Title: And Call Me In The Morning
Author: Willa Okati
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Contemporary M/M
Buy Link: Amazon.com
Length: Novel (189 pages)
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
THE BLURB
Eli and Zane. Colleagues at work and close friends, though on the surface it’s an unexpected friendship between an odd couple. While Zane took the “high school to college to med school” track, medicine is Eli’s second career and the best choice he ever made. He has work that he loves, an extended second family of colleagues and friends, and Zane.
So why does everyone make such a big deal about the pair of them?
Yes, they spend a lot of time together. It doesn’t mean they’re a real couple. When teased about it one too many times by their colleagues, Zane challenges Eli to set the record straight with a kiss to prove there’s absolutely no chemistry between them.
Neither expected a spark to ignite between them. More than a spark. Desire. Passion.
Zane wants to try getting up close and personal again to see if it was a one-time fluke or something more. Eli thinks he’s too old to jump the fence now, but he can’t say no to Zane and he doesn’t want to.
Truth be told, Eli’s not so sure they can set the record straight after all.
THE REVIEW
Zane and Eli had been best friends for years and were so close their friends assumed they were lovers and teased them mercilessly about it. The two men could not be more dissimilar as Zane came from a privileged, moneyed background although he never flaunted it, while Eli was working class and had entered the medical field when he switched careers after many years in law enforcement. Eli had been married for years and was recently divorced while Zane’s misspent youth and demanding career did not allow for permanent ties. Even their recreational pursuits were different, Zane loved the symphony and Eli was a baseball fan, but they had a lot in common in terms of other mutual interests so they hung out most nights with each other when they weren’t working.
While they took the teasing in stride, at times it was frustrating that no one believed they were just friends. One day while out with their colleagues the constant teasing became unbearable so Zane suggested privately to Eli one way to put a stop to it. His plan: that they kiss each other and hopefully find it a horrible experience, which would allow them to report back to their friends that there was no chemistry between them and thus debunk the rumours. This would have been a great strategy except for one thing, the kiss didn’t quite work out the way it was supposed to and they got all hot and bothered, which changed the dynamic of their relationship and opened a different can of worms.
After the initial embarrassment of his reaction to the kiss Eli is plagued by sex filled dreams, but being more conservative than Zane he tried to write it off and pretend that nothing had changed. Zane, on the other hand, wanted to explore further and suggested that they try to figure out if the kiss was a one time thing or if they were really attracted to each other – a whole new ballgame. He reminded Eli that they had trusted each other for years and they should treat this as an experiment and a joint effort, the way they did everything else. After much hesitation Eli agreed to test the waters, and their stumbling efforts at man on man sex were hilarious since neither one knew where to start and what to do.
If you can suspend disbelief that two straight men in their forties who had been friends and colleagues for many years suddenly find each other incredibly attractive, you will love this book. The dialogue was very funny and there were many laugh out loud moments as Zane did his best to persuade Eli that he was the man of his dreams by waging his own devious campaign. He had his own agenda since he had been secretly in love with Eli for about a year and this opportunity was not one he was going to miss. One evening he dressed very seductively but Eli, who was no fool, made it clear that he was on to him. Zane asked what gave him away and Eli responded “the part where you flashed your tits.” There were many other funny lines throughout, like the time Zane told Eli “Do you think I’m putting out on the first date? I’m not that kind of girl, you tramp.” 😀 Both men graduated Blow Job 101, and Eli learned that teeth were not permitted anywhere near that most tender part of a man’s anatomy. His dilemma – how to give a BJ without his teeth being in play, since teeth were right there next to the lips, but he eventually became most proficient at this new delight. 😀 The sex was incredibly sensuous even as they bumbled and bungled their way into this new territory, and there was much emotion to go along with the sex and the laughs.
In case you think it was all fun and games, the story contained many poignant and serious moments as Zane battled with the hospital adminstration who wanted to close down the free clinic where he spent a lot of his free time providing medical care to people who could not afford insurance. Also, both doctors were at crossroads in their careers and had to decide whether to stay at Immaculate Grace Hospital or move on to other opportunities which could mean separation, and there were many serious disagreements about following different career paths. However, a major and life threatening health crisis made Eli realize how much he really loved Zane, and the only thing that mattered was to have him in his life forever.
