In Spite of You

Author: Patrick Lenton 

Publisher: Pantera Press 

Genre:  Adult, Modern Contemporary Fiction & Literature, Romance, Australian humour LQBTQI

Year of release: 2025

Release date: 29/07/25

Rating 🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis

When Jeremy is invited to the 10-year reunion of his prestigious writing program, his life is a horrible mess. He’s a pop-culture journalist with no money, he’s permanently single and he now has to face his cheating ex-boyfriend – the reunion’s guest of honour.

Like any well-adjusted individual, Jeremy develops a revenge plan: fix his life by becoming super hot and successful and, most importantly, find a handsome and successful boyfriend to bring to the reunion.

Enter Sam – irritatingly perfect, disgustingly hot and generous to a fault – who agrees to help with Jeremy’s scheme. When Sam suggests they start fake-dating each other, the simmering tension between them threatens to boil over. Now Jeremy must choose between nursing his grudges and giving himself another chance at love.

 

Review

Jeremy’s life is a horrible mess. He’s a pop culture journalist with no money, permanently single, and, to top it all off, he’s just been invited to the 10-year reunion of the prestigious writing program he once attended—where his cheating ex-boyfriend is the guest of honour.

With the reunion fast approaching, Jeremy develops a revenge plan: fix his life by becoming super-hot and successful, and, most importantly, find a handsome, successful boyfriend to bring along. This will work out—it’s what any other well-adjusted individual would do.

Enter Sam: irritatingly perfect, disgustingly hot, and generous to a fault. It’s clear his life is far from a mess when he offers to help Jeremy with his scheme. When Sam suggests they start fake-dating each other, the simmering tension between them threatens to boil over. Things quickly turn from “horrible mess” to “complicated bordering on disaster”. Now Jeremy must decide between nursing his grudges or letting them go—possibly giving himself another chance at love.

Don’t Get Mad. Get Hot – And Get Even.

That’s the tagline, and then there’s the cover: daisies, bold pink text—how could I say no? How could anyone? Anyone willing to admit their life is a horrible mess, yet not be downright miserable or cruel to everyone they meet, is reason enough to keep reading in my book. If you like messy-but-loveable characters, sharp humour, and a little chaos wrapped up in charm, In Spite of You is worth picking up. 

When we first meet him, Jeremy has a plan: get hot and get even. He throws himself into pottery, Italian cooking, French glasses, and even buys a gym membership. Nothing and no one will get in the way of his spite-fuelled transformation.

It’s clear from the start that while Jeremy’s revenge plan might deliver some short-lived satisfaction, it’s unlikely to bring him true happiness. If he continued on this path, he’d risk missing out on what might be right in front of him.

As the book progresses, Jeremy realises that the change he’s seeking requires more than a weekly gym session. He must take responsibility for his part in his circumstances and understand that just because something didn’t work out the first time, it doesn’t mean it will end the same way again. It was satisfying to see him, in the closing chapters, stop holding everyone at arm’s length and start supporting those around him.

Patrick Lenton has done a wonderful job of bringing Jeremy to life as a three-dimensional character who is clearly struggling with his past. I love character-driven stories—especially when the protagonist is flawed. In many books, the main character is portrayed solely as the victim of their circumstances, but here, we see someone who is both a victim and nearly consumed by his own need for revenge. This made Jeremy feel all the more human—and still wholeheartedly lovable.

Sam, meanwhile, is a delight. As a supporting character, he injects warmth, humour, and an infectious joy for everyday life. I found myself chuckling whenever he appeared and cheering for his ability to look for and find light, even when situations seemed almost unbearable.

Now that I’ve finished the book, I’m still curious about Sam’s family—particularly the tension between him and his siblings. Was it ever resolved? This is one of those minor details that doesn’t affect the central plot, but it left me wondering, nonetheless.

For me, In Spite of You was a slower read than I’d anticipated. The conflict phase felt a little drawn out and, as any rom-com fan knows, there’s a strong temptation to reach the happily-ever-after part faster. That said, the pacing allowed for more in-depth character development and gave space for the emotional beats to land—hence my four-star rating.

Contemporary gay romance isn’t a genre I read often. Regardless of whether the author is heterosexual or homosexual, I find romance a hard sell—it’s rare for me to buy into a story when so many promise rom-com vibes but deliver more cringe than charm. In Spite of You, however, delivers. I was able to immerse myself fully in both the plot and the characters, and I appreciated the blend of humour, vulnerability, and slow-burn connection.

In Spite of You ticks all the boxes for a contemporary romance novel, while at the same time feeling fresh and in touch with the world in 2025—just enough to keep the story relatable without overwhelming the reader or making them feel like they should be reading something else.

Subplots and tropes included in In Spite of You:

• Australian setting
• Fake dating
• Family event brings couple together
• Forced proximity
• Friendships
• Friends to lovers
• Light bulb moment
• Lies
• Meet-cute
• Miscommunication
• Mother/son relationship
• Same-sex relationship
• Second chance
• Secrets
• Self-confidence
• Self-discovery
• Single parent
• Revenge plot
• The big reveal

In Spite of You left me wanting to watch all my favourite rom-com movies, play my favourite songs, and dance around my house for hours. This novel will leave readers feeling content and hopeful—not only for Jeremy and Sam, but for the world.

I highly recommend In Spite of You to a mature audience. Readers of the romance genre should definitely add this book to their shelves—especially if you’re after a rom-com that delivers all the feels while avoiding the cringe. A great debut from Patrick Lenton, and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

With continued thanks to author Patrick Lenton and Pantera Press for sending a gifted copy of this book to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.