"Unlikely Reunion," by Lily Michaels

Contemporary MM Romance

Book Blurb

Book one in the Improbable Bonds series

Erik's adolescent crush becomes a very adult relationship at his high school reunion.

Seeing his former bullies starstruck is definitely on Erik Stevens' agenda for his high school reunion. Hooking up with someone is not. He has resolved to end the meaningless sex that has dotted his life, even though it fed his need to dominate. Now he is looking for a man—a submissive—for a relationship that will last forever.

But Erik hasn't counted on Kyle.

For ten years, Kyle Lincke has cursed his repressed sexuality that, in high school, kept him from acting on his crush...Erik. As soon as he receives Erik's RSVPed ‘yes' to the reunion, Kyle begins working up the courage to finally act on his desires, difficult for him to do following a disastrous break-up.

But six weeks of exploration into BDSM and small steps toward a deeper relationship are thrown into jeopardy when Erik's fame threatens their bond—and Kyle's fragile psyche.

My Review

After six months on hiatus, I’m thrilled to make my return to the book review blogverse by spotlighting an extra special gem. Unlikely Reunion by Lily Michaels—first in the Improbable Bonds series—is a tasty novella-sized snack perfect for a single-sit reading session. You can curl up in your favorite reading nook, and before it’s time to refill your beverage of choice, you’ll be so hooked you won’t want to get up.

And, yes, full disclosure… the author is my IRL bestie. But we met long before either of us were published authors, and from our humble beginnings as fledgling hobby writers to where we are today, it’s been a joint venture tackled as a team. Basically, if you happen to enjoy my work, you’ll love Lily’s. We’ve grown together as writers, and we share the same values, ideals, and writerly goals.

So, back to the matter at hand. Erik and Kyle—and all the happy sighs of readerly bliss they inspire. This is one of those feel good stories with an expertly crafted dash of spice. Our leads were high school acquaintances from opposite ends of the social spectrum, but when they meet again at their high school reunion, a mutual unrequited crush culminates in a sexy whirlwind of self-discovery, true love, and a best-read-in-private introduction to the world of consensual Domination and submission.

As a member of the BDSM lifestyle, I’ll admit to being hyper-critical of the way D/s relationships are depicted. For starters, it can be downright dangerous when someone either knowingly or unknowingly portrays the lifestyle as anything other than a relationship between consenting adults based on trust, honesty, and with a focus on clear communication and safety first. Thankfully, I can say Unlikely Reunion has an accurate and beautiful depiction of the lifestyle. One I can honestly stand behind and encourage curious parties to read without fear it might steer them in a perilous direction.

The overall story arc is rich with genuine conflict and leaves the reader with a satisfying conclusion. The relationship between Kyle and Erik—in and outside the bedroom—is authentic and had me rooting for their HEA from page one. Which, I assure you, they get. In droves. Lily Michaels is nothing if not a provider of Happily Ever After bliss. 💕

I would recommend this story to anyone who loves character-driven romance, especially with a side of healthy BDSM. It will leave you with a smile on your face and a hankering for more from this brilliant author. Thankfully, Unlikely Match—book two of her Improbably Bonds series—is due to be released on May 26th, 2020, and her debut A Granted Wish—a bite-sized and sexy Christmas novella from Pride Publishing’s Sexy Snax collection—is available for your immediate reading pleasure! Add them both to your Goodreads TBR or one-click from Lily’s Amazon author page or the Kobo site, all found below!

Guest Post by Lily Michaels

The STory Behind The Story

Every book I write has an inspiration. Sometimes it can be a song, sometimes a TV show, sometimes a picture of a random human that I see on Pinterest. I’ve even been inspired by a commercial before.

My brain often chants the same question, “what if?” All the things above, and any other random event or thing I come across, can incite that question. As soon as it appears in my noggin, I fall down a rabbit hole of thinking of ways to hurt my characters before I put them all back together again with a pretty bow (and sometimes a puppy) on top.

For Unlikely Reunion I started out by thinking of my favorite romance trope: second chance. I love, love, love couples getting a second chance at happiness together that they were certain they’d never have. Add in the fact that a coworker was talking about a very tackily decorated high school reunion and the basis for this story was born.

We all know that teenage years are pivotal ones where some people are discovering who they are while others are fairly confident in their futures. It’s a stage of life filled with awkward uncertainty, even in the popular kids.

Kyle was in the first category inwardly, although outwardly he was a shining star in his school. Class president, debate team leader… you get the idea. On the outside he looked like he had it all together and was destined to be a success in life. Erik on the other hand, wasn’t quite as beloved as he discovered his truth early in life and wore it like the rainbow badge of pride it was. Not only was he open about his sexuality, he knew his career path. The stage he owned as a teen performing various high school musicals was meant to be something bigger and as soon as he graduated, he left the small town outside of Seattle for the dazzling lights of LA.

While the two didn’t actually date in high school, they had a friendship ever since Kyle rescued Erik from the hands of vicious bullies. A friendship that blossomed into bigger feelings for each of them, but ones that neither were able to admit.

Not-so-secret confession: I live vicariously through my characters and possibly (probably) still think about someone from my teenage years even though those days are farther away than I care to admit. So, yes, a fair amount of projection served as the foundation for this story.

My final spark of inspiration for Unlikely Reunion came in the form of an incredibly fabulous musician that I fell in love with when he was on American Idol. Adam Lambert is an insanely talented human, hot as Hades, and carries himself with a confidence that’s drool worthy. The fact I am fairly certain he is Freddie Mercury reincarnated doesn’t hurt either. So from Adam, Erik was born with all the swagger and sex appeal he deserved.

My beloved tool Pinterest provided me with a slightly rugged, but insanely handsome bearded fellow who became my darling, and anxiety riddled, Kyle.

Not only was Adam Lambert a catalyst for this story, a playlist of his songs on repeat kept the momentum going as I wrote. Here are a few of my favorites:

Lily Michaels
She/Her

Coffee, chocolate, and books make up Lily’s world, often all three at the same time. Whether reading or writing she is a sucker for an over-the-top happily ever after… only following an appropriate amount of pain, of course.

When she is not writing or reading (which is not very often) she enjoys exercising her right brain in non authorly ways such as creating mosaics, crocheting, knitting, scrapbooking, and taking one man’s trash to create something new. But never, ever ask her to draw something. That is a beast best left alone.