A Foot in the Door by Vinni George (An Open Doors Novel)

Title: ⟫ A Foot in the Door – an Open Doors Novel 

Author: ⟫ Vinni George 

Blurb: ⟫ The student… 

If he wants a job when he finishes grad school, Tanner Brown needs to get a foot in the door. But when he arrives at the country’s largest statistics conference to find he has nowhere to stay, he’s not sure it’s worth it. Especially when he realizes his hot faculty crush just witnessed his embarrassment from a front row seat. 

The professor… 

Dr. Beckett James is happily focused on his career until one of his former students slides into his line of sight. Tanner is brilliant and engaging, and when he ends up without a room, Beckett has no choice but to offer him a place to stay for the weekend. Even if it means testing his restraint. 

The problem… 

When their conference fling turns into an on-campus complication, Tanner and Beckett will have to control the variables that threaten to keep them apart or risk losing their chance at a happy ending before it’s even begun. 

  A Foot in the Door is the third full-length novel in the Open Doors series featuring a statistics professor who makes a mean curry, a ginger-haired student with a bright future, and an offer neither can refuse. 

Review: ⟫ I should admit that numbers and I don’t get along very well. Maths was one of my worst subjects and I hate it to this day. Maybe that’s why this book never really got going for me? There seemed to be a lot of talk about statistics and data that either went over my head or just made me switch off. 

The relationship between Tanner and Beckett was going full tilt from quite early on in the book but I wasn’t sure I was feeling the chemistry. Then the fly in the ointment hit and I just – for some reason, it annoyed me. They could get past the idea of dating as ex-student and professor but the whole Mentor thing caused such a melt-down? All Beckett would have had to do was talk to his friend and explain. I don’t know, it just annoyed me so much that the rest of the book kinda passed in a blur of annoyance. 

I’ve enjoyed other books by this author so can only assume that this couple just happen to be a miss for me. The story is well written and engaging, with a relatively low-angst rating, and I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy reading it. It just wasn’t for me – we didn’t add up! 

I received an ARC from GRR.

The Hidden Door by Vinni George (Open Doors)

Title: ⟫ The Hidden Door 

Author: ⟫ Vinni George 

Rating: ⟫ 4/5 

Blurb: ⟫ Life is tricky…especially with a hidden identity. 

In a word, Brody’s life is complicated. He has enough secrets—and enough reasons to keep them—to fill the back of his Volvo station wagon. But something about the marine biology nerd who works at the smoothie shop has the things he’s kept hidden begging to be set free. 

Phin has never been one for complications, which is why he’s always avoided relationships. Hookups? Yes. Relationships? Definitely not. 

So why, after striking up an unlikely friendship with Brody, can Phin not seem to get the hot surfer with the pink surfboard out of his head? 

When circumstances force Brody and Phin together, will Brody’s new feelings be enough to convince Phin to build a relationship with him, or will Brody have to share parts of his past and present that no one else knows about to keep his man? 

The Hidden Door is the final full-length novel in the Open Doors series featuring a marine biologist who loves to teach, a SoCal surfer with a hidden identity, and an unlikely friendship forged over a shared love of tide pools, tacos, and vinyl records. 

Review: ⟫ This one was very sweet, a lovely read about building a relationship and learning to trust. Brody has been in and out of the Open Doors series, always as a good looking background character, but it was so nice to finally meet him properly and learn more about him. And there was so much to learn. 

After just a few pages of he and Phineas together, the need to watch them grow as a couple was strong and this was quite the satisfying read. I seem to have come across quite a few demisexual MCs lately, and it’s so good to see them becoming more widespread as we all learn about our ever-evolving sexualities. 

I was fascinated by the fact that Phineas and Brody had so much in common with regard to relationships whilst approaching them from different perspectives, and I really enjoyed the way they respected each other, always checked in and made sure that the other person was happily on board with what was going on. 

There were appearances by characters from previous books and it would most definitely help if you had read the previous Open Doors books. Sometimes the miscommunications that did occur annoyed me, but overall I enjoyed this final installment in the series. 

Recommended if you’re looking for slices of domestic life as a relationship grows, with a few hiccups along the way but ultimately a happy ever after. 

I received an ARC from GRR.