My best friend’s brother has to pretend to be my boyfriend—how could this possibly backfire? When I need a date for my cousin Omar’s wedding, I don’t even think of asking my best friend’s brother. Johnny Shiba—my hot as sin, teenage gay awakening—has been gone for years.

But now he’s moved back in with his brother and me, and, no, he hasn’t gotten less hot. Being in close quarters with him, my decade-long crush only burns brighter.

We can’t cross that line because I could never betray my bestie—not that Johnny has any interest in me. When he agrees to be my fake boyfriend for a weekend, it’s just a friend thing, right? And when we meet my career idol and he adores our fake relationship, Johnny helps me cement the charade.

Kissing, holding each other, and telling me how attractive he finds me are all parts of the bluff. Our heated moments and intimate touches could never mean anything.

And if we roll in the sheets for fun, surely that’s all part of the lying game. I can hold my real feelings at bay, keep my best friend happy, and prevent career humiliation—I have to.

Strategy and card games have always been easy for me. But this might be one bluff check I won’t be able to pass for long.

“Failing a Bluff Check” is a male/male adult romantic-comedy featuring beach life, drum kits, slow dances, drinking on boats, and yes, fake dating between rounds of board games. Roll the dice with book 1 of the Single Gamer’s Society.

These queer nerds are looking for love, and bluff or fold, they play to win. .