Very sexy with a hint of sweetness, Love by Design is a friends to enemies to friends AGAIN and finally (finally!) to lovers story.

It took Ben a while to figure out what he wanted. I didn't blame Jeremy for being so standoffish, but Ben was hard to resist. He meant well; he just didn't know how to break free of his controlling, manipulative father.

I loved the interactions between the men, and I really d Addie, Ben's friend. She was an awesome female character, strong and supportive, but not meddling.

I wanted to know more about both men. Was Ben's mother even around? I was bummed that the setting of the book felt so generic. The majority of the story takes place in Sydney, where the men go to close a business deal. But where were all the Aussies?

Also, there were quite a few typos, which is always cringe-worthy in a published work. If I shell out four bucks for a book, I expect it to be EDITED.

I'm still going with 4 stars, because this was a fun, easy read with some truly mouthwatering smexy scenes, a delicious slow burn, and a great epilogue.bisexual-ofy m-m40 s Ele1,310 40

Second chances+ enemies to lovers! I have LOVED Sam Morgan's A Rookie Move and Slow Burn, and Love by Design was another winner.

I loved the writing, the well crafted characters, the banter, the self-sarcasm, and the dialogue. Not a lot happens in the first 50% of the book. It's mostly slow burn with a lot of tension. The second half, though, really makes up for it. A lot of steam, tons of feels, and the right amount of angst and conflict.

Favorite quote (which showcases just how evocative the writing is):
"It’d hurt the last time Ben left. This time was someone had ripped Jeremy’s heart out and it was still beating, a thousand miles away, and here he was, left behind to slowly die without it."
But Jeremy didn't die, thanks to the most adorkable grand gesture ever, followed by an amazing epilogue.

Recommended!

~Posted on Gay Book Reviews.~
second-chance33 s *J* Too Many Books Too Little Time1,921 3,710

4.25 Stars!

I don't understand why this book has such a low average rating.

I've really d all of SBM's books - and this one was no exception.

Loved the enemies to lovers vibe.
Loved the slow build.
Loved the banter.
The angst was well done.
Nice amount of steam.

Definitely a recommended read! male-action31 s ~Kristin~1,371 141

4 Stars
This was a new to me author, and all in all I think it went pretty well. It started off slow for me, and I didn't initially connect with either of the main characters, so I was a bit worried. But once they started interacting and put some of the past issues to the side, I was able to get more into the story.
I think I will read this author again.
boys-who-love-boys friends-to-lovers hot-and-cold ...more10 s Aeren510 30

Me ha gustado mucho, personajes con muy buena química y una historia dulce y llena de pasión, ¿qué más se le puede pedir?8 s A.E.Author 37 books3,014

Excellent as always

I've been a fan of Morgan since Slow Burn. I was excited to see this new release and just as I thought...,,,it was amazing!!!4 s Riina Y.T.Author 7 books60

Wonderful story, awesome characters. Strong 4 stars.

I was super excited when I saw this new release from Sam B. Morgan :)

I adore her previous work. This was just as charming, fun and sexy.

Love, love, love the guys.

Also, loveliest epilogue I've read in a while :)

I found some scenes a bit drawn out with repetitive inner monologue. They do dance around each other and if that's something you don't .... You might wanna skip this book.

I think it could've been polished a tad more in the first half, that's all. The pace picked up halfway through. Still lovely written - it WAS my kinda story so I'm all happy fuzzballs right now.

Would totally recommend :)endearing-characters sweet-romance4 s Bogusia1,064 27

4.5 stars
Another winner from Sam B. Morgan.
I really loved this story and these characters a lot :)
Good read!2017 autobuy-author mm3 s Cynster25 3

DNF@35%

I love Sam B. Morgan, especially the first two books, and I'm sorry that I had to give up at 35%. The reason is that the story is BORING. I don't feel the chemistry. I don't feel the story around the romance. I don't see the reason why Ben pushed Jem away when he already had two experiences with men - so what is this book's conflict? I kept asking myself that. I kept pushing myself, hoping that I'd get to love it but it just didn't work.
Usually I love slow burn but I didn't feel the spark here. Maybe I'll return someday to see if it picks up later on, which I don't think it will as I don't care for the characters, which is the worst thing that can happen.2 s Lada865 11

Purple prose, repeated whining and mutual admiration, pages of sex, and finally the MC grew some balls at 94%! 2 s Amber362 1 follower

4 Hearts

I find myself going into every Sam B. Morgan book hoping for the same feels as Rookie Move and I realized that is doing a disservice to this author. I can’t keep comparing every single book to something that I found exceptional. I realize that. With that said, Love by Design is pretty stankin’ good. I really enjoy this author.

Ben McIntyre is good at his job. Probably one of the best in his field what he doesn’t need is distraction. And the company would think starting a romance with their lead designer a HUGE distraction but some things cannot be helped.

Jeremy Lanzo fell hard for his boss Ben 2 years ago. Rejected, he’s pulled himself up from his boot straps and moved on. What he doesn’t anticipate are all the old feelings still being there when he and Ben are forced to work together on a project overseas.

Both men battle their feelings but are helpless to do anything about their attraction.

Riddled with responsibility Ben struggles with doing what is best for himself vs. what is best for the family business.

This friends to enemies to lover’s story is all about growing and forgiveness. It also inspires hope because with all the time that has past it seems Ben and Jeremy never really gave up on the idea of a…”them.”

Ben and Jeremy are smokin’ hot together. I mean on fire…blazing heat. The passion these two ignite is through the roof even though it does take a while before it catches.

I definitely recommend this book.

This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other , author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.


1 WMD161 6

a well done simple romance

This is about Jeremy, uptight defensive sharptongued architect/designer, and Ben, golden child super salesman heir to the company throne, charmer. It's a romance, as other Sam B Morgan books, and the story focuses pretty narrowly on the two MCs. They have a history, two years prior to the book, of teetering on the edge of something great....but Ben ran away and Jeremy let it happen. So this isn't a quick romance but a lot of the slow burn happened before this book. This book is about the rediscovery, review of history, and manning up to risk a lot ...for joy and love and really good sex.
And it was so.
And then there was a lot of sex..and then a further round of adjustments/epiphanies and further manning up and then HEA. Hooray! Okay, I have said many times before I some context and other adventures in my romance. This one has a thin layer of the high stakes international land developer action. And it has humor...but it's really all about the romance. They have believable reasons to fear falling in love, family issues, and some work they need to do to reach each other honestly. And that is what Love by Design gives you (and other Sam B Morgan books, too). Professionally written, edited, smooth dialogue.
Some things I rate mm books on
Smexy scale 1-5: 4
Yes, a lot of the connection between these two happens in bed (and on the couch and the floor). "His chest ached with how well they fit, how their bodies came together two lines connecting perfectly, creating something beautiful. They meshed. When they talked, worked, laughed, fought…and now f*d. Everything."
Humor scale 1-5: 3
I d the humor in this book, it particularly showed in self-talk and with secondary characters. (Wish we could have more of the secondary characters in Morgan's books.)
"Could he have picked a more potentially destructive situation? This was the worst idea in the history of wonderful, horrible, hot ideas. It was a nightmare. It was— “Hey. You awake?”"
Likable MCs scale 1-5: 4
These guys were pretty hot. And when they weren't freaking out or being caustically defensive at each other, they seemed to really and admire each other for much of their time together. This makes the HEA very satisfying.
Angst scale 1-5: 3
Ben begins to realize the toxic nature of his relationship with his family, while Jeremy has deeper family and trust issues. There is enough about these to make their relationship issues believable.


mm my-mm-1 Ali2,040 15

A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Review:

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Ugh, I really wanted to this story and kept hoping the tone would change and it would pick up, but it never seemed to. Jeremy has pretty much been on his own since he went off to college and has sworn to stay away from Ben as much as possible while Ben is hoping to get their friendship going again. Their connection to each other is strong, but they worry of what others would think could very well be their downfall.

I d the premise of this story and definitely didn’t enjoy this as much as the author’s previous book I have read. It started off right with the poor me attitude and it just continued through the book with both characters. We see both of the characters points of view which means we hear how both of them are sad or depressed about what happened before and what they would now. I couldn’t connect with the characters as they seemed to live a bubble from the outside world and once that comes into play it feels they give up. It was nice to see Ben finally grow a pair near the end of the book and decide what he had with Jeremy is more special than anything else, but it just couldn’t redeem the rest of the story for me.

Cover art by Natasha Snow is nice and works well for the story.
reviewed1 The Novel Approach3,095 138

Ben and Jeremy are about to embark on another project in Sydney after having their friendship blow up and ending two years before. Ben is hoping to build a bridge and fix what went wrong, while Jeremy is doing everything in his power to keep Ben out of his heart and life. As the story flows the reader gets both MCs’ perspectives on what happened two years prior, via the alternate POVs, and can sympathize with both characters and how they are feeling and what happened.

Ben is an engaging mix as an in charge corporate golden boy who closes deals and makes things happen, while somehow being naïve and innocent in matters of the heart and maturity. When he is not in a boardroom or figuring out the perfect setting to close the deal, he is finding excitement in the littlest things and food. Most people only see the heir to McIntyre Corporation, but a few— Jeremy and Addison—get to experience the man inside who is constantly trying to make his father happy while drowning in self-doubt. This is what makes it hard for Jeremy because he knows the real-man, his authenticity and kindness, his quirks and his internal struggles. He tries and tries to keep distance, but it’s not easy in the face of such genuineness. I got frustrated with Ben because I adored his character and all his little quirks so much that I wanted him to see his own worth, and that he was more than the golden boy and the company that holds his name. I wanted him to see himself the way Jeremy and Addison saw him.

Jeremy has built sooooo many walls. He comes off as snobbish and difficult to most people. But somehow Ben managed. two years prior. to find a way beyond them. He tries to keep Ben out, and strives, when they arrive in Sydney, to keep their relationship work only, and to avoid any personal interaction. But it’s hard when Ben is pushing so hard for the opposite. Jeremy shuts people out and keeps mostly to himself, using his art to escape the thoughts that pounce around and make him question his worth. I was fond of Jeremy’s character in that he is who he is. He doesn’t magically become a sociable person with others, his surly nature itself was endearing in its own way, because only Ben and Damien’s family really know that caring individual beneath the surface. He makes people work for his affection and admiration and doesn’t give it easily.

The beginning of the book is a lot of push and pull between the two protagonists, Ben trying to bridge the gap, Jeremy doing his level best to keep a distance while succumbing to the pull Ben has over him, only to rally and regroup again.

When the two finally get their act together and throw away the doubt, fear and insecurities, it is explosive. The tension from the first part of the book makes it oh so sweet to see the two together, but it’s also pretty darn hot.

Unfortunately, they are in a bubble. And the real world is calling. The obstacles that existed before have not gone away, so they find themselves in a conundrum on how to navigate their situation. It is not without some pretty emotional moments, and my heart went out to Ben during a particular scene.

The road the two traveled through this story was not an easy road, but I wouldn’t say it was overly riddled with angst. It was more overcoming obstacles of the emotional kind on both sides. There was a lot of holding on to grudges, and sometimes a rehashing of their pasts and their feelings about the past. I found it a little repetitive, but also I know realistically that is often how things happen.

I quite enjoyed joining the endearing Ben and difficult Jeremy on this friends—to (sort of) enemies—to friends—to lovers second chance romance.

Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews Ro Dubose254

Benjamin McIntyre is torn between pleasing his very traditional father and being happy in his personal life. For Ben, true happiness can only be found in the arms of Jeremy Lanzo.

Love by Design is a charming on and off romance. Ben and Jeremy have a mutual attraction to each other, but both men desperately try to hide their feelings.

Ben is bisexual and the vice president in his father’s international commercial construction company. He has an exuberant personality that works well for gaining new clients. However, his personal desires also show in his demeanor when Jeremy is within Ben’s sight.

Jeremy is openly gay and the lead designer at McIntyre. Although he has been in love with Ben for several years, Jeremy has the capacity to hide his emotions well or at the very least keep a safe social distance between them.

Sam B. Morgan has created an enjoyable saga featuring some of the pitfalls of an employer / employee relationship. Elithanathile1,867

This was nice but the ending was a disappointing HFN at best!!! We witnessed everything else ... this author couldn’t find it in her to give us the proposal, the engagement, and the glorious HEA that the author was alluding to the fact that they would have?! The way this ended was lazy and incredibly obnoxious!! Georgia Callaghan123 1 follower

4.5 stars, I loved this book! Good writing, great banter bw the MCs, lots of steam Catherine1,598 257

*** 3.5 Stars *** artistic-heroes-or-heroines contemporary mm ...more4 s Kinsey397

This one was all sorts of adorable, sexy, and lovable. I really enjoyed this one, contrary to some on it that I kept seeing. Will definitely continue to check out Sam B. Morgan's books! Aki | nose buried in books | ?? |408 39

second chance, friends to enemies to lovers.
sex and sweetness... my favourite combo!
I loved both characters, the plot is a bit predictable but I still enjoyed it a lot! Theresa3,189

DNF. Disd Ben immensely. Mainely Stories499 22

Second chance, an unparalleled success

Wonderful read. New author to me recommended by a favorite author and a valued gift which I will acknowledge. Storyteller brings the passion and strong characters who find and accept what they want in life and love. What they need. I'm told that it had been some time between books. Looks Sam got the groove back! DaisyGirl1,204 67

4.0 stars

I'm in emo heaven! This book is all about angst and some serious feels. Oh, and sexy smexy ... lots of that too!

Bottom line: This book is yet another reason that Sam B. Morgan is one of my fave m/m authors. Highly recommend!angsty genre-romance i-own_ebook ...more Amanda621 14

Another great one by Sam B. Morgan.

Jeremy and Ben were wonderful together. Even after two years apart, the chemistry between them could not be ignored. There were some reservations, yearning on both ends, and some definite sexy times to be had. Throw in a little bit of relationship angst and you have a wonderful story. gfy-ofy little-bit-o-angst Karen Lane929

4.5 stars

I feel this is a slow build story, and it probably is, but they had a moment 2 years before until one of them ran. The first 40%+ is spent going over old stuff and continual angst because they both want it but are too scared, but once they get their moment there is no holding back. *sigh*.
A little more angst towards the end of the story because daddy Mack gets involved, but I the way it played out. Natalie106 7

2.5 but rounded up to 3.

I don't know why but I found myself getting bored reading this book. I can see why it has good , but something was missing for me. Maybe it's my mood today (exhausted parent) o_0 ~RMG1,073 6

3.5 stars Christelle808

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