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Boys of the Zodiac #11
Aquarius: He Said, He Said
He "So what if I thought he was gorgeous? He was also kind of a jerk. But then our kids decided to be best buddies, and I kept having to see the guy, and...well, keeping him strictly as fantasy material who never opened his mouth got a little harder after that..."
And he "I don’t have time for a personal life. I have a son whose medical history requires my full attention and a company I need to keep afloat in this awful economy. Making friends just isn’t a priority. At least until the choice got taken away from me..."
On the surface, the only things single dads Peter Irving and Aaron Hardison have in common are their eight-year-old loner sons, who strike up a friendship. But the continued play dates with the boys and meetings in the park force the men to re-evaluate that position. When Peter discovers Aaron isn’t as straight as he thinks, they agree to a "friends with benefits" arrangement. Sex for the sake of sex.
But the men soon find out, even those appearances can be deceiving...
Gay / Contemporary / Exhibitionism / Public Places / Series
And he "I don’t have time for a personal life. I have a son whose medical history requires my full attention and a company I need to keep afloat in this awful economy. Making friends just isn’t a priority. At least until the choice got taken away from me..."
On the surface, the only things single dads Peter Irving and Aaron Hardison have in common are their eight-year-old loner sons, who strike up a friendship. But the continued play dates with the boys and meetings in the park force the men to re-evaluate that position. When Peter discovers Aaron isn’t as straight as he thinks, they agree to a "friends with benefits" arrangement. Sex for the sake of sex.
But the men soon find out, even those appearances can be deceiving...
Gay / Contemporary / Exhibitionism / Public Places / Series
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2011
10 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Craig
112 books173 followersJamie Craig is actually a pen name for the collaboration of authors
Vivien Dean http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... and
Pepper Espinoza http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
ABOUT JAMIE CRAIG
Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza have been writing and publishing together as Jamie Craig since 2006. They have published with Juno Books, Samhain Publishing, Liquid Silver Books, and multiple titles with Amber Quill Press.
Pepper Espinoza has been writing and publishing erotic romance since 2005. She grew up in Utah and lives there now, where the landscape and history provide a great deal of inspiration for her work. Besides writing, she enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and going to concerts.
Vivien Dean returned to writing in 2005, and has published with Liquid Silver Books, Samhain Publishing, and Amber Quill Press. She currently resides in northern California with her husband and two children.
Vivien Dean http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/... and
Pepper Espinoza http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
ABOUT JAMIE CRAIG
Vivien Dean and Pepper Espinoza have been writing and publishing together as Jamie Craig since 2006. They have published with Juno Books, Samhain Publishing, Liquid Silver Books, and multiple titles with Amber Quill Press.
Pepper Espinoza has been writing and publishing erotic romance since 2005. She grew up in Utah and lives there now, where the landscape and history provide a great deal of inspiration for her work. Besides writing, she enjoys playing video games, watching movies, and going to concerts.
Vivien Dean returned to writing in 2005, and has published with Liquid Silver Books, Samhain Publishing, and Amber Quill Press. She currently resides in northern California with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 1, 2015
August 2015:
This was my second read of this book and I honestly forgot how much I like Jamie Craig's books.
The men in He Said, He Said are both single, dedicated fathers and initially fight their attraction to one another. When things finally get going physically, the sex is scorching. There is a miscommunication that causes some angst, but it resolves quickly and firmly settles this book as a comfort read for me. I would have liked for this to have been longer and more fleshed out, but I'll take it anyway!
Highly recommended!
This was my second read of this book and I honestly forgot how much I like Jamie Craig's books.
The men in He Said, He Said are both single, dedicated fathers and initially fight their attraction to one another. When things finally get going physically, the sex is scorching. There is a miscommunication that causes some angst, but it resolves quickly and firmly settles this book as a comfort read for me. I would have liked for this to have been longer and more fleshed out, but I'll take it anyway!
Highly recommended!
February 25, 2015
Genre & keywords:
M/M, Contemporary Romance, Fatherhood
Synopsis in short:
On the surface, the only thing single dads Peter and Aaron have in common are their eight-year-old loner sons. They develop - reluctantly at first - a friendship thanks to the friendship of their sons, Morgan and Sammy.
