Give Me a Hand is the first book I’ve read by Gwen Martin (I think it’s her first published novel) and it just blew me away. It’s kind of rare for me to give a 5-star rating to a new-to-me author but this book deserved it and more.

The blurb gives you the nitty-gritty so I’ll try not to rehash it here. Let me start by saying this book is HOT AS FIRE! I have a weakness for stories about college-aged guys and the depth of feeling between Cam and Jude just jumped off of the pages. I was totally captivated right from the first chapter and nearly read it in one sitting. Unfortunately, my hubby wanted dinner. 😊

Cam and Jude are getting along great until Jude goes home with Cam for Thanksgiving where they run into Cam’s ex in a bar. Jude takes steps to protect Cam by declaring they are boyfriends. This really freaks Cam out because he won’t admit to himself that what they are doing is more than just getting off with each other. Things go downhill after this and Cam has to work to regain Jude’s trust.

As a side note, I loved that this book is set in Orlando, a place that I have visited many, many times since the mid 1980’s. Cam’s parents live in St. Petersburg (AKA St. Pete), another city that I’ve visited several times. Gwen Martin gives a totally accurate description of the nightmarish traffic on Interstate 4 between Orlando and St. Pete. 😊

If I have one minor criticism of the book it’s that it lacked an epilogue. Cam and Jude get their HFN (happy for now) but a little more about them a few months down the road would have been good. I did learn that signing up for the author’s newsletter will get me an exclusive epilogue of the book. I couldn’t sign up fast enough. ❤

Reviews for Gwen Martin

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Their bodies pressed together, faces a breath apart. Cam noticed the faint flicker of green around Jude’s pupils, and tiny droplets of water from his shower caught in his stubble along his jaw. Cam brushed the fringe off Jude’s forehead and watched, transfixed, as Jude wetted his lips.

Cam loved the way Jude responded; he reveled in Jude’s eyes fluttering shut as Cam’s fingertips grazed down his neck.

“God,” Jude moaned with a sigh, “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

Cam grabbed a handful of sheet in a tight fist in an effort to ground himself in the dizzying whirlpool he was sinking in. He was floating with desire, and shaky inside from the intensity of it. Cam’s mind warred with wanting it to stop and never letting go.

“Have you?” he murmured against the warmth of Jude’s skin.

Cam leaned down, his lips brushing against Jude’s collarbone. His heart pounded inside of his chest, and he was nervous, but he was excited. Cam hadn’t felt this way about being with someone since high school.

He swallowed hard and placed a small kiss on Jude’s collarbone.

Jude combed his fingers through the hair at the base of Cam’s neck, gripping a handful and jerking Cam’s head up. Cam expelled a sharp moan, and his heart revved into overdrive when Jude’s face grew so close he turned into a blurry mess within Cam’s swimming vision.

“You,” Jude said in a low, commanding voice, “are wearing far too much clothing.”

Cam licked his lips and nodded. “Okay,” he said, leaning back to give himself room. “Right, okay.”

He lifted an arm, and Jude helped pull his shirt off. Jude tossed it to the other side of the room without breaking eye contact with Cam, and lifted a single eyebrow.

“You need to be more naked for what I want to see you do.”

Cam bit down the whine itching in the back of his throat. The roughness of Jude’s voice was doing a million things to Cam’s body, including surging warmth in his chest. There was an old familiarity to that, and a warning bell went off inside of his head.

He swallowed hard and changed his focus.

“Oh yeah?” he teased, hoping his voice didn’t give away his nerves. Cam glided a hand down the front of his chest towards the button of his jeans, and a thrill jolted through him as Jude positioned himself on his elbows. Jude watched with such naked appreciation, Cam had to take several breaths before he could speak again. “And…what is it you want to see?”