Gregory Ashe is primarily known for writing intricate, gritty mysteries with romantic sub-plots featuring complex but flawed characters who fall in love (usually very slowly!) while solving said mysteries, but of late, he’s been flexing his writing muscles and exploring different genres. Earlier this year, he embarked on The Last Picks series of cosy mysteries and published a romantic suspense novel, Follows with Intent, which features two popular secondary characters from the Hazardverse – Nico Flores and Jadon Reck (from the Hazard and Somerset and Borealis books respectively). Now the author has turned his hand to contemporary romance – there’s not a dead body in sight! – in The Kiss Principle, which stars fan-favourite Fernando Lopez, older brother of Auggie (The First Quarto), whose amazingly inventive swearing and top quality snark hides a massively big, kind heart.

Readers of The First Quarto will already know that Fer has been the lynchpin of his dysfunctional family ever since he was a child himself. The three Lopez brothers all have different dads, and their mother is a self-obsessed drama queen who doesn’t give a shit about any of her sons (other than about what they can do for her) and who has a different – younger – man in tow (also out for what he can get) every few months. Ever since he was a kid and taking care of his baby brother because there was nobody else to do it, Fer has shouldered all the responsibilites of his family. He’s paid for everything – the house, the car, Chuy’s stints in rehab, his mother’s debts, college for Auggie, everything – but in that never-ending cycle of looking after everyone else, he’s neglected himself to the point he just doesn’t have a life. His job as a rep for a pharma company pays the bills, but he doesn’t enjoy it; he drinks too much, eats too many of the wrong things and smokes too much weed just so he can make it all go away for a while.

When The Kiss Principle begins, Fer is planning a visit to Wahredua to see Auggie and his “pet dinosaur” (Auggie’s partner, Theo, is a decade older), but that is suddenly derailed when Chuy, who has been in recovery and living at home, bolts suddenly – and leaves behind his baby daughter. After the initial shock of finding a squalling infant in his kitchen wears off, Fer realises he’s going to need help – he’s got a great new job opportunity lined up which means he’ll be away more – and starts searching for a nanny.

The search is more difficult than expected, although one agency has managed to line up someone on a temporary basis. He’s rushing out of the house on the way to an appointment and opens the door to find a young man standing on the doorstep – tall, athletic, dark eyes and a perfect mess of windswept dark hair – who must be the nanny. Manny. Whatever. Excellent. Fer dumps the baby (he’s named her Isabela) into the man’s arms, reels off some quick instructions and emergency contact details and heads out.

He’s still driving when the nanny agency calls to apologise for the fact that their candidate hadn’t been able to make it that morning. Stunned and fiercely berating himself, Fer he turns the car around and rushes home – only to find the not-manny sitting on the couch, rocking and singing quietly to the sleeping baby.

Huh.

José Teixeira – who goes by Zé – is twenty-five and was a professional surfer until he injured his knee. Three expensive surgeries later, he’s just about getting by, and tries not to seem to desperate when he suggests that he could work for Fer and look after Isabela – but Fer can see it in his eyes and decides to give him a chance.

As the days and weeks pass, Fer and Zé settle into a comfortable routine. Zé is goofy and sweet, he’s great with Isabela (Igz), he isn’t fazed by Fer’s potty mouth – he actually seems amused by it – and he’s just… easy to be around. He’s also seriously hot, which is not something Fer was prepared for. Sure, he was the one who told Auggie about sexuality being like a buffet where you could sample a bit of everything, but he’s always stuck to one side of the table – apart from a couple of horny teenaged fumblings with a friend – and has been perfectly happy with that. Until now. There’s something about Zé that draws Fer in and captivates him – he’s gorgeous, yes, but there’s so much more to him than that. The chemistry between them crackles from the start – the author really knows how to create the most fabulous sexual tension – and their romance is filled with good-humour and geniune affection.

The story is told entirely from Fer’s PoV, so we’re treated to the full smorgasboard of the truly creative invective of which he is capable, and I take my figurative hat off to Mr. Ashe for some of the outlandish stuff that comes out of Fer’s mouth! But we also go behind the foul-mouthed tough-guy act to see a more vulnerable Fer than we’ve seen so far, one who is unhappy, exhausted and terribly alone, and who can’t seem to break out of the soul-destroying pattern his life has followed for so many years.

We don’t get into Zé’s head, but we do learn that life hasn’t been kind to him and that one of the reasons he’s able to see Fer’s situation so clearly is because he’s had to deal with family issues himself. He’s very good for Fer – he’s upbeat and kind and funny, he doesn’t take any crap, he doesn’t like Fer putting himself down, and isn’t afraid to tell him some home truths, even when it might not go well for him. He might come across as just a little too perfect sometimes, but he’s perfect for Fer, giving him space to be himself and helping him to see that he’s allowed to want good things for himself.

The Kiss Principle is an emotional and heartfelt love story, and watching Fer, who has sacrificed so much of himself to care for others, finding love with someone who really gets him and appreciates him for everything he is is a real treat. But one of the best scenes in the entire book is one towards the end, between Fer and Auggie, which features one of the most beautiful declarations of love I’ve ever read. Fer seeing his baby brother as a strong, independent young man for almost the first time – and realising that he played an important part in that – brought a lump to my throat, as did Auggie being so wise, being there for Fer at a difficult time, getting angry on his behalf and, most importantly, reminding Fer that he deserves a life of his own, that he deserves to be happy and that there comes a point when you have to accept that there are some things you just can’t change… it’s poignant, filled with so much love and deep affection, and utterly perfect.

If Gregory Ashe ever gets bored with writing mysteries, he’s got a great future ahead of him as a romance writer ;) The single dad and the gorgeous manny who fits into his life perfectly and prompts some long-overdue questions about his sexuality is an oft-used trope, but I’ve rarely (if ever) some across it done so well. Funny, sexy, emotional and insightful, The Kiss Principle is a great read and I’m more than happy to recommend it to fans of the genre.

Note: This book was originally published in weekly instalments on the author’s patronage platform, and while it can probably stand alone, some elements might be confusing or unclear if you aren’t familiar with at least some of The First Quarto books.