Both protagonists were well drawn, but my favourite was Zane who was much more vulnerable and open and didn’t care who knew how he felt about Eli . Eli on the other hand was not comfortable about being in this unfamiliar territory and he was embarrassed to admit their relationship; he also did not believe in public displays of affection while Zane was the exact opposite. However, when Eli was tested he showed what he was made of. The supporting characters were all three dimensional as well, from Taye the gay intern who helped Eli figure out what was important in life, to Diana, a cardiologist and Holly, a psychotherapist, two of their best friends and colleagues who teased them unmercifully, but were there when it counted!
I really enjoyed this book which was funny, sexy, had great characters, the pacing was just right, it had the appropriate degree of difficulty in the plot elements and the ending was great. Highly recommended
And Call Me in the Morning Series
Wave, thanks for the review! I thought the blurb and excerpt were promising and was just about to buy it when I decided to take a quick look at your site! And look what I found! I’m off to Loose Id!! 🙂
Salina
I really liked this book because I thought that the characters were well developed, and other than being Gay for You, the plot worked. As I said in the review, there was more to the story than GFY and I liked the fact that the author tried to expand the plot by including other conflicts in the story. The other characters were great as well. I think you will enjoy this story.
I wasn’t sure as Willa Okati and I have a rough relationship. Seems to be either hit or miss for me and I’m not sure why. But this makes me think this could very well be a hit. Definitely move it up the list. Great review.
Tam
I haven’t read a book by Willa Okati in a long time and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. Not only are the characters people you could actually like, but there was a real plot and it was funny as hell in some parts. The supporting characters were not just window dressing either, which was another plus.
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I hope you buy this book and let me know if you enjoyed it. I stayed up all night to finish the story – that’s how much I liked it. 🙂
Ha! I had it in my TBR file so I dug it out and while in “hurry up and wait” mode I had time to read it today. (Why don’t people call you back?) I have to say I really agree with your assessment. It was a great story about two guys and I enjoyed the read a lot. After the non-stop sex I’d read, it was kind of nice to have something more to a relationship than hormones (although that’s there too obviously). So I’m glad I read this or it likely would have sat in my TBR for a lot longer.
Tam
I’m so glad you read the book and enjoyed it. There was actually a story and the characterizations were wonderful. You actually read this today? I thought you were at work. 😀
I am with Tam on this Okati is not a rush out and but author for me…
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But I was pleasantly surprise by this book… I totally agree with you..
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Worth the read…
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E.H>
Hi EH
As I mentioned to Tam, I haven’t read many books by this author in a while but the blurb really caught my eye and I decided to go for it and am I glad I did.
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I’m really happy you enjoyed the book as well. Lately I haven’t been getting many good books and this one made up for that.
Great review Wave!
I was waiting for your rating on this book before buying it. I know what I’ll be reading today. 😉
Aliens
This book kept me up all night – finishing the story and writing the review. I think it’s a winner.
I just finished it. Loved it. Money well spent. 😉
Hey Aliens
I’m so glad you liked it. I should get a cut of the profits for recommending this book so highly – I don’t know if the author has even seen the review. 🙂
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I’ll have to come up with something else next week so that you’ll spend even more money.
My experience with WO has been similar to Tam and EH, so thanks for this review! *adds to TBB list*
Chris
Even the most discerning reader who may not be a fan of this author should like this story, which I think is a little gem. If you do buy it please let me know what you think because everyone’s personal taste is different
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! So, so, so much. Of course I’m a fan of Willa’s. She’s extremely prolific and is able to write in lots of different styles, even though I think her books are always recognizably “Willa” if that makes any sense, so I can see why a reader may not like everything she writes. But yeah, this one is particularly awesome 🙂
Hi ally
i really lucked out with this one. As I mentioned before, I haven’t read a “Willa” book in quite a while so this was a treat. I really, really like it as you can tell from the review and the rating.
I’ve never read anything by Willa O. so it looks like this might be a good one to start with. Plus, I work at a Free Clinic…LOL. And I have always had a soft spot for doctors.
–
L
Leslie
I really think you’ll like this particular book because it’s a bit different from the run of the mill – older protags, good secondary characters, terrific dialogue, and fun.
She is one of the authors that I keep reading about her books in reviews but somehow I never read any myself. It sounds like it has a similar base as “Faith and Fidelity” which I adore, so I am definitely interest in the premise.
going to my to-read list. Thanks for the review!
Hi Eve
There are some similarities to F & F in terms of the ages of the protagonists and one character was a former cop but I think this one is more fun, plus the guys have been longtime friends. I hope you get it because I think you’ll enjoy the story.
Great review, Wave. Like others, WO is hit or mss for me, but this seems like a winner. I’m off to read it, thanks.
Hi Lynn
I think it will be money well spent. Although WO is not loved by every reader, which author is? She writes a lot of paranormal books which I like but this is one contemporary that I think will gain her new fans.
Great review, Wave! I’m so glad you liked this one. I’ve been looking at it since it came out and though the blurb sounded really good I wasn’t sure until now. I’ll definitely be getting this one. 🙂
Lily
You should get this soon because it’s such a great read. I know it’s GFY but it really doesn’t matter much since the guys are such great friends. Definitelhy a lot of laugh out loud moments as they try to figure out what goes where. 😀
I just finished reading this today. I thought it was a really good book. I thoughly enjoyed it. It had some ‘chuckle’ moments and it made some awkward situations more life like. Told through Eli’s voice it did feel like half a story… but I think thats because I liked Zane so much I wanted to hear is voice 🙂 Both Eli and Zane were very well fleshed out and Diana and Holly were also well rounded. It was nice to see that the females in this book weren’t the usual evil wenches. I mean we aren’t all bad…. are we LOL!
Overall it was a pleasant way to spend a rainy day.
tish
Hi Tish
I’m so glad you liked the book as well. It’s definitely one of my recent favourites. You and I both liked Zane more (I think I said that in the review) 😀 and there were times when we did hear from him, although not often. Like you, I was pleased that Diana and Holly were well rounded, three dimensional characters and not the usual bitches. I also liked Taye and his BF a lot. I think WO did a really good job on this book all around.
Great review.Great book.
You like funny,sexy,older couples?
If you haven`t read it yet,try “Family Unit”-Z.A.Maxfield too.
I´m sure you`ll like it.
Hi Simsala
Funny you should mention Family Unit, I’m reading it now. 🙂 I’ve been promising to review it for a couple of weeks.
yeah! what a highly rated w.o. book. nice! i wasn’t convinced from her website blog but now i am… neat!
kkm
Hi KKM
I think you will like it and I hope you get the book.
Great review! This sounds really good.
Although I have to say, how hypocritical is ot of me (as someone in their 40s) that the guy going gray on the cover isn’t as appealing as it should be. Especially considering the shot is very sensual and beautiful.
Lori
>>I have to say, how hypocritical is ot of me (as someone in their 40s) that the guy going gray on the cover isn’t as appealing as it should be.<< * Funny you should say that because I find stories of older protagonists more appealing (probably the age group thing). These characters have lived, been through the "wars" as it were, and bring something to the table other than good looks and great abs. * I'm reading Family Unit by Z.A. Maxfield for review and you probably will like the cover even less because these characters are slightly older but what a wonderful story so far.
I was happy to read a book by Willa that I liked again. She is always hit and miss with me but when I saw that others liked this one I give it a go.
Good read!
Hey Ingrid
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the book. It’s always good to get recs from as many readers as you can, before buying, and this time it worked out for you.
Thanks a lot for the review! I wouldn’t even have checked this book out because I’ve read only one story by this author years ago and thought it was crap. I’ve avoided her altogether ever since. But the blurb is lovely and from what you say the novel seems to live up to it. I think it’s worth taking the chance again :-D.
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If you can suspend disbelief that two straight men in their forties who had been friends and colleagues for many years suddenly find each other incredibly attractive, you will love this book.
*dreamy sigh* Wave, you always find the right words. *g*
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Now tell us the truth: did you want to read this book because one of the men was a baseball fan? :-p And am I the only one who got all happy because one of the characters was named “Zane”?
Mary
This book is made for you. The GFY elements here are not that incredible because the guys have been friends for years. The sex is funny and wonderful.
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Trust me on this one and I don’t think you’ll be sorry. Let me know what you think.
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Sorry to disappoint you, but baseball was not even a part of this story. 😀
I’ll let you know :), although it might take a while. You know me ;).
Well, I bought the book not long after reading your review, and just only got around to reading it. And you were absolutely right: I loved it 😀 It was tightly written, with a wonderful close friendship between the two men before they realize it’s actually more than that, and I loved how their love was so obvious to everyone around them EXCEPT them. 😀 Their chemistry was sizzling. I love how courageously they explored this together, although Eli came close to bolting a few times, and the characters of the other gay doctor and his boyfriend were really nice. A lovely book. Thanks again :).