One and Done was a book that was high on my reading radar. It was about a college accreditation process. Dr. Taylor James is the school vice president and is hyper-focused on his career. Dustin McMillan is a part of the consulting team responsible for accrediting the school. The initial contact between Taylor and Dustin was tense; they were not friends - well, Taylor wasn’t friendly. It was clear that Dustin was interested in getting to know the good doctor. Pun intended. When they realized they’d be working closely together during the accreditation process, things became interesting. I credit the author for the way he explained higher education and the stigma surrounding persons of color. He also pointed out that Taylor’s goal of becoming an openly gay man and President of a university was uncommon. I could feel the tension and chemistry between Taylor and Dustin, but the romance was not at the forefront of the story. I think there were pivotal moments to address, but I would have liked more of the couple being a couple on the page. My takeaway was that “You can have it all.” I am glad Taylor and Dustin reached their happily ever after; the ending was so beautiful.

This was sweet. I really enjoyed the emotional maturity and intelligence both of these characters embodied. Their capacity for communication when everything settled was so lovely and I want that for everyone in their relationships. I also really enjoyed the diversity of the cast, how it encompassed many facets of the LGBTQ+ community and different class levels as well.

There were some parts where the pacing wasn't as fluid as I would have liked, but all in all, if you're looking for a sweet read, this definitely fits the bill.

Thank you to Bold Stroke Books and Netgalley for an e-copy.

3+⭐

This book started out rather heavily with US regional and university politics and honestly I felt a bit lost as someone living very far away and in a different kind of country. But luckily the overall plot was easy to follow after the slight "scare". I like that these guys work to improve human rights and equality, and I definitely appreciate education too, but the guys here are very much these career oriented incredible success stories, which then again is not really my jam. Dustin seemed a bit of a jerk initially, but I actually started to prefer him about two paragraphs into his POV.

Overall this is a nice romance and while it utilises several tropes, there are some minor twists to them. I didn't really care how these guys were brought back together in the end, and I just didn't love this story, but it's probably a good one for people who like contemporary romances with career-oriented leads.

My thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a man walked into a bar and made a complete ass of himself....well thats how dj came across to taylor who was sitting at the bar just minding his own business... the fact that dj kept on just made himself looked an even bigger ass

so you can only imagine taylor face when he walked into the meeting for his campus accreditation meeting and came face to face with dj aka Dustin McMillan consultant and project manager in charge of the assignment

it didnt bode well for either of them....

an entertaining read with many a misstep and outrage along the way

3.5 stars rounded up. This was all around a very sweet story. It was definitely refreshing to read about a mature couple for a change. The diversity was also a plus. There wasn't really much of a plot, but I did like the interactions between the main characters. The side characters were mostly enjoyable as well.

All in all, I'd say this was a quick, pleasant read that gave me Hallmark movie vibes (in a good way).

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This was a sweet, MM romance set against San Fransisco and Higher Ed. Taylor and Dustin were so cute together. I loved it

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Two professional, gay, Black men meet one Sunday afternoon in a bar. They banter, and have a couple of drinks; one, Taylor, is not impressed by the other, Dustin. They go their separate ways, or so they think. It turns out Dustin is in San Francisco to assess the accreditation of Taylor's university. Forced to work together, they find that initial impressions may be worth a second look.

What I liked: While this was a very tropey book, it hit each trope in such a way that I had a big, stupid grin on my face for much of it. The social justice issues around being Black and queer in a professional occupation were well presented, and were further examined with the two main characters coming from different social backgrounds. I found the age of the characters particularly refreshing; I'm not sure I've read many romances where the main characters were in their 40s without a significant age gap or a child or two being central to the plot.

What didn't work for me: Parts of the plot didn't flow very well, including the timing towards the end, which felt rushed and patchy.

Final thoughts: An entertaining romance that shines a light on queer, Black people in America.

I'd happily recommend this to anyone who enjoys modern romances.

This had some good potential - I liked the San Fran setting, the academic/workplace plot and potential conflict inherent in that, and the fact that the MCs were in their 40s but I'm afraid it just didn’t come together for me. The writing felt a bit clunky and was overly detailed/descriptive in a number of areas. The characters, their dialogue and their interactions just didn’t quite feel real. In saying that, I did finish it so the likeable elements did carry me through and I found it a pleasant if slightly silly read.

Actually 3.75 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this e-arc.

I enjoyed quite a lot about this book: the older characters, the focus on the Black Queer San Fran community, the fairly good communication between the characters, and the look into the role Black and Queer people play in higher ed.

Unfortunately, I think the writing here is what led to my star rating. I think this could use another round of editing, as some of it just felt a bit clunky. It had one of my biggest pet peeves in fiction writing: not using contractions in a way that didn't feel like how people talk, especially in a book like this where the characters use slang. The ending also felt rushed, and I was a bit confused about some of the final things that happened: the brother's release, the engagement, the promotion...

I work in higher education, and so some of this just stressed me out because I know how these things work. The book was not rooted in the reality of higher education to some extent, especially the president promotion experience.

Overall, this book has some really great aspects, but it could use some more editing!

Overall: 4.5/5
Spice level: 1.5/5
Tropes: coworkers to lovers, second chance, higher education MC

This honestly was such a cute and heartwarming read! The spice level was pretty low, but that didn't detract from Dustin and Taylor's chemistry.

They had some fun banter that blossomed into something more with each day spent together as cohorts on a project for Taylor's university.

One and Done had some amazing character development, a solid, well-paced plot, and a diverse cast.

Lastly, I really appreciate when an author who is in community with the characters they write doesn't water down vernacular to serve others. It breeds authenticity.

I will definitely be interested in more titles from Frederick Smith.

Two handsome bachelors living and enjoying their single life🥰 Taylor and Dustin both are career driven however Taylor career consumes his whole life ! I didn’t like the way Taylor acted towards Dustin at times, he definitely gives stuck up and like he thinks he’s too good for Dustin . Mind you they both literally have the same exact profession and as quiet as it’s kept they even look alike 🫠 .I really liked Dustin and thought he was the perfect catch for Taylor , he was so fun and full of life ! I really enjoyed this book . I was really rooting for them to get on the same page 😩 This was such a cute read ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Though I was particularly excited to read this book featuring 2 older (40s) gay Black men ,written by a Black man, in an academic setting, I am, unfortunately, DNF-ing this book at 43%.

I had several qualms:

I did not enjoy the MCs' flirting, or "banter" at all, which made up a majority of their one-on-one interactions thus far.
I found Taylor quite boring and preachy, even though he claims not to be immediately after preaching at Dustin.

But the fatal flaw for me was that I felt entirely emotionally uninvested in both Dustin and Taylor individually as characters and the developing romance. The aforementioned qualms, while seemingly minor, certainly contributed to this. But I think the main reason I felt so disconnected from the emotional heart of this book is because the direct, spare prose leans heavily on dialogue to develop character and show emotion and lacked much of the characters' internal musings and reflections and general ooey gooeyness that I want, that I need in order to feel emotionally invested in the love story unfolding. Frankly, I just didn't care. And I don't want to feel that way about a romance.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #BoldStrokesBooks for the ARC of #OneAndDone.

I liked the book, it wasn't bad but the romance part, especially the final part felt false/forced. I liked Taylor, he was determined and knew what he wanted out of life, that's a good quality to have in a person. Dustin wanted Taylor from the moment he saw him and never stopped pursuing him, no matter what happened. That's why the part where they broke up was so confusing to me, it didn't make sense and I really didn't like it. I liked them together and their relationship, I have to admit, they were cute. It was a good book but the final part changed my opinion of the whole book and I just can't get over it

The opening sentence of <i>One and Done</i> was more than promising:
<blockquote>Dustin McMillan poured into my life as effortlessly as the top-shelf tequila going into the first margarita of the afternoon Markell was shaking.</blockquote>
The same can be said for the premise and the (40+!) MCs. I also liked how the book was firmly rooted in black queer culture.
The majority of the book really focuses on Dustin and Taylor, and their interactions. I loved how they could have a proper conversation after a fight.
But there were also things that didn't quite work for me. There's actually a significant power imbalance between the two of them, and for some reason these two very intelligent, mature men never consider that it would be a bad idea for them to get together. Only after they get together, when it seems that other people may know about it, it becomes a point of conflict.
As for the romance, I didn't fully believe it either. I think this was mainly because their reunion happens off-page. There's a multi-week (?) time jump in which a lot of important things happen, but that are only briefly mentioned after the fact.
I also felt some characters or plot points weren't fully developed. For example, one of Taylor's colleagues is set up as an antagonist at the beginning of the book, but then is ignored for the rest, at least until he gets his come-uppance (again, off-page). The same can be said for Dustin's mum.
Having said that, I enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
3.5 stars

I really liked the representation of two openly gay Black men succeeding at life. They kept getting thrown together with lots of cute tropes. Unfortunately, there were several times when I felt like we were getting massive info dumps that really took me out of the flow of the story. They struggled to communicate about everything, and that did eventually lead to a fight that caused a long third act break up. I didn't love that they were brought back together by the sudden death of one of the character's mothers. I also didn't love how there was a lot of conflict with one of the coworkers but that felt pretty unresolved. All in all this book was fine.

Aww that was one cute lil gay romance novel that works in more ways than one. Granted it is tropey but it is one of those that is a perfect and easy breather of a book.

With a very Hallmark vibe about it, it should get at least a hallmark movie made about itself apart from those Christmas releases. A story of Dustin and Taylor, the book oscillates between the two POVs, giving you two full bodied yet by no means flawless characters. You know the thought process behind their actions, their mistakes, their conundrums and their traumas. An easy read, the book is to be savoured and reminded me of many heterosexual romantic dramedies, so I do see why it was needed.

For all intents and purposes, I thought it could use a bit more smut. The blackness of the characters is mentioned a few too many times to hammer the point home as a motivation but is not explored much deeper except in passing, becoming more of a trait for one of the protagonists and a bit of cultural for other. But it is not that kind of book. The writer keeps it real enough but also breezy in terms of writing. Loved the bits of petty-ness. A chance meeting, dislikes, lovers, arguments

Even though it follows the tropes of forced proximity MM romance and you know where it is going, it was a cute romance worth a read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes for the eARC, in exchange for a review

What happens when an aspiring university president meets an incredibly good looking but obnoxious at first man at Sunday Funday brunch? Will Taylor allow himself to put aside his career goals to consider something more with this man? The two black men, both professionals with high-end employment, have a lot to figure out.

As we quickly discover, the two men end up working with each other on the university’s accreditation process. Just as Taylor was starting to consider something more with Dustin, now there’s a huge conflict of interest thrown in their way.

This was a great read, one that will make fans of the “only one bed” trope happy. It was refreshing to read about the focus on inclusion that Taylor has for his university and students.

You are going to be rooting for this pair through the whole book!

While Dustin is in San Francisco for a consulting job, Taylor catches his eye at a Sunday Funday brunch in the Castro District. Will it be a one and done type of night?

Two successful black male professionals, not looking for love.. well I was rooting for them to fall hard! What I liked most about this book was that the two MMCs both had big hearts. Dustin just had some challenges to work through and it gave his character layers that I really enjoyed throughout the book. This was an enjoyable read, but in the beginning things seemed a bit forced where I would have loved for the book to spend more time building the romance.

I recommend this if you enjoy MM romance, workplace romance, and/or forced proximity.

This. Is . What. I'm Talking. About. When. I. Say. We. Need. More. Diverse. stories. I ate this up. Give me more more more more more more more.

Unfortunately I dnfed this one. I really struggled to connect with the story and the characters. I think the writing just wasn’t for me!