Craven

First Time #3

by Eden Cole

Craven is a sexy tattooed and pierced musician. He, his friend, and his sister all know and have accepted that he's gay, but he's never slept with another man.

He’s just returned to his hometown after failing to get his music career off the ground. He’s decided he will do what everyone else is doing, get a regular office job. His best friend has agreed to help him. But now that Craven is back home, he can’t avoid the feelings he’s had for Trevor all these years.

Craven and Trevor are opposites. Trevor’s idea of dressing down is unbuttoning his suit jacket. Craven has lived in ratty jeans and tees all his life. He’s got a pierced tongue, eyebrow, lip, and both ears. His tattoos extend all over his chest, down his arms, and onto his fingers. He thinks they don’t fit, but he wants Trevor so bad.

But no matter what Trevor will be there to help Craven find out where he belongs. And just maybe Craven will discover he's been wrong about his heterosexual friend all these years.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Musicians, M M Contemporary

77 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2011

About the author

Eden Cole has been creating stories in her head since she was a small child. Love and romance, sensual pleasures find their voice in her erotic stories of romance. Fantasy, paranormal and science fiction are her favorite genres to write in.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars. So-so m/m romance based on multiple big misunderstandings... not my favorite plot device. This is my favorite sentence from the book: "His cock, which had gone down, hardened immediately, and rushed over to his side of the car."

[Wave · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t connect with either protagonist.

I bought Craven because I had enjoyed another book by this author, but the characters and the plot just didn’t do it for me and the protagonists seemed underdeveloped. Most of the time they didn’t appear to be in love, until everything came together for the big finish. In my opinion this cast of characters was definitely not playing with a winning hand.

This line of prose from the book probably says it all:

His cock, which had gone down, hardened immediately, and rushed over to his side of the car.

[Merith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble reading this story. It was just too full of cliched situations, shallow and trite. These men are in their late 20s and they acted like teenagers. And the writer making females bitches in order to move the male characters together is irritating. Craven and Trevor were both unrealistic characters. Not that realism has to be a part of a romance, but even for best friends since forever to lovers, these two kind of sucked.

[Shaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really sorry, but I can't rate this any higher. It needs a good editing; name change in the middle of a paragraph as well as spelling issues. And let's not even go to the infamous sentence that so many other reviewers have already quoted.

So while I usually really love the inked & pierced rocker...this one was a great disappointment.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars This would have been a 4 star book for me if the ending hadn't been so abrupt and not as weak.

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

A feel good friends to lovers story. Craven's sister, Connie, is a jerk though.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Craven moved to LA ten years ago to pursue his music career. However it's just not going, and he's decided to pack it in and turns to his best friend, and sister's ex, Trevor for help. Trevor has always accepted him and supported him unlike his judgmental sister. Unfortunately his sister is living with Trevor now, but just as roommates. It's awkward, and Craven has always been in love with Trevor, but Trevor dates women. He helps Craven get a job at his office but then acts as his agent of sorts to get Craven a contract at a local club that eventually leads to part ownership. Trevor finally admits that he's always wanted Craven too, ever since he gave him a kiss ten years ago, however he doesn't seem prepared to come out and throws around comments about an open relationship which Craven can't handle (considering he's never even kissed anyone for the last ten years let alone had sex) so he leaves, and finally his sister comes off her high horse to help facilitate a reunion. The sister, given why she was rooming with Trevor had no room to talk, but managed to still judge, and Trevor was basically an oblivious idiot with his "open relationship" blather. I'm not sure I believed that someone in the music industry could avoid even being kissed for 10 years but ... It was an entertaining enough read and I do have a thing for tattoos and piercings.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Bought this last night and read it in one go. (I have to admit, Eden Cole is a guilty pleasure for me!) I enjoyed the story and really loved Craven. He was just such a sweetheart. I'm glad he got his man at the end!

My only issue is the editing. It wasn't horrible, but I hate to read a totally different name in the middle of a scene. Threw me right out of the story (I actually kept going back to see if I missed something along the way).

Other than that minor issue, I enjoyed this one.

[Gwengwel · Rating 2 out of 5]

What's with that double standard? Craven is a 'gay virgin'? You're ether had sex or not. Why making a difference between having hetero and gay sex? You had sex with a human being. Making a difference between the two kind is like saying that gay are different than hetero and I through that's was one of the most important point, that LGBT peoples's work on, that they are the same as straight people? Not different.
It's not the first book that use this plot point and it's annoy me each time I see it.
I'd vote 3 stars if it's was not of that point.

[mah1 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to give a book such a low rating, but I just can't help it this time. I did not like the characters and the entire time I didn't get any kind of explanation as to why they behaved as they did. A guy waits for ten years before telling his best friend he wants him. Why? Then they have sex and for some reason don't talk afterwards. Again, why? And then they get back together for one night and stop talking for months with no rational explanation.

I did enjoy that the author had made the MC a musician who hadn't made it to fame and glory.

[Jess Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had potential, but it just didn't reach it.

[Ayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this one 3.5 - 4 stars if Trevors' POV had been included as well. Would have been nice to get into his head a little bit. Besides that I liked it.

[Mistral · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars