Review - Soulmates by B.J. Smyth

This is the first of my 2023 reviews, and it has started with a bang. Lots of banging, actually, as David and Bradley are a very lusty pair. This review is for the complete series, which is available as one book.

I'll be absolutely honest, it was a fun read, but after Valencia With Love, I felt a little short-changed. This is more erotica, with some romance thrown in. It's a wish-fulfilment fantasy (nothing wrong with that!) with sex happening and then drama and more sex. After the speediest romance in history, David has a proposal, a mansion and an adoring wealthy man. The drama came from David discovering that Bradley had been married to a woman, but this was after he had moved into his house. It was all resolved quickly though, and then they had sex.

I didn't feel much chemistry between them, and David had an annoying habit of calling Bradley "Babes," at every opportunity. The sex was of the grunty variety, with little foreplay (again, nothing wrong with that, but all the time?) AND WHERE WAS THE LUBE? This bothered me, to be honest, even as a cis het woman. And Bradley seemed a bit of a brute compared to the sweet David. I had red flags popping up all the time but David happily trusted everything Bradley said, to the point I was waiting for it all to go horribly wrong. Not convinced these two were soul mates. More fuck buddies, to be honest.

I'm glad I read Valencia first, as it is a far superior book. This one feels as if it were written much earlier in the author's career - or it might just have been I didn't click with these characters. I'll take that as well. I know this author can write sexy romance, but for me, this fell a little short (unlike Bradley...)

BLURB

When you have been hurt by love, you can build a wall around your heart to protect yourself. It takes a special love to break down those walls and enter your heart. David is a sweet, chubby loveable guy. Having escaped a controlling relationship, he never thought he would be good enough to meet someone who would love him for being himself. Bradley is a work-focused millionaire businessman. With his wealth, he could have anything or anyone he wanted. But nothing in his world grabbed his attention more than his work. Love was the last thing on their mind. But something special grew between them when they met. It starts as a one-night stand, but where will it end? With the lingering memories of his last relationship still holding David back. Can Bradley help him overcome his fears? A broken heart can mend with time, but the scars from a past relationship can leave insecurity. Age-gap May to December. MM romance.