I’ve really enjoyed the Spires series and Laurie and Toby’s story is no exception!

Laurence (Laurie) Dalziel is an older man and a doctor, something that doesn’t leave him with a lot of free time. Since his ex left, he’s been struggling to find himself again and definitely struggling to find happiness. He’s going through the motions and isn’t especially happy to even be doing that most days. Tobermory (Toby) Finch is a young man and a line cook at a caf in London, something he enjoys but it doesn’t pay well at all. He’s not sure what to do with his life - he’s at a weird turning point with a lot of things but feels too young and too inexperienced to do much more than he is.

These two together are completely unlikely, but from the first time they meet, they keep each other on their toes. Even though they shouldn’t work together, they’re everything the other is looking for and more, something that becomes apparent from even their first time together. Their relationship is definitely grumpy/sunshine and dom/sub driven, but it’s so much more than that - they’re both on a journey to find their happiness again and they help each other along the way. But there is a lot of miscommunication and lack of communication happening between these two that I could have done without…just give each other your cell phone numbers already!! Despite that, I loved how easily Toby fit into Laurie’s strange academic world and how Laurie tracked Toby down when he made a mess of things.

If you love unlikely pairings with lots of snark and banter, this one is definitely for you!