How the Other Half Lives London Lads Book 2 edition by Clare London Literature Fiction eBooks
Download As PDF : How the Other Half Lives London Lads Book 2 edition by Clare London Literature Fiction eBooks 
A London Lads Story
Compulsive neat freak meets chaotic slob Can their living space survive the conflict?
Martin Harrison keeps himself to himself and his Central London flat as neat as a new pin. Maybe he should loosen up and enjoy more of a social life, but in his mind, that’s tantamount to opening the floodgates to emotional chaos. He agrees, however, to join the flat-sitting scheme in his building and look after another tenant’s flat in exchange for a similar watch over his when he’s travelling for his work.
A floor away in the same building, Russ McNeely is happy with his life as a freelance cook and a self-confessed domestic slob. He also joins the flat-sitting scheme, both to be neighbourly and to help keep his flat in order, as Russ also travels for his work.
For a while, the very dissimilar men never meet. Martin is horrified at the mess at Russ’s flat, while Russ finds Martin’s minimalist style creepy. But in a spirit of generosity, each of them starts to help the other out by rearranging things in their own inimitable way.
Until the day a hiccup in the schedule brings them face-to-face at last.
How the Other Half Lives London Lads Book 2 edition by Clare London Literature Fiction eBooks
4.5 STARSHow the Other Half Lives is a ridiculously adorable short story/novella which stars stereotyped odd couple Martin and Russ.
Russ’s apartment is a mess. He has piles of dirty dishes, clothing all over the floor, homemade booze fermenting in the bathroom and he lives surrounded by packing boxes. He’s happy, and his apartment suits him.
Martin’s apartment is practically sterile. Neutral colours, tasteful antiques, drink coasters are a must, and god forbid he actually cook in his kitchen and risk a mess. He’s also happy, and his apartment suits him.
Neither man sees anything wrong with the way they live their lives and can’t understand the constant badgering they cop from their friends. But giving into pressure to socialize more, they agree to sign up to flat-sit, although this is all organized without the two men ever meeting.
The story actually progresses well; despite the fact the author keeps our main characters apart for the first few chapters of the story. Usually stories of this length rush to get the MCs interacting and into a relationship, but Clare London cleverly begins building their bond through some very amusing ventures into each others homes.
In fact, I think the whole story could be described as clever. The author does a great job of delivering these fascinatingly contrary characters to the reader in a way that makes their romance almost an after thought. Each man has his own turn of narrating through a first person point of view, but the changes are clear and there’s no confusion. I enjoyed the interactions between the MCs and their friends just as much as the interactions between Russ and Martin themselves.
This isn’t the first book that I’ve read by Clare London, and as before I was struck by the quality of her writing. It takes skill to tell a complete story in seventy pages, but this book did just that.
Now I think I’ll go check out book number one in the series, although this book is definitely a standalone.
Review originally posted at Love Bytes Same Sex Book Reviews
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How the Other Half Lives London Lads Book 2 edition by Clare London Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
I love a good opposites attract story, and this one hit the spot with its quirky characters, low angst and of course a happy ending. The fact that it’s a quick read with a little bit of heat makes it even better. It was really easy for me to identify with both characters even though they really were total opposites…and even given how opposite they were to each other, they actually do have plenty in common—as their interactions with their own friends clearly show.
Martin is almost borderline obsessive-compulsive with his neat-freak ways, and I really got a kick out of his reaction to Russ’s flat. Both men are at the far ends of the spectrum from each other, and I really loved watching as they each slowly pulled the other towards the middle ground, evening each other out and truly complementing each other the longer they’re around each other. If any couple is an example of two puzzle pieces fitting together, it’s Martin and Russ.
With the author’s smooth writing and the fun exchanges between all of the characters, How the Other Half Lives pulled me right in and had me smiling from start to finish. It’s a fun and fast read, great for a pick-me-up when you just need a story to put a smile on your face. I’m looking forward to more in this series-I need more of these London Lads! 4.5 stars for How the Other Half Lives, and I’d recommend this to any M/M romance reader, especially if you love opposites attract stories.
