Posted on24/10/2019 18:08:00

My rating: 4.5 nerdy stars!

I grabbed this book in a giveaway organised by a group of M/M authors, because I had fallen in love with Paxton from Matchmaking Beyond the Veil and wanted to try Mara's other books too. As it turns out, this one is quite different from her Telltale Ghosts Series, and yet, I loved it too.

Let me begin by saying that this novella is a clear love or hate type of read. Because of the narration style. It is written in the third POV in the present tense and that may give you the feeling of sitting down with Mara for a cozy little tête-à-tête, where she will tell you all about her two best friends, Oliver and Micah. Who they are and what they did; how everything went down and how they felt, everything is told from that perspective. You practically see the story unfold before your eyes but somehow, don't loose sight of the narrator either.
If you're not comfortable with this particular style of narration, Love Overwrite Command is not for you.

That being said, I normally don't read rich boys romance because.... well, because I simply don't like the rich guy type. However, Mara writes her rich guys different. Despite being loaded they still somehow retain part of that humbleness you find in people who work hard for their money. And that makes it a lot easier for me to warm up to them.

Oliver has carved out a good life for himself with his business partner and best friend from college, Micah. It might not be the life Oliver’s snobby family planned for him, but it’s all his and that’s what matters. Until the day the invitation arrives.
And Oliver finds himself trapped in a staring contest with a piece of paper that will win. ... This isn't an invitation. It's a summons. And there's no getting around ignoring the party and not going. Not when his older brother is engaged.
Oliver must go and he must go with his boyfriend. The only trouble is that the boyfriend doesn't exist. So Oliver is forced to ask his best friend and business partner Micah to help him out of the pickle and take up the dreaded 'fake boyfriend' mantle for the occasion.

Micah on the other hand, has been crushing on Oliver since their college days. He never made a big deal about it and refused to let his feelings jeopardize his friendship with Oliver. He hid it well enough but when the opportunity of playing boyfriend comes up, he's determined to make the best out of it.
And of course the two of them attend the engagement party together. Inadvertently, well set plans go down the drain, sparks start flying and feelings threaten to overwhelm.

What I loved most in this novella was the feeling! Mara makes her readers feel and even get that overpowering need to eye-roll at those stubborn characters while exclaiming: "just kiss him already dude!" The touching gestures, shy smiles and smoldering looks, the furtive glances and inner turmoil, you'll find all of it in this book.

And then there is Micah! I really loved Micah! Kudos to the author for putting on the page a genuine computer geek, both shy and talkative, and so so very insecure!
I loved his exotic food flavor combinations, just as much as his guilelessness and frankness with Oliver.

"Holy shit! ... All these years and you never once mention that your family lives in a castle!"
"What? .. It's not a castle."
"Dude" Micah gestures out the window as the car pulls up. "It's got a moat. Ergo, castle."

Just as the Telltale Ghosts Series, this novella also has a lot of inner turmoil and indecision, doubts and fears, as well as a whole load of delicious sweetness. Yes! I know that sounds corny but the gentleness between those two is so so sweet!!! I absolutely adored it!

If you're in a mood for a light geeky M/M romance with a lot of feeling, don't hesitate to give this a try.

Happy reading! :)

Check out this book and more of Mara Townsend over at maratownsendauthor.com