Sometimes You Just Know

Dark Horse #1.1

by Kate Sherwood

Before Dan met Jeff and Evan, he thought he'd only ever love one man. This is the story of Dan and Justin, before things went wrong. Things DO go wrong. Not in this book, but unless you're pretty tough, I'd read Dark Horse first, so you're prepared...

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Short Stories, Westerns, Menage, Novella

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2011

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.****Update April 22, 2013
I was sitting in my office this morning, a blubbering mess, and I couldn’t get this little story out of my mind. Hence, let me add my two cents worth. As in right now. Please scroll down.

Justin pauses for a breath, and to try to collect himself. "So, this thing…I mean…Okay, straight up? I've been thinking about you for a year now. Wanting you. It's got me kind of insane, I think. Because, the thing is, I don't just want you…I like you, too. I feel like there's something there, something real, and I want to get to know you better."

Finally, Dan interrupts. "What would you want to do?" Justin doesn't quite follow, so Dan elaborates. "I mean, if I was into this…the…the 'something real' thing…what does that mean?"
(…)
"Uh, I don't really know, to be honest." He risks a grin, and the hope flares again when Dan smiles back, cautiously. "Maybe…brunch? I mean, it's not like I don't want sex. Sex is real, I think. I just…" He steps forward again. "I just want to know you. I want to have sex with Dan, not just with some anonymous hot guy. Is that…I don't know…is that okay?"
Dan's quiet for a minute, and then he looks back up, and Justin can see him fighting to control his emotions. "But what if you get to know me and you don't like me?"

Awwww, Dan, that got me a bit teary-eyed. Welcome hang-ups…

"Now? I'm…okay…right now. If we start this, and it goes…if it goes where it always goes…I don't want to do that again. I…" Dan looks down, and Justin can barely hear his next words. "I don't think I can do that again."

"Nah, I like my way better." Justin grins, and finally, this feels right. "And you'd better get used to my way, man, 'cause I think I'm going to be doing that a lot. As much as you'll let me."

"Okay, yeah. I'm here." But Justin knows that isn't quite true. Dan's body is there, but he has no idea where Dan's mind is. Justin doesn't know what happened, doesn't know why it happened. And he doesn't know what to do to make it better.

"See? There you go." He leans in slowly and carefully, and Dan doesn't pull back. Justin gives him a gentle kiss, and whispers, "Don't run away."
Dan leans against Bailey's neck and looks out at Justin. "Yeah…" he whispers. "I'll try."

"I just…please." Another step, and he falls to his knees in front of Justin, looking into his eyes like he's hoping that they really are the windows to the soul. "Please don't be fucking with me…"

He sees Dan coming out of the bathroom, looking over and finding Justin watching him, and smiling his quiet, shy smile. "Yeah...sometimes you just know."

April 21, 2013, right after reading Sometimes You Just Know

Beautiful. Sweet. A good sweet not sappy sweet. Sad. I feel incredibly sad.

I'm going to bawl my eyes out...sometimes you just know...


**************************************


Update April 22, 2013

Sometimes You Just Know gives us an insight how Dan met Justin and is told in first person present tense from Justin’s POV. On the one hand, I’m very happy for Dan because he met and loved a good and very likable man. On the other hand, I feel sad and this story made me choke up a couple of times. Spending five years with the love of your life is not much, but still better than nothing at all. Alfred Lord Tennyson said ’It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.’ Truth be told, this novella is by no means a sad story or a tearjerker as long as you haven’t read the Dark Horse series yet. It contains the following books:

Dark Horse
Out of the Darkness
Of Dark and Bright

The various shorts, however, are complementing this series wonderfully.

I don’t reveal a secret when I tell you that things go very wrong between Dan and Justin. After all, the Dark Horse series is Dan, Jeff, and Evan’s journey, and Justin’s accident did happen off page. While reading this series you will discover that Dan has a few issues to deal with, however, Justin is the major reason why he had such a hard time to adjust to his new life. A life without Justin.

This particular short story reminds me of how important it is to make unforgettable memories, because sometimes you just know how good and right it feels to hold onto someone or something dear. I, for one, am very glad for every little memory I was allowed to accumulate throughout my life. Because it helps immensely to withstand some of the darker moments in your life. Even though the pain never goes away it will fade with time and all that remains are some amazing and happy memories. As a result it’s good to take a trip down memory lane from time to time to remind yourself that despite any tragedies, life is valuable. It’s good to be here. Let’s make more memories.




If you are a fellow m-m lover and you’d like to explore a love triangle then read this series. Highly recommended.



**************************************

As a side note
The short stories are available for free.

http://www.katesherwoodbooks.com/?pag...

I bought them at www.amazon.de because I think the author has written a great and very enjoyable series and deserves the money.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read and liked Dark Horse then this story will break your heart a little. Because it's told from the POV of Justin, and he's a sweet, smart guy and Dan is so skittish and wounded, and they are so nice to watch, making that first connection... Excellent equestrian details, hot sex, and long for a freebie. And yet, I would have loved to see more, would have loved to have that whole novel that happens before and see Justin start to heal some of the broken places inside Dan. Ah, well, mustn't be greedy. But this is a must-read for Dark Horse fans.

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I said it the first time and I'm saying it again. If this was a 0.5 I'd have a hell of a time letting Justin go. It's really touching to read about him seeing as I cried my eyes out in book one because of his loss. Beautiful.

------------------------------------------------------

This was really great. Getting to know Justin and what he was about. Just a little sneak peak and I'm glad it came AFTER the first book or else I would have had a really hard time letting go.
I really liked him, and what he had with Dan.
So good.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad... that's how I felt after reading this book... How Justin won Dan's heart was amazing... How Dan surrendered to Justin's love was beautiful... Knowing that this love died so young is heartbreaking...

[The Bursting Bookshelf of a Wallflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

SO BEAUTIFUL!

Dark Horse was one of the best books I read this year; I loved all three main characters to pieces and I couldn’t wait to get to know them better. Sometimes You Just Know is one of three short stories building a bridge between this and the next main part of the series. It is focusing on Dan and Justin.

As I read Dark Horse I knew what was coming, but it still took me quite a while to feel strong enough to pick this one up. I’m happy that I did it!. The short story is telling us how Dan and Justin met. The dynamics between them are amazing and I’m pretty sure that this book made me understand Dan so much better.

Seeing him and Justin together was bittersweet - they were clearly meant to be, but sometimes fate doesn’t play along.

I’m really looking forward to the two other short stories.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really hard to read because I already knew the outcome :(

It was great see how Justin won Dan over. Even though it was just a short story, I loved what I was able to read about them. Great addition to the series as I really wanted to get a better insight into Justin after the first book.

[Kate Sherwood]

This one kind of broke my heart to write. And it wasn't much better to go back and re-read it to get it ready for publication. My poor Justin...

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Beautiful. Heartbreaking.





Intimate. Sweet. Sad. I feel incredibly sad.... and crying...

He shakes his head again, and smiles. "It was just… I don't know, man… sometimes you just know." He sees Dan coming out of the bathroom, looking over and finding Justin watching him, and smiling his quiet, shy smile. "Yeah… sometimes you just know."

Must be read after Dark Horse

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I am so glad I didn't read this before Dark Horse 1. I'm sure if I did, DH would have been even more devastating. Even though there was a dark cloud hanging over Justin and Dan, I was still happy to read about them. Justin was everything I imagined him to be. His reactions and feelings for Dan were so pure that it had me melting all over the place. I loved seeing them try to relate to one another. Even though Justin's feelings for Dan were lightning fast, I don't care. I loved this little piece we got of them.

"Sometimes You Just Know" was simply warm and tender.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bittersweet prequel showing Justin's pursuit of Dan from Justin's perspective. Dan obviously had trust issues then. It's so sad after reading Dark Horse knowing how hard it was for Dan to accept Justin's interest in him as a person.

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3 stars ✰

“So, this thing… I mean… Okay, straight up? I've been thinking about you for a year now. Wanting you. It's got me kind of insane, I think. Because, the thing is, I don't just want you… I like you, too. I feel like there's something there, something real, and I want to get to know you better.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Ever since Chris shared with Dan of what Justin said about his feelings for Dan, how Sometimes You Just Know who is THE ONE for you, I wanted to know more about them. The little that the author gave us - it's sad, because we know they did not get forever. We know that fate plays a cruel hand. But to see the way they met - how smitten Justin was at first sight - seductive, intoxicating, addictive, with heartache written all over him. 😢 How reluctant and hesitant Dan was into believing that Justin cared for him more than just a quick hook-up - how Justin coaxed and proved and showed Dan that he didn't want him only for a one-off, determined to show him that he wanted to get to know him for real - that for a year he's thought of nothing but him and his love and deep-rooted intimate way in which he handles horses, the quiet, shy smile, and fierce beauty that emanates from him. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

"It feels right, you know?" He searches for words. "You feel… we feel… it feels right to me. Am I… I don't know, man, am I crazy?

"Jesus, Justin, do you think it's just you?" Dan huffs out a little unbelieving sound. "You think I don't want you back just as much?"

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ It was intense and emotional, so full of longing from both sides - this playful, flirtatious connection, but still held off by a mix of awe and fear from Dan - that he could actually want someone like him, when he's been so broken and used for so long. It was heart eyes from the start, and getting Justin's POV, getting to know the person he was; 'perspective is overrated—Justin wants Dan.' 🥹💜 It was written with the yearning - of trust and hope that as much as I would have preferred less physical intimacy and more their heart-to-hearts, it was a mix of pleasure and pain for with each touch that spoke to Dan what he was afraid to say - the vulnerability that echoed an aching want. 🥺 Justin recognized how distrustful, if not afraid he was to hope that what he was offering was real. But, he was patient and hopeful and embraced Dan wholeheartedly, proved his appreciation, his desire; he offered him a home, a family, his heart... He gave it with the happiness of knowing that his feelings were returned, that this was something they could make work and last forever... If only... 💔💔

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different than I expected it to be.

Told from Justin's point of view, this short story leads us back to Dan's first encounter with Justin and how they fell in love.

Justin is a real sweetheart who fell head over heels in love with the brooding Dan who is an excellent horseman but a more than a little troubled human being.

I was surprised to see Justin as an adorable guy who goes for what he believes will be something great, instead of being a high-strung career eventer who will eventually die doing what he loves most. But I guess that's because this story only focuses on the very beginning of their relationship.

I only wish we had gotten a small clips of the first Rolex competition (and Jeff) or maybe even the second one that led to the series as we know it.

But still, I'm eternally grateful to have got to meet Justin...

4 stars!

[Susan65 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really liked this prequel to Dark Horse. However, had I read this first, before Dark Horse, than it would have destroyed me. So please do yourself a favor and not read this until you've read the first book.

This is really bittersweet considering it is told through Justin's point of view. He really is a great guy and you understand why Dan loved him so completely in Dark Horse. It would have been nice to see more of their first years together but , at the same time, this is probably better emotionally.

It was nice to see the beginning of Justin and Dan. And also meeting Chris for the first time. Justin and Dan truly had a special love and it was sweet seeing it from the start.

[♥️Victoria ♥️ ♥️love books♥️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need to get through all of them then I will do the review. But hells bells this is sooooo good!!!

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I have read all the main books in the Dark Horse series, I'm going back to read the extras. This story is so bittersweet, because if you've read Dark Horse, you know that Dan's forever with Justin was shorter than he imagined. Read Dark Horse, first, just as the blurb suggests.

[Mandy*reads obsessively* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might have been my favorite story of the series. It's sad, in the sense you know it doesn't end well. But it was so sweet and good while it lasted. Despite being a ménage lover, I wish this could have been the main couple and ( maybe added Chris into it. ) I never warmed to the other men as much as I did to Dan and Justin.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was wonderful, sweet, sexy, sensual and because I read book one so darn sad!!

This book was from Justin’s POV. Here you witness how Justin and Dan first met. How head over heels Justin was from the beginning and how fearful Dan was. If I had read this book before Dark Horse i would have cried even more. And while nothing tragic happens in this short story, knowing what their future held broke my heart all over again! OMG! Part of me wanted to know more about their life together and part of me doesn’t know if i could take it!

I absolutely loved this!

[Rissa (an M/M kinda Girl!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Dark Horse and getting to know Justin thru Dan's memories. I hadn't planned on reading any of the .1, .2 books in this series because I wasn't sure actually meeting Justin wouldn't be painful. I found it hard to read this book...even tho what happens doesn't happen in this book, I still know it's coming and my heart was breaking for them.

[MsMiz (Tina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - Justin and Dan meeting for the first time. Kate has a way of bringing to life those awkward first meetings with men who have absolutely no idea how to communicate - especially when these two men realize there is a lot riding on the word 'Hi'.

[Sandi ♥'s way too many M/M books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This... Yea I loved it! Dan.. Justin.. I just have no words knowing how book 1 is.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Sherwood isn't the first author I've seen to write novellas that tie in to a series. Personally, I love that! She is, however, the first one for me to have some of these novellas be long enough they could have been released versus having them as free shorts. 'Sometimes You Just Know' is a part of the 'Dark Horses' series and gave me a lovely look back at Dan and Justin's relationship. Something, in my opinion, which was very important in understanding Dan and his struggles with moving forward.

I really loved it that this was written in Justin's point of view. I will strongly recommend that you read 'Dark Horse' before reading this novella, as otherwise, you'll be in for quite a shock, I'm afraid. The electricity between Justin and Dan was evident from the first time they met. What was more fascinating, to me, was watching the way Dan completely puts a mask on his expressions, and, seemingly, his emotions. At least until he meets Justin, and Justin is able to slip beneath those walls that Dan keeps up so high to shield himself from hurts or rejections. Getting beyond those walls is no easy task.

I'm so happy the author wrote this. It gave me a chance, my only chance, to get to know Justin, and to really see the depth of the love he and Dan created. Thank you, Kate, it meant a lot.

"He thinks of Dan, of how easy it was for Justin to bend his own dreams a little, mold them in a way to make room for Dan. He can imagine them living and working together, getting old together, and he's never felt like that before. He shakes his head again, and smiles. "It was just… I don't know, man… sometimes you just know."

[BevS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little novella which follows the first book 'Dark Horse' although it is a sort of prequel, and tells the tale of Justin's pursuit of Dan, and how he fell head-over-heels in an extremely short time. The pursuit of course was not without it's problems, mainly because Dan was so frightened to commit himself, obviously having been hurt dreadfully in the past. The author is perfectly correct.....sometimes you do just know, and I offer myself as an example here....29 years later, and we're still going strong!!

There were some phrases which I particularly liked 'Dan looks down, and then back up, and his mask is gone, and Justin sees a little lost boy, wanting to believe that he's been found, but not able to accept it' and 'Justin moves his body closer, but he's careful not to crowd in. He's reminded again of working with a spooked horse, and that moment of tension when the horse could go either way, could start calming down or could explode into a full panic. Justin wants to be sure he doesn't give Dan any reason to explode'.....wonderful!! 4.5 stars and

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, sweet story of how Justin and Dan came to be. It's told in Justin's voice which makes it bittersweet, but I loved seeing how Justin fought for Dan, and how much he loved him. This short story is so worth your time.

[Alvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

THAT MOMENT WHEN THE PREQUEL/SEQUEL IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL

I have no idea why. But this is BETTER than Dark Horse.

This was technically a prequel to Dark Horse, the story revolved on how Dan & Justin first met to their meeting with Chris that Chris mentioned on Dark Horse through Justin's POV. I gotta be honest, I was spooked out at first! Reading a story from a person who I knew will die eventually. But going through it, I enjoyed it. I got to see Dan through another person eyes. And I got to understand Dan's personality better.

It has a good plot, hot sex scenes, and enough angst that made me liked this.

Recommended for Dark Horse fans! Enjoy!

[Dawn Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

** 5 Beautiful Stars **

~'Yeah,.. Sometimes You Just Know.~
Really loved this short novella about Dan and Justin meeting for the first time and falling in love. Some very moving and intimate scenes between the two men.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars.

I've been very pleased that this history has been from Justin POV. This takes place before the first book and tells how Justin and Dan met, and how Justin struggles to have a relationship with Dan,not only a sexual one.
I liked it a lot

[Macky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet beginning for Dan & Justin. I could read a whole novel of them. This little backstory of their beginning makes Dark Horse even more tragic. It's not fair that their time was cut short.

[DJO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justin! 😭😭😭 Man, I don’t even know what to say. I don’t know if I should be grateful to Kate Sherwood for giving us this story or miffed with her. This was a beautiful, funny, and very insightful little glimpse into the beginning of Dan and Justin, and once again, my heart is broken. Dan and Justin. They were so perfect together. Getting this story from Justin’s POV, being in his head, felt like a gift. This guy who we’ve learned so much about in Books 1, 2, and 3, but still didn’t really know. For all its brevity, this novella packed an incredibly powerful and emotional punch. And somehow made me kind of forget about Evan and Jeff. Yeah, I don’t know what else to say. My heart is broken. Goddamn.

[Marlobo ♥ epilogues · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you follow the series sequence as it is indicated here on GR -which is what I'm doing-, when one begins this story already knows that heartbreaking facts will happen, no during the development of this story but in the future. I strongly suggest to respect this order, to read this shortie as a prequel will cause surely an irreversible state of sorrow.

Knowing that almost unconsciously I embarked on this story with a certain detachment so it didn't wreck me. So far so good, but that didn't spare me the anguish due to Dan's reluctance that clearly lets to glimpse a heavy baggage.

Otherwise, this story shows off the same virtues that Dark Horse: a fabulous work with the characters, an equally concern for the context. Finally, with this series I'm learning more than in all my life about horses in general and equestrian sports in particular!