Claire London’s standalone novella, How the Other Half Lives is both sweeter and subtler than the old Odd Couple movie/series, but with an equal wallop of droll wit. In just 65 pages, she convincingly develops a love affair between two complex men who should never mesh.
Martin (“M. Harrison, no unsolicited mails accepted”) is an antiquities dealer who keeps his home as carefully as the items he purchases, as sparse as his personality. “I straighten the top right edge of the coaster so that it lines up with the base of the nearby lamp, then nudge it a fraction the other way, which is much better.”
Russ (“abandon hope all ye who enter here”) is a prankster slob, too brash to land a full-time job. He cheerfully works as a freelance chef, because, “I’m apparently virtually unemployable, or at least my attitude towards authority is…Something about my sense of humor and the company’s job security policy being largely incompatible.”
The men have constructed their stances to keep a self-protective distance. “I know what he means, and it inevitably includes sexual relationships…Such interactions can-and do-so often lead to mistakes, confusion, and embarrassment.” … “Dating is a hell of a bother for a fairly unreliable outcome.” After all, intimacy requires compassion.
When their respective friends chide them for their unsociable ways, they agree to enroll in their building’s flat-sitting arrangement, especially since they’re often away from home. And thus, they miss one another for the first 40% of the story.
Martin takes the initiative to organize Russ’ place, while Russ adds food and homey touches to Martin’s. They leave notes for one another, and their friends notice they are changing. Of course, when they finally meet, they have chemistry. But is that enough? “Are you scared of stepping on my toes Russ?” … “Are you scared of falling over mine, Martin?”
While Martin will always count minutes and Russ will always joke inappropriately, London allows the men to develop from caricatures of themselves into nuanced personalities. “He has no idea how his steady care can steer such a comforting path through my chaos.” … “He has a strange and robust capacity for sentimentality that I’m learning to treasure.”
Sometimes I can tell the quality of a book by the sheer number of quotes I simply must put into a review. And How the Other Half Lives is one such book. Despite the brisk pace of a novella, London meticulously creates language consistent with the men’s personalities and behaviors.
In so doing, she creates a tale which resembles more of a photograph than a painting. Like a dew drop can magnify the object it covers, this little drop of clarity is a truly delightful read!
4.5 STARS
How the Other Half Lives is a ridiculously adorable short story/novella which stars stereotyped odd couple Martin and Russ.
Russ’s apartment is a mess. He has piles of dirty dishes, clothing all over the floor, homemade booze fermenting in the bathroom and he lives surrounded by packing boxes. He’s happy, and his apartment suits him.
Martin’s apartment is practically sterile. Neutral colours, tasteful antiques, drink coasters are a must, and god forbid he actually cook in his kitchen and risk a mess. He’s also happy, and his apartment suits him.
Neither man sees anything wrong with the way they live their lives and can’t understand the constant badgering they cop from their friends. But giving into pressure to socialize more, they agree to sign up to flat-sit, although this is all organized without the two men ever meeting.
The story actually progresses well; despite the fact the author keeps our main characters apart for the first few chapters of the story. Usually stories of this length rush to get the MCs interacting and into a relationship, but Clare London cleverly begins building their bond through some very amusing ventures into each others homes.
In fact, I think the whole story could be described as clever. The author does a great job of delivering these fascinatingly contrary characters to the reader in a way that makes their romance almost an after thought. Each man has his own turn of narrating through a first person point of view, but the changes are clear and there’s no confusion. I enjoyed the interactions between the MCs and their friends just as much as the interactions between Russ and Martin themselves.
This isn’t the first book that I’ve read by Clare London, and as before I was struck by the quality of her writing. It takes skill to tell a complete story in seventy pages, but this book did just that.
Now I think I’ll go check out book number one in the series, although this book is definitely a standalone.
Review originally posted at Love Bytes Same Sex Book Reviews
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