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Building Arcadia
People mistake best friends Connor Adams and Sam Henning for a couple all the time. Sam is gay; Connor is straight and married. They laugh it off. But it's no joke when three armed homophobic thugs make that same mistake. Seconds later, one of the attackers lies dead. Evidence points at Connor, but he can't remember touching a gun. Nor can he rely on Sam to clear him. The thugs put Sam in a coma.
The attack's repercussions upend the lives of not only Sam and Connor, but also Connor's wife, Kelly. The three come to rely on each other like never before, and repressed emotion finds its outlet in heated passion. Can they turn that passion into real love when their lives are falling apart?
The attack's repercussions upend the lives of not only Sam and Connor, but also Connor's wife, Kelly. The three come to rely on each other like never before, and repressed emotion finds its outlet in heated passion. Can they turn that passion into real love when their lives are falling apart?
200 pages, ebook
First published March 22, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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January 29, 20121/9/2012: Gold Star Award (highest possible) from Just Erotic Romance Reviews.
I was truly glued to each page of Ms. Loveless’ incredible book, impatiently anticipating the outcome of Connor’s incarceration, his crazy-strong marriage to Kelly and whether or not Sam would get his act together and realize that he belonged with both of them permanently. The prison scenes are nothing short of extraordinary, and you can truly feel Connor’s struggle to remain true to himself while trying to survive the myriad of things against him.
Read the full review by Silla Beaumont here: http://justeroticromancereviews.com/b...
or at the newsletter: http://justeroticromancereviews.com/n...
2011 Rainbow Awards Winner
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1st Place: Bisexual/Transgender Debut Novel
2nd Place: Best Bisexual/Transgender Contemporary
2nd Place: Best Bisexual/Transgender Novel
More info and other winners: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/14...
I set myself a challenge in writing this, my first polyamory novel. Poly isn't a genre I read. I prefer m/m. When I do read m/f, it's never romance. But, I like a challenge and my muse was married (and his best friend was gay). So, I asked myself, "Can I do polyamory that is f/m/m in which the second 'm' doesn't hand wave his sexuality to become involved with a woman, but falls in love with her emotionally anyway? Can I write a story that deals honestly with all the issues involved in needing, ignoring, and yearning for love among best friends?
I'm probably not supposed to say that I'm proud of something I did. But I am proud of this one. It's a long story, a great challenge for me to set down to meet my goals for it, so I'm proud that I did it and proud of the result.
I hope you guys love the characters as much as I do.
(I donate 10% of my royalties from this book to the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network to help make schools a better place for glbtq youth and their straight allies.)
I was truly glued to each page of Ms. Loveless’ incredible book, impatiently anticipating the outcome of Connor’s incarceration, his crazy-strong marriage to Kelly and whether or not Sam would get his act together and realize that he belonged with both of them permanently. The prison scenes are nothing short of extraordinary, and you can truly feel Connor’s struggle to remain true to himself while trying to survive the myriad of things against him.
Read the full review by Silla Beaumont here: http://justeroticromancereviews.com/b...
or at the newsletter: http://justeroticromancereviews.com/n...
2011 Rainbow Awards Winner
[image error]
1st Place: Bisexual/Transgender Debut Novel
2nd Place: Best Bisexual/Transgender Contemporary
2nd Place: Best Bisexual/Transgender Novel
More info and other winners: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/14...
I set myself a challenge in writing this, my first polyamory novel. Poly isn't a genre I read. I prefer m/m. When I do read m/f, it's never romance. But, I like a challenge and my muse was married (and his best friend was gay). So, I asked myself, "Can I do polyamory that is f/m/m in which the second 'm' doesn't hand wave his sexuality to become involved with a woman, but falls in love with her emotionally anyway? Can I write a story that deals honestly with all the issues involved in needing, ignoring, and yearning for love among best friends?
I'm probably not supposed to say that I'm proud of something I did. But I am proud of this one. It's a long story, a great challenge for me to set down to meet my goals for it, so I'm proud that I did it and proud of the result.
I hope you guys love the characters as much as I do.
(I donate 10% of my royalties from this book to the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network to help make schools a better place for glbtq youth and their straight allies.)
November 12, 2011
Short, unspoilery review: The night that changes everything is more than just a typical gay bashing gone awry, and it profoundly, tragically alters the lives of everyone involved. Connor and Sam are very close friends, and it is clear that Connor, who is married to Kelly, has a major crush on Sam. What is slowly revealed in the aftermath is how much Sam loves Connor, and how closely tied to both men Kelly is emotionally. Sam is nearly 100% gay, and his relationship with Kelly is not very sexual, so this story doesn’t fit neatly into M/M/F or M/F/M boxes; what it does beautifully is show three close friends reacting to the changes in their circumstances and relationships in an honest and loving way. Jealousy is at a minimum in this story, which personally I really like about it. In the end, the three friends and lovers have to decide if the changes that have happened between them are sustainable, and whether the psychological trauma Connor lives through can be survived without it destroying all of them. A touching and poignant story about difficult, complex issues and how important friendship is to love. This is an excellent book that I highly recommend!
Full, spoilery review at: Review: Building Arcadia
Disclaimer: Ryan is a friend of mine, someone whose writing I have admired for a long time. So, yeah, I’m biased, and happy to be so. Either way, my opinion here is not just ego fapping for Ryan, but an honest reaction to what I feel is a great book.
Full, spoilery review at: Review: Building Arcadia
Disclaimer: Ryan is a friend of mine, someone whose writing I have admired for a long time. So, yeah, I’m biased, and happy to be so. Either way, my opinion here is not just ego fapping for Ryan, but an honest reaction to what I feel is a great book.
December 26, 2014
I am having a real hard time deciding how to rate this. I am going by what the stars actually say...it was OK. I can't say I truly liked it to bump it to 3 stars, but I do have to say that it was very well written. Ms. Loveless is a very good author.
The story just didn't sit with me and annoyed me more than I enjoyed it. This was not a true romance story even though the last line of the blurb leads you to think it is. Yes, this is a story about Sam and Connor and Kelly and what brings them together, but that doesn't happen until 2/3 through the book. The majority of the book is Connor in jail. I ended up skimming most of those chapters because, yes, that is an important piece of what makes Connor who he is and what helps Sam and Kelly get close, but it could have been a LOT shorter and focused more on the relationship, which after pages of miserable jail, felt very rushed. Also, I had an issue with how Connor and Sam got together.
It just didn't resonate with me.
The story just didn't sit with me and annoyed me more than I enjoyed it. This was not a true romance story even though the last line of the blurb leads you to think it is. Yes, this is a story about Sam and Connor and Kelly and what brings them together, but that doesn't happen until 2/3 through the book. The majority of the book is Connor in jail. I ended up skimming most of those chapters because, yes, that is an important piece of what makes Connor who he is and what helps Sam and Kelly get close, but it could have been a LOT shorter and focused more on the relationship, which after pages of miserable jail, felt very rushed. Also, I had an issue with how Connor and Sam got together.
It just didn't resonate with me.
June 20, 2017
Connor Adams and Sam Henning are best friends and fellow musicians who find themselves often mistaken for a couple. They usually just let it go--Connor is married and Sam has a boyfriend--but when they find themselves cornered by three intimidating men spouting homophobic taunts, that might not be an option. They come out on the other side with Sam shot and unconscious and one of their attackers dead while Connor has no memory of what happened. With all signs pointing to Connor shooting the perpetrator, while he was walking away, and no evidence to contradict that narrative, Connor soon finds himself facing criminal charges and serious prison time. As traumatic as that one night turned out to be, it's just the beginning in the trials that Connor, Sam, and Connor's wife, Kelly, will only be able to get through if they can do it together.
I had a visceral (not necessarily negative) reaction to much of the early part of this book. Imagine being cornered into a life-or-death situation only to come out on the other side alive but with no memory of what happened and facing the reality that you're still in danger of losing your life in a completely different way. And the system is not good to Connor. Not at all. I found that the second half the book seemed to drag, though, in comparison since it did not possess the intensity that the early book carried with it. Overall, though, this is a thought-provoking read that goes off the beaten path in a number of interesting ways. And it's worth the read.
I had a visceral (not necessarily negative) reaction to much of the early part of this book. Imagine being cornered into a life-or-death situation only to come out on the other side alive but with no memory of what happened and facing the reality that you're still in danger of losing your life in a completely different way. And the system is not good to Connor. Not at all. I found that the second half the book seemed to drag, though, in comparison since it did not possess the intensity that the early book carried with it. Overall, though, this is a thought-provoking read that goes off the beaten path in a number of interesting ways. And it's worth the read.
June 8, 2019
Beautifully written, very strong story but be prepared to have your heart torn out.
May 23, 2012
KcLu's review posted on Guilty Pleasures
Building Arcadia is the first book by Ryan Loveless I have read. I enjoyed it a lot. I will be reading more from this author. Building Arcadia is the kind of book that grabs you emotionally from the first page til the end. I literally stayed up until I finished this one. I will say it isn't an easy read. It was a well written emotional journey from start to finish. These are characters that you just love, and want to see get through this trying time and find happiness.
Connor Adams and Sam Henning have been best friends since they met at music camp when Connor was fourteen and Sam was seventeen. They have both become a successful in the music business, Sam is a bit famous. Sam is an openly gay man, but Connor is a happily married to Kelly. They are often mistaken for a couple and laugh it off, until the night that they are attacked by three homophobic men in a DC alley. The attack leaves Sam shot and in a coma, and Connor on trial for murder of a service man. Connor has no memory of the attack except the beginning, and all the evidence points to him. The only witness is Sam, so they must wait for him to wake up to have the trial. These three have to come together to support each other in ways they have never before. Can their love for each other keep them from falling apart under these tough times?
This book takes many turns, and most of which I didn’t expect. It is broken up into three parts each part is a new journey for this trio. The most shocking part of reading this book, was what I didn’t get from the description, that it was a MMF book. Don’t get me wrong this is not a threesome in the traditional sense, but they do all end up having some smoking hot sex with each other. There are really so many ups and downs in this book that you find yourself asking, “What more can they take?”. I honestly don’t wanna give away too much, because it is such great book that I wouldn’t wanna ruin it for y’all. I hope that y’all enjoy this book as much as I did.
Building Arcadia is the first book by Ryan Loveless I have read. I enjoyed it a lot. I will be reading more from this author. Building Arcadia is the kind of book that grabs you emotionally from the first page til the end. I literally stayed up until I finished this one. I will say it isn't an easy read. It was a well written emotional journey from start to finish. These are characters that you just love, and want to see get through this trying time and find happiness.
Connor Adams and Sam Henning have been best friends since they met at music camp when Connor was fourteen and Sam was seventeen. They have both become a successful in the music business, Sam is a bit famous. Sam is an openly gay man, but Connor is a happily married to Kelly. They are often mistaken for a couple and laugh it off, until the night that they are attacked by three homophobic men in a DC alley. The attack leaves Sam shot and in a coma, and Connor on trial for murder of a service man. Connor has no memory of the attack except the beginning, and all the evidence points to him. The only witness is Sam, so they must wait for him to wake up to have the trial. These three have to come together to support each other in ways they have never before. Can their love for each other keep them from falling apart under these tough times?
This book takes many turns, and most of which I didn’t expect. It is broken up into three parts each part is a new journey for this trio. The most shocking part of reading this book, was what I didn’t get from the description, that it was a MMF book. Don’t get me wrong this is not a threesome in the traditional sense, but they do all end up having some smoking hot sex with each other. There are really so many ups and downs in this book that you find yourself asking, “What more can they take?”. I honestly don’t wanna give away too much, because it is such great book that I wouldn’t wanna ruin it for y’all. I hope that y’all enjoy this book as much as I did.
June 14, 2016
That is actually a pretty good book. I read it awhile ago before I joined GR and actually didn't remember much beyond the basic premises.
It's kind of a m/m/f ménage à trois book which is usually not really my cuppa but it works here for me because the relationship between Kelly (Connor's wife) and Sam grows from their love for Connor. Also, Sam is gay and stays gay. He loves Kelly in his own, not very sexual way, which is quite believable.
The description of Connor's time in prison is kind of hard to read but I think it's well done because it not only shows the brutality of prison life but also the overwhelming helplessness when a person suddenly is no longer in control of their own life.
I could have done with a bit more communication and a little less self-sacrificing "We want you to stay but we tell you to go for your own good". That particular little tug of war could have been a bit shorter.
Still, it's well-written and I like my characters slightly flawed, so I enjoyed it.
I wouldn't recommend it to die-hard romance fans because there are things going on that could be considered cheating, even though all parties are in the know and most of them are pretty much okay with it.
It's kind of a m/m/f ménage à trois book which is usually not really my cuppa but it works here for me because the relationship between Kelly (Connor's wife) and Sam grows from their love for Connor. Also, Sam is gay and stays gay. He loves Kelly in his own, not very sexual way, which is quite believable.
The description of Connor's time in prison is kind of hard to read but I think it's well done because it not only shows the brutality of prison life but also the overwhelming helplessness when a person suddenly is no longer in control of their own life.
I could have done with a bit more communication and a little less self-sacrificing "We want you to stay but we tell you to go for your own good". That particular little tug of war could have been a bit shorter.
Still, it's well-written and I like my characters slightly flawed, so I enjoyed it.
I wouldn't recommend it to die-hard romance fans because there are things going on that could be considered cheating, even though all parties are in the know and most of them are pretty much okay with it.
September 6, 2015
This is definitely not my kind of book. I struggled with how to rate this. I thought the writing was tremendous, the characters were vivid and realistic. My problem was the sex and marriage and the rest. It' a personal thing that I struggled to get passed. I also felt that there were some instances where the story didn't seem realistic. Still the author did a wonderful job with the story and even with my bias the story managed to keep my interest.
March 31, 2012
Reviewed for Booked Up . Stay tuned for the review to be posted on Booked Up's goodreads account and the Blog
June 26, 2012
Wow.. this is a really good story. At about 2/3 into the story, it gets a little loose, but then ends with great dramatic flare. Recommended.
July 15, 2012
Another one of those 'i liked half the book'. It was interesting but it felt like the love child of American novel of the '80 with a m/m.
Maybe not something I'd enjoy, idk.
Maybe not something I'd enjoy, idk.
October 25, 2015
2011 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
June 11, 2017
The only reason I picked up this book was for a challenge, and it was not my wisest choice…
I had many issues with this book, or rather I only had issues with this book. The plot and characters were so unbelievable that not even an ocean worth of salt would cut it. To make matters worse, the writing was really poor and the book in general was in dire need of editing as a lot of it didn’t make any sense.
I’m not going to list all of the things I disliked about this book as that would take me all night, suffice to say, it was a lot, everything about it really.
In short, this book needs to stay on the lesser known ones. That way fewer people will endure this boredom and frustration while reading…
I had many issues with this book, or rather I only had issues with this book. The plot and characters were so unbelievable that not even an ocean worth of salt would cut it. To make matters worse, the writing was really poor and the book in general was in dire need of editing as a lot of it didn’t make any sense.
I’m not going to list all of the things I disliked about this book as that would take me all night, suffice to say, it was a lot, everything about it really.
In short, this book needs to stay on the lesser known ones. That way fewer people will endure this boredom and frustration while reading…
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews