes. It’s just another point that shows that there is more beneath the surface.

Overall, this is a fun, sweet and sexy novel that shows us that sometimes a HEA is right in front of us and with the person least expected.