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Kissing Is Easy
It should be just another day for best friends Parker and Toby, not much different than any other day they’ve spent hanging out over the past fifteen years. But it isn’t just another day. Toby thinks Parker is freaking out because his girlfriend broke up with him. He has no idea that Parker is actually losing his shit because he just figured out he has feelings for Toby. At least, he has no idea until Parker kisses him. Now Toby’s the one flipping out. Terrified of what his family might do if they find out he’s gay, he’s stayed in the closet for years and had no intentions of coming out. Now Toby has to decide what to keep Parker as a friend and live his life in fear… or take the plunge, stand up for himself, and take a chance on love.
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 17, 2012
1 person is currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Allison Cassatta
42 books187 followersI am a married, 33 year old, female, with no children. By trade I am a network engineer with far too many years under my belt. My first book was published in 2010 by Kerlak Publishing, followed by a short story in 2011 through Dreamspinner Press. I don't have any formal training, I simply write what I feel. I have a vivid imagination and love building dream worlds for my readers to escape to.
I recently discovered that I am a hopeless romantic and that usually makes for some very turbulent stories. As most know, love is a mountain and at its peak there's infinite beauty, but it's best appreciated after a difficult climb... that's how I write. The world would be a boring place if we didn't have to fight a little for what we wanted, now wouldn't it.
I recently discovered that I am a hopeless romantic and that usually makes for some very turbulent stories. As most know, love is a mountain and at its peak there's infinite beauty, but it's best appreciated after a difficult climb... that's how I write. The world would be a boring place if we didn't have to fight a little for what we wanted, now wouldn't it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
January 18, 2012
Nice short GFY about two best friends, one of whom suddenly realises his attraction and initiates a kiss that has nerve wracking consequences. Although I enjoyed the story it felt like the situation was artifically drawn out by the MC's habit of stalking (flouncing) off mid-conversation. It just seemed a little too much like a tween-drama and I wasn't convinced at the end that this couple had really sorted out their issues with being gay.
January 31, 2012
When Parker and his girlfriend break up, it is no surprise that Parker’s best friend Toby is there for him to provide support. But Parker doesn’t want to think about his ex-girlfriend; what he really wants is to kiss Toby. So he does.
That single kiss sets in motion a chain of events where the young men play a tedious game of push-and-pull and finally end up acknowledging their mutual attraction. They’ve been best friends their entire lives, and it all seems so weird. They both have fears and questions about how their families and friends will react, if they’ll be accepted or ostracized. And to make matters worse, Toby’s ex-boyfriend enters the picture and tries to insert himself into their relationship in a very unwelcome manner.
This was a very sweet coming-out romance. As a fan of this author, I was again impressed by her writing. I love her writer’s voice in that it is very conversational, and I think the first person narrative lent itself really well to her style. It was not a long story, one that was easily read non-stop in one sitting.
I oddly found myself far more sympathetic to the love interest Toby than to the central character Parker. I found it a bit odd that Parker initiated the romance with a kiss and then instantly pushed Toby away. Then when Toby showed up at Parker’s home a few hours later and attempted to pursue the physical relationship, Parker was quick to reject him. Three days later, Parker freaks out when he doesn’t hear from Toby, and he blames himself, not for rejecting Parker but for kissing him in the first place.
Honestly I wanted to have a few minutes alone with Parker so I could tell him he was being a shithead. He really wasn’t making any sense, in my opinion. Toby had never rejected Parker’s affection nor had he said anything to Parker that would have indicated that the initial kiss was unwelcome. I just think that if someone grabbed me and planted a passionate kiss on my lips that it would be reasonable for me to assume they wanted something more than friendship from me.
Once Parker got his act together and started to get a grip on his internal homophobia, this other guy, Christian, enters the picture and tries to do everything he can to screw things up for the new couple. Christian had been a friend and (secret) lover of Toby’s, and he’s a bit of a drama queen who likes to insert himself into situations where he doesn’t belong. I didn’t much care for Christian, but then I think that was kind of the idea. I wasn’t supposed to.
Overall, I found this a very sweet coming-out, friends-to-lovers romance. I was happy to witness the evolution of this relationship within the context of this short story and would most definitely be eager to read a follow-up.
That single kiss sets in motion a chain of events where the young men play a tedious game of push-and-pull and finally end up acknowledging their mutual attraction. They’ve been best friends their entire lives, and it all seems so weird. They both have fears and questions about how their families and friends will react, if they’ll be accepted or ostracized. And to make matters worse, Toby’s ex-boyfriend enters the picture and tries to insert himself into their relationship in a very unwelcome manner.
This was a very sweet coming-out romance. As a fan of this author, I was again impressed by her writing. I love her writer’s voice in that it is very conversational, and I think the first person narrative lent itself really well to her style. It was not a long story, one that was easily read non-stop in one sitting.
I oddly found myself far more sympathetic to the love interest Toby than to the central character Parker. I found it a bit odd that Parker initiated the romance with a kiss and then instantly pushed Toby away. Then when Toby showed up at Parker’s home a few hours later and attempted to pursue the physical relationship, Parker was quick to reject him. Three days later, Parker freaks out when he doesn’t hear from Toby, and he blames himself, not for rejecting Parker but for kissing him in the first place.
Honestly I wanted to have a few minutes alone with Parker so I could tell him he was being a shithead. He really wasn’t making any sense, in my opinion. Toby had never rejected Parker’s affection nor had he said anything to Parker that would have indicated that the initial kiss was unwelcome. I just think that if someone grabbed me and planted a passionate kiss on my lips that it would be reasonable for me to assume they wanted something more than friendship from me.
Once Parker got his act together and started to get a grip on his internal homophobia, this other guy, Christian, enters the picture and tries to do everything he can to screw things up for the new couple. Christian had been a friend and (secret) lover of Toby’s, and he’s a bit of a drama queen who likes to insert himself into situations where he doesn’t belong. I didn’t much care for Christian, but then I think that was kind of the idea. I wasn’t supposed to.
Overall, I found this a very sweet coming-out, friends-to-lovers romance. I was happy to witness the evolution of this relationship within the context of this short story and would most definitely be eager to read a follow-up.
February 13, 2013
2.5 stars
I have no idea why this story turned so angsty and complain-y. I don't know if "angst" is the right word here. But what I do know is that the characters and their relationship had no joy in it.
The ending was strangely abrupt and did not resolve anything.
The first person narration was bothersome. Usually I don't have a preference as to first person or third person POV, but here, the main character's inner-monologue was so contradictory to his feelings and what was taking place that it just didnt make sense to me. This is where the angst stemmed from. And it wasn't even true angst. It was just a surge of strange emotions. These characters had no joy to them. I couldn't even tell they were friends, let alone best friends.
The sexual encounters seemed like Toby was taking advantage of Parker. And Parker seemed really unready to be sexual with Toby and so it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Like slow down, people!
This read like something that would have been ok for a free online story, but not as a published story that cost money.
I love best friends to lovers, but this just didn't do it for me.
January 19, 2012
2.5 stars
Childhood friends turn lovers is my all time fav theme. This one is just okay. It doesn't bring anything new to the table in a way of plot (except perhaps one thing, see spoiler). The story is too standard, the writing feels like what we find in fanfic website, and the only twists that the author tried to introduce, unfortunately, is one of my pet peeves: The Big misunderstanding (you know, when one character enters the room and see his love interest is in a semi compromised position with another man). For a novella, it has too many of it. Good thing that when those things happen, the effect doesn't last long.
I usually don't mind if a story is standard with little twist, as long as it brings warm feeling and smile when I read it. This one doesn't.
Childhood friends turn lovers is my all time fav theme. This one is just okay. It doesn't bring anything new to the table in a way of plot (except perhaps one thing, see spoiler). The story is too standard, the writing feels like what we find in fanfic website, and the only twists that the author tried to introduce, unfortunately, is one of my pet peeves: The Big misunderstanding (you know, when one character enters the room and see his love interest is in a semi compromised position with another man). For a novella, it has too many of it. Good thing that when those things happen, the effect doesn't last long.
I usually don't mind if a story is standard with little twist, as long as it brings warm feeling and smile when I read it. This one doesn't.
January 18, 2012
4.5 stars
What a gentle "simple" love story. After reading "Sins of the Heart", which was rather heartbreaking, I'm happy that I tried this author again. The teaser from GRL was a nice appetizer, so now I just finished reading the full story in one sitting. Although I was always waiting for the big desaster and drama, it thankfully didn't come.
What a gentle "simple" love story. After reading "Sins of the Heart", which was rather heartbreaking, I'm happy that I tried this author again. The teaser from GRL was a nice appetizer, so now I just finished reading the full story in one sitting. Although I was always waiting for the big desaster and drama, it thankfully didn't come.
February 7, 2012
Friends to lovers being one of my favourite book themes I just had to read this story. I cannot say I didn't like it at all because that would not be entirely true, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would :-(
The writing was quite good. The storyline was very simple, but at least there was a plot, so you won't find me complaining here, no. What I had a problem with was the ending. IMO, it left a lot to be desired. I would probably rate this 3 stars if I knew there would be a sequel. But since I know no such thing I'm going to rate this 2 stars. Maybe 2.5. And that's it.
The writing was quite good. The storyline was very simple, but at least there was a plot, so you won't find me complaining here, no. What I had a problem with was the ending. IMO, it left a lot to be desired. I would probably rate this 3 stars if I knew there would be a sequel. But since I know no such thing I'm going to rate this 2 stars. Maybe 2.5. And that's it.
January 19, 2012
Short story about college age lifelong best friends who realize they're meant to be. Some angst thrown in and there you go. I liked the semi ambiguous ending for once, usually I'm not such a big fan of those. However, it seemed to fit in that it wasn't really necessary to have proof of the happy ending, you just felt like they'd make it through pretty much whatever. Emotionally, I think it captured that overwhelming college angst thing> or maybe only my friends & I had telenovella relationships back then. But it read like what I remember college being like. Overly concerned about potential catastrophes and fumbling your way through wanting someone.
May 29, 2012
I was really loving this story in the beginning when I figured out that it was gfy and friends-to-lovers and tats!! All in one book!! But then I got kinda annoyed when I found out about Toby's secret gay life. I feel like that Parker really didn't know his BFF at all. As a reader, I feel like that I still didn't really know that much about Toby in the end either. The story was hot, but the lack of condom use squicked me out!
3.5 Stars
3.5 Stars
February 20, 2012
Allison Cassatta once again doesn’t take the easy road in a romance. KISSING IS EASY shows that getting to first base for a closeted gay man is anything but easy. The point, I think, is that it’s all hard.
KISSING IS EASY includes two tropes that I like, coming out and friends to lovers. It also covers the fact that secrets between friends or lovers will come back to bite you.
As a fan of Ms Cassatta’s writing I was once again captivated with her style of conversational prose. She has a gift for description and emotion in her work. KISSING IS EASY is a complete short novella, with an HFN ending that could so easly become an HEA. I would love to read more about Parker and Toby, and hope Ms Cassatta has a plot bunny in mind for them that will take them farther and let us know how things go with their families. As I read my way through her backlist I am fascinated by her ability to take an easy story idea, run with it, and make it complex and fully shaped into a book well worth reading.
KISSING IS EASY includes two tropes that I like, coming out and friends to lovers. It also covers the fact that secrets between friends or lovers will come back to bite you.
As a fan of Ms Cassatta’s writing I was once again captivated with her style of conversational prose. She has a gift for description and emotion in her work. KISSING IS EASY is a complete short novella, with an HFN ending that could so easly become an HEA. I would love to read more about Parker and Toby, and hope Ms Cassatta has a plot bunny in mind for them that will take them farther and let us know how things go with their families. As I read my way through her backlist I am fascinated by her ability to take an easy story idea, run with it, and make it complex and fully shaped into a book well worth reading.
July 30, 2012
I read the tag for Kissing is Easy a few weeks ago and was eagerly awaiting its release and I am happy to report that I was not let down. It was a sweet romance between two friends whose friendship turned into more. After seeing the other reviews, I was afraid that I might have been let down, but I am happy I didn't let them sway my decision to read it. It is a nice, one-sitting (for me) read and by the end, the only thing I was disappointed in was the fact there was no more to read. I enjoyed reading as the boys went through their conflicts to find their happily ever after. I can only hope one day Ms. Cassatta will share them with us again, I'd love to see a glimpse further into their future.
January 22, 2012
2.5 stars. I wanted to like this story a lot more than I did because I really like friends to lovers stories. It started off with Parker dealing with new found feelings for his best friend Toby. But then there was this whole creepy deal with a guy from the LGBT group that really put me off. Anyway, it seemed to go downhill from that point. I think it was a case of just too much being crammed into the story length. I was confused that Parker who seemed to just realize his sexual orientation was pushing so hard to be "out." I don't know - something was just off. It ended rather abruptly as well which sort of made me wonder what the whole point was.
January 26, 2012
I got really into this book, not wanting to put it down even though it was past my bedtime. The story was true-to-life, about a young man coming to tersm with his feelings for his best friend and his sexuality. I found only two drawbacks; one, it wasn't long enough. There are still unresolved issues that need to be addressed and I can only hope Ms. Cassatta is working on a sequel to "finish up" the story. Second, one of the secondary characters needed a little fleshing out; he's not entirely one-note, but I think with an added chapter he could have been more "real."
All-in-all, a wonderful story that is well-deserving of a sequel. Four out of five stars, definitely worth the read.
All-in-all, a wonderful story that is well-deserving of a sequel. Four out of five stars, definitely worth the read.
January 20, 2012
2.5 - Typically I am all over GFY best friends in love stories. With that said Kissing Is Easy starts off really well and then it just seems to get lost somewhere in the middle. We get a weird visit to a LBGT meeting, a really strange character interaction by the name of Christian that I still do not fully understand and all within 70 pages trying to follow Parker in his discovery and love of Toby. At the same time we have Toby, who has hid this entire side of himself from his best friend.
I am not sure how this book will work for others, but for me, I was left with a wtf feeling and I do not like that at the close of a story!!
I am not sure how this book will work for others, but for me, I was left with a wtf feeling and I do not like that at the close of a story!!
March 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this short story. Allison has managed to capture all the thought's and feelings that go behind finding out and coming to terms with the fact that you are gay. I really enjoyed the story-line for it's real life and in depth characters. This is a story with everything you need to carry you through right to the very end and leave you wanting more. I read this book all in one go as i could not put it down and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading m/m erotica or dealing with their feelings. All in all a good read and as normal Allison manages to bring everything to life, i am loving her short stories.
November 11, 2015
I'm not sure if this is a "coming to terms with changing sexuality" short or a GFY. It's sort of confusing because Parker is pretty sure he's in love with Toby, but never really comes to term with whether it's because he's gay or because he's just in love with Toby. I mean, I'm under the assumption that if you're capable of having an intimate emotional relationship with someone of the same sex, that means you're not entirely straight, but then I don't think there are many people on the planet who are entirely straight, so...
Anyway, this whole thing is really rushed, in a frenetic hey-slow-down-what's-going-on kinda way.
Anyway, this whole thing is really rushed, in a frenetic hey-slow-down-what's-going-on kinda way.
January 20, 2012
A short but interesting gay-for-you read about two college guys who have been best friends since elementary school. Toby knew he was gay but hid it from Parker for fear of losing him. Parker, recently split from his girlfriend after she accuses him of being in love with Toby, starts to realize he has feelings for Toby. Then decides to kiss him...but gets rejected. Things get a little angsty and move quickly to happyville but it was still well written and pretty good for a short story.
February 21, 2016
Loved this friends-to-lovers story! Parker knows he feels more than friendship for his lifelong best friend, Toby, but he doesn't know what those feelings mean. Is he gay? Is he bi? Is he just confused? His plan to test the waters by kissing Toby backfires, leaving Parker more confused than ever.
It isn't easy getting to a point where they can be honest about and explore their feelings for one another, but once they do...the chemistry is scorching hot!
It isn't easy getting to a point where they can be honest about and explore their feelings for one another, but once they do...the chemistry is scorching hot!
February 29, 2012
This is my third book by this author and I have enjoyed them all.
I wasn't quite as in love with Parker as I wish I were, it seemed he wanted things his way, no matter what.
I would have liked to know how their story continues...how will the parents react? As bad as the boys think, or maybe not? I only wish Christian had just been a jerk and not the schools LGBT leader too!
I wasn't quite as in love with Parker as I wish I were, it seemed he wanted things his way, no matter what.
I would have liked to know how their story continues...how will the parents react? As bad as the boys think, or maybe not? I only wish Christian had just been a jerk and not the schools LGBT leader too!
January 29, 2012
what a great short story. I loved reading this book and I couldn't put it down, I read in a hour. the only down side is that it isn't long enough. I could have read way more. again another fantastic book from this author.
January 19, 2012
I aboslutely loved this book!!! From start to finish it grabbed my attention and flowed well. I sat and read the whole book in one sitting and I know I will be going back and reading it again. I would recommend this book to all my friends!!!!!
March 7, 2012
I enjoyed the book but I felt like so much was missing. They get together and have a million reasons why they can't come out and then when they stick their toe out of the closet it ends abruptly. What happens next????
February 18, 2012
A decent read, but I would recommend Dear Diary over this one. I wasn't able to connect with the characters in this one and it left me feeling rather unaffected overall.
February 29, 2012
3,5 stars
January 19, 2012
Very fast read....fluffy BFFs to BF story. Totally fluffy. Got exactly what I expected and enjoyed it. No angst (and I love me some angst) but light, fun coming out story...good sex.
January 20, 2013
really good enjoyable story. Only reason I didnt rate it higher is cause I felt it ended abruptly and I have far to many questions left over.
January 30, 2012
2.5-2.75 stars for me. OK story, I thought parts were overdramatic and rushed. And oh, the Big Misunderstanding. C'mon. I enjoy stories like this, and this one was OK for me.
April 7, 2012
Best friends become lovers. Very predictable, but still enjoyable.
July 11, 2012
Nice little short story about best friends becoming more. There really needs to be another story about these two, because it felt like it was just getting started then it was over. Fingers crossed.
September 5, 2012
A nice little story about childhood best friends finally coming clean about their feelings for each other and dealing with what that means to their friendship. It was a simple and easy read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews