| Title | : | Caught! (The Shamwell Tales, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 276 |
| Publication | : | First published August 19, 2014 |
| Awards | : | Bisexual Book Awards Romance (2015) |
Behind Robert’s cheerfully eccentric exterior lies a young heart battered and bruised by his past. He’s taken a job teaching in a village primary school to make a fresh start, and love isn’t part of his plans. But he’s knocked for six—literally—by a chance encounter with the uncle of two of his pupils.
Sean works in pest control, rides a motorbike, and lives on a council estate. On the face of it, he shouldn’t have anything in common with Robert’s bow-tie, classic-car style and posh family background. Yet Robert is helpless to resist Sean’s roguish grin, and a rocky, excruciatingly embarrassing start doesn’t keep the sparks between them from flaring.
Despite Robert’s increasingly ludicrous attempts to keep his past where it belongs, his past hasn’t read the memo. And soon his secrets could be the very things that drive Sean away for good...
Warning: Contains the alarming misadventures of a pest control technician, a stepsister with a truly unfortunate name, and a young man who may have more bow ties than sense.
Caught! (The Shamwell Tales, #1) Reviews
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*2.5 stars*
I'm usually a big
J.L. Merrow fan but this one was... well, boring.
I'm not an author, so at times it is hard for me to articulate what exactly I like or don't like about a story. When I think about this story, I think, "Fine... just fine...." and not much else. There was a decided lack of chemistry for me, some little bit that just never slotted together. And romance is all about the chemistry, right?
While I found the story to be pleasant, it was rife with miscommunication and secrets, some of my biggest pet peeves. I simply wanted these two guys to talk, not just run off in huffs and blunder their conversations. It was frustrating for me as a reader, to be sure.
I like a dork and a guy in a bow-tie, so I'm surprised I didn't love Robert more. He was off-and-on rude to Sean, and I think they didn't have much in common other than mutual attraction. While I liked reading about their romance, it just wasn't ever more than mildly entertaining for me. It actually took me days to finish the book, something that is rarely a good sign for me.
While not a bad book, I don't think it is quite up to
J.L. Merrow's usual standard.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review* -
And speaking of books: one of my biggest pet peeves is the Big Misunderstanding. You know, two dudes get together only for their love to be ruined by a tragic lack of communication at the 75% mark. (And it's always the 75% mark.) But never fear, dear readers, they'll remove their heads from their asses by the 90 - 95% mark and we'll all live happily ever after. Is there some writer's reference book that says the BM (heh) has to happen at 75%? Really, I'd like to know.
However, this book is by J.L. Merrow, not only the author of many enjoyable novels but the author of the book that made me an MM reader,
Muscling Through. Her writing style and very British humor means I can forgive just about anything. (Isn't that nice of me?)
It also helps that she sets up the BM -- okay, I can no longer call it that -- she sets up the Big Misunderstanding so convincingly. MC Robert has a bad break-up and a secret in his past that I don't blame him for not wanting to share. His love interest, Sean (a motorcycle riding GINGER), also has trust issues. You can see their blow-up coming from 800 miles away (or from 0 - 74%) but it feels natural when it happens.
Even if it wasn't convincing, Merrow makes up for it with some really cute characters. Did I mention the motorcycle-riding, ginger-haired Sean whose eyes crinkle in the corners when he smiles?
How hot is he? Even better is Robert, who's rather formal and feels naked without a bow tie. On their first date he decides to live dangerously and wear a regular tie.Now, how to tie it? A full Windsor would clearly be too ostentatious. A four in hand, though safe, might imply a lack of care. A half Windsor? That just screamed boring. Ah! I had it. The Prince Albert. Debonair, yet with a touch of individuality. Perfect.
I have no idea what any of those knots would look like, or even if you call them knots, but Robert is freakin' adorable.
There's also Rose, Robert's BFF and fellow teacher. She encourages him to eat endless take-aways, large amounts of sweets and swill cheap wine. Three things that should be a requirement for all BFFs. The last one especially.Rose: "Come on, cheer up. Christmas is coming."
Not entirely sure why this book is called Caught! however. But I love the cover, it captures Robert perfectly. I do wonder what Shamwell Tales #2 will be like. This book does have a (spoiler alert) happy ending (is that really a spoiler? It's a romance novel) but there may be a few strings that could be tied up -- though not enough for a whole new novel. So I'd think the next book would be about an entirely different couple. Either way I'm looking forward to another light, funny read from J.L. Merrow.
Robert: "I'm not five, Rose."
"Exactly. You're an adult. And what's Christmas when you're an adult?" She looked at me expectantly.
"Do elucidate," I said in my driest tones.
"Nah, I've been trying to give that up. Christmas, you numpty, is the world's best excuse to spend most of the time pissed off your face." She beamed.
Well, there was that, I supposed.
3.75 -
A solid, nice read from Merrow, who is one of my favorites. While this won't knock Muscling Through from its place of honor on my "Favorite Merrow" list, it was an enjoyable read which I could see myself re-reading.
The narrator, Robert Emeny, is a sort of uptight elementary school teacher who struck me as very likely on the autism spectrum. (he reminded me uncannily of my autistic son in multiple ways)
The love interest, Sean Grant, is a ginger (!) rat catcher whose trouble-making twin nephews are students of Robert's.
There's a slow burn, a few awkward misunderstandings due to Robert's inability to pick up on social cues, one much bigger obstacle, and then a sweet reunion. All in all a feel-good romance.
One note: this is the second time in the last few weeks I've read a book where the MC displayed some textbook autistic behavior. The first made me really uncomfortable, but this was refreshing and endearing. Regardless of whether Merrow meant to portray Robert the way I interpreted him, I enjoyed his character, just as he is.
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4.25*
“He looked dangerous and inviting, like a sleazy club on the bad side of town with a half-price drinks offer you know you’ll end up regretting in the morning.”
Robert, I love him, he wears bow ties, named his car and in typical JL Merrow fashion his inner thoughts are great and highly entertaining.
Sean, the pest control worker, motorcycle driving great brother and wonderful uncle and all around sexy hunk. He not only accepts Robert’s quirks, he finds them attractive, but he also feels like he might not quite be up to Robert’s posh standards.
As for Robert, his insecurities, the fear of Sean finding out his secret and that Sean is a bisexual and Robert is sure it’s only a matter of time before he moves on, it’s hard for him to believe this could be more than a fling.
There are a few touching moments, a few embarrassing ones, quite a few funny ones and a burning dress.
I liked the side characters, they rounded the story off well and I was especially happy to have a bisexual character. I thought Sean was good at explaining and clearing up misconceptions about his bisexuality.
All in all a very entertaining story with two, at times a little slow on the uptake men, but that’s what they had Rose for. And as always with this author, the story is full of humor and fun, but also enough meat to keep me hooked. I can’t wait for the next book in the Shamwell tales series.
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Charming read.
If you find the countryside and its diversions entertaining then there's a good chance you'll enjoy it. Two men, seemingly incongruent for each other, but really quite a good fit. One running and the other firmly rooted, they manage to make a go of it.
Robert's a bit of a sweetheart and burnt around the edges. Geeky and awkward, but earnest and well disposed. Hard not to feel some sympathy for him.
Sean is the blue collar in this mixed class relationship. Heart big enough to make you smile and his two impish nephews, too.
The women are written more towards stereotypes, and their behavior is certainly the "drama" in this story. In fact, aside from one critical yet quickly dispatched incident all the conflicts in the story revolve around women's behavior and in most cases, behaving badly which I'll admit when reflected upon is annoying.
Overall, a quiet, gossipy read that has a sweetness in this love story. -
What do you get when you cross a nerdy primary school teacher, a class of rambunctious 6 year olds, a rat catcher and an M/M romance? A completely entertaining, humorous and wonderful story in the unmistakable style that is JL Merrow.
Oh how I loved this book! What makes it for me is always the characters that JL Merrow portrays. How she does it is a mystery to me, but they are ALWAYS thoroughly entertaining, normal people with their quirks living in a real world. Here we have Rob Emeny. Yes I know, I don’t know how many times I read Enemy too, but that is also a source of fun for the kids in his class too and even the adults. So if my autocorrect changes it from Emeny to enemy then I apologise in advance, or it might be better to call him by his first name, Robert or Rob for short.
Rob is a primary school teacher and obviously has a lot on his hands anyway. He is a little nerdy in the fact that he always wears a bowtie and brogues. Obviously, not the most modern thing to wear, but he went to public school and maybe he might set a new trend, who knows ~ Bow Ties are Cool! For me Rob felt a little socially awkward at times, your typical lovable nerd, but that for me made him even more attractive and endearing. As I was reading I just couldn’t help but see Matt Smith the 11th Dr Who in front of me, another person I secretly have a little bit of a crush on, find him absolutely adorable – oopps secret’s out now!
Kids can be little buggers, but also so endearing and lovable at the same time. But it’s not always the kids that are misbehaved, the parents too. I just couldn’t help laughing when Robert has to break up a bitch fight between two mums at the front of the school. This is what endeared me to the whole set up of this story. Kids are absolutely amusing at the best of times, but throw in some lovable adult characters and for me the book is a hit. I just loved this whole background of primary school education and the trials and tribulations that teachers have to deal with. It is definitely a job that could test anyone’s patience, but you can see how Rob really cares about the children, not only their education, but also in a caring and pastoral role too. JL Merrow gets this balance for me just right, Rob would have been a teacher that I would love to have had in school myself.
Rob has just ended a relationship and really doesn’t want to get involved in another one for the time being. He’s currently off men altogether. However, his best friend and colleague Rosie has also just broken up with her boyfriend so together they make a right pair. Even after all their disappointments they deal with it with a huge amount of British humour and the dialogues between Rosie and Rob are just the most entertaining thing to read.
Rob has twins in his class and at the end of the school day they are always picked up by their Uncle Sean. Their mother is fighting cancer and the real father is absent, so Sean is the next best thing to a real father and I must say he is absolutely marvellous with the kids. He now lives with sister to make things easier for her and due to taking care of the twins has very little time for himself. Rosie knows that he is bi, or has had a girlfriend but also notices how Rob behaves when Sean is around and goes about setting them up, Rob completely misreads the whole situation and when he goes out with Sean for the first time he thinks he is supposed to be getting Rosie and Sean together, however it is Rosie who trying to get him and Sean together. Again misunderstanding which leads once again to an hilarious first date which is fit for a TV sitcom.
After the initial blunders then Sean and Rob get together and when Rob finds out that Sean works in Pest Control, a rat catcher then you can imagine the initial reactions there. Someone coming from an upper-class background going out with a rat catcher from the council estate, talk about two worlds collide. However, Rob is not the snob he seems as after his dad died his mother and he went through some hard times until she married again, you could also say married into money. This enabled Rob to go to public school.
"We were from different worlds. His was filled with small, scurrying creatures that had to be firmly controlled lest they cause a nuisance. Mine was filled with…….. All right, maybe our jobs weren’t so different."
The one thing is though that Rob has a history that he feels embarrassed about and doesn’t want Sean to know about. In his previous job he left and resigned under a cloud, although totally on the innocent end of the stick, he finds it still too embarrassing and uncomfortable to tell anyone and that includes Sean. Well, once his past starts to catch up with him and comes too close to home, by trying to keep everything from Sean he gives the impression that he is hiding something and lying. Too afraid to tell Sean this drives a wedge between them and eventually ends up where Sean walks out on him. However, Rob can’t swallow his pride and tell Sean, even though he is innocent so the usual blockhead syndrome takes over. This was actually quite heart-breaking to think that after they know they love each other so much that Rob still can’t feel comfortable enough to be able to tell Sean the truth about his past.
This takes a Christmas spent at his parent’s where Rosie comes to stay as a guest and Rosie trying to talk sense into him. What a friend, I just LOVED Rosie, always upbeat, always a quip to hand, never lost for words and just adorable at the same time. The friend that gives you the kick up the ass when you need it. So after all is said and done, Rob swallows his pride and sets out to get Sean back. He can only do this by telling him everything about what happened in his previous job and this takes a lot of courage, but the results were oh so worth it. I could however imagine how painful such things can be and the angst you have that when someone finds out about your past they’ll probably do a runner anyway. This was Rob’s fear, but really he didn’t need to fear if only he realised how much Sean loves him. When you meet someone then the important ting is the future you build together, the past is the past and sometimes you need to tell, but it doesn’t necessarily always have to affect the present and thank goodness Rob realises this before it’s too late.
I just so loved the multi-facetted side to this story. Robs past, Sean taking care of his nephews, Sean’s sister fighting cancer, Rosie playing matchmaker although with issues of her own, a class of kids that would drive anyone nuts, but you just can’t stop loving them, all with their own stories too. A light and at times funny book with just the right amount of pathos and poignancy to give it a much greater depth of emotion. The balance was perfect. Put all this together served up with a huge portion of wonderful humour and you have an entertaining, feel good story with a great HEA. Personally, I felt it was a little like reading the M/M version of Bridget Jones – brilliant!!
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J.L. Merrow writes some fun, quirky characters who are appealing and very British. Robert is shy, a little bumbling and clueless. He's been hurt somehow, and he's keeping to himself. But he's strong enough to be making a fresh start in his new job as a primary school teacher without compromising his own tastes or trying too hard to fit in.
Sean is self-confident, sweet, hot and a bit defensive about his job in pest control and his social status. He rides a motorcycle, likes kids, and is pretty perfect other than his tendency to stomp away hurt rather than stay and talk.
This is a story where the secondary characters add a lot of the appeal - the mischievous twins who are Sean's nephews and Robert's students sparkle, and various friends and neighbors help push the romance along and propel Robert out of his sheltered niche.
The romance in this was lightweight, with most of the story happening early as the two men try to decide whether they are interested and ever destined to be together. It's funny, sometimes hot or sweet, but rarely emotional. Even later on, moments of conflict or angst are fairly muted in tone. I was a bit irritated by Robert's extreme cluelessness in the beginning but he grew on me, and I became fond of him. If you like a small-town British atmosphere, nerdy characters, fumbling, kids and a light, sweet story, then this is worth the read. -
J.L. Merrow just does it for me. This is very British, British which means I had to Google a bunch of terminology that I didn't understand and I loved it as I'm now adding quite a few new words into my vocab. :D
I enjoyed the story so much and all the characters (Titty, *snerk*) the contrasts between Rob and Sean worked really well for me. Although I had a lot of frustrations with Robert and some of his decisions to the point where I was ready to give up on him. He's lucky he had Rose there to give him a shoulder, she's a great character who needs some action (maybe in book 2?). Sean was wonderful in all his rat-catcher glory and the squrat scene was priceless. Looking forward to more work stories and seeing what happens next in Shamwell. I'm caught. -
2.5. This went from WOOOO WOOOO to BOOO BOOOring to DNF.
Review maybe later. -
3.5 stars
In Caught!, British elementary school teacher Robert Emeny is finding his way with a new start in a new school after a devastating betrayal at his previous teaching job.
This is a real slice-of-life look at how Robert fits into the new job working with much younger kids and living the small town life as an openly gay man. Well, it’s never clear if Robert is openly gay or whether it’s his fastidious manner and unique wardrobe styling that ‘outs’ him. He is adept at feeling like the ‘odd man out’ in any case. But he is sweet under that stiff upper-crust lip and great with the kiddies.
Merrow gives us a very close-up and in-depth look at this buttoned-down character who has a thing for spiffy bow-ties and the accent to go with it. A well-brought-up kinda guy who’s first name we don’t even learn until deep into the story. Besides the ribbing about his outfits, there are a lot jokes around his last name as you can imagine. His young students take delight in calling him Mr En-emy (that’s right, go back and re-read the correct spelling) and this is played out throughout the story.
In fact, there is a gentle comic feel as we get Robert’s first-person POV. As fussy as he comes off, he’s also self-deprecating and sweet and seems a bit lost when it comes to love. He has made a friend in fellow teacher, Rose, who gives unsolicited advice in that department and with whom he spends an inordinate amount of time (TMI on the manscaping and mowing of lady lawns).
When Robert lost his last job he also lost his boyfriend… a misunderstanding and a mix-up that we find out about later in the story. But when Robert meets Sean, the local pest exterminator (read rat-catcher), the tables are turned as the two slowly circle around each other. Sean is a charming, fit, copper-haired cutie. He’s helping his sis, who’s battling cancer, take care of her young twin boys. Hence, the school connection, and he’s such a nice young lad, this Sean. He also seems to ‘get’ the off-beat Robert, who becomes Rob, less of a prig, and starts to loosen him up a bit. There is a mutual opposites attracting kind of thing going on-- a tightly wound snob versus sexy bad-boy kinda thing.
But it’s a very lukewarm start, slow to catch fire. Finally, about mid-way in (after cooking lessons and lots of take-away eating) we get a little more action and less setting-up when Robert finally starts spending more time with Sean and less with Rose.
I have been interested in this author’s work ever since reading the wonderful Muscling Through. That was such a lovely book and highly recommended. But it is a hard act to follow. My subsequent tries of Merrow’s work have just not lived up to that one.
Don’t get me wrong-- the characters and setting are very well-drawn. There are lots of funny bits and enough Doctor Who references in this one to make even a low-key fan throb with delight. And I love the Britishisms… Cheers, but I don’t want to be a gooseberry.
Bugger it sideways…
… just call me the curmudgeon of readers that I’m not wowed by Caught! Yes, it does have those great storytelling elements mentioned before. And, granted, the writing is strong and there are some heart-felt issues raised: issues of teacher/student relationships, illness in family, neglected children. But maybe there’s too much going on? Because, ultimately, it’s a romance and the fire there just doesn’t quite ignite, is perhaps too watered-down.
These two guys are likable, but they’re so up and down and on and off again…and again… and they spend a lot of time apart. Robert probably spends more time with Rose that he does with Sean for a lot of the story. Finally, the guys’ coming together has kind of an ‘oh well, why not’ feel to it. Sweet, but not compelling, and a bit ho-hum.
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A copy of this book was provided by the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review.
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Bro. Like, 3.75 stars, maybe.
Sean sucks. I dunno. I just don't like him. He's boring. But I liked his line, "Fit is fit, innit?"
This was pretty funny. It's probably 90-100 pages too long. Rather boring bits. Some real funny bits. Merrow is hilarious. My favorite funny author, fo sho.
But, uh, yeah. Totes enjoyable. Rather funny. Beats normal misunderstanding conventions. Yet, Sean still is rather 'meh'. Also, I wanted to meet Crispin.
Cheers! -
ETA: June 2017:
The other day I requested this book through NetGalley, having (for some unfathomable reason) forgotten I had read (and greatly disliked) this book last year. If you continue reading my review you will also wonder how I could have forgotten. I'm going to blame it on the cover, which is different for this new edition, though not nearly as attractive as the original cover. And now that I think about it, I really liked that old cover, which is about the only thing this book had going for it.
So, um, thanks NetGalley for allowing me the chance to review this book...this just might stretch the definition of "honest review" more than one would like.
(Honestly, I'm not nearly this bitchy in real life, I swear...no, really!)
Original Review: May 2016
First off, something to note: Of the ones who rated/reviewed this book, nearly all my GR friends or people I follow highly rated this book so this may be a case of it's me, not the book. I guess this means, for those of you interested in this book who are reading this review I would probably check out some other reviews in addition to this one. I usually love
J.L. Merrow's books so yeah, it is probably "It's not you, it's me" with this.
Disclaimer over, on to the review.
Oh, thank God that is over.
This was an incredibly painful read, as in the "I skimmed most of the last 30% in desperate hope it would get better" painful, not the "Oh, this is such a great book filled with endearing, yet tortured, characters" kind of painful.
I seriously do not want to devote any more of my life to this book but I always feel like I should explain why I give a book such a low rating. Ironic, really, considering I rarely review my five-star reads, though in my defense I am usually unable to do justice to those books or have so many notes and highlights I never know where to start.
I do not, however, have that problem with
J.L. Merrow's
Caught!. So to simplify things, here's my review in list form.
1. From my one and only status update: I'm 58% done with Caught!: I'm really struggling with this book. I read book three,
Out! first, which I loved. That book had the POVs of both MCs whereas this just has Robert's POV. I am not really feeling much of Sean at all. Even the sexy times are not that exciting. Yawn...
2. Exposition. Exposition. Exposition. Exposition. God, will he ever just shut up? Robert spends so much time in his head and, unfortunately, the writer tosses us in there right with him.
3. I already said I never connected with Sean. I guess this is partly due to a lack of his POV (something I ALWAYS hate in a romance novel) but it could also be from the fact that he doesn't really appear very much in the book, or at least not as much as the MC's love interest would be expected to appear.
Which slides easily to my next point:
4. If so inclined to go back and count pages (and trust me, I am not so inclined), I would not be at all surprised to find Robert spent more time with his co-worker/friend Rose than he did with Sean. And I would feel rather confident betting ALL of the scenes with Rose were longer than any of Robert's scenes with Sean. Since I'm most assuredly not a betting person -hell, I won't even commit to betting I have a face full of freckles (which I do)- it's saying something when I tell you I'm willing to bet anything.
5. Big Misunderstandings, especially when due to the idiot MC muddling things up with outright lies or even lies by omission, are annoying and a huge waste of my time.
6. There were so many minor storylines that took up way too much page time (naughty children, an evil school secretary, a parent questioning their child's sexuality/gender identity, I could probably go on). And don't forget (though I'd like to very much) the not-so-short breaks in the story to go do other things (his entire visit home for the holidays and his God-awful step-sister, for example).
7. Robert's big secret. Yeah, it was a big deal, but eventually I just wanted to slap him and tell him to just tell Sean already (see #5).
I am so glad I read
Out! first because had I read
Caught! first I never would have given Out! a chance. Considering the fact that I very much enjoyed Out! that would have been a shame. I've read a handful of books by Merrow and have liked all of them, so I'm bummed about how much I did not like this one. -
4.0 Stars
Sweet & sexy! I really liked the small town/village setting but what stole the show here was the humor. I found myself giggling quite a bit while listening to this (and in public!) due to the mostly dry wit, but sometimes scathing observations. All the comparisons and comments about Robert's bow ties to/with many of the Doctors got a bit repetitive, but it's a solid joke and will probably appeal to Whovians. (Nine will always be my Doctor, so it wasn't as sentimental for me.) And OMG those kids were just a riot!
I loved that Sean was a PCT - that's not a job you see crop up a lot in ANY genre, let alone MM Romance - and how a couple of scenes incorporated such pests! Sure, the job is frequently seen in a less than flattering light, and those performing it looked down on (which also provided a bit of drama for the story), but I liked how practical and proud Sean was of what he did.
There is some angst, but not a lot, and it mostly stems from some miscommunication, jumping to conclusions and socio-economic class issues...and on the whole felt very current.
Definitely looking forward to more in this series! -
Sweet, sexy, and funny!
Robert was delightfully awkward. For all that blushing embarrassment, though, he had his moments of take charge confidence (on the piano bench, in bed) and that was a nice surprise. He knew what he wanted and had no problem demanding it when Sean insisted on teasing him.
Sean was such a sweetheart. And so sexy. I liked his reactions to Robert. And I really liked his kink for Robert's bow ties and suspenders (I mean "braces"!)
A lot of the humor in the story came from Rose, who was also delightful.
...as were Charlie and Destinee :)
Robert's mother...lol, she was a piece of work. She did have a rather sweet, protective side when it came to her son, though.
There were misunderstandings, moments of Robert being a complete idiot, but they didn't last too long so my irritation was short lived, but still, not my favorite. -
Too tired to right a full review (plus I already reviewed the book
here) so I'll just say ditto to everything I previously thought about the book, plus like two extra bonus stars for the great narration.
So I think that comes out to 6.5 stars? -
I'm sure I'll be in the minority, but this one just didn't work for me. I've enjoyed a number of J.L. Merrow's books, but this was not a favorite for me.
Robert is a wonderful character and I really enjoyed him (and yes bow ties are cool), but I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between him and Sean and felt like there was more time focused on Robert and Rose's friendship than there was on Robert and Sean. There were a lot of misunderstandings between the two men and not a lot in the development of their relationship. I actually found myself skimming towards the end of the book.
The book contained plenty of the humor and wit I expect from J.L. Merrow, and again I did love Robert, but the overall story left me a bit frustrated. -
I love J.L.'s prose voice and this book was no exception. Very funny and cozy and cute. If you like humor in you romance, you must read her. Recommended.
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This was cute...
'Caught' was the first book in J. L. Merrow's 'Shamwell Tales' and I enjoyed listening to this on audio.
Robert's teaching at the village primary school trying to rebuild his life after losing his last teaching position and the man he thought was the love of his life. He's happy with teaching and not looking to replace the man who left him.
On the surface Sean doesn't seem to be anyone that would interest Robert and the only thing these two have in common is the fact that Sean's nephew's are in Robert's class. But looks are deceiving and Sean effortlessly charms his way into Robert's life but not without more than a few mishaps and misunderstandings, due largely to Robert's stubborn desire to keep his past a secret and his rather quirky and naive personality.
I was more than a little amused by Robert's inclination to be overly precise and often times take things far more literal than necessary. I like Robert and found him to be quirky, kind and sensitive, no to mention a bit of a worrier as well. While Sean was more laid back, spontaneous and just generally more outgoing about life.
There were also some excellent secondary characters in this story...Robert's friends Rose and Fordy, his family and Sean's. But I think my favorite secondary characters this time around was Charlie and his dad. Charlie was a sweet little boy in Robert's class who liked to dress up at home and wanted fairy wings for Christmas and while Charlie's mom wasn't around he had an awesome dad because dad didn't want him not to dress up or have fairy wings he just didn't want his boy to get hurt for wanting these things and he wanted to try and understand his son not change him...I bet there are a lot of kids out there who'd love a dad like this and as a parent I have to say all we can do is love our kids and try our best to give them a home where they're always loved for who they are and know that they shelter from the storm called life...yep, Charlie and his dad made this one good all on their own.
Mark Steadman was the narrator and needless to say he's definitely got the Brit accent nailed. I'm guessing possibly because he's British. But it's also more than that, he also gives the character voices the individuality, consistency and expressiveness that I enjoy in an audio book.
Unfortunately in spite of the good stuff I just didn't really feel the connection between the MCs with this one...not like I did with 'Muscling Through' the only other book I've read by this author. So while 'Muscling Through' was a 5 star read and this one was only 3 stars, I still had more than a couple of LOL moments and look forward to enjoying more by this author...whether it's e-book or audio book, I'm always on board for a good story and few laughs...although maybe no rats next time.
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An audio book of 'Caught' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. -
I almost never quit a book but I am quitting this one at the halfway mark because it is 2022 and so far this year is the absolute worst and I am not enjoying the story so why waste any more time? I'm gonna die here with a million books unread if I continue to do that shit.
I was hoping for a light, sexy romance because I was feeling sad and couldn't read another book filled with darkness this week. I was hoping for maybe a little humor and fun banter. Instead, it meandered and wasted time on so many other things that were a little dull and since this was a romance, I felt let down. The story is told from only one POV and I felt like I never got to know Sean at all who, if you ask me, was a much more likable and interesting character than stuffy Robert. There was so little chemistry because of that too. I enjoyed Robert's friendship with Rose but it took up too much of the plot. She provided some comic relief except for the parts where she made rude comments and assumptions about bisexual people. Ugh, ROSE, please stop. And the final straw for me was the constant secret-keeping and misunderstandings. I simply do not have the patience for that kind of nonsense today. Maybe never again.
Because I was getting more aggravated with every chapter I read and the cover was making me irrationally stabby each time I caught wind of it, I decided to quit before I had to rage review.
This is a review of my personal reading experience. Yours may differ. Don't be blaming me if it does! -
Very funny! JL Merrow sure does know how to add just a touch of the real to their humor, and Caught! certainly has that in spades.
Mark Steadman does a fantastic job with the audio. -
I enjoyed this not as much as some of the other books by this author.
'Slam' and 'Muscling Through' will always be first class reads for me and although 'Caught' is good, it didn't amuse me or hold my attention as much as the other two books.
Having said this I liked the characters, especially Mr Robert Emeny who I thought was delightful. I especially enjoyed his best friend and hang out buddy Rose and of course his love interest Sean.
I enjoy 'opposites attract' stories and this was a good one with Sean the bisexual working class rat catcher (not many of those about I'll bet) and Robert the gay upper middle class school teacher finding love with each other.
I didn't really like the way the book involved a 'big misunderstanding' towards the end. I always feel this is a kind of unimaginative plot device and a bit predictable and this affected my overall enjoyment. I lost interest after that. I couldn't understand why Robert was hiding his past and the loss of his previous job even though he wasn't at fault. The way he dealt with it and his fear of being judged was kind of irritating because what are family and friends for? That aspect of the story was a turn off for me.
I loved the teaching and the school children. The classroom scenes and the kids were great. I also liked the country setting and the way the two men found each other and dated amongst the ups and downs of village life. Best of all I enjoyed Robert's neighbour and her impromptu cooking lessons.
So there was much here that amused me and it was a good story but I needed more from the author. I needed something with a bit more grit like 'Fall Hard' which really captivated me. Alas this one didn't but JL will always be one of my favourite authors and I am looking forward to her next release. -
Usually I rave about Merrow, but not on this one. There were two things that brought my rating down -and both of them are part of what I call the "I have no more patience for this list."
Merrow has enough talent that if she is going to use a misunderstanding as a plot device, then she could make it damn funny. Instead we got the usual quick-to-judge misunderstanding, followed by immaturity and stubbornness which made me frustrated, but what the hell -I already was frustrated by having what I call "the no-justice syndrome" which is when a character has suffered by an injustice, hate, homophobia, family dynamics, etc. and nothing happens to the culprit that caused the injustice or problem. I'm being vague because of spoilers, but these type of scenarios frustrate me to no end.
I did enjoy the characters, and there were priceless moments of humor which made me giggle like a little girl, but still, for me, this story was just average. -
Hm, even though well written, I found myself not caring very much about Robert and his secret. I kind of liked Sean, but I could not feel any real chemistry between them, and just really thought they got together since they were at the same place at the same time...
Honestly, I would rather have read about -
New book from J.L Merrow?!
(Expected publication: August 19th 2014)
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If you're a fan of JL Merrow's quirky / funny characters, I think you'll rather enjoy this first book in The Shamwell Tales series.
Robert Emeny is a primary school teacher … pronounced “Mr. Enemy” by the students at St. Saviour’s School, but he is pretty much beloved by his 2E charges. He attended a very posh college and favors the sartorial splendor of a bow tie and braces. His car is a lovely Nissan Figaro named "Portia." Robert has been scarred in matters of the heart and has sworn off men for life … well, at least the next 20 or 30 years.
Sean Grant is a green-eyed red-headed ratcatcher … er, “pest-control technician” with a sexy battered black leather jacket, a motorcycle and two equally red-headed nephews in Mr. Enemy's 2E class. He’s got a bit of a fetish for bow ties and braces … and nerdy snarky men with a penchant for Harris tweed jackets and reading E.M. Forester's Maurice rather than watching the telly.
After a horrid first date, Sean and Robert slowly and tentatively work their way into a relationship, although there is a constant series of unfortunate misunderstandings and/or miscommunication resulting in breakups which are resolved and then happen again, and again. I dearly wanted at some point to yell "Use your WORDS" and make them sit in a corner together to resolve their problems. Their relationship is more cute spark than sexy sizzle, but it fits into the story beautifully.
JL Merrow has created a wonderful cast of secondary characters - Robert's co-worker Rose, Sean's sister Deb fighting cancer, Robert's simply horrid stepsister Laetitia (known as Titty), sweet little Charlie Mason who wants fairy wings for Christmas. As Mr. Enemy says: "After all, we don’t even know if Charlie’s actually gay yet. He may yet surprise you and bring home a girlfriend.” Mr. Mason looked frankly dubious. “He brings home a girl, it’ll most like be so they can paint each other’s nails."
Caught! is a great read and I give it 4 stars.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Stop by my new blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews -
Read with a smile on my face the whole time. It's a clever thing to create a character as consistent as Robert. His quirky nature, his unfailing gentlemanly behaviour, and his sometimes-in-the-gutter thoughts (only about Sean though) are portrayed in the most affectionate of ways.
Sean is a hero in his own quiet way. Merrow does down-to-earth blue collar types to perfection. His support of Debs and Wills and Harry (ha!) brought a lump to my throat.
I loved this lively and quick-witted sweet romance. -
Reviewed previously at Boy Meets Boy Reviews.
I'm as big JL Merrow fan, in fact she is - apparently - my most read MM author. As much as I enjoy her short stories though, it is the longer ones I really love. (FYI, The Plumbers Mate series is my favourite!) Caught was no exception to this rule. For me it had all the ingredients for a great little romance novel. Village setting - tick. Loveable characters - tick. Cute romance - tick. Enjoyable read - tick. It really was exactly the kind of book I was needing to read, at the time I read it. Always a bonus.
Robert was such a loveable character, mildly eccentric, unknowingly funny and pretty much all round nice guy. He could have been a dweeb, but he really wasn't. He was the kind of chap I would like as a bestie. I mean, with his bow tie penchant, you'd never have to worry about what to get him for Christmas.
Sean as well was nice, the kind of opposite to Robert's posh - normal, I would call him (without starting the whole what is normal debate), I understood his roots, where he came from. And honestly, what a fab bloke. looking after the twins while his sister is being treated for cancer. Yet he didn't come across as a martyr or holier than thou...he was just lovely.
There was a bit of a mystery about Robert's past, but it wasn't anything too difficult to work out. It just added to the story to the relationship 'bumps' between the two MC's. Quite honestly this book was a comfort read. For wet Saturdays with a cuppa and a biscuit. The Katie Fford of MM stories. Sometimes I want mystery or super-sexy or a million other things...but oft times I just want a comforting, sweet romance and this book delivered that.
My only bugbear - I bet the primary school teachers I work with wish there was as little effort put into the job as Robert appeared to have to put in. But that is my thing - I work in this environment, I see the hours teachers put in. If I was writing a teacher without being in the environment myself, I'd have written it exactly as JL Merrow did! So really a book I'd recommend for a fun read. -
I do love J L Merrow's style of writing not to mention her humour. Having a English setting is just icing on the cake for me.
This story is a delightful, light hearted tale about two guys falling in love despite their rather different backgrounds. It is full of laughter and wonderful characters, especially certain members of 2E. There is a slight mystery surrounding Rob and his former employment, and a little drama to keep things interesting, but mostly this is a sweet and funny guy meets guy story.
Rob is wonderfully literal. He had me chuckling at every turn. Sean is more the hunk with a heart. Loved him straight away, although towards the end I felt like giving him a boot up the jacksie.
Not sure about Rose. While she wasn't totally obnoxious, she still had an edge to her I wasn't always keen on.
But there was one guy who did hit all my plus buttons. Little Charlie kind of stole the show for me, not to mention his rather mysterious but absolutely bloody wonderful father. I admit I'm really hoping that both Charlie and his dad get a story in this series.
ETA This is still funny and charming, and I still desperately need more Charlie. I must know how he is doing lol.
ETA Still love this one and still hope to get more Charlie one day -
3.8. There were things I really did not care here like Robert's friend, Rose, she was just all over the story! I Love the romance, it was subtle and very natural. Looking forward to book 2 ☺
