Book Reviews

Book Blurb

For Bryce Derrickson, rejection is nothing new. He’s used to Broadway casting directors seeing his size and assuming he can’t be a graceful dancer. But getting dumped with no notice is a special kind of burn. At least his sweet dog Bobo still loves him.

 

As if being left without warning isn’t bad enough, Bryce’s ex sublets their apartment without telling him, leaving him without a place to live. When his new ‘roommate’ turns out to be a stuffy, elbow-patches-on-blazer, permanent-frown-on-face professor, Bryce is furious. No way will he give up his bohemian pad without a fight.

 

Years ago, Emerson Grant was on the fast track to being a preeminent scholar in his field, but his lack of people skills has kept him stuck at a commuter school in a cornfield. Landing a guest lecturing spot at a prestigious New York institution could be the jet fuel his career needs to finally take off. That is, if the man and dog blatantly squatting in his sublet don’t drive him bananas first.

 

Sharing a one-bedroom apartment with a stranger is a New York rite of passage. Sharing it with a stranger you might be falling for is something else entirely.

 

Book Review

Welcome to the Big Apple! New York City is the perfect backdrop for this love story: the sights, sounds, smells of the city are unique… If you’ve ever been there, you will likely have seen Bryce and his bestie, Portia, bags over shoulders, heading for dance auditions for what promises to be the next big Broadway show. Not far from there, Emerson, the newest college professor in the music department at University of New York, fumbles his way through his first lecture. The Indiana-born-and-raised farm-boy-cum-professor is in awe of the city, the campus, and most of all, his new roommate, Bryce. Mix all these components together, then “cut to the feeling(s)” and you get a lovely, fun romance with the perfect mix of tension, attraction, distraction, and reunion. Top with one final ingredient: a big, lovable, goofy Bernese Mountain Dog named Bobo, then let it set with a few hours of immersive reading, and out pops a new favorite MM romance. 

 

The story begins with a unique meet-cute: Bryce is shocked when, instead of his evening’s Grindr hookup, the man who shows up at his apartment is none other than the man Bryce’s former lover has sublet the apartment to—behind Bryce’s back. Unfortunately, Bryce doesn’t realize Emerson’s confusion at first, so he treats the new lease holder like a hook-up. But the professor, a hulky tweed-wearing Midwesterner, drops the reality brick on Bryce, who then realizes he has nowhere to live, no money to rent another place, and no hope to get a rental with a 120 lb. dog at his side. He never realized Anthony, the lousy ex, would not only leave him, but also sublet the apartment right out from under him. Both comical and tragic, this was a great start to a story that leans heavily on Bryce’s outgoing and cheerful personality and Emerson’s sometimes clueless and nearly always serious demeanor. 

 

Over time, Emerson definitely lightens up as he falls in love with Bobo and decides to let the two stay. Eventually, Emerson also falls in love with Bryce, and vice versa, but the bumps in the road and the heartwarming dramas along the way make the story a delight to read. Career changes and challenges, opportunities and disappointments, all give the men a rough road to travel, but the destination is well worth the pain along the journey. This story is definitely going on my 2025 favorites list. 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by GRR for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 292 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	30-September-2025
Price	$5.99 ebook, $15.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Boys-Small-Spaces-Book-ebook/dp/B0DJMBTFSD