Setting: A modern city, probably San Francisco (Fisherman's Warf is mentioned). The men first meet in a city park where they take their kids to play. Other settings where the events take place are their apartments and other sites in the city.
POV: First person narrators, alternating between Peter and Aaron's point of view per chapter. Both have their own, distinct voice.
H/H & characterization: Peter is a divorced single dad and has to deal with his ex-wife and seeing his son Morgan only every other weekend. I felt for him and his difficulties with finding a serious partner. Aaron on the other hand is a single dad because his wife died. After her death his life only exists of his work and his son Sammy who has health problems. His loneliness was saddening and I was glad for him that he met Peter. At first Peter and Aaron don't like each other very much, but then a platonic friendship blooms after which they gradually grow into a more physical relationship. The slow build-up is nice and makes for a believable emotional connection. The author does a good job 'showing' instead of 'telling' who the heroes are, what they feel and think.
Empathy level: Thanks to the alternation first person perspectives and the excellent characterization you get a very good insight in the heroes’ feelings, thoughts and doubts. This made it very easy to empathize with them, and also with their sons to a certain level.
Heat level: The sex scenes were scorching and plenty, although it took the guys a while to get there. I really liked it that they didn't jump into bed from the start. I also felt the growing emotional connection through all the physical hotness. 2.5 out of 3 flames.
Angst level: There was a bit of a misunderstanding about what both men were expecting from the sexual arrangement they had, which made my heart squeeze a bit, especially for Peter. 1 maybe 1.5 out of 3 hankies.
Overall entertainment level: From the first to the last page this was a greatly entertaining story. The men were not only fun to observe together but also in interaction with their sons. The little guys were as engaging and lifelike as their adult cast members. Kids and romances are not always a good combination, but here it was a great addition. So, yes, overall a very enjoyable read.
Final judgment:
4.5 out of 5 stars
http://www.rarelydustybooks.com/2011/...
M/M, Contemporary Romance, Fatherhood
Synopsis in short:
On the surface, the only thing single dads Peter and Aaron have in common are their eight-year-old loner sons. They develop - reluctantly at first - a friendship thanks to the friendship of their sons, Morgan and Sammy.
Setting: A modern city, probably San Francisco (Fisherman's Warf is mentioned). The men first meet in a city park where they take their kids to play. Other settings where the events take place are their apartments and other sites in the city.
POV: First person narrators, alternating between Peter and Aaron's point of view per chapter. Both have their own, distinct voice.
H/H & characterization: Peter is a divorced single dad and has to deal with his ex-wife and seeing his son Morgan only every other weekend. I felt for him and his difficulties with finding a serious partner. Aaron on the other hand is a single dad because his wife died. After her death his life only exists of his work and his son Sammy who has health problems. His loneliness was saddening and I was glad for him that he met Peter. At first Peter and Aaron don't like each other very much, but then a platonic friendship blooms after which they gradually grow into a more physical relationship. The slow build-up is nice and makes for a believable emotional connection. The author does a good job 'showing' instead of 'telling' who the heroes are, what they feel and think.
Empathy level: Thanks to the alternation first person perspectives and the excellent characterization you get a very good insight in the heroes’ feelings, thoughts and doubts. This made it very easy to empathize with them, and also with their sons to a certain level.
Heat level: The sex scenes were scorching and plenty, although it took the guys a while to get there. I really liked it that they didn't jump into bed from the start. I also felt the growing emotional connection through all the physical hotness. 2.5 out of 3 flames.
Angst level: There was a bit of a misunderstanding about what both men were expecting from the sexual arrangement they had, which made my heart squeeze a bit, especially for Peter. 1 maybe 1.5 out of 3 hankies.
Overall entertainment level: From the first to the last page this was a greatly entertaining story. The men were not only fun to observe together but also in interaction with their sons. The little guys were as engaging and lifelike as their adult cast members. Kids and romances are not always a good combination, but here it was a great addition. So, yes, overall a very enjoyable read.
Final judgment:
4.5 out of 5 stars
http://www.rarelydustybooks.com/2011/...
September 27, 2023
What a sweet story. A really nice single dad romance between a divorced guy and a widower. Both have sons a similar age, and it's got a bit of hurt/comfort yumminess which I really enjoyed.
I had no idea that Jamie Craig was a collaboration between Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Hum, interesting.
I had no idea that Jamie Craig was a collaboration between Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Hum, interesting.
February 1, 2011
When an M/M romance involves children -- it always makes it slightly more appealing. Maybe because in real life, having children probably not so easy for the gay parents. In this story, Jamie Craig does not only introduce one kid, but two adorable boys. Morgan, the more outgoing boy and Sammy, the one who is more subdued probably due to his health problem.
And the boys pave ways for their fathers to meet. Peter, who is sharing custody of Morgan with his ex-wife, who despites having fuck buddies but looking for real relationship. Aaron, a widower, who must work from home to keep his eyes on his son, Sammy, and who doesn't really looking for a relationship because he has his hands full with Sammy.
This is such a lovely story -- I adore ALL characters, both the fathers and the kids. The story switches perspective from Peter and Aaron, thus making the story is completely covered from both sides. There are misunderstandings, about what they want from the relationship, but we will see it from both Aaron and Peter's mind. It's sweet and there's a bit angst as well, but what I love the most is how the authors write how the fathers take care of the kids. There is real intereaction there, including a scene on how they deal on the boys "fighting" to defend themselves. I think it's very realistic and I totally enjoy it.
And the boys pave ways for their fathers to meet. Peter, who is sharing custody of Morgan with his ex-wife, who despites having fuck buddies but looking for real relationship. Aaron, a widower, who must work from home to keep his eyes on his son, Sammy, and who doesn't really looking for a relationship because he has his hands full with Sammy.
This is such a lovely story -- I adore ALL characters, both the fathers and the kids. The story switches perspective from Peter and Aaron, thus making the story is completely covered from both sides. There are misunderstandings, about what they want from the relationship, but we will see it from both Aaron and Peter's mind. It's sweet and there's a bit angst as well, but what I love the most is how the authors write how the fathers take care of the kids. There is real intereaction there, including a scene on how they deal on the boys "fighting" to defend themselves. I think it's very realistic and I totally enjoy it.
July 2, 2011
for GB Q3 picked by MandyM. Sometimes in romances where kids are involved, they can overtake the story & make it all too sticky sweet. This one avoided this problem (just by a hair). The kids are just cute enough without causing cavities, the ex is just mean enough without becoming an arch villainess & the two men Peter & Aaron are just hot enough when they finally get together. This one was an enjoyable story.
April 14, 2020
He Said, He Said by Jamie Craig is simply a sweet, cute and mild-angst romance with adorable children, meant to be read as a standalone in the Boys of the Zodiac series.
Peter Irving and Aaron Hardison are both single at the moment. Peter via divorce and Aaron with the passing of his wife. On the surface they are just two straight guys navigating life with their eight-year-old sons in tow. How many times have we been told not to judge a book by its cover?
The boys, Morgan and Sammy, are the catalyst bringing Peter and Aaron together. Although their initial contact doesn’t bode well for them. You understand this bit of interaction better once you get to know the four of them and their life experiences.
I enjoy how we see things from each of their perspectives. As an outsider you witness the misconceptions and assumptions each make; If these gents learned to communicate early on, they may have avoided some of their internal struggles and realized what was standing in front of them. However, it does allow us to witness a friendship that grows, and we know before they do where it is leading.
‘He Said, He Said’ is a light and enjoyable story with realistic characters dealing with true to life situations.
While the dads are figuring things out the boys are quick to form a strong friendship. How cute are these two together? Each has a father that lovingly puts them first giving them a solid foundation to be themselves and share common interests with a protective nature for the other. Simply put they are kids being kids.
Of course, there has to be the mean-spirited ex-wife in the picture. In this case she only borders on the demonic stereotype of the vindictive ex. The impression she presents is more of a controlling personality than one that is malicious and homophobic. I saw both sides during the playground “incident” and love how it is resolved. Adulting/parenting 101 here folks!
He Said, He Said is a light and enjoyable story with realistic characters dealing with true to life situations. Peter and Aaron, as well as Morgan and Sammy, complement each other perfectly. It is interesting to note that each man’s personality more closely resembles the son of the other man. It seems that in this case opposites surely do attract.
Peter Irving and Aaron Hardison are both single at the moment. Peter via divorce and Aaron with the passing of his wife. On the surface they are just two straight guys navigating life with their eight-year-old sons in tow. How many times have we been told not to judge a book by its cover?
The boys, Morgan and Sammy, are the catalyst bringing Peter and Aaron together. Although their initial contact doesn’t bode well for them. You understand this bit of interaction better once you get to know the four of them and their life experiences.
I enjoy how we see things from each of their perspectives. As an outsider you witness the misconceptions and assumptions each make; If these gents learned to communicate early on, they may have avoided some of their internal struggles and realized what was standing in front of them. However, it does allow us to witness a friendship that grows, and we know before they do where it is leading.
‘He Said, He Said’ is a light and enjoyable story with realistic characters dealing with true to life situations.
While the dads are figuring things out the boys are quick to form a strong friendship. How cute are these two together? Each has a father that lovingly puts them first giving them a solid foundation to be themselves and share common interests with a protective nature for the other. Simply put they are kids being kids.
Of course, there has to be the mean-spirited ex-wife in the picture. In this case she only borders on the demonic stereotype of the vindictive ex. The impression she presents is more of a controlling personality than one that is malicious and homophobic. I saw both sides during the playground “incident” and love how it is resolved. Adulting/parenting 101 here folks!
He Said, He Said is a light and enjoyable story with realistic characters dealing with true to life situations. Peter and Aaron, as well as Morgan and Sammy, complement each other perfectly. It is interesting to note that each man’s personality more closely resembles the son of the other man. It seems that in this case opposites surely do attract.
March 5, 2013
In this novel, we have two singles dads. Aaron is a widower while Peter is divorced. Their sons become friends at the park and the two dads develop a friendship and bit more on their own.
I found Peter a bit too spineless for my liking. He allowed himself to be a doormat not just to Aaron, but to his kid and ex-wife as well. You’re going to email your ex-wife about getting a game/console for your kid you said he shouldn’t have? Email? Really? Co-parenting, I’m assuming doesn’t really work like that.
I also blame Peter for the gross misunderstanding between him and Aaron. Had he not “bragged” (for lack of a better word) about the other men he kept in rotation, Aaron may not have made so many assumptions. If Peter made his feelings plain and gave Aaron the choice of pursuing something more, a lot of things would’ve been different.
But then where would you get the middle-aged men angst?
Even though I pointed out the flaws, I really did like this. It was a solid story with good characters and enough angst to keep me interested.
3.5 Stars.
I found Peter a bit too spineless for my liking. He allowed himself to be a doormat not just to Aaron, but to his kid and ex-wife as well. You’re going to email your ex-wife about getting a game/console for your kid you said he shouldn’t have? Email? Really? Co-parenting, I’m assuming doesn’t really work like that.
I also blame Peter for the gross misunderstanding between him and Aaron. Had he not “bragged” (for lack of a better word) about the other men he kept in rotation, Aaron may not have made so many assumptions. If Peter made his feelings plain and gave Aaron the choice of pursuing something more, a lot of things would’ve been different.
But then where would you get the middle-aged men angst?
Even though I pointed out the flaws, I really did like this. It was a solid story with good characters and enough angst to keep me interested.
3.5 Stars.
April 7, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
I love single dad stories. Most of them are very sweet romances where the men fall for each other and each other’s children. This is why I grabbed He Said, He Said quickly, and while I liked the book, I didn’t love it the way I wanted to.
I connected with Peter right away. As a divorced father, he wanted to spend as much quality time with Morgan as possible while he had him at his place. To put it bluntly, at the beginning of the story, Morgan is a brat. The first scene with them was almost painful to read. Peter takes it all in stride, even if it means he has to resort to bribing Morgan just to get him to go outside. I liked that Peter did have a deep love for Morgan, no matter what, and he wants to be the best dad he can be. The divorce was anything but amicable, and Peter wants to make it up to his son. Those qualities quickly endeared him to me.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
I love single dad stories. Most of them are very sweet romances where the men fall for each other and each other’s children. This is why I grabbed He Said, He Said quickly, and while I liked the book, I didn’t love it the way I wanted to.
I connected with Peter right away. As a divorced father, he wanted to spend as much quality time with Morgan as possible while he had him at his place. To put it bluntly, at the beginning of the story, Morgan is a brat. The first scene with them was almost painful to read. Peter takes it all in stride, even if it means he has to resort to bribing Morgan just to get him to go outside. I liked that Peter did have a deep love for Morgan, no matter what, and he wants to be the best dad he can be. The divorce was anything but amicable, and Peter wants to make it up to his son. Those qualities quickly endeared him to me.
Read Kenna’s review in its entirety here.
July 23, 2013
This is yet another book I've had sitting on my Kindle for months - maybe even close to a year - without reading, and now I'm wondering why I put it off for so long! This was such a sweet and relatively angst free read. It was kind of predictable with no real surprises or plot twists, just a cute and simple romance between two single fathers. It really was a lovely story. I loved that each chapter switched perspectives, so that we were able to see the developing friendship/relationship from both sides. I adored Aaron and Peter, as well Morgan and Sammy. The growing bond between all the characters felt very realistic, as did the interactions between both fathers and the two boys. The friendship between Morgan and Sammy was just too adorable! I really loved the epilogue, too. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, and the ending here was perfect.
April 18, 2015
I liked the main characters of this story a lot. They are sweet and very likable. Great kids who weren't too precocious for their ages. Wonderful epilogue.
February 16, 2011
Loved this book! Very sweet, not a "jump into bed & live HEA" And the friendship between the 2 kids was an extra nice touch!
July 12, 2011
Loved this book, it wasnt all about the sex...
August 17, 2020
I really liked this.
September 11, 2020
It felt like reading half a book. It was unfinished to me.
February 10, 2025
Just about every conversation in this book was painful to read.
May 8, 2014
I loved it! What a fabulous end to this not really connected series, or is it the end. I thought it was the last star-sign I had to read, but I'm sure there are 12 star-signs and according to GoodReads this is book 11, so there must be one more to come! Anyway this book is the perfect blend of hot and steamy sex and a beautiful tale of two single father's who fall in love in spite of themselves.
February 10, 2011
I definitely can't think of any negative critic for this book. The plot of the story pulled me in from the start and I enjoyed it till the end. Both main couple characters, Peter and Aaron, are adult and mature who meet and fall in love. And the end is just perfect, maybe to perfect but its awesome to get that kind of ending in a book.
I definitely LOVED IT! RECOMMENDED BOOK!!
I definitely LOVED IT! RECOMMENDED BOOK!!
March 28, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the M/C's and their children. It was a good HEA. The only thing that bothered me a bit was that the ending felt rushed. I would have a bit more about after they got together.
April 12, 2015
This was such an enjoyable read! I loved the relationship that developed between Peter and Aaron and felt the friendship and emotional connection through the pages. Morgan and Sam were completely adorable and just added that perfect family connection.
February 5, 2011
3,5 stars
February 5, 2011
This was a 3.5 for me but I bumped it up to four because is was so sweet!
November 7, 2011
Cute short read.
March 29, 2011
Sweet story about two single dads and their adorable little boys.
March 14, 2011
Хорошая, ровная, но не самая лучшая книга авторов. Читается легко и приятно, персонажи достойные, хэппи-энд хэппиэндистый.
October 25, 2011
Fantastic as always.
August 24, 2011
Sooo cute...oh my God,loved Peter and Aaron ^^
December 26, 2011
It's that rarest of things: a book where the kids don't take over the story and actually ACT like kids, not precocious mini-adults. This was the perfect balance of romance and family.
March 28, 2016
3.25*
June 27, 2013
Enjoyed it.
January 19, 2016
Loved this. A believable romance with realistically written kids. Gorgeous.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews