Plus Ones

by Hank Edwards

LGBT Contemporary

Each time Paul and Evan meet at another friend's same-sex wedding, they're interested...but the timing is always wrong because one of them is involved with someone new. They try to make do by falling in and out of the beds of several different men as they search for their own Mr. Right, and along the way, they learn new skills, like the secrets to Tantric sex, or the moves required to succeed at lube wrestling.

Yet all through the hot summer months, they flirt and eye each other by the buffet tables and open bars of reception halls crowded with men, even though they never get a chance to take their relationship to the next level. When the summer draws to a close and their two best friends are about to marry, the stars might finally align for Paul and Evan. They might just get to be each others' forever 'plus one'.

Publisher's This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find male/male sexual practices.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Humor, Romance, Gay, Friends To Lovers

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Hank Edwards (he/him) has been writing gay fiction for more than twenty years. He has published over thirty novels and dozens of short stories. His books fall into many sub-genres, including romance, rom-com, contemporary, paranormal, suspense, mystery, and wacky comedy. He has written a number of series such as the suspenseful Up to Trouble, funny and spooky paranormal out for you gay romance Critter Catchers, Old West historical horror of Venom Valley, the erotic and funny Fluffers, Inc. series, and the funny and thrilling Lacetown Murder Mysteries series co-written with Deanna Wadsworth. Under the pen name R. G. Thomas, he’s published a young adult urban fantasy gay romance series called The Town of Superstition. No matter what genre he writes, Hank likes to keep things sweet, steamy, and fun.

Join his author group on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/hankshangout), visit his website at www.hankedwardsbooks.com or send along an email to hankedwardsbooks@gmail.com.

Reviews

[A.B. Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start out, I have to admit I'm not a big fan of weddings, especially the five figure extravaganzas that seem to be the norm these days, so a book that features a number of the darn things might be one you would think I'd avoid. However, a book by one of my favorite authors about gay weddings is different. Not because the colors are brighter or the guests are sexier, but purely because until recently, for many men, getting married has been an impossible dream.

This subtext of the political and cultural importance of the occasion runs lightly in the background of Hank's tale about two men who sincerely want their HEA. They want the white picket fence, the shared pet/s, the certainty of knowing they have someone to share the rest of their life with.

In real life, many men have found this future and even more are looking for it. This book is about the latter. The sheer number of the false starts they make along the way is quite believable given tales I've heard from gay men today.

Using at times, hilarious and at other times, pounding sex we see the two men weave their way around the metaphorical dance floor like one of those progressive dances where they meet up by chance only to swing away with a new partner.

This isn't a case of the big misunderstanding that could easily be solved if only they talked. To have a misunderstanding you have to have a relationship that can be threatened in the first place. This is more two men both burned by love, not daring to act on gut feelings while the object of their affection seems involved with someone else.

I really enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the insight into the wistfulness, despair and the insecurities often covered up by sarcasm and flippancy that I would imagine is quite common in gay men and their relationships. Often being too scared to commit for fear of being made vulnerable to hurt as they have been so many times before.

The weddings that take place in the background, particularly that of their friends Alden and John act as a beacon of hope for the men in the book and probably reflects the situation in real life as does the bigotry and hatred that still threatens from the outside.

I once asked the noted writing guru, Debra Dixon, how to introduce conflict into humorous romance as any book without conflict is boring. Her immediate response was embarassment. Hank uses this deliberately to portray his slightly clutzy hero Evan. This sort of character easily creeps into a reader's affection.

The object of his lust, Paul, without having any of these audience grabbing attributes comes across as more aloof, but that's okay. Two people the same wouldn't work and Paul's slight off-handedness is more a product of his being betrayed on more than one occasion by people he gives or nearly gives his heart to. He recognises his faults in a very telling scene towards the end, when his boss, John, asks him to be his best man.

Hank has also done a wonderful job of portraying his secondary characters, the unforgettable Miggy and the pathetic Meryl. Even Jeremy and Adam in a few short words take on a life of their own.

"Plus Ones" has everything readers are demanding in m/m romance. There is romance, emotional involvement and lots of hot sex. Sure, for most of the book the sex is with other people, but the quality of the sex with different partners was never the problem, it is the people they are having the sex with. The little things that turn them off like the high pitched voices or weird kinks and psychological problems. To me, this is a realistic view of the world of gay men dating even if possibly concentrated and embellished for our amusement.

I have been a fan of Hank's writing for a while now, but I think "Plus Ones" is a step above the rest. There is still the light humor he does so well, but underneath that is this testament to marriage and what it means to so many gay men.

[Sadonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this. Read it! Now! Really a 4.5.

Review to follow.

Ok - sorry Labor Day parties interferred with getting this review done.

This book is hilarious! And sweet! And romantic! And funny - did I mention funny? Think Ethan Day or think Eden Winters in The Match Before Christmas and Fanning the Flames.

This is the story of Evan and Paul - who aren't "Evan and Paul" during the story. Evan and Paul meet at a party at the home of Evan's friend Arden and his partner John - who just happens to be Paul's boss. The party is to watch the vote for a law approving gay marriange in Michigan as this story takes place in a suburb of Detroit. They both feel an immediate pull/connection - although they don't get to really talk because Evan is tackled and humped by the hosts' Great Dane as he is carrying drinks he has just made for Arden and Paul and the drinks land all over Paul while Evan is being humiliated by the dog! And it just gets funnier from there. The bill is passed and the summer ends up being a whirlwind of gay weddings. Paul and Evan end up being at a number of weddings as the "plus ones" of their various dates. Each wedding has it's own hilarious and outrageous story - including one in a bar with leather daddys and one with dogs in the procession of attendants. I don't want to give all the stories away, but the parade of weddings and dates and Paul and Evan's experiences with their summer of dating is just so funny. I lost track of how many times I laughed out loud at the antics of these guys and the various men they go through during the summer. The supporting cast of John and Arden (who keep trying to play matchmaker for Paul and Evan - with other guys) and Miggy (Evan's best friend and work wife) and Adam (Paul's brother) are very well written. They really add to the story and each in their own way help Evan and Paul see what's under their noses the whole time.

HIGHLY recommended and I will be looking for more books by Hank Edwards!

[Mel Bradley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Author: Hank Edwards
Publisher: Loose-Id
Word Count: 65,168
Published: 2011
Fictionwise: $6.99

I struggled through this book – I was expecting it to be a great fun read based on the description, but it fell quite a bit short. Essentially, the gay marriage law was signed into effect and all of the gay couples that the main characters know decide to get married as quickly as possible that summer, before the law is overturned. So they each attend several of the weddings with different dates (as the plus one). Through many meetings, words unspoken, misunderstandings, and so on, it takes them just about the entire book (perhaps 5 weddings?) to finally realize that they wanted to date each other.

It was trying, really – I would have thoroughly enjoyed this book had it been kept to two or three weddings, but the continued missed opportunities ended up being lame. And half the time I kept thinking that “men do NOT talk like this, nor would this ever happen for so darn long.” There were some funny parts, particularly with the weird habits of some of the dates, and a random sub-plot that added little value – perhaps because it wasn’t fully explored.

The sex that occurred throughout the book, was between the main characters and different people just about each time. It was based purely on the physical and circumstance, and lacked passion and steaminess. The sex was very mild/tame and not at all “graphic” or a play-by-play.

Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥
Sex Heat: ♥♥
Plot: ♥

Overall, this is a very surface-level read. You don’t get to know any of the characters all that well, they do not have significant voices or in-depth realizations/issues, but it is a fun dating around book. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a lazy, fun read and enjoy lots of different partners (and a good laugh at some of the crazy people in the book!).

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at:http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...


Sometimes the perfect man is standing right in front of you and sometimes you knock him down and spill a drink on him thanks to a large, amorous, horse-of-a-dog!

Are you looking for a character that you instantly fall in love with and want to bring home with you to take care of? Let me introduce you to Evan. Bless his heart, he doesn’t have a problem getting dates, just getting the right date. He’s ready to settle down and knows what he wants in a life partner and after the summer of love and weddings that sweeps through Massachusetts he most definitely knows what (and who) he doesn’t want! Is it so hard to find someone who gets his humor, someone ready for a commitment, someone without scary issues…someone like Paul?

Mr. Edwards really did a fantastic job of character building with both Evan and Paul. The point of view in the story moves smoothly between Evan and Paul so the reader is able to see the action from both sides. The journey to their elusive HEA is often humorous and sometimes painful but worth every crazy dating adventure once they realize the amazing chemistry they feel is genuine.

If you love a soundtrack with your romance, play Peter Cetera’s 80’s ballad After All. There’s a line in the song that says “After all that we’ve been through, it all comes down to me and you. I guess it’s meant to be, Forever you and me, After all”. If Paul and Evan didn’t play this at their wedding, I would be sorely disappointed, after reading their story.

Do yourself a favor and pick a copy of Plus Ones. Mr. Edwards is a truly talented writer and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from him so far. He’s an auto buy for this reviewer and an easy recommend.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

This is a fun, quirky read.

Evan and Paul meet at a party hosted by mutual friends. The party is a celebration for the passing of a law giving gay people the right to marry. There is instant attraction between Evan and Paul but there is a slight mishap (to put it mildly) that prevents them from acting on it. Weddings are scheduled for almost every weekend that summer and Paul and Evan end up at most of them with different dates. As a result, neither can act on the very strong attraction that they have for each other.

This book had everything. There's an *ahem* friendly Great Dane, a creepy DNA collector (don't ask), night terrors, lube wrestling, bad disguises, a stalker with a "Rachel" hair cut, a cheating spouse, clumsiness, misunderstandings, snap judgments, a "unique" yoga instructor, lots of funny sex, 2 very stubborn men and lots and lots of chest hair.

This book had me smiling throughout most of it. Evan is shy and nervous around Paul and that makes him clumsy. Paul isn't quite as nervous but he is quick to assume things that may or may not be true about Evan. The dates that each have with others is pretty much described in detail (graphic sex included) so don't read the book if that bugs you.

I really liked this..... but........ watching Paul and Evan go back and forth for so long got tiring. It was funny... it was entertaining... but I felt that all of that went on too long, especially considering the quickness of the ending (that annoyed me). I felt that a quick epilogue would have been in order because of all the time devoted to the back and forth... "Will they?.. "Won't they?" Also, Paul is not a very likable guy.

Overall, a nice, funny read. The quick ending (and what is mentioned above) are why I can't rate it higher. I smiled throughout and I even laughed out loud a couple of times but that super quick ending bugged me.

This is my first by this author. I will definitely be reading more.

[Fangtasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny, sweet, and at times painful, read. From the start, when the guys look at each other and feel that 'electric jolt' that tells them they are made for each other, through to the time when they actually get together, there is not one boring or unnecessary word in this book.

The characters are all people you and I could know in real life. All of them, including Jeremy, lol. The comedy is hilarious. If I were Evan, I'd have made sure Bandit met an untimely accident where he lost his 'jewels'. At the same time, some very serious issues are brought forth and presented without judgement but with clear intention. Extremely well handled, all of them: the right for gay marriage, homophobia, etc.

It is worth a special mention that, due to the nature of the plot, the author had to introduce several smaller characters that did not last long as part of the story. These were not even secondary characters, yet each and every one can be remembered by name and a special quirk by the end of the story. I don't think I'll ever forget Steve or Clayton. That is great character building!

In the end, we don't get invited to their wedding, but it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Paul and Evan will make each other very, very happy.

[Snowtulip · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Ok, so I freely admit that while reading the beginning of this book I didn't think I'd make it through the whole book because I didn't want to read about these guys having meaningless sex with different guys. BUT, as I kept reading, I started to really fall in love with Paul (who pissed me off in the beginning)and Evan's personalities. Then each of their little wedding or weekend stories would make me laugh, then I would catch glimpses of their exchange with each other and the attraction that was growing. I suddenly was really looking forward to these glimpses and had to keep reading. Yes, I kept chanting, "just ask him out", but I still really enjoyed reading this.

[Madison Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so funny! Some books have funny parts--this book was funny the whole way through. These are lovable characters who find themselves in unexpectedly awful (yet hilarious) situations. The Great Dane and the contact lens was perhaps my favorite. :-D

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evan is looking for Mr. Right, not Mr. Right this second, although it really doesn't come across that way in the beginning.  He is at a party at the house of his very good friend Alden and Alden's partner, John.  Alden has introduced him to Bill, a very nice man who Evan finds reasons, petty, to not get to know.  But it is at this party, celebrating the passage of the gay marriage law, that Evan meets Paul. There are instant sparks, and the two get to talking, until a humiliating incident involving Johns dog causes clumsy Evan to spill booze on Paul, who acts like a jerk about it. There are several misadventures there, but only Evan is sad. 

Evan goes on several dates, but no one really clicks.  He sees Paul at one of the many gay weddings of the summer,  but Paul is with someone.  Evan, ever clumsy, has another accident, causing yet more embarrassment to himself.  Poor Evan, you want to scoop him up and keep him safe. Paul jumps to conclusions and believes the worst, more than once, of Evan.  Evan, in turn, believes the worst about his ability to attract someone like Paul. 

Paul and Evan both feel the pull, but they never seem to meet up when both are free.  They have a series of misunderstanding type situations, which come across as believable.  (for example, they each believe the other to be serial daters, since they always see the other with a different man, yet never realizing it's because they each haven't found the right man) .  

The story was fun for me, as the two wade through the quagmire of dating and finding the one to be with forever.  They both go through bad dates and weird dates, all the while thinking of each other, liking each other more with every gay marriage they run into each other at, yet never being free. It is a little awkward to read the two of them having sex with those dates instead of each other, because what you want is for the two to find their way to each other. 

This is a sweet, funny story of the hazards of dating and the importance of timing.  I had a good time reading it.

[L-D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fairly entertaining, but I don't think that I personally was able to connect on it at all levels. More specifically, I didn't really like Paul, one of the MCs. The first few times he meets Evan, he blames Evan for things that are out of his control - like spilling a drink on him or walking in on him in the bathroom. He just seemed like a bit of a douche. I think because of that, it took me a little too long to warm up to him.

The premise of this book was interesting. Evan and Paul spend a summer going to various weddings with other dates as their Plus Ones, and while an attraction grows, they don't know each other well enough to get together and they make a lot of shallow judgments about each other. While they are each looking for a serious relationship, they see the other MC with so many dates over the summer that they assume the other MC is a player (even though they are dating just as many people). I felt stressed out while reading this book because nothing ever seemed to work out.

I did enjoy this book overall, I just wish I would have liked the characters a bit more.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another hilarious book written by an amazing author! What happens when Marriage Equality passes in your state? A summer of gay weddings for both Evan and Paul who have mutual friends in common. Both men meet in a very awkward and hilarious scene during the summer and are immediately invited to multiple weddings!
Both men are looking for Mr. Right and they end up running into each other over and over again at each wedding. Talk about karma and having to kiss so many frogs! That's literally what happens in the entire books with hilarious scenes, awkward moments, and both men thinking about the other. However, the time is never really right for both of them until near the end of the book. Poor Paul really landed a horrible frog with his last man before finally crossing paths with Evan at the right time. This was a fun whirlwind summer of gay weddings, side-eyes and long buried crushes before the time is finally right for both men to have their HEA. Another brilliant book by Hank Edwards that will make you laugh so much!

[Wendy❤Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t recall ever reading another book where it literally took the entire length of the story for the main characters to get together. Whether you call this unique or call it frustrating, it was definitely different. I was frustrated at first with the random hookups, but then I was able to settle into the humor of it all (seriously, these ended up being mini treasures in and of themselves) and go with the flow during the build-up to the realization that what Paul and Evan had each been searching for was right in front of their eyes all summer long. The ending definitely earned back some brownie points for the earlier frustration. Nice!

[Hrtnsoul28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wild ride. I could not even tell you half way through what I was feeling, even weeks later it still floors me. I laughed so hard and half the time my mouth was hanging open. I never knew what to expect next.
Just the first 10 pages had me laughing so hard I was crying. I was actually in the waiting room at physical therapy and had to put the book away.
This was a brilliant, shocking, funny and at times sweet book.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missed Connections

Friends to Lovers dual point of view
Standalone

Paul and Evan are both looking for a serious relationship as they attend a series of weddings with other people, not realizing their match may be at the table next to them.

I found I was frustrated with the characters as so much could have been resolved by a simple question to John, Alden, or each other at any time. I also wanted more of the relationship between them vs all the other characters.

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions]

TBNT see Edna's review

[Becky Condit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story. Reminded me of the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral except with an all gay cast (and no funeral). One summer. Many gay weddings. Catch the eye and love of another man. Sweet.

[Gennie Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious! The only problem was that I'd have liked more time with the MCs as a couple.

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended and for me it was just kinda meh.

It took too long to get the MCs together, there was a lot of miscommuncation/lack of communication that prevented them from getting together. And that's one of my biggest peeves in a book. It seems to be something most MM authors think needs to be part of their book. :\

Paul, IMHO, completely overreacted their initial meeting, which set off a series of events that could have been avoided.

I understand there needs to be a story, but for me this was like "you guys are attracted to each other, do something about it instead of pining for a whole summer."

I'd say 2.5 stars, but rounding up to 3.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars - This book is definitely feeling its age. It was published in 2010 and we get multiple on page sex scenes with other people, bc they keep missing chances with each other. It is plotted like a romcom and while I could appreciate it was different, when they finally get together, it just ... ends. Not much rom, and the com was ... interesting. There was a scene where it turned out a guy who seemed otherwise unobjectionable had kept a labeled and dated collection of full condoms from previous sexual encounters. Like, YIKES

[Jenn C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved Paul and Evan together which of course meant I wanted to see them together more (which of course would make no sense with the premise of the book - I was doomed from the start). Enjoyable though and the men they both dated all summer were sufficiently odd, creepy and liars so we understand why it doesn’t work out (okay maybe Steve was a bit much - but poor Trevor. Have a little compassion - who knows why that happened).

[Laks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny read full of weddings and wrong timings. But the MCs appeared superficial, you didn't get to know them in depth. Some of the wedding scenarios were really surprising, especially the wrestling one! Altogether this is good for a one time read.

[M.J. Calabrese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this rom-com

Sweet and not at all predictable. You keep rooting for the main characters to get together and you're not disappointed when they do. A joy to read.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story and a HEA is always welcome,

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely is all about timing and how assumption can affect that!
Paul and Evan meet at a house party and are attracted right away, however, the home owners dog making a "play" for Evan leads to spilled drinks, a unintended walk in, and rather than talk about it, both men walk away thinking it's best to just to try and let it go.

However, fate has a twisted sense of humor and during a summer of weddings, they see each other several times, with different guys as they are the "plus ones" at quite a few weddings.
The attraction is still there, but since they are always with someone else, they make assumptions about each other, and keep trying to write off the attraction they feel as they believe the other one is not looking for a long term relationship.

Their dates for the summer are a colorful bunch, although some of the encounters are left hanging a bit. The characters who start the story by introducing Paul and Evan, and in fact introduce them to a few different people, how do they not cross paths at the other weddings they go to or have they been dropped out of the other people's lives as well? Steve is the mechanic for the couple that start & finish the story, do they no longer go to him after Evan's dates with him? Or Trevor, you don't find out why he does what he does in his sleep or how that affects his friendship with his neighbor, or does she drop him as a friend as well because she works with Evan?!? It may not have been key to the story of the main characters, but since they came across as more than just acquaintances for the supporting characters, where the quirks of other characters you could understand why they simply disappeared, there were a few that it seemed odd to me.

That said, it did not affect my overall enjoyment of the story, just felt odd at the time I read it!

As another reviewer said, I would have liked more time with Paul and Evan together, it was a very entertaining story of how timing and assumptions can affect you!!!

[Lynz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I really enjoyed this book but where was the epilogue discussing their HEA. I mean seriously, they’ve been screwing around all summer with other people talking about how unhappy they are and how much they like the other guys. I just wanted to get a glimpse of what happened after they finally figured things out past the first love scene. Other than that I can’t complain. This was a sweet romance about finding lust and love! Happy reading!

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as offbeat as the theme (gay marriage approved by vote in Michigan so you know it's fiction), and some obvious twists in the plot (no spoilers, you figure it out). This one has heat, a comedy of errors, developing love tons of hilarious gay weddings to wallow in.

Mr. Edwards strikes again--a pleasant, smiling, sometimes hilarious, walk through a tightly knit (and large) gay community with issues and answers.

[Sucajo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I freely admit that I didn't like Paul much through most of this book but he started to grow on me towards the end. Evan was sweeter and seemed less judgemental. I had a few laugh-out-loud moments both at Evan's accidents and at some of the more bizarre men Paul and Evan dated throughout the summer. It was quite a complicated journey but worth it in the end.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a riot! I absolutely loved this story. I'm so glad that Evan & Paul FINALLY got together in the end. But getting them there was hilarious! I can't even begin to tell you which was my favorite part!! From the great dane attacking and humping Evan to the lube wresting at the cowboy-themed wedding Evan was at to the Mike/Meryl fiasco poor Paul encountered. FUNNY stuff. Lovely story!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I had a hard time rating this because I loved the story and the MC's and the happy ending. BUT I hated how long it took for the two to finally get together, and then you only had like 1 1/2 chapters of them together which calls for more chapters or a sequel.

[Dianne Hartsock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha! Only Hank Edwards can have you laughing and groaning in the same breath as his characters tumble from one scene to the next. Paul is sexy as heck and Evan couldn't be more adorable. And such a satisfying ending! Another fabulous story by this very talented author.