Counterpoint by J.E. Birk [Review]

Counterpoint (In Vino Veritas) by J.E. Birk
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: June 5, 2023

In Vino Veritas
Wildfire
Counterpoint - Paperback | Kindle
Unmanageable
Underdog
Wonderland
Dauntless

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
The Busy Bean
1. Sweetheart

Moo U
1. Boyfriend

Speakeasy
1. Touchstone

True North
1. Bittersweet

Vino and Veritas
1. Roommate

J.E. Birk
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

One playboy. One perfectionist. So many secrets.

I’m considered the biggest playboy in Burlington, Vermont. The party boy. The guy who lives in the moment and makes decisions with no thought for the future. But people don’t know my past. They don’t know why I make the choices I do. Even my best friend doesn’t know the truth about me. Actually, there are a lot of things he doesn’t know…like the fact that I had a one night stand with his brother last year.

Did I mean to hook up with Aaron? Um, no. Mistakes were made, okay? But unlike most of my mistakes, this one has lasting consequences. Aaron works at the law firm where circumstances are forcing me to be their errand boy. Now we see each other every day. Aaron’s such a nervous wreck he keeps tripping over the copy machine. I’m surprised he hasn’t ended up in traction yet.

He and I are opposites in almost every way. He’s got a GPA higher than Mount Mansfield, and I’m barely going to graduate college. He grocery shops with a spreadsheet, and I’ve got YOLO tattooed on my body. But Aaron sees things in me that no one else does, and I see things in him he doesn’t see in himself. Before I know it, we’re sharing late-night office picnics, evenings out at the bar, and long, hot afternoons on my boat. I’m having the best summer of my life, but there’s no way this can end well. My bff will kill me if he ever finds out how thoroughly I’ve corrupted his brother…

Counterpoint is an opposites-attract forbidden romance featuring an incense-filled law firm, meddling friends, and angst and humor in (mostly) equal parts. It stars Jeremy Everett and Aaron Morin, who first appeared in the Vino and Veritas story Booklover, but Counterpoint is a standalone novel.

Thoughts on Counterpoint: We met Jeremy and Aaron in Aaron's brother's book and I must admit I didn't see their romance coming. I mean, it was pretty clear Jeremy was keeping a few secrets and all (he was, but they definitely weren't all romance related), but I didn't guess Aaron was one of them.

Hoo-boy, I liked these two together. Maybe it was because Jeremy spilled some of those closely held secrets to Aaron and it made Aaron watch him a little more closely than maybe he would have, but Aaron saw under the playboy façade Jeremy projected to the world. Heck, even J's best friend didn't see the hurt Jeremy was hiding, but Aaron did.

While working together initially seems like THE WORST idea ever for the both of them, it actually turned out pretty well since it forced them to deal with what happened 15 months before. Also, we got to see Aaron's extreme clumsiness when he was dealing with a case of nerves. Yup, Jeremy brought out the nerves in the poor guy.

Some forced proximity, an office nemesis (sort of), a lot of self-induced pressure, sticky family dynamics, friends who have their backs, and two people who have a little baggage to get past before they can find their happily ever after.