Book Reviews

Book Blurb

A fake relationship with his frenemy’s straight little brother? Definitely not on Laurent’s bingo card. But destiny has other plans.

Laurent is doing just fine, thank you very much. He doesn’t need matchmaking, and there’s no gaping hole in his life. Work, friends, and dealing with his alcoholic father keep him busy enough.

Enter Cormac King: charming, chaotic, and on the run from his clingy ex. But his perfect hideout in his brother’s empty flat comes with surprises. A cat (manageable) and a cat sitter (decidedly less so.)

Pretending to date? Fine. Flirting for cover? Sure. Falling into bed together? That was definitely not supposed to happen.

But when fake becomes fun—and then something more—Laurent and Cormac will have to decide if they’re still just pretending.

With One Kiss is a standalone MM romance in the Paris Tales series, featuring fake dating, a bi-awakening, sharp banter, and a slow burn with heat, heart, and humor. Expect emotional walls, complicated family ties, a relentless ex, and just enough tenderness to make it all worth it.

CW: Alcoholism, deceased parent (mentioned).

 

Book Review

“Your first kiss is destiny knocking.” – Alice Sebold

 

Luke and his boyfriend Cillian are back together and now want to help Laurent, from ‘With One Kiss’ by H.L. Day, find love. Laurent agrees to their matchmaking, but after several awful dates, he’s ready to give up. If he could just think of a way to do so.

 

While Luke and Cillian are away, Laurent asks to cat-sit. Laurent comes over to check on the cat and hears the shower running. He assumes they've returned unexpectedly and heads for the bathroom. Without thinking, he pulls back the shower curtain—only to find not Luke or Cillian, but a naked, handsome stranger who turns out to be Cillian’s brother, Cormac.

 

Cormac, also known as Mac, is trying to avoid an ex who just won't leave him alone. He begs Laurent not to tell Cillian that he's there. Mac feels like his life is falling apart again and is worried about the lecture he knows Cillian will give him. Laurent, who understands what it's like to feel like a failure despite trying hard, particularly trying mostly unsuccessfully to help his alcoholic dad, agrees to keep Mac's secret.

 

When Luke and Cillian return, Cillian is furious to find his brother there. He immediately assumes Mac has messed up again and gives him the stern talk Mac was expecting about being irresponsible and making poor choices. Cillian just can't see that not everyone shares his idea of what success is.

 

While Mac is in Paris, Laurent offers to show him around. Laurent’s friends keep trying to set him up with men, and Mac’s ex keeps bothering him. Mac devises a plan to get everyone to stop. Even though Mac likes women and Laurent likes men, Mac talks Laurent into pretending they are a couple.  To make it convincing, they display a lot of PDAs, such as holding hands, staring into each other's eyes, and staying overnight etc. But it’s that one first kiss that ignites feelings that neither expected.

 

‘With one Kiss’ was passionate, poignant, sad, happy, and endearing. Mac was quite the character. He was truly a free spirit who refused to follow the rules set by anyone else. Laurent was deep and mysterious at times, but after fully understanding his story, I began to understand him more. Their banter was hilarious, with innuendos abounding. It was good to see Luke and Cillian again and, of course, Quasimodo, their cat. Thanks, H.L., for giving Laurent and Mac their happy ending.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book was purchased by the reviewer.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 256 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	07-July-2025
Price	$5.99 ebook, $12.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/One-Kiss-Paris-Tales-ebook/dp/B0F3XWSPY6