André heads to the club on a Friday night, meets a younger guy, and enjoys a super hot hookup.

On Monday morning and meets his new intern. Guess who it is?

Yup, that’s right: it’s Marcus, his weekend hookup.

André and Marcus agree to keep things professional while they’re working together on a major project, but that’s easier said than done since they have such strong chemistry.

Because the project was so important, I expected the presentation and its result to be the big climax (no pun intended), but it didn’t turn out that way. This worked well; the project did lead to some forced proximity situation, but it was more of a catalyst than the focus.

André and Marcus are both Black, and while they are out, there were still issues for them to navigate, like the perception of masculinity. André’s family’s acceptance is tacit, dependent upon him always being the “man” in his relationships. This leads André to feel guilt and shame about wanting certain things in the bedroom, and while some lovers might be annoyed by André’s reticence, Marcus is patient and willing to work with him.       

On that note, it was sweet to see Marcus taking care of André by bringing him food and making sure he eats during the long days at the office, even on the weekends. Marcus is working on his MBA, but he loves cooking, which is something he’s not “supposed” to like because it’s too feminine. So, in that regard, both men have to reconcile these lingering issues before they find happiness together.

André and Marcus are supported by some great secondary characters. I especially loved Fiona, the office manager at André’s company. Not only was she the one who made sure everything got done, but she was also a great friend—and hilarious too!

I would recommend André. This is the second book in the High Rise series, but it works well as a standalone: the only connection to the first book is the Crestline Apartments; the characters don’t know each other. I just loved André and Marcus together—there’s a bit of an age gap, but André is only 34, so there’s just enough for them to perceive things differently, but not too much. Also, reading this book made me hungry, and I want to eat everything Marcus cooked up over the course of the book. I’m already looking forward to reading Ellis’ next book!

I received a copy of this book from Carina Press/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.