The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: Nine-Tenths, J. M. Frey

Nine-Tenths

J. M. Frey

Colin Levesque is at loose ends. He's finished university, but has no career; he adores romance novels, but he's crap at relationships; and his prickliness is a detriment at the cafe where he's making ends meet. He also has a crush on his regular Dav, a homo draconis who comes in every morning to read his newspaper, sip his double-strong coffee, and stare longingly at Colin in return.

So it figures that the day Colin gets up the courage to do something about the sexual tension simmering between them, he also learns that Dav has an embarrassing habit of hiccupping fire when he's nervous. Which, in this case, causes a kitchen fire and destroys the fancy custom-made bean roaster. When Dav volunteers to take over the coffee roasting with his fire-breath, being squished together in the hot, cramped kitchen leads to even hotter kisses.

Everything's finally happening for Colin-until people start claiming the dragon-roasted coffee has cured their genetic ailments. As their budding relationship struggles under the scrutiny of scientists and media, the hype around the coffee leads the lovers to be inducted into a centuries-old conspiracy: dragon-roasted food has always healed humans. And the most powerful draconic nobles have been withholding this symbiotic advantage to keep themselves on top. Colin and Dav are determined to expose the truth, but if they're not careful, their objections could goad power-mad monarchs into destroying everything they hold dear. Including each other.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Here There Be
  • Publish Date: Sep 30th, 2025
  • Pages: 468
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.00in - 1.04in - 1.01lb
  • EAN: 9781738148554
  • Categories: Fantasy - ContemporaryFantasy - RomanceRomance - LGBTQ+ - Bisexual

About the Author

Frey, J. M.: - "J.M. Frey is an author, voice actor, and lapsed academic. She writes queer speculative fiction and fantasy, both fabulist cozy romances and high fantasy epics. Her debut novel TRIPTYCH was nominated for two Lambda Literary Awards and was named on of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2011, and her novel TIME AND TIDE was named to the New York Times' Best Romances of 2024 List. Her life's ambition is to step foot on every continent - only three left! She lives in Toronto where she is surrounded by houseplants, because she is allergic to anything with fur. She is also allergic to chocolate. But not wine."

Praise for this book

To Come

"Frey offers a delightful and heartwarming story that mixes the charm of a cozy coffee shop with the intrigue of dragons. This book strikes the perfect balance between fantasy world-building and heartfelt romance, leaving readers both swooning and enchanted." - Zakiyya, MM Romance Reviewed

"This book is a stunning work of art.[...] A sweet, funny, devastatingly well-written male-male/queer romance" - Kelly Wyre, Demented Tours

"Nine-Tenths is a fun read, with some very real, big feelings." - Anna Tan, Deeply Shallow

"This world pulls you in with its rich tapestry of humans and dragons, bound by ancient ties and untold tensions[...]Their story is one of discovery, desire, and the dangerous cost of envy in a world where love and fire might be one and the same."- Virginia Lee, BRVL

"Rarely, a story comes around that sinks under my skin and takes residence in the hollow of my bones. It persists there long after I've finished reading, infiltrating my brain in an idle moment or interrupting a chain of thought. There's little I'll forget about Colin and Dav's story and something tells me I'll be carrying them with me for months to come. I absolutely loved this read." - The Spicy Shybrarian