[ARC Review] It Might Be Hot by Ariella Zoelle

Release Date: 8/13/21
Format: eARC
eARC provided by: Ariella Zoelle via Gay Romance Reviews

--------------------

It Might Be Hot, the first book in Ariella Zoelle’s Suntastic Fun series, definitely lives up to its name. Full of scene after scene of explicit male on male content, this book was a quick read that couldn’t have possibly fit any more bedroom shenanigans on the page. However, if you’re looking for a book with plot or character development, this may not be the book for you.

Alessandro has been hitting on Lachlan, his straight best friend, for years, always joking about showing him a good time. But until now, Lachlan has been strictly about the ladies. Until he wasn’t. Now all bets are off as Lachlan comes to terms with these urges and desires he’s always kept secret. Luckily, Alessandro is more than happy to fulfill Lachlan’s every fantasy and explore his newly realized bisexual orientation.

I did enjoy the sexy scenes between Alessandro and Lachlan; I just found the book a bit lacking in terms of typical story building or plot devices like conflict. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying stories that are more action than substance, so if that’s your thing, you will likely find little issue with It Might Be Hot. I would, however, be hard-pressed to truly categorize something like It Might Be Hot as romance since it lacks the typical plot elements of the romance genre, like conflict and resolution. I also really wish there was more character development in this story. For something sold as a bisexual awakening, Lachlan had very little, if any, internal conflict over realizing he found his best friend’s body attractive. Bisexual awakenings usually mean exploring the fluidity or sexuality, and while Alessandro mentioned it, there was a great missed opportunity to develop Lachlan’s character. Instead, despite the bisexual awakening, Lachlan was the same character from beginning to end.

There was a lot of potential to Alessandro and Lachlan’s story. Their bedroom and shower romps were definitely hot. I unfortunately just wish there was more actual romance and plot, as well as more gravitas to Lachlan’s bisexual awakening. A sexy novella, It Might Be Hot is perfect for anyone looking for a quick, sexy M/M read with an emphasis on the spice.

Popular Posts