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On the Dotted Line
When college drop-out Paul LeBlanc first meets pediatrician Dr. Cameron Fraser at the emergency room, he isn't hoping for anything more than good news about his best friends' James and Alison's baby. He's more involved in baby Gabby's life than the average guy his age might be, but there's a good reason for that -- she's his biological daughter, a gift given to his friends when it turned out James wasn't able to father a child.
Cameron asks Paul to go for drinks, but Paul doesn't want to hope for more than a few dates and maybe some hot sex. As it turns out, Cameron isn't into casual sex, but Cameron also knows right away that what he wants with Paul is anything but casual.
Paul's life is complicated. He has a mountain of debt that no one knows about and just paying the bills is a struggle. He's sick of rummaging in the couch for change to do a load of laundry and worrying about when his junky car will break down next. Still, he suspects that the added complication of a boyfriend might be worth it if that boyfriend is Cameron.
Cameron asks Paul to go for drinks, but Paul doesn't want to hope for more than a few dates and maybe some hot sex. As it turns out, Cameron isn't into casual sex, but Cameron also knows right away that what he wants with Paul is anything but casual.
Paul's life is complicated. He has a mountain of debt that no one knows about and just paying the bills is a struggle. He's sick of rummaging in the couch for change to do a load of laundry and worrying about when his junky car will break down next. Still, he suspects that the added complication of a boyfriend might be worth it if that boyfriend is Cameron.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2012
62 people want to read
About the author
Alexa Snow
65 books78 followersAlexa Snow is an emotional person who appreciates practicality in others. She's prone to crying at inconvenient times, drinking too much coffee, and staying up too late playing with words (either reading or writing.) A background of schooling she wasn't all that interested in resulted in a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a vague sense of wasted time. Alexa lives in a tiny old house in New England with her husband, young son, and a small collection of pets.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 9, 2012
With friends like this, I would kill myself.
March 31, 2012
Good m/m romance about a guy who's deep in debt and falling further behind, but none of his friends have any idea; neither does the doctor he starts to date. Something about the writing style felt really awkward to me.
April 3, 2012
3.5*
Poor Paul, literally, he has a lot of debt, through no fault of his own and is living hand to mouth.
He meets Cameron and they start a relationship, eventually everything comes to light.
This was a sweet story, a bit of a Cinderfella, but I never really felt the connection between the MC's, although they were both really great guys.
On a side note, I did think Allison might be a bit prone to overreacting, and she would do well to get that under control before her kids become teenagers! LOL
Poor Paul, literally, he has a lot of debt, through no fault of his own and is living hand to mouth.
He meets Cameron and they start a relationship, eventually everything comes to light.
This was a sweet story, a bit of a Cinderfella, but I never really felt the connection between the MC's, although they were both really great guys.
On a side note, I did think Allison might be a bit prone to overreacting, and she would do well to get that under control before her kids become teenagers! LOL
August 4, 2014
This story was so much better than I thought it would be. I don't know why, but the cover led me to believe it would be something short and sweet and, though it was indeed sweet, it was so much more.
Paul was the sperm donor when his best friends, Alison and James, wanted to have a baby and baby Gabby is the child of his heart. He's very wrapped up in her life with them, as they want it to be. When he rushes to the hospital in the middle of the night after a frantic phone call from them, he finds out the baby is going to be okay, and he finds an attraction to the ER doctor which is apparently reciprocated.
Cameron, the doctor, is immediately attracted to Paul and gives him his number. Paul hesitates to follow through because his luck is so lousy. He's suffering under a mountain of debt, primarily from hospital bills he took on when his parents were killed in an accident and his dad lingered quite a while before dying. He's working as a sales clerk with no benefits, and he's barely making enough to keep the minimal payments on the bills, never mind find money for food.
Cameron takes him to dinner and marvels at how much Paul can pack away, little knowing that it might be the only meal Paul has for several days. But the attraction is there and the two make the commitment to see if something develops. This is a slow, sweet developing romance with Paul maintaining as much independence as he can and finally admitting that he wants Cameron as much as Cameron wants him. He won't let Cameron pay his debts, but he does compromise in other ways. And the two spend so much time with the baby that it's evident that both will want their own child in the future. I like the way the author handled their relationship, allowing small changes each time and finally giving us a hopeful HEA, with that future family in sight as well.
The pens on the cover? Cameron collects them. Can't help himself. Just keeps picking up pens to the point where they are in mugs all over his house. It was just a minor side issue to the story.
Recommend this to my friends who like a slow-developing romance, with a little bit of angst and a nice, satisfying HEA.
Paul was the sperm donor when his best friends, Alison and James, wanted to have a baby and baby Gabby is the child of his heart. He's very wrapped up in her life with them, as they want it to be. When he rushes to the hospital in the middle of the night after a frantic phone call from them, he finds out the baby is going to be okay, and he finds an attraction to the ER doctor which is apparently reciprocated.
Cameron, the doctor, is immediately attracted to Paul and gives him his number. Paul hesitates to follow through because his luck is so lousy. He's suffering under a mountain of debt, primarily from hospital bills he took on when his parents were killed in an accident and his dad lingered quite a while before dying. He's working as a sales clerk with no benefits, and he's barely making enough to keep the minimal payments on the bills, never mind find money for food.
Cameron takes him to dinner and marvels at how much Paul can pack away, little knowing that it might be the only meal Paul has for several days. But the attraction is there and the two make the commitment to see if something develops. This is a slow, sweet developing romance with Paul maintaining as much independence as he can and finally admitting that he wants Cameron as much as Cameron wants him. He won't let Cameron pay his debts, but he does compromise in other ways. And the two spend so much time with the baby that it's evident that both will want their own child in the future. I like the way the author handled their relationship, allowing small changes each time and finally giving us a hopeful HEA, with that future family in sight as well.
The pens on the cover? Cameron collects them. Can't help himself. Just keeps picking up pens to the point where they are in mugs all over his house. It was just a minor side issue to the story.
Recommend this to my friends who like a slow-developing romance, with a little bit of angst and a nice, satisfying HEA.
April 26, 2012
I really wanted to like this story, I truly did.
The premise (poor man in debt meet somewhat wealthy doctor) was kind of thin and has been used far too many times in other forms, but we still like to read them, right?
Our male version of Pretty Woman so to say and we do like to see the white knight come in and save the day and get the prince(ss) in the end.
But, I have to say that On the Dotted Line bored me out of my mind. I actually got 140 or so pages in before I had to just skim the last couple and say "I am done!".
There wasn't an actual problem setting with a climax, but rather some build-up, which just fizzled out in the end and never really got your attention.
Instead we focused an awful lot of Gabby (cute as button!) and Alison/James' annoying relationship with minor focus on Paul and Cameron.
Alison just annoyed me to no end. If she wasn't an obsessed mother, she was a complete bitch towards her husband.
Yes, I can see how problematic his smoking would be, but there is absolutely no reason to go overboard with it and practically castrate the poor man. It might be different if I was a parent, but then again, it might not.
In the end, it was just the way she was written that got on my nerves. Her love seemed shallow and all she truly cared about was her baby, with no feelings left for the other people in her life.
Then there are Paul and Cameron, who just confused me - both of them.
In one scene they can be stubborn and are keeping hold of their opinions and in the next breath, they are insecure and stutters and just leave things be.
It's natural to feel insecure, but the way they were written made it seem unnatural; like the author hadn't quite figured out how they personalities should be and just tried some out to see how it would work.
Unfortunately it didn't work out and left me with an expression of "what?".
The idea with Cameron's 'obsession' was cute and I haven't read something similar, but it is not enough to build your story upon.
Over all, I just find the book confusing and shallow and the emotions were so unnatural, I couldn't get into it.
The premise (poor man in debt meet somewhat wealthy doctor) was kind of thin and has been used far too many times in other forms, but we still like to read them, right?
Our male version of Pretty Woman so to say and we do like to see the white knight come in and save the day and get the prince(ss) in the end.
But, I have to say that On the Dotted Line bored me out of my mind. I actually got 140 or so pages in before I had to just skim the last couple and say "I am done!".
There wasn't an actual problem setting with a climax, but rather some build-up, which just fizzled out in the end and never really got your attention.
Instead we focused an awful lot of Gabby (cute as button!) and Alison/James' annoying relationship with minor focus on Paul and Cameron.
Alison just annoyed me to no end. If she wasn't an obsessed mother, she was a complete bitch towards her husband.
Yes, I can see how problematic his smoking would be, but there is absolutely no reason to go overboard with it and practically castrate the poor man. It might be different if I was a parent, but then again, it might not.
In the end, it was just the way she was written that got on my nerves. Her love seemed shallow and all she truly cared about was her baby, with no feelings left for the other people in her life.
Then there are Paul and Cameron, who just confused me - both of them.
In one scene they can be stubborn and are keeping hold of their opinions and in the next breath, they are insecure and stutters and just leave things be.
It's natural to feel insecure, but the way they were written made it seem unnatural; like the author hadn't quite figured out how they personalities should be and just tried some out to see how it would work.
Unfortunately it didn't work out and left me with an expression of "what?".
The idea with Cameron's 'obsession' was cute and I haven't read something similar, but it is not enough to build your story upon.
Over all, I just find the book confusing and shallow and the emotions were so unnatural, I couldn't get into it.
January 22, 2013
2.5 stars
For me this is one of those meh books. Not bad, but not very good either.
I kind of see it as a shallow book. It lacks development.
I do admit to liking Paul a bit and I totally believed him being poor. I was actually hungry reading the whole book. This part did make an impact on me.
But his relationship with Cameron, I wasn’t really feeling it…….
And I hated the thing with the million pens. It made no sense. She just threw a quirk out there so she could tie it up with the ending. Annoying!
For me this is one of those meh books. Not bad, but not very good either.
I kind of see it as a shallow book. It lacks development.
I do admit to liking Paul a bit and I totally believed him being poor. I was actually hungry reading the whole book. This part did make an impact on me.
But his relationship with Cameron, I wasn’t really feeling it…….
And I hated the thing with the million pens. It made no sense. She just threw a quirk out there so she could tie it up with the ending. Annoying!
April 12, 2012
3 1/2 stars
I picked up Alexa Snow’s ON THE DOTTED LINE based on the blurb, which led me to expect a sweet love story with a couple of complications. I got the complications all right, but not so much sweet.
This actually would have made a good series rather than bundling all of the story into one novella. Ms Snow has great ideas and I look forward to reading more of her work as she matures as a writer.
Please see my complete review http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
I picked up Alexa Snow’s ON THE DOTTED LINE based on the blurb, which led me to expect a sweet love story with a couple of complications. I got the complications all right, but not so much sweet.
This actually would have made a good series rather than bundling all of the story into one novella. Ms Snow has great ideas and I look forward to reading more of her work as she matures as a writer.
Please see my complete review http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
May 19, 2013
2012 Review:
What is it with me and bad books? Okay, this one could have been worse. Much worse, as recent events (*cough* The Desperate Fay King *cough*) showed. Nevertheless it was quite… confusing, due to being badly written, plotted and… Yeah, okay, so it was bad. Ish. No, it was bad.
… I will stop now with this and get into the gritty.
Half the time I had no idea what they were talking about. Inside their dialogue as well as in the narration. Seriously? Maybe I just didn’t get the jokes and references, but I did not even spot anything obscure that might be construed as such. People just responded as though something else entirely had been said. Over and over. It made for strangely detached conversations.
If only Paul, our viewpoint character, had had more backbone. Or any, really. He just went along with anything anyone said, except for a few unprovoked bouts of antagonism, which even then did not amount to anything.
I also fail to understand what made him so destitute that he was starving half the time. I mean he had a job, and it wasn’t even the worst kind of job. Hiding his state from everyone seemed kind of silly too, considering the dire nature of his position. Yes, later on there is an explanation, but there should at least have been a hint about that much earlier because as it was, it just felt off and made Paul look bad.
And we did not need that since he really is a bit of a simpleton. Or rather a whole lot of one. And why the fuck am I writing so much about a book this insignificant anyway?
Cameron at least was always kind and sweet and I enjoyed his obsession with pens, even if it made no sense the way it was presented here. Author, we’d like some sort of context, please? Maybe next time.
Then that thing about second-hand smoke inhalation. You guys do realize that for it to work you’d have to actually smoke in areas where the baby is or will be, right? So having a cig in the car or outside the freaking hospital really does not make a difference. You’re all jerks.
Maybe this is a good note to end on.
Altogether, Cameron’s patience and kindness were what saved this book from being a total waste. You go, boy! And even though you could’ve done a whole lot better than Paul (no, the debt has nothing to do with it), since you seemed to want him so badly I’m glad for you that you got him.
What is it with me and bad books? Okay, this one could have been worse. Much worse, as recent events (*cough* The Desperate Fay King *cough*) showed. Nevertheless it was quite… confusing, due to being badly written, plotted and… Yeah, okay, so it was bad. Ish. No, it was bad.
… I will stop now with this and get into the gritty.
Half the time I had no idea what they were talking about. Inside their dialogue as well as in the narration. Seriously? Maybe I just didn’t get the jokes and references, but I did not even spot anything obscure that might be construed as such. People just responded as though something else entirely had been said. Over and over. It made for strangely detached conversations.
If only Paul, our viewpoint character, had had more backbone. Or any, really. He just went along with anything anyone said, except for a few unprovoked bouts of antagonism, which even then did not amount to anything.
I also fail to understand what made him so destitute that he was starving half the time. I mean he had a job, and it wasn’t even the worst kind of job. Hiding his state from everyone seemed kind of silly too, considering the dire nature of his position. Yes, later on there is an explanation, but there should at least have been a hint about that much earlier because as it was, it just felt off and made Paul look bad.
And we did not need that since he really is a bit of a simpleton. Or rather a whole lot of one. And why the fuck am I writing so much about a book this insignificant anyway?
Cameron at least was always kind and sweet and I enjoyed his obsession with pens, even if it made no sense the way it was presented here. Author, we’d like some sort of context, please? Maybe next time.
Then that thing about second-hand smoke inhalation. You guys do realize that for it to work you’d have to actually smoke in areas where the baby is or will be, right? So having a cig in the car or outside the freaking hospital really does not make a difference. You’re all jerks.
Maybe this is a good note to end on.
Altogether, Cameron’s patience and kindness were what saved this book from being a total waste. You go, boy! And even though you could’ve done a whole lot better than Paul (no, the debt has nothing to do with it), since you seemed to want him so badly I’m glad for you that you got him.
April 25, 2012
This review was originally written for Hearts on Fire Reviews and can also be found there.
This was not my first book by Mrs. Snow and while good, it couldn't measure up with some of the others I have read. The writing was decent and the possibilities endless. From the overall setting and the likeability of characters I had expected much more.
Paul is a man in debt who's had financial trouble since his parents had died in an accident. His two best friends, James and Alison, are oblivious to the fact and don't seem to notice that Paul is starving half the time and has only two paper thin towels in his apartment. In fact, they are such close friends that when they couldn't have children on their own, Paul made a donation and is a biological father of their daughter. On one such occasion, when Alison takes her daughter to the emergency room, Paul meets the doctor on call, Cameron.
The romance is fast and solid and their relationship, while thin on 'showing' the strings that hold them together, is still pretty strong when it comes to the romance part. As characters both Paul and Cameron suited me, but their connection was missing a sort of spark and I couldn't get invested into the story as much as I needed to make it great. Paul's situation was heartbreaking at some points and really, for me, it was the best part of the book. I liked reading about his struggles and expected more focus on it once Cameron came into the picture. One could say that I had a set course of action in my head and once those twists and turns were neglected, my opinion of the book went from great to average.
Paul's friends were a strange bunch to say the least. Alison was a somewhat overreacting woman and James was just weird. But I can't help it but be slightly bitter about the way they barely even noticed Paul. On the surface they were so worried and caring, but they also missed so many things and particular situations got on my nerves. How can you not notice that your best friend has nothing to wear and that the best meal of the week is the one he gets when he babysits their daughter. Yeah, I didn't think much of them and even by the end the stars of the book for me were Paul and Cameron.
With a bit more focus on the couple and a stronger impact of Paul's situation this book could have been a lot better but it's still not one people should just dismiss.
This was not my first book by Mrs. Snow and while good, it couldn't measure up with some of the others I have read. The writing was decent and the possibilities endless. From the overall setting and the likeability of characters I had expected much more.
