Love Wanted

by John Inman

When it rains, it pours. Not only has Larry Walls been evicted from his apartment, but his hours have also been cut at the department store where he works, leaving him facing homelessness.

Meanwhile, Bo Lansing, a total stranger to Larry, toils at a dead-end job as a fry cook while attending night classes to become a certified chef. When the school closes its doors without warning, leaving Bo in the lurch for thousands of dollars in tuition, his dream of becoming a chef is shattered and his financial troubles spiral.

Desperate for a new beginning, each man answers an ad for live-in help posted by a wealthy recluse, and wonder of wonders, they are both hired! Just as their lives begin to improve, a young Kumeyaay Indian named Jimmy Blackstone joins the workforce at the Stanhope mansion.

When Mr. Stanhope’s true reason for hiring the young men is discovered by one of the three, a fourth entity makes its presence known.

Greed.

With all these players vying for position in a game of intrigue orchestrated by one lonely old man and a mischievous ghost, can a simple thing like love ever hope to survive the fray?

Genres: Contemporary, M M Romance, Paranormal, Audiobook, Romance, Ghosts, Humor

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2017

About the author

A Lambda Literary Award finalist and the author of over forty novels, John has been writing fiction for as long as he can remember. Born on a small farm in Indiana, he now resides in San Diego, California where he spends his time gardening, pampering his pets, hiking and biking the trails and canyons of San Diego, and of course, writing. He and his partner share a passion for theater, books, film, and the continuing fight for marriage equality. If you would like to know more about John, check out his website at----
http://www.johninmanauthor.com/John_I... or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.inman.79

Reviews

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook - 4 stars

Story - 3 stars

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of John Inman’s words. His books always make me feel good regardless of their genre. Even his “horror” stories can give me warm feels and don’t get me started on the love pollen. His good guys are easy to root for, faults and all and in Love Wanted the author took that comfort I’ve come to love and presented it in a completely new and unique way.

When I first read the blurb I didn’t really know what to expect once I started reading. Honestly, this story could have gone in so many different directions and while the build-up was a little slow, actually I should say, it was “quiet”, the pace fit the story overall because I needed to read every angle and POV to appreciate all the characters fully. This story is told in a multitude of POV’s so you do have to pay attention but the story was more completely told because of the way it was written. I don’t think many authors can pull that off well, but John Inman can.

The story does not take the easy way out for an HEA for anyone and the conflict made the story much more realistic and the characters much more believable. The added option for a love interest for Larry gave a vehicle for the author to explore love and happiness from many more different angles elevating the story to much more than a love story between two MC’s and the whimsical dreams of an old man; it was a character study of love itself in its many forms.

Larry was my favorite from the get go even though he was more reserved than Bo. Then Jimmy shows up and Larry really started to blossom. While it was a love triangle per se, it wasn’t overly angsty, it was actually just more interesting. I’m not usually a fan of the triangle because I end up sad for someone, but this one really worked for me because the author dove deeply into the emotions beyond the actions.

All of my ramblings make this sound like a really serious tale, but there is a balance between the heavy ideas and the whimsical side of love and relationships. There are characters that provide the lighthearted side that the story needed mainly by way of Roger, Jeremy and Mrs. Price. I didn’t know what to make of Roger at first, I mean his ad that he placed for live in help could have been super pervy, but once you get to know the guy, you can’t help but like him and love his intentions. And his love story is just as good as Larry’s. Roger and Jeremy add the sass to the sauce and I loved it when I got to their page time.

Love Wanted is an incredibly well written and easy to read love story and it’s a perfect feel good tale that we all kind of need right now. Reading Love Wanted will remind you how amazing love can be.



**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

[BWT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from multiple points of view the pacing is a little slow story-wise in the beginning as you get to know all of the characters and some of their motivations, however, the characters, conflict, and even the ghost are all richly portrayed.

From the blurb I had an idea of what was going to happen in the story - and was completely shocked by the turn of events. John Inman definitely got me. Though he has a sometimes heavy hand with the purple prose, he definitely wrote a story that had some twists I was absolutely not expecting.

Ezekiel Robison was a fantastic narrator choice for this story. Robison's use of distinctive character voices and his complete performance drew me into the story and kept me captivated until the end. His timing and pacing were perfect for the writing, and he made this absolutely entertaining.

Everything works out in the end - where there's a HEA - and in all I enjoyed the story especially because of the wonderful narration.

Audio copy of Love Wanted provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange of an honest review.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 3 Stars

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down to 2 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR.

A haunting we will go, a haunting we will go...

What I thought would be a sweet and different story for me just turned out to be a train wreck. I thought the concept for this one sounded different and interesting but when I got to it...for me this just didn't work. I really couldn't buy into the whole concept of why Mr. Stanhope was doing what he did...even suspending my disbelief my brain still said..."Nope, not a chance...this is so bogus." I just couldn't get my brain around it and then there was the ghost...I've read a few books with ghost in them and I knew there was one in this book but damned if I could buy into all the stuff that this ghost could do and quite honestly I really didn't care for him...nor did really care for most of the characters in this story...so in a nutshell, this one just wasn't working for me on a whole lot of levels.

What it comes down to for me is that sometimes a story can be hit or miss and this time around it was definitely a miss but on the upside I got to listen to a new narrator and....

Truthfully for me the best part of this book and probably the reason I finished it was that I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by new to me narrator Eziekiel Robison who did an awesome job with the narration on this one and I honestly enjoyed listening to him as he read this book. I liked his voices and the fact that he kept them unique, clear, expressive and consistent all combined to give me an enjoyable listening experience and even thought the story didn't work well for me...the narrator did just fine and I look forward to enjoying future books narrated by Mr. Robison.

*************************
An audio book of 'Love Wanted' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Fiona Cruickshanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review at: https://optimummblog.wordpress.com/20...

This book simply blew me away. The writing and storytelling were outstanding, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it once I started. Don’t get me wrong, it did take me quite a few minutes to get everything straight in my head because there was a lot going on right at the start and when the characters were introduced. But as soon as I got it all sorted out, I was taken on an adventure that was beyond what I would have ever imagined from reading the blurb.

Roger David Stanhope is 93, he lived with Jeremy, his partner of over seventy years, in their mansion on a mountain, but two years ago Jeremy died after a long battle with cancer. Roger knows that he also doesn’t have much time left, but with the help of his live-in housekeeper, Mrs Price, who’s close to her own retirement, he begins his plan to bring two younger men to the estate to work as cook and housekeeper. The only stipulation is that they must be single, gay and looking for a new beginning. Roger has hidden security cameras set up all over the house and estate because his plan is to put the two men together to see if they can be almost manipulated into falling in love with each other, with Roger watching it all unfold. Except Roger isn’t watching alone because when Jeremy died, he didn’t really leave Roger. His spirit is still in the house, and every now and again makes his presence known, sometimes by being a little mischievous, but mostly by giving Roger the love and support that he misses.

Larry Walls is 23-years-old, he’s not having an easy time of it lately. He’s very short on money, his hours at work have been cut, and he’s returned home to an eviction notice on his door because he’s late with his rent yet again. When Larry sees the help wanted ad in the newspaper, he knows it would be the answer to all his problems, so decides to take the chance and go for the interview.

Robert ‘Bo’ Lansing works as a short order cook at a Naval Station. He was also a part-time student at a culinary school, but that has just closed down suddenly, and the owner has taken all of the money. With no chance of completing his chef course, no money and no future as a short order cook, he’s told about the help wanted ad by a friend. Bo decides this fresh start might just be what he needs.

When Larry and Bo arrive at the mansion on interview day, there are more applicants than they thought there would be. But when the two men meet and start talking to each other they hit it off straight away, they both agree that working together would be perfect as they’re already getting along, but neither believe that they’ll both have the luck and get hired by Mr Stanhope. Little do they know that Roger had been watching them since they arrived, and he’s already decided that they would be perfect for his plan/experiment.

Larry and Bo have a great time working together and also form quite a close friendship. Bo is actually very attracted to Larry, and Larry to Bo. When they finally give in to the attraction, Bo believes it will be the start of a serious relationship between them, but Larry isn’t as keen and tries to distance himself from Bo a little, which causes some problems and friction in the house. When the new and extremely handsome estate gardener, Jimmy Blackstone, arrives at the house, a spanner is thrown in the works, and all of Roger’s best-laid plans are ruined.

I loved absolutely everything about this book and story. It totally surprised me, there was an unexpected twist. I laughed on more than one occasion, but I was also filled with joy and happiness seeing love expressed in the words I was reading. It was the perfect story.

***The ARC was provided by Dreamspinner Press. My review is an honest opinion of the book***

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook review

Love wanted is a slow paced romance. But also one of friendships and an epic love that transcends life itself. It was incredibly well written and Ezekiel Robison made it a pleasure to listen to. This story is told form multiple POV’s but that didn’t bother me. It enabled the reader (listener) to really understand all the angles, the feelings and motivations for the people involved.

Larry, down on his luck and on his last dime when the store he's working for keeps cutting his hours and his landlord just served him with an eviction notice for being late with the rent, again. Then we have Bo, the aspiring chef, working as a short order cook. He too is out of luck and money when his school shuts down and keeps his tuition money.

Both men answers a help wanted add from a Mr. Roger Stanhope, a wealthy 93 year old man looking for a live in chef and caretaker. What they don't know about, is Roger's plan for these young men and it might just be more than they bargained for. Some weeks later on the gardener quits and Jimmy is hired on to take care of the grounds and the cars. And with his arrival, will all the best laid plans come tumbling down?

This was a love triangle that I honestly didn't mind. I truly dislike love triangle for the sake of things, when it's only used as a plot device but brings nothing to the story itself, or when everyone falls in "love" with the same picture perfect person at first sight. Please spare me from those. Most triangles are painfully obvious from the beginning and hold no suspense or guesswork where it will turn out in the end. I want to guess, be left in suspense, and wonder about who and how it will all turn out. That's what makes a love triangle work for me. And with this book? I have to say it all worked out very well.

One of my favourite parts of this story was the relationship between Roger and Jeremy. They’d had a lifetime loving each other, they’d loved truly and well. And nothing, not even death could separate the two lovers. Their love shone through everything and it was wonderful to share those moments with the two. They lived that one true and forever love so many are looking for, but so few are lucky to find.

Ezekiel Robison was a very good choice of narrator for this book. His distinction between the different characters were clear and you had no problems following along the story or differentiate between which POV you were currently following. I’d be happy to listen to more of his works in the future.

Love Wanted is the book you want to pick up when you are looking for something light-hearted, but very well written. There were some sad moments, many happy ones and ones that made me smile. And in the end, that’s what you really are looking for with this kind of story.


A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

[Krissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this one was a struggle for me. I just couldn't get into it and ended up having to force myself to finish.

[Stella ╰☆╮╰☆╮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

After having so loved My Dragon, My Knight a couple of months ago, I was very eager to read this new release by John Inman. I’m surprised by how much I actually enjoyed Love Wanted, it has all the elements that should have brought me to dislike the novel. Instead it was a huge success. Probably this review will contain some spoilers so better skip it if you don’t want to know a couple of things.

First of all if you like me are not a fan of multiple POVs this should not be your story, to me sometimes even just the two MCs’ POVs are too many, so go figure when each character has its own POV. In this case they were perfect, I deeply fell in love with all the characters so of course I wanted to know everything was going on their minds. And their voices beautifully mengled together to create a lovely narration.

And just when I was engaged and in love, the author decided to turn one of my beloved MC into a greedy and nasty person. I was shocked, angry and didn’t really know what was going to happen, especially cause I tend to not read blurbs when the authors are the ones I prefer. First I learnt to love him, then I had to learn to hate him and want him away from Larry.

And then in this novel you will find ghosts and I’m easily spooked, but these ghosts are awesome and funny and jealous. At last there is going to be a death, and it was predictable and natural, I know he was going to die, but still I wanted him to live forever so it saddened me a little.

These are all the elements why I should have despised Love Wanted, instead I adored it and the main reason why this happened is simply and powerful, I couldn’t resist Roger and his love for Jeremy and all the people in his life. He is a force of nature and he caught my heart.

Hats off to John Inman and his amazing writing.

[Barb ~rede-2-read~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when your favorite ghost’s matchmaking plans go awry? Listen to this audiobook to find out. It’s fun, interesting, humorous, with a bit of mystery thrown in, and it’s very well narrated. In general, a very satisfying experience.

When Larry Walls is at his lowest point, having his hours cut yet again at the department store where he works and getting an eviction notice from his landlord, he happens upon an intriguing ad and decides to give it a try. It appears that some rich guy is looking for live-in help in his mansion and it also appears that he’s looking for someone gay. Right up Larry’s alley.

When Larry arrives on interview day, he finds he’s one of many young gay men who are applying for the job, but the big difference is that he’s taken the time to put on a suit and he’s arrived in his beat-up old car, instead of being in club clothes and driving a sports car. Migrating to another young man, named Bo, who arrives in a truck that makes a rust bucket sound good, the two stand out in the yard awaiting their turn for an interview and making small talk. It’s obvious there’s a spark of attraction between Bo and Larry and when Roger, the wealthy old man who owns the mansion, spots them, he makes an immediate decision to hire both and send the others away. Why? Well, he’s matchmaking with all his ninety-year-old heart. He also has the help of his resident ghost—Jeremy, the man who was his lover for seventy years before he passed away.

This is a light-hearted, humor-filled story that starts off with one romance—that of Roger and Jeremy—and ends up with another. But it’s not what Roger had planned and it takes Jeremy to help him see the truth of what’s before his eyes. Along the way, a third party has shown up, so it might not be a Larry and Bo coupledom after all. Jimmy, a young Native American, has been hired as gardener and he provides the triangle that makes the mystery of whether or not Roger’s matchmaking machinations will work more interesting. John Inman’s writing style, imbued with his brand of humor, kept this light and easy listening. Add to that, Ezekiel Robinson provided a wide variation of voices, both male and female, so the plot was easy to follow and it made for an overall enjoyable audio experience.

If you enjoy light MM romance with a touch of humor and a dash of ghostly supervision, this is the one to choose.

Note: This audiobook was provided to me through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review.

[Sue bowdley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's no surprise that I love this book...I've loved every one of Mr Inman's books so far......In this we get a spooky loving ghost.....Larry and Bo answer and ad to join Roger Stanhope at his mansion to cook and clean and anything else that goes....I loved Larry from the start he was sweet and cute but a bit naive at first...Bo I liked but there was something about him......Roger and Mrs Price were lovely and Roger keeping an eye on his staff was a bit creepy but for a very good cause.....His lover Jeremy the ghost was cheeky but I loved that he was there keeping Roger company.....As usual John Inman knows how to keep his books going...A slow comfortable read that will keep you turning the page and hopefully keep you intrigued enough to see what happens when Jimmy the gardener turns up...Seems all is not what Roger thought x

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bo and Larry are both down on their luck when they answer an ad for live in help in a millionaires mansion.
Their interview process is unusual but both end up with the jobs.
A clever story where you think the author is setting up for a Bo and Larry romance. However, Bo becomes obsessed with the idea of money and isn't the man at the end he starts out to be.
About halfway through the story, Larry hires a new gardener, Jimmy and he and Larry hit it off.

I really loved this story. Even the secondary characters of Roger and his ghost lover and Mrs Price.
This author has been hit and miss for me in the past but this book was great.

[Secretobcession · Rating 5 out of 5]

How true love wins in the end. What a wonderful, feel good book! Loved it!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

This story started a bit slow for me. I’m not sure if I was just expecting it to go at a faster pace or the characters just took some time to get to know, but either way I really felt the pacing lagged a bit until about halfway in—then it took off like a rocket for me and was really a lovely story right through to the end. When Jimmy arrives, we get to see a bit more of Larry’s personality, albeit not a great deal and I think that was the main problem with this novel. I felt that Bo was rather transparent, while Larry was so conflicted about revealing any of his inner emotions or thoughts that I found myself wondering exactly what it was that Roger Stanhope saw in him that made him remark again and again how kind and thoughtful Larry was.

Larry was written as playing his thoughts so close to the vest that I felt he became almost non-existent in this story, at times. However, when Jimmy comes along he pulls Larry out into the light, so to speak, and I felt we began to get a sense of who Larry really was and I began to like him much more. I felt connected to him and Jimmy both. I liked seeing the snippets of their interactions and watching their relationship develop. However if I am really being honest, I had the best time reading about old Roger and his ghostly lover, Jeremy, as well as Mrs. Price, the cook. I felt the three of them were most definitely the most fully fleshed out characters—funny considering one of them was a ghost! They also decidedly provided much needed humor and a bit of sauciness that made the story that much more fun.

Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.

[Raymond Mathiesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Wanted

A need for "ready smile and a gay, romantic heart"???

Larry has just had his hours at the supermarket cut back yet again, and to make matters worse he is behind in his rent. Bo has just received the bad news that the chef's school he is training at has closed up and his full tuition fee is lost without the course being completed. Both young men are in trouble and both see an advertisement in the newspaper for a man servant and a cook. The ad reads:

"EASY MONEY… Need no references other than a ready smile and a gay, romantic heart. Kindness a must. Need for new beginnings a plus. Hunger for life an absolute necessity. "

This is weird wording, but the words " EASY MONEY" set off lightbulbs in both men's brains. Why has the aged millionaire, Roger David Stanhope, run this ad, and what is he really hoping to achieve? Is he looking for a toy-boy? Is he senile? Is he even looking for gay men, or does he mean 'happy'? Both Larry and Bo apply and both are in for a surprise.

John Inman has written an easy reading, sweet gay romance that will give you hours of entertainment. The book has a hint of the paranormal, but is not at all spooky or highly dramatic. Instead Inman aims at humour and amused intrigue. Of course love never runs smoothly, so there is drama and developments of a different kind. This is a human interest novel, so you will like it if you like finding out about people, rather than action and adventure. The novel has an omniscient narrator, so the reader gets to look into the lives and mind of various characters. We see misunderstandings between characters, and also parallels of thought. We get to know quite a few people in detail.

Larry is an innocent, sweet young man who has been hurt by past lovers and by life in general. If you have ever had tough times you will relate to him and hope that things work out for him. Larry's good nature shines throughout the book, and the reader feels that they really know him and that his charm makes them happy. Bo is certainly more street-wise than Larry, but he seems nice enough to know. He instantly takes to Larry, and his affection gets the reader on side. We hope things will work out for these two, and, at least to start with, that certainly seems so. Jimmy, who turns up later in the book, represents the Native American minority. He has a strength and quiet charm. He is gentle and perceptive. He is certainly someone most people would want to know. Roger is kind, but with a certain devious, devilish streak. At times we wonder about him, but on most occasions he pulls through. The reader wonders if he would act as Roger does, but this character none the less makes sense when you consider his motivations. Mrs. Price, the retiring house-keeper, represents the female contingent, and comes across as quite world-wise and certainly capable. She is strict, but has a good heart. She is a little motherly in a nice way, and the reader certainly takes to her.

This novel is themed around the importance of having a kindness of heart. Yes, we want to get on in life, and yes, we all deserve a break, but if we are not good people all our planning, hoping and struggling is likely to be ruined. Success is more than money, although money certainly helps. Also the book examines the idea of remaining true to yourself. Things fall apart when we act, become less real.

Love Wanted was nicely entertaining, and I was happy to look into the lives of the various characters. I am happy to award this novel five stars.

[Chris Jeffreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank goodness for John Inman. His writing is a breath of fresh air that puts most others to shame. When I saw that he has a new book out, I jumped at it realizing that it would, undoubtedly, be terrific. "Love Wanted" is no surprise. It is hard to put into words how good this story is; but, suffice it to say that this is a clearly a five star book. With all of the crap that is out there, and I read my fair share of it, all I can say is thank you, John Inman -- thank you, thank you, thank you. Great theme, great characters, great plot, great pacing, superb whit and story telling.

I know my review will do a disservice to the quality of this book. Just know that the book is far better than anything else I have read this year.

Mr. Roger Stanhope is is a very rich old man who spent many years with his husband/lover, Jeremy, who died two years before this book. Now, the spirit of Jeremy continues to haunt the mansion where he lives. Roger puts an ad in the newspaper for a cook and a cleaning person. It is his hope to find two people who may actually find love together, so he can leave his fortune and his mansion to them.

Bo and Larry are two of the many men who respond to the ad, and right from the beginning Roger sees them as being a potential couple for his estate plan, and that is the way the story develops until a new gardener, Jimmy, is hired.

The mansion was run by two people, Mr. and Mrs. Price, for many years. Mr. Price died ten years before the story began, but the household runs smoothly with Mrs. Price and per diem workers when needed. But, Mrs. Price wants to retire, so there is a search for a chef and a handy man (and that's Bo and Larry).

Bo falls for Larry. Bo has feelings that run deeper for Larry than the other way around. Larry has all of his guards up due to a prior bad relationship, and he is reluctant to get involved in anything with Bo (other than casual sex). Bo spies on a private conversation between Roger and Mrs. Price, and he figures out that the Stanhope fortune will be his and Larry's provided that they can convince the old man that they are truly in love. (And undoubtedly, that will color all of the rest of the interactions in the book.)

Larry is asked by Roger to hire a new gardener, and he does that: he hires a 24-year old Native American young man named Jimmy. Perhaps this "third wheel" in the cog will cause the relationship between two of the young men to develop into the estate winner. But, it is the relationship between Larry and Jimmy that develops.

It ends up that Bo becomes jealous and tries to frame Jimmy for a crime which is easily debunked, and Bo is thrown out of the house. It appears that the prize of everlasting love and the Stanhope fortune will go to Larry and his new love, Jimmy.

As noted above, this book is a refreshing return to good writing with a delightful cast and a happy ever after ending. For me, there is no doubt that this book rates five stars.

[Sammy Goode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry has had more bad luck than anyone really deserves. Working a dead-end job where his hours keep getting reduced through no fault of his own and barely making ends meet, the bottom really falls out when he is hit with a fifteen day till eviction notice and no prospects of any place to live or a better job. Bo is fed up being a short order cook for the enlisted men and has just signed on for a degree with a culinary school only to find out it has gone belly up and absconded with his hard earned money. When these two strangers meet after answering an ad placed by a reclusive millionaire, they are willing to take the chance on him and maybe even each other. But all is not as it seems at the Stanhope mansion nor are all the players in this story who they claim to be. Motives run deep and dark in some and someone is hiding their real desires—Larry just hopes it doesn’t spell disaster for him in the form of a broken heart yet again.

This story started a bit slow for me. I’m not sure if I was just expecting it to go at a faster pace or the characters just took some time to get to know but either way I really felt the pacing lagged a bit until about half way in—then it took off like a rocket for me and was really a lovely story right through to the end. When Jimmy arrives, we get to see a bit more of Larry’s personality, albeit not a great deal and I think that was the main problem with this novel. I felt that Bo was rather transparent while Larry was so conflicted about revealing any of his inner emotions or thoughts that I found myself wondering exactly what it was that Roger Stanhope saw in him that made him remark again and again how kind and thoughtful Larry was.

Larry was written as playing his thoughts so close to the vest that I felt he became almost non-existent in this story, at times. However, when Jimmy comes along he pulls Larry out into the light, so to speak, and I felt we began to get a sense of who Larry really was and I began to like him much more. I felt connected to him and Jimmy both. I liked seeing the snippets of their interactions and watching their relationship develop. However if I am really being honest, I had the best time reading about old Roger and his ghostly lover, Jeremy as well as Mrs. Price, the cook. I felt the three of them were most definitely the most fully fleshed out characters—funny considering one of them was a ghost! They also decidedly provided much needed humor and a bit of sauciness that made the story that much more fun.

Love Wanted was a bit of a departure for Mr. Inman, in that it was a fairly tame plot wise—no grand schemes or quirky, outrageous characters like we are used to seeing from this author—even Jeremy the ghost/poltergeist was fairly sedate until near the end of the novel. Even so it was a very sweet romance—one that is sure to satisfy those looking for an angst-free summer read that hits all the romantic feels one might want.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ 4.5 Stars ~

Love Wanted was a journey of life and love. Roger Stanhope, ninety-three and having lost his lover of seventy years, is a wealthy man. Yet, for all his property, belongings, and money, what he truly values is love. So, he devises a plot to create the circumstances for love to blossom the way it had for him and his lover—all of this, so he could bequeath his vast inheritance to an unknowing couple so they could experience a lifetime of happiness as well. Hence he placed an ad:

“EASY MONEY. Wanted! Two gentlemen needed. Live-in. One to cook. One to run the house. Must be single and unattached. Need no references other than a ready smile and a gay, romantic heart. Kindness a must. Need for new beginnings a plus. Hunger for life an absolute necessity. Interviews one week from today at the address below.”

And with that, in the first part of the first chapter, we are launched into the story.

