Title: Whole Latte Sass

Series: Geek Life 02

Author: Marguerite Labbe

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (284 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-64405-008-8

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (1 Jan 2019)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: It’s no secret cosplayer Felipe Suero is looking for his happily ever after—in his love life as well as his career. He’s getting his degree so he can quit his miserable job and start his own costume business. Now he just needs to land the sexiest silver fox to ever attend a con.

Trask Briscoe’s life revolves around staying clean and sober, running the Magick Den, and attending local cons. His rules haven’t left much room for romance. But he can’t deny Felipe has caught his complete attention. He’s just not sure what he can offer a man so full of joy and sass.

When Trask finally accepts Felipe’s offer for a cup of coffee, he soon finds himself on a second date and a third. Between cosplay projects and roleplaying games, they discover a deeper connection than either of them expected. And Trask realizes that sometimes rules are made to be broken.

Now Felipe just has to convince his family—and Trask—that Trask has more love to offer than he ever dreamed.

Purchase Link: Dreamspinner | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Review: I have been excited about reading this book. After reading the first book in the series, a little unsure and with a little in trepidation and not at all with familiar with the author (Marguerite Labbe), by the end of the book I was pumped for the story that was undoubtedly going to unfold between two characters which we had met, Felipe and Trask. I was looking forward to this because I really got to know the characters in the first book and loved the connections (romantic and otherwise) between the various characters. Also, I now know that Labbe wouldn’t fill the book with a whole heap of unnecessary and cringeworthy clichés about geeks that usually go back to Big Bang Theory (FYI I hate BBT for that reason).

Whole Latte Sass is about the romance between Felipe and Trask, who know each other from the comic book convention circuit although they don’t always see eye to eye. The first thing, and probably most important thing in Trask’s mind is that there is an age difference between the two of them.

Trask is a great, brooding character. He has devoted his life to sobriety, running his gamers shop, Dragon’s Den, and attending all the local cons. Felipe is, quite simply, light and life. He takes cosplay seriously and is truly gifted at creating intricate and flawless cosplay costumes. He also has a major crush on his favourite and very single silver fox on the con circuit, Trask. This is something that we were introduced to in book one, but now we finally get to know why Trask is the way he is and I was so happy to discover that there is much more to the Felipe character than the flighty costume designer which I caught a glimpse of previously.

The age difference is one of the most important hurdles in the budding romance between Felipe and Trask, but I like how tastefully it was done (I’m not into big dramas over age differences). Felipe works hard for Trask and is just the ray of sunshine that Trask needs in his life, but he also has to convince his very supportive and loving family that they don’t need to worry about the age difference as well. I liked that, because Labbe wrote this whole part of the story as very relatable and logical. To top it off, these guys have great chemistry between them and so it makes the fight for the relationship the most important aspect of the book. I really enjoyed how these characters developed, particularly how Trask changes as he opens his heart and mind to new possibilities.

Fans of book one will not be disappointed and highly recommended. Although, I don’t believe that it is vital to have read book one to be able to read this one as we get enough information about other characters that these can be standalone books. Others that are into geek culture, or are geeks, and love a May-December romance will also enjoy this book.

Title: A Little Side of Geek

Series: Geek Life 01

Author: Marguerite Labbe

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novel (306 pages)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (22nd May 2018)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Blurb: When opposite worlds collide, it’s anyone’s game.

Proud geek and comic book artist Morris Proctor wants nothing more than to live in semiseclusion with his devil cat and gamer friends. Despite what his well-meaning family thinks, he’s perfectly content with his status quo. The last thing he needs is to date another nongeek hell-bent on changing him.

Then he meets his adorkable new neighbor, Theo Boarman, who doesn’t know Star Trek from Star Wars, but who tempts him like no other.

Theo has spent the last year recovering from the loss of his parents and trying to play both roles for his teenage brother, while working to keep the family restaurant afloat. Dating is the last thing on the menu, especially with a man who thinks the height of dining is shoving a packaged meal into the microwave.

But if Morris gives him one more shy smile or flaunts that kilt he wears so well, Theo will be forced to convince him that a hot summer fling is just the recipe to let off a little steam.
When that fling gets serious fast, Morris has to decide if he’s willing to give his heart to Theo on the chance that they’re a perfect mix.

ISBN: 978-1-64080-474-6

Product Link: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: A Little Side of Geek is the first book in Marguerite Labbe’s series The Geek Life.
Being something of a geek I was instantly attracted this novel (cue the mental image of the Willem Dafoe meme of “You know, I’m something of a scientist). No, I can’t say that I am of the comic book/graphic novel set, although I do dabble, I’m more of a science nerd. However, it’s nice when “nerd culture” is portrayed properly; I sometimes find the science type books unbearable because I know the life of a scientist in both commercial or academic settings.

Look, it’s difficult to explain, let’s just go back to its nice when things are portrayed with a decent amount of realism, which therefore makes the characters that bit more relatable. All this is because Labbe herself is part of the comic book culture and her insights are obvious because of how well written this book is. On top of that, her characters are excellent and well fleshed out. I don’t think that I’ve read anything else by Labbe in the past, although I have heard of her. I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did and so I went into this book not knowing what to expect.

The story is about somewhat reclusive comic artist, Morris Proctor. He has his work, his cat, his sister and niece, and his gamer friends that keep him from being a complete hermit. He’s happy with the life he has, despite the fact that his sister especially loves to worry about Morris social life.

It is at this point that we meet Morris’s neighbor, Theo Boarman. Theo is completely different to Morris, mostly because he doesn’t do the whole geek thing, but he tries for the sake of the teenage brother, Lincoln. Theo’s responsibilities don’t make him more mature than Morris, it just makes him different. Theo’s parents died recently and so not only does he take on the responsibility of raising his underage brother, he also takes on most of the responsibility of running his family’s restaurant. Two of his siblings don’t appear interested in the restaurant, and his sister Jill is heavily pregnant and so Theo plays the protective brother to her as well. The restaurant as well as the comic convention circuit is key settings in this book, because this is where we get to know the guys, and partly where they get to know each other.

Morris’s family, his geeky friends (who I’m sure will get their own stories) and Theo’s baby brother Lincoln make this little world more colorful. I love the atmosphere that added to the lives of the MCs. They are well throughout characters that do justice to the overall storyline of Morris and Theo’s romance. I can’t wait to get read more from this series, I might even investigate more of Labbe’s work.