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Entangled
Official Description: Daren has been in love with his best friend Taylor for five years. One rainy night, Taylor turns up soaking wet on Daren’s doorstep with a confession hovering on his lips. The confession changes both their lives.
Original Prompt:
Dear Author,
A rainy night brought him to me. Now, he sits nude, (wrapped in the smallest blanket I found) nursing a brandy and telling me his life story. Which I'm not really listening to, since I'm busy planning the way to make this straight buddy bend for me—or vice versa, I really don't care, as long as we end up tangled and satisfied. Please, don't think I'm a selfish jerk, because my crush on him is epic.
Photo Description: A close-up of a man with long curly hair standing in the rain.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Read the story here or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 3.
Original Prompt:
Dear Author,
A rainy night brought him to me. Now, he sits nude, (wrapped in the smallest blanket I found) nursing a brandy and telling me his life story. Which I'm not really listening to, since I'm busy planning the way to make this straight buddy bend for me—or vice versa, I really don't care, as long as we end up tangled and satisfied. Please, don't think I'm a selfish jerk, because my crush on him is epic.
Photo Description: A close-up of a man with long curly hair standing in the rain.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is Always Write" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
Read the story here or find it in Love Is Always Write: Volume 3.
46 pages, ebook
First published May 29, 2012
120 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
Lex Valentine
83 books198 followersAward-winning author Lex Valentine writes across genres from contemporary to urban fantasy but mostly M/M these days. A native of California, Lex lives in Orange County, with her husband Rott and a bunch of cats she collectively calls “babies.” She's a 17 year employee of a 100+ year old cemetery, builds her own computers and is generally considered the IT geek at work and to her family and friends.
A member of the Romance Writers of America, Lex is active in her local Orange County chapter and is a past treasurer for PASIC. Her publishers include Loose Id, Ellora's Cave, and MLR Press. She's the author of the self-published ARe and Amazon best selling series Souls in Bondage.
Lex loves to hear from her readers. Her door is always open at lex@lexvalentine.com or on her personal or author Facebook pages.
Website: http://lexvalentine.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/lexvalentineauthor
Facebook: http://facebook.com/cemeterywinter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lexvalentine
A member of the Romance Writers of America, Lex is active in her local Orange County chapter and is a past treasurer for PASIC. Her publishers include Loose Id, Ellora's Cave, and MLR Press. She's the author of the self-published ARe and Amazon best selling series Souls in Bondage.
Lex loves to hear from her readers. Her door is always open at lex@lexvalentine.com or on her personal or author Facebook pages.
Website: http://lexvalentine.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/lexvalentineauthor
Facebook: http://facebook.com/cemeterywinter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/lexvalentine
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
July 5, 2018
Synopsis: Trevor and Daren are best friends; Trevor confesses he's gay and loves Daren too; porn star fuck session ensues; everything is perfect and let's get married; the end.
This is a short story, so I didn't expect much in the way of character or relationship development, but I couldn't believe how dated, and borderline offensive, this story was:
- One of the guys is a total size queen and talks about the size of his penis, and his partner's penis, repeatedly.
- Daren is a total douchenozzle, using his friends to get blowjobs. Such a "gay thing" to do, no?
- "Gay" is used as an adjective to reinforce stereotypes. See above.
- The bottom is referred to as the "girl."
- Daren, who believes Trevor is straight, muses that he would actually considering "going trans" for Trevor if he didn't love his dick so much. Cause obviously that's what being trans means - switching your gender for the hell of it to please your partner. THE FUCK???
This is a short story, so I didn't expect much in the way of character or relationship development, but I couldn't believe how dated, and borderline offensive, this story was:
- One of the guys is a total size queen and talks about the size of his penis, and his partner's penis, repeatedly.
- Daren is a total douchenozzle, using his friends to get blowjobs. Such a "gay thing" to do, no?
- "Gay" is used as an adjective to reinforce stereotypes. See above.
- The bottom is referred to as the "girl."
- Daren, who believes Trevor is straight, muses that he would actually considering "going trans" for Trevor if he didn't love his dick so much. Cause obviously that's what being trans means - switching your gender for the hell of it to please your partner. THE FUCK???
October 9, 2015
Overall book rating 3/5 stars
Audio book - N/A
Book Cover 5/5 stars
This was just a sweet book.
Audio book - N/A
Book Cover 5/5 stars
This was just a sweet book.
May 30, 2012
It is hard for me to rate this one, because to be honest I didn't like the MC's.
I thought Daren was very callous in his thoughts/behaviour towards Wes, and Taylor's admission of what he did with Daren and Stone didn't make me like him either.
It might have been different if he hadn't waited 5 years to make a move.
And I could be wrong but no one knew about who Taylor really was? I can't imagine that being a secret anyone could keep with press and Internet all over the place.
All in all I liked Wes and Stone much better and would love their story, but Taylor and Daren ...well I guess they deserve eachother.
I thought Daren was very callous in his thoughts/behaviour towards Wes, and Taylor's admission of what he did with Daren and Stone didn't make me like him either.
It might have been different if he hadn't waited 5 years to make a move.
And I could be wrong but no one knew about who Taylor really was? I can't imagine that being a secret anyone could keep with press and Internet all over the place.
All in all I liked Wes and Stone much better and would love their story, but Taylor and Daren ...well I guess they deserve eachother.
August 11, 2013
There are two things that do not work for me in this very short M/M romance:
- first, it is short. It is not concise, it is underdeveloped. Too much background information, too many psychological transitions, too many romantic developments are crammed into a couple of pages and the author's writing is certainly not poignant enough to make up for and compensate all the lacking pages.
It reads like a draft, most of the time;
- while the side characters are obnoxiously ill outlined, an obvious result of the sheer lack of pages, the two main one are ill outlined and unlikeable.
Taylor is a troubled man but of all those troubles we only get glimpses. We meet him as an unhappy man, we see him having mind-blowing sex and we leave him a wham-bang happy man.
Daren is the dictionary picture of vapid.
His best friend/epic crush of five years comes to his house in the middle of the night saying he wants to talk about very important things and what we get is him getting randy and horny and thinking about sex while his best friend/crush is baring his soul to him.
Who would not want a friend/lover like that?
I think the author aimed at humour in that peculiar scene. If she did, she failed. If she did not, someone please explain me what was the purpose.
Later on the couple is having sex. Daren is not trembling because of the deep emotions he feels. He is quipping about who is having control...
Friends to lovers is a beloved branch of the romance genre because of its intense psychological implications. It has been done before and keeps on being done for this reason.
Of all this psychological, sentimental complexity one find here little more than nothing.
- first, it is short. It is not concise, it is underdeveloped. Too much background information, too many psychological transitions, too many romantic developments are crammed into a couple of pages and the author's writing is certainly not poignant enough to make up for and compensate all the lacking pages.
It reads like a draft, most of the time;
- while the side characters are obnoxiously ill outlined, an obvious result of the sheer lack of pages, the two main one are ill outlined and unlikeable.
Taylor is a troubled man but of all those troubles we only get glimpses. We meet him as an unhappy man, we see him having mind-blowing sex and we leave him a wham-bang happy man.
Daren is the dictionary picture of vapid.
His best friend/epic crush of five years comes to his house in the middle of the night saying he wants to talk about very important things and what we get is him getting randy and horny and thinking about sex while his best friend/crush is baring his soul to him.
Who would not want a friend/lover like that?
I think the author aimed at humour in that peculiar scene. If she did, she failed. If she did not, someone please explain me what was the purpose.
Later on the couple is having sex. Daren is not trembling because of the deep emotions he feels. He is quipping about who is having control...
Friends to lovers is a beloved branch of the romance genre because of its intense psychological implications. It has been done before and keeps on being done for this reason.
Of all this psychological, sentimental complexity one find here little more than nothing.
December 18, 2012
*SIGH* How sweet can one story be? Plenty obviously...
*BIGGER SIGH* I think i awwwwww-ed myself through the story...
*BIGGEST SIGH* And that epilogue.... WOW... hello tears...
*BIGGER SIGH* I think i awwwwww-ed myself through the story...
*BIGGEST SIGH* And that epilogue.... WOW... hello tears...
December 2, 2017
2.5 Stars
Pretty good sex scenes, but some of the writing seemed off.
Pretty good sex scenes, but some of the writing seemed off.
March 8, 2013
Hmmmm , not really sure about this one, I liked the concept and to be honest the opening couple of pages seemed quite promising but as the story progressed I found myself doing the questioning and eye rolling that comes when it all starts to get a bit far fetched! For a freebie its not awful but I don't think I'd want to read it again. Sexy scenes but lacking emotion and chemistry, I thought. 2.75* rounded up.
May 30, 2012
I'm just going to point you all to Mandy's review because she says everything I want to say. Almost word for word.
~ yep, I'm being very lazy. thanks :)
~ yep, I'm being very lazy. thanks :)
February 12, 2013
This one was just okay for me. The much-used friends to lovers plot only works for me when it offers something a little out of the ordinary (to some degree a rock band has that), or if the characters are really wonderful. These two didn't have me overly enthusiastic. And yes, the sex was hot, but it lacked emotion and the sort of passion that I really like. Taking all of this together, I have to conclude that this one just wasn't for me.
Daren, as much as he is desperately in love with Taylor, still has several fuck buddies over the years. He also doesn't seem to want to move on with his life, still pining after Taylor 5 years later. I find that very hard to believe, since it doesn't seem to ft the rest of his personality or his rather callous attitude toward Wesley. Not to mention this sentence: "If he were more of a flamer maybe he’d consider going transgender to have Taylor, but he really didn’t think he’d make a very attractive woman." To be honest, that just really bugged me. It is so derogatory toward transgender people, as if they, too, are just "pretending" to be someone else, that it made me mad and almost ruined the story for me. I certainly got close to disliking Daren even more!
Taylor - well. He wasn't exactly honest about himself, and I can understand that to some degree. With strangers. But Daren is supposed to be a close friend and Taylor has left out so much about himself that it made me wonder how well Daren could actually know him. Not exactly the best premise for becoming lovers.
If you like friends-to-lovers stories where lust rules supreme (for at least one of the characters), if you enjoy overly dramatic characters, and if you can forgive these two their failings (or if you don;t think they have any), then you might like this book.
Daren, as much as he is desperately in love with Taylor, still has several fuck buddies over the years. He also doesn't seem to want to move on with his life, still pining after Taylor 5 years later. I find that very hard to believe, since it doesn't seem to ft the rest of his personality or his rather callous attitude toward Wesley. Not to mention this sentence: "If he were more of a flamer maybe he’d consider going transgender to have Taylor, but he really didn’t think he’d make a very attractive woman." To be honest, that just really bugged me. It is so derogatory toward transgender people, as if they, too, are just "pretending" to be someone else, that it made me mad and almost ruined the story for me. I certainly got close to disliking Daren even more!
Taylor - well. He wasn't exactly honest about himself, and I can understand that to some degree. With strangers. But Daren is supposed to be a close friend and Taylor has left out so much about himself that it made me wonder how well Daren could actually know him. Not exactly the best premise for becoming lovers.
If you like friends-to-lovers stories where lust rules supreme (for at least one of the characters), if you enjoy overly dramatic characters, and if you can forgive these two their failings (or if you don;t think they have any), then you might like this book.
December 1, 2014
Right...so...not a huge fan of our MC. He's kind of a prick. I mean, he takes his current fuck buddy--his words--to a concert so he can see his best friend--who he is actually in love with--because he hopes to at least get a bj at the end of the night and with Wes, he doesn't have to reciprocate. Uh....ugh.
The dialogue was a little more than somewhat awkward I felt.
I think there was some potential in there but there was a lot of telling and filler and not much character development because in the end, I don't really care about Dare. *shrugs* it was a freebie so I won't discourage others, it just wasn't my thing I guess
The dialogue was a little more than somewhat awkward I felt.
I think there was some potential in there but there was a lot of telling and filler and not much character development because in the end, I don't really care about Dare. *shrugs* it was a freebie so I won't discourage others, it just wasn't my thing I guess
March 7, 2013
One star is for it being a freebie.
Unfortunately this does not encourage me to buy a book of this author. I found the story boring and sappy - the end was so WTF for me.
The dialogues were not good and the whole plot was basically a collection of cliches.
I don't mind some stereotypes in a story - it's more the execution here that sucked for me.
Unfortunately this does not encourage me to buy a book of this author. I found the story boring and sappy - the end was so WTF for me.
The dialogues were not good and the whole plot was basically a collection of cliches.
I don't mind some stereotypes in a story - it's more the execution here that sucked for me.
April 16, 2013
Not bad for a freebie, but only OK...didn't get too wrapped up in the characters
Want to read
August 22, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon US today (8/22/2019)! 🎁
December 14, 2021
Entangled
By Lex Valentine
A short story of 2 best friends who have been in love for 5 years, but kept it secret until now.
It was okay. A little disappointing.
By Lex Valentine
A short story of 2 best friends who have been in love for 5 years, but kept it secret until now.
It was okay. A little disappointing.
February 1, 2015
Meh. It's sweet and all, but it's a little too corny. Not bad, just kinda hokey.
August 31, 2013
★★★★★Entangled(Love is Always Write) by Lex Valentine
This is an M/M erotica short coming in around 45 pages.
This was an Amazon freebie.
This is a HOT little story. What happens when you are in love with your straight best friend? You miserable fantasy for years about him.
But one day you find him in a storm, just staring at your house. You allow him in, and try your best not to be distracted by the water running off his body.
He confesses he's tired of lying to everyone, he's not straight. He is madly in love with you.
This is an M/M erotica short coming in around 45 pages.
This was an Amazon freebie.
This is a HOT little story. What happens when you are in love with your straight best friend? You miserable fantasy for years about him.
But one day you find him in a storm, just staring at your house. You allow him in, and try your best not to be distracted by the water running off his body.
He confesses he's tired of lying to everyone, he's not straight. He is madly in love with you.
November 28, 2014
I didn't finish this. I rated it one star for the authors writing ability but that's as far as it goes. Daren was an asshole. His best friend comes to him to unburden his heart and his mind and all the jerk can think about is getting sex out of someone who he believes is straight. Of lacing his tea with alcohol to "loosen" his inhibitions. Sorry, you can have an MC with flaws, but when you have one who is so self-centered that he would think of taking advantage of someone whom he says he loves and is his closest friend, that's a story I don't want to read.
August 22, 2016
Adorable little M/M friends to lovers story with hot sex. What more could you ask for? Okay, in the M/M romance world, my het male friends; they don't need a woman to make it fun. Fine, you don't get it. It's a girl thing. The vast majority of M/M writers and readers are straight women, did you know that? I've been in the closet all this time...
July 13, 2015
This is a novella read. Friends to lovers. The start of the book had potential but after the big revelation I lost my enthusiasm, I love me some fluff and sparkle, but I felt this was a slide too far into the sentimental and I may have eyerolled once or twice. Overall, there was enough to carry me along to the HEA finish, it was an easy, no angst read.
July 11, 2013
Not my cup of tea. MCs were a bit too shallow for my taste.
August 5, 2013
It was cute. Nothing spectacular
January 5, 2016
3.5 stars
May 28, 2019
Cute
It's a cute, little, short story best friends who have been in love with each other for five years and finally find a way to be lovers.
It's a cute, little, short story best friends who have been in love with each other for five years and finally find a way to be lovers.
August 31, 2019
Rating: 2 stars
So glad this was free. Really short story with not much to it. It bored me and wasn’t long enough for me to establish any kind of connection with the MCs.
So glad this was free. Really short story with not much to it. It bored me and wasn’t long enough for me to establish any kind of connection with the MCs.
July 14, 2014
Tiny few Spoilers.......nothing major.
A light,sweet read. Carn't ask for more as at present the book is free.
The story took me just under 50 min's to finish.
The story line is what I would refer to as "fluffy & sweet". Not really a deep, entrenched story line, but nevertheless enjoyable.
It involves Daren, a guy who goes to see his "besties" Taylor who is a guitarist of a rock band performing at a concert.
Poor Darne has been harbouring unrequited (or so he thinks) love for his friend and it seems when you read the story that he tourture's hisself watching from afar, but always feeling he can never ever be with Taylor. *Sniffle*
Moving on basically one night Taylor turns up at Daren's house and pour's his "real story" and feelings out to Daren. Hey presto.....things are looking up.
The fact that its taken 5 years for Taylor to get with the programme made me want to shake my kindle a little, but hey, love has no boundaries time included I suppose.
Getting to the point Taylors reveal then allows him & Daren to finally be together. Its actual heart warming. There was a few pieces within Daren & Taylors dialogue that was quite humourous and made me smile. I like humour in a story.....life can be to serious sometimes.
Thankfully the story concludes with a HEA, which for Mrs Romantic (AKA - ME) is a MUST !!. So that was a win/win allround !!.
I would say if you want a quick feel good, romantic light read. Then this is the book for you.
I would like to read more about Stone & Wes, two of the other male characters in this story, that at the end start a "interlude".
I am sure that will be Lex's next book.
I just hope Wes learn's the word monogamy, as Stone deserves his HEA.
Later peeps x
A light,sweet read. Carn't ask for more as at present the book is free.
The story took me just under 50 min's to finish.
The story line is what I would refer to as "fluffy & sweet". Not really a deep, entrenched story line, but nevertheless enjoyable.
It involves Daren, a guy who goes to see his "besties" Taylor who is a guitarist of a rock band performing at a concert.
Poor Darne has been harbouring unrequited (or so he thinks) love for his friend and it seems when you read the story that he tourture's hisself watching from afar, but always feeling he can never ever be with Taylor. *Sniffle*
Moving on basically one night Taylor turns up at Daren's house and pour's his "real story" and feelings out to Daren. Hey presto.....things are looking up.
The fact that its taken 5 years for Taylor to get with the programme made me want to shake my kindle a little, but hey, love has no boundaries time included I suppose.
Getting to the point Taylors reveal then allows him & Daren to finally be together. Its actual heart warming. There was a few pieces within Daren & Taylors dialogue that was quite humourous and made me smile. I like humour in a story.....life can be to serious sometimes.
Thankfully the story concludes with a HEA, which for Mrs Romantic (AKA - ME) is a MUST !!. So that was a win/win allround !!.
I would say if you want a quick feel good, romantic light read. Then this is the book for you.
I would like to read more about Stone & Wes, two of the other male characters in this story, that at the end start a "interlude".
I am sure that will be Lex's next book.
I just hope Wes learn's the word monogamy, as Stone deserves his HEA.
Later peeps x
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2014
I read this book because of that captivating cover. I mean, look at that gorgeous cover!
But for only 38 pages in my reader, I don't know why did I'm so tired reading this one.
I think this is could be so much potential if there's some 'story' included., instead of finding - a prologue, the sex, and an epilogue.
Where's the "process"? This became a 'meh', and I didn't enjoy it at all.
And I feel sorry for Wes and Stone. Well, they're both deserved better lover anyway.
This stolen review here probably could give you all the explanation you need. I'm just ranting here, not important.
July 18, 2015
Short
This is a very short book that seemed like it was just getting started, then it ended before the plot developed or before I could really get to know the characters, maybe I didn't realize this was a prequel. It wasn't a terrible book, just left me unsatisfied. It starts out with Daren looking outside his window one rainy night only to discover his best friend Taylor, who's also his secret love, standing outside soaking wet. Daren invites Taylor in and while the rest of the story is predictable, I still wanted to finish it! It was an ok read that merited 3 stars.
This is a very short book that seemed like it was just getting started, then it ended before the plot developed or before I could really get to know the characters, maybe I didn't realize this was a prequel. It wasn't a terrible book, just left me unsatisfied. It starts out with Daren looking outside his window one rainy night only to discover his best friend Taylor, who's also his secret love, standing outside soaking wet. Daren invites Taylor in and while the rest of the story is predictable, I still wanted to finish it! It was an ok read that merited 3 stars.
January 22, 2015
2.75 stars, rounded up.
The story of unrequited love and discovering that it is in fact reciprocated.
This story, unfortunately, didn't work for me. The storyline was ok, but the dialogue fell flat. The chattering during their first time together was distracting. I found the 'coming out' to the band, a bit unnecessary, and anticlimactic.
The relationship was sweet, if a little sappy for me.
I liked both the characters, and liked their enthusiasm for each other. Taylor's excitment over being free was lovely and infectious.
I'm pleased they got their HEA.
The story of unrequited love and discovering that it is in fact reciprocated.
This story, unfortunately, didn't work for me. The storyline was ok, but the dialogue fell flat. The chattering during their first time together was distracting. I found the 'coming out' to the band, a bit unnecessary, and anticlimactic.
The relationship was sweet, if a little sappy for me.
I liked both the characters, and liked their enthusiasm for each other. Taylor's excitment over being free was lovely and infectious.
I'm pleased they got their HEA.
June 16, 2012
This story made me laugh, made me smile, and even made me get a little teary eyed in a sappy good sort of way! I really liked the relatively angst-free nature of this story and loved that the author gave us so much substance around the MC’s happily ever after. I secretly hope to see some take offs for other characters from this story – they deserve for us to hear more. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!!!
June 1, 2012
2.5 -- I don't really know how to rate this. The writing was fine and all, I just... Daren was so dang flippant in the face of something that should have floored him. The deepest sense of anyone I got was Stone... and I mostly just ache for him. I will read the follow up because I desperately need him to get his HEA.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews