Deal Maker

Mixed Messages, Book 2

By: Lily Morton

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Sometimes your mouth makes deals that your heart can’t honour.

Jude is a highly successful model, but a very reluctant one. His life is full of casual hook-ups with pretty men in glamorous locations, but it’s still empty. However, circumstances decreed a long time ago that this was his path, so he’s resolutely stayed on it and accepted his fate with good grace. He made a deal with himself and his hook-ups. Get in, get out, and no ties with anyone.

However, an accident at home one night leads to him making a new deal and accepting the offer of help from an unlikely source. It leads to an unexpected summer of falling in love with a larger-than-life man and his child. But by the end of the summer his reasons for not staying are still valid. Will he turn away? Can he?

Asa is a talented actor who has spent time away from the scene to look after his son. But now he’s back, and the last thing he needs are complications from the gorgeous man who is staying with him. Scarred from too many betrayals, he has no intention of forming a lasting tie with anyone. However, he can’t resist the beautiful man with secrets, and to his horror he develops feelings.

But a deal’s a deal and they said it was just for the summer. What can Asa do with a man who has forever in his eyes and goodbye on his lips?

From the Amazon best-selling author of Rule Breaker comes another scorchingly hot romantic comedy.

This is the second book in the Mixed Messages series but it can be read as a stand-alone.

©2017 Lily Morton (P)2019 Lily Morton

Fantastic sequel that can be read independently

I found it not as angsty and dramatic as the first one, but that could be due to the different kind of drama of both books. Masterfully written and performed.

One of My Top Picks of 2019

This audiobook made the original story even better with Joel Leslie’s vocal interpretation of Asa and Jude and the rest of the cast of characters. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—these people become real to me when I can hear their emotions expressed in their voices. There’s drama, humor, anger, and sadness in this story, and every voice is so distinctive there’s never a doubt about who is speaking.

Asa, an older well-known actor, is a gentle soul who loves his son and is extremely protective of his privacy. His heart was broken by a former model after a four-year relationship. So when Jude shows up needing a place to stay and willing to take a PA job to help Asa out, he's shocked when he's despised just because he's an empty-headed male model.

Jude is usually cool and calm but knows revenge so he proceeds to show Asa just how air-headed a model can be. The author opens each chapter with a note from Asa, written by Jude, in answer to fan mail. The notes are so witty, snarky, and downright decadently humorous, it’s hard to keep from laughing out loud in public places. We met Jude in the first book of the series but his character is much more fully developed here and he's simply a wonderful person. Caring and concerned for his parents, whom he helps financially, always ready to help a friend in need, and with a great sense of humor, and a huge love for Asa's son, Billy, but his fear of commitment nearly destroys his chance at happiness.

Of course, the author gets them to their happy place, but Jude’s stubbornness does not make the HEA very easy to achieve. I love the way the author handled the last few chapters to bring them together. And the epilogue? Couldn't be better!

An outstanding audiobook with a super performance by Joel Leslie. I very highly recommend it.

Loved it

5 Blue Roses
4 Blue Flames

Narrator Joel Leslie mastered British accents and infuses each moment with pure listening bliss.

His flawless humorous narration is engaging and held my attention in one sitting. The comedic circumstances mingled with the true reality of being a parent in the lime light of stardom was heartwarming.

The plot is truly well rounded and it gives us a wonderful HEA.

Have to say the cover model is stunningly beautiful, I couldn't stop looking at him. If Jude really looks like that, his personality makes him MR. Universe in my eyes.

Do I recommend this audiobook? Heck yeh!

This series is funny, entertaining and hot as hell!

Happy Listening

So so wonderful!

Characters are fantastic, the interactions are witty, charming, and endearing. A great read done by a fantastic narrator.

FANFREAKINGTASTIC & FUNNY AS HELL!!

4 or 5? 4 or 5? I can’t make up my mind. I can split the difference, sure, but which way to round? Arrrgghh!

Good things: this book made me laugh. It was funny, snarky, and witty. I adored Jude playing the role of an airhead model just to drive Asa, his “employer” crazy. These guys were funny.

More good: I found depth in these characters. And it didn’t hit me all at once. And it wasn’t during the sex scenes. Go figure. This, I liked. The depth, and the sex scenes (which had depth of their own). These characters weren’t the stereotypical actor and model types. Again, good.

Even more good: I liked the kid in the story. Bill worked as a character and helped to anchor Jude.

Why I quibbled with the rating: there wasn’t much of a plot. This was simply a relationship based book. There is nothing wrong with that, I wanted that, I didn’t want a heavy mystery or thriller or some-such.

More quibbling: Jude had a lot of internal monologuing that got to be repetitive towards the end of the book. Jude is no Hamlet, but at least we heard Hamlet’s soliloquies. Jude really got his head up his ass about “relationships” and it felt wrong, it rubbed me raw. I could see what the author was trying to do here with the internal conflict (since there was no external conflict), but it didn’t work for me.

Mini rant: Authors, if you choose to use a foreign language in your text, PLEASE have it proofed by a real person who speaks the language, preferably as their native language. This way you can get not only the spelling correct (which even Google Translate would have done for you), but also the USAGE.

So, 4 or 5? How about a 4.4......I like the two numbers together.

I also really liked this book. It was fun and I loved the cheeky chemistry between Jude and Asa.

(Brief drug use, talk of past drug use, age gap, pet-knapping)

full of heart felt

loved this one so full of laughter and just a great narration. loved it.

Lovely and very enjoyable narration.

The only thing that really bothered me is that Jude being a girl wouldn't make any difference in a story (which is rather disappointing in a m/m novel).

5 wonderful stars

I loved loved loved this book. It made me so happy and smiling with Jude's sense of humor. Of course, Joel Leslie was phenomenal as always and he brought the characters to life. Billy was such an awesome cute little kid. Really...I just loved all of the characters and this book. Definitely recommended!

Perfect balance ...

I just LOVE the way it's been written and narrated (dare say performed). The story pulls you in and makes you happy to be in it. I cannot say which part I really liked. BUT I know it is NOT dragging. Some authors beat down an idea too much you just have to return the book. This is a keeper. I just know I will listen to this story several times in the years to come.

The real Deal in romance!

STORY GRADE: A
NARRATION GRADE: B+

Every romance reader has a few go-to novels they turn to for comfort reading. Love stories they love most of all. Deal Maker, book 2 in the Mixed Messages series, is one of mine. It’s funny, sexy, and memorable – and I enjoy it every time I read it. The audio release was cause for joy in my small corner of Romancelandia.

Jude is a successful model, a great friend, and a loving son. Friends, he’s awesome. He’s also single and determined to stay that way. A failed love affair in college convinced him he isn’t capable of long-term commitment, and he’s stopped looking for love and settled for casual hook-ups. When Deal Maker begins, he’s in bed with Dean, a perpetually stoned fellow model, friend, and sometimes lover, when their lazy morning comes to an abrupt – and wet – end. His upstairs neighbors’ overflowing bathtub crashes through the ceiling of Jude’s bedroom, barely missing the pair of them. Jude immediately panics. He’s barely making ends meet (we learn why later), and he can’t afford a prolonged hotel stay while his apartment is unlivable. He could stay with best friend Dylan (Rule Breaker), but since he’s newly partnered with Gabe, Jude doesn’t want to intrude on their time together. He’s relieved when a seemingly unperturbed Dean offers him his apartment while he’s away for work…until Dean remembers he sold it. But then Dean casually offers him a lifeline – his stepbrother is looking for a live-in, personal assistant, and he’d be happy to give him a call and recommend Jude for the job.

When Jude shows up for his interview with Asa Jacobs (Dean’s stepbrother), it’s immediately clear no one is expecting him. Instead, arriving at a very pink home in a fashionable London neighborhood, his door knock is greeted by the giggles of a mischievous little boy who demands a secret password before he’ll let him in. A desperate call to Dylan helps him guess the password and gain entry, but there’s no one there to meet him. Instead, he overhears an angry exchange between someone he assumes is Asa, and a young man who then storms past him out the door. After another uncomfortable moment, a very big, very handsome man steps out of the room and spots him. Jude immediately launches into an explanation about why he’s there and follows when the man waves him into his study.

Asa is surprised by the attractive stranger standing in his front hall, but after Jude explains why he’s there, he vaguely remembers Dean mentioning a boyfriend who needed a place to stay. A busy actor and single father, Asa’s desperate for help. Jude is charming, quick, interesting…and nothing like Asa’s dim stepbrother Dean – so, after reminding himself Jude is off-limits, Asa offers him the job and Jude accepts. But when Asa asks Jude for his references, and discovers he’s a model, the casual camaraderie disappears. Asa’s last long-term relationship – with a male model – ended disastrously, and the interview goes from friendly to frosty in the blink of an eye. Jude is obviously confused and hurt by the abrupt change in tone, but he needs the job. So after a strained goodbye, he agrees to return if his background check is acceptable to Asa.

Once Asa completes the background check, Jude moves in and gets to work living up to all Asa’s worst assumptions about him. Jude is the best Worst Personal Assistant ever. He corresponds with Asa’s fans (in hilariously inappropriate letters that mark the start of every chapter), messes up his calendar and mixes up his appointments, offers critical unsolicited fashion and beauty advice, randomly lists the calorie count of every food item in Asa’s pantry, and generally makes Asa’s life miserable…even as he charms Asa’s live-in staff (lovable housekeeper Peggy and miserable chauffeur Amos) and becomes the best of friends with Asa’s son, Billy, whom he adores. He finds it increasingly difficult to resist his big, gorgeous, larger than life employer, but he tries. Valiantly. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Jude, Asa is on to his scheme. Jude is too sly, too clever, and entirely too good at ruining Asa’s life. His dimwitted assistant is so good, he gives the game away. Asa is forced to admit he was completely wrong about Jude, and he longs to know the handsome and brilliantly devious man behind the mask. Jude has quickly become everything he wants, and knows he can’t have.

Deal Maker unfolds in two distinct sections – before (Asa knows) and after. Once Asa finally acknowledges he’s onto Jude, they become essential to each other. Except these friends have insane chemistry and are wildly attracted to each other, too. Fortunately, Lily Morton doesn’t make them (or us) suffer too long. All that UST finally reaches a crescendo while Jude, Asa and Billy are away on a birthday celebration in Cornwall. Jude confesses why he’s strapped for cash and single, and Asa finally makes his move. When their sojourn is interrupted by a salacious news story planted by Asa’s ex, their love affair is put on hold – but only temporarily. These two have fallen for each other, and we’ve fallen for them, too. Jude departs to Asa’s hideaway in Mallorca with Billy while they wait out the news cycle. Asa’s return to them is a lovely, sexy restart to their romantic relationship, and kicks off the romantic, second half of the story – Asa and Jude falling deeply in love. Unfortunately, as everyone in Romancelandia knows, happily ever afters are never this easy…and this one has a few speed bumps along the way, too.

If I thought I couldn’t love this novel any more, I was wrong. The audio version is great. I enjoyed Joel Leslie’s performance, although I don’t think he quite nails the Jude I hear in my head (slightly smokier, a bit more mature). Fortunately, once I got used to his interpretation, I quite enjoyed it. His portrayal of Asa is simply marvelous, and he nails the big man and his booming voice, although I’m not sure he’s as successful as Billy. Billy is a funny, sweet and delightful little scamp, and while Leslie perfectly interprets the tone and nuances of the character, his voice can’t quite slip into that five-year old register. He fares better with other secondary characters, and his Peggy is a highlight. I also loved his interpretation of the super dry, sarcastic Gabe. This Gabe steals every scene in which he appears. Leslie truly brings Deal Maker to life, and he’s a superb choice to narrate the snarky, charming, sexy Mixed Messages series.

Friends, I listen to audiobooks on my commute to and from school (I’m a teacher), and I have a little listener (my ten-year-old) in the backseat. Deal Maker is chock full of bad words (I’m wincing just thinking about how many ‘fucks’ pepper the text), and more than one graphic sex scene. I simply waited until my son nodded off (not fast enough!), isolated the sound to the driver’s side speaker, and turned the volume down super low. This is not the ideal way to listen to this story, but it didn’t detract from my pleasure in it. I loved it. Deal Maker is the real deal in happily ever afters, and if you like your sexy with a side of snark, this is one audiobook you won’t want to miss.