At first, we meet Larry and Bo. As with most love stories, one character is more outgoing and the other somewhat reserved. The author does a lovely job of building the tension between the two until finally, a spark ignites leading them to a night of passion.

What Mr. Inman did, diverging from the typical formula of romance writing, was to introduce a third character. At the same time, he inserted a plot twist that threw the story in an entirely different direction. I can recall my exact reaction at the moment the author did this. First Bo does something that gives me pause. I’m thinking, “Wait a minute, that’s not right.” And then we meet Jimmy.

The juxtaposition of the two love interests for Larry served as a beautiful backdrop for the author to explore the concept of love, commitment, honesty, integrity, and being genuine in one’s life. The stark differences between Bo and Jimmy highlight the difference between a person of merit and a person driven by selfishness and greed. The way the story unfolded, I found that I too reflected on my ideas of love and life.

Roger Stanhope embodied a man who’d found his true mate. Even though Jeremy was gone, he’s still very much a presence in the story. I won’t say too much about that, but suffice it to say that the book contains a bit of a supernatural element to it. The cast is rounded out by the affable and motherly Mrs. Price, who’d been Roger and Jeremy’s cook for over thirty years.

The only complaint I have about the book is that there was an awful lot of head-hopping or shifts in point-of-view. Within one scene we would see things from two or three different characters minds, and this made it confusing to follow at times. While it is not unusual for an author to shift from one person’s perspective to another’s within the same chapter, there is usually a line break or some other kind of indication that a shift has occurred, signaling to the reader that we are now in someone else’s head. However, this was not the case in Love Wanted.

That, however, is my only complaint about the book.

As a romance, it is a superbly written story and left me happy and smiling, wishing for more. Always a good sign of a book worth reading.

Reviewed by Taz for The Novel Approach

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Wow where to start. Love Wanted starts out fun with a man in his 90's placing an ad for help. Though between the line he is looking for more than just a butler and chef as he has no heirs.
Then we meet Larry eating peanut butter on toast staring at an eviction notice. My heart went out to him. Larry is such a sweetie. Then we meet Bo. A chef in training working in a greasy spoon and his culinary school closes stiffing him his tuition.

The two men meet at the interview and chemistry is there, so it seems. We get to watch as David and his maid watch them on hidden camera's and even do a bit of meddling when things seem to go awry to get them back on track. There is a twist I didn't see coming and we also have Jeremy in the mix, David's dead lover that refused to leave David even in death ( *swoon*). The story line is fun, sweet with some sex tossed in.
I love the older people so much I think they nearly stole the book. I would love to read the story of David and Jeremy (*hint hint*)
If you love meddling old people, ghosts, pugs, a bit of a twist, sweet romance with some hot ma-sex you will love this.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ☆

This was such a Sweet story

I just adored Larry I wanted to like Bo but early on in the story something felt a bit off .
Omg Roger&Jeremy they were soulmates it was so beautiful and I loved Jer's little pranks and his voyeuristic ways.
even being physically not there he still looked out for his lovers best interest that was just so sweet .
I was so happy that the "love"triangle was not the beginning of an ménage.

[Robert Helms · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8⭐️. Another John Inman great story. John is a real story teller and character developer. This is not just another M/M Romance that other authors repeat over and over, it has substantial story and characters. The -.2⭐️ is the use of the ghost story genre which I dislike. It was necessary to the storyline but still irks me when used. Continue your story telling John I can’t wait for you next book.

[Vince Burr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book by my favorite author!! Such a sweet, sweet story! I didn't think the ending would choke me up/make me smile again, but it did. Loved it and love John Inman!!

[Erebia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Not predictable, not too angsty, a bit different, a lot fascinating, just right.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have come to the conclusion that I expect too much from Mr. Inman on the humor front... I must get past this and realize that a chuckle every now and then is just fine as long as the story is well told... which I have found to be the case with Mr.Inman's stories! :D

[Daniel Mitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews. Rated 4.5 out of 5.0 Love Bytes.)

When I see a John Inman book pop up on our review list, I always grab it immediately before anyone else at Love Bytes gets a chance. He is one of my favorite authors, and he never fails to please. He can be counted on to develop a story, with great background, character development and story line, and I always fall into his books and read way too late at night to finish them!

In Love Wanted, Mr. Inman brings us a fun, fast moving tale of a couple men down on their luck who answer an advertisement for live in employees. Both men have just been through life altering events and both are desperate for a change. They meet each other when they show up for the interview at the swanky mountain estate of a reclusive extremely wealthy gay man who lived with his partner for 70 years before the man died. Mr. Stanhope is looking for just the right employees and instantly focuses on our MCs, Larry and Bo. The two men have hung back from the crowd of polished young gay men, who it appears seem to think the ad was for something else entirely… namely an older man looking for a young live in.

When Bo and Larry are hired, their journey has only begun. There is something strange going on, but they don’t know what. When Bo figures it out, things get dicey.

Then a young Native American applies for the open gardener position. Will he be a third wheel?

No more spoilers. I really liked this one. And did I mention there is a ghost? I highly recommend it to all.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not a huge fan of this particular story it does have a good quality of writing to recommend it. I just didn't love the story as a whole. The about face of one of the characters made very little sense and well the romance itself was more than a little insta-lovey. In fact the part that I liked the most was Mr. Stanhope ad his relationship with the love of his life. Jeremy was awesome!

There were parts of the story that made made me smile, but I'm not a fan of love triangles in the first place and this one felt a little more bothersome than most. I think in large part because the reversals in character felt so out of place.

Overall I'd look to read something else by the author, but wasn't having a love affair with this particular story.

[Colin Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides an interesting twist to this author’s romantic fiction and a very good job has been done with it too. This was reminiscent in its humour and sentimentality of The Ghost and Mrs Muir (one of those cherished TV memories from the 70’s). Throughout there is a sense of warmth and welcome that is common to this type of writing from the author. The story is simple in its premise but there is the odd twist here and there; well flagged to the reader, even though the characters seem oblivious to the obvious. The characterisation is as strong as usual with all of the characters showing positive traits, at least at first. Where there is naughtiness, it is handled in a villainous way that cannot really be taken to heart. The setting adds little to the story and merely contextualises the interactions. There was clearly the potential to make this a more complex story and certainly the haunting was lightly and playfully presented. It works on that level but perhaps a richer telling would have been more effective.

The narration was well done. The clear individual characterisations are both effective and realistic. Some limited emotion was introduced and this aided in the flow of the story. The narrator clearly understood the humour of the writing and this came across in the telling.

The relationships between the various characters are the major strength of the story. The character of the master of the house, whilst he is not the centre of passion, is certainly the heart of the story. The relationships between the lovers are unambiguous; although there is little new to the characterisations, they are clear-cut and approachable. The sex is passionate, explicit and effective. However, given the relatively lightweight nature of the story perhaps it wasn’t a vital part of the tale.

The narrative and narration kept the reader’s interest throughout and there was a steady flow of things happening. It was, however rather predictable and this led to the reader waiting for the inevitable.

By the time the story draws to its close all of the threads are neatly resolved. It is a fantasy tale at its heart and should be read from that point of view. To expect more from it than this would make it a different type of story. This was a situation where a simple storyline might have worked better. There were just too many opportunities for plot development that were not followed that got in the way of thorough enjoyment. It is a good story and I would recommend it to any reader who can suspend the need to pick at it.

This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews

[Morgan Skye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I was leery of this when I read the blurb. I really don’t like love triangles and I was worried about 3 men involved but not in a ménage. Well… yeah. So it is a bit of a love triangle and I didn’t really like it… but…

There are many great things about this:
John Inman is a great descriptive and creative writer and if you like stories with a unique twist and a bit of humor and some quirky characters – this is for you!

Ezekiel Robison – the reason I chose this to review – is amazing! He’s near the top of my short list of favorite narrators. He’s great at giving everyone unique voices, he moves the story along with his ability to portray emotion and comedic timing and he’s easy on the ears!

If you’re in the mood for something a little – diferent – I’d read some reviews and consider this one. It’s not your typical love story!

3.75 (rounded to 4) of 5 stars

[Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars - I found myself (unusually) ambivalent about finishing this one. I didn't reach for my e-reader as often, read in smaller bits, and generally took longer to finish it than usual. There's no one big thing I can point to; it just didn't seem to be my cup of tea.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some nice twists in the story among quite a bit of humor and whimsy - a very lovely love story.