Paul is a man in debt who's had financial trouble since his parents had died in an accident. His two best friends, James and Alison, are oblivious to the fact and don't seem to notice that Paul is starving half the time and has only two paper thin towels in his apartment. In fact, they are such close friends that when they couldn't have children on their own, Paul made a donation and is a biological father of their daughter. On one such occasion, when Alison takes her daughter to the emergency room, Paul meets the doctor on call, Cameron.
The romance is fast and solid and their relationship, while thin on 'showing' the strings that hold them together, is still pretty strong when it comes to the romance part. As characters both Paul and Cameron suited me, but their connection was missing a sort of spark and I couldn't get invested into the story as much as I needed to make it great. Paul's situation was heartbreaking at some points and really, for me, it was the best part of the book. I liked reading about his struggles and expected more focus on it once Cameron came into the picture. One could say that I had a set course of action in my head and once those twists and turns were neglected, my opinion of the book went from great to average.
Paul's friends were a strange bunch to say the least. Alison was a somewhat overreacting woman and James was just weird. But I can't help it but be slightly bitter about the way they barely even noticed Paul. On the surface they were so worried and caring, but they also missed so many things and particular situations got on my nerves. How can you not notice that your best friend has nothing to wear and that the best meal of the week is the one he gets when he babysits their daughter. Yeah, I didn't think much of them and even by the end the stars of the book for me were Paul and Cameron.
With a bit more focus on the couple and a stronger impact of Paul's situation this book could have been a lot better but it's still not one people should just dismiss.
September 3, 2012
originally here- http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...
On the Dotted Line centers almost entirely on Paul LeBlanc, a young man who has some obvious inferiority complexes, mainly centered on his financial issues which he is determined to hide from his closest friends. Cameron Fraser is a doctor with whom Paul becomes involved, though he maintains a bit of reserve around Cameron. Because of this emotional distance, the reader doesn’t learn much about Cameron, other than he seems like a generally decent, caring person.
On the Dotted Line could have turned into an angst-ridden book about the poor, down-trodden boy who, through no fault of his own, is nearly impoverished but is saved by his very own doctor in a shining stethoscope. Thankfully, the poor-me clichés are kept to a minimum, and when shown are understandable, making both Paul relatable rather than annoying. I will comment that some mentions of James were intriguing, and I worried this would end up a very different kind of review, but that storyline was well-played and resolved potential issues. My only criticism is that I would have liked to know a bit more about Cameron, and maybe see a bit more development in their relationship, which seemed to move rather quickly.
Ms. Snow’s most recent book is neither boring nor overly dramatic, but instead a fairly quick and enjoyable read, and both Paul and Cameron are rather enjoyable characters.
On the Dotted Line centers almost entirely on Paul LeBlanc, a young man who has some obvious inferiority complexes, mainly centered on his financial issues which he is determined to hide from his closest friends. Cameron Fraser is a doctor with whom Paul becomes involved, though he maintains a bit of reserve around Cameron. Because of this emotional distance, the reader doesn’t learn much about Cameron, other than he seems like a generally decent, caring person.
On the Dotted Line could have turned into an angst-ridden book about the poor, down-trodden boy who, through no fault of his own, is nearly impoverished but is saved by his very own doctor in a shining stethoscope. Thankfully, the poor-me clichés are kept to a minimum, and when shown are understandable, making both Paul relatable rather than annoying. I will comment that some mentions of James were intriguing, and I worried this would end up a very different kind of review, but that storyline was well-played and resolved potential issues. My only criticism is that I would have liked to know a bit more about Cameron, and maybe see a bit more development in their relationship, which seemed to move rather quickly.
Ms. Snow’s most recent book is neither boring nor overly dramatic, but instead a fairly quick and enjoyable read, and both Paul and Cameron are rather enjoyable characters.
June 4, 2012
Author: Alexa Snow
Publisher: Torquere Press
Word Count: 50,330
Published: 2012
While the convention of this story has been told many times before (wealthy doctor falls in love with a poor retail guy), but the story overall was a decent read. Typical instant attraction in a moment of urgent panic, and then stumbling/fumbling to match up correctly, and end with the secret (being poor) being spilled to a happily ever after.
There was nothing earth shattering about this story – in fact, there were a few boring moments, but I liked both of the characters on their own – and together. The one lingering question is I have no clue what the obsession with pens was or why it was in the story – it was never explained (that I can recall at least).
The sex was ok – very vanilla, very middle of the road. There was attraction there which came through nicely, but nothing over the top. Two “normal” guys who liked each other with a small bit of turmoil thrown in, came together when they had sex.
Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥♥
I would recommend for any newbie’s to m/m as this is a very easy love/romance story with very light sex and heat. It’s also a quick read for anyone who’s looking for something a bit more low-key with better character development.
Publisher: Torquere Press
Word Count: 50,330
Published: 2012
While the convention of this story has been told many times before (wealthy doctor falls in love with a poor retail guy), but the story overall was a decent read. Typical instant attraction in a moment of urgent panic, and then stumbling/fumbling to match up correctly, and end with the secret (being poor) being spilled to a happily ever after.
There was nothing earth shattering about this story – in fact, there were a few boring moments, but I liked both of the characters on their own – and together. The one lingering question is I have no clue what the obsession with pens was or why it was in the story – it was never explained (that I can recall at least).
The sex was ok – very vanilla, very middle of the road. There was attraction there which came through nicely, but nothing over the top. Two “normal” guys who liked each other with a small bit of turmoil thrown in, came together when they had sex.
Out of four…
Overall Read: ♥♥
Sex Heat: ♥
Plot: ♥♥
I would recommend for any newbie’s to m/m as this is a very easy love/romance story with very light sex and heat. It’s also a quick read for anyone who’s looking for something a bit more low-key with better character development.
April 28, 2012
This one was a pleasant read with so much unfulfilled potential... It would have been great to see the romance a bit more developed or at least the ending to be less rushed. What bothered my sometimes too practical brain the most were the so-called best friends of Paul (James and Alison).
I find it very hard to believe they did not notice something was seriously wrong with Paul, considering the readers were explicitly told that he was very thin and wore threadbare clothes. Cameron immediately commented on the state of Paul's apartment, even though long-time best friend James - who visited often - did not find anything unusual about it. Unless both Alison and James were completely self-absorbed...
Anyway, it's a good read with some out of the ordinary elements.
I find it very hard to believe they did not notice something was seriously wrong with Paul, considering the readers were explicitly told that he was very thin and wore threadbare clothes. Cameron immediately commented on the state of Paul's apartment, even though long-time best friend James - who visited often - did not find anything unusual about it. Unless both Alison and James were completely self-absorbed...
Anyway, it's a good read with some out of the ordinary elements.
March 29, 2012
Very cute. Exactly what I wanted- a cute, fun, sexy romp. Not super heavy or dark, but very likable characters. I enjoyed reading it, and breezed right through it. I wish the ending was drawn out a bit more...I felt like there could have been a bigger resolution. I wanted to have the other MC's get a bigger "reveal" and I wanted to learn a bit more about the MC's, but the story was great.
April 13, 2012
This story was really good. I was pulled into Paul troubled life instantly. And truthfully, I couldn't pity him at all. He was really strong as a person. I was happy he hooked up with Cameron, they were great as a couple. The end was really sweet and emotionally satisfying.
June 9, 2012
Overall a nice easy read..Paul and Cameron were good individually and ok together. The thing with the pens was alluded to but never explained like the author wanted to have a funny story but couldn't think of one. The end seemed rushed and abrupt with only a couple of HEA paragraphs.
April 18, 2012
2.5 stars
April 29, 2012
I enjoyed the storyline, but sections of this book were poorly written and that let an otherwise decent story down. Just a bit too amateurish in places.
May 14, 2015
Not even 1 star, really, since I didn't bother to finish this. U__U
July 31, 2012
2.5 star
Read
October 28, 2012DNF-10%
August 19, 2014
Sweet and spicy. Fun read.
June 12, 2012
I really enjoyed this! I'd love to read more about the MCs. *crosses fingers for a sequel*
February 19, 2013
Read last year. Only remember a doctor a baby and money problems. Will need to re-read.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews