Tailor Made by Josephine Myles
M/M Contemporary Romance
January 22, 2012
E-book novella
Amber Quill Press

Reviewed by Helyce

Felix McAvoy is an art student who has been crushing on his art tutor, Saul, for a while now. He doesn’t think Saul has noticed him at all, even though he has made a point of creating project after project that certainly has Felix standing out and getting noticed by the art community. So, for his final project he is determined to do something that Saul will not be able to ignore. Felix decides that he will be the art; he will be the canvas in a rather questionable display. In order to do this, though, he needs someone who can sew him a very special suit. Luckily for him, he knows just who to ask.

Its Andrew Wheeler’s first year at college. He hasn’t met Felix before, but Felix’s reputation of sleeping around and being known for his crazy art precedes him. Andrew is content staying as far away from Felix as possible. He’s saving himself for Mr. Right and wants nothing to do with someone who could only be Mr. Right-now. So, when Felix approaches Andrew and explains what he needs and what his final art project will depict, Andrew has no problems saying that he is not interested.

But when Andrew learns that his model has been called home for a family emergency, he’s left with limited options this late in the year. Andrew finds that he may need Felix after all. He approaches Felix and tells him that he’ll make his canvas suit, but in return he’ll need Felix to model his final project. Felix agrees. This is certainly no hardship as Felix is very much looking forward to spending as much time as he can with Andrew.

What follows is a very humorous ride as Felix and Andrew navigate their relationship. Felix is hilarious. He knows he’s hot, he’s been around and he makes no apologies for it. He certainly likes to push the limit and see where he lands! He is an obvious flirt and when his presumption that Andrew would just fall at his feet fails, he’s a bit stumped. When he learns why Andrew hesitates, he doesn’t slow down one bit. Andrew really just can’t stop himself from giving in to Felix when he is right there for the taking, but he’s keeping it real, telling himself that he should just enjoy it for what it is. When the projects are completed Felix will move on, as he will. So Andrew approaches it more as a learning experience.

Of course, relationships like this are rarely as clear as they seem as both men experience feelings that they were totally unprepared for and that they refuse to acknowledge until it is almost too late.

Initially, I thought Andrew gave in too easily to Felix’s advances. Considering his very strong feelings about relationships and wanting his experience to be meaningful, not just sex, I admit being a bit disappointed that Andrew and Felix’s first encounter happened so quickly. As the story progresses, though, we see a different side of Felix, one that only comes out when he is alone with Andrew. As these characters spend more time together we see much them change, especially where Felix is concerned. Felix endeared himself to me in the end.

I absolutely adored the author’s use of art in this story to parallel the personalities and character growth of both Andrew and Felix; Andrew, the tailor who is quite conservative and Felix whose questionable art is at times as crazy as he is. However, as the story progresses, Andrew’s focus on all the special little details he adds to the suit in spite of the fact that he knows full well what Felix plans to do with it for his final project mirrored his strength of feelings for Felix. With Felix, his feelings come through strongly in the sketches he does of Andrew as well.

I really enjoyed this story and was impressed by everything the author was able to convey in a novella length story.

Rating: B

Recent Reviews:
Romance Around the Corner – 4/5
Well Read – Excellent
Joyfully Jay – 4.75/5
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Author’s Website

Amber Quill Press