Book 799: Teddy Spenser Isn’t Looking for Love – Kim Fielding

Some days those emails from Amazon with the deal of the day books really get it right 😀 In general I avoid buying MM romance novels because I read them so fast I don’t feel like I get my money’s worth when really, I absolutely do. I just know that if I bought everyone I wanted I’d be broke all the time. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to support my local library by checking them out. This time though I was too impatient!

I grabbed a copy of this earlier in the month with no intentions of reading it and yet here I am. I needed some padding for another galley and this was right there on my Kindle front page, what else was I supposed to do?

For the most part, you get exactly what you expect from this. It’s billed as a gay RomCom and that’s what you get. From the enemies to lovers, a business trip, the super-fast fall in love, profess love, commit to each other timeline, and the eccentric older character that constantly makes you say WTF, it’s all there.

Romance was overrated—fine for Hallmark movies, yes, but this was real life, where True Love was about as practical and attainable as pet unicorns. (Loc. 1,151)

The protagonists, Teddy, the titular protagonists who is a fashionable designer who’s given up on love, and Romeo, the slightly awkward and seemingly aloof tech/programming guy, are forced into close proximity on a business trip with one bed of course and they realize what they’ve been fighting/avoiding for the however long they’ve been working together.

I liked both characters and felt they were well written, neither stood out more than the other and when they were together they were better, which is always a plus. I do wish this would’ve been a split narrative novel, as I think Romeo would’ve brought some interesting perspective to the novel, but the one-sided view didn’t really mess it up for me.

There were some great descriptions of feelings that really made me pause, reread and just nod my head in agreement (first quote below) and plenty of saccharine sweet moments (second quote)

Romeo gifted Teddy with a slow smile that was as sweet as maple syrup. Heated maple syrup, because . . . there was almost certainly a glint in Romeo’s eyes. The type of glint that warmed Teddy’s skin and turned his heart into a flock of butterflies. (Loc. 1,441)

Shit. Yeah. That head-full-of-helium and heart-three-sizes-too-big feeling? That felt great even as Teddy tried and failed to fight it. Warmth filled him, along with the conviction that he could never have too much of Romeo’s sweet, intelligent, wonderfully nerdy company. (Loc. 2,346)

And the sex scenes were pretty PG-13. It’s been a few days since I read them, but I’m pretty sure the first faded to curtains and the second was a little more explicit. And they worked with the rest of the story, so no complaints here.

I also love when I read a book and am reminded of a great word or learn a new one. In this case it was doyenne. Honestly, I can’t even remember when Fielding used it or the context, but I remember looking it up to verify I remembered what it was and just luxuriating in it for a few minutes. It’s a great word!

Recommendation: You get what you expect in this! I enjoyed it and will add Fielding to the list of romance authors I’ll reach for when I want a quick read. Full disclosure, I have already downloaded her The Little Library to my Kindle, so clearly, she writes a decent story. I particularly liked that one of the protagonists was mixed race, when most of the romance novels end up having mostly white characters which feels like a default.

Opening Line: “Passersby grumbled as they detoured around Teddy Spenser and his scooter, but he remained on the sidewalk outside the cosmetics store window, silently critiquing the display.”

Closing Line: “Gloved hand in gloved hand, Teddy and Romeo headed for home.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from Teddy Spenser Isn’t Looking for Love
“His alpaca-silk scarf—hand knit himself—felt cozy around his neck, and his carry-on bag made an excellent footrest.” (Loc. 647)

“Wow. Teddy couldn’t manage even one serious relationship, and here was a woman in her seventies with two of them, each man a good two decades younger than her. It was very impressive, but saying so would be incredibly rude.” (Loc. 2,000)

“. . . everyone’s got their own light, and instead of envying someone else’s we should each do our very best to shine.” (Loc. 2,113)

“I can be completely myself in front of you. I don’t have to pretend I’m someone else or worry you’re going to think I’m weird. I’ve only ever felt this way around family before.” (Loc. 2,231)

“It was the most romantic meal he’d ever had. Romeo was funny and charming, and he went on at length about the relative benefits of Star Wars versus Star Trek.” (Loc. 2,400)

“Before I let you go, listen to my advice. That’s a benefit of being old—you get to force your nuggets of wisdom onto young people. Teddy, love is a real thing and very precious. In the end, it’s really all that matters. Your grandfather and I never had much money, and we went through some tough periods. Sometimes we argued like cats and dogs. But we loved each other very much. Even now, after he’s been gone for so many years, I hang on to knowing that. It makes even the difficult memories feel sweeter.” (Loc. 2,979)