What Works for Us

By: Colette Davison

Narrated by: Dan Calley

An elf costume, a pair of lacy knickers, and a Christmas charity auction might make Sam’s Christmas wish come true.

When sweet barista, Sam, agrees to be a "slave" in a Christmas charity auction, he’s thrilled to be bought by the man he’s had a crush on for the last three months.

Theodore is everything Sam is looking for in a man: older, authoritative, and caring. Unfortunately, Sam isn’t the most forward person when it comes to telling men he likes them. Wearing a sexy costume allows him to be a much flirtier version of himself, but can a naughty elf tempt Theodore into bed?

As their relationship intensifies, Sam finds something in Theodore he didn’t realize he needed: a man he wants to call his Daddy.

But Theodore isn’t out of the closet, and whilst Sam is happy existing in a bubble in the run up to Christmas, he knows that can’t last forever.

Can Sam risk giving his heart to a Daddy who might not ever be able to hold his hand in public, let alone commit to him?

What Works For Us is a Christmas-ish romance with an age-gap relationship, lacy underwear, role-play, Daddy kink, a smidge of hurt/comfort, and a guaranteed happy ending.

©2019 Colette Davison (P)2020 Colette Davison

Sweet and entertaining

It’s not often that I listen to audiobooks but a book with Dan Calley as narrator I will not pass.

Again he did a wonderful job. Alternating between characters and genders was clear done. I felt the lightness and also the more emotional parts. It’s a joy to listen to this narrator.



Content of story:

Every morning barista Sam serves him a latte macchiato to go and this man is always with his nose in his screen. He is much older than Sam, who has a crush on him like forever.

Through a Christmas charity auction Sam gets the opportunity to meet his crush Theodore properly, they developed some kind of relationship.

Searching for the right dynamic it seems Daddy and boy are what they are looking for.

Only, Theodore isn’t out and it seems he will never get there.

Theodore is insecure, that’s kind of endearing to watch. Together they were lovely.

The whole story was kind of sweet and certainly entertaining.

Sorry to say the terminology Daddy Dom didn’t do it for me. That’s not how I felt it.

I think this story could do without the whole Daddy/boy part, for me it wasn’t convincing.

When I look behind that, there is still a sweet story to tell, with hurt/comfort, age-gap, role-play, and some nice lace, and a hea!

Overall a nicely written and slightly developed story, it was entertaining with two lovable characters.

A steamy daddy kink hurt/comfort!

This was a sweet contemporary age gap, opposites attract novella.

When Sam agrees to ve a slave at the Christmas charity auction, he doesn't expect to be bought by the very man he's been pining after. A man who fulfills everyone of his fantasies.

This was a steamy daddy kink, hurt /comfort romance with a dash of holiday cheer.

Dan Calley did a fairly good audio delivery as well.

solid 3.5 stars

I enjoyed the story, but it was a lot heavier than I was expecting. The beginning was good, but about two-thirds of the way through it started to feel as though it was just rushing to the conclusion. Dan Calley did a reasonable job with what he had to work with, but the characters were a little flat and I felt it came through in the narration.

An enjoyable Christmas romance

This was such a sweet story between a college student/barista and the older gentleman he crushes on. Sam is an adorable naughty elf. Theodore is closeted, but explores his kinky side with Sam. Feelings grow bigger than they both thought, and both get concerned over their age gap and Theodore's resistance to coming out. Will Theodore make the leap and commit to coming out for Sam? No spoilers here! Except maybe this: Thank you for the kitten play scene! Dan Calley did an incredible job bringing life to the characters. I love listening to his voice!

Charming Holiday Romance, Dan Calley is Marvelous!

I’m completely charmed! Sweet, sexy, and delightfully dirty, Colette Davison’s What Works For Us is a marvelous holiday treat.

Each admiring the other from afar, both Sam and Theodore have their reasons for not moving forward in pursuing a relationship. Through alternating points of view, we get their stories... and the way these two men blossom over the course of the novel is beautifully done.

Theodore Farrell is firmly in the closet. Between his severely homophobic upbringing, and fears of ‘what will people think’, sadly he has given up on any dreams for a future with any love and romance in it.

Shy and a little insecure on the outside, the passionate daydreams lurking in Sam’s fantasies will make your toes curl! When he dons a sexy maid uniform and plays the part of the naughty elf, Sam becomes a confident and demanding lover. And role playing with Theodore uncovers needs Sam never knew he had.

The attraction between the men is overwhelming. While assuming the role of the strict and stern Mr. Farrell allows Theodore to indulge in his wildest fantasies. And punishing that naughty elf leads to some seriously smoking hot sex!

Magic happens as Theodore and Sam explore their most hidden desires. Sam’s self-confidence grows, and he begins to take more control over his life. The end result is a successful and driven young man.

Theodore’s journey is much more intense. His homophobic parents ingrained a level of shame that is hard to overcome, and the reprieve Theodore gains through the role play gives him a taste of what could be. Theodore begins the battle of finding his real self, and claiming a life he never dreamed he could have.

What Works For Us is fantastic in audio, and kudos to Dan Calley who delivers an absolutely marvelous performance. This narrator has amazing skill with accents, and gives each character a distinct voice which suits their personality. The romantic exchanges between Sam and Theodore are electric, and Mr. Calley’s smoky, sexy voice unquestionably enhances the erotica. Just hearing him croon “Daddy”, oh hell that’s hot!

The way Colette Davison develops the relationship between Sam and Theodore through their role play is truly lovely. There are some spectacular BDSM scenes in this kinky gem, propelling What Works For Us to the top of my holiday re-listen list.

This Works Wonderfully!

What Works for Us
MMy Thoughts and Review:

When a sweet elf gets auctioned off at a charity to his morning crush from the coffee shop where he serves as a barista, he thinks maybe all his Christmas dreams might just come true. However, can that really be the case when there is such a big age difference in them? Worst of all, can they make it to a HEA when one of them is so deep in the closet he looks like E.T. hiding among all the stuffed animals?

“What Works for Us,” is on the more serious shelf of Davison’s library. At least the audio version is, and that has a lot to do with the stylistic narration of Dan Calley. I first heard Calley in “A Boy Made of Sunshine,” also authored by Davison. Calley’s style in ABMS was lighter and airier, leaning more towards the rom-com spectrum while this audiobook painted a more serious picture, at least for me. The hurt/ comfort theme played a role in that too. However, the characters themselves crafted by Davison and her muse were so multilayered you had to listen intently, or you might miss one of the unveilings of each MC’s character evolution as the story developed and the characters’ most sincere forms were revealed.

I loved how the adage, “absence makes the heart grow fonder” came to mind each time Daddy Theodore was away from his boy, Sam. In the end, I think it may have been the thing that made each man realize, they were perfect the way they were, and their life as a couple “worked perfectly for them.”

The Story: 4.00 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Narration: 3.50 🌟🌟🌟. ✨
Overall: 3.75 🌟🌟🌟. ✨

I received a complimentary audio copy of this book from Gay Book Promotions to read and review.
🎄📚🎄

Pass

I should have read more reviews. This book seemed to be, like someone else reviewed, very concentrated on kinky fetish stuff and less on the people. And not a lot personality in either MC.
The story felt rushed and forced, while it had potential it didn’t get there. Very disappointed.
And while I love Dan Calley, I didn’t feel this book suited him. And I’ll probably never listen to it again.

A sweet age gap romance

I loved that this was going to be an age gap. I love age gaps, especially big ones. I think an author that can pull off a more than ten-year gap without making it creepy is talented.
I adored Sam. He knew what he wanted and had no problem Theodore was older. When Theodore bought Sam at the Christmas auction he thought maybe he wanted him too. Theodore is very in the closet and tries to ignore his want for Sam, not only because of his being closeted but Sam is so much younger than he is.
The two men had so much to get through to get to a relationship.
this wasn't the sweet fluffy, the man buys a man at the auction they fall in love and in a relationship book. There was so much more. There was more to Sam and more to Theodore. There were fun friends and a supportive brother. Plus some pretty hot sex.
This is such a fun, sexy